Chapter 154 - 154: The Living Room at Night

Utaha and Yukino's co-op mission ultimately ended in failure. The two never stopped arguing, and on that front, neither was capable of conceding to the other. Haru eventually took on the role of mediator, putting a halt to the conflict. At the same time, he suggested they switch to classic retro games on the Famicom. These pixel-style ancient games had plenty of cooperative options. For instance, the famous Kunio-kun (Hot-Blooded) series just happened to support four-player co-op. Of course, once the game started—be it the brawler version or the sports competition—it inevitably devolved into one-on-one showdowns between Utaha and Yukino. As the saying goes, when the clams fight, the fisherman profits. Every time those two exhausted their characters' resources and health in their duel, Megumi Kato would calmly sweep in and clean up the field. Haru was deeply impressed by Megumi's underhanded opportunism. Moved, even. Then, leveraging his own mastery of the games, he'd casually pull a final sneak attack—snatching victory for himself. "We lost, huh." Utaha yawned and set down her controller, looking completely unbothered."If Yukinoshita hadn't insisted on dueling me, you two wouldn't have had a chance." Yukino scoffed. "You're seriously full of yourself. Aren't you the one who keeps picking fights with me?" "Well, it's a free-for-all mode. I'm allowed to choose my target." "I feel the same. And currently, the score's five to three—getting frustrated, senpai?" "..." Seeing the two start bickering again, Haru clapped his hand on the table. When all three girls turned to look at him, he lifted his chin and mimicked a TV villain's smug grin. "Mind your tone, ladies. I'm the true victor here." "You mean the sneak attacker," Megumi quietly corrected. Haru's smile didn't falter. "If it leads to a win, then sneaking is just another valid strategy." That comment promptly lit a fire under all three girls. In the next round of free-for-all, Haru got to fully experience the justice of being ganged up on. By 9:30 PM, the three girls headed into the master bedroom together. Their reason? "We've got stuff to talk about—girl stuff. You wouldn't get it." Haru remained unbothered. "As long as you don't start arguing again, I'd sleep in the park if I had to." Oddly, when he said that on a whim, all three girls—including the ever-calm Megumi—stared at him silently for several seconds. '…They're not really planning to send me to the park, are they?' Haru muttered to himself. He lay sideways on the couch watching TV, an orange tabby curled beside him, yawning lazily. Meanwhile, inside the master bedroom… None of the girls were talking about Haru. "Senpai, have you decided which room you'll sleep in?" Yukino asked. "Yeah. Megumi and I are the guests, so we'll take the guest room." "Sounds good." Since Haru had already offered to sleep on the couch, they didn't argue. Once the rooms were sorted, Yukino brought up something else. "Did either of you notice… after our workout earlier, it felt more effective than usual?" Megumi blinked in surprise. Utaha arched a brow. "Megumi said something like that before. But personally, I didn't notice much." "Honestly, me neither," Yukino said softly. "That's why I wondered if I was just imagining it." Megumi chimed in. "Usually, improving your physique through exercise takes a lot of time. But I had the same vague feeling Yukino described—like something shifted, but I couldn't pinpoint what." Yukino looked at her in astonishment. "So… it wasn't just me?" Seeing how serious they were, Utaha crossed her arms and thought back carefully. "That odd sense of improvement… I felt it too. But it was so faint, I assumed I was overthinking things." Silence fell over the room. All three were clearly wondering the same thing: why did today's workout feel different? Each of them had her own fitness routine to stay in shape. But this sudden sense of improvement—right after one session—was completely unexpected. The sensation wasn't distinct enough to be conclusive, so at first they'd all dismissed it as an illusion. "Should we ask Haru?" Megumi suggested. Yukino shook her head. "If we go now, I already know exactly how he'd respond." Utaha leaned in with curiosity. "How?" "He'd put on that fake-serious act of his and tell us, 'This is the magic of training—if you don't mind, I'd be happy to demonstrate again right now.'" Yukino sounded utterly confident. Utaha immediately waved her hand. "Hard pass. I've had enough for today." "Same." Megumi wasn't keen on more exercise either. Still, that "I'm making progress" sensation had been strangely addictive. In the end, the three of them couldn't reach a conclusion. They decided to pay closer attention next time—see if that feeling was real or just their imagination. Wrapped only in a bathrobe, Utaha rose and padded to the door. She didn't step out immediately, instead peeking through the gap first. "Looks like he's asleep." Yukino didn't glance up. "Probably just resting. He usually stays up late." Utaha's tone shifted slyly. "If he's a night owl, then you must be too, huh?" Yukino's face flushed. She shot her a glare. Megumi interjected softly, "Are we really having this conversation?" Utaha promptly shut her mouth. She had no problem teasing Yukino with risqué jokes or poking at her sore spots—but only when they were alone. The two of them left the master bedroom, Yukino closing the door behind them—though she didn't lock it. "With Kato here, it's not like Senpai would try anything… but it doesn't hurt to be cautious." She murmured to herself before turning off the light and slipping into bed. A while later, the living room lights dimmed as well. A faint glow still seeped in from under the door—likely from the TV. He's still awake? Yukino hesitated. Since she wasn't sleepy yet anyway, she slid out of bed and padded over in her slippers. She opened the door carefully, avoiding any sound. When she reached the sofa, she found Haru engrossed in a mobile game. "Why aren't you asleep?" The crisp, clean scent of Yukino's shampoo drifted over as he glanced back. "Not tired yet." Yukino adjusted her pajamas, ensuring she was properly covered, before circling around to sit beside him. Seeing this, Haru closed the game and pulled her into his arms. "You—" "Just for a minute. I won't move." At his reassurance, Yukino relaxed slightly, though her face burned as his hands settled on her slender waist. The moment they touched, her fragrance enveloped him completely. Frankly, not moving was going to be a challenge. Yukino clearly knew it too—her body stayed tense, wary of any wandering hands. But Haru kept his promise, simply holding her as he asked, "What were you three talking about earlier? You were in there for half an hour." "Nothing important." She shook her head. Since they hadn't confirmed their theory yet, there was no point bringing it up. Yukino's expression gave her away, though. Haru could guess exactly what they'd been discussing. So the max-level [Steel Body] effect is that noticeable? If this kept up, all three of them would end up in peak physical condition. Not a bad deal. But he played dumb and changed the subject. "Want to go to a hot spring over winter break?" Yukino saw right through him. "You're imagining a mixed-gender bath, aren't you?" "Obviously." He didn't deny it. She leaned against his chest with a sigh. "If that's what you're hoping for, prepare to be disappointed." "Why?" "My sister told me mixed baths are mostly filled with middle-aged men and women. Young women avoid them." "I meant booking a private one. Just us." "We'll see." She neither agreed nor refused outright. After all, if they did share a bath, given how obsessed he was with her body… things might escalate. "Then I'll take that as a yes." Yukino didn't argue, letting him adjust their position into something more comfortable. The TV's volume was barely audible, but in the quiet living room, the soft sounds wrapped around them like a cozy blanket. For Yukino, nights like this were… nice. Though it'd be even better without guests in the other room. Just as she was savoring the moment, his hand began straying from her waist. Of course. She lifted her head, cheeks pink. "Hands." "Hands? Oh, you mean jelly? He's napping over there." Haru feigned ignorance—right before sliding his fingers under her pajama top. Yukino's breath hitched. "D-Don't…" "They're definitely asleep," he murmured. "No lights, no noise. We're fine." That logic was all it took. Yukino stopped resisting. "Take me to your room." Her voice was unsteady, her forehead pressed to his, eyes already hazy. "Not yet." He kissed her before she could protest. The familiar sweetness of her lips, the warmth of her body—it all swallowed him whole. Yukino stiffened for a second before melting against him. A minute later, Haru pulled back, voice rough. "Should I call you 'My Queen' again?" She glared—but the secret little game between them always sent a thrill down her spine. So instead of protesting, she whispered, "You should say, 'Yes, My Queen.'" Yukino's adorable pout made him chuckle. He lifted her effortlessly. Haru chuckled and picked up Yukino in his arms. After taking a few steps, a thought crossed his mind. "Come to think of it, the three of you girls could've shared a room, but instead you split up. Don't tell me... you foresaw this happening?" Yukino's face turned a mix of embarrassment and annoyance—adorably so. As if she could've predicted something like this. She had simply wanted to spend some alone time being close with Haru. Seeing her cute, flustered expression, Haru felt quite pleased with himself for teasing her successfully. Holding her in his arms, he walked toward the master bedroom. But just as they reached the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Thump-thump! His heart began to race. His [Auto-Aim] skill was warning him—In the dark guest room, the door was slightly open. Damn... someone's lurking.