Chapter 164 - 164 – Utaha: Your Turn!

Words : 1594 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

Yukino's sudden assertiveness didn't really surprise Haru. They had just been enjoying a sweet and intimate moment when they were rudely interrupted—and knowing how Yukino disliked holding back her emotions, of course she'd be upset. Especially when the person doing the interrupting was none other than her black-stockinged nemesis, Utaha-senpai. Predictably, Yukino took the "right to fire the first shot." "Just ignore her," she repeated coldly. Haru couldn't help but smile wryly. Letting Utaha eavesdrop at the door? That didn't sound like a great idea. Besides, when he entered the room earlier, he hadn't even locked the door. "Yukino, don't tell me you're pretending to be asleep?" Utaha's voice rang out again from the hallway. Yukino, still holding Haru close, her cheeks flushed, whispered, "What are you waiting for?" Just then, the doorknob clicked. A crisp clack clack sound echoed in the room. Both of them froze. "You didn't lock the door?" Yukino stared at Haru in disbelief. "I was just dropping off my laptop. Why would I need to lock the door for that?" Haru defended himself. Right on cue, Utaha's teasing voice floated in from outside. "Oh my, it's not even locked?" She let out a triumphant little laugh. "So? Should I come in now? No, wait—I quite admire you, Yukino. Why don't you put your clothes back on first?" Yukino bit her lip and let out a snort of frustration. Haru gently wrapped his arm around her soft waist, resisting the urge to move further. "Want me to go deal with her?" Yukino looked at him with a cryptic smile. "And what if you never come back?" "Then I—no, no. That won't happen. I'll be right back," he promised, catching himself just in time. She let go of his neck, cheeks still red, and turned her head away, not meeting his eyes. Her voice was soft and girlish, laced with embarrassment: "Come find me again later." Haru blinked. Wait—does that mean… there's a second round? When he opened the door, Utaha —wrapped in a bathrobe—immediately leaned over to peek inside. Yukino sat calmly on the bed, her sleepwear neat and untouched. She had just fixed it up, of course. "…You're actually being well-behaved?" Utaha asked, surprised as she turned to Haru. "Don't twist things, senpai. I just came in to drop off my laptop." "And… besides that?" "I clipped her nails. That's it." Utaha clearly didn't buy it, but she couldn't find anything suspicious either. So she turned to Yukino and smiled sweetly. "Goodnight, Yukino." "Goodnight," Yukino replied blandly. As Haru stepped out and began to close the door behind him, Utaha leaned in close, her eyes sparkling. "You really only clipped her nails?" "Absolutely." Haru nodded with confidence. After all, they hadn't even gotten to the good part yet. Utaha's lips curved into a knowing smile. Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper: "Then you should do mine too." "…What?" Haru blinked. She said nothing, only lifting her right leg slightly. The hem of her bathrobe rose with the movement, revealing a generous stretch of pale, flawless thigh. Just a little higher and it would definitely count as a wardrobe malfunction. But she stopped—poised, calculated. Balanced just perfectly, teasingly, holding up her slender, delicate foot for him to see. He could only admire her mastery of flirtation. When it came to "visual blocking tactics," Utaha was undoubtedly the queen. Just then, Yukino's voice echoed from inside the room: "Are you two still standing outside the door?" Haru opened his mouth to reply, but Utaha swiftly covered it with her hand. "Don't answer," she whispered. Yukino's voice came again, tinged with sarcasm: "Senpai, are you pretending not to be out there by staying silent?" Utaha's expression froze. A mocking chuckle followed from behind the door. "Should I open the door now? …No, if I saw you in such an embarrassing state, it'd just be worse for you." Haru: Brilliant. This is a plot twist on top of a plot twist. Utaha angrily dropped her leg, her frustration evident. She hadn't expected her own taunt to backfire so quickly. "Hmph… as expected of Yukino. Sharp as ever." With that, she turned around and went back to her room. Caught between two clashing queens, Haru finally escaped back to the living room. He wasn't even sleepy anymore. Picking up the family's chubby orange tabby, he started muttering to it: "Between those two goddesses going at it, if I don't keep my distance, I'll definitely get caught in the crossfire, right?" The cat let out a lazy meow, assuming he was about to rub its belly, and obligingly rolled over. It was already a seasoned feline—used to being doted on by visitors, especially the belly rubs.So now it practically expected it. 12:30 a.m. The lights in both the master and guest rooms were off. Only the faint glow of the television in the living room remained. Haru remembered what Yukino had said earlier—but he wondered if she had fallen asleep already. Not wanting to disturb her, he sent a message first: "Still awake?" The reply came in less than two seconds: "Come in." Putting down his phone, Haru stood and made his way to the master bedroom. But just as he reached the door, a soft sound came from the guest room. Creaaak. The door cracked open ever so slightly. Haru turned, and there she was—Utaha. She raised a finger to her lips and whispered, "I'll come find you later." Haru stood frozen. She gave a sly, seductive smile—then, just a hint of bashfulness—as she quietly shut the door again. The way she did it was so smooth, it felt like watching a chocolate commercial.Like… silky smooth Dove. 3 a.m. Haru and Utaha met again in the living room. As she loosened her robe and kissed him without hesitation, Haru couldn't help but recall that classic line from Fight Back to School: "Astro, it's your turn." Was this… a relay? Maybe only Utaha knew the answer to that. _ _ _ _ A few days later, Haru's name once again appeared in the news. This time, it was because of a robbery at a watch store. Yukino had actually been the first to take down the criminal, but since she was fast and disappeared from the scene, Haru—who wrapped things up and was recognized by witnesses—ended up as the headline hero. As for Yukino, Utaha, and Megumi, the article simply referred to them as "the girls with the karate champion." Naturally, Haru's popularity at school spiked again. More club invitations poured in, and anonymous love letters started piling up in his shoe locker. Whenever he handed them to Yukino, she'd give him a look of disdain: "Why don't you just deal with them yourself?" "I need you to screen them first." "Thanks, but I'm not interested." "Then just toss them." "…Fine. Whatever makes you happy." Yukino called it "indulging nonsense." But in truth, she was simply indulging him. Though she'd never admit it. December rolled around. After school one day, Yukino went back to Chiba to attend a family dinner. Utaha was busy working on her novel and a script, so she wasn't around either. With no one to bother him, Haru decided to grab his friends—including Furukawa—and head to the gaming district, saying: "Think of it as making up for the last time I went shopping without you guys." "Who even felt regret about that?! Nobody!" Furukawa and the others were deeply touched by the gesture. After hitting up the mall, they noticed a popular arcade nearby and decided to stop by. But as they entered, Haru spotted some familiar faces. Megumi, standing in front of a dessert shop with two other girls. Haru recognized the two. He'd seen them hanging around Megumi before, like during gym class when he went to get water. "Yo Haru, what're you playing first—King of Fighters, Street Fighter, or Samurai Shodown?"Furukawa and the gang had already gone in and were waving him over. Megumi turned and met his eyes. Haru waved, then called out to his friends, "You guys go ahead. I'll join in a bit." They didn't question it and headed inside. Megumi, as always, was perceptive. She noticed Haru hadn't entered, and seeing him wave from the door, she immediately turned to her friends and said, "Sorry, I just saw someone I know. I'll be right back." Crossing the street and the crowd, her steps grew lighter—without her realizing it. When she did notice, she didn't try to hide it. As she reached Haru, he noticed her beret was a little crooked. He reached out to adjust it and teased, "You must've had fun with your friends—your hair's all messed up under the hat." Megumi froze for a second. "What is it?" Haru asked, confused. She shook her head, cheeks slightly flushed. "You're going in there, right? I'll come with you." She didn't tell him that "your hair's a mess under your hat" had become the modern equivalent of "The moon is beautiful tonight"—a reserved way of saying I like you. A phrase supposedly from a Haruki Murakami novel, full of quiet affection. But seeing Haru's completely innocent face, she let it slide.

Chapter 164 - 164 – Utaha: Your Turn!

Comments (0)