Chapter 191 - 191 – Gifts

Words : 1734 Updated : Oct 14th, 2025

Steam filled the bathroom, condensing into droplets on the pale marble walls before dripping down in slow rivulets. In the foggy warmth, two silhouettes sat in the bath, facing each other. The tub wasn't very large. With both of them inside, there was barely any room left. Leaning back with a faint sense of comfort, Yukino spoke calmly. "So, are you going to talk now? You asked me to take a bath with you instead of going to the hot spring… to avoid Megumi, didn't you?" Utaha gave a crisp response to both questions: "Yes. I felt what we need to talk about isn't something Megumi should know." "I thought you two were close friends?" Yukino asked, her smile laced with subtle sarcasm. Utaha flinched, averting her eyes. "Let's talk about that another time." "Sure," Yukino said, letting it go without pushing further. Utaha took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "Do you think what Hiratsuka-sensei said earlier… had any merit?" Yukino's relaxed expression slightly stiffened. After a moment, she replied with a peculiar tone, "Are you trying to show off your twisted sense of humor again? Or did you actually take her words seriously… and want to pursue me?" Utaha's face darkened. "Can you not joke about something so ridiculous?" "Then maybe you should be a little more direct," Yukino replied coolly. "Well, I suppose that's on me… I meant, Hiratsuka-Sensei has said more than once that we share many similarities—and that we seem to get along well. I admit, it sounded strange to me at first too. But the more I think about it, the more I realize she wasn't entirely wrong." Upon hearing this, Yukino subtly straightened her back, no longer lounging against the wall in that previously relaxed posture. With a thoughtful expression, she asked, "So… is senpai trying to get on my good side?" Utaha gave a wry smile. "I'd rather defeat you, to be honest. At the very least, I owe you for pinning me down twice." Yukino let out a soft laugh. "You always overestimate yourself, senpai. But I will admit, I respect your confidence and fighting spirit." The sarcasm in her words was almost overwhelming. "Okay, stop. I'm not here to argue," Utaha interrupted herself just in time, not wanting the conversation to escalate into a full-blown bathhouse brawl. After a brief pause, her gaze shifted slightly. Even her voice grew softer. "I just meant… we do have quite a lot in common. We can talk like normal people." Yukino gave a small nod. "I won't deny that." When it came to serious matters, they actually worked fairly well together. "So, what I'm saying is…" Utaha suddenly looked up, her eyes locking onto Yukino's pale, porcelain face. Her own cheeks were gradually turning red. "There's a wall between us. And if we keep arguing like we always do, then it's like we're stabbing at that wall with spears, over and over." Yukino's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?" Utaha caught the shift in her expression, realizing Yukino had likely guessed where this was going. So she bit the bullet. "I'd rather we teamed up—tore that wall down together. We already share hobbies, we have things to talk about… don't you think that counts for something?" Yukino didn't respond right away. The bathroom fell completely silent. Even the rising steam in the air seemed to freeze, thick with tension. Yukino had understood. Senpai still wants to team up with me… And because she understood, her cheeks were faintly flushed. Clearly, Hiratsuka-sensei's comment earlier had stirred up something in Utaha—and given her the push she needed. If only Hiratsuka-Sensei knew what her silly misunderstanding had triggered… she'd probably have a far more complicated expression now than she did back then. Utaha noticed Yukino's silence and figured she had already wavered once before—hence no rejection this time, no sarcasm. Biting her lip, her voice trembling slightly but bold, she said, "I've known for a long time that you, Yukinoshita, were already standing at the finish line. All I could do was chase after you…" "I'm still not caught up yet—but at least now, we can talk to each other without hostility. And you admitted just now—we work well together." "You know what I mean, don't you? That feeling of defeat—it hurts. You and I are both proud people. Can you really keep living with that constant sense of failure?" By the time she finished, Yukino was completely silent. It was as if someone had swapped her out with a version of Megumi Kato. After a long pause, she looked over, her face red. "Do you have any idea what shame even means?" Utaha shot back, exasperated, "Can't you see how nervous I am?" The two girls locked eyes, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Utaha leaned her head back against the steamy ceiling, muttering softly, "No matter what happens, I'm not giving up. I'll say it right now—one day, I plan to have his children." Yukino's expression didn't change. "Even if… you never get the official title?" Utaha clearly froze for a second, but eventually nodded. "I see," Yukino said quietly, taking a deep breath and saying nothing more. Utaha didn't press the topic. Because she knew—Yukino had agreed. And so, on this quiet Christmas night, two beautiful girls who seemed forever at odds had formed a secret alliance. Suddenly, Utaha chuckled. "Would you say this counts as Hiratsuka-sensei giving us a little push?" Yukino shot her a glare. "Don't be ridiculous. If she ever finds out, her reaction would be far more complicated than before." "Haha, true," Utaha smiled, closing her eyes and trying to suppress her embarrassment. "I should be able to stay over at Haru's place tomorrow. I'll handle my parents." Yukino, equally flustered, gave a small nod. Utaha didn't say anything more. Her mind was already wandering toward the awkwardly intimate possibilities of the near future. She nearly let out a giggle at the thought. 11:30 PM Haru set down his game console and opened his suitcase. Besides some spare clothes, it also contained a bright red costume and a red sack. There was even a fake beard tucked into the side pocket. Yukino had guessed right—he had planned this ahead of time. He put on the Santa costume and placed the three presents he'd prepared into the sack. Just as he was about to head out, he remembered someone: Hiratsuka-sensei, traveling alone on Christmas. Judging by the nostalgic way she looked at dinner, he figured she was secretly hoping for a Christmas present—though she'd never admit it. Haru knew her room number, so he grabbed a beautifully wrapped box from the suitcase. It was a box of Royce strawberry marshmallow chocolates—he'd bought five the day before. His youthful-spirited mom loved them, so he had three reserved for her. One had gone to the neighbor's little girl. The last was meant for himself. For Yukino and the others, he had bought scarves. He had thought about it for a while—something warm and practical for the season. Scarves or gloves were safe choices. If he gave them expensive accessories, they'd probably reject them outright. As he recalled Megumi's expression in the park earlier, he let out a soft sigh. He really was becoming more and more of a playboy. Yukino had likely figured out Megumi's feelings long ago, but she hadn't addressed them. And now Utaha was probably aware too—yet said nothing. Haru shook his head to clear his thoughts, slung the red gift bag over his shoulder, and climbed out the window. Just to be safe—and to preserve the surprise—he didn't use the front door. He even messaged Yukino in advance. She didn't reply. The room was dark. That reassured him. Clinging to the wall like Spider-Man, he climbed up to the window and quietly slipped inside. The girls' room was completely dark and silent. Not even a glimmer of light from the bedroom. He tiptoed over to the door and gently turned the handle. Unlocked. As he cracked it open and peered inside, his phone's faint glow revealed the bundled forms under the blankets. They might have been pretending to sleep. But as long as he got the presents in place, Santa's job was done. First, he crept over to Yukino and gently placed the handmade gift box beside her pillow. At that exact moment, her eyes opened. They locked gazes—awkwardness immediately filled the air. So she was pretending! Haru gave her a sheepish grin. His fake beard twitched with the movement. Yukino, initially trying not to break character, covered her mouth and smiled. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, clearly amused by his Santa getup. Thankfully, she didn't laugh out loud. Haru made a shushing gesture, then moved over to Megumi's side, placing her present down. Megumi didn't stir. Relieved, Haru turned to Utaha. Yukino, still under the covers, turned slightly to watch. Senpai is not going to handle this as gracefully as I did, she thought. And sure enough, the moment Haru placed the present beside her, Utaha let out a soft laugh. "Could you at least fix your beard? It's all crooked!" Before Haru could say a word, a loud click came from the side. He turned in disbelief—Megumi, still under the blanket, had her phone out and was taking photos. Clearly, they'd all been waiting for him. Haru adjusted his beard, trying to hide his embarrassment with a cough. "You know, if you pull stunts like this, Santa's never coming back." "But we'll always have Santa Amamiya," Megumi said, snapping another shot. Utaha had tried to hold back, but seeing his flustered face, she curled up in the blanket, laughing again. Yukino shook her head with a smile. "Idiot. Couldn't you have come a bit later?" Haru muttered, "After midnight, it's no longer Christmas." "Idiot," Yukino sighed, sitting up and pulling her gift box from under the covers. Then Megumi and Utaha followed suit. Seeing their smiles, Haru felt like… it was all worth it.

Chapter 191 - 191 – Gifts

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