Chapter 206 - 206 – And So, Utaha Let Loose

The next morning, Shizuka left early. She didn't even stay for breakfast. Instead, she waited until Yukino had finished washing up before hastily announcing that a friend had an emergency and she had to go. Yukino didn't seem the least bit surprised. It wasn't until she'd seen Shizuka off and returned inside that she spoke up, just as Haru was about to start breakfast. "I'll make breakfast today," she said. Haru, hand still on the refrigerator door, turned around with mild surprise. "You will?" Yukino walked up beside him, her expression cool. "Is that so surprising? Or do you think I'm bad at cooking?" "Not at all. Your cooking's more than reliable... just not quite on my level," Haru replied, giving her a teasing smile. Yukino didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she calmly said, "Hiratsuka-sensei was lying earlier." Haru froze in place. Yukino nudged him aside to reach into the fridge, her voice quiet and composed. "I could tell. I wasn't going to dwell on it, but the way she rushed out of here—like she was running from something—makes it hard not to notice." She abruptly turned around, her sharp gaze locking onto him. "And clearly, the person she's avoiding… is you." Haru didn't know what to say. Honestly, Shizuka's escape had been way too clumsy. And with Yukino's keen observation skills, even a perfect act might not have fooled her—let alone what Shizuka had managed. "I thought it through," she continued. "Her avoidance wasn't directed at me—it was directed at you. So… would you care to explain?" Before Haru could respond, she bent down to inspect the vegetables. "If you tell me the truth, I'll make you the best breakfast I can manage." Haru hesitated, then asked warily, "And what if I lie?" "Then I'll serve you a breakfast of the highest tier… of culinary darkness." "Wait, wait, there's high-tier dark cuisine?" "Of course. The more disgusting it is, the higher the level. That's the rule." "…Your tone is actually terrifying right now." Technically, Haru did want to tell the truth. It was just… last night's events were painfully awkward. He chose his words carefully. "Alright. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to breathe a word." Yukino paused mid-reach toward a tomato. Her curiosity sharpened. "From the way you said that… I'm guessing it's really awkward." "You're amazing. Nailed it in one go." She ignored the flattery and frowned slightly in thought. "Something awkward between you and Hiratsuka-sensei… not something I particularly want to hear about." "Accurate," Haru said with a sigh. "It's the kind of thing that would make even you uncomfortable." "...Huh?" Now he really had her attention. Yukino closed the fridge door, straightened up, and faced him fully. "So?" she asked. Haru looked uncomfortable. "I think… maybe it was because she got stood up on another date yesterday. And she's been single for a long time, so she had some… emotional overflow." Yukino raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by emotional overflow?" "Don't rush me. Let me finish." "Fine." She reached for an apron and gestured for him to help her tie it. Haru stepped forward to assist, continuing his explanation. "You remember she drank a few cans of beer, right?" "I do." "And I usually stay up late, but yesterday you told me to go rest after midnight, so I was lying there on the sofa, wide awake." "Then?" "Well… after she used the bathroom, she forgot to close her bedroom door properly." Yukino blinked. "That's it?" That didn't sound especially embarrassing. Though to be fair, an older single woman forgetting to shut her door with a man in the house did hold some awkwardness. Still, she sensed there was more. She waited patiently. Haru fell silent again, measuring his words. "Like I said," he finally continued, voice quieter, "she's been alone for years, and those feelings… they build up. You get what I mean, right? That kind of late-night loneliness." Yukino rested her chin on one hand, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Oh, that kind of loneliness. Like the night you told me about you and Senpai's 'issues.' I was very angry that night." Haru winced. He had no comeback for that—he was in the wrong. Yukino didn't press further. "So, what did she actually do? You've laid out all this context." Haru braced himself. "Do you remember when I gave you that massage?" "Of course I do, but what does that—" She stopped. Froze. And then stared. Her expression turned to one of disbelief. And then, in the most absurdly phrased question imaginable, she whispered: "You mean… she did it too?" Haru nearly choked. What kind of phrasing is that? Sounds like something out of a bizarre documentary. Their eyes met. He gave a slow, reluctant nod. Yukino instinctively leaned back, face solemn with a strange sort of awe. Silence fell. The orange cat napping by the kotatsu raised its head, ears flicking at the lack of conversation. Its gaze seemed to say: Why have my humans gone so quiet? "…Hahhh." Yukino finally let out a long breath, breaking the stillness. She raised a hand to her brow, her expression tangled and conflicted."…You saw it happen?" "No. I didn't move from the sofa. I just… heard it." Haru answered honestly. Yukino's cheeks flushed faintly. She made an effort to stay composed."Seriously speaking… I suppose this isn't that unusual. After all, Hiratsuka-sensei has been single for so many years. All those constant blind dates—it's obvious she's been trying to find someone she can entrust herself to." "Exactly," Haru chimed in with exaggerated support. Yukino cast him a sidelong glance but continued."She has a passionate heart, I think. Bottled up for years. So sometimes, she'll want to fill the loneliness. That's understandable." "Exactly, exactly," Haru nodded again, genuinely impressed by how Yukino could describe something so mortifying with such clinical grace. She glanced at him again—but this time, her voice wavered slightly, a little less calm than before."So if you just overheard it, and she never found out, it wouldn't be too embarrassing... As long as you pretend nothing happened and forget it—" She suddenly stopped, her expression freezing. Something clicked. A moment later, her eyes locked on Haru's."Wait. If you only heard it… why would she run away this morning? That doesn't make sense." Her sharp gaze bored into him."…She found out, didn't she?" Haru rubbed the back of his neck, sighing."And that's exactly why I didn't know how to explain this." Yukino's expression went completely blank. What kind of emotionally catastrophic situation is this? If she had been the one in that position—caught in that kind of moment—she probably wouldn't sleep for days. The sound would haunt her dreams. Now looking at Haru, perfectly energized and dark-circle-free, she couldn't help but… respect him a little. "How… how did she find out?" she asked, curiosity finally overpowering her restraint. "You won't believe me," Haru began, "but… she called out to me. Herself." "…Huh?" Yukino's composure shattered. Haru quickly added, "I'm not lying." Yukino covered her face with one hand. "I know you're not lying, but what the hell is wrong with her? Why would she deliberately break the unspoken rule of mutual awkward silence?" Haru couldn't agree more. That was exactly what he'd thought last night. He opened his mouth. "And then—" "There's more!?" Yukino snapped upright, then took a deep breath. And another. She forced her voice into its usual cold calm:"Never mind. Whatever happened after that… it's just more awkward dialogue between the two of you. I don't need to know." She suddenly recalled a phrase Haru had once shouted during a game: "Watch carefully—this is Flying Thunder God, Second Step!" This was exactly how it felt. Realizing something was off and confronting Haru about it—that was Step One. Hearing that Hiratsuka-sensei herself called him in—Step Two. "I'll keep this a secret," Yukino said flatly, face unreadable. But Haru caught the complex glint in her eyes. He could already tell—she really wanted to go find Hiratsuka and interrogate her right now. Unfortunately, this was the kind of topic you couldn't actually talk about. Not even someone like Yukino could bring it up with Hiratsuka-sensei directly. She couldn't help but think of her older sister. If it had been Haruno, she probably would've burst out laughing on the spot, brushed it off with a teasing smile, and never brought it up again. "…Anyway. You have to keep this secret too," Yukino said firmly. "I wasn't planning to tell anyone," Haru sighed. "Honestly, if you hadn't asked me today, I was ready to forget it ever happened." "Mm. I'll forget it too." Yukino turned away, her cheeks tinged red. For once, she looked… a little flustered. After that awkward morning, Shizuka didn't contact either of them again—not even through messages. And Haru and Yukino both did their best to mentally erase the entire incident. — The day before winter break ended, Yukino received a call from her sister. Haruno invited her out, saying she needed to blow off some steam—and to bring Haru along too. Yukino asked a few probing questions. Once she was sure her sister didn't have anything "planned," she turned to Haru and said, "I'm heading out to see her first. If it turns out she's not just trying to relieve stress and starts being… Haruno again, then I'll ask you to come pick me up." Haru raised an eyebrow."Pick you up? Are you worried she's going to cling to you and not let you leave? Come on, no matter how scheming Haruno-san is, she's not that crazy." Yukino turned her back to him, murmuring, "I'm more worried I might not be able to say no." Haru blinked. He caught the slight pink hue rising on her cheek and chuckled."I get it. You two are getting along better now. Sounds like I won't be needed." Yukino didn't argue. Thanks to Haru—and perhaps more so to the words he'd said back then—Yukino had slowly come to understand just how much pressure her sister carried. And as a younger sister, she was now willing to be the one who reached out. Even if Haruno always wore masks.Even if her cunning side still gave Yukino a headache. "I'll be back for dinner. We're out of groceries, so be sure to head out this afternoon." She reminded him before leaving. She really was starting to sound like a proper wife. "No problem," Haru replied with a grin. Yukino left at ten. With the house quiet, Haru booted up his computer, intending to find a game to kill time. Just then, his phone buzzed non-stop. It was a message from Furukawa. Furukawa: Haru, I just found this amazing nukige. Absolute top-tier. You have to try it. He'd even attached screenshots. Haru replied instantly.Haru: A nun heroine? How'd you know this was my type!? Furukawa: Bro, we've been in the same gaming group for how long? I know your taste. Already shared it with the others. Everyone's giving it a thumbs up. Haru: Got it. I'll aim for 100% CG unlock in the next two days! Thanks to "Furukawa's Curated Collection," Haru spent the entire afternoon immersed in 2D degeneracy. It wasn't until 3:30 PM that he reluctantly pulled himself away to go grocery shopping. And just as he was about to leave… Utaha arrived. "You look surprised to see me. Am I not welcome?" she said with a teasing smile. As always, she was dressed elegantly. But instead of her usual handbag, she carried a chic black-and-white checkered tote. Haru figured it probably held clothes. "No way. I'm always happy to see you," he said smoothly. "It's just… I was on my way out to buy groceries. Won't be able to keep you company." "No worries. I've got business to take care of today," she replied casually, glancing around the living room. "Yukinoshita's not home?" "You looking for her?" "Mm. Kato and I were supposed to finalize the script today. Yukinoshita's got a sharp eye for detail, so I thought I'd drop by—she hates going out anyway, so I didn't bother calling ahead." Haru nodded in understanding."She said she'll be back before dinner." Which meant everything was going well between the Yukinoshita sisters. "Before dinner, huh…" Utaha checked the time—still over an hour. Her lips curled in a sly, knowing smile. "Then go on. Get your shopping done." There was something in her smile that set off warning bells in Haru's mind… but he couldn't quite figure out why. So he simply nodded and left. Once the door shut behind him, Utaha greeted the lounging orange cat."Good afternoon, Jelly." "Meow~" The cat meowed lazily without lifting its head. That counted as a greeting. Utaha didn't mind. She slipped off her coat, then opened her tote bag. Right on top was the accessory she'd once shown Haru—a pair of mechanical bunny ears. Beneath it: her lingerie.And a thin, sheer black negligee. This kind of nightwear provided zero warmth or coverage. But it was beautiful. And—irresistibly seductive. Her lips curled slowly, her cheeks flushing pink. Yukino's not home? Then her smile blossomed into something far bolder. Time to have some fun.