Chapter 40 - 40: The Fishing Master, Yukinoshita

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, Saturday arrived. The dynamic between Haru and Yukino remained unchanged. The only difference was that, for the time being, she had decided not to stay over when she visited his house to play with the cat. After all, that night had been far too embarrassing. Though she was annoyed, Yukino knew it had been nothing more than an accident. She had always let her guard down around him. And that night, with him dozing off at his desk, she had been even more relaxed. Then, of course, there was the fact that he had pretended to stay asleep when he heard her approaching—just to startle her. And that led to everything else. Her loosely tied bathrobe had come undone, leaving her completely exposed to his wide-eyed gaze. Even after two days, whenever Haru recalled that moment, he couldn't help but feel both a thrill and a sense of impending doom. Still, he stuck to his belief: Small ones have their own kind of charm. On Saturday afternoon, Yukino arrived at the clubroom. Everyone was already there—except for Utaha. Haru, however, wasn't inside. Instead, he stood under a tree just outside, engaged in a passionate discussion with two other male classmates. The other two looked particularly fired up. "Yukinoshita-san," Yui greeted, following Yukino's gaze outside. Then she sighed. "Ugh, he's still at it?" Yukino picked up on the subtle frustration in her tone and asked, "Has he been out there for a while?" "Yeah, I even went over earlier to check on them. It sounded like they were arguing about… 'beautiful girls' or something." "Beautiful girls?" Yukino was momentarily surprised. What kind of girl could make him argue so passionately? Was there someone at school, aside from Kasumigaoka-senpai and the others, who was a strong contender? Since the group wasn't too far away, they could catch snippets of the conversation. "I'm telling you, Shiru is the undisputed number one beauty! There's no way Kanae or Shizuka can even come close!" "Kokura, you're being way too narrow-minded! I've gone through the entire series, and I can say with absolute certainty—Kanae is incredibly cute!" Then Haru chimed in, his voice just as enthusiastic. Yukino's expression softened into one of exasperation. "Judging by those names, this has to be about a game." Yui blinked in confusion before realization dawned. "Wait… You mean they're talking about video game girls?!" Yukino nodded. She was well aware that Haru enjoyed games, so this wasn't particularly surprising. Still, seeing him this animated about it was both exasperating and amusing. For someone who seemed so mature as a child, he sure acts like a kid now. She recalled a phrase she'd read online: Men are forever boys at heart. Right now, that saying felt all too true. Just as Yukino and Yui were about to head inside, a calm voice interjected: "I just looked it up on my phone. The game they're discussing… doesn't seem like a regular game." Neither girl flinched at the sudden appearance of Kato Megumi. They were starting to get used to her ghost-like presence. "What do you mean by that?" Yui asked, full of curiosity. Yukino had a sinking feeling in her chest. Don't tell me… Megumi's next words confirmed her suspicions. "I mean… it has quite a bit of adult content." Yui's face turned beet red. Yukino fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. And to think, I was just feeling sentimental about his childlike side. Right now, she felt like a hardworking wife who had come home early to surprise her husband on their anniversary—only to find him gleefully playing an H-game in the living room. When Haru and Utaha finally arrived at the clubroom, Yukino handed out copies of the script, ensuring everyone had one. "If you have any questions, now's the time to ask. It's better to sort them out before we start filming." She exuded the poise of a true director. Haru, seated beside her, backed her up. "I mean, I wrote the script, but you spent the whole night reviewing, editing, and refining it. There's no way there'd be any mistakes." Yukino rested her chin on her hand and narrowed her eyes at him. "What's that smell?" "Huh? What smell?" Haru instinctively sniffed the air. "I smell bootlicker." She deadpanned. "You do realize you sound incredibly guilty right now?" "Guilty of what?" "Shiru or Kanae—who's cuter?" Yukino asked with deceptive innocence. Haru coughed into his fist, swiftly averting his gaze. Oh crap. He had gotten way too caught up in that debate earlier, completely unaware that Yukino had been watching from the clubroom doorway. Laughter rippled through the room. Haru narrowed his eyes at Yui. "Yuigahama-san, you seem to be enjoying this a lot. Got something insightful to add?" "No, I think this story is great." Yui continued to giggle. Over the past few days, she had gotten used to Haru's easygoing nature, so seeing him now trying to put on a serious face didn't faze her in the slightest. Haru sighed dramatically. "The club president has lost all his authority. This is painful, Yukino." Yukino ignored his antics and addressed the group. "We need to select two female leads and one male supporting role for this script. Does anyone have any ideas?" Yui raised her hand with a cheeky grin. "Amamiya-san is the perfect choice for the male supporting role." "Who asked you?" After Haru snapped back, he turned to Yukino and added, "Vice President, we'd like to hear your thoughts first." Seeing him continue his playful act, Yukino's face tightened slightly in annoyance. She sighed, muttering, "I suddenly feel like I should try writing a script just for you." "Do tell." Haru leaned in, intrigued. Yukino gave him a meaningful look. "A high school student reincarnates as a sidekick after being hit by a truck in another world—becoming the hero's loyal underling." "Why not a hero?" Haru protested. "I've played a lot of games like this. I'm experienced." Yukino smiled slightly. "Since you want to play a hero so badly, I'll let you play a hero who dies right at the start." "Dies?" "Yes, the main character of the story I just mentioned is the hero's sidekick." "You're being a bit sly!" Their back-and-forth banter didn't escape the others' notice, giving them a new perspective on the closeness between the two. Utaha's expression darkened. This wasn't the scene she had hoped to witness. She decided to take action. "Yukinoshita-san, I have an idea." "Please, go ahead, Senpai." Yukino looked at her calmly, though inwardly she thought, So you couldn't hold back and jumped right in, huh? Your patience is terrible, Senpai. Indeed, her primary goal hadn't just been to tease Haru. She had been fishing. The bait was the argument she'd staged with her childhood friend. And Haru? She typically used him to create a nice, little mess. At this moment, Utaha appeared genuinely focused. "From my perspective, it's not ideal to play a female lead who's been heartbroken for years after losing a close friend. None of us here have the right aura for that kind of character. I propose we focus on the props and try to create an atmosphere that conveys the sadness and despair of this character." Yukino nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, but…" She suddenly paused. After nearly ten seconds of silence, she crafted an expression filled with sorrow. Her gaze was captivating, full of an almost deadly allure. Her tone remained calm. "I think I forgot to mention, Senpai, that when I tried to catch up to someone's level, my efforts weren't only focused in one direction." Utaha froze. Yukino's words were almost an implicit declaration: I, Yukinoshita Yukino, am a genius. "This look… it's incredible!" Yui exclaimed, taken aback. Even Katou Megumi, who had been quietly observing, seemed surprised. Haru , however, was unfazed. For someone like Yukino —whose beauty was so off the charts—it wasn't surprising to see her secretly ace a skill or two. Utaha felt a sense of defeat well up inside her, but she still maintained her composure. "So, the female lead has already been decided?" Yukino shook her head. "I prefer staying behind the scenes. But if none of you can play this female lead, I'll step in." Her tone was casual, as if it were no big deal. It was like she was the head of a sect, and none of her disciples had shown potential, so now it was up to her to handle things herself. Utaha gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll give it a try." So, she took the bait. Yukino smiled lightly. "Thank you, Senpai." She could tell that Utaha was driven by a desire to improve. But within that drive, there was also a sense of rivalry—a desire to measure up to Yukino. Talented girls always understood the thought processes of other ambitious girls like them. Yukino threw a glance of approval toward Haru , silently acknowledging his skill in stirring the pot. Haru was confused, unsure of what was going on. Katou Megumi returned her gaze to the script, seemingly indifferent to the situation.