Chapter 46 - 46: Yukino, You're Pretty Sensitive

[You are cooking. (Cooking) EXP +73] [You are cooking. (Cooking) EXP +91] In the kitchen, Haru was, as usual, assisting Yukino with the meal prep. Their coordination had grown increasingly seamless over time. The system notifications kept popping up, but Haru paid them no mind for now. The little girl stood at the kitchen entrance, clutching an orange cat in her arms. She peeked inside curiously, clearly wanting to come in and watch. To prevent her from getting splattered by hot oil or encountering any other kitchen hazards, Haru kept a close eye on her. Fortunately, nothing went wrong in the end. The three of them enjoyed a happy dinner together—Yukino took on the role of "babysitter," while Haru received a text message. He informed Yukino briefly before heading downstairs. The message was from his driver: "Two police officers are here. Do you need me to contact Attorney Takebayashi?" Haru replied: "No need." He already had a good guess as to why the police had come. Upon arriving downstairs, he spotted the two figures—a senior police officer accompanied by a younger one, a classic mentor-and-rookie pairing. After exchanging greetings, Haru took the initiative to lead them to a nearby café. The officers weren't in a hurry either. They waited until he helped them order drinks before exchanging glances, and then the younger officer asked, "Amamiya-san, have you been trained in professional combat techniques since childhood? Like boxing or karate?" Haru put on a surprised expression. "How did you know? Have I been investigated?" The two officers quickly waved their hands. "No, no! It's just our speculation." They couldn't afford to investigate a minor without permission—if the media found out, it would be a huge mess. Haru nodded. "Just a guess, huh? I'm not entirely sure why you're asking, but I have nothing to hide. I've been training since I was a kid." Leaning back with a hint of pride, he continued, "I've studied mixed martial arts and boxing footwork. Oh, and recently, I've been taking karate seriously." The two officers exchanged knowing looks. The younger officer continued the conversation, bringing up anime, video games, and superhero movies. It felt casual, almost like small talk. Finally, he pulled out his phone and showed a photo. It was a picture of Haru from that night—dressed in his unique outfit while roaming the streets. "This person is you, right?" "Yes." Haru admitted it without hesitation. The younger officer chuckled. "Looks like my guess was right." The older officer smiled as well. "That night, you got into a conflict with a group of young men, didn't you? Before that, surveillance footage caught you wandering around aimlessly. That couldn't have been a coincidence, could it?" Haru remained straightforward. "Yeah, I was looking for someone." Hearing this, the officers' suspicions were fully confirmed. They briefly introduced the gang he had encountered—some of them had been arrested multiple times before, and street fights were practically routine for them. "If I'm not mistaken," the older officer continued, "you were patrolling the streets voluntarily that night, weren't you? I recognize that outfit you wore. To be honest, your intentions are admirable, but this kind of thing is too dangerous for a student like you." The officer's tone was patient and sincere. Haru naturally played along, bowing his head slightly. "Sorry, I got a little carried away." The younger officer waved a hand and laughed. "No need to apologize—you did a good thing. Speaking of which, you've gained quite a bit of attention online. Have you checked your phone?" "No." Haru shook his head. He could already guess what kind of buzz there was on the internet, so he hadn't bothered looking it up. The officer pulled up a news video and handed his phone over. The headline read: "Guy and Uchiha Obito Join Forces in a Midnight Street Brawl Against Gang Members!" Haru blinked. That title alone was ridiculous. The officers chuckled. "What do you think?" Haru deadpanned, "A textbook example of sensational journalism." "Ha! That's a sharp take." Then, the younger officer showed him the trending discussions about the incident. Because of his eye-catching outfit, the comment section was already in chaos. [Guy and Obito: The ultimate fiery combo attack!] [Never in my life did I expect these two characters to team up.] [I bet this will be a popular cosplay mash-up at the next convention. Who's volunteering to play the tattooed thugs?] [Forget the convention—people are already live-streaming themselves in the same outfit while collecting Cullinan diamond fragments. I've seen four Guys and Obitos today alone.] Haru was at a loss for words. The officer put away his phone with a smile. "Now that you see your popularity, you understand, right? Your intentions were good, but don't put yourself in danger again. If you run into a real fugitive, you'll be in serious trouble." A fugitive? Haru's eyes lit up. Seeing his reaction, both officers instantly panicked. "Hey, hey, Amamiya-san! What's with that look? Don't get excited just because you heard the word 'fugitive'!" "No, no, it's nothing. Just curious." "…" After sending the officers off, Haru called his lawyer and asked him to investigate any wanted criminals. The more dangerous, the better. Fighting fugitives would surely give him more experience points than a mere school senior. After all, those guys were playing for keeps. Although the lawyer was a bit puzzled, he agreed to hire private investigators for the job. Unlike in detective anime, real private investigators operated in legal gray areas. But precisely because of that, they were highly efficient at finding people. By the time Haru returned home, the little girl was gone. Yukino was the only one in the living room, scrolling through her phone. Hearing the door open, she glanced up briefly before returning her attention to the screen. Haru was about to ask what she was watching when he suddenly heard music playing: "Under the Street Lights…" A K-pop song. He blinked. Images of various characters performing ridiculous dances popped into his mind. Stepping closer, he saw that Yukino was watching a video uploaded by Kouji and his streamer friends. She frowned as she watched, her expression full of disapproval. "I really can't accept this kind of culture." "Just watch for fun. But what got you interested in this?" Haru asked as he sat down. Yukino muted the video. "I was just curious about what you taught them. I wasn't expecting… this." She glanced at him with obvious disdain before pointing at the screen. The video featured a group of people dancing in exaggerated, comical ways—Mozart, Mona Lisa, Keanu Reeves… and someone she didn't recognize. Frowning slightly, she asked, "I know the other three, but who's the one in overalls?" Haru's expression turned strange. "A… long-lost friend." That night, after Yukino finished her bath, Haru helped dry her hair. As they settled on the couch, she immediately noticed his intense gaze. After a brief pause, she sighed. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?" "I am. I really am." Haru nodded enthusiastically. Boldly meeting her exasperated expression, he asked, "Can I?" Blushing, Yukino didn't answer—just like before. But when he gently guided her to lay sideways and placed her smooth, fair legs onto his lap, she whispered in embarrassment, "No funny business." "Of course." Haru agreed instantly. And then he got right to work. Before long, Yukino was gasping for breath, slumped weakly on the couch. Grinning, he teased, "Yukino, you're pretty sensitive." "…Idiot," she muttered, closing her eyes, surrendering to his touch.