Chapter 50 - 50: Yukino's Visit

Haru's unexpected visit took Utaha by surprise. It was completely beyond her expectations. Just like last time, when she and Kato Megumi were about to have lunch and suddenly ran into Haru. She had wanted to seize the opportunity to chat with him a little longer—only to be hit by an unexpectedly severe wave of period cramps. In the end, Haru had escorted her to the infirmary. And on the way there, she had felt… safe. This time, she had made up her mind to go all in—whether it was club activities, her novel, or her studies, she was determined to give it her all. But pushing herself recklessly had taken its toll on her body, forcing her to take a day off today. What she hadn't expected was for Haru to come and check on her. That made her even happier than seeing her own progress. She didn't recognize the girl sitting beside him, but she was quick-witted enough to figure it out. He probably didn't want to come alone and risk my parents misunderstanding, so he brought a girl with him. That makes the most sense. "Senpai, are you feeling better?" Haru, having just mouthed something at her, spoke with perfect composure, as if nothing had happened. Playing along, Aoyama Nanami stood up and added, "You still look a little pale. You should make sure to rest properly." Utaha's mother had no doubts—she assumed these two were just her daughter's club friends. "Thanks for your concern. I just haven't had enough sleep for the past two days. I'll be fine after resting today… Wait for me a moment, I'll go get changed." Humming cheerfully, Utaha headed back to her room. As Haru sat back down, he discreetly gave Nanami a thumbs-up. Nice teamwork. Nanami almost laughed. I still have so many questions. Can't you at least give me a little more context? Utaha's mother chatted with them for a while before excusing herself to prepare dinner, leaving the two alone. By the time Utaha returned, she had changed into fresh clothes and was drying her long, glossy hair. After briefly introducing herself to Nanami, she turned to Haru with a small smile. "Thank you for coming to see me." "I just didn't expect someone as exceptional as you to make such a rookie mistake." Haru spoke sincerely, then gestured toward Nanami, who was busy sampling the snacks. "The last girl I saw pushing herself this hard almost ended up in the hospital." Nanami's hand froze midair. Utaha raised an eyebrow. "Nanami-san, you too…?" "I've learned my lesson. I'm only working one part-time job now." Nanami forced a sheepish smile. She knew she had been pretty reckless before. Utaha caught on quickly. "Wait. Only one? Meaning you used to work two at the same time?" Nanami averted her eyes. Utaha's eyes widened. "Three?! What are you, a superwomen?" "That's all in the past, no need to bring it up," Haru interrupted with a chuckle, smoothly changing the subject. Nanami let out a relieved sigh and went back to stealthily munching on cookies. Utaha, however, glanced at her with admiration. Just thinking about it made her sure—I could never do that. "Actually, the reason I came today was to remind you not to overdo it again." Haru's tone turned serious. Utaha had been expecting this. She lowered her voice. "I just want to improve." "See? You're rushing again." Haru sighed. "Progress comes one step at a time. If you push yourself to the point of exhaustion, your parents will worry, and we won't be happy either." "We?" "Yeah. Yukino's annoyed because your absence delayed the club's filming." "Liar." She laughed softly. Haru let out an exaggerated sigh. "Why is everyone around me so sharp? How am I supposed to maintain my authority as club president at this rate?" Utaha didn't respond, just looked at him, her eyes bright with amusement. Beside them, Nanami sipped her tea at a leisurely pace. This tea is good. The cookies too. But seriously, what's up with these two? Since dinner was approaching, Haru didn't intend to stay much longer. Utaha's mother had invited them to eat, but he politely declined. After all, staying for dinner on his first visit would have a… different implication. At the door, Utaha spoke earnestly, "I'll report to the club as usual tomorrow." Haru, however, shook his head. "Knowing Yukino, she's going to delay it by a day just to monitor your condition." "This was my mistake." Taking a deep breath, Utaha admitted it seriously. Trying to handle everything perfectly had clearly been too much for her right now. And deep down, she knew the reason— She just wanted him to see her improve. Leaving the Kasumigaoka residence, Haru turned to Nanami and thanked her. She simply grinned. "If you ever need my help again, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand." Haru, knowing she disliked owing favors, smiled and accepted her offer. After parting ways, he walked home, lost in thought. Being a transmigrator, having studied so many things over the years, it wasn't hard for him to see through Utaha's situation. She had driven herself to this point… simply because of her feelings for him. If he hadn't said those things about talent before, she probably wouldn't have made up her mind so quickly. By the time he reached his front door, his thoughts had settled. And then— He saw a familiar, delicate figure standing there. Yukinoshita Yukino. She was talking to a little girl from the neighbor's house—Sakura. "You're here?" Haru glanced at his phone. No unread messages. Yukino ruffled the little girl's hair before looking up at him. "As club president, seeing a member suddenly take a sick day, I knew you'd go check on her. It's in your nature." She paused for a beat before adding, her voice laced with deeper meaning, "But more importantly—she has quite the affection for you." With how well they understood each other, Haru immediately caught her unspoken message. I'm here to check up on you. After Sakura said goodbye and ran inside to watch TV, Yukino finally asked, "How is she?" "As I expected. She pushed herself too hard, but it's not serious. She'll recover in a day." Yukino didn't look surprised. "Then we'll delay the shoot by another day. I'll check on her condition tomorrow." Haru took out his key and unlocked the door, glancing at Yukino with curiosity. "You came all the way here just to tell me that?" With her personality, if this was all she had to say, she could have just called. After all, in this day and age, people date online, have their fortunes read online—surely, Yukino could check in on him online too. "Of course, that's not the only reason." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "My sister just called me. She said our families are having dinner together tomorrow."