Chapter 71 - 71: Yukino's thoughts are hard to guess

After dinner, Haru and Yukino took the initiative to leave. Coincidentally, Kasumigaoka's father also stepped out at the same time. As they parted ways, the man let out a helpless chuckle. "My boss just called me out for drinks. What a hassle." Haru and Yukino naturally expressed their understanding. "Where to next?" Once inside the car, Haru glanced at Yukino, who had been exuding an undeniable aura of a rightful girlfriend since earlier. "The baseball stadium," she said, motioning toward his pocket, where the voucher her sister had given him was tucked away. "A baseball stadium? On Tanabata?" Haru was a little puzzled. Yukino, however, remained calm. "I've never been to one before." He understood instantly—she wanted to spend their rare date trying something new with him. "Then let's go!" Seeing how decisively he gave the driver their destination, Yukino's eyes softened with a smile. Just like when they were kids—he was always the one who understood her best. But the thought of Utaha suddenly crossed her mind, dulling her mood slightly. A pitiful yet admirable girl. That was Yukino's evaluation of her. After today, and after Utaha had opened up to her back in her room, Yukino found herself uncertain. Before today, her stance had been clear: Senpai is making an effort to change for the better, but since she's blinded by love, it's ultimately pointless. But now… she wasn't so sure. She stole a glance at Haru, who was looking up details about the batting center on his phone. Maybe Senpai's efforts aren't as futile as I thought? The realization left her slightly irritated. Meanwhile, on the other side of town— Utaha was in the kitchen, helping her mother wash the dishes. Her mind was a tangled mess, frustration simmering beneath the surface. After all, today was Tanabata, and she couldn't stop wondering what Haru and Yukino were doing together. Would they go home together in the end? Or… given their relationship, were they already living together? She had prepared herself for this. She had vowed to move forward, to become a better version of herself. But no matter how much she braced for it, the thought still stung. "Utaha." Her mother's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to see her mother's usual gentle yet knowing expression. An inexplicable sense of unease crept into her chest. "Since your father is out drinking with his boss, this is your only chance to convince me before he gets back." With just one sentence, her mother shattered any last hope she had of avoiding this conversation. "Mom, I'm not sure I understand what you mean." She forced a casual smile, feigning ignorance. "Amamiya Haru," her mother said plainly. Utaha's body tensed immediately. But to her surprise, her mother didn't press the issue. Instead, she changed the subject. "That boy got along well with your father earlier. When I stepped out, he even helped me carry the dishes and made conversation about cooking." There was a hint of admiration in her tone. "He's polite, well-mannered, and clearly understands social dynamics. The gifts he and Yukinoshita brought today weren't cheap either. And from what you've told me, he's already writing scripts at his age and holds a solid reputation in the photography club." Her mother gave her a knowing look. "He's an impressive young man." Utaha couldn't help but smile. Hearing her mother praise the boy she liked—so highly at that—filled her with a quiet sense of pride. It validated her feelings. But then, her mother sighed. "Fix your expression first," she said wryly. "I don't even need to ask—you've already answered me." Utaha's face flushed. But in the next moment, she chose to be honest. "I like him." Her mother let out a much heavier sigh this time. "He has a girlfriend. And not just anyone—your classmate. Your clubmate, even." "I know." Utaha lowered her gaze. This was exactly why she had wanted to avoid this talk. "I haven't spent much time with Yukinoshita, but from my first impression today, she seems like a charming and remarkable girl. Almost as outstanding as my own daughter." Utaha felt a mixture of warmth and exasperation at that. Of course, to her parents, no one would ever surpass her. "Do you understand your position here?" her mother asked. "I do." Utaha took a deep breath, her voice steadier this time. Her mother rubbed her temples. "Do you really? Utaha, you need to realize—you're the third party in this." Utaha bit her lip. Seeing her daughter's distress, her mother softened her tone. "I'm saying this because you don't have to do this to yourself. You're exceptional, Utaha—whether it's your academics or your looks, you're leagues ahead of most your age. So why put yourself in this position?" Utaha lowered her head, her hands stirring the soapy water in the sink in silence. Seeing her like this, the woman beside her let out a sigh. "It seems you're not willing to listen to me." Utaha bit her lip tightly. "I will become better." "So, you're not going to convince me, nor do you have a way to do so, is that right?" "Yes." Her gaze was apologetic, but deep inside, her resolve only grew stronger. Bowing deeply, she apologized to her mother. "Please don't tell Father for now. I really am trying my best to improve." Looking at her normally proud and confident daughter in such a state, her mother felt both heartache and frustration. "Do you think that by doing this, Amamiya will like you? Do you think this is some kind of game you young people are playing? Yukinoshita is just as outstanding as you—how do you plan to win?" As a mother, how could she not see that her daughter was feeling inferior? Her daughter was an exceptional girl. For her to feel insecure yet still be determined to catch up to that boy… she must really like him. "I'm not trying to win." Her mother was caught off guard. Utaha shook her head calmly. Under her mother's stunned gaze, she spoke softly, "I just want to become better—so that I can stand beside him." "You really are…" Her mother was too exasperated to continue. Utaha bowed again before silently resuming her dishwashing. The kitchen fell into a brief silence. Eventually, her mother's love for her daughter won over her reasoning, and she let out a resigned sigh. "I won't tell your father for now." "Thank you." A genuine smile appeared on Utaha's face. But her eyes were red. — Back in her bedroom, the weight in her heart only grew heavier. She walked to the window, eyes still red, and pushed it open. Outside, the familiar streetlamp flickered in the night, bringing back memories of that evening when she had felt so helpless—until he had stood there, waiting, ready to lend her a hand. He had handled everything beautifully. Not only had she avoided her parents' interrogation, but they had also taken a liking to him. She turned back suddenly, only to find that the same light was there, glowing as always— But this time, the figure she longed for was nowhere to be seen. If she didn't like him, then why did it hurt so much? She gripped her phone, scrolling unconsciously until she stopped on a contact labeled "That guy." Her rational mind warned her—he was probably with Yukinoshita right now. If she called, he might not even pick up. She wanted to be reckless just this once. She pressed the call button. — Meanwhile. Haru and Yukino had just arrived at the batting cages when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID and hesitated for a moment. Yukino looked over and said in a calm voice, "Go ahead and answer it." Haru turned to her in surprise. Yukino's expression remained as composed as ever. "She is very pitiful now." "But... pitiful?" That was the last thing Haru had expected to hear. Yukino gave a small nod and said nothing more. Sharp and perceptive as always, she had already noticed something was off with Utaha's mother during that dinner. And after what Utaha had confided in her in the bedroom, it wasn't hard to guess—she must have talked things through with her parents. And from the looks of it, the conversation hadn't gone well. Before Haru could pick up, Yukino rubbed her temple with a slight sigh, her voice carrying a rare hint of exasperation. "I'm starting to regret transferring to Sobu Highschool with you. If we had just gone to Toyosaki Highschool instead, maybe we wouldn't be caught up in all this drama." Despite her words, she knew deep down—she was frustrated with herself for being too softhearted. Utaha was incredibly capable in the photography club. Apart from Haru, the president, she was the second most skilled—only just behind Yukino herself. And the most impressive part? Utaha had started from far behind, yet she had adjusted her mindset, set aside her pride, and worked hard to catch up. Even Yukino had to admit, begrudgingly, that they had quite a bit in common. In fact, Utaha was probably the first girl in school she had ever truly acknowledged. Haru gave her an awkward smile, knowing he had no argument. To be fair, Toyosaki Highschool had a much stricter academic environment. Not that it would have mattered much to him—his grades had always been solid from elementary school through high school. The call connected. "Senpai? What's wrong?" Haru spoke first. On the other end of the line, Utaha seemed surprised that he had actually picked up. Then, as if pleased, she stammered slightly, "N-Nothing, really. I just wanted to check if you guys left anything at my place." A terrible lie. Not only did Haru and Yukino think so, but even Utaha herself knew it. Haru had no intention of calling her out on it. "I don't think we left anything, but I'll double-check later. If we did, I'll trouble you to hold onto it, and we'll pick it up another day." "Mm." Perhaps out of guilt, her response was unusually brief. Then came silence. Standing beside him, Yukino frowned and shot him a look—a silent reminder: Her tone isn't right. Haru fell into thought. Yeah. He could tell, too. She sounded like she had just cried. Or maybe she was holding back her tears. Haru was relieved that his mind worked quickly. Almost as soon as he sensed something was off, he found something to say. "Earlier, when we were in your room, I noticed a folder on your desktop with some game shortcuts?" "Yes, I play sometimes." Utaha finally spoke again. She didn't mention that she had only started researching games because she had heard in the club that Haru liked them. Haru glanced at Yukino and continued, "If you don't mind, maybe next time, you can tell me what games you like. We could even play together." "Okay. I'll send you a list later." "Sounds like a plan." Another topic wrapped up. Yukino gave him a look. My patience is running out. If this goes on, I might stop feeling sympathetic and start getting jealous. Haru chuckled awkwardly and said, "Senpai, do you have anything else? If not, I'll hang up now." "…Mm. Have fun." "Thanks." As the call ended, Haru let out a breath and turned to Yukino, feigning unease. "Did I do terribly?" "It was acceptable." Of course, Yukino could see right through his act. Haru nodded, pretending to be relieved. "Whew, I thought you were going to kill me. That was close." Yukino rolled her eyes but still linked arms with him as they headed inside. Seeing that she seemed to be in a good mood, Haru hesitated before voicing his biggest question. "You seem to have a pretty good impression of Senpai?" "If I say yes, how would you respond?" "Let's go, let's go! Time to show you my unbeatable baseball skills!" Dodging the topic with an awkward smile, he led the way. Yukino withdrew her gaze, speaking casually, "If she could keep her former pride and confidence, I'd feel a real sense of accomplishment right now." Haru nodded like an obedient follower. "That's right. Yukino is undefeated." Whatever emotions Yukino had just felt were instantly ruined. She shot him an exasperated glare. "You should shut up now." "Understood!" He responded loudly, playing the perfect lackey. Yukino couldn't stand him anymore and turned her head away, her gaze flickering. Whatever she was truly thinking—only she knew. The vouchers Haruno had given them were great—more than enough to enjoy themselves here. Haru gripped the bat, taking his stance. The pitching machine fired, and the baseball hurtled toward him at high speed, spinning in midair. He had chosen the fastest setting, but thanks to his [auto-aim] instincts, he could still track the ball's trajectory perfectly. Bang! The bat struck the ball dead center. Yukino, sitting behind him, followed the ball's path and nodded in approval. "Not bad. Your strength is impressive as always." Haru set the bat down and turned back. "I was only using twenty percent of my power." "You get one compliment, and you start acting like a monkey climbing a pole." Clearly, she didn't believe him. That swing had been powerful—far beyond what she could manage. Not to mention, it wasn't just about strength; precision was just as important. With that kind of speed, if the ball had hit a person, they'd be looking at a fracture at the very least. Now, it was Yukino's turn. Haru didn't sit back down. Instead, he stepped behind her, wrapping his hands around hers on the bat. Yukino turned her fair face to him, eyes meeting his. "What do you think you're doing?" Haru answered seriously, "I just remembered—couples in dramas love doing this." "You're right, but that only works when the girl doesn't know how to play baseball." "So, you don't need this genius to guide you?" "No, thank you." Haru sighed in disappointment and stepped back. The moment Yukino swung, her long hair swayed with the motion. When the bat connected, her face lit up with a beautiful smile. Under the bright lights of the batting cage, she looked breathtaking. Several onlookers had already taken notice of the elegant girl. But because she was with Haru, no one dared to approach. All they could do was envy him from afar. "Not bad. You're about half as good as me." Haru, seated behind her, nodded sagely. Yukino ignored him and continued practicing. After a while, she paused to catch her breath and pointed at her water bottle. Haru nodded, unscrewed the cap— And took a sip himself. Yukino shot him a glare. "I meant give it to me." Haru played dumb. "You should really go pro with your batting skills." She snatched the bottle from him, took several gulps, and finally felt refreshed. Then, she heard him sigh. "I was going to suggest a fun little game." "A not-so-decent game, right?" She saw right through him. Haru refused to admit it. "Of course not." "Oh?" "Aren't you curious what game it is?" "Not interested." "Just play along." After a brief silence, Yukino sat down beside him, eyes filled with disapproval. "Fine. What game?" "When you're thirsty, I'll do this—" Haru took a sip of water but didn't swallow. Then, he pointed at himself. Yukino gave him a look that screamed, I knew it. Haru swallowed and sighed. "Too bad you won't play along. Such a fun game… wasted… mmph?!" Before he could finish, a pair of soft, warm lips pressed against his. "…Satisfied now?" Yukino's cheeks were pink, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. Haru held up a finger. "Too fast. I request a redo." No chance. This was a public place. Doing it once was already pushing her limits—there was no way she'd indulge him again. She grabbed her bag and stood up. "I'm going to the restroom." The batting cages were fairly crowded. As she stepped out, she noticed a group of people coming in—boys and girls in pairs, chatting and laughing. She moved aside to let them pass but soon felt a lingering gaze on her. Following the stare, she saw a stylishly dressed young man smiling at her. It was an arrogant, self-satisfied smirk. And behind it—a barely concealed excitement. Yukino's expression turned icy. She had seen plenty of looks like that over the years. She wasn't some fragile, helpless bird in a gilded cage. She had a strong heart. And the ability to protect herself. "Take your disgusting gaze elsewhere," she said coldly.