Chapter 85 - 85: The So-Called Main Heroine—Yukinoshita Yukino

The next morning, after breakfast, Yukino returned to her apartment. Before leaving, however, she took a moment to ask her mother about the Hisada family. At the time, Mrs. Yukinoshita was flipping through her schedule and casually responded,"Ever since Mr. Hisada confessed to his crimes, their family has been in complete disarray. Especially their youngest son, Keisuke Hisada—he was already unstable from fighting his brother over the inheritance, and lately, his mental condition has worsened." Yukino took note of everything carefully. On the way back to her apartment, she messaged Haru, informing him of her return and relaying her mother's words. Although Haru had previously told her he was already investigating the Hisada family, she preferred to be thorough. There was no harm in sending the information again. Not long after, Haru replied:"So I don't have to go to Chiba today?" Yukino: "Do you like Chiba that much?" Haru: "Not really. I was just wondering—without your parents as my safety net, if I visit you today, would you throw me out?" Yukino: "Why don't you test that theory yourself?" Haru: "Good point. I suddenly feel like I've leveled up." Yukino set down her phone, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed out the window, lost in thought. After returning to her apartment, she pulled her hair back into a high ponytail with a hairband, rolled up her sleeves, and meticulously cleaned the entire place. Even as she tidied the guest room, she kept thinking—if that guy wanted to stay over, she would definitely refuse. But then again, knowing how well he understood her, he probably wouldn't even bother asking at a time like this. Yukino moved to her bedroom to organize her wardrobe. When she noticed the neatly arranged collection of stockings in various styles and the boxes of "little umbrellas" in the drawer, she couldn't help but blush. Her legs and waist had always fascinated him, and during that particular period, she had half-heartedly resisted, leading to some memories that still made her face burn. But she had to admit—she was greedy for his warmth. With that thought, Yukino pushed the "little umbrellas" to the bottom of the drawer. Not like I'll be needing those anytime soon, she thought. Right now, they were still in the trial period—forget using those, she wouldn't even let him touch her legs. "Scumbag," Yukino muttered under her breath before making sure everything was in place and heading for a shower. By the time she came out, her phone was vibrating non-stop on the table. That's when she remembered—she had put it on silent last night to avoid being disturbed by that guy. Drying her damp hair with a towel, she picked up the phone, expecting a call from Haru. But when she saw the caller ID, she was taken aback. Kasumigaoka Senpai Yukino frowned, her expression immediately darkening. There were two missed calls—both from the same person. After adjusting her mood slightly, she put down the towel and answered in a cold tone, "What do you want?" She made no effort to hide her indifference. On the other end, Utaha didn't seem surprised at all. She remained unfazed as she said, "I do have something to discuss with you." "Then talk." "There are two things. First, regarding the filming—I recently came up with some new ideas that could perfect the details of the short film. Second…" She paused briefly. "I want to talk to you about him." "You're sure you want to talk to me about that?" Even as she asked, Yukino wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Utaha's voice remained calm. "If you have the time, that is." "2:30 PM. You pick the place." "Alright, then I won't disturb you any further." After hanging up, Yukino resumed drying her hair, but her mind was no longer at peace. With the existence of the film club and her temporary role as director, meeting Utaha was inevitable. So she didn't refuse. She wasn't afraid to face her. If anything, she was calmly analyzing Utaha's intentions. Did she want to apologize? Or was she here to plead for Haru? Or perhaps… she just wanted to have a completely honest conversation with me? Holding the towel in her hands, Yukino found herself without an answer. Around noon, Haru messaged her: "Anything you feel like eating? I'm thinking of making an actual Chinese meal today." Yukino paused for a moment. Cooking was supposed to be my specialty. And his cooking skills?—Well, she had taught him. But… Chinese cuisine… That was one area she had little knowledge of. After a brief moment of thought, she replied: "Make whatever you want, just don't add too much chili." She had tried the Sichuan dishes Haru had hyped up before. They were delicious, but the spice level had been a bit too much for her to handle. Haru responded with a panda meme, giving an "OK" gesture. Yukino immediately felt a headache coming on. That stupid panda meme… Her phone's panda sticker collection had been his doing. She actually liked those adorable stickers. But the one he sent just now… Yukino rubbed her temples. If she remembered correctly, this was one of those ridiculous meme pandas he had laughed about before. "Do you even know what you've turned pandas into?" Without hesitation, she deleted the offending sticker from the chat. But Haru's message reminded her of something important— Kasumigaoka had reached out to her without telling Haru. "She's keeping this from him? Looks like this is something serious." Yukino let out a quiet chuckle before standing up to change. That long-lost main heroine aura… At that moment, it returned to her completely. At 2:15 PM, Yukino arrived at the café Utaha had chosen. To her surprise, Utaha was already there. The moment she stepped inside, she spotted the curvaceous figure waving her over. Yukino kept her expression indifferent as she approached, taking a seat across from her. She immediately refused the approaching waiter, signaling that she wasn't ordering anything. Utaha, on the other hand, ordered a latte. "Say what you need to say. Don't waste time. You should know that I have no desire to meet with you one-on-one right now." Yukino wasn't in the mood for small talk. Utaha remained composed. "Should we start with the film club, or—" "Haru" Yukino cut her off. Utaha nodded. "Alright, let's start with him." Yukino studied her calm demeanor and warned coldly, "If you're here to plead on his behalf, I suggest you abandon that idea now." What she didn't expect was for Utaha to respond with something completely unexpected— "I'm here to declare victory." For a moment, Yukino froze. She almost thought she had misheard. Her gaze instinctively locked onto the busty, long-legged senpai sitting across from her. "Declare victory?" It took Yukino two full seconds to process that absurd statement. Utaha remained unfazed. "That's right. The reason I asked you here today is to inform you of my victory." Yukino's face remained expressionless. "Did you hit your head on something this morning, or did you just not get enough sleep?" Utaha smirked. "I knew you'd say that. Yukinoshita, let me guess—he probably only told you about me, but didn't go into detail about what actually happened, did he?" She straightened her posture, puffing out her chest as if she had already won. Yukino narrowed her eyes and let out a cold chuckle. "Oh? So you're here to show off?" "Not Boasting—Proclaiming." Utaha corrected her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a deep, enigmatic smile forming on her lips."He rejected me so many times. To be honest, it hurt. Every refusal reminded me that I was nowhere near as important to him as you were." Yukino remained unfazed. "And then?" "And then? What else? Every time I saw his eyes filled only with you, I felt unwilling—no, frustrated. I always thought I was beautiful, that my looks alone were enough to make most guys fall for me. But with him, I had to go to great lengths just to make him glance at me." Utaha tilted her chin slightly, exuding the pride and confidence she usually displayed among her peers."Because of that, I did everything I could. Even seducing him." "Seducing?" Yukino blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Utaha let out a quiet chuckle."But in the end, I won." "Is that what you think?" Yukino's hand, resting on her lap, clenched into a fist before slowly relaxing—only to clench again. She repeated the motion several times, trying to suppress the anger rising inside her. Her rational mind kept reminding her: Utaha likes Haru. That's why she's trying to shoulder all the responsibility alone. She's provoking me on purpose, just to redirect all my anger onto herself. But she was angry. Truly, deeply angry. Even if she suspected this was all an act, it didn't lessen her fury in the slightest. Utaha straightened her posture, her expression calm, even playful."Now, can we finally discuss the Photography Club?" Silence. A long, heavy silence. A faint unease crept into Utaha's heart. Had she failed? Had Yukino seen through her? Her mind raced, but she dared not let it show on her face. For nearly ten seconds, neither of them spoke. Then, without warning, Yukino raised her hand and called the waiter over. Utaha watched, bewildered. Ignoring Utaha's gaze, Yukino turned to the waiter."I'll pay for this meal. How much is it?" Utaha immediately protested."I can pay for myself." Yukino didn't acknowledge her. After settling the bill, she took a slow, deep breath. Her face was as cold as ice. "I remember you once told me," Yukino said evenly, "that you no longer cared about winning. My judgment is rarely wrong, and back then, I could tell—you weren't lying." Beneath the table, her long legs gracefully crossed. She brushed aside a stray lock of hair from her forehead. A signal. A signal that she was about to go on the offensive. "Yet today, you say you're here to proclaim your victory. So tell me, what happened in the past month to make you change your mind so drastically?" Utaha's heart pounded violently. "I don't believe my judgment was wrong back then," Yukino continued, her voice steady. "And I don't think you're the kind of woman who spins lies so easily. Because if you were, Haru—unless he was blind—would never have been drawn to you." She stated it so matter-of-factly, like it was an undeniable truth. Utaha bit her lip, her face growing pale. Yukino leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I don't care what you think," she said, voice quiet but sharp as a blade."As far as I'm concerned, he's already a scumbag. Even he admits that. And yes—I'm furious about it." Beneath the table, Utaha's hands curled into tight fists. Her entire train of thought had been completely derailed. Yukino studied her, unhurried and composed. "I've always acknowledged your talent," she admitted. "And I admire your determination. But it seems you overestimate yourself in certain ways." She let out a soft, almost dismissive sigh. "You have no idea," she said, voice laced with quiet dominance, "that no matter how outstanding a girl may be, she can never be my opponent." Utaha felt an invisible pressure bearing down on her. "Smart, ambitious girls?" Yukino continued. "I've encountered plenty since middle school. But unfortunately—" At this moment, Yukino, like a lone winter plum standing resilient against the frost, finally revealed the full extent of her chilling intensity. "Their skills, their schemes—yours included—I've already seen them all, countless times before." "In my sister." Utaha found herself utterly speechless. Yukino Stood Up and Walked Away. Her cold voice lingered in the air."This meal is on me. As for your new ideas for the script's characters, send them to me when you get home. Oh, and—your acting was decent, but you're still far from my sister's level." A sheer veil. The aura of a true queen was on full display in Yukino. Utaha's tense body finally relaxed as she slumped back into her chair, unwillingness and frustration written all over her face. She had spent days coming up with this plan—only for Yukino to cut through it without hesitation. It was out of guilt, for interfering where she shouldn't have. It was out of responsibility, for the rift between Haru and Yukino. That was why she had wanted to take all the blame upon herself, to redirect the anger. At the very least, the guy she liked would have an easier time. But now, looking at the result, she realized—she was still far from being a true contender. Just then, a fair and delicate hand extended from the side, offering her a handkerchief. "Here, Senpai. Wipe your sweat first." This voice? Utaha's head shot up in shock, her gaze landing on the girl in front of her."When did you get here?" Kato Megumi tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment."You really didn't notice me, did you?" She continued, her voice calm as ever."I walked past you both about five minutes ago—specifically to get your attention." Utaha: "???" A moment later, she stiffened slightly."You didn't hear my conversation with Yukinoshita just now, did you…?" "I didn't eavesdrop," Megumi reassured her, voice light and gentle. "But judging by your reactions, it's pretty obvious you two had a fight." And Senpai lost. Badly. Megumi left that part unsaid. Awkwardly, Utaha accepted the handkerchief, her expression unnatural."What are you even doing here?" "My house is just up ahead. I made plans with Hashimoto and the others to go out today… Well, actually, they insisted on dragging me along." Megumi tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying a touch of cuteness."They wanted to introduce me to Kamen Rider. Apparently, since Amamiya-kun—our club president—loves it so much, as his friends, we have to follow the Photography Club's 'laws.'" What kind of club law requires knowing about Kamen Rider? Utaha was too drained to even comment. The battle earlier had left her utterly defeated. Megumi sat down across from her, her gaze gentle yet observant."You don't look too great. Is there anything I can do to help?" "No need," Utaha muttered. "I have my own way to restore my energy." "Restore… energy?" "Mhmm. Think of it like a gaming term—recovering stamina." At that moment, Utaha thought of Haru. Right now, the only person who could help her 'recover' was him. At least, no matter how rational Yukino was, she hadn't come out of this completely unaffected. At the very least, Utaha had successfully drawn Yukino's anger toward herself. …It just hurt a little too much to handle.