Lunchtime in the clubroom wasn't just for Shin and his group—Yukinoshita Yukino was the same.
Due to her appearance and other factors, Yukinoshita often attracted curious and attentive gazes from others, whether in the classroom or the courtyard. Not wanting to endure such attention during her meals, she naturally chose a place where she wouldn't be disturbed—somewhere like the Service Club's room.
At first glance, it might seem similar to Hitori Gotou's situation, but unlike Gotou's social anxiety, Yukinoshita simply didn't want to be bothered during her free time.
However, even in the Service Club's room, there were still people who could disturb her in other ways.
A crisp ringtone chimed, and Yukinoshita glanced at her phone. The screen clearly displayed the name: Saeko Busujima.
Yukinoshita and Saeko couldn't exactly be called friends—or rather, Saeko considered Yukinoshita a friend, but Yukinoshita didn't feel the same connection.
After all, the two had met through family connections, and Yukinoshita wasn't particularly fond of her own family circumstances.
That said, she didn't deny that Saeko was an independent and strong-willed girl who neither discriminated against nor excluded others. She was a decent person.
If Saeko had been her classmate in elementary or middle school, perhaps Yukinoshita would have had one more childhood friend.
With that thought, Yukinoshita set down her lunch and picked up the phone:
"Saeko-san? Is something the matter?"
Saeko wasn't the type to disturb others without reason, so Yukinoshita was curious why she'd call during lunch.
"Sorry, Yukinoshita. I could only think that you might be free right now..."
Saeko's strong, clear voice came through the phone. As Yukinoshita expected, she apologized first before explaining her reason.
"My family asked me to inquire about Shin's hobbies and preferences."
"...Huh?"
Yukinoshita froze—she never expected Saeko to call specifically for this.
Of course, Yukinoshita knew about Shin and Saeko's connection. After all, she was the one who had recommended Shin to the Busujima family's dojo.
Back then, watching Shin practice kendo had left an impression on her—his demeanor had a certain elegance to it. She'd even said that if he continued training, he could invite her along.
But after that, Shin seemed to have completely forgotten about it, never mentioning it again. Secretly, Yukinoshita felt a little resentful.
Sure, strictly speaking, she and Shin had only collaborated once, but was she really so forgettable?
Of course, if Shin knew what Yukinoshita was thinking, he'd probably protest—it wasn't that he'd gone to the dojo without inviting her; he simply hadn't gone back at all.
Right now, though, Yukinoshita was more curious about why Saeko wanted this information:
"Unfortunately, Shin and I only worked together once. I don't know much about him... But why do you suddenly need this?"
If Saeko had asked for herself, Yukinoshita might have assumed she'd taken an interest in Shin.
After all, kendo practice could involve close contact, leading to mutual attraction—Yukinoshita had read plenty of stories like that.
While she had no real romantic experience, her theoretical knowledge was extensive.
But Saeko had said her family was the one asking... The Busujima family was a renowned kendo lineage. Did Shin have something that caught their attention?
"Eh? You don't know?"
Saeko sounded surprised.
She'd assumed Yukinoshita and Shin were relatively close, but it seemed their relationship was more distant than she'd thought.
What's more, Yukinoshita appeared unaware of Shin's... uniqueness.
Did that mean the Yukinoshita family didn't know she'd interacted with Shin?
Saeko hadn't known about Shin's special status either, but her father had informed her, likely hoping she'd establish a connection with him.
He'd told her everything—about the Shinomiya family's attempts to recruit Shin, the rumored "supernatural" groups, and even the Kiryu Group.
So Saeko had naturally assumed Yukinoshita, being close to Shin, must have already known about his "abilities."
But it seemed she'd overestimated things. Yukinoshita didn't know, and her family probably wasn't aware she'd met such a significant figure at school.
"Is there... something about Shin?"
Hearing Saeko's surprised reaction, Yukinoshita began to doubt herself.
Was there something widely known about Shin that only she was unaware of?
"Well... it's complicated. Let me explain."
After a moment of thought, Saeko decided to tell her.
Given Yukinoshita's family background, they must have heard rumors about the Shinomiya family's banquet. It was just that Yukinoshita herself rarely involved herself in family affairs, leaving her in the dark.
But she had the right to know.
In truth, Saeko wasn't just reaching out to Shin for her family's sake—she was personally intrigued by the rumors surrounding him.
For one, she already held a favorable impression of strong men like Shin, so she had no reason to avoid interacting with him.
Secondly, she was interested in the Kiryu Group under his influence—if she joined, wouldn't she have a legitimate reason to fight and engage in combat?
The Busujima family's teachings forbade using kendo for such purposes, but if it was under Shin's organization... her elders wouldn't have grounds to object.
After all, from the Shidou family's perspective, this was an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties with Shin.
Yukinoshita, of course, had no idea what Saeko was thinking. But there was no denying that Saeko's words had reignited her curiosity about Shin.
To be continued…
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