"Who would you choose?"
The moment Shizuka asked that question, she regretted it.
Her tone wasn't playful enough. It sounded too genuine... too revealing.
That one careless slip could easily expose what she was really feeling inside.
The truth was, even she didn't know exactly why she asked.
Maybe it was because watching them being all sweet and close with each other made her chest tighten a little.
Or maybe it was just the loneliness talking... the kind that gnaws at you after too many nights spent alone, after too many failed blind dates left holes in your heart that never really closed.
So before Haru could even answer, she forced a laugh, reached out, and patted his shoulder lightly.
"Don't think too much of it, okay? I just remembered the joke my colleagues made earlier and thought I'd ask you myself. You know... to see if you'd give me a more interesting answer."
"I see," Haru said simply, choosing not to expose her flimsy excuse.
But the next second, he turned his head slightly... his gaze drifting behind her.
He caught the faint, familiar scent of lemon shampoo.
Shizuka followed his eyes and froze for a moment.
There, walking toward them with a notebook in her hands, was Megumi Kato.
"...Amamiya-kun, can you rehearse a few lines with me?" Megumi asked gently.
"Of course," he replied easily, then raised a brow. "But why didn't you ask the others? I'm sure Senpai or Yukino would be happy to help."
"Utaha-senpai's still working on the next scene, Yukino's taking a break, and the others… well, they're not exactly the best at acting. You're the most reliable one here."
Her reasoning was perfectly sound.
As she spoke, her eyes flicked toward Shizuka. "You can answer Hiratsuka-sensei's question first. I'm not in a hurry."
…So she did hear it.
Shizuka was embarrassed on the spot.
Her not-so-innocent question... the one with a hidden meaning... had been overheard!
The only thing she could be thankful for was that she'd had the sense to disguise it as a joke earlier. Otherwise, this moment would've been infinitely more awkward.
Haru, of course, noticed the shift in her expression. He smiled deliberately and said,
"So, Kato, you heard that too? Does that mean you're curious as well?"
"Not really," Megumi replied softly, her tone calm and unreadable. "Just… a little bit."
Haru nodded, then rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. "Honestly, that's a pretty tough question."
Shizuka blinked, unsure if he was just giving her an escape route but she took it anyway, chuckling lightly.
"Well, I was just joking around. If you don't have an answer, that's fine."
"I've got it."
Haru raised a finger, grinning as if reenacting a meme.
That expression made Shizuka nervous: "You… you've thought of your answer?"
Megumi's eyes also fixed on him with quiet curiosity.
Under the attention of both women, Haru smiled and said,
"I'll choose Hiratsuka-sensei, then."
Shizuka's cheeks turned crimson. She burst into a flustered laugh and smacked his arm.
"Seriously? What kind of stupid answer is that!"
Megumi pressed her lips together, a faint hint of disappointment flickering in her eyes.She could tell Haru was just trying to defuse the tension.
Still, part of her couldn't help but wonder after everything Utaha-senpai had done, had she finally reached the same place in Haru's heart as Yukino?
Shizuka sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"I should've guessed... you always treat me so casually… Alright, go help Kato with her lines. I'll take a break."
After Haru and Megumi left, her playful smile slowly faded. She reached up and touched her own cheek.
It was warm.
She was certain... when Haru had said that line, her heart had definitely skipped a beat.
And it wasn't because she was nervous or embarrassed.
It was because she was happy.
For a fleeting second, a voice whispered in her mind:
So this old woman still looks attractive to younger men, huh?
That thought vanished as quickly as it came.
She knew perfectly well... Haru only said that to save her from embarrassment and to keep Megumi from noticing her unease.
"Haah… I really don't understand my own heart anymore," she murmured, sitting back down.
Her body shifted naturally into a relaxed pose.... her plump thighs tightening slightly against her slacks, outlining the mature curves that only a woman her age could have.
_ _ _
Fifteen minutes later, Utaha called everyone back to continue filming.
The last two scenes went smoothly. Megumi's character, realizing her accidental crime had been successfully covered up, delivered a flawless performance... her trembling relief and emotional release perfectly captured on camera.
Even Utaha couldn't help but praise her.
"Looks like you've really been working hard lately. Honestly, I don't think I could act that naturally myself."
Megumi rubbed her cheeks shyly. "I sometimes practice in front of the mirror."
"That's a good method," Yukino added as she checked the equipment. "But if you really want to improve, you should practice more dialogue with others."
Megumi looked up with a faint smile. "Like you, Yukinoshita-san?"
Yukino arched an eyebrow, then relaxed and said coolly,
"If you're asking with the intent to learn, then I'd be glad to help."
A simple line but it carried the unmistakable aura of the main heroine staking her claim.
Megumi simply replied, "I understand," her tone calm as ever.
Yukino didn't seem disappointed.
Meanwhile, Haru was busy helping the background actors.
Though their roles were minor, even they had lines and after seeing Megumi's strong performance and Utaha's renewed energy, everyone wanted to do their best.
Inspired, they went to Haru for advice on how to improve faster.
His answer was simple:
"Observe more. Think more."
The others exchanged confused looks.
Clearly, Haru's "universal answer" wasn't so easy to grasp.
Nearby, a few kids who had been watching the shoot had lost interest and started playing on the swings instead.
Haru's peripheral vision caught three children climbing onto the same swing... one sitting, two standing... forming a dangerously unbalanced scene.
"Those kids are crazy," Furukawa muttered. "Aren't they afraid of falling?"
The swing soared higher and higher. The kids laughed, oblivious to the danger.
Then, suddenly, one of them was thrown forward.
Before anyone could react, Haru bolted forward.
In a blur of motion that left everyone stunned, he leapt up and caught the child midair... his movements swift, precise, and unbelievably strong.
At the same time, his left hand shot out, catching the returning swing. He pressed down lightly, and the violent momentum vanished instantly... the swing coming to a perfect stop.
"Oh my god, Superman Amamiya!"
Furukawa and the others were speechless.
Utaha and the others, hearing the commotion, turned just in time to see Haru standing there with a child safely in his arms.
Megumi clutched her notebook tightly.
Sure enough, Amamiya-kun is a superhuman!
Her heart thumped wildly, her breathing quickened.
She'd suspected it for a long time and had even gathered bits of proof.
But every time she'd tried to ask or test him, Haru would always dodge the question.
And that only made her curiosity stronger.
The closer she got to him, the more she wanted to know his secret.
And lately… she'd noticed something else.
Her own body was changing too... becoming stronger, faster, sharper with each passing day.
It wasn't just because of proper, science-based training method... she was sure of that. Whenever she and the others worked out together, if Haru happened to join in, her progress always felt… different. Faster. More noticeable.
And that made her curious.
If I could sense such changes, why hadn't Yukino or Utaha-senpai ever mentioned anything about it?
Of course, she had no way of knowing the truth... Yukino and Utaha had long grown used to Haru's influence. After all, the two of them often spent late nights "teaming up" against him, and the gradual strengthening of their bodies had become something natural.
It's just as the saying goes: those caught in the moment see nothing clearly; while those who are on the sidelines can see things more clearly.
Besides, when the two of them "teamed up," Yukino and Utaha were always too caught up in the sheer joy of it to notice any kind of physical change at all.