Recalling the scene in the elevator, Haruno's gaze dimmed slightly, but the corners of her lips still curved into a relaxed smile. She waved her hand with a cheerful demeanor.
"Haiz, don't take it too seriously, little Yui-chan. Who said liking someone means you have to steal them? Besides, I don't plan on taking him from you for now. Relax, relax~"
She clearly said not to take it too seriously and that liking didn't mean stealing, but then added she wasn't planning to steal for now and told her to relax.
Haruno was the kind of person who could say the most contradictory things naturally. Lying came as easily to her as drinking water. Her mind was so mercurial, it was hard to see through.
Even so, Yuigahama didn't back down an inch. Nor was she worried about losing to the older, beautiful, perfectly proportioned sister in front of her.
(Because Yuu-kun prefers girls like Sora-chan over mature, gorgeous women!)
(Instead of worrying about Haruno-san, I should worry about whether those two, who are so perfectly matched, might one day spark something beyond friendship… Just looking at their figures, Yukinon's advantage is hard for me to compete with.)
The issue of cheating that Yuu once mentioned also troubled her deeply. So now, instead of thinking about how to keep him from being taken, she'd rather focus on how to make Yuu like her more, to the point he'd never want to part from her for life.
Yuigahama, at seventeen, was no longer the lovesick puppy who failed in the past—
Precisely because she had failed and been hurt, she now had the courage to move forward without hesitation.
"Haruno-san, I've been relaxed from the start."
Under Haruno's puzzled gaze, Yuigahama touched the dango in her hair and smiled with relief.
The worry in her expression was gone. On her young, round face, there was a maturity and calmness that made Haruno involuntarily reassess her.
"Besides, Yuu-kun decides who he likes! Only if we're his girlfriend do we have the right to comment on whether others like him… That's just how unrequited love works."
"…"
Haruno really wanted to say: I'm his girlfriend. You like my boyfriend and say things like that in front of me. You really don't take me seriously.
But unfortunately, she wasn't his girlfriend right now.
That infuriating Yuu had no intention of admitting it either. Objectively, Haruno was, as Yuigahama said, in the realm of unrequited love…
It had nothing to do with simple feelings of liking someone. Their past and relationship were part of that mysterious event. The situation was still unclear, so she could only suppress it in her heart. Even Yuu couldn't know.
So, Haruno chose to shrug, casually brushing past the topic and shifting her disinterested gaze away from Yuigahama.
Just then, Yukino came out with a teapot and a single mug. She said resignedly to them:
"There are no guest cups. Not even bowls or chopsticks… The kitchen's basically a display."
"Then I'll tell Yuu-kun to buy disposable paper cups."
Before she could pull out her phone, Yukino shook her head. "I already called and told him. Sit down and wait."
"Oh…" Seeing her friend's calm, fair face, Yuigahama pouted slightly, feeling a bit dejected for no reason.
Haruno leaned against the sofa's armrest, looking at the ceiling in thought.
She didn't know what had happened in the living room earlier. Yukino poured half a mug of tea, blew on it a few times, and told Yuigahama to help Masuzu sit up.
"Give her some warm tea. I'll prepare a warm towel."
"Okay!"
Yuigahama sat on the sofa, helping the weak and frail Masuzu sit up. Just as she was about to bring the tea to her lips—
The silver-haired half-blood girl slowly woke. Her eyelids lifted, and her dull sapphire-blue eyes slowly turned, observing her surroundings.
"…Dango-chan?" she said in a hoarse voice.
"Oh, you're finally awake! Are you okay, Natsukawa-san?" Seeing her wake, Yuigahama immediately asked with concern, handing her the mug. "Here, Yukinon made you warm tea. Drink a little to warm your stomach… Careful, it's hot."
"…Thank you."
Holding the mug with both hands, Masuzu sipped it little by little. She seemed to have a cat's tongue, her brows furrowing from the hot tea.
At the same time, Yuigahama asked curiously, "By the way, when you said Dango-chan, did you mean me? Since when did you give me a nickname?"
"…I don't know." Confusion flickered in her eyes. Masuzu stared blankly at the tea, continuing in a weak, hollow voice, "I just said it suddenly… If you don't like it, I'll change it back."
"No, I love it. It feels like we're close friends!" Yuigahama laughed happily. "Then how about I call you Little Suzu-chan?"
"Whatever." The corners of her lips twitched slightly. Masuzu forced a smile—but she didn't even know why she was smiling or why she was being so familiar with her.
"By the way, why are you all in my house…"
Yukino approached with a wrung-out warm towel, answering calmly, "You fainted in front of us. Of course, we had to bring you inside to take care of you… Don't worry, we only went to the kitchen. We didn't invade your privacy."
"I didn't say anything…"
Masuzu frowned reflexively. She glanced at Yukino's thin winter uniform, then lowered her head to see the trench coat covering her. After a few seconds of silence, she sighed softly:
"Thank you too, Yukinoshita."
"You're welcome. Helping a classmate is only natural." The corners of Yukino's lips curved slightly. She rarely smiled, and her tone was much softer than before. "Put the towel on your forehead and lie down to rest… While you're at it, tell us what's actually going on with you."
"…"
Just as she opened her mouth, the doorbell rang. Masuzu instinctively looked toward it.
"I'll get it~"
Haruno, the closest, quickly stood up. She picked up the intercom and spoke with a smile, teasing the person ringing the bell. Like a mischievous child, her eyes sparkled with pure, bright light.
It was the first time Yukino had seen her sister like this. She froze in place, her expression complex.
Soon after, Yuu opened the door, carrying two plastic bags from the supermarket.
"Good, you're awake. I'll make porridge. If you're not in a rush to go home for dinner, eat a little. After that, I need to head back to help my family with dinner."
Yuu only glanced at the girls by the sofa before heading straight to the kitchen as if in a hurry. He closed the kitchen door, giving no one a chance to follow.
Masuzu's gaze followed him from the moment he entered. She stared at his back with a blank expression, as if she'd forgotten who he was or where she was.
Then, her empty consciousness seemed to ripple with waves of memory. It struggled, churned, and tried, but in the end, no images surfaced. It returned to being empty and calm.
"That person…"
Her pale lips parted as if choking, and she murmured.