Like the world at large, the kitchen gradually fell silent.
The neon light became the only sun, stretching the shadows of the two in opposite directions.
The exhaust fan stopped spinning. Yukino's gaze settled on Yuu.
"What's the question?"
She asked, but inwardly, she sighed softly—That expression again.
(Last time, he said he felt relieved. This guy is truly full of lies.)
(By the way, what kind of issue could make him hesitate for so long? Is it related to family or feelings?)
"Maybe it's a multiple-choice question?"
She answered somewhat off-topic, placing the dish she had just picked up back on the kitchen counter.
Suddenly feeling her arms a bit sore, Yukino also handed the wooden container of rice to him, letting him store it.
Then, Yuu slowly leaned his back against the fridge. He crossed his arms and looked at her, who now appeared confused, as if choosing his words carefully.
{Say it, I'm listening}—after signaling this silently with her eyes, Yukino immediately received a much more relieved smile from him.
Even so, his voice still carried a heavy burden, so serious that she couldn't miss a single syllable.
"I have a friend…"
At this point, Yuu suddenly paused. He looked at her with a curious gaze, as if waiting for her to offer an opinion or a quip.
But with just that sentence, what was there to quip about?
Yukino tilted her head in confusion. After thinking for a moment, she gave a serious, neutral response: "I won't ask which friend. What happened to your friend?"
"…Alright, looks like that trick didn't lighten the mood." Muttering something hard to understand, Yuu sighed softly. His gaze shifted to the corner of the kitchen. He continued in a flat tone:
"My friend is pretty amazing. At first, he was just an ordinary guy. He doesn't know when his knowledge grew…"
"Wait a second."
Yukino frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably displeased. "Isn't it basic etiquette to look at each other when discussing something serious?"
(Why am I afraid to look at him? Does what I want to say make me feel guilty toward him?)
This thought flashed through her mind. Yuu, standing before her, finally turned his eyes back. As if in retaliation, he stared into her eyes expressionlessly, with a burning gaze that seemed to pull her in.
Yukino wasn't afraid at all. Her resolute gaze met his deep black eyes head-on, allowing no evasion.
"And then?"
"…And then, he's now facing a multiple-choice question."
In a flat tone, as if stating a fact, Yuu said calmly: "He's made many choices before. Though he's been sad and suffered along the way, he never regretted it. He believes everything he did was right. Precisely because it was more right than anything else, the reality he lives in today is worth cherishing, with no room for doubt."
His words paused. Yukino fell silent for a few seconds, narrowing her eyes with slight doubt. "Even though you used 'he,' are you talking about me?"
"No, though it's very similar, it's not you." Laughing self-deprecatingly, Yuu stretched his fingers, making his unconsciously tense body feel light again. "He's much smarter and more amazing than you. But he's growing more hesitant. Despite support from those around him, he still wavers when facing the fourth obstacle. He's shown no progress at all."
"You're talking about yourself," Yukino confirmed immediately.
If asked why, she caught a familiar whiff of narcissism.
"Continue your story."
Yuu didn't answer directly. As his gaze shifted an inch toward the ceiling, his neck suddenly froze, and he obediently locked eyes with her again.
With her palm beside her mouth, Yukino curved her eyes into crescents, chuckling softly as if teasing: "Mhm, go on. About your friend."
(For some reason, his gaze gives me a sense of relief, like I finally figured out this trick.)
(But, the fourth obstacle?)
(Someone who can easily win a national championship and seems omnipotent is facing four obstacles. This is really…)
"Forget the past for now. Right now, he's facing a problem."
The briefly relaxed atmosphere turned serious again due to Yuu's heavy tone. Yukino also dropped all her smiles, returning his gaze calmly and seriously.
Even the laughter outside the door seemed to fade from her ears. Only the sound of his breathing was clear in front of her.
"If he chooses everyone, he'll hurt more people… If he chooses one person, he'll hurt himself and that person."
"He's always made choices passively before. He could calmly blame fate. He was even prepared to do it twice more… But when it came time to make a choice himself, even though he knew what was right, he couldn't decide right away."
These words were like a riddle. Honestly, Yukino didn't understand at all.
(Tenkuji-kun doesn't seem to intend for me to understand. He's just talking to himself, venting all the hesitation and sadness he's been bottling up. The veins in his clenched fist are bulging from gripping so tightly.)
(…But he's somewhat managed to touch the heart he's always hidden.)
(So, he can show an expression like this too?)
(So, there are so many things about him I don't know?)
Yukino listened quietly, gazing at him calmly.
Her eyes never left his. Her gaze gradually softened, as if comforting the boy in front of her, who suddenly didn't seem so tall anymore.
"…Even so, he still has to make a choice."
"He has to move forward. He has to be strong. He promised her. He also swore to himself."
The turmoil vanished like ripples. The well water returned to calm.
The fragility briefly revealed was firmly covered up by Yuu again.
Yuu took a deep breath. His clenched fist slowly relaxed. His gaze, so intense it stung slightly, looked straight at her.
"Yukinoshita, I promised Yui I'd be in a relationship with her… Or rather, I'll definitely fall in love and definitely be in a relationship with her."
"…"
Yukino forgot to breathe for a moment.
After a brief shock, Yukino unconsciously bit her lip, harder and harder.
An unfamiliar pain spread in her chest like a virus, making her feel suffocated and dizzy for a moment. She forced herself to calm down quickly.
Because Yuu wasn't done talking—that was just the premise, not the point.
"And then? What does that have to do with me?"
Realizing her voice was slightly hoarse, Yukino cleared her throat a few times and took a deep breath while holding her chest.
Yuu's next words made her open her mouth and widen her eyes in shock.
"And then, starting now, I'll be in a relationship with you, Isshiki, Tachibana…"
Pausing briefly, Yuu seemed to swallow a name he nearly spoke. He tried his hardest not to look away from her gaze.
"…One of you."
"Or rather, be the ideal boyfriend for one of you."