"Whatever the cost?"
Yuu opened his eyes. Before he could recover from his shock, he instinctively repeated the phrase.
For heaven's sake, he was just stunned by the girl's resolute determination and wasn't thinking anything else.
But Yukino froze for a moment, then quickly stepped back, clutching her chest. She bit her lip and glared at him angrily.
Her flushed cheeks clearly misunderstood something.
"Even at a time like this, you can still have perverted thoughts, Tenkuji-kun, you really—"
"Wait, this scene has happened before!"
Without letting her finish, Yuu hurriedly raised his hand to stop her. He defended himself with a sincere expression. "You remember, right? I said I'm not interested in your body at all. I don't have any dirty thoughts about you! So don't suddenly come up with perverted ideas yourself!"
Yes, he knew this truth shouldn't be spoken, but he did it instinctively anyway.
The urge to tease Yukino might already be etched into his DNA.
Of course, hearing this, Yukino's anger flared even more.
Recalling what happened when they first met and glancing down at her not-so-curvy chest, her face alternated between red and pale. A cold fire also blazed in her eyes.
The temperature in the kitchen dropped drastically. Then, her sharp, icy gaze locked onto the knife rack behind him. A fleeting glint of intent passed through.
"Hehe…"
(Damn! She's laughing because she's too angry.)
Yuu sensed trouble. His demeanor instantly turned serious. Just as he cleared his throat and was about to say something to calm her, the kitchen door slowly opened.
"Yuu-kun, Yukinon?"
Yuigahama poked her head in from behind the door. She looked at both of them, blinking in confusion, then asked hesitantly, "The food's ready, right? Do we need to help carry the plates? Everyone's kinda hungry…"
Her shoulders suddenly trembled. Her reflexive voice was slightly shrill.
"I-It's ready!"
As if doused with a bucket of cold water, Yukino's anger instantly subsided. She tried hard to maintain her composure.
Standing right in front of her, Yuu could see clearly.
When Yuigahama's voice rang out, Yukino's expression briefly became very interesting. It was mixed with complex emotions like stiffness, panic, guilt, confusion, hesitation, and more. Her small face also visibly flushed several times.
"Yukinon? What's wrong?"
The perceptive Yui didn't miss this odd reaction. With a confused and worried expression, she opened the kitchen door and stepped inside.
"Nothing…" Yukino quickly adjusted her mindset. She brushed past Yuu as if nothing had happened, reaching for the wooden rice container she'd set down earlier.
As they passed each other, Yuu's lips moved slightly. He controlled his voice, slipping it quietly into her ear.
"I chose you… Let's find a time to tell Yui about this. I can't hide it from her."
"…"
Yukino took a deep breath. She didn't speak, only nodding faintly, almost imperceptibly—after this, they not only had to find time to reveal everything to Yuigahama but also discuss what this Ideal Boyfriend Task actually entailed.
Only with more information could she fulfill her promise.
As she picked up the rice container and turned, aside from her face still flushed as if freshly baked, Yukino's expression had returned to calm. She was just a bit afraid to meet Yuigahama's eyes.
"There's a lot of stuff. Let everyone come in to help carry it."
"Eh? Oh, got it…"
Yuigahama's gaze followed Yukino's figure to the door. Even after she left the kitchen, Yui stood rooted in place, her brow furrowed in confusion. She looked at Yuu, who was also picking up two plates of dishes from the counter.
"Yuu-kun, Yukinon, she…?"
"Why's her face so red, right?"
Yuu took her words with a natural expression, admitting honestly, "I just teased her with a few words. Mostly because she got mad."
"I see." Hearing it was something that often happened, Yuigahama immediately felt relieved, dispelling the slight, inexplicable unease in her heart.
She smiled brightly. Her eyes were filled with unchanged trust and reliance on him. She jogged to the counter, picking up two plates of dishes as well.
"Hmm~ It smells so good! Really, food made by Yuu-kun and Yukinon together makes my mouth water just from the aroma!"
Yuu smiled. "Wanna eat? I'll cook for you every day."
"Can I?!… No, forget it!"
Shaking her head firmly, Yuigahama stood beside him. She walked to the door with him, her tone resolute and full of conviction.
"I'll improve my skills soon. Then, one day, I'll make a delicious bento that Yuu-kun will want to eat for life!"
Their shoulders brushed. As their warmth mingled, Yuu also said softly:
"Alright, I'll look forward to it for life."
"Hehehe~"
Though she was the one who said it first, Yuigahama ended up getting shy herself. She giggled foolishly, floating in her joy.
A smile unconsciously curved Yuu's lips. He turned his gaze away from her, only to meet Yukino's eyes as she looked back.
Not far away, they held each other's reflections in their eyes.
(Did she hear what I said, or did she guess it just by looking?)
(Her expression is different from before. Complex and hard to describe.)
With his shoulder leaning against Yuigahama's and his eyes on Yukino, Yuu's steps suddenly halted. He felt something—
The relationship between the three of them, perhaps starting now, was plummeting straight toward an irredeemable abyss.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
At this moment, elites gathered, and executives filled the venue.
In the middle of the day, people in suits and elegant dresses chatted, the atmosphere harmonious and warm.
Soft classical music played in the luxurious hall. A long dining table neatly divided the large space, covered with various drinks and foods. Lavish, rich, and delicious dishes were available for anyone to take, as if free.
Taking a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray, Haruno sipped it slowly while searching for that strikingly conspicuous figure.
Most of the older folks had found suitable business partners. Now was the time for the juniors to interact freely—called networking, but really, it was a matchmaking event. No one came just to make friends.
For her, it was indeed like that.
Temptations were everywhere. Everywhere, she could encounter flirtations. If not for fear of being unable to explain when her mother asked, Haruno would've brought her boyfriend out to shoo away those flies.
"Yes, Haruno-san…"
"Sorry~ I'm busy right now~"
Passing a gentle young nobleman, not wasting time on unnecessary people, Haruno circled the banquet hall. Finally, she found a silver-haired girl with a gloomy aura in a corner.
She seemed to have rejected many people already. At the moment, her surroundings were empty. No shameless flies buzzed around to bother her.
Expressionlessly, she nibbled on a small apple carved into a bunny shape, bit by bit. When Haruno approached, Masuzu set down her fork and plate, bowing slightly to her with elegance and softness.
"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-san. Thank you for your care the other day."
"They're the ones who took care of you. I didn't do anything."
Haruno waved her hand casually. She closely observed the overly artificial faint smile on her face and the polite, emotionless distance.
As if thinking of something amusing, the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family couldn't hold back a laugh from deep within.
"Pffthahahaha…"
"Eh, sorry?"
Frowning at her smile, Masuzu tilted her head slightly in confusion, her eyes signaling, Where did this mental patient come from?
Haruno didn't care. She quickly stopped laughing, letting out a relieved sigh as if pleased. Her fingertips gently swirled the pale purple champagne in her glass.
"Sorry, do you think I'm weird?"
"Quite weird."
Masuzu nodded honestly, returning to her seat in the corner. Her demeanor suggested she didn't want to talk much.
Haruno ignored it. Resting her arm on her curvy chest, the rim of her glass lightly touched her flushed lips. Her captivating eyes narrowed slightly.
"Weird is fine. The important thing is… Whether it's just my imagination or not, I feel like I have a lot in common with you."
She raised the corner of her lips in a faint smile, looking at the surprised Masuzu. A meaningful glint flashed in her deep eyes.
"The gem of the Natsukawa family… no, Masuzu-chan~"
"Want to consult about life with your Onee-san?"