"Oops…"
Only after hugging her little cat, unseen for months but occupying a significant place in her memories alongside Yuu, did Haruno realize something was off.
(Seems I accidentally spilled something~)
Blinking innocently, Haruno showed no panic at all. Seeing the person before her with trembling eyes, the joy surging in her heart nearly made her burst out laughing on the spot. She had to hold it in until it almost hurt.
How to put it?
The more she loved him, the more she wanted to see him panic and afraid, different from his usual calm and confidence... Right, this had nothing to do with a sadistic personality. It was just one expression of love!
"Meow~"
As if sensing her joyful mood, Yukinon scratched her chest. It also gently licked her face, then scrunched its cat face and stuck out its tongue.
"Ah, sorry. I'm wearing a bit of makeup today~"
Haruno hurriedly lowered her head. She teased her love crystal with Yuu. The more she looked at him, the more she liked it. She slightly regretted why back then she was only busy working and didn't come to his house every day to bond with him.
Her detached attitude shifted Yukino's gaze—or rather, everyone else's—to Yuu.
"Yukinon also seems very attached to Nee-san, even though they should be meeting for the first time…"
After roughly grasping the situation, Sora chimed in from behind: "Yukinon hasn't gone out since coming here. If they'd met before, me and... your big sister? We should've met too."
But in fact, Sora had never seen this beautiful, classy big sister. She also didn't know her connection to Yuu.
Yuu knew too many women. From juniors to adult women, all sorts. And most of them liked him... Damn, was this what they called social grass?
Sora was helpless to complain. She didn't even have energy to be jealous. She could only accept that her big brother was a light novel protagonist—no fault there, at least he wasn't a walking human cannon?
What's a cat? Should be grateful her brother didn't bring home a kid seeking recognition.
"She's Yukino's big sister, Haruno-san, a university student. She came to help our club at the fall festival."
After softly explaining to the confused others, Yuigahama looked at the back of Yuu's head, also puzzled: "Right, Yuu-kun. Does Yukinon have some connection with Haruno-san?"
"…"
Yukino narrowed her eyes slightly. She sharply stared at Yuu's tense profile. She seemed to ponder, guessing all possibilities.
(He said he adopted Yukinon during summer vacation.)
(But on the fall festival day, he told Nee-san they were meeting for the first time in front of us. Nee-san didn't act like she knew it before...)
(Plus, this name Yukinon is suspicious. It feels deliberately chosen to tease me—right, just like something Nee-san would do.)
(Thinking that way, his convoluted explanation of the name's origin back then, as if hiding something, seems to point to an unbelievable answer.)
Not just Yuu went to the animal clinic to adopt the cat, but Haruno too. Even the cat's name resulted from her mischief.
And Yuu didn't want to lie to Yukino, so when asked, he deliberately omitted the Haruno-related part, giving an answer that wasn't a lie nor the truth.
If so, everything could be explained.
(But, not right!)
(If their connection is jointly adopting the cat, even naming it, why did Nee-san come find me asking about him? And why did she only start paying attention after their first meeting at the fall festival?)
(The logic's messed up. Feels full of holes, nothing explainable.)
(Impossible they coincidentally met at the clinic, Nee-san casually named the kitten she saw, he casually agreed, then both forgot they met, and only remember now, right?)
(Seeing how familiar Nee-san is with Yukinon, it must be more than that...)
The more she thought, the more her head hurt. Yukino frowned. She used a cold glare to remind Yuu he'd better give a reasonably explanation right now.
"…"
Yuu's current feeling was probably like wanting to read a novel in class but accidentally clicking a porn ad on a site. His phone, at full volume, suddenly blared moans. The whole class became his stage.
In short, headache up top, stomachache below.
He'd just thought peaceful daily routine was happiness's form, but it shattered instantly. And the one shattering it casually petted the cat, with no intent to help.
Damn, what kind of scene was this?
Couldn't she let him end this turbulent day perfectly...
Yuu couldn't help complaining inwardly:
(System. Why, even though Haruno's memories recovered, you can't even erase a cat's memory... Are you really that weak?)
「...」
The system didn't respond, as if broken. Indeed, many BUGs after the update.
Perhaps it was the change Haruno brought after regaining memories—but whatever the reason, Yuu had to face this embarrassing situation first.
Why embarrassing...
Little sister, best friend, and potential girlfriend all stared at him. They urged with eyes to satisfy their curiosity. Beside, two juniors watched the drama.
Plus, right in front, the ex-girlfriend occasionally glanced from the corner of her eye, seemingly awaiting what lie he'd tell.
In this situation, Yuu wasn't made of iron. How could he not feel embarrassed?
"Tenkuji-kun, why'd you suddenly go silent?"
Slightly tilting her cute small face, it showed a cold smile. Yukino once again aimed her sharp spear at him.
"Could it be, you really adopted Yukinon with Nee-san? She's the mom, you the dad?"
As those words fell, the atmosphere somehow turned dangerous. The winter cold wind instead made bodies heat up, as if a campfire burned nearby.
(Seems, as long as it involves Nee-san, she can't consider feelings like with Yuigahama-san)
Yuu breathed slowly.
He quickly calmed, clearing his mind, relying only on strong logic, without Mirror-Calm Heart.
If he lied, he'd be caught. If too shaken, he'd look guiltier—
With this beautiful, smart girl who knew him well, Yuu's boasted eloquence was basically unusable. He wasn't sure if Haruno would expose him outright, leaving him defenseless before everyone.
But, there was still room to fight!
He'd never done anything disappointing to anyone.
At least in this thrice-altered world, Yuu indeed met Haruno only after the fall festival—
So, saying it with chest out was enough.
"You can check the clinic records. I went to adopt Yukinon alone... As for how Haruno-san knows its name and why she's so familiar, ask her. I don't know how to explain it to you all."
"However, Haruno-san and I did meet once during summer vacation."
Yuu smiled faintly. Facing everyone's gazes, seeing Haruno's curious eyes, he said calmly:
"At the street corner where Yukinon was abandoned, I crossed paths with her... So, honestly, the fall festival wasn't our first meeting."