Of course, after hearing that sentence, Yukino also threw out a fitting question.
"You even remember who you crossed paths with a few months ago?"
Holding back laughter with sealed lips, Haruno also nodded seriously: "Right, I don't even remember crossing paths with you there. Tenkuji-kun, is your memory too good, or were you already head over heels for me back then?"
"Of course my memory is too good." Showing no panic at all, Yuu spread his hands, mimicking her innocent face. "Besides Haruno-san's captivating appearance and distinctive aura, any normal man would unconsciously notice... Though I didn't see it with my own eyes, thinking back now, you were probably the one who found Yukinon at that utility pole and brought it to the clinic, right? That's why Yukinon is so close to you, and it also matches the clinic's description of the kind person who paid for Yukinon's treatment and boarding fees— that's the basis of my assumption."
"Hmm, the explanation's a bit convoluted, but reasonable enough." Haruno nodded slightly, then raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. She looked at him with a slightly dangerous gaze. "-san?"
Yuu fell silent. Only now did he remember Haruno once told him: "If you keep using formal language, I won't play along anymore."
The situation was already complicated enough. If he recklessly stirred chaos and claimed they'd dated, Yuu didn't know how to face Yukino and Yuigahama—from a pragmatic view, the task difficulty would skyrocket.
Life is hard. Yuu sighed.
If everything could be solved with honesty, he wouldn't want to be a mysterious man trying to coax a lie detector girl here...
"In short, no matter how much you suspect me and Haruno... If we knew each other in the past, it's pointless. If we really did, why hide it from you at the fall festival?" Restraining himself, Yuu sighed. He continued in his usual way, convincing with logic.
"Even if we were cheating and wanted to hide it, the motive isn't strong enough. My relationship with Yui and Yukinoshita back then wasn't as close as now. No reason to pretend not to know each other in front of you..."
Not giving a definite conclusion, but using reasoning to make people think: "Wow, what you said makes sense~", was his skill.
For example, Yuigahama now nodded as if realizing something. She looked at Haruno intimately interacting with the kitten, and the faint suspicion and distrust from before vanished.
As for Yukino, she wouldn't be easily fooled—why? She'd been tricked by tactics like this for nearly a semester.
Did they think she hadn't learned and could be easily deceived?
(Childish! Don't you understand the principle that talking too much leads to mistakes?)
(But it's true... In September, our relationship couldn't even be called acquaintances. If we just jointly adopted a cat, neither Nee-san nor him needed to pretend not to know each other in front of me. On the contrary, Nee-san would've bragged about it more...)
Unrelated to other factors. Purely because she knew those two too well, Yukino dismissed her prior suspicions and guesses.
Maybe it was a misunderstanding, or perhaps hidden facts she didn't know...
She raised her eyes, looking toward Haruno who could provide the conclusion to all this.
This girl's attitude was also odd. So familiar with Yukinon on first meeting, yet she explained nothing. She just left the situation to Yuu. She seemed eager to watch him struggle defending himself amid everyone's suspicions.
(Is that how you love him? Isn't that too deviant?)
As this thought flashed, Yukino suddenly realized something. Her face changed slightly. She looked a bit unwell.
She just realized now: if she accepted Yuu's request to be his ideal boyfriend—wouldn't that mean dating someone her big sister liked?!
Not only facing Yuigahama, but also her big sister... Wait, isn't this problematic?
She had no time to ponder if they knew each other in the past. Yukino secretly bit her lip, plagued by dilemma again.
"…"
At this moment, Haruno also sharply noticed the loophole Yuu showed in his defense.
"My relationship with Yukino-chan and Yuu-chan isn't as close as now..."
Muttering that sentence, Haruno recalled Masuzu still waiting in the car, possibly looking this way.
If her guess was right, there were already two victims, including herself... If there's a next, it's likely one of these two.
Though no solid evidence supported this theory, Haruno was almost certain: the closer the relationship with Yuu, the easier to lose memories. Proof was herself, who regained them.
Moreover, one thing she cared deeply about...
Yukino equated with Yuigahama but not denying it—had she also fallen like that silly dumpling?
Haruno hoped not.
"Yukino-chan, since when did your relationship with Yuu-chan get this close?"
Without hesitation, she tilted her head, asking Yukino. Haruno then shifted gaze to Yuu, smiling: "Yuu-chan too, do you want to tease Yukino-chan? She's my little sister. If you want to pursue her, you have to get past Big Sis first."
Her words were casual, more like teasing her sister's friend. She emitted no cold killing intent.
Yet, for some reason, Yukinon's fur suddenly bristled. As if fleeing a monster's grasp, it quickly jumped from Haruno's arms and dashed inside, hiding behind Sora's legs.
"Nee-san, please don't talk nonsense in front of my friends." Snapping out of tangled thoughts, Yukino retorted dissatisfied, brows furrowed. But her ears heated slightly.
"I'm not talking nonsense. It does sound like that, right?" Haruno tilted her head slightly. Her gaze swept Yuu, Yukino, and Yuigahama behind. "Yukino-chan too, this is the first time you said 'my friends.' Your relationship is better than I thought."
"That has nothing to do with you either."
To prevent more embarrassing remarks, Yukino nodded to Yuu, then walked ahead to the black car parked outside.
"You came to pick me up, right? Let's go. Don't block the door and trouble others."
"Tch, so cold to Big Sis~"
Complaining casually, Haruno stared deeply at Yuu. That gaze sent shivers, but her plans were inscrutable.
Quickly, she withdrew as if nothing happened. She turned, following Yukino's back. She waved casually: "Well then, that's it. Yukino-chan and I are heading home first. Be careful on the road~ Too bad the car seats aren't enough; otherwise, I could drive you all."
"No one asked for that..." Yukino sighed softly, then showed confusion. "But adding us, the back seat should fit three, right? Why not enough?"
"That's because I'm also coincidentally dropping someone off~"
Her voice was loud enough for everyone at the door to hear. Haruno chuckled, then called to the car:
"Masuzu-chan, rare visit. Why don't you get out and greet everyone?"
As those words fell, soon the car door opened.
A beautiful half-Japanese girl with long silver hair slowly stepped out. Those dull, wistful sapphire eyes didn't shift a bit. They locked straight on Yuu standing at the door. A complex light flickered in her gaze.