"Natsukawa Masuzu?"
(Why is she in Haruno's car?)
Yuu was shocked. He could clearly feel her gaze locked straight on him. Her expression was like blank paper, unchanged, but her dark pupils held complex emotions.
Last time he cooked porridge for her, she avoided eye contact as much as possible...
Thinking of this, Yuu's heartbeat quickened slightly. His palms sweated a bit.
(Is she seeking me out for business, or have her memories recovered?)
With Haruno as precedent, Yuu was forced to consider memory recovery possibilities when facing oddities involving ex-girlfriends. He no longer fully trusted the System's promises—
Even so, Masuzu's current appearance didn't suggest full memory recovery.
Based on his understanding of the girl, if she remembered the past, she wouldn't be as calm and deep as Haruno. Being impulsive, she might bang on his door at midnight or outright kidnap him.
So, if she just stood observing, perhaps she was like Haruno some time ago. Though aware her oddity related to him, the rest was still shrouded in memory fog.
Still within safe limits.
His lifted heart slowly settled. Yuu secretly felt relieved.
Haruno was troublesome enough. If adding Masuzu with recovered memories, better to surrender outright.
Let whoever wants do the fourth task; I choose death.
...But honestly, this progress was faster than Yuu estimated.
When he cooked porridge at her house, besides some lingering emotional reactions, Masuzu didn't suspect his connection to her strange illness. Since then, she hadn't actively stalked or bothered him.
Yuu thought it'd take months more before something like Asuna realizing oddity and testing him happened.
Who'd have thought now, Masuzu stood there, calmly staring at him with a gaze like an uncle eyeing the man behind him after feeling his butt groped.
Sensing something, Yuu glanced at Haruno heading to the car's front.
"Don't tell me..."
Yuigahama's voice from behind cut his thoughts: "Ah, it's Masuzu-chan! Yahallooo~"
Masuzu nodded faintly, returning the greeting.
Her gaze shifted from Yuu to Yuigahama's peeking face, then glanced at the Yukinoshita sisters walking side by side.
Finally, she stepped forward.
"Hmm?"
Seeing her sudden action, let alone Yukino, even Haruno raised an eyebrow. Shocked gazes followed Masuzu passing her.
Like a puppet on strings, her steps stiff and mechanical. Yet without hesitation. She walked straight toward the Tenkuji house door.
The closer, the brighter the light in her eyes. Each step firmer.
Her pale face gradually regained color. Her lethargic aura turned fresh. Her unintentionally downcast gaze lifted gracefully and peacefully, no longer despairing.
The sunset suddenly thickened. It illuminated her flying silver hair, like ripples on sea surface.
"Masuzu-chan, you..."
Initially, Yuigahama thought she came for her.
Seeing her new friend regain spirit and return to her captivating, stunning usual self, though confused, she felt happy for her deep down.
But after greeting, Yuigahama realized her eyes didn't look at her at all, but at the handsome youth ahead.
Unwavering, like winter migratory birds flying south to warmth, like salmon returning to spawn, Masuzu's eyes ignored others. She steadfastly locked on Yuu.
What's going on?
The sunset seemed to burn her long hair. Yuigahama just stood confused. Only when she stood right before Yuu did she snap to.
Anxiety from nowhere made her unconsciously clench fists. She tried speaking to Masuzu with a puzzled face:
"Masuzu-chan..."
She ignored her. In the sunset so calm even crows shut up, Masuzu just looked up, her beautiful, clean face calmly gazing at Yuu.
Suddenly, she raised a hand, held his cheek, and tiptoed high. The series of moves smooth and quick.
"!?"
Everything happened too fast. Let alone Yukino who'd walked to the car and turned back, even nearby Yuigahama couldn't take preventive action.
She couldn't even make a sound. Like others, she just wide-eyed in confusion, mouth slightly agape. She witnessed their lips meet amid the darkening sky—
"Wait a second."
A palm touched lips. Yuu stepped back, bumping soft, elastic like an airbag behind. He immediately shifted angle, retreating to empty space beside.
"Where'd you get this kissing maniac? Who force-kisses without talking upon meeting?!"
In confusion, he ignored current alienation and politeness. He instinctively scolded in familiar past tone.
Ignoring surrounding stares. Masuzu stood back in place. She touched her failed-attacking lips. She sighed regretfully.
"Sorry, I'm the type who skips foreplay. Thieves don't send warning letters before crimes, right? Except Kaito Kid."
"You admitting it's a crime..."
"Actually, I awakened a Stand named Kiss."
"Then surrender to American prison now!"
Wiping lipstick from palm on pants, Yuu grimaced slightly. He shifted gaze, meeting Sora's behind the door.
"..."
As if relieved yet too despairing to care, Sora sighed long, then sneered at him.
Yuu's eye corner twitched.
(...My sister, your brother nearly got force-kissed. What's with your expression saying, I knew Yuu's immoral!)
(I was waiting for her to speak, who'd think she'd suddenly kiss?! Luckily I reacted fast with similar experience, or else...)
Not thinking further, Yuu gathered thoughts. Before others recovered from shock, he put on serious face, questioning convincingly:
"Natsukawa, why'd you do this? Overkill for a prank!"
"..."
Hearing this, Yukino with displeased expression and cold gaze halted. She crossed arms over chest, standing nearby. Planning to see how he'd handle this sudden incident.
And nearby, hesitant-to-speak Yuigahama stayed silent. She just instinctively bit lip. She watched the two locking eyes again. Fingers gripped clothes hem tightly.
As for Haruno, after brief shock, she showed slightly regretful expression.
"Why, huh?"
Lowering hand, Masuzu slowly closed eyes.
She looked up, as if listening to blood flow or pondering in cold sunset wind.
She wet lips just touched by his palm. The girl tugged mouth corner. Faint smile appeared under ink-faded sky.
"Just repayment for cooking porridge that day. If you want, I wouldn't mind kissing Yukinoshita-san, Haruno-san, and Yui too."
That was a lie.
As for her truth, it was just wanting to. An impulse from body instinct, nerve reflex like knee-jerk.
But before many people, Masuzu couldn't say her truth. She could only choose lying—but didn't want to lie staring into his eyes.
So, while explaining, she slightly understood this feeling.
(Like the Red Stone of Aja to Kars, Yuu is crucial to me.)
As for why, as Haruno told her in the car, she still needed more clues.
Anyway, Masuzu took the first step out of the fog.