Yukinoshita Residence
The Yukinoshita home was the very definition of a traditional Japanese residence.
The courtyard embodied the harmony of nature and design—stones, trees, and a pond were all arranged with deliberate care. The overall effect was simple, yet filled with quiet Zen-like refinement.
The interior of the house was minimalistic, but never plain. The light wood tones created a sense of tranquility and peace.
Yukinoshita Yukino's room was located at the far end of the house, well away from the guest room we had just passed. The chatter from other visitors didn't reach this far. It was perfectly quiet.
From her window, you could see the plum tree in the garden, placed with an almost obsessive sense of balance, and the bright red koi darting happily around the pond.
To top it off, a gentle snow had begun falling outside. A scene straight out of a painting—beauty that could only be called fleeting and sublime.
"Wow…" Sawamura Eriri leaned against the window, awe clear in her voice.
Her own home was a more typical detached house. Because her father was British, the architecture leaned heavily Western in style. The property was large and had a yard, but because it wasn't carefully maintained, it lacked the elegant refinement of the Yukinoshita residence.
Meanwhile, Minamoto Senya sat calmly at the low tea table in the center of Yukino's room, sipping tea with quiet composure.
In terms of his body, this was his first time inside Yukino's private room.
In terms of vision, though, not at all. He'd peeked in and out many times before.
Not that he abused that power. He had principles. He only ever glanced at his "Number One Study Princess" on his system map when he was bored or genuinely concerned. Never more than that.
Always—just enough, never crossing the line.
"Dinner's still a little while away," Yukino said. "I'll peel some apples for you."
"Eh? Right now? You mean… this one?"
Eriri clutched the apple Senya had given her earlier, holding it tight against her chest.
It was the very first gift she'd ever received from the boy she admired. If possible, she wanted to take it home and treasure it—not eat it on the spot!
Yukino couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, Eriri. We have plenty of apples here. I won't use yours."
Realizing her misunderstanding, Eriri turned red with embarrassment.
But when she noticed Senya's completely nonchalant expression as he calmly slurped his tea, seemingly oblivious to her flustered state, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief.
Not long after, Yukino returned carrying apple slices carved into the shape of rabbits. With her came her older sister, Haruno, and the Yukinoshita family matriarch, whom Senya had only briefly greeted earlier in the entryway.
"Mom," Haruno said cheerfully, "this is the boy I told you about—the one who's always outperforming Yukino academically. The very talented Minamoto-kun."
"I see. I've heard about you often from both Haruno and Yukino. You really are a handsome young boy. Thank you for always looking after Yukino."
As Mrs. Yukinoshita bowed her head ever so slightly with refined grace, Senya scrambled to return the gesture.
Beside them, Yukino sighed quietly while Haruno beamed with mischievous delight.
At that moment, Senya finally understood why this troublemaker had insisted on inviting him over.
So that was it—couldn't win the lane solo, so she called in the jungler, huh?
Mrs. Yukinoshita carried herself with elegance, her words chosen with precision and poise.
When facing the Yukinoshita sisters, Senya could rely on his mental maturity to "lower the dimensionality" of the fight and come out on top.
But against their mother, that advantage evaporated. In fact, he might even be at a slight disadvantage.
After all, even counting both his past and present lives, he was still a few years younger than this refined woman, and the people she had met and the experiences she had lived far outweighed his.
Still, Senya wasn't stupid. If a head-on clash carried risk, then there was always the option of a tactical retreat.
As their conversation continued, Mrs. Yukinoshita grew increasingly intrigued by Senya's precocious insights and way of speaking.
At first, she had been skeptical of her elder daughter's high praise, but the more they talked, the more impressed she became. Bit by bit, she began testing him, steering the conversation into deeper and more complex waters, hoping to uncover his limits.
But Senya wasn't about to fall into her trap. He knew exactly when to stop—showing just enough brilliance to leave a lasting impression, then pulling back.
Because at the end of the day—
—I'm just an elementary school kid.
"See, Mom? I wasn't exaggerating," Haruno teased.
Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled. "You're right. He really is very precocious. Polite, composed, and surprisingly mature for his age. I wonder what kind of upbringing shaped him into this."
"I heard from Yukino that his parents divorced early. He lives with his father."
"A single-parent household… I see. That explains a lot. What about his family background?"
"Yukino didn't say, but I've seen his house before—it's just a small detached place, no yard. Oh, and the lunches he brings to school? He makes them himself. He doesn't attend cram school, either."
"…A clever boy, and with good character as well. How rare."
Senya had no idea that even after they left the room, Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno continued their quiet discussion about him.
At that moment, he was busy enduring Eriri's sparkling, starry-eyed gaze from just inches away.
"Senya, you were amazing! All those things you said to Yukinoshita-san just now—I didn't even understand half of them!"
Senya chuckled. "Not understanding is amazing?"
Eriri nodded furiously. "Yes! You just… you felt so grown-up!"
Yukino gave a soft sigh. "Sorry. I didn't expect my sister to bring our mother along."
"It's fine. Your mom's really nice."
If it had just been Yukino and Senya alone, they probably would've quietly gone about their own business, maybe chatting every now and then. That had been their routine since kindergarten.
But with Eriri added to the mix, things were completely different.
She was full of energy—the way a child her age should be—and since she and Yukino were now on familiar terms, she didn't hold back.
"This panda plushie looks kind of mean, but it's adorable!"
Yukino shot a quick glance at Senya, who was scrolling on his phone. That panda plushie had been his birthday present to her back in second grade.
"That's from the Mr. Panda Playtime line. If you like, you can hug it."
"Really?!"
"Of course."
Hugging was fine. Taking it home was out of the question.
"Oh! There's a smaller one here too."
"That's the Mr. Panda pillow plush. The filling's different—it's really soft. Perfect for cuddling at night."
"Wow, Yukino, you must really love Mr. Panda."
"…"
Yukino only smiled faintly, offering no direct reply.
Did she love it?
She probably did.
Ever since graduation day at kindergarten, when Senya had handed her a small panda keychain, she'd felt a quiet fondness for the character.
Not long after, she had given him a gift in return: a brand-new pencil case.
From then on, with both of them entering the same elementary school, an unspoken tradition had formed between them—exchanging birthday presents each year.
The plushies Eriri had noticed were all gifts from Senya in first and second grade. In return, Yukino had given him a teacup and a fountain pen.
At dinner, since the living room was crowded with guests, the three of them filled their plates and retreated to Yukino's room.
Being surrounded only by familiar faces made it easier to relax.
Eriri, caught up in the fun, even dragged Yukino into recreating one of their recent stage performances.
It was a little embarrassing, but the atmosphere was cheerful.
And in that atmosphere, Eriri spoke with innocent sincerity:
"Senya, Yukino—let's stay like this forever. The three of us will always be friends, okay?"
Forever, huh…
Senya's gaze drifted to the bookshelf, lined with English study guides.
Forever was long—like towering mountains, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Forever was short—like a galloping horse, gone in the blink of an eye.
Life was unpredictable.
Different study paths, different jobs, different dreams… separation and change were inevitable.
Even married couples couldn't always promise to remain side by side forever.
So what could children, still immature in thought, truly guarantee with such a promise?
For himself, obviously not. And Yukino, more mature than Eriri, surely knew the same…
"…Okay."
"…Huh?"
Senya blinked in surprise at Yukino.
Don't put me in an awkward spot, Study Princess #1.
But Yukino only nodded softly, giving a simple, honest answer.
Eriri's face lit up with joy as she turned eagerly to Senya.
Yukino's lips curved into a rare, radiant smile.
She had smiled more tonight than she probably had in weeks at school.
"…Fine, I get it." Senya smiled wryly. He might as well go along, if it made them happy.
"Yay! It's a promise! We'll be friends forever—forever!"
"Yeah, yeah. Forever, forever."
His tone was half-hearted, but that didn't stop Eriri from bouncing up and down with delight.
As Senya reached for a slice of pizza from the table, he bit down and suddenly froze.
"What's wrong?"
Yukino looked over, worried.
She had helped her mother prepare the pizza earlier. Did it taste strange?
"…No." Senya shook his head slowly, opening his mouth to reveal the stretchy cheese—stuck firmly to a tiny white tooth.
One of his baby teeth had fallen out. His second one this year.
"Pfft… hahaha!"
Eriri burst out laughing.
Yukino couldn't help but laugh too—while quickly grabbing her phone to snap a picture of the moment.
"Hey, delete that! What's so funny about this?!"
"Nooo~ way~."
…