That night, both Haru and Yukino broke their usual early-to-bed, early-to-rise habits.
Haru couldn't sleep because of the surprise Yukino gave him, playing with her legs. It left him feeling a bit too excited to rest.
Yukino, on the other hand, was thinking about the future. She started to worry that, eventually, playing with Her legs might beco a "daily routine."
Of course, part of this was due to her over-sensitivity.
As a result, that night, she had her first improper dream.
Summary: Soone was being a little too playful with her in the dream.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have rushed to fulfill his request," Yukino sighed, adjusting her slightly ssy nightgown as she got out of bed.
She went to the living room, then checked the fridge. She needed to remind Haru to buy groceries before dinner, as they were running out of ingredients.
It was 8:23 AM.
She usually woke up earlier than this.
"All because of that idiot," Yukino muttered, showing a rare pout of a little girl, though no one was around to see it.
While brushing her teeth, Yukino heard so movent outside. Glancing at the mirror, she noticed Haru standing at the door in his pajamas.
"Morning," he greeted casually, as if nothing had happened.
"Mm."
Yukino replied through a mouthful of toothpaste, still brushing. But she quickly realized that he hadn't left and was still standing there, staring at her.
She spat out the foam, turned around, and asked with a hint of annoyance, "What are you doing?"
"Just watching," he replied nonchalantly.
"Get Out."
"Alright."
Haru walked away with a grin.
Yukino felt a little unsettled. Could he possibly be thinking about playing with her legs this early in the morning?
If fact, she was completely wrong.
The reason Haru lingered at the door was purely because he noticed sothing unusual—Yukino didn't seem to have a gag reflex.
In other words, when she accidentally brushed too far back in her mouth, she didn't even flinch, let alone gag.
Haru's mind imdiately sped off in an inappropriate direction, but he quickly forced himself to stop.
Breakfast was prepared by Yukino, while Haru sat nearby, listening to her instructions on gaining experience.
"There's not enough food in the fridge," Yukino reminded him after breakfast, now dressed in a light blue dress and holding an orange cat in her arms.
"I'll go buy so this afternoon," Haru said, turning on the TV.
"I'll co with you," Yukino decided. Being alone at ho felt dull; she might as well go out with him.
After watching TV for a while, Haru suddenly rembered sothing and crouched down in front of the cabinet beneath the TV, rummaging through the drawers.
Curious, Yukino asked, "What are you looking for?"
"I just rembered—my classmate Furukawa-san lent a box of gas... Oh, Furukawa is a classmate of mine. He often asks for help with studying. Since he found out I like gas too, he lent so of his gas."
Haru pulled out a small box, filled with mories from his childhood in his previous life.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournant Fighters, River City Ransom, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, ga Man…
"These are what I'd call nostalgic treasures," he said with a hint of emotion.
Hearing his serious tone, Yukino's curiosity was piqued. "Treasures? You an the gas you played as a kid?"
"Exactly. Want to give it a try? A lot of these are co-op gas."
"I'm not interested in this sort of thing."
Ten minutes later…
Expressionless, Yukino held a controller. Her cute chipmunk character had just been used as a shield by Haru, causing her to lose a life.
Haru chuckled beside her. "Don't be so stiff! Gas are ant to be played with a smile. That's part of the fun."
Yukino replied flatly, "You have a point."
Monts later, Haru's character was picked up and thrown into a group of enemies by Yukino, eting his demise repeatedly.
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" he protested.
"You said it yourself—gas are ant to be fun. Why are you getting upset?" Yukino smiled sweetly. For the first ti, she found video gas to be genuinely entertaining.
From that mont on, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers took on a whole new aning.
The two of them began treating their co-op partner like a throwable grenade at every opportunity.
Gradually, Yukino's smile beca lighter and freer.
Without realizing it, in this mont, she was no longer the strict and composed Yukino but a carefree teenage girl, completely at ease.
They played until noon.
Yukino put down the controller and helped clean up. As she was tidying, Haru said, "If we have ti, we should play together more often."
"Hmm?"
Yukino looked up, a bit surprised. "You know I don't like spending ti on things like this."
"I know, but look at this," Haru said, taking out his phone and switching to the cara.
Under Yukino's puzzled gaze, he turned the front cara toward her face.
"Don't you see? You look amazing right now," he said, pointing to her relaxed expression in the reflection.
Yukino stared blankly at herself in the cara.
He was right. She looked genuinely at ease.
The playful bickering they'd had during the ga brought a different kind of happiness—a pure, uncomplicated joy unlike the satisfaction of achieving sothing or making progress.
It was a simple, lighthearted emotion that allowed her to completely relax.
Realizing this, Yukino's gaze softened, and a warmth spread through her heart.
So he suggested playing gas to help unwind…
For the first ti, she gave him a gentle smile. "If we have free ti on weekends, I can join you for gas. Wait… where are your eyes looking?"
She suddenly noticed her relaxed posture. She had let her guard down, leaning comfortably in her chair. Her long dress had slipped slightly, revealing a glimpse of smooth, fair skin and the edge of her white undergarnt.
"Sorry, my auto-targeting system was still on," Haru said, quickly retreating.
Yukino glared at his back as he pretended to flee in a panic toward the kitchen. But she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips.
"He really is a hopeless pervert."
Though she said that, her mood was undeniably light.
After all, the more infatuated he was with her, the more confident she felt in her own charm.
It gave her a sense of security and bolstered her confidence for the battles ahead.
Battles?
Of course, against Kasumigaoka Utaha.
As for the others—Yuigahama, Eriri, or even the never-before-seen gumi Kato—they weren't even on Yukino's radar.
After all, to sit at Yukino's table, one needed to have the strength to compete.
And she held the ultimate trump card.
anwhile, Haru was in the kitchen washing dishes, mumbling to himself, "Small really is cute after all."
At 4:30 in the afternoon, the two headed out to buy groceries together.
Though Yukino was in charge of selecting the ingredients, she would always ask Haru what he wanted to learn beforehand. That way, she could ntally prepare her teaching plan in advance.
Not long after leaving the supermarket, Yukino spotted the bustling Snow Ice Cream Parlor up ahead and ca to a stop.
Haru imdiately noticed what was on her mind. "Want to check out how the 'Part-Ti Emperor' is doing?"
"Part-Ti Emperor?" Yukino blinked in confusion.
"Before we t her, she used to juggle so many part-ti jobs at once. If that's not a 'Part-Ti Emperor,' then what is?"
"…You're so childish."
Yukino shot him an exasperated look before walking alongside him toward the shop.
As soon as they reached the entrance, the lively ponytailed girl inside ca into view.
Her smile was still as vibrant and energetic as ever, and her hands moved with practiced efficiency. Even a single glance was enough to tell that slacking off wasn't in her vocabulary.
Most importantly, her complexion had improved—she no longer looked like she might collapse at any mont.
"It seems like she took your advice," Yukino said with a satisfied nod.
Just as Haru was about to respond, the girl inside—Aoyama Nanami—noticed them. Her eyes imdiately lit up.
Haru changed his reply mid-sentence. "We've been spotted."
Yukino sighed. "We're not thieves. Why are you using words like 'spotted'?"
Nanami exchanged a few words with her coworker, then excitedly grabbed two beautifully packaged boxes and ran over to them with a bright smile.
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