On the fifth day of the sumr break, Haru woke up early as usual.
Glancing at the bed, he saw that Yukino was still sound asleep. Leaning in, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before carefully slipping out of bed.
Just as he reached the door, a lazy voice called from behind him.
"Going for a run?"
He turned around. Yukino was still curled up in the blankets, only her delicate, drowsy face peeking out as she let out a sleepy yawn.
Even with her hair slightly ssy, she was irresistibly adorable.
"You woke up? Sorry, I didn't an to disturb you. It's still early—go back to sleep."
Unexpectedly, Yukino didn't retreat back under the covers. Instead, she murmured, "Wait for , I'll co with you."
Haru hesitated for a mont before saying, "You were exhausted last night. You should rest a little longer—exercise can wait."
At his words, Yukino's face turned red.
Was he implying her stamina wasn't up to par?
Annoyingly enough, he wasn't wrong. Even now, her legs still felt a little weak.
Last night, he had seed particularly fascinated by her in that formal won's suit. While they were playing gas together, he insisted she wear it again, claiming it "enhanced the atmosphere."
But sohow, the night had devolved into him murmuring, "Damn, bro, you sll so good."
After weighing her options, Yukino ultimately chose to stay in bed. Given her current state, running was simply out of the question.
"That's more like it. Rest is important," Haru said with a chuckle before heading to the bathroom.
Yukino turned her gaze toward the small panda-shaped alarm clock on the bedside table—one she had given him a while ago. It read 5:43 AM.
She yawned again, closed her eyes, and let herself drift back to sleep.
With sumr break in full swing, Haru noticed sothing different during his morning run. The usually empty streets were now dotted with young people, most likely students, all jogging just like him. They seed to be around his age, maybe a couple of years older.
It was a rare sight—on his usual early morning runs, the roads were practically deserted.
[You are exercising. (Steel Body) EXP 89]
Adjusting his breathing and pace, Haru ran along the quiet roads, steadily racking up experience points.
Ever since acquiring [Steel Body], he had noticed significant changes in his physique.
Haru could already feel the effects of his training—strength and agility were just the obvious ones. But what truly shocked him was his stamina. Even if he only slept two or three hours a night, he still woke up feeling completely refreshed.
Just to be sure, he had even gone to the hospital for a check-up.
The doctor's verdict: You're in perfect health.
From his own tests, he confird that regular blades couldn't even scratch his skin anymore.
As for firearms?
Well, he was just a law-abiding high school student. Even if he had a way to get his hands on a gun, he had no intention of testing it.
Still, even without actual data, he was confident that with his sheer speed and reaction ti, he could dodge bullets.
A high schooler who could dodge bullets… It reminded him of Detective Conan.
There was that one scene where the heroine had humbly said, "I can only dodge handgun bullets. Kyougoku-senpai, you on the other hand, can dodge rifle bullets."
The difference in levels was clear.
Handgun-tier.Rifle-tier.Gatling gun-tier.Rocket launcher-tier…
Before Haru's mind could go further down that ridiculous train of thought, soone called out to him.
"Amamiya, out running early again?"
"Good morning, Uncle Enokami."
As he adjusted his pace, he greeted the familiar faces he passed along his route.
"Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing," the middle-aged man sighed, his hands full of grocery bags. "I used to be as handso as you, you know. But since I never took up exercise, well… now I'm stuck with this."
He patted his beer belly dramatically.
Haru stole a glance at the man's thinning hair and offered a polite nod.
Now that… was the hairstyle of a seasoned warrior.
Not that he ever wanted to achieve that level of power.
As he passed by a park, Haru spotted a familiar figure—a young woman with a fit, curvy silhouette, currently bent over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.
Sweat glistened on her ears as her wireless earbuds blinked faintly. She clutched a bottle of mineral water in one hand, and her brown tracksuit, while sowhat old-fashioned, completely hid her otherwise alluring figure.
Curious, Haru slowed his pace and approached.
"Senpai, you're out running too?"
Utaha turned at the sound of his voice, her eyes lighting up in surprise.
"Amamiya-kun?"
Sweat trailed down her strikingly beautiful face, dampening a few loose strands of hair, but she simply smiled.
"Ever since I overworked myself last ti, I've been making a habit of running. Before this, the most I ever did was yoga at ho to maintain my figure."
Haru nodded. "Exercise is a good habit, but don't overdo it. Your study workload is already intense."
"I know, I know."
Utaha studied his face for a mont, tilting her head slightly. "Did you just start running?"
"I've been at it for about an hour now."
"…Huh?"
She blinked, her gaze sweeping over him again as if trying to find sothing off.
"…Is there sothing on my face?" Haru asked, feeling slightly self-conscious.
"No, it's just…"
She took another deep breath, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and spoke in disbelief,
"You've been running for an hour, and you've barely broken a sweat? You're not even tired?"
Only then did Haru realize—he really wasn't tired.
Not even a little.
This wasn't just an improvent in endurance anymore.
Has my [Steel Body Lv1] leveled up again?
It wasn't the kind of thing he could explain, so he brushed it off with a vague response and changed the subject.
"We've got an indoor shoot this afternoon. You ready, senpai?"
Utaha smirked and lifted her chin proudly. "Of course. I've been prepared for ages."
"I'm looking forward to it, then. See you later."
"Mm, see you in the afternoon."
As Haru jogged away, Utaha watched his tall, broad figure disappear into the distance.
If he's this physically strong… she suddenly thought, her cheeks heating up. Can Yukinoshita even handle him if they're really living together?
Yukino was delicate and slender, and during their chats in the film club, she had once admitted that physical endurance wasn't exactly her strong suit.
Before she could entertain that thought any further, a voice interrupted her.
"Excuse , miss, I've been noticing you for a while now… Would you mind if we got to know each other?"
A young man in sportswear stood before her, eyes filled with hope.
Utaha's expression remained perfectly composed.
"Sorry, I have a boyfriend."
Her tone was polite, but the ssage was clear—don't bother.
"Ah—uh, my bad."
The guy awkwardly scratched his head and hurried off.
Utaha took one last glance in the direction Haru had gone before turning for ho.
She only blood for one person. No other man would ever get to see her true smile.
7:30 AM
Haru returned ho, took a quick shower, and started preparing breakfast. By the ti he was done, Yukino had finally gotten out of bed.
"I ran into Utaha-senpai this morning."
As they ate, Haru casually brought up his morning encounter.
Yukino remained unfazed. "I figured. With her competitive nature, it was only a matter of ti before she started pushing herself to improve—just like I did."
"'Comprehensive self-improvent'?"
Haru raised a brow, his expression anything but innocent.
Yukino narrowed her eyes. "What's with that look?"
"Oh, nothing. Just admiring you."
"…Admiring?"
"Yeah. Compared to how weak you were at first, you've made so much progress under my guidance."
"Shut up."
2:00 PM
Haru and Yukino arrived at school together, where the rest of the film club was already gathering.
"Today's an indoor shoot," Yukino announced, standing before the group with an air of quiet authority. "We've secured the filming location with the principal's approval. As for the extras…"
She glanced at Haru.
Taking the cue, Haru continued, "I reached out to so classmates to help out. If everything goes smoothly, we'll have them join us next ti. Try not to get too nervous."
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Until now, the only people involved in filming had been the core mbers. They had grown used to each other's presence, but the idea of performing in front of a larger audience clearly put so on edge.
"I'm fine with it," Utaha spoke first.
"I don't mind either," added gumi Kato, ever composed, though she never volunteered to speak first.
One by one, the others nodded in agreent.
Satisfied, Yukino gave a small nod. "Good. Then let's begin. Haru, you're in charge of drinks and snacks."
"Got it."
They had already discussed it beforehand. Given the high sumr temperatures and the effort everyone was putting into the project, they needed to ensure good working conditions.
Yukino was strict and fair, but she wasn't unreasonable.
With so many girls in the club, it wasn't just about keeping them cool—it was about understanding that so days, certain conditions made everything just a little harder to deal with.
"Wait, the president is providing drinks? Then I want iced strawberry juice!"
"Hashimoto, aren't you on your period? You still want sothing cold?"
"Ahhh! Don't just say things like that so casually!"
Amid the lively atmosphere, the group moved to a classroom that had been approved for use by the principal, and the filming proceeded smoothly.
Kasumigaoka Utaha was absolutely terrifying when she went all out. Her performance far surpassed Katou gumi's—it was clear she had put in a lot of practice at ho.
Yukino originally thought the day would continue without any disruptions.
But then, soone appeared—soone who completely changed the mood.
"Excuse for interrupting~"
A beautiful figure stood at the doorway, smiling warmly. In her hand, she carried a bag, and from the semi-transparent material, it was easy to tell that it contained the ultimate sumr favorite—ice cream.
"Who is she?"
"She looks a lot like Yukinoshita… Could they be sisters?"
"Look at her chest. She's definitely the older one. No way the younger sister has a figure like that."
"Hashimoto, what kind of ridiculous logic is that?"
The girls whispered among themselves.
Although Utaha and Katou gumi didn't join the discussion, both of them were visibly impressed as they gazed at the newcor.
"Onee-san, why are you here?"
Yukino took the initiative to greet her, providing an answer to everyone's curiosity.
Haru was slightly surprised. He was certain that Haruno hadn't contacted him in the past few days, and their group wasn't even filming in the photography club today. Yet, she had managed to find them without any trouble.
Did Yukino tell her?
He glanced at Yukino, who looked resigned.
"I ca to check in on you all~"
Haruno smiled confidently and gracefully waved at the others, who were still watching her with curiosity.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Yukino's older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno. Thank you for taking care of my little sister these days."
Her warm and open attitude instantly boosted everyone's impression of her.
"Oh, no, no! Yukinoshita-san is amazing! She and the president have been taking care of us, if anything!"
Under the group's attentive gazes, Haruno stepped inside, placed the bag on the table, and grinned.
"A friend of mine once told that sumr is incomplete without ice-cold soda and ice cream, so I brought so for everyone. There's a variety of flavors—help yourselves!"
Once again, her popularity soared.
Even Katou gumi couldn't help but whisper, "Yukinoshita's sister is incredible."
Seated beside her, Utaha nodded in agreent. Even though this was only their first eting, Haruno had already demonstrated remarkable social skills.
"She seems like a kind person," Utaha comnted.
"Kind…?"
gumi hesitated for a mont before replying cautiously, "I don't think we should judge so quickly, Senpai. Let's observe a bit more before deciding."
Since she was Yukino's sister, Kato gumi felt it was best to observe her more before making any judgnts.
After all, Yukino hadn't revealed her true personality right away either. It had taken ti—gradually getting to know each other, bit by bit.
"You're right. I was too quick to judge," Utaha admitted.
She then found herself glancing at Kato again.
Ever since gumi had given her that little reminder last ti, Utaha couldn't shake off a certain feeling—like gumi's perceptiveness was on an entirely different level.
But the problem was, Kato gumi always seed so quiet and unassuming. She had this gentle, harmless aura, the kind of deanor that made it look like anyone could take advantage of her.
And yet, Utaha just couldn't bring herself to finalize her opinion.
Haruno's arrival brought a wave of energy to the photography club.
She was incredibly sharp and socially adept—the complete opposite of Yukino in this regard.
In just ten minutes, she had already earned the trust of everyone present.
Of course, she didn't necessarily see it that way herself.
"Yukino, what's the deal with that girl?"
Pulling Yukino aside to a corner, Haruno subtly gestured toward Kato gumi with her eyes.
Just monts ago, while she had been admiring Utaha's beauty and chatting with her, gumi had sohow appeared right beside her.
She had nearly jumped in surprise, wondering, When did this cute little girl sit next to ?
"So even you feel that way, Sister?"
Seeing the rare look of confusion on Haruno's face, Yukino couldn't help but smile genuinely.
"What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing. I just rember feeling the sa way when I first t Kato-san—completely caught off guard by her ability to appear out of nowhere."
"Appear out of nowhere…? That's actually quite an accurate way to put it."
Haruno mused over the description, then casually shifted her gaze—first to Utaha, then to Haru, who was busy picking out an ice cream.
As expected of . I've only been here a few minutes, and I've already found my little sister's love rivals.
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