Actually, Yuu didn't need to go through the trouble of borrowing an umbrella if he didn't mind walking while wearing a raincoat. In fact, if no one saw him, getting completely soaked on the way home wouldn't be a problem either.
After borrowing the umbrella and folding his raincoat, Yuu pushed open the shop door.
Though Iroha also complained about wanting to go home and rest, she had to stay until her shift ended or the manager returned. She could only watch Yuu walk into the rain with his umbrella.
"Senpai, good luck with your relationship! Don't flirt around anymore!"
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm a loyal person, you know?"
"Hehe, I get it~ You're not cheating, but the girls just cling to you on their own, right?~ All guys say that."
"I'm not that kind of guy. And to be honest, I've never pursued any girl. I've rejected every confession I've ever received in the past."
"Eh? Senpai's love story?" Like a cat spotting a dog's tail, Iroha's eyes instantly sparkled with excitement. "I'm so curious! Next time you come, please tell me while making tea—I'll snack while listening!"
"Dream on. How dare a junior like you act so boldly?"
Yuu flicked her forehead, then turned away.
Raindrops continuously tapped against the umbrella. The streets were veiled in mist, and slanted light reflections created mirage-like illusions.
As he stepped out from under the awning and his foot touched a puddle, he heard her voice again:
"Oh, Senpai, I have a friend..."
He turned back, confused: "Friend?"
"...Never mind, forget it!"
Iroha shook her head and smiled, raising a fist toward him: "Next time we meet, my biscuits will definitely be tastier than today's! Be ready to praise my progress!"
"Hmm, confidence is good. I'll look forward to it."
"Then, be careful on your way home?"
"You too. Be careful when you go home. Don't forget to say hi to the manager for me."
"Okay—i!"
With a high-pitched voice, the sweet brown-haired junior turned around, her skirt fluttering. The exposed thighs remained pale and slender.
Yuu suddenly remembered—he hadn't asked why Iroha started making biscuits.
But… well, the reason didn't matter. Anyway, it wasn't his business.
He dismissed the question and continued walking home, holding the umbrella.
His phone suddenly vibrated.
When he pulled it out, there was a message from his girlfriend, Masuzu.
Masuzu: {My cheating radar is beeping. My body itches and I want to bite someone. Any idea why?}
Yuu: {Maybe it's broken. You should bring it over and have it fixed.}
Masuzu: {Fixed in your room? If that's what you call a transaction, I'm mentally prepared.}
Yuu: {No. It'd probably end in one of two ways.}
Masuzu: {?}
Yuu: {Either one of us will leave that room forever.}
Masuzu: {??? How dramatic do you want to get?!}
The perverted silver-haired girl clearly misunderstood.
Yuu didn't bother explaining. He casually replied, put the phone away, and kept walking.
Those words weren't just empty threats to Masuzu—well, at least half of them weren't.
Back during the first mission, Yuu had told Sora he had a girlfriend, and she'd responded in a way he could accept.
But for some reason, as time entered the third mission, Yuu grew increasingly reluctant to tell her about his outside adventures—even indirectly, he couldn't bring himself to.
Instinct. He always trusted his instincts, carefully navigating everything.
And his instinct told him that, no matter what, everything would reset to zero once the mission ended. So it was better to hide all of this until he had a girlfriend who wouldn't disappear—then slowly tell her. That was the best choice for both himself and Sora.
What else could he do? His little sister was possessive. Since she was more important to him than his own life, of course he had to protect her feelings, no matter how difficult it was.
Fortunately, the shuraba fire involving his girlfriend wouldn't reach his home… right?
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
That night, in a luxurious apartment.
A slender arm pressed against the wall.
The door had just closed, but Yukino was already cornered at the entrance by her older sister in a kabe-don pose.
"...Are you sick?"
Yukino, who had let the wolf into the house, wore a blank expression.
She had already decided in her heart that if this girl ever wanted to enter her home again, she wouldn't allow it unless she knelt for half an hour.
"Maybe. But it's an illness that can't be detected."
Haruno smiled charmingly, lifting her little sister's pale, delicate chin, ignoring her cold gaze, and speaking softly:
"Yukinon, I've come to make a transaction with you."
"...Transaction?"
"Exactly. If you help me, I'll leave immediately and won't bother you for a while."
"Hah, I never thought the day would come when you'd ask for my help."
Her annoyed expression quickly shifted. Yukino showed a sneer, but in her eyes, a hint of happiness appeared—her pride had been satisfied.
She calmly raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll graciously listen to your request. But remember, whether I help or not depends on my mood—"
Before Yukino could finish, Haruno rapidly said:
"All I need is for you to tell me everything Tenkuji Yuu did with his girlfriend during the field trip—did they kiss or not! If you have photos, even better. Describe every scene in as much detail as possible so I can vividly imagine it."
"...?"
The world froze.
Haruno frowned.
"Didn't hear me? Then I'll repeat. Tell me all these scenes and that (omitting the explanation above)!... Tch, if Mom hadn't intercepted me, I wouldn't have to do this extra work."
"..."
Yukino stood frozen. She blinked twice in confusion.
Extreme shock could indeed make even a normally calm and rational person momentarily blank.
Looking at her sister in front of her—whose expression was serious and utterly unjoking—at this moment, it was as if she could hear her worldview beginning to crumble...
"Oh, don't ask why, because I won't tell you. You just need to give me the answer."
"I don't want to ask either!" Coming to her senses, Yukino gritted her teeth, filled with disappointed, cold anger. "So this mental illness won't spread, can you please leave my house as soon as possible? I never thought you'd be so perverted. Have you been skipping school to become a stalker?!"
Being countered like that, Haruno immediately pretended to cry. "Hic hic~ How cruel of Yukinon to say that to her older sister? I'm sad, so sad! My heart has a hole—Yukinon's secret about wetting the bed at age five will come out!"
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Yukino covered her face with one hand.
Without even looking in a mirror, she knew her expression must be severely distorted now.
If she was guilty, let the law punish her—not let her sister, whom she both respected and hated, become corrupted like this.
Why had it come to this… perhaps there was no need to ask anymore.
The culprit was very clear, it was just hard to believe—hard to believe that this man's charm was so immense, like a contagious virus specifically affecting one's mental state.
"...Next time, I'll spray alcohol on his face."
Under her sister's relentless pressure, Yukino lifted her hollow gaze, silently making that decision in her heart.