10 p.m.
Haruno turned on her computer and logged into her long-unused School Network account.
Moments later, she spotted a familiar name in the day's top post.
{Good evening, everyone. This is Tenkuji from the Service Club. Yesterday I saw a lot of online discussion about me and our Club President…}
The post title: Everyone Come In and See—Give Me a Chance to Explain and Promote.
"Title's trash, but it grabs attention."
Commenting casually, Haruno spent ten seconds skimming the formal text, then clicked the video at the bottom.
This was the post's core. A shield Yuu deliberately crafted to douse the recent gossip storm about him and Yukino.
Truthfully, the gossip had only raged on the School Network for about a full day, yet Yuu had already devised a conflict-diversion strategy and released a half-finished product to extinguish the flames—whether the reaction was right or wrong remained unknown, but it was shockingly fast.
"As expected of my Yuu-chan." Haruno nodded naturally. As the video finished loading, she unconsciously straightened her previously slouched back. She stared intently at the clubroom slowly emerging on screen, from dark to light.
Outside the window: a rainy night. The rain sound seemed deliberately amplified, filling the air around the two students. It made their silence all the more striking.
The camera shifted to the handsome male student's face. Half-lit, half-shadowed lighting perfectly carved his features. The struggle-yet-mustering-courage emotion was clearly conveyed to viewers through the slightly trembling lens.
"Yui, you've really misunderstood this whole thing…"
The ponytail girl clenched her fist. With complex emotions, she stared at him: "What misunderstanding! I left the club so I wouldn't get in the way of your lovey-dovey stuff. Why are you still bothering me!"
Haruno pressed pause.
Her face darkened. Her pale fingertips slowly slid from brow to nose bridge, past full, soft lips. Finally, she slightly opened her mouth and bit the knuckle of her bent index finger.
She was pondering a very important question.
"If it's just about Yukino-chan's gossip, he shouldn't need to go this far to explain… Misunderstanding? Who and what is he trying to clear up?"
"If Yukino-chan alone isn't enough, does adding Dango-chan make it worth reacting this fast?"
"Mmm, that must be it."
"He's not explaining for Yukino-chan, but for Yuigahama Yui—even without finishing the video, Yuu-chan likely wants to use this film to prove he's clean of gossip with them."
"But if he only explained for one person, it'd look like a cover-up. So he dragged Yukino-chan in, using the Service Club as an excuse, to clear Yuigahama Yui's name before she got dragged into the gossip."
Recalling all the intel she'd gathered—his actions at school, during the field trip, at the Kyoto Nationals—everything flashed through her mind. Haruno grew more convinced her guess made sense, and it was very much like the person she knew.
"Dango-chan is that important to him, huh? Even if not a couple, they've definitely reached mutual affection."
"After all, for the person he likes, he'd even travel 133 kilometers. What's a mere Cultural Festival video in comparison?"
He always loves going out of his way to please girls.
As for whether Yuigahama liked Yuu, Haruno didn't doubt it for a second—a man who could make her obsessed, wasn't it natural he'd be loved by a side character?
The only concern was Yuu's own intentions.
"So, the target this time is Dango-chan?"
As if speaking to him on the screen, Haruno muttered to herself. Her gaze unconsciously darkened. The corner of her mouth, usually upturned, curved coldly.
All the girls she'd seen at her house—including her own little sister—were primary targets of attention. Yet she never expected the most ordinary, unremarkable one to be the next female lead. She was even suspected of kidnapping her little sister and…
His lover's wings had grown strong. She wondered—how could she break them completely, leaving him only able to kneel and cling to her legs?
Better buy a basement and lock him in there. That would solve everything once and for all. She could make babies with him every day…
"—Phew, calm down, Haruno."
But she quickly shook her head. Haruno slapped her jealousy-twisted face twice. The rational monster regained control.
"Overly oppressive methods will only push him further away. I'm at a disadvantage now. Until I confirm he can't fight back, I must not use the final option."
Speaking without the slightest self-awareness, Haruno pressed space to distract herself. The roughly one-minute video resumed.
"There's only one reason. A very simple answer." Yuu said lovingly to Yuigahama: "Yukinoshita is just my good friend. The one I like… is you!"
SMACK!
She pressed space again.
The irritation in her chest nearly burst from her throat. Haruno took a deep breath. She suppressed the urge to smash the screen with her fist. She stood and paced the room.
She feared if she kept watching, even the rational monster would die under her own fists, and she'd become an emotion-controlled fool—though she somewhat envied such innocence, she refused to become one because of feelings.
"Disgusting."
Even knowing it was just acting, even having suspected Yuu liked Dango-chan earlier.
But seeing her boyfriend confess to another woman with her own eyes, overwhelming anger and nausea still surged in Haruno's heart. It kept shaking her composure, making her fingers tremble beyond control.
She refused to admit there was sadness, pain, or any fragile emotion. That didn't suit Haruno.
Haruno could only be fragile in front of Yuu. If Yuu wasn't by her side now, she had to act like a mature adult and make rational decisions.
After pacing the room several times and stabilizing her mood, Haruno returned to the computer. She no longer watched the remaining nine-tenths of the video but scrolled down to read other students' comments.
So the "girlfriend" mentioned earlier was just dialogue?
{I'm on the committee. I thought Tenkuji-kun was really dating the Committee Chair, but today's words and this video make me doubt… How to put it? Tenkuji-kun's acting is insanely good!}
{Isn't this just playing people? The video sucks too! Boycott the Service Club! Boycott Tenkuji!}
{To the one above—see you tomorrow 8 a.m. at the school gate? I'm not Tenkuji-sama, just an enthusiastic regular fan.}
{Confused audience doesn't get it, but this teaser's pretty interesting. Kinda curious what happens. Planning to watch on Cultural Festival day. Anyone want to meet up? Females only.}
{Front row selling sunflower seeds, Coca-Cola, Sprite.}
{Congrats! Our Lord Tenkuji has no girlfriend. He'll always be ours! —by an unknown member of the True Love Fan Club.}
{To the one above—he's Yuigahama from Class F's boyfriend. It's proven, you can give up…}
Seeing the last comment, Haruno slammed her laptop shut, as if afraid it would taint her eyes.
Her chest heaved violently. Her eyes were filled with cold fury. Though it was already 10 p.m., she grabbed her phone and called someone.
"Masuzu-chan? Sorry to bother you this late. I just want to ask a few simple questions…"