Since the conversation was quite personal, they didn't call the other three members of the film crew. They also had no plans to use today's lunch break for filming. They arranged their bentos and began chatting while eating.
"What's the issue you wanted to discuss?"
Nibbling on her chopsticks, Yuigahama looked at them both curiously.
She had only seen the group notification, knowing Yukino had something to tell them, but she didn't know the specifics.
She had asked Yuu earlier, but he said he wasn't sure either. They had to wait for Yukino to explain herself.
One by one, like puzzle solvers, Yuigahama couldn't help but feel something suspicious. But she couldn't think of anything related to the three of them that Yukino specifically needed to explain…
Wait, could it be?!
A spark flashed in her mind. Her eyes widened as if she'd realized something. Her chopsticks fell from her hand onto the table in shock.
Yuigahama said with a trembling, incredulous voice, "Could it be… you two didn't go home last night but secretly went on a date behind my back?!"
(That's why Yuu-kun seemed so experienced when he said that this morning—kissing after a date is just common sense!)
(And that line about not having experience being forcibly kissed at school—doesn't that mean he's had it outside school, just didn't tell me~?!)
Yuigahama suddenly understood everything. So this was what they wanted to tell her…
A layer of mist gradually clouded her bright eyes. Complex feelings and pain surged in her throat.
But instead, Yuigahama clenched her fists. She turned her sadness and anger into strength and lunged at Yukino beside her.
"Since you two have already kissed, I want to too!"
"What… Wait!"
Yukino, initially speechless and holding her forehead at the comment, saw a pair of pink dango buns charging at her like a collapsing mountain or tree. Her expression shifted. She only had time to set down her bento before she was locked in a warm, soft embrace.
"W-what are you doing, Yuigahama-san?!"
Her face flushed red. Yukino tried to resist, but she found the other's strength was greater than expected. She couldn't stop Yuigahama's face from getting closer.
"If we're going to be together as a trio long-term, we can't forget to maintain fairness!" Yuigahama stared into her eyes seriously. Her face slowly showed an odd flush. "So, me and Yuu-kun, you and Yuu-kun have kissed. That leaves us two…"
"??? Yuigahama-san, your logic is deeply flawed. This is way too abnormal… Tenkuji-kun, don't just watch! Hurry and pull her off!"
Seeing Yuigahama as if possessed, her strangely excited face getting closer, the warm breath from her lips sent an odd tingling sensation through Yukino's body.
Yukino gritted her teeth. Half-embarrassed, half-pleading for help, she shouted at Yuu.
Then she realized—
(This jerk is covering his eyes with both hands, mimicking a kid peeking at their parents' exercise outside the door, spying through his fingers with excitement and curiosity!)
(He's fully prepared to watch the show to the end. That's a sign he has no intention of saving me!)
(I'll have to kill him sooner or later!)
Even Yukino, who considered herself calm and elegant, couldn't suppress the murderous intent surging in her heart at this scene.
Fortunately, Yuu wasn't so immoral as to let his girlfriend forcibly kiss his other girlfriend.
"The joke stops here."
He grabbed Yuigahama's collar, lifting her off Yukino back to her seat like picking up a puppy. He scolded helplessly, "I haven't kissed her yet, so how could I let you kiss her first?"
"I won't let you kiss me either!" Yukino, still fuming from his earlier spectating, sat up from her reclined position. While fixing her slightly disheveled clothes, she glared at him with adorable, angry eyes.
"Not kissed yet?" Yuigahama blinked, unsure if she felt relieved or regretful. Her strangely excited expression slowly faded. She finally calmed down.
Sitting in her chair, she observed their reactions. Only then did she truly realize something. Tilting her head slightly, she said, "Eh, did I misunderstand?"
"Of course!" Yukino's voice came through gritted teeth, firm and resolute.
After taking a few deep breaths, the flush on her cheeks faded back to pale. She glared at them both with a cold, commanding stare.
"Before I finish speaking, eat properly and don't interrupt! Understood?"
Yuigahama immediately put on a serious expression, picked up her bento, and said loudly and earnestly, "Understood!"
Yuu, beside her, felt a bit wronged. "I wasn't planning to interrupt…"
"Understood?"
Yukino wasn't harsh. She just looked at him coldly, her expression emotionless. But her blue eyes seemed ready to lose their light at any moment.
"Understood, my lady." Yuu raised his bento box, complying reluctantly.
"Good. Then I'll start from the beginning."
Yukino nodded, her expression returning to normal. After organizing her thoughts for two or three seconds, she said:
"First, Yuigahama-san, do you still remember my sister—Yukinoshita Haruno?"
"Haruno-san? Of course!" Slightly confused why she asked, Yuigahama gave a positive response, her expression turning reminiscent. "Yukinon's sister is really a beautiful woman… Her aura is amazing too. She's also very kind to people. Just, there's this sort of…"
"Sort of?"
"Sort of… feeling I don't know how to explain." Scratching her cheek, Yuigahama smiled shyly, as if considering Yukino's feelings. "Anyway, she helped us a lot at the fall festival. Though I can't read what's on her mind at all, she should be a good person."
Yukino paused for a moment. She asked, a bit seriously, "Even if she deliberately brought Natsukawa-san to see Tenkuji-kun that day, would you still think so?"
Yuu didn't speak, only frowning slightly and sighing inwardly.
"Eh?" Yuigahama blinked, looking back and forth between them in confusion, her bewilderment deepening.
"Deliberately? What do you mean…"
Her eyes sharpened. Yukino said, word by word, "I mean, she's had a crush on Tenkuji-kun for a long time and has been secretly doing things to interfere with… your relationship."
Yuigahama's mouth fell open in shock. "Eh?!!"
"Last night, she confessed to me. She's the one who persuaded Natsukawa-san, who also likes Tenkuji-kun, to join our film crew. She tried to drive away a tiger by swallowing a wolf. She spied on you two while disrupting your relationship's progress."
More question marks popped up in her head. Yuigahama looked at Yukino's grim face in disbelief. "Spying? Interfering? And all for Yuu-kun… Would someone as mature as Haruno-san really do that?"
"To achieve her goals, that person has always been willing to do anything, no matter the matter… Sorry." Yukino lowered her head regretfully, letting out a soft sigh. Her tone was low.
"As her sister, I advised her to let go of her obsession with Tenkuji-kun. But she didn't listen at all. She even countered me with reasonable arguments."
"So last night, we had a small fight over this. After she told me not to meddle, I couldn't hold back…"
Saying this, Yukino suddenly hesitated, looking like it was hard to speak. Her fair, delicate face flushed again with a cherry-blossom pink. She seemed strangely shy.
Yuigahama looked at her, puzzled. "Couldn't hold back?"
Yuu blinked, showing a purely curious, adorable expression like a child. "Couldn't hold back from doing what?"
Yukino glared at him coldly. Then she took a deep breath, tightened her small face, and sipped her self-brought black tea with a calm expression. She said slowly:
"I just couldn't hold back from declaring war on her."
"…"
"…"
In the silence, Yuu and Yuigahama exchanged glances. Their expressions were somewhat strange and a bit confused.
"Declaring war… What kind of declaring war?"
"Can you repeat what you said to her last night?"
Her hand holding the teapot trembled slightly. The corner of her eye twitched. Yukino suddenly showed a gentle smile, looking at them like it was spring.
"Better not say it. Let's move on to the next topic."
Sensing that if they kept asking, they might face treatment more terrifying than life-or-death danger, they both obediently shut their mouths, letting Yukino continue her unfinished words.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"It seems now that Yukinoshita Haruno being on the opposing side for love is a foregone conclusion."
With two-thirds of her bento left, Yukino sipped her tea elegantly and continued her explanation. "Declaring war on Nee-san was to show a firm stance that I'll never let her succeed… After all, Yuigahama-san is Tenkuji-kun's official girlfriend. And I, for now, due to the request, do have a relationship somewhat like a girlfriend with him. Emotionally and logically, I can't let her play petty tricks behind our backs."
"You could just confess honestly. I wouldn't mind if you liked him…" Yuigahama muttered, but her voice was loud enough for anyone to hear clearly.
She gently tucked her hair behind her ear, covering its soft, pale base.
Yukino ignored her and said calmly, "So now, we have two things to do—first, stay vigilant against Nee-san's attacks and find a way to make her back off due to difficulties. Second, resolve Tenkuji-kun's issue as soon as possible and eliminate the fact that he's currently two-timing."
She paused, continuing systematically and clearly, "Right now, Nee-san is likely considering my reputation and won't spread the second-girlfriend issue. But as time goes on, no one knows if she'll act recklessly—"
Yukino looked at them both with a grim expression. "When that happens, we'll have to face a public opinion battle on a different level from last time."
Influenced by her serious and cold demeanor, Yuigahama couldn't help but swallow hard, growing a bit nervous.
"It's going to be that serious… I thought it was just another love rival. As long as Yuu-kun ignored her, there wouldn't be a problem…"
"I hoped so too. Unfortunately, Nee-san doesn't seem inclined to sit still and has already started acting." Yukino looked at Yuu. "I'm right, aren't I, Tenkuji-kun?"
Yuigahama also turned her gaze to him.
"Mm, before we discuss this…"
Yuu frowned slightly, as if detecting doubt in her words. He looked into Yukino's eyes thoughtfully.
"Yukinoshita, so you really told Haruno-san you're my girlfriend?"
"…" Yukino's blue eyes trembled slightly.
"I didn't expect you to have the courage to admit something like this to your family… I underestimated your resolve." Yuu clutched his chest, sincerely showing respect. "Don't worry. As your ideal boyfriend, I'll definitely fight alongside you to the end! For our brighter future!"
The pointless embarrassment vanished instantly. Yukino massaged her brow as if with a headache, sighing expressionlessly. "Yuigahama-san, use any method to shut his mouth."
"Oh."
Yuigahama nodded obediently, picked up a piece of tamagoyaki, and approached Yuu while covering her eyes.
""I didn't say use that method!"" they shouted in unison.
After a brief squabble, the topic finally got back on track.
Yuu took out his phone, showing them the text message Haruno sent.
"I think Haruno was provoked by her sister's declaration of war yesterday. She sent me this text in the middle of the night, stating she'd start pursuing me with full force."
Though he was terrified when he saw it in the morning, he seemed relaxed now, as if he didn't care at all what the older sister might do to him. He also accepted the fact that a mature woman sent him a threatening message to date a high school boy.
Yuigahama, with her normal worldview, found it hard to accept. "That's too scary… Does pursuing someone you like really need to go that far?"
"She's long been abnormal." Yukino silently added: (Just like you, Yuigahama-san.)
Then she looked at Yuu, propping her right elbow with her left hand and her chin with her right, showing a thoughtful expression like his earlier.
"Tenkuji-kun, there's one strange thing I'm curious about… Though there's no contact name and the content is odd, how did you know this was a text from my sister? You know her number?"
"…" Yuu froze for a moment.
Honestly, he didn't expect Yukino to ask this. Naturally, he hadn't thought of how to answer beforehand.
Finding an excuse that wasn't a lie might fool her.
Hearing this, Yuigahama couldn't help but frown slightly. Her lips pursed into a cute petal shape. She muttered, analyzing, "Yeah, it's weird why Haruno-san is so obsessed with Yuu-kun…"
"If it was just meeting in the summer and helping at the fall festival, even if it's love at second sight, she shouldn't be this into Yuu-kun. Obsessed to the point of being like the yandere otakus talk about… Even fighting with Yukinon without hesitation. Something feels off."
Both looked at him simultaneously. Their gazes were clear and frank, without doubt or questioning.
Just because they wanted to know more about him and hoped Yuu could provide answers, they asked directly:
"Tenkuji-kun, have you ever had a relationship with her before?"
"Yuu-kun, did you unintentionally do something to Haruno-san that raised her favorability?"