It probably started the night after the wrap party ended.
Yuu remembered clearly, even though he hadn't realized it in the dream—it was like entering a script called memories. Every night, he became his past self, reliving the process of dating Haruno.
"I can guarantee, this is absolutely not a case of 'thinking about something by day, dreaming about it by night'." Under Yukino's serious gaze, Yuu's survival instinct was strong; he raised his hand as if taking an oath, "Dreams that are so clear, organized, and can connect from the previous episode to the next, are clearly not something an ordinary person could create!"
"...Are you trying to say you're an extraordinary person?" Yukino glanced at him lightly.
"I'm trying to say there must be external interference, or someone is playing tricks behind the scenes."
"Who else could do something like this..." Yukino's words trailed off, then she realized, "That god?"
"Probably that person, though I don't know their goal." Yuu spread his hands, saying with an innocent face, "I never had dreams like this before. At first, I wanted to write it off as a coincidence and ignore it, but after so many times, I felt something was wrong. After all, how could I dream every day about a woman other than you two? That's why I'm telling you this, to see if you have any good ideas."
"Good ideas? What good ideas could I have for something like this." Ignoring his attempt at bootlicking, with her arms folded across her chest and her fingers frequently tapping her upper arm, Yukino frowned and thought for a moment.
"...Since that time, all your feelings for her have disappeared, right?"
"Yes, not a single trace remains." Seemingly not wanting the other party to worry too much, Yuu said firmly, "Even if the memories return, the feelings haven't returned to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to date you two so naturally. So rest assured, even if I were to cheat, I'd only cheat with Yui, I wouldn't look elsewhere!"
"..." Yukino seemed to want to say something, but after opening her mouth, she only sighed and turned her small face away.
"Does it affect your mind or body?"
"No. Although the images are very clear, it's just a dream." Yuu thought for a moment and answered, "It's like watching a film full of dark history. Let alone a week, even if that person kept playing it for a year, I wouldn't come to like Haruno again."
"Hmm, that's good then."
The voice drifted slowly in the air. Yukino seemed calm, as if she didn't care about this matter at all, and continued walking towards the Service Club.
Yuu looked at her slender, straight back. He could sense her mood was a bit off, but couldn't pinpoint what part had displeased her.
(Sigh, it's so hard being an honest boy. It's even harder to calm a girl down after being honest...)
(I don't dare ask things like 'How do you feel now?' or 'Your reaction seems normal?' which would just be asking for trouble.)
Yuu quietly followed her, catching the fresh scent emanating from the girl's body.
Like a bee drawn to a flower, no matter what the scent was like, he unconsciously wanted to get closer, inhale it, and make it his own.
In the quiet corridor, his footsteps drew closer to hers, and in the end, he couldn't resist reaching out his finger, his breathing slightly heavier.
"...Are you playing with my hair?"
"Sorry, I've gotten addicted to tying my little sister's hair lately. Seeing such fine material, I couldn't help myself."
Under her cold, disgusted gaze, Yuu pinched a strand of hair, brought it close to his nose, and took a breath as if savoring it.
"Hmm~ Even though it's all hair, why does it feel so different to the touch?"
"Because you're a pervert." Yukino said coldly, but she didn't struggle at all, letting him touch that precious part of her. Only the white skin on the back of her neck flushed slightly red.
Yuu didn't intend to go overboard either, just played with it for a bit, tied it into a small braid, then let it go—this could also be considered a small pleasure between couples.
In front of the Service Club, Yukino knocked on the door, and soon footsteps were heard inside.
"Finished?"
Sora, who opened the door, looked at the two of them, her gaze finally settling on the small braid hanging oddly over the flat-chested girl's chest.
She couldn't be bothered to ask further and quickly averted her eyes, "Why just you two? Where's Dango?"
"Yui has to handle class matters. My work was finished earlier, so I only have time now." Said Yuu.
"In about half an hour, I need to patrol each stall to ensure their activities match their applications." Yukino glanced at her watch, "There's still time now. Do you have plans to go somewhere? Everything should still be in the preparation stage now."
"Watching the film you made."
It seemed she had already considered it. Sora gave a very firm answer, then turned back into the clubroom to pack her things.
Yukino followed her inside. Seeing the bag of potato chips on the table, she initially wanted to grab a broom and cloth to clean the area Sora had dirtied, but saw her deftly take out a wet wipe and quickly clean up all the remaining traces.
It was like seeing a well-behaved younger sister. Yukino couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
Yuu noticed her expression and teased casually, "What, want to marry me?"
"Figured it out?" Looking up, Yukino smiled sweetly at him, but there was no laughter in her eyes.
Then Yuu's waist was pinched by long, slender fingers and given a 360-degree twist—no matter what kind of girl, as long as she has a boyfriend, her proficiency in the 'Waist Flesh Twist' technique is surely maxed out.
In front of her little sister, Yuu didn't even dare to gasp in pain. It was also impossible to tense his muscles so Yukino couldn't pinch him; he could only endure with a twitching face, silently bearing his girlfriend's minor anger.
"Stop flirting over there, let's go." Sora glanced at them flatly, walking past them expressionlessly, "Said you were going to be angry for a while this morning, and now you've forgiven him?"
"If I really cared about his dishonesty, I wouldn't be dating him." Yukino sighed helplessly, "Plus, his techniques for coaxing girls are really good... If he doesn't make a major mistake that violates principles, it's very hard to stay angry at him for long."
"Indeed, otherwise how could he manage a polyamorous relationship?"
Sora sneered in Yuu's direction, with an expression of 'I already knew you were a scoundrel like this.'
Yuu ignored her. After locking the Service Club door, he led the two of them towards the A/V room.
The place was currently managed by students from the Broadcasting Club, and of course, there were students who recognized their faces.
Although surprised, after Yuu explained that he was just bringing his little sister and the club president to watch the film he made, the Broadcasting Club students nodded in understanding, accepted the 600 yen ticket money he insisted on paying, and casually seated them in a corner seat.
Seeing their respectful attitude, as if welcoming the boss of a spy organization, it seemed there might be people from his fan club inside too?
Since the Culture Festival had just started, only the three of them were in the A/V room. They chatted casually while waiting for the film to start.
"Roughly when will your mother arrive?"
"Not sure. Since Nee-san is bringing her, even if we're told the time, she might just appear suddenly to surprise us."
"Such bad taste..." Sora sneered.
Yuu shook his head resignedly: "Forget it. If asked, just admit it. Why hide if you're going to cheat!"
"Are you giving up?" Yukino raised an eyebrow in amusement, but suddenly a thought crossed her mind, the corner of her mouth slowly fading, her expression unclear.
She wasn't looking at Yuu, but asked the air in a casual tone: "Or, are you thinking that even if you can't pass their challenge now, as long as everyone forgets..."
"Don't misunderstand randomly! I never intended to use a stalling tactic."
Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, Yuu flicked her forehead, then his hand quietly crept down, grasping her soft, small hand in the gap between the seats: "I was just thinking, can we hide it for a lifetime? Rather than panicking and finding excuses after being found out, it's better to admit it honestly from the start. Who knows, they might forgive me for being manly."
"...That's impossible." Her hand quietly resting in his grasp, Yukino leaned her shoulder against Yuu as if hiding herself, that melodious voice flowing like a clear spring from under the iceberg, passing calmly through the gaps in her hair.
"At the very least, my mother won't allow it. She might just directly order me to break up with you."
"Can she control it for a while, or can she control it forever?" Yuu said with a smile, patting his chest arrogantly, "Worst case, I apologize to her first, then we secretly collude, engage in a romantic relationship like a fairy tale! What's there to be afraid of? She's not the one who will be with me. There are plenty of ways to work around her!"
"Still a fairy tale?" Yukino laughed in disgust, but the warmth in her palm squeezed back firmly, "Stories like Romeo and Juliet are tragedies. You couldn't possibly be that naive."
"Of course, so there's Plan B."
Yuu suddenly tilted his head, his voice magnetic and soft, he whispered softly in her ear: "Tell her you're already pregnant with my child, destined to be together forever... After receiving this bombshell, I'm sure she won't care about the cheating problem anymore."
"..."
Yukino's soft body suddenly stiffened, the temperature around her slowly rose, and her breathing seemed to unconsciously become lighter.
In the A/V room, dark like a cinema, Yuu didn't know if her face was red, if she was angry or shy.
He just smiled silently. Just as he was about to say it was just a joke, he heard Yukino sigh softly and speak in an equally faint voice:
"Bad idea. Better to threaten to elope."
Yuu was slightly startled: "...Eh, seems like that's not much better either."
"Of course not. Even if it's just a joke, my mother would quickly see through a reason like that, and in the end, it would only backfire... Unless, you really..."
Yuu blinked, unconsciously asking, "Really?"
*THWAP!*
His face was lightly slapped, like a slap given out of shyness, but it used no force at all and was easily caught in his hand.
The scent of her hair, her breath, her softness, her warmth, all were like nectar flowing from a flower, attracting a male bee like him.
Yuu was grateful that the A/V room was pitch black right now; even if there were strange movements with his pants, no one else would know.
"Lecher, pervert, walking filth..."
Cursing him a few times in a cold, low voice, Yukino withdrew her hand and sat up straight again. She seemed to take a few deep breaths before speaking again in a calm tone:
"...Since you have plans in your head, I won't say much more. Behave well before you become hated."
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare underestimate my future mother-in-law." Yuu also returned to the relaxed atmosphere of daily chatter, lazily leaning back in his chair.
"Oh? What about the other future mother-in-law?" Yukino showed a mischievous smile.
"Treat them equally, treat them equally..."
"Equally? Meaning, you plan to drop the same bombshell on both future mothers-in-law?"
Yukino chuckled softly; her intention to tease him seemed to have overcome her shyness. Her soft voice breathed warm air into his ear: "What an extraordinary scoundrel. If this gets out, the Yukinoshita family might hunt you to the ends of the earth."
"That scary? Don't tell me your family has ties to the yakuza?"
Yuu hugged his arms as if shivering, then gritted his teeth, looking like he was making a major decision: "In that case, I'll just have to take you two and run away before I'm dumped in Tokyo Bay! I'm sure I can build a family and career in Arabia. Be ready to elope at any time, we'll set sail tonight!"
"Fool, keep dreaming."
Yukino shook her head helplessly, the corners of her slightly pouted lips curving upwards.
Yuu laughed heartily like a child; no one knew what was on his mind.
"The film will begin shortly. Please set your phones to silent mode, dim the screen brightness, and ensure you do not disturb others' viewing experience..."
After chatting for a while, a reassuring announcement came from the speakers nearby.
The two of them turned their respective gazes away, fell silent, and looked at the projection screen in front of them.
Yukino rested her arm on the armrest, only her pinky finger quietly extended, gently hooking his pinky.
And she only hooked it lightly, not making any more intimate movements, but the sense of security it provided was stronger than holding hands.
The screen lit up, but the girl closed her eyes, quietly savoring this brief yet distinct moment.
A future like that... is impossible.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The black car drove smoothly and swiftly on the road.
Haruno, sitting in the front passenger seat, glanced through the rearview mirror at the woman in a kimono in the back seat who had her eyes closed, resting.
Without any warning, she suddenly asked, "Mother, if Yukino's boyfriend doesn't meet your expectations, will you forcibly separate them?"
Saori opened her eyes, her gaze meeting the one in the rearview mirror: "Why, do you have some insider information?"
"More or less? After all, as her older sister, I also hope Yukino can date someone better." Hiding a hint of unclear mockery in her words, Haruno said in a casual tone, "Hmm... Let's say this. If Yukino's boyfriend is a lecherous guy who, just in his second year of high school, constantly wants to have sex with Yukino, would you tell them to break up?"
Saori's cheek twitched slightly: "...Could you speak more politely? Don't force me to make you fix your speaking habits."
Haruno waved her hand: "Only in private. Besides, I used quite mild words."
"Really..." Saori rolled her eyes at her helplessly, then opened her fan and covered her chin, thinking seriously.
"Something like that should wait until after graduating from university... At the earliest, after graduating high school. Because there's a risk of pregnancy, so if that high school boy doesn't study hard but only wants to live in luxury with Yukino all day, I would indeed tell her to keep her distance from someone like that as much as possible."
"After all, there's also the possibility that the guy is only interested in Yukino's looks and figure. People like that are completely untrustworthy; whether marrying into the Yukinoshita family or marrying our daughter, he should not enter the Yukinoshita family."
Seemingly completely unconcerned with her answer, Haruno rested her hands behind her head and continued asking casually:
"Then what if he's not that lecherous, but very popular at school, and at the same time maintains ambiguous relationships with several other girls?"
"You mean he has behavioral issues?"
Saori frowned, showing a slight dislike on her face, and said thoughtfully: "Yukino's judgment couldn't possibly be that bad. With her personality, she would definitely avoid someone like that as much as possible..."
"It's just a hypothetical."
"Then... wait a moment." Before answering, Saori suddenly fell silent, then shifted a suspicious gaze to Haruno's profile.
"Haruno, this question... Are you asking for your sister, or for yourself?"
Haruno thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled brightly.
"Both!"