The Heroines All Regretted It

Yae's full, curvy body pressed heavily against Yoru's belly.

Her body leaned forward, and their eyes met on the same level. Her small, delicate hand still clutched his shirt, stretching it.

This kind of position usually only showed up in R-rated scenes.

"M-Manager... Yuigahama..."

Whether it was from being crushed or from sheer nervousness, Yoru was struggling to breathe and started twisting his waist.

He flailed his legs and squirmed from side to side.

His nose was overwhelmed with Yae's natural scent, a mix of perfume and sweat, leaving him strangely addicted.

"Huh?"

Still holding that awkward position, Yae blinked, her mind slowly coming back online.

Though sluggish, her eyes stayed fixed on Yoru's face, now so close to hers—slightly chubby but undeniably handsome. Her body refused to move.

"Manager Yuigahama..."

Yoru forced the words out and gently tapped her shoulder.

"Ah! Ah! Ahhhh..."

Yae finally snapped out of it, gasping several times before scrambling to push herself up with hands and knees.

"Phew…"

Yoru's face was red all the way to his ears. Who could say why?

Yae got off his stomach.

Yoru, finally able to breathe, sat up right away.

"Sorry, Yoru-kun. I was so exhausted, my legs just gave out."

"And the floor was slippery... I didn't mean to fall on you."

Yae leaned against the wall, looking down at Yoru and apologizing sheepishly.

"It's fine, Manager Yuigahama. I'm okay."

Yoru wasn't hurt. Just a little dazed from breathing in that intoxicating scent of her perfume and sweat.

"Here, take my hand."

Yae reached out her small hand, grabbing his wrist to help him up.

"N-no, I'm good..."

Yoru reacted like he'd been shocked—his arm shook visibly, and he quickly pulled away.

"Hm?"

Yae noticed and smiled faintly.

So he's just shy.

What an unexpectedly innocent boy.

"Did you hit the back of your head? Does it hurt?"

Smiling warmly, Yae reached out with both hands toward his head.

She was probably trying to tilt it down to check for any swelling and maybe help rub it out.

"No need, Manager Yuigahama. Really, thank you."

Yoru looked nervous, his lower back tingling. He shook his head quickly.

"No need to be shy around an auntie. You could practically be my son..."

"Heh~"

Yae giggled softly, brushing aside a few orange strands of hair from her ear.

"I get it, I'll—"

Yoru looked restless and pointed toward the restroom.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot you were heading in."

Yae stepped aside in surprise.

Yoru slipped past her and closed the door behind him.

Yae suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

"Mom? What just happened?"

Yui came running, curious after hearing the noise—but she was too late.

"It's nothing."

Yae thought back to that steamy moment earlier.

The mature, gentle woman who could easily be Yoru's mother—and who was Yui's mother—had a rare flash of shyness in her calm eyes.

Later that afternoon, the work was done.

Yoru went home, stopped by the convenience store, and treated himself to a white-labeled sugar-free high-fiber cola.

No issues for his diet.

As soon as he got home, changed his shoes, and settled in, he pulled San-san onto his lap and turned on the TV.

The news was covering the recent rise in prices and summer heat.

Someone had collapsed from heatstroke...

There were odd foreign news clips too.

But Yoru wasn't really paying attention.

He just liked having some background noise.

"Whew~"

"This afternoon was something else..."

"How does Yuigahama-san's mom have a figure like that? So juicy and curvy, but still youthful and toned."

"Will Yuigahama-san turn out like that too someday?"

"Those two really do look alike..."

Yoru thought silently to himself, sipping his cola in small gulps while resting.

Toward evening—

He went out to buy discounted groceries: some veggies, meat, flour, and nuts.

Yoru planned to bake whole wheat bread at home. If he could do it himself, he wouldn't need to go out for it anymore.

Time passed, and three days flew by.

One morning, Yoru got up and hesitated at the scale—but skipped it.

He knew there wouldn't be much change in just a few days.

Still, his body was visibly trending toward normal.

The only downside to losing weight so fast was that none of his old clothes fit anymore.

Even his shoes—his feet had slimmed down, making his shoe size drop a bit.

After washing up, making breakfast, and drinking some water, Yoru headed to the park for his usual morning run.

Breathing in the fresh air, his goal was a steady 2000 meters at a gentle pace.

The park was vast, with only a few elderly folks and kids rustling about. The atmosphere was peaceful and pleasant.

Today, Fujiwara Chika had lifted Pes restriction and brought him out for a jog.

"Pes, you better not eat anything off the ground, got it?"

She scolded the dog that kept rolling on the ground, acting spoiled.

Woof! Woof—woof!

The smart little dog whimpered in protest. He'd never eaten anything bad!

But no matter how much he tried to explain, Chika never understood.

sigh...

"Alright, go on."

She unhooked his collar and stayed behind to warm up.

Pes bolted away joyfully.

"Honestly..."

Chika muttered to herself as she looked at Pes back, still feeling she hadn't been strict enough.

Yoru had already started his morning jog.

Barely one kilometer in, his stamina was nearly drained, and he had to rely on sheer willpower to keep going.

His pace gradually slowed.

But if he could push through a little longer, it wouldn't be a problem.

A few minutes later, with a few hundred meters to his goal, Yoru exhaled and began to walk slowly.

At least he had managed to run 1700 meters in one go without stopping.

That was solid progress.

As he walked the final short stretch, Pes appeared again, opening another lucky box of fortune.

He was having a good luck streak today and ran straight over to see Yoru.

Woof woof~

The familiar barking came from behind.

Yoru glanced at Pes and shook his head with a smile.

Whose dog was this anyway?

He kept running into it.

Yoru ran his hand through his long, sweat-soaked hair.

At the moment, his hairstyle looked a lot like the student council's treasurer, Ishigami Yu—completely covering his face.

Only when he looked up or down would his perfect features faintly show.

Pes trotted in front of Yoru, cheerfully spinning in place.

Following him closely, Pes walked to a neatly trimmed flowerbed. Yoru checked his phone before sitting down for a break.

"Come here. Let me see your dog tag…"

Without minding the dirt, Yoru sat at the edge of the grass and beckoned Pes.

Wagging his tail happily, Pes came over and sat obediently.

Unfortunately, the dog tag didn't have any information.

Yoru rested for a bit, then slowly walked back to his bag.

Elsewhere.

Chika had jogged two laps around the scenic artificial lake and was lightly sweating when she stopped to look for Pes.

"Again? Out of my sight already?"

Blowing air from her mouth, she put her hands on her hips in frustration.

She walked toward the direction Pes had run off, following his trail.

The park was big, but someone was bound to have seen him.

After asking around, Chika found her way near Yoru and called out loudly for Pes.

"Wait a second."

Yoru saw Pes running around under the bench wagging his tail and gave a command.

Woof!

The clever little dog, who could easily be a guide dog, sat obediently.

Yoru took out the breakfast he made this morning, placed it on his lap, and casually took a sip of water.

Today's breakfast was a traditional Japanese seaweed rice ball.

Yoru had made it himself, with a custom filling of pork floss and tuna.

Taking one out, he bit into it and looked at the pitifully staring Pes.

He broke off a small piece and tossed it high into the air.

Pes, focused as ever, leapt up and caught it in one bite.

Landing on the ground, he looked blissfully satisfied as he chewed, then licked his mouth.

Yoru finished one and pulled out a second, again sharing a small piece with Pes.

"Pes—"

A voice called from afar.

Yoru didn't recognize it since it came from a distance and he wasn't too familiar with Chika's voice.

But Pes was very sensitive to his owner's voice. The moment he heard it, his first reaction was to hide. He ducked his head and crawled under the bench where Yoru was sitting.

"Huh? Was that for you?"

Yoru paused, glancing under the bench.

Woof—woof—woof woof—

Pes barked several times and shifted around.

"You should go. Your owner sounds really worried."

Yoru lost the mood to continue feeding, so he just took another bite of his rice ball.

The delicious filling filled his mouth.

Tasty.

Any food Yoru made was always above average—almost at a professional chef's level.

Under the bench, Pes wagged his tail anxiously. Hearing Chika's voice again, he became more restless.

Yoru, still eating his rice ball, didn't notice the voice getting closer.

The next second, Pes suddenly jumped out, barked at Yoru once, and ran toward Chika.

He had figured it out.

Chika was worried he might've eaten something bad—but he hadn't.

So if he just brought her over, she wouldn't worry anymore, right?

Pes ran quickly, barking along the way to guide her.

"There you are!"

From afar, Chika finally spotted Pes and sighed in relief.

Woof—woof—

Pes reached her and turned his head, signaling her to follow.

"Where are you taking me?"

Before she could ask further, Pes turned and ran toward where Yoru was.

"Pes, wait for me…!"

"What now!"

Chika chased after him with effort, barely keeping up.

Yoru had eaten half his rice ball. He'd made them small—about three bites each.

Taking a sip of water, he was about to scroll through news on his phone when Pes rushed back.

"All right, fine. Here's one for you."

Yoru chuckled and tossed another rice ball to Pes.

At that moment—

Chika finally arrived, out of breath, taking slow steps.

"Who's that?"

"He was feeding Pes. Thank goodness…"

Chika couldn't recognize Yoru at all and mumbled in confusion.

Still scrolling on his phone, Yoru didn't notice that his benefactor was walking up.

Not until she got close.

Chika called out to Pes. Only a few meters away, Yoru finally turned his head.

Fuji…Fujiwara Chika?

Yoru felt like he was waking from a dream. For a moment, he almost thought this athletic beauty in workout clothes was someone else.

He had never gotten the chance to speak to her one-on-one, though he had wanted to for a long time.

"Sorry… this is my dog… Did it scare you?"

Chika glanced at Yoru's long hair and didn't pay much attention. Instead, she looked annoyed at Pes.

"Not at all."

"Your dog is really smart and well-behaved."

Yoru gently shook his head and looked at Chika as he spoke.

"Uh-huh…"

Chika nodded and smiled instinctively before snapping out of it.

She took a good, careful look at Yoru again.

No recognition at all—

His hair was so long, his face was obscured.

Was he even in the same grade?

If he was a first-year, he'd call her senpai. A third-year would call her kouhai.

"Sorry, who are you again? I didn't recognize you."

After racking her brain, Chika finally gave up and apologized with a smile.

"Fujiwara-san, it's me. I'm Kitakami…"

Yoru responded calmly, as if expecting this.

Suddenly—

Chika's smile froze, her face stiffened.

What the heck?

Was this really Kitakami-kun?

"You haven't seen me in a long time. I've been dieting, so of course I've changed."

Yoru sighed wearily.

"Ah!"

"You scared me. I thought there was another student named Kitakami in our school."

Chika stared at him, then finally let out a huge sigh of relief, bending over with her hands on her knees as she laughed.

Yoru saw this and moved his bag, shifting to make room beside him.

"Pes fault. I was already exhausted from running and still had to chase after him."

Chika glared at Pes in mock annoyance, then sat beside Yoru.

"You've really lost a lot of weight, Kitakami-kun."

She added in surprise.

"Yeah. I've worked hard for it."

The delicious aroma wafted out and drifted straight into Chika's nose.

Anyone with common sense would know—

You shouldn't run right after eating.

Chika didn't go out on an empty stomach for her morning jog, but she hadn't eaten much either. Just a glass of milk and a slice of bread.

After running and chasing after Pes, all that energy was used up. Her stomach had long gone empty.

Her gaze subconsciously drifted toward Yoru's breakfast rice balls, and she swallowed.

"Would you like some?"

Yoru didn't mind sharing.

"Um…"

"Well…"

Chika hesitated, glancing at Yoru as her mouth watered.

She reached out her small hand and gently picked one up.

The rice ball was wrapped in a simple paper covering, so she didn't have to worry about her hands being dirty.

"I never properly thanked you before."

"Fujiwara-san, I'm really grateful to you."

As Yoru spoke, he felt a tickling sensation at his foot.

Looking down, he saw Pes staring at him with the eyes of a betrayed wife catching her cheating husband.

Its fluffy tail brushed against his foot.

Yoru threw another rice ball to it.

Chika, still a bit reserved, stole a side glance at Yoru. As she thought about how much weight he had lost, she bit into the rice ball.

The perfectly cooked glistening rice, formed into a ball, had a subtle sweetness and chewiness.

The hearty filling added layers of flavor. The texture of the tuna was excellent, creating a unique taste in her mouth.

It was definitely better than anything from a convenience store.

"This is so good!"

Even before swallowing, Chika's eyes sparkled like stars.

She forgot her reservations and eagerly chewed, swallowed, and took another big bite.

Yoru picked up another, one of the few left, and silently ate it while offering the box to Chika.

"Hehe, then I won't hold back…"

It tasted so good she didn't plan to be polite anymore. She grabbed another.

Pace could only stare helplessly as the treats that should've been his were taken by the very person he brought over.

That's not how it was supposed to go!

The box of rice balls was finished between two people and one dog.

Chika still looked longingly at the box as Yoru packed it away.

"Fujiwara-san, is there anything you want?"

Yoru thought it over. Rather than worrying about how to thank her, it was better to ask directly.

"Something I want? Not really?"

Chika looked surprised.

"I've always wanted to give you something. Just saying thank you feels lacking."

Yoru turned his head toward her. Through his hair, he could faintly see her entire expression.

"Ah, no need, really… no need at all…"

Chika waved her hands earnestly in refusal.

She hadn't helped him for the sake of a reward.

Besides, with her family background, what didn't she already have?

"I see…"

Yoru pursed his lips and unscrewed his thermos, deciding to let the subject drop.

"I heard from Kaguya that you were following behind me during the final exam?"

Chika leaned back and asked.

Yoru gave a slight nod as he used the water from his thermos to rinse the sticky rice off his fingers.

"Yeah. I wanted to call out to you back then, but I hesitated."

"In the end, Shinomiya… hmph…"

His tone turned harsh. Even Pes could tell the mood had shifted. Beneath his long hair, his black eyes briefly showed displeasure.

Chika pursed her lips and frowned.

She was good friends with Kaguya.

Was there a falling-out between Yoru and Kaguya?

Was it about that spring trip?

She remembered the whole story and turned her head thoughtfully.

Yoru packed up the thermos, wiped his hands dry on his pants, then parted his hair, revealing his gradually sharpened facial features.

"Fujiwara-san…"

He turned to look at her and spoke.

At that moment, Chika also turned to face him.

"Wha—ah!"

A strikingly handsome face suddenly filled her vision.

The sight startled her more than someone sneaking into her room in the middle of the night.

Her body recoiled on instinct, eyes full of shock.

"W-What's wrong? Did I scare you?"

Yoru seemed unaware. He didn't realize it was his sudden closeness—his face—that startled Chika.

The truth was, he had become so handsome it startled her.

The once gross, overweight shut-in had slimmed down to a nearly normal weight.

And now, under that hair, was a surprisingly attractive face. Of course that would be a shock!

"N-No… it's fine…"

Chika's lips trembled slightly, her eyes locked onto Yoru's face, examining it again and again.

"Sorry, I must've scared you."

Yoru tilted his head, confused. His hair slid down, covering his face again.

Chika blinked, finally regaining composure. Her heart was full of disbelief.

He was that handsome? Yoru's weight loss felt like plastic surgery.

A fat guy…

In her mind, a manga panel appeared—

On the left, the old gross fatty, cheeks bulging with meat.

On the right, the current Yoru.

If he showed up at school like this, people would be shocked.

"It's okay then."

Yoru touched his still slightly chubby cheeks.

He had looked in the mirror this morning and only saw that stubborn bit of fat.

He didn't think he looked handsome at all—just average, not ugly.

"What were you about to say just now?"

Chika patted her chest and exhaled.

"It's… nothing now…"

Yoru gently waved his hand.

He had wanted to tell her he'd found the real culprit, and soon he would be cleared.

Otherwise, in Chika's eyes, he might always be that disgusting thief.

Woof woof!

Pace barked a few times.

In the next few minutes,

They chatted for a bit more and eventually parted ways.

In the end, Chika still refused any gift from Yoru.

He couldn't do anything about it.

Back at home,

After some additional training, Yoru washed up, ate a green apple, and began reviewing his studies.

At this point, he had pretty much relearned everything from the previous semester on his own and understood it well.

He decided to cut down his study time to just an hour.

In the afternoon, wearing a black baseball cap,

Yoru went to work.

Inside Angel Café,

Yuigahama Yae was organizing a pile of items and doing calculations.

Yoru pushed the door open and, seeing Yae's back, felt his heart skip and a shy nervousness rise.

"Good afternoon, Yoru-kun."

The wind chime at the door rang softly with a clear sound.

Yae turned around with a gentle smile on her flawless face.

"Good afternoon, Manager Yuigahama."

Yoru raised his hand in greeting.

"Come here, I need your help with something."

Yae waved him over.

Yoru walked closer, but didn't stand too near. He stayed to the side.

"About your earlier suggestion—putting some free light novels and manga in the corner. Can I ask you to go to Akihabara and pick some up?"

She paused, then added, "I'll reimburse your travel expenses."

"No problem. Can I handle the arrangements? How much?"

Yoru again caught the faint scent of this mature lady's perfume.

"The bookshelf hasn't been delivered yet. You can pick the content yourself. The budget's around 150,000 yen. I'm counting on you."

Said Yae.

Yoru nodded without hesitation, only then noticing that Yae was doing the accounting.

He left the café.

Yoru took out his phone and started calculating.

A light novel or manga costs about 700 yen with tax.

Ten volumes would be 7,000 yen.

With a budget of 150,000 yen, that's quite a lot.

The bookshelf in the café is for customers to pass time, not a bookstore display.

Besides, Shuchiin students aren't exactly poor, and the school library already offers a decent selection for free.

"So, there's no need to buy entire series. Just one or two volumes of the latest releases should be enough…"

"And pick up some classics too. Used copies are fine. That way I can get more…"

Yoru muttered as he walked toward the station, phone in hand.

The shopping street was extremely quiet.

At a glance, there were only a dozen or so people passing by, none seriously browsing.

Even the station had very few people.

He scanned his transit card and headed to Akihabara in Chiyoda Ward.

Fortunately, it wasn't far.

Riding the JR line, he got there in under an hour.

Yoru went straight to the smaller shops that specialized in used books.

Used bookstores didn't only carry secondhand items; they also had new ones.

Prices varied slightly depending on the store and the area.

The shop where Nanami used to work part-time was still closed.

Yoru walked into a secondhand bookstore and went straight to the owner, explaining what he needed.

After some haggling and selection, the transaction was completed to the satisfaction of both sides.

Yoru received a list of the books.

After all, he couldn't carry an entire bookshelf's worth of books back to the café.

He had to arrange for the store owner to deliver them by car.

Half an hour later.

Yoru walked out and bought a bottle of black coffee from a vending machine nearby.

He took a sip and squinted.

The sun was still intense today, with temperatures hovering around 30°C.

Even during this time of day, Akihabara still had a steady flow of people.

He took off his cap and ruffled his hair to cool off, casually strolling with his coffee in hand.

It wasn't like he was slacking off.

Whether he was here or sitting idly at the café didn't make a difference.

If the café had been busy, he would have rushed back immediately.

"Shi mi ma sei…"

A cute maid in a black-and-white outfit was handing out flyers on the street.

Maid cafés were never cheap.

A simple omurice costs three times what it would in a regular diner, and a single cup of coffee can be thousands of yen.

Going alone would easily cost at least 6,000 or 7,000 yen.

And if you're unlucky, you might get scammed by one of the more exploitative places targeting tourists.

Heh…

"Sorry, I'm not interested…"

Yoru deftly dodged and sped up his pace.

"Ah—"

The maid was quite cute. Failing to draw in a customer, she pouted at Yoru as he walked away.

"Well, makes sense. Guys that tall and handsome probably don't need girlfriends. Not our target clientele."

"Serving good-looking guys is a lot more enjoyable than pretending for those gross fat nerds…"

Her displeasure flickered briefly before she turned her sharp gaze back to scanning for tourists or gullible otaku.

"So weird… Is it my hair being too long, or is my outfit off somehow? Why do people keep staring…"

Yoru walked to the front of the famous Radiokaikan near Akihabara Station and tossed trash into one of the rare public bins.

The yellow sign was very eye-catching.

He didn't need to go inside. Yoru lingered for a moment, then left Akihabara.

Along the way.

The streets were plastered with ads. Genshin Impact took up a prominent section, and cosplayers occasionally passed by.

Before leaving.

Yoru spotted two familiar figures in cosplay doing a photo shoot near Akihabara Station: Kitagawa Marin, whom he'd bumped into a while back, and another long-legged girl from school with a bit of a delinquent vibe.

He remembered Kitagawa Marin because she had stepped on his foot.

The other girl… Kawasomething?

Probably a classmate in the same year.

After watching for a bit, Yoru left Akihabara and returned to the café.

It wasn't until later in the afternoon, just before closing time.

A pickup truck pulled up, delivering two big boxes of light novels, magazines, and manga.

Yae paid the bill.

Spending 150,000 yen in one go was quite a major purchase.

After checking everything, Yoru helped the store owner push the two full boxes inside.

His next few days of work would probably be waiting for the bookshelf to arrive, then arranging the light novels and manga on it.

Work was done.

Back home, Yoru lay on the couch and dug out the high-end artbook from earlier.

He opened his phone, comparing art styles as he searched for the artist.

If he found out that the creator of this artbook was Eriri…

After a while, Yoru irritably put the artbook away and took out a carefully preserved travel voucher.

"This expires at the end of the month. Who should I go with?"

His first choice was Gabriel, but she hadn't returned.

Next on the list was Megumi, who had occasionally been messaging him lately.

But Yoru still hadn't invited her.

A man and a woman, a pair, going out of town for a seaside trip…

No matter how you spin it, it's basically a date.

Yoru didn't want Megumi to get the wrong idea.

…

Time passed quietly, in the blink of an eye.

Mid-August arrived, with less than half a month left before the new term.

After his morning workout.

Yoru used a can of cat food to coax San-san into the carrier.

"Don't move around. Be good. I'll give you the rest of the can when we're back."

He reminded San-san inside the transparent carrier, then carried it on his way to the pet clinic.

They needed to get her vaccinated, dewormed, and maybe even washed.

San-san was generally well-behaved, except she hated water.

Yoru always had to hold her down to get her clean.

"Meow meow—"

San-san mewed softly from inside the carrier.

Yoru was already on the borderline of being slightly overweight.

His body was still somewhat out of proportion, but his body fat percentage was steadily decreasing…

To transform in such a short time—any normal person would say it's impossible!

With San-san in tow, he headed to the clinic.

"I wonder if Yukinoshita-san's working today?"

Yoru arrived at the familiar storefront and stepped inside.

Sitting at the front desk, Yukinoshita Yukino was fiddling with a golden lucky cat figurine.

"Yukinoshita-san."

Yoru spoke up first. After slimming down, even his voice had changed dramatically—deeper, smoother, almost sultry.

"Who are you?"

Yukino frowned, looking confusedly at the boy whose hair covered half his face.

"Its me, Yoru. I brought Sansa for her booster shot and deworming. Maybe a bath too."

Yoru sighed. He had expected this reaction.

Before she could respond, he opened the carrier and let San-san out.

"Meow~"

San-san stayed close to Yoru's leg, wary in this unfamiliar place, her nose picking up scents from other animals.

"You…"

"You lost weight so fast!"

Yukino's shocked reaction was exactly what he expected.

"Gained it fast, lost it fast."

Yoru let out a small sigh. Thankfully, the speed of his weight loss hadn't been freakishly abnormal.

"I wouldn't have recognized you at all."

Yukino stared at him for a long while, as if trying to commit his new appearance to memory.

But soon, she accepted the truth and shifted her attention to San-san.

She stepped out, and the doctor followed from the back.

Yoru went to pay a small fee.

The pet industry in Japan had started relatively early and developed well. Without monopolization, the prices weren't outrageous.

Inside the treatment room.

Yukino occasionally glanced at Yoru while putting an Elizabethan collar on San-san to prevent her from struggling or accidentally scratching someone.

Yoru kept talking about cat food, trying to tempt San-san and distract her.

Yukino had professional equipment and was very experienced in handling it.

It didn't take long before the bath was done.

"She's really cute. So round... it's rare to see one like her."

Yukino said as she used a towel to dry San-san's fur, unable to resist petting her.

Yoru scratched his own hair. He decided to get it cut before school started.

It was getting a bit too long and starting to affect his vision.

The sound of the hairdryer came on.

As a proper cat lover, Yukino's work attitude was meticulous to every detail.

"Do you always work here during long breaks?"

Yoru asked casually.

"Yes. I don't have anything else to do. And I like cats."

Yukino nodded calmly.

"Don't you go out for fun?"

Yoru muttered. He couldn't recall hearing about Yukino having any friends.

Except for Yuigahama Yui, maybe.

But friendship is more about quality than quantity.

His voice wasn't loud, but Yukino still heard it. She didn't respond.

Soon, the sound of the hairdryer stopped.

Yukino picked up the slightly restless San-san and turned toward Yoru.

"Would you mind…"

Halfway through, she seemed to remember something unpleasant and smirked darkly. "Would the Peeping Tom classmate kindly leave for a bit?"

"Please give me some private space. Thank you."

With that, Yukino lowered her head, smiling slightly as she looked at San-san.

"Yukinoshita-san, are you really still going on about that?"

Yoru let out a helpless breath. "You're going to rub yourself all over San-san again, aren't you?"

"No. Please leave."

Yukino's gaze was sharp like an arrow, shooting straight at Yoru.

"Alright…"

Yoru had no choice but to obediently step out.

The moment he left, Yukino transformed.

Her expression softened into something sweet and gentle. Smiling softly, she began doing all kinds of indescribable things to San-san.

A little while later, she came out holding San-san to administer the vaccine and deworming treatment.

When they were done, she continued carrying San-san all the way to the store entrance.

"If you love cats that much, why don't you get one yourself?"

Yoru asked curiously as he opened the cat carrier.

Yukino just shook her head gently and didn't answer.

"Phew…"

Yoru took off his cap, swept his hair back, and exhaled forcefully.

Yukino's wandering eyes suddenly narrowed, and her icy blue pupils shrank. Her lips parted slightly.

Just then, San-san climbed into the carrier. Yoru bent down and zipped it closed.

His hair fell back down and covered his face again.

"Alright, you'll get the rest of the cat food at home."

Yoru lifted the carrier in front of his face and spoke to San-san inside.

Then he held it in one hand, glanced at Yukino, and naturally assumed she was reluctant to part with San-san. He waved and walked off.

Only after he had gone some distance did Yukino snap out of her daze, her brows furrowing deeply.

"Him…?"

"Did I see that right?"

Doubtfully, the so-called Ice Queen of the school muttered softly.

In that brief moment, Yukinos's instincts as a girl had screamed to her—Yoru was handsome!

It wasn't like she hadn't seen good-looking guys before. In fact, she had seen plenty.

But none had made her feel like this.

It was just… a pure reaction to something beautiful. Yoru looked seriously good.

She wouldn't say it was love. More like the joy of encountering something pleasant.

But more than that, Yukino felt doubt, along with a trace of shyness and curiosity.

Maybe she was seeing things.

But Yoru had really slimmed down.

"No, no…"

"Didn't get a good look…"

Standing under the sun, Yukino gently shook her head, questioning herself and somewhat trying to escape the thought.

Realizing she got distracted just because Yoru looked too handsome—that was a bit embarrassing.

The Ice Queen of the school, always cold and distant, blushing because Yoru got good-looking? That couldn't be real, right?

Could someone like her really act like that?

If Yoru found out, he'd never believe it.

"Achoo—"

On the road, Yoru sneezed and rubbed his nose.

"Man, summer break's almost over. School starts soon. Can I get my body fat down a bit more in the remaining time?"

"I wonder how Eriri will react when she sees me looking like this at school."

Recently, spending time alone with Yae had left Yoru distracted and made him recall how he treated Eriri before.

"Heh…"

Thinking of Eriri, Yoru couldn't help missing that adorable little tsundere who always rolled her eyes and looked down on him.

Her over-the-top pride, always acting like a queen—it made people itch to tease her.

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Shinomiya Kaguya were both prideful in their own ways too.

Maybe because they were constantly chased by simps, they'd gotten used to looking down on guys. Over time, their perception shifted.