The faint sound at the door snapped Haru out of his drowsy haze.
He didn't need to guess. Who else would sneak in at this hour besides Utaha?
As for the door being unlocked, that wasn't a concern.This was Haru's home, after all. Yukino had taken the master bedroom for the night, and he hadn't thought much about locking it.
Yukino, on the other hand, was even more confident.Holding Utaha's weakness in her hand, she saw no need for such precautions.
Yet Utaha had come creeping in anyway.
Haru opened his eyes and saw a shadow moving carefully through the dark—creeping like a thief.Was she seriously here to steal Yukino's phone?
That'd be hilarious.
Utaha inched forward at a snail's pace, afraid to make even the tiniest sound, cautiously avoiding obstacles in the dark. Only after she quietly shut the door did she finally breathe a sigh of relief and pull out her phone from her pajama pocket.
She had already set the screen brightness to the lowest setting—dim enough not to wake anyone by accident.
But the moment she raised her phone, she was met with a pair of open eyes.
Haru.
Their eyes locked.
Startled, she clapped a hand over her mouth, nearly letting out a yelp.
Haru stifled a laugh, giving her a look that clearly said: What are you doing?
Utaha didn't answer immediately. She first leaned over cautiously to check on Yukino's side—fast asleep, completely unaware. Only then did she whisper, "I knew it. No way she'd let you sleep in the living room tonight."
Then she silently grumbled to herself: But I didn't expect you to still be awake…
She crept closer to the bed, tiptoeing until she reached the side. Just as Haru was about to say something, she winked at him—mischievously, shyly—and sat down gently at the edge.
Then, with a slight push against Haru, she motioned: Move in a little.
Haru: "???"
He shuffled over reluctantly. Yukino was already clinging to his side, so with this adjustment, she ended up practically glued to him.
And then—to his utter disbelief—Utaha climbed into the bed and slipped under the covers.
The soft, fragrant warmth of her familiar body pressed naturally into his side.
Two intoxicating scents now filled the space under the blanket.
This is insane.
Haru was stunned.
Utaha's face was flushed as she placed her dimly lit phone to the side. Her curvy figure curled close to him.
"Hugging from both sides, are you touched?" she teased, lips curled into a coy smile.
Haru didn't even dare breathe, let alone feel moved.
Utaha had clearly expected that. She smiled, voice barely audible: "She won't wake up. Probably."
Haru gave her a doubtful look.
She pointed to her loosened pajama collar and murmured with eyes like silk, "It's a rare opportunity. You sure you're not tempted?"
Tempted? Of course.But timing was everything.
He had a guess. He leaned in and whispered, "She played that recording again to provoke you, didn't she?"
Utaha grinned. "Did you think I'm the forgiving type?"
So that's what this was.
Haru sighed internally.
She came in the middle of the night, climbed into bed next to Yukino, and now expected him to cuddle and flirt with her under Yukino's nose?
This is too much.
Utaha watched him think, not annoyed in the slightest. She stayed right where she was.
Even in the low glow of her phone, her pale skin, long fingers, and delicate frame were unmistakable.
She tilted her head up slightly, her gaze bold yet seductive, eyelashes fluttering with embarrassment. Her cheeks were dusted with a soft, alluring pink.
"Go back to your room," Haru whispered, still clinging to logic.
She chuckled. "Scared?"
"Yeah, absolutely. Let's just sleep."
"But I'm not scared."
And before he could react, she threw her arms around his neck and buried his face in her chest.
Her eyes shimmered, and a rosy hue spread from her collarbone down.
By now, she'd already forgotten her original excuse: I just want to piss off Yukino.
The only thing she regretted was not being able to follow through on her plan from earlier—wearing the bunny girl outfit.
The Next Morning
At dawn's first light, Yukino opened her eyes.
She realized most of her view was darkness and slowly understood—she must have curled up in Haru's arms.
When she lifted her head, sure enough, he was looking at her.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Yukino responded lazily, shifting upward to meet his gaze.
She let Haru admire her bare face while rubbing her forehead, gently shaking off the last traces of sleep.
"The meeting is set for nine-thirty. After breakfast, you'll still have plenty of time to see senpai home."
Haru nodded.
Then Yukino's expression shifted as she suddenly said, "No, maybe you don't have to send her back."
"Why not?"
"Haven't you always wanted to meet her? She's been itching to provoke me, so this time I'll give her a worthy opponent."
"…You just want to see senpai get knocked down, don't you."
"Exactly."
Yukino said confidently, a smile playing on her lips.She was about to elaborate when she caught the intense look Haru gave her.
That look was off.
Very off.
Like a lion spotting its prey, ready to pounce.
She knew the feeling all too well.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said helplessly, "Can you tone it down a bit?"
"No." Haru said.
"That was quick."
"Yeah, because Yukino just waking up is pretty cute."
"Thanks for the compliment. I'd probably be happier if your expression was more serious."
This time Haru answered with action.
His hand slid under the covers.
"Wait…"
Yukino's face burned with a confusing mix of embarrassment and pride.
Pride—she had just woken up, yet she already had enough charm to attract this guy.
Embarrassment—she had no intention of fooling around so early in the morning.
But she was doomed.
Haru knew her too well.
Less than a minute later, blushing, she leaned in and bared her pearly teeth with a smile:"Can't do anything with you."
In truth, Yukino's guess was only half right.
Yes, she was incredibly charming—especially right after waking up, before returning to her usual cool and composed self; the sleepy, slightly dazed air was undeniably attractive.
But if that were all, Haru could have controlled himself.
The real culprit was Utaha , who had boldly snuck in last night and climbed into bed with him.
She'd even tried to make a move.
Risky, daring things like that excited and delighted him.
Knowing Yukino was sleeping just on the other side made it all the more thrilling.
Utaha's fighting spirit was about equal to Yukino's.
She had to be careful not to make a sound—her attempts were just little sparks.
The end result was Utaha stumbling back to her room with a dreamy look in her eyes, while Haru was left dealing with the aftermath.
So Yukino's half-reluctant acceptance was the final spark that lit the fuse.
At eight o'clock sharp, the three of them ate breakfast together.
Yukino noticed Utaha yawning repeatedly and asked, "Senpai, didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, because someone provoked me with that video, and I had a nightmare." Utaha lied effortlessly.
Yukino's expression remained cold. "I can tell that's part of the reason, but my intuition tells me you're lying."
"I'm angry—that's not a lie," Utaha smiled coyly, dodging the core issue.
Haru sat calmly between them, unfazed.
Why?
Because he had made this breakfast specially.
They were all about to fall under the effects of his [Drugging] skill—entering a period of blissful state.
Just as expected, the two beauties who had been trying to challenge each other at the table gradually lost all motivation and became indifferent to everything.
Then Yukino's phone rang.
Haru glanced at the caller ID: "Onee-san."
He asked Yukino, "Want me to answer?"
"Sure."
Yukino leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, completely relaxed.
She didn't resist the 'sage time' state this time, not trying to get anything done.
Her legs had felt weak since waking.
This peaceful feeling was exactly the rest she needed—the fatigue melting away bit by bit.
Utaha felt the same.
After staying up late and struggling to sleep—even brushing her teeth hadn't helped—she craved this total relaxation.
Haru took the phone and stepped aside.
The clear voice of Haruno greeted him immediately: "Open the door, I'm here."
"You're early," Haru said, surprised but walked to the door.
"Yukino suddenly wanted to rush back last night. I figured there must be some fun happening here, so I came early," Haruno said with a genuine smile.
Haru silently hung up, opened the door, and saw her beautiful figure framed in the morning light.
"Good morning, Haru."
She held her phone in one hand and carried a large bag—probably filled with drawing boards or similar supplies.
Haru took the bag and pulled out slippers. "You're going to be disappointed. There's no fun to watch here."
"Really? I don't believe you." Haruno bent down to change shoes; the loose collar slipped open just a bit.
Haru turned away instinctively.
Haruno giggled, "See? You looked."
"No, I didn't." Haru shook his head honestly.
"It's black, by the way."
"...You really didn't need to tell me that."
"Haha, Haru is shy. Finally as cute as when we were kids."
"..."
Haru understood.
The 'fun' she meant was just him.