With Haruno putting things so bluntly, neither Yukino nor Utaha spoke up to object anymore.
After all, she wasn't wrong. The little girl with the adorable bun hairstyle stood nearby, looking up at them with wide, hopeful eyes. Even when they were talking earlier, she kept glancing over with nervous anticipation.
Neither Yukino nor Utaha could bring themselves to reject a child's sincere request.
Haru understood that too. With a slight chuckle, he walked over to Haruno and crouched down in front of her.
"Haruno-nee, just be careful, okay? If you fall, it's going to be a pretty ridiculous scene."
"Relax," Haruno replied with an unconcerned smile. "I'm not that uncoordinated."
With practiced ease, she parted her legs, lifted her skirt slightly, and settled onto his shoulders.
Just as Yukino and Utaha had anticipated, as Haru stood up effortlessly, Haruno's skirt naturally rode up, revealing her smooth legs.
Yukino kept her eyes stared on her sister's skirt the entire time. Only after confirming that her thighs weren't exposed did her expression relax slightly.
Utaha, on the other hand, had a very different focus. The moment Haruno sat down, her gaze locked onto the back of Haru's head.
He must've felt it, right?
Yes—Haruno was sitting so closely; there's no way Haru couldn't feel that.
Utaha's eyes flicked over to Yukino's composed expression. With how proper she is, she thought, Yukino's probably not even thinking about this sort of thing.
But she was.
In fact, she was absolutely thinking about it.
After all, she'd thrown herself at Haru so many times by now—she knew very well what it felt like when a girl's body came into contact with a guy's.
Especially in this position. Haruno's thighs pressed around his neck, her skirt lightly brushing his back… If she just shifted even slightly, wouldn't that cause—
Ugh. Utaha forced herself to stop.
The two beautiful girls stood by, each lost in her own very different thoughts. Meanwhile, Haru remained completely unfazed.
Back when they were kids, he had coaxed Haruno into climbing trees. He even used to take both sisters to the pool.
Now, even with Haruno's full weight on his shoulders, he was still the most relaxed person there.
"Please be careful," the little girl's mother warned nervously, holding her daughter's hand tightly.
"Wow! Big brother's amazing—he really lifted her up!" the little girl squealed in delight.
Haruno waved back at her with a bright, carefree smile. She seemed totally at ease… though her thoughts weren't entirely innocent.
After all, she could clearly feel Haru's warm hands firmly grasping her calves, helping to steady her.
He might've been reminiscing about their childhood days, but she… she was fully aware they weren't kids anymore. His familiar touch on her body—now all grown-up—actually made her heart race a little.
Thankfully, her self-control was impeccable. Not a flicker of emotion showed on her face.
"A little to the left… yeah, right there," she said, pointing.
Haru adjusted his footing steadily.
"Still a bit short. Haru, can you stand on tiptoe?"
Haruno stretched out her arm toward the balloon stuck on the tree branch, but she was just shy of reaching it.
"Got it," she announced cheerfully a moment later, plucking it free.
But just as he began to lower his heels and steady himself, Haruno—caught up in her delight—forgot to adjust her balance.
Her body tilted backward.
The smile froze on her face.
"Onee-san!"
"Haruno-san!"
Yukino and Utaha cried out in unison, startled.
Even the mother and daughter flinched.
Haru, sensing the shift in weight, instinctively released her calves and reached up to catch her waist.
The momentum of her fall pressed heavily against the back of his head. If he wanted to, he could've stabilized himself in a ridiculous pose and safely reset her position—thanks to his absurd physical capabilities.
But with other people watching, he figured that would be a bit too suspicious.
So instead, he let the motion carry him—and Haruno—gently backward.
His hands never left her waist as they both toppled into the soft grass.
Thud.
The sound wasn't loud, but it echoed in the stunned silence.
Just seconds ago, Yukino and Utaha had been anxiously tense. Now, they both stood frozen, staring blankly at the scene with identical expressions… and a very strange look in their eyes.
"I'm okay," Haruno said quickly, oblivious to their expressions. Then she turned to Haru. "Haru, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Haru replied casually—but his voice was oddly muffled.
Why muffled?
Because when Haruno lost her balance, her body shifted... and she landed in a very awkward position.
The mother stared with wide eyes, clearly trying to keep a straight face while pretending she hadn't just seen what she saw.
Her daughter, however, was far too young to understand the awkwardness of the situation. She clapped her little hands in excitement.
"Big brother's amazing!"
Haruno giggled and played along. "Oh? And what about me? Wasn't I amazing too?"
"You were! But big brother was even more amazing!" the little girl beamed.
Still holding her by the waist, Haru muttered, "Haruno-nee… could you stop chatting for a second and maybe… get off me?"
It was a weird feeling.
And frankly, he wanted to get up quickly. The grass was still damp from yesterday's rain. Lying on it wasn't exactly pleasant.
Not to mention—Yukino and Utaha were still watching.
If he didn't stand up soon, he'd probably face a joint judgment from both girls.
And he was absolutely certain: when it came to this, those two could and would form a united front.
"Eh?"
It wasn't until now that Haruno realized she had landed squarely on Haru's face. She scrambled to her feet, instinctively pressing her hand to her skirt before quickly pulling it away. A faint blush bloomed across her delicately made-up face.
Yukino watched the scene unfold with a blank expression. "Are you two sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine. Luckily, Haru caught me," Haruno replied calmly, her composure impressively quick to recover. Still, the flush on her cheeks seemed to deepen by the second.
Haru stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes, choosing not to respond and risk making the situation more awkward.
Utaha, however, suddenly spoke up, her tone deceptively casual. "Haruno-san, did you really not notice where you landed just now?"
"Nope. I was too scared to care about anything else," Haruno answered smoothly, handing the balloon back to the little girl and patting her head with a gentle smile.
Utaha pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She suspected Haruno was lying.
Yukino remained silent.
The small mishap had shifted the atmosphere between the four of them into something strange and uneasy.
Sensing the tension, Haru stepped in to steer the mood elsewhere. After the mother and daughter thanked them and left, he quickly said, "While I was walking around earlier, I found a spot over there with a pretty nice view. Want to go sketch over there instead?"
"No need. I think this place is just fine," Yukino replied as she sat back down.
Utaha gave him a faintly amused look. "That landing pose of yours was quite something. I'm debating whether or not to sketch it."
Haru mentally sighed. As expected, Utaha was still spicy.
Just then, Haruno let out a carefree laugh. "That kind of thing definitely shouldn't be drawn, right?"
Utaha smiled back. "Why not? I genuinely thought it was quite amusing."
"I thought it was funny too," Haruno said as she brushed her hair behind her ear, her expression radiant. "Kind of like when we were kids and Haru would drag Yukino and me into mischief. I always caught him in the act, of course."
Before Utaha could reply, Haruno chuckled softly and continued, "Our mother knows about all those little stories too. She's always paid close attention to Yukino and me—especially me."
Utaha tilted her head slightly, puzzled. Why bring up her family all of a sudden?
Then Haruno turned and gazed at Utaha with warm, unreadable eyes. "Over time, I picked up a habit: whenever I come across something interesting—or someone interesting—I like to share it with my mother."
As she said this, she casually glanced at Haru, who was helping Yukino arrange her sketching tools.
Utaha's face stiffened. The words she was about to say froze in her throat.
Was that… a threat?
She knows. She knows what's going on between me and Haru!
Utaha bit her lip, a mix of irritation and unease bubbling up inside her.
Haruno, still smiling sweetly, added, "Because we've known each other for so long, our families are very close. I can talk to Haru's parents about anything. Right, Yukino?"
Without even looking up, Yukino replied, "Most of that is true. But you got one thing wrong—Auntie and Uncle Amamiya have always liked me more."
"Eh? You'd correct me over something like that?" Haruno feigned surprise.
"If I don't, you'll just keep exaggerating," Yukino said flatly as she adjusted her sketchpad.
"You hurts me when you say that," Haruno sighed dramatically before strolling over to Utaha, who still looked tense. With a soft smile, she said, "You and Yukino are getting along so well now. From now on, I'll call you Utaha, okay?"
Yukino heard that but didn't object.
Utaha's mind was in too much of a mess to respond.
Haruno placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in, lowering her voice. "Utaha-chan, I know what you've been up to."
Utaha's body instantly tensed.
Haruno noticed and smiled like a clever little fox. "So, before I really get serious, I'd appreciate it if you behaved. I do like girls who are obedient."
Utaha clenched her fists by her sides, her chest rising and falling sharply. Finally, she grit her teeth and muttered, "Understood."
Haruno grinned. "Now that I'm up close, I can see you've got a really nice figure. We should go to the baths together sometime. What do you say?"
"…Alright, Haruno-san."
With that, Haruno stepped back and called over, "Haru, come with me to the car. I need to grab something."
"What do you need?" Haru asked as he followed her.
Once the two of them were gone, Utaha slowly relaxed her fingers and noticed her palms were damp with sweat.
At that exact moment, she caught Yukino glancing at her from over her shoulder.
Yukino didn't say anything.
But those clear, composed eyes seemed to speak for her:
"Are you sweating, Miss Kasumigaoka?"