"You said you were here to learn, so why are you slacking off in the lounge?"
Haru greeted Haruno casually and sat down beside her.
"You weren't here earlier, and I don't know anyone else at this company. What was I supposed to do? Might as well chill here a bit—don't move."
As she spoke, Haruno kicked off her shoes and lifted her long, beautiful legs, curling sideways on the couch.
Without any more warning, she dropped herself down—resting her head right on Haru's lap.
"What are you doing?" Haru blinked, stunned.
Haruno slowly rolled over to face up, her bright eyes glittering as she smiled."I've wanted to try this for a while."
"…You mean a lap pillow?"
"Mm-hmm," she replied sweetly.
Haru couldn't help but comment, "Isn't it usually the girl who gives the guy a lap pillow as a reward?"
Haruno shrugged nonchalantly.
"Then today, you play the girl, and I'll be the guy."
"Not happening."
"You're always like this," she sighed dramatically. "I remember when we were kids, I tried to get you to wear my skirt and you refused."
The more she said, the darker Haru's face became.
"If I had fallen for that trick, you'd never let me live it down."
"Ehehe~"
"Are you seriously trying to act cute right now?"
Haruno lay on his lap comfortably, chatting idly.
"Come on, just let me lie here for a bit. I'll give you a reward later."
Haru immediately became wary at the word "reward."
Last time, Haruno's so-called "reward" was a surprise "big sis kiss" that nearly gave him a heart attack.
If he hadn't dodged fast enough, that incident might've become a real problem.
Looking back, he no longer believed that her lips almost landing on his was an accident.
As for her line, "I might've been drunk,"
He had reflected on that countless times—and concluded that he shouldn't trust even a single punctuation mark of that sentence.
And then there was that time he accidentally walked in on her while she was in the bathroom.
All those memories combined had put him on high alert whenever she got close.
He had no interest in sparking some "sister showdown" drama.
Besides, after Yukino and Haruno's recent meetup, it was obvious that their relationship had improved.
And that was exactly why, the moment Haruno naturally laid her head on his lap, every internal alarm in his brain started blaring.
"…You're quiet. Is this because of last time?" Haruno seemed to read his mind. She giggled behind her hand. "I told you, that was an accident."
"I'm pretty sure you did it on purpose," Haru replied flatly.
Haruno didn't even try to deny it.
"Okay, okay. I might have pushed it too far that time. But I promise—today's reward won't put you in any awkward situations."
Hearing that, Haru relaxed a little.
"Oh? And what's the reward this time?"
Haruno, didn't answer right away. Instead, she stretched the suspense, speaking slowly.
"A few days ago, I went out with Yukino. We ended up talking about you, and I used my own skills to dig up something rather interesting."
Haru blinked. "What?"
Amused by his blank look, Haruno's crescent eyes curved into a teasing smile.
"Yukino told me... you're actually into legs."
"Wha—nonsense. There's no way I'm a leg guy," Haru shot back immediately.
Haruno ignored his denial and continued, her grin widening.
"So as your reward today... I'll let you massage my legs."
She lifted one leg, wrapped in black stockings, and playfully flexed her toes—like she was putting them on display.
"My legs are pretty nice, don't you think? Back when I used to take baths with Yukino, I actually compared us. Our legs and waists are surprisingly similar."
Haru was entirely unfazed, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
"I'm telling you, I'm not into legs. Pick something else."
And it wasn't just talk—he genuinely meant it. Sure, he'd occasionally admired Yukino's or Utaha's legs before, but that was just appreciation.
He wasn't obsessed with legs. He wasn't into feet either.
After all, he never forgot his original creed—he only liked what looked good.Simple, shallow, and undeniably honest.
"Seriously? You turned me down that quickly? Are you sure you're not just messing with me?" Haruno pouted, clearly skeptical.
"I'll say it one more time: I'm not a leg guy," Haru replied flatly.
Haruno tilted her head in confusion.
"That's strange. Yukino's really sharp, both in observation and deduction. I doubt she'd lie about something like this."
"Well, I guess even Yukino makes mistakes sometimes," Haru said, shrugging.
After a brief pause, Haruno giggled.
"Well, that doesn't matter anymore. So, do you want a reward or not?"
"If you pick a different kind of reward, then sure."
"Oh? So what you really want... is a kiss from your big sister?"
"You're seriously jumping to extremes here. It's either legs or a kiss? Don't I get any other options?"
They chatted for a bit until the door to the lounge opened. Haruno's driver stepped inside."Miss Haruno, the documents you requested have been compiled. You can pick them up now—"
The more he spoke, the more awkward he became. His voice trailed off as he looked at Haruno, lying on Haru's lap, and then at Haru, utterly expressionless. His eyes went wide.
"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, your timing's perfect," Haru replied calmly, opting to lean into the cliché.
He got up, gently supporting Haruno's head to keep her from bumping into anything.
Haruno sat up smoothly, brushing her hair back into place.
"I got it. I'll go get them in a moment."
"I'll come with you," Haru offered. "I can double-check everything while we're at it."
"Mm-hmm."
With just a few words, they agreed. The driver, now understanding the situation, backed off tactfully.
As Haruno calmly slipped into her coat, Haru glanced at her suspiciously.
"So you tricked me? You'd already asked for the documents, but still called me over—just to keep you company?"
Haruno fastened the last button, her tone light and teasing.
"Not quite. I just wanted to ask when you were planning to take me to the skies—like you promised."
"That's all?" Haru raised an eyebrow.
"What else?" Haruno smiled radiantly. "No balloons, no airplanes—just pure flight. I'm still very curious, you know."
Haru couldn't read anything from her expression, so he looked away.
"If you're up for it, we could do it tonight."
He figured they could invite Yukino too. He'd been planning to do something fun with her for her birthday earlier that month, but she'd just wanted to stay home.
Turns out, Haruno had the same idea.
"Then tonight it is. I'll let Yukino know—she can come watch."
"Sure."
And with that, they were all set.
Meanwhile.
After returning from the bookstore, Yukino and Utaha stopped by a nearby café at Utaha's suggestion. Yukino hadn't planned to linger, but seeing her senpai's mood, she agreed to stay for a bit longer.
"Yukino, how did you feel when you made your film last year?" Utaha asked, gently stirring her coffee without taking a sip.
Yukino replied almost instantly, "Senpai, are you nervous?"
"Just a little," Utaha admitted. "But more than that, I feel fired up. Honestly, I won't lie to you—my mind is completely consumed with making this project a success."
Yukino gave a small, approving nod.
"I felt the same last year. There was pressure, yes. But I had my own ways to deal with it, so I never felt overwhelmed."
Noticing the thoughtful look on Utaha's face, Yukino—rarely one to offer unsolicited advice—added gently,
"Don't forget, that guy will be with us the whole time. If you run into anything you're unsure about or something that feels too complicated, you can always ask him."
Utaha's eyes lit up.
"Oh right! I totally forgot about that."
Then, realizing her lapse, she muttered awkwardly,
"Thanks."
Yukino didn't mind. She lifted her cup and took a small sip. Just then, her phone buzzed from inside the tote bag.
She pulled it out and glanced at the screen—and froze.
It was a message from her sister.
Just one short sentence:
"Tonight, big sis is taking you to the skies!"
Utaha caught the shift in her expression and asked curiously,
"What's wrong?"
Yukino stared at the screen in confusion.
"Is it a typo... or did I misread it? I genuinely have no idea what this is supposed to mean."
Now Utaha was intrigued.
"Mind if I take a look?"
Yukino turned her phone toward her.
Utaha's expression immediately mirrored Yukino's.
"What... does this even mean?"
"I don't know," Yukino said, shaking her head.
Utaha thought for a moment.
"Could it be some sort of code between you two? Like a game or secret phrase from childhood?"
Yukino rejected the idea without hesitation.
"No way. My memory's quite clear. She never played games like that with me."
"Then maybe call and ask her?"
"I will."
Yukino didn't hesitate. She dialed immediately.
Utaha shifted to sit beside her, clearly interested but saying nothing.
The phone rang only for a few seconds before it connected.
"What did you mean by that message just now?" Yukino got straight to the point.
But instead of hearing her sister's voice, she was met with Haru's curious tone:
"Who are you calling? You're smiling like a fox that just stole a chicken."
Yukino and Utaha froze at the same time.
Haru… was with Yukino's sister?