"Now you should understand why I said earlier that I didn't even know how to describe it," Utaha said, looking at Yukino, who had fallen completely silent.
Utaha wasn't the least bit surprised. After all, her reaction that night had been even more… intense than Yukino's.
Yukino remained silent for nearly ten seconds, forgetting even to pet the cat in her lap. She exhaled softly, her wide eyes full of astonishment. "How… could Hiratsuka-sensei do something like that?"
Utaha responded casually, as if it were no big deal. "Think about it… she's been single for so many years."
Yukino fell silent immediately.
It was true... this made perfect sense.
Her sister was friends with Shizuka, and from the topics she occasionally mentioned, Yukino realized that her friend probably hadn't had much… experience.
Sure, there were plenty of women who were still single in their late twenties, but for someone so beautiful and well-proportioned… this was unusual.
What shocked Yukino the most was the "humming in her dreams" part.
It was so bizarre she could hardly accept it.
Of course, she didn't think of Shizuka as secretly coquettish or anything.
After all, even she herself had moments she couldn't hold back.
When the feeling comes, it demands action.
So in a way, she understood perfectly.
"Wait."
Yukino suddenly remembered something important.
She turned to Utaha, her eyes wide with disbelief. "So… that night you went to see Haru first, and that's when you heard Hiratsuka-sensei humming in her sleep?"
"Yes," Utaha replied, slightly puzzled. "I already explained that clearly… why are you asking again?"
Yukino paused for a second, her expression thoughtful. "Is there a possibility that you have been discovered?"
"Huh?"
Utaha's face suddenly changed.
Yukino's words had sent a chill down her spine.
Originally, she hadn't even considered such a possibility but now, hearing Yukino speak, she couldn't help but think that it might actually be true.
A mature woman, lonely and restless for years, suddenly doing something… unusual in the middle of the night... yes, it was hard to believe.
But if someone had seen certain things that triggered a long-suppressed desire, then it started to make sense.
Utaha's expression wavered, her eyes filled with tension.
If that were really the case, she was in trouble.
"Don't get so worked up just yet," Yukino said gently. She understood Utaha's anxiety.
After all, this matter involved her as well.
If Yukino hadn't tacitly allowed it, Utaha wouldn't have dared sneak around so frequently.
And more importantly, if Shizuka really found out, would she tell Haruno?
Yukino trusted Shizuka as a reliable, kind senior but as the old saying goes, "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."
"Do you think… we should find a way to test it?" Utaha finally asked.
Earlier, she had been thinking about practicing her newly learned self-defense techniques with Yukino but now those thoughts seemed trivial.
The immediate priority was handling the situation at hand.
"If we try to test it, wouldn't that be like confessing on our own?" Yukino said, her tone laced with mild sarcasm.
Utaha bit her lip. "Then what should we do?"
"Watch and wait. Do nothing."
Yukino made the decision.
Given the current circumstances, the best course of action was to remain calm and let things unfold.
Besides, she remembered that Shizuka had hummed in her sleep before…
Had Hiratsuka-sensei really been so lonely?
Even Yukino felt her cheeks heat at the thought.
She herself sometimes couldn't resist acting on sudden urges.
If someone had been holding back for twenty-plus years, it was no wonder she had reached this point.
That night, Haru noticed the two girls had become unusually quiet.
They clearly had something on their minds.
But when he asked, they kept their unspoken agreement, dismissing it as nothing important.
Haru, of course, didn't believe them.
If it were truly trivial, why would they be so distracted?
Still, since they didn't want to talk, he let it go.
Later, when it was time to rest, Haru stayed in the living room to dry his hair, while Utaha was in the bedroom putting on stockings.
Yukino frowned. "What are you doing?"
Utaha smiled, trying to hide the lingering embarrassment in her heart. "When was the last time you did it?"
Yukino's expression remained unreadable. "I don't keep track of such things."
"Remember how he said he wanted us to wear stockings and step on him? I think… now's our chance," Utaha deliberately changed the topic.
Yukino froze. "Are you serious?"
"You think I'm joking?" Utaha countered.
Yukino stared at her for two seconds, then let out a soft laugh. "I get it."
It wasn't hard to guess that their earlier conversation had… affected her.
Though it was already time to rest, there was still a little while before the three of them would sleep.
After months of training, both Utaha and Yukino had noticeably improved in stamina and vitality.
Yukino had realized this a while ago.
She had even secretly tested herself: even with only three hours of sleep, she could remain alert all day.
She had been pleasantly surprised and a little puzzled.
Could consistent training really produce such results?
Or was it the specific program Haru had designed for them?
Yukino didn't even consider the added benefit of Haru's [Steel Body] her mind focused only on the exercises.
Eventually, Haru finished drying his hair and entered the room.
His gaze immediately fell on Utaha's stocking-clad legs. He paused for a moment, then glanced at Yukino.
Yukino blushed under his stare. "She put them on by herself," she said, annoyed.
Haru nodded. "I mean… could you wear them too?"
"You're really eager to show off your perversion, huh?" Yukino teased.
"If I can see both of you together… then being called a pervert is fine by me," he replied.
Utaha overheard and couldn't help but laugh, the embarrassment in her heart easing somewhat.
At that moment, Haru lay down on the bed.
He spoke to the two girls, lying flat. "Actually, what I just mentioned about using stockings... stepping on me... is just the basic way."
"Basic?"
Both girls looked puzzled.
Haru suddenly stood up, grabbed Utaha and said, "Watch closely... this is how you use stockings! Not on the face… here instead."
Yukino was dumbfounded.
That night, they both learned something new.