'Knock, knock, knock—'
Someone was at the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming... Oh? Kyousuke? Are you here to take a bath with me? Hurry, there's still time to join Yukino-chan in there too, you know."
As Yamauchi Sakura's cheerful voice rang out, Yukinoshita, who had just opened the bathroom door a crack, immediately slammed it shut with a loud bang.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" she roared.
"Yukinoshita-san, it's me, Ueno Naoka. Sakura, quit teasing her already," Naoka said hurriedly as she stepped inside, feeling a little bad for Yukino—yet another victim of Sakura's antics.
"Yamauchi Sakura!!"
Yukinoshita didn't care that she was talking to people outside while standing in the bathroom, something usually unthinkable for her.
She tried her best to imitate the tone her mother used when calling her full name after she made a mistake as a child.
Seriously, could this girl not survive a single day without pulling pranks?
"Ohhhhhh—" Under their joint assault, Sakura smacked her right fist into her left palm, suddenly enlightened.
"So that's why Eriri always calls Utaha by her full name! I thought she was trying to act distant, but she's actually playing mom!"
"But that's totally off the mark—it's way more convincing when Yukino-chan does it!"
"The moment I heard it, it totally took me back to the days when I used to steal food at Kyousuke's house as a kid and got caught. The second he called my full name, I'd freeze up, shaking all over!"
"Is that really why...?" Naoka widened her eyes in surprise.
She had always thought Eriri called Kasumigaoka by her full name just to pick a fight.
After all, those two, despite their perfect-princess and ice-queen images at school, turned into squabbling kids the moment they were together.
Eriri stubbornly insisted on using Kasumigaoka's full name, while Kasumigaoka made fun of Eriri's immaturity—and deliberately called her the wrong name on purpose.
"Sawamura-san," "Tsk-Tsk-san," "Mr. Shiny Gold"—you name it.
Oh, and today she'd added a new one: "Spencer-san."
They were practically like kindergartners throwing tantrums.
"Yep, no doubt about it! Yukino-chan, you have to let Eriri taste the horror of being called by her full name later!" Sakura declared confidently.
Yukinoshita let the sound of running water cover her sigh. It helped soften the weariness creeping into her chest.
She'd thought Naoka—with her beautiful blue-violet eyes—might be the most normal one in this house.
But no, anywhere with Hojou and Sakura… normalcy became the weird thing.
"Ueno-san, what did you come here for?"
As the room's owner, Sakura had zero intention of asking this herself.
And poor visitor Naoka had been dragged off-course the moment she stepped inside.
So Yukinoshita asked for her.
"Oh, right! Sakura totally made me forget," Naoka said, slapping her forehead.
"I came to bring you some clothes, Yukinoshita-san."
Of course—Ueno Naoka, the genius who could seize first prize out of a thousand contenders, wasn't going to come empty-handed.
Without hesitation, she wrapped her true purpose in a gorgeous excuse.
"Clothes? Thank you, Ueno-san, but Sakura already lent me some."
Yukinoshita turned off the shower, raising her voice slightly to make sure they heard her clearly.
As expected—Ueno really was the most normal here.
"You're going to watch a movie squeezed up next to Kyousuke in pajamas?" Naoka asked suspiciously.
"What's wrong with that? It's not like it's one of Utaha's sexy nightgowns or anything. This covers more than her school uniform," Sakura added quickly, afraid Yukino might bolt.
Naoka unfolded the long split tunic she was holding and shot Sakura a desperate look. Sakura's eyes lit up, and she suddenly switched gears.
"Ahem... Yukino-chan, did you know? Naoka's design got picked up by FLOWERS magazine! It's going to be in next week's feature!"
"Wow, that's amazing. Congratulations, Ueno-san. But pajamas are fine for me, thank you for the offer."
Even though they couldn't see her from outside the bathroom, Yukinoshita gave a small nod of genuine appreciation.
"Eh? Naoka, you might as well take it back. Yukino-chan's so conservative she can't wear anything except her school uniform," Sakura teased.
Naoka stared at Sakura in shock.
Why was she giving up this perfect prank opportunity?
She'd practically forced Shouko into that Mikasa Ackerman cosplay once and taken tons of cute, fluffy pictures.
"Oh, so you think I'm that simple-minded? Using such a cheap provocation on me? But fine—I accept. A cute girl like me can pull off any outfit perfectly, no matter what it is."
"Yes!!" Sakura clenched her right fist in triumph.
Naoka gaped.
For a moment, she thought Eriri was the one in the bathroom.
Was this... tsundere? Not the classic pure form, but that type where they see right through the provocation and agree anyway—a weirdly honest version of tsundere.
No wait... this wasn't right.
If you're honest, can you even be tsundere? What is this? Stubborn pride?
Plain obstinance?
'Why agree at all when you know it's bait? You haven't even seen the clothes I brought!'
"Well, I'll leave the outfit here. Yukinoshita-san, remember to wear it later~" Naoka said with forced cheer.
Her light tone made Yukinoshita uneasy.
That familiar teasing air was dangerous.
Everyone in this house was like this when they successfully pulled a prank.
If this were some infectious disease, Japan would need a total quarantine.
"Alright. Thanks for the trouble, Ueno-san." But still, it was a kind gesture.
"No need to be so formal! You're Sakura's friend, so you're my friend too!"
With that, Ueno quickly made her escape.
Her conscience stung slightly at seeing such a pure-hearted girl get tricked by the wicked Sakura.
Moments later, Yukinoshita stepped out of the bathroom in her pajamas.
"What the heck is this?!"
She held up the split tunic in one hand—it was so light it barely weighed more than a sushi roll—and glared.
"Huh? It's that outfit you said you wanted to wear, remember?" Sakura said innocently.
"Like I ever wanted this!!" Even a quick glance told Yukinoshita exactly how she'd look wearing it.
Her hips—half of them exposed.
Her underwear—peeking out with every single step.
Unless she were in an anime world with anti-gravity physics, she'd never wear something like this.
"Come on, don't be stubborn. Just put it on already," Sakura said with an exasperated shake of her head, like she was dealing with a hopeless child.
"I'm perfectly fine with pajamas, thank you." Yukinoshita carefully folded the black skirt.
"Eh? But you accepted the challenge just now, didn't you?"
"Fine, I give up. I'm not stupid enough to force myself into something meaningless just for pride."
She crossed her arms and shot Sakura a sideways glance.
Seriously, Sakura looked exactly like some creepy old man sitting on a park bench, waiting for a gust of wind to lift a girl's skirt.
Have a little dignity as a girl, would you?
"Ahhh, too bad. I guess I'll go take my bath then. Oh, and Yukino? You can ask Kyousuke to dry your hair for you—he's really good at it!"
Already stepping into the bathroom, Sakura suddenly paused and shot Yukinoshita a mysterious look.
Yukinoshita said nothing.
She decided to minimize the number of times she spoke with Yamauchi Sakura until the time she left this house.
Then she picked up the hairdryer and quietly started drying her hair.
...
Yamauchi Sakura could shower in just eight minutes—faster than most guys, in fact.
She'd honed this skill competing with Kyousuke ever since they were kids.
Of course, she washed thoroughly from head to toe; she just didn't linger to enjoy the warmth of the water.
Tokyo's water bills weren't cheap, but they weren't so high that she needed to rush like this.
The main reason was something Kyousuke once told her when they were small:
"This is cyberpunk-style showering. When that future comes, we'll be the best bathers in the world."
She had no idea why being the "best at showering" was something to brag about, but young Sakura had taken the words to heart and never forgotten them.
"Want me to dry your hair for you?"
Yukinoshita walked over and gently put a dry cap on Sakura's still-dripping head.
"Yukino-chan, you're so sweet," Sakura smiled.
"I just don't want the floor getting wet."
"Aww, see? You are sweet. If it were Eriri, she'd have said something like, 'I'm not some guy, handing me a kindness flag won't work on me,'" Sakura pouted playfully.
"Want me to dry your hair or not?" Yukino ignored the teasing.
"No thanks! I want Kyousuke to do it. Didn't I tell you before? He's really good at it~"
"..."
The two of them left the room together.
Yukino glanced at the nearby bedrooms; only Kyousuke's door was slightly ajar, the room inside dark.
All the other doors were properly shut. It seemed they were the first ones done.
She turned her gaze towards the second-floor corridor and staircase.
The lights in the living room below had dimmed.
'The sun must've fully set,' she thought.
Sakura walked ahead with a light spring in her step, her hands swinging happily, nearly shaking off the drying cap on her head.
But as they reached the stairs, Yukino realized it wasn't sunset—it was because the living room and tatami room doors had been sealed off with metal shutters.
A huge screen now hung where the sliding doors had been.
Only a few orange mood lights were lit at the edges of the room.
Do they seriously play around like this every day?
Yukino felt a mix of surprise, envy, and quiet anticipation at the sheer effort put into this setup.
Even with her strong will, she'd never have the nerve to go to a cinema alone.
Even she had to admit—the life at Ruyi Dormitory was enviable.
Lively.
Warm.
Fun.
Before she could think more, Sakura bounded down the stairs.
"Kyousuke~! Dry my hair for me!"
Only then did Yukino spot Hojou Kyousuke sitting on the sofa, a hair dryer already set beside him as if he'd been waiting.
Seeing Sakura, he smiled, stood up, and before the sofa cushions could even bounce back, the cheerful girl had flopped herself into his spot.
Kyousuke moved behind her, gently took her head in both hands and gave it a playful shake, then skillfully removed the drying cap and rubbed her hair with it like a towel before starting the dryer.
Yukino paused halfway down the stairs, watching the scene bathed in the soft, amber light—one boy and one girl.
The hum of the dryer filled the room, but on both their faces were easy, carefree smiles.
Sakura sat cross-legged on the sofa, hands holding her small, pale feet, rocking side to side like a happy little doll as Kyousuke carefully ran his big hands through her hair, shielding her from the dryer's heat and fluffing her hair with practiced care.
'They look like a Husband and wife.'
The words popped into Yukino's head unbidden.
This scene perfectly matched her idea of what a couple should look like.
'If they ever got married... I'd give the most heartfelt blessing at their wedding.'
In these two, she saw all the beautiful shapes that love could take. If—just if—she could ever find a love like that…
"Yukino, what are you standing there for? Don't tell me you're frozen in fear or something?"
Lost in thought, she only snapped back to reality when the familiar voice came from beside her.
She turned to see... an elementary schooler?
No, wait. A high school girl wearing elementary school-style pajamas. Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
"Pfft—"
Yukino bit her lip to stop the laugh before it escaped.
Doraemon pajamas.
With a four-dimensional pocket printed on the belly.
And on her head, a Santa-style drying cap.
Beneath it peeked a blushing, doll-like face with tiny tiger teeth, just like a kitten…
Crap. So cute. A cat is calling me Yukino.
'Wait, are tanukis cats too? Yukino, get a grip! Actually… even pandas are technically "cats"...'
The First Shrine Maiden of the Cat God Cult rapidly shook off her thoughts with inner self-questioning.
Eriri's cat-like cuteness had momentarily made her forget to tease her.
Though, truthfully, she was probably the most scared one here.
"Want me to dry your hair?"
She swore—swore on her soul—that this wasn't just an excuse to pat the adorable "cat" on the head.
She simply didn't want Eriri to get upset seeing Sakura and Kyousuke so close.
"No need. Blow-drying straight out of the bath is bad for my hair," Eriri said casually, flipping her perfectly maintained, golden locks—her pride and joy, carefully guarded like precious artwork.
"Sakura, you're so slow. I can't wait to start the movie already."
But to Yukino's surprise, Eriri strolled right over and plopped down beside Sakura, pulling her into a tight side-hug.
She even kicked up her feet and copied Sakura's cross-legged pose.
The two started bumping shoulders playfully.
'Scary, Yamauchi Sakura. You've tamed her this much?'
Eriri's arrival seemed to trigger the others—Kasumigaoka, Shouko, and the rest filed into the living room one after another.
There were too many people for one sofa, so Kyousuke easily hauled the smaller one over to make extra space.
Even though it was solid wood, it looked no harder for him than lifting a puppy.
Sakura's hair was nearly dry by then.
The movie finally began.
Yukino had expected a big struggle over who sat where—this was Ruyi Dorm, after all, and Kyousuke was the only boy—but to her surprise, everyone silently settled into their spots like pieces of a puzzle.
First, of course, was Eriri—the coward—who immediately took the seat to Kyousuke's right, dragging Sakura to sit on her other side, clinging tightly to her arm.
Then Kasumigaoka and Yukino herself.
On Kyousuke's left sat Shouko, with Katou and Naoka beside her.
"Ohoho~! Sweet movie time after a hot, spicy nabe—here we go!" Sakura declared.
At her signal, Eriri instantly clung tighter to the arms of the girls beside her.
Just as Yukino had thought, the horror movie was typical Tokyo High School nonsense—enough to scare Eriri, but nobody else.
Yukino secretly noticed that Katou Megumi never once showed any shock—no wide eyes, no clenched fists, no tension at all.
It was like she was watching a dull instructional video.
But the film's creators would've been thrilled to see Eriri—tears actually streamed down her face at one point, though she quickly wiped them on Kyousuke's T-shirt.
She stared wide-eyed at the screen the whole time, gulping nervously—not because the monsters made her hungry, but from sheer tension.
Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka and Sakura were merciless—one clicking her tongue in mockery, the other laughing out loud like she was watching a comedy, scaring poor Eriri even more.
As for Hojou, Yukinoshita had initially expected him to be like those guys in online horror stories—using the dim lighting as an excuse to take advantage of the girls.
But she soon realized she had been overthinking it; there was absolutely no need for Hojou to make any sly moves.
Eriri was practically burrowed into Kyousuke's chest.
The only reason she wasn't entirely in his lap was because Shouko had claimed half of that space, leaning against his side as well.
In the brief flashes of light from the screen, Yukinoshita could clearly see how Shouko's full, soft curves were pressed tightly against Kyousuke's chest, squishing like a pancake.
Meanwhile, Naoka was busy criticizing the costume design in the film, getting so worked up she seemed ready to start filming her own horror movie right then and there to prove how it should be done.
All in all, it was a lively scene—completely different from the movie outings Yukinoshita used to have with her older sister.
Even though it was a horror movie, the atmosphere was surprisingly warm and fun.
If you're wondering why Yukinoshita was observing everyone instead of watching the film—well, it definitely wasn't because she was scared and wanted to distract herself!
She was simply taking advantage of the undisturbed setting to hone her skills in reading people's hearts, that's all.
Horror movies are just stories—if you know they're fake, there's no reason to be scared!
When the movie ended, and everyone else was still stretching and yawning, a proud, crisp voice suddenly rang out:
"See? There was nothing scary at all!"
The lights were still off, so no one else could really see Eriri's face.
But Kyousuke caught a clear glimpse of her red-tipped nose and slightly damp eyelashes.
Her small face was trying so hard to look defiant, but it was obvious she was still a little shaken.
"Great! Let's keep this momentum going—let's play Hyakumonogatari!" Sakura shouted.
"Alright, I'll go get the red wine–poached pears," Kyousuke replied.
"Huh? You want to play Hyakumonogatari?!" Eriri finally remembered that part.
"Of course! The mood is perfect right now—it'll be so thrilling! Naoka, can you find those electronic candles you bought for photoshoots?"
"T-t-thrilling…" Eriri's proud tone cracked, her heroic bravado shrinking down to something much more human.
"Oh my, you're not scared of a silly little kids' game, are you?" The only one who would tease her like that was Kasumigaoka Utaha, her burgundy eyes glinting in the darkness.
"As if! There's no such thing as ghosts. Even if you lit a thousand or ten thousand candles, there wouldn't be any supernatural nonsense!"
"And you'd better not confuse your 2D fantasy world with reality, Kasumigaoka Utaha!"
Eriri's retort was like finding a legendary weapon—her confidence immediately shot up.
"…," Yukinoshita twitched the corner of her mouth.
No wonder she's called a tsundere… she falls for even the simplest provocations.
Was this some kind of personal hobby?
"And another thing! Don't think I didn't catch that 'Zephyr' nickname. That's going too far!"
"I meant it as a compliment to your courage."
"Liar! You—"
In the dark, the two of them slipped into their usual back-and-forth banter.
Yukinoshita had a feeling this was Eriri's way of deflecting her fear and calming herself down.
A long while passed, but even when she was holding a warm little pot of poached pears, Eriri's nerves started to fray again as the lights remained off.
"Turn on the lights! Why isn't anyone turning on the lights? Ah! Who's touching my butt?!"
She shot a glance at Kyousuke, recalling from past experience exactly how much… area his hands could cover.
If it was him, half her butt would be in his grip.
She had fallen on him at home before and knew exactly how large his handspan was—her butt might have gotten bigger since then, but definitely not enough to need just one hand!
Which meant there was only one possible culprit.
"Sakura! You…!"
"Hehehe, if we turn on the lights, it kills the atmosphere," Sakura giggled.
Everyone moved off the couch and gathered around the electronic candles in a circle.
They were all holding the red wine–poached pears, but no one worried about spilling anything on the carpet—Kyousuke would just buy a new one anyway.
"Alright, I'll start!" Sakura announced, raising her hand.
The electronic candle flickered so realistically that in the still air of the living room, its light cast a constant dance of shadows across their faces.
The shifting silhouettes behind them only added to the eerie atmosphere.
Before Sakura could even start her story, Eriri's small hands were already clinging tightly to the blanket.
But then, a large, warm hand covered hers, and the familiar heat gave her a bit of courage.
She raised her hand to protest Sakura's tyranny:
"I object!"
"Then you can go first, Eriri," Sakura said smoothly.
"No way! Like I'm going to scare myself!"
"Then I'll go first~" Kasumigaoka tilted her head, her smile languid and her voice soft and sultry—enough to make your skin crawl.
"No way!" Eriri practically shouted.
This woman's short stories were already enough to give her nightmares.
There was no way she'd let her go first!
Yukinoshita? No chance—someone who could match Utaha's level of horror was just as bad.
Although they'd all have to go eventually, it was best to start slow.
Eriri thought the way Yukinoshita's pale blue eyes glowed in the red candlelight made her look like a terrifying wrathful deity.
Shouko?
Eriri peered at Shouko's round little face in the flickering candlelight.
Shouko looked nervous and, when she caught Eriri's gaze, gave her an apologetic, worried smile.
Even now, Shouko was so sweet and gentle.
Alright, Shouko was her ally—no need to push her.
Naoka? No way!
She'd probably tell some nightmare-fuel story about skinwalkers or something, and Eriri wouldn't even be able to look her in the eye afterward.
Alright—Eriri took a deep breath. She had her pick.
"Megumi, it's decided. You're up!"
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