A storm was coming. Yet on this mountain, although the weather was slightly overcast, it felt calmer than before.
Perhaps this was the calm before the storm?
Under the watchful trees around them, the six people took the monorail back down to the flatlands. After greeting Hiratsuka and confirming no groups had strayed, they all walked toward the shopping street. They planned to find a place for lunch, then decide on their afternoon schedule.
"Then, straight to the Cat Café!"
Having recovered from the exhaustion of hiking, Yukino—rested and reborn—spoke firmly: "I've done my research. This is a combined pet café. Though it's a bit pricey, the food inside is highly rated. Tasty and generous portions."
Her gaze was clear and sharp. She looked at each person in turn, unflinching, her eyes sparkling with strong determination.
She was so confident that if anyone spoke, she could counter with ten arguments.
"If anyone has financial concerns, no need to force it. But if there are no issues and no other suggestions, I hope you'll consider my opinion."
"To the Cat Café, huh..."
Though her tone was a bit forceful, in terms of group communication, Yukino's performance was outstanding. Nothing was rude.
After exchanging glances, Yuigahama and Ordinary Girl said they had no problem. Yumiko only muttered, "You really do love cats, don't you..."
She didn't object either.
Only Yuu raised his hand and asked like a child: "I have an opinion! President, I'm allergic to cats—what about that?"
"No 'what about that.' Since you're used to lying, your opinion will be completely ignored and only considered if absolutely necessary."
Yukino replied coldly. She didn't even bother glancing at him, immediately turning to Masuzu, who hadn't spoken.
"Natsukawa-san, you're fine with it."
"...Fine. You decide."
"Good." Frowning slightly, Yukino asked no further. She led the group toward the Cat Café marked on the map.
Just past noon, when the six arrived at the Cat Café, eight or nine people were already queuing outside. They looked like two groups of tourists. The staff said seats would be available in ten to twenty minutes.
"Is time not on my side..."
Looking into the shop, where lively or aloof cats roamed, Yukino reluctantly bit her lip.
Her pale fist clenched tightly. Her nails nearly pierced her palm from regret. She kept muttering, "Though it's natural for cats to be popular, they shouldn't be this popular..."
If she were alone, she wouldn't mind waiting an hour. After all, she wasn't particularly interested in other places. But now she had become the leader of this group (in her mind), she had to consider the schedule. Yukino could only reluctantly give up. She couldn't waste others' time by making them wait.
"Fine, let's find another restaurant." She sighed.
She glanced at the window. Tourists happily played with the cats. The furry creatures walked with grace and arrogance. Yukino, with strong determination—as if she'd snap their necks—turned her slightly envious gaze away and turned back with a blank expression.
"Ten to twenty minutes... maybe it's not a problem to wait?"
"...Yuigahama-san?"
But just as Yukino was about to leave, Yuigahama suddenly spoke. She asked the others: "Yumiko..."
"This is my first time at a place like this. I'm quite interested." Yumiko waved her hand, signaling her to say no more. She also glanced at Yukino. "But on the contrary, later I want to go somewhere else. I hope no one says they're uninterested and leaves on their own."
"...Of course not." Yukino snapped out of her surprise. Her tone was very serious. "Mutual respect is the basis of teamwork. Though I usually act alone, I still understand basic common sense."
Rarely, in front of cats, her attitude was more active and gentle than usual.
Not just Yuigahama—Yumiko blinked in surprise too. Then she smirked, saying playfully: "You seem so hard to get along with, but actually you're quite nice? I've changed my mind about you."
"Is that so? Thank you for the compliment." Yukino smiled back. She gently brushed her hair from her shoulder. "But if I'm not interested, I'll plainly say I'm not. From my observations, our tastes are very different. I hope you won't mind my opinions later."
"How dare you say that... Fine, just wait! I'll definitely make you interested in the things I like, Yukinoshita!"
As if accepting a challenge, Yumiko pointed at Yukino. She lifted her head and chest, smiling, igniting her own passion.
As for Ordinary Girl, she still had no opinion.
"Only Natsukawa-san left... Is everyone in agreement?" After getting a response from her expression, Yukino silently exhaled in relief. A small, sweet smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Her calm, clear voice clearly sounded happy.
"Then, please queue up. But before entering, I suggest you carefully read the entry instructions. So you don't accidentally break the shop's rules later... After all, we must be careful when interacting with cats."
Yuu, already used to having his opinions ignored, said casually: "No problem. I have cats at home too. They're obedient, cute, and good at guarding the house. I don't see anything to worry about."
"..."
Yukino's shoulders clearly trembled. Then, she seemed to suppress the urge to ask further. She turned her face unnaturally, snorting in a stiff, cold tone:
"This is outside, not your home. Don't be too free."
"Alright, President~" Yuu drawled lazily. He seemed indifferent, but was actually continuously observing Masuzu.
After they all read the instructions on the small board outside the shop, they pulled out their phones and happily discussed the photos they took at the summit.
Besides Yuu and Masuzu, Yukino was also drawn into the group by Yuigahama. Though not very enthusiastic, she wasn't bored either.
"This photo's a bit dark—delete it."
"You took way too many..."
"Do you have Instagram? Let's follow each other, then we can upload the photos."
"Yuu, Yukinon, and Natsukawa-san don't have it. The three of us can follow each other and tag one another."
"How about we make a group? I'll upload all the photos I just took. I took a lot when I was excited."
"Ah, great idea!"
On Yumiko's suggestion, all six exchanged LINE Ids. Yumiko started and created a small group for communication.
Before notifications rang nonstop, they silenced their alerts. Then, they began viewing the photos continuously updated in the group album to pass the time while queuing.
Yuu also browsed. He wasn't sure if these photos would still exist after a world line reset—photos he took with Haruno had completely vanished, making him feel slightly regretful when he thought about it.
Why weren't the system's stored dark histories the ones deleted?
Back to the main topic.
This time, others were involved. Even if his relationship with Masuzu disappeared, as long as he was still in the same group with Yukino on picnic day, the fact that the two groups met and took photos at the summit wouldn't change much. At most, their expressions and positions would differ.
Besides, he didn't take any solo photos with Masuzu. In these group photos, nothing showed how close they were—such distance, not even lovers, people wouldn't believe they were ordinary friends.
Yuu shifted his gaze from Masuzu on the screen to the real one.
Masuzu leaned against the wall. Her expression was the same as in the photo, with little spirit in her eyes. She seemed to have suddenly lost her soul, or like she hadn't woken up yet. Her focus wasn't on her phone at all. She just flipped through the photos like a robot.
"Was what I said earlier really that crushing?"
Yuu was slightly shocked. He also pondered if he'd gone too far.
But he didn't feel he'd done anything wrong.
Whether it was telling the truth, forcing her to face reality this way, or giving her a chance to properly sort her feelings—Yuu never forgot that the main reason he became their boyfriend was to fill the emptiness in their hearts, make them smile, and let them leave this world line, not to have fun with beautiful girls and drown in love.
While enjoying the feeling of love, he also had to ensure all the time he spent had meaning.
If emptiness was always filled with lies, his mission would never end. And Masuzu would never grow into a better, stronger woman like Haruno and Asuna.
His relationship with her, good or bad, was time to move to the next stage.
"Masuzu, there's a menu to look at. Want to see?" Yuu spoke to her as if nothing had happened.
After a few seconds of silence, Masuzu lifted her head. Her focus returned.
After glancing at him, she quickly hid her gaze behind her phone. "No need. I'll just order spaghetti."
"Right, you said you don't like eating, only eating nutritionless jelly every day... Then, I'll order tomato bolognese spaghetti for you. Want a cup of Apa tea too?"
Unbothered by his cold tone, Yuu shrugged. He lazily flipped through the menu.
But he didn't know if it was just his imagination—after he finished speaking, from the corner of his eye, Masuzu's expression seemed slightly relaxed, gradually returning to her normal temperature.
Though she didn't respond enthusiastically like usual, JOJO jokes were indeed very effective on JOJO-type girls like Masuzu.
For some reason, Yuu himself felt relieved.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
They didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later, a waitress came and led them inside.
First, they washed their hands. Then, she reiterated several rules—like no picking up cats, no flash photography, and so on. After confirming everything was fine, she led them to a round table and let them choose their seats.
The seating arrangement was as follows:
Yuu, Yui, Yumiko.
Masuzu, Yukino, Ordinary Girl.
Each group sat on one side. No one objected.
After the waitress took their orders and left, Yukino could no longer contain the joy in her heart. Pulling out her phone and turning on camera mode, she called to a calico cat slowly walking past the table:
"Meow~"
The cat heard the sound. It glanced at her, then walked toward her, lazily and proudly flicking its tail.
Then, as if giving her a reward, it jumped onto Yukino's lap. It sat down and yawned proudly.
"What—does it really come this spontaneously?"
Yukino's eyes widened, and she stayed silent for a long time. Then, two faint blushes slowly appeared on her pale face. After carefully taking a photo of the cat, she put her phone down. Her soft hands gently stroked the cat's back and neck, nervously observing its reactions.
She looked like a mother caring for a newborn baby, her face filled with happiness, satisfaction, and maternal light.
"Meow~"
Everyone who saw this scene and heard this sound felt as if healed by the most beautiful thing in the world.
Noticing Yuigahama raising her phone, as if wanting to take a photo of the scene in front of her, Yukino quickly snapped back to reality. Covering the upper half of her face with her arm, she scolded in a soft, embarrassed voice:
"Yuigahama-san, I don't allow secret photos!"
"Ah, sorry... Hehehe~ It's just that current Yukinon is so cute, I couldn't help wanting to press the button!"
Yuigahama laughed awkwardly, quickly putting her phone away.
Though slightly regretful, seeing Yukino clearly uncomfortable yet trying to restrain her reactions so as not to disturb the little cat, Yuigahama's heart filled with a strange warmth. She felt she could eat three bowls of rice just from this scene.
Regarding this, not just Ordinary Girl, even Yumiko nodded in agreement.
"If you're so bored, go call another cat to pet."
Yukino sighed wearily. She was too lazy to pay attention to this unserious group. She tried to focus on the noble task of petting the cat.
But she forgot—one person in front of her was the most unserious of all.
"I didn't take a photo, but I recorded it... Starting from your 'meow' sound."
Yuu shook his phone, smiling innocently.
"No way?" She slightly raised an eyebrow. Yukino looked at him suspiciously, not losing her basic calm and rationality. "Video recordings have a shutter sound too. And again, how could I let you point your phone camera at me right in front of me?"
"Because you were too focused on the cat?" Yuu opened the video and showed it to her. "Look. Though only a few seconds, it could already become a treasure for some people."
Needless to say, "some people" here clearly included Haruno.
In the video, Yukino slightly shrank her shoulders, bit her lip, and called the calico cat with a soft "meow" sound. It was the personification of the word cute.
Yukino froze in place. The shock seemed too great—she forgot how to react. Only her face gradually changed, but the blush on her ears never faded.
At this moment, Yuigahama gently tugged his sleeve. She giggled and whispered, "Yuu, send me a copy later..."
"How about just posting it in the group?" Yumiko, with sharp hearing, suggested. Ordinary Girl agreed too.
"That..." Yuu hadn't answered. He swiftly pulled his hand back, successfully protecting his phone from her small, soft, white hand.
"Yukinoshita-san, robbery isn't something you'd do."
"Delete the vi-de-o!"
To prevent the cat, which had finally climbed onto her lap, from running away, Yukino tried to keep her voice low. Her entire face turned red. She gritted her teeth and glared at him.
"Eh? It'd be a shame to delete it. I recorded it with great effort. It's not an embarrassing scene either."
Though he used the supernatural Existence Adjustment ability, this video was truly recorded by Yuu with his skill. How could it be deleted so easily?
"Calm down, it won't spread. If a seventh person besides us sees this video, I'll become Miss Yukinoshita's dog. I'll become your Chainsaw Man."
"I don't understand what you're saying. Anyway, delete it quickly."
The cat on her lap suddenly jumped. It left Yukino's lap. She sighed "ah" regretfully. Then, she turned her freezing gaze. She stared at him coldly and angrily.
Clearing his throat twice, Yuu put his phone in his pocket. He spoke with a serious expression: "I obtained permission before recording."
"Who gave you permission?" Killing intent flashed in Yukino's eyes.
"Masuzu."
"Natsukawa-san?" Yukino glanced at the silent Masuzu. There wasn't a hint of doubt on her face. She kept staring at Yuu with a cold smile. "Bad lies are enough. If you don't delete that video..."
"True, I saw him secretly recording you, and I didn't stop him."
Masuzu suddenly spoke, cutting her off. She said with a slightly regretful tone: "If that counts as silent permission, then I and he are accomplices. Sorry, Yukinoshita-san."
Yukino stared at her for several seconds. Finally, she withdrew her cold gaze.
"...Anyway, just delete the video."
Masuzu looked at Yuu.
Shrugging, Yuu deleted the video in front of Yukino. Only then did this small commotion end.
As for recovering the file at home, Yuu didn't even consider it—if he truly wanted to keep this video, he wouldn't have shown it in the first place.
"I need to use the restroom."
The food hadn't arrived. Masuzu suddenly stood up and walked toward the toilets.
Not long after she left, Yuigahama also rose from her seat.
"I need to go to the restroom too."