The sight of the two leaving the room went unnoticed by others.
So, aside from the Service Club members, no one knew that Masuzu and Yuu had spent the night together.
"If word got out, those single kendo club guys who've been solo for ages might gang up on you. I heard virgins have a strong sense of envy."
"I'm a virgin too… And since they know they can't beat me, they'd probably just grit their teeth, cry, and seethe from the sidelines."
Without a shred of empathy, the two casually discussed the sorrows of single life. Fortunately, they didn't run into any kendo club members on the way. Otherwise, the inn might have been filled with an aura of resentment from the morning.
Breakfast was also served in the dining hall.
The inn provided a standard Japanese-style breakfast. The closer they got to the dining hall, the stronger the aroma.
Masuzu walked beside Yuu. Before entering the dining hall, she deliberately tilted her slender neck and lifted her long hair, letting him check if any gaps were visible.
"Relax, the visible parts are covered with a bandage. As long as you don't lift your shirt, nothing will show."
Reaching out, he gently touched the bandage on her collarbone. Recalling the strawberry marks he left last night and the soft texture of her skin when he kissed it, Yuu felt his pants stir again.
A man in the morning has boundless energy.
He casually averted his gaze, banishing the lewd memories that surfaced in his mind.
Masuzu let her hair down and sighed with mock sadness. "These are possessive marks, aren't they? As expected, men in bed are like beasts. They don't care at all how the girl will be gossiped about afterward. They just shake their bodies to vent their desires…"
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't shake anything."
"Because I was the one shaking." Looking up proudly, Masuzu smiled triumphantly. Her blue eyes sparkled as she playfully hugged his arm.
"But even if they're not hidden, I don't mind."
Her chest pressed against Yuu's arm. Masuzu whispered softly, "Letting everyone know I'm yours—wasn't that your motive for leaving those kiss marks, my dear Yuu?"
Her tone carried a hint of mockery, but Yuu shook his head in denial.
"Sorry, a man driven by instinct doesn't think that far."
Masuzu wasn't discouraged. She kept pressing him. "So you admit you're a beast?"
"I never denied it from the start. And even if I'm a beast, there's probably no beast more restrained than me…"
He suddenly remembered something. Yuu couldn't help but remind her, "By the way, don't pretend to limp or act like you're in pain in front of others later. The national championship is close, and I don't want to be misunderstood as a pervert who doesn't care about important things."
Especially in front of the dignified and pure Snow Maiden.
Though she'd likely still look at him like he was scum, if Yukino truly thought he'd done something like that before the match, besides his rating plummeting, Yuu might be outright shunned, with an unbridgeable gap forming between them.
Yuu, who saw Yukino as a friend, didn't want that to happen.
So, as much as possible, he wanted to maintain his image in Yukino's eyes. At the very least, he didn't want to be blamed without reason—including covering the kiss marks, which was partly motivated by this.
Of course, if Masuzu was unhappy, he'd let the misunderstanding happen. His girlfriend was the priority.
After all, Yuu was only one step away from actually going there, so it wasn't exactly a baseless accusation.
"I know." As if reading his mind, Masuzu sighed. "You're afraid Dango-chan will be too sad, right?"
"Yui?"
Yuu blinked. Only then did he realize—indeed, misunderstanding or not, Yuigahama's reaction would likely be stronger than Yukino's.
"The person you love spending a sweet night with his girlfriend. Just imagining it makes you tremble, and it hurts so much you can't cry." Masuzu lowered her head. Her pace unconsciously slowed, and her voice grew soft.
"Yet yesterday, she personally brought my bag here. She even said, 'Go for it, Yuu-kun really loves you, don't let him down!'… She's such an idiot."
"So stupid that I started thinking the one who should be by your side isn't me, but her. I even wanted to set you two up."
"…"
Listening to her somewhat sad confession, Yuu stayed silent. He only interlocked his fingers with hers, hoping this action would give her enough security and tell her: I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.
As if instantly receiving his feelings, Masuzu gripped his hand tightly in return.
"Mmm, so that's a thought from the past."
She looked up. Her blue eyes sparkled again. Her voice was clear and confident. "Until now, though I don't plan to show off in front of her, I won't go soft and give up my place by your side—"
In the past, words like these would've come from her mouth only to tease her fake boyfriend.
But unknowingly, Masuzu had forgotten which was fake and which was real.
Just as she'd once envied them, she said what she truly wanted from the depths of her heart.
"When it comes to possessiveness, I won't lose to anyone!"
"Masuzu… You've really grown."
Yuu couldn't help but pat her head. As if seeing his own child become independent, his tone was filled with an odd sense of satisfaction.
Before Masuzu could protest his treating her like a kid, they reached the restaurant door and crossed paths with two girls coming from the opposite corridor.
"…"
"…"
After a brief silence that felt like the air freezing, Yuigahama was the first to raise her hand and greet them.
"Yahaalooo~ So sweet. So lovey-dovey in the morning."
Before Yuu could respond, Masuzu let go of his hand and bowed gracefully.
"Such excessive praise. It truly embarrasses me."
"So polite!?"
Yuigahama was shocked, stepping back. The bun on her head almost bounced.
Ignoring her surprise, Masuzu continued using overly formal language. She bowed and said, "Last night, I'm deeply grateful for your care. I've reflected on all my past actions. Please accept my sincere apologies, Yuigahama-san, who is like a goddess."
"I'm not happy being praised like that! Natsukawa-san, are you awake? Are you still sleep-talking?"
"Sorry, could you scold me with harsher words? Things like this don't affect me anymore. Words like 'female pig,' you can say them, right? Or should I show you an educational video about it?"
"NO WAY! Aaaah—Even though it's great that Natsukawa-san is back to normal, she feels weirder than before—"
On one side, Yuigahama screamed while clutching her head. On the other, Yukino was staring at Yuu.
"You've made up?"
"We never fought."
"You comforted her all night?"
"Didn't do anything that would affect the match. Relax, Club President."
"No need. Do whatever you want. I'm not the one competing."
The conversation ended there, brief but full of understanding.
Her expression was as flat as her tone. Yukino turned indifferently and walked into the restaurant.
Perhaps it was an illusion.
Yuu thought he saw her soft lips curve slightly, but in the blink of an eye, they returned to their indifferent arc.
The four of them, with a tacit understanding, didn't mention what the two did last night or whether they did anything beyond sleeping.
They simply continued the peaceful atmosphere, so different from yesterday, and entered the restaurant to enjoy this morning's breakfast.