"You can't drink this!"
Yukiko shuddered in fear, hurriedly taking a step back and hiding the bottle behind her back.
"Why can't I drink the barley tea?" Mr. Fujimine asked, a look of confusion on his face. "I saw it; there's still more than half a bottle left."
But that's not barley tea!!!
Yukiko's mouth twitched. Feeling the temperature of the bottle, she had a sudden stroke of wit. "Th-this isn't chilled! I took it out too long ago, and it's already gone lukewarm. Dad, if you want something ice-cold, you should go out and buy a fresh one yourself!"
Without waiting for Mr. Fujimine's reply, Yukiko hurriedly sidestepped her father and walked quickly toward the bathroom.
"Why are you taking barley tea into the bathroom?" Mr. Fujimine became even more perplexed.
"It doesn't taste good anymore, I'm going to pour it out!" Yukiko let out a dry laugh and bolted into the bathroom as if escaping.
Mr. Fujimine frowned, turning to his wife sitting on the sofa. "Don't you think Yukiko is acting a bit strange tonight?"
"You noticed too?" Mrs. Fujimine nodded in deep agreement. "The more I think about it, the more I feel something is off with her."
"Do you think she's being bullied at the film set?" Mr. Fujimine speculated.
"Impossible," Mrs. Fujimine shook her head. "Given our reputation alone, no one would dare bully her."
At this, she glanced thoughtfully toward her daughter's bedroom. "Thinking back, it seems Yukiko is hiding something in her room. When I helped her tidy up earlier, she was clearly very afraid of me finding something."
"It couldn't be that she's hiding a boy, could it?" Mr. Fujimine cracked a joke, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"You think that's impossible?" Mrs. Fujimine shot her husband a sidelong glance.
"Surely not?" Seeing Mrs. Fujimine's stern face, Mr. Fujimine's expression also became serious. "Should we go check Yukiko's bedroom?"
"Don't be in such a hurry," Mrs. Fujimine pressed her husband's arm. "Let's observe for a bit. What if we're just overthinking it?"
In the bathroom, Yukiko had no idea her actions had already aroused her parents' suspicion. After pouring out all the liquid from the bottle, she let out a long sigh of relief, left the bathroom, and prepared to return to her bedroom.
Unexpectedly, as she passed through the living room, her parents called out to her.
"Is something wrong?" Yukiko's eyes darted around, her voice betraying her guilt.
"That Hayashi-kun we met at City Hall last time—have the two of you still been in touch lately?" Mrs. Fujimine didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
"N-no!" Yukiko hurriedly shook her head like a rattle. "I've been busy filming at the set lately, how would I have time for him!"
"Really?" Mrs. Fujimine looked suspicious.
"Of course it's true," Yukiko gave a dry laugh that looked more painful than crying. "Anyway, Mom, I'm exhausted. I'm going back to my room!"
With that, she quickly hurried toward her bedroom.
Mr. Fujimine watched his daughter's departing figure, his tense shoulders relaxing. "It's good that Yukiko isn't dating a boy. She's still too young at her age."
"You believe whatever she says?" Mrs. Fujimine said huffily. "Think about it—if nothing was wrong, why would she come home during the filming period?"
"You mean," Mr. Fujimine recalled his wife's earlier question, "she came back to Beika for that Hayashi Shuichi?"
"Otherwise? Do you really think she came back to see us?" Mrs. Fujimine curled her lip.
"Sigh, a daughter can't be kept once she's grown," Mr. Fujimine sighed. "Back then, didn't you also hide it from your parents and secretly meet me all the time?"
"There must have been something wrong with my brain for me to take an interest in you!" Mrs. Fujimine glared at her husband. "Yukiko can date, but she absolutely cannot bring a boy home at this stage. She's still small; if something were to happen..."
"But we met that Hayashi-kun," Mr. Fujimine tried to defend Hayashi Shuichi. "He seemed very reliable; he probably wouldn't..."
"He looks reliable, but when it actually comes to that moment, which man can restrain himself?" Mrs. Fujimine reached out and pinched her husband's waist, then stood up. "If you had been able to control yourself back then, Yukiko wouldn't even have been born."
"Where are you going?" Mr. Fujimine looked surprised.
"Where else?" Mrs. Fujimine rolled her eyes at him. "To check my daughter's room again, of course. I don't want to be holding a grandchild this soon!"
Inside the bedroom.
Yukiko and Hayashi Shuichi were already lying on the bed, preparing to rest. Hayashi Shuichi had specifically set an alarm for the middle of the night; by then, the Fujimine couple should be asleep, allowing him to leave.
"Are we really sleeping like this?"
Lying on the bed, Hayashi Shuichi turned his head. In front of him was that adorable toy bear, completely blocking his view of the girl on the other side.
"Of course we're sleeping like this!" Yukiko crossed her arms over her chest and gave a charming huff. "Don't forget what you promised me just now!"
"But this is too uncomfortable. We can't even talk," Hayashi Shuichi suggested. "How about we remove the plushies in the middle?"
"No! If there are no plushies in the middle, what if you lean over?" Yukiko immediately objected with vigilance, her hands gripping the toy bear tightly.
"I can swear!" Hayashi Shuichi raised his hand, his eyes full of sincerity.
"I don't believe you!" Yukiko let out a soft laugh. "Once the plushies are gone, you'll probably swear again that you just want a hug and won't do anything else. Then next, you'll say you just want to touch, and then..."
By the end of her sentence, the girl's face was flushed red, and her voice became smaller and smaller.
"You sure know a lot; you're not easy to fool," Hayashi Shuichi sighed. He really had been thinking exactly that.
The girl climbed up and lay across the toy bear, leaning over to look at the disappointed Hayashi Shuichi. Her lively eyes were full of amusement.
"Hmph, Big! Per! Vert!"
Looking at her smiling face, Hayashi Shuichi could no longer hold back. He suddenly reached out, wanting to pull the girl into his arms.
Yukiko giggled and hurriedly dodged away.
Just as the two were playing around, the bedroom door was suddenly knocked.
"Yukiko? Who are you talking to?" Mrs. Fujimine's voice drifted in from outside.
"N-no one!" Yukiko trembled in fear, the cheerful smile on her face vanishing instantly.
"No one?" Mrs. Fujimine pressed. "Then why did I hear voices while I was outside?"
Yukiko panicked instantly, her hands unconsciously clutching the quilt, not knowing how to answer.
On this side, Hayashi Shuichi hurriedly pointed at the script on the table.
The girl caught his meaning immediately. "I was just memorizing my lines!"
"Is that so?" Mrs. Fujimine outside clearly didn't quite believe her. "Open the door; Mama has something to say to you."
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