"I guess so." Akira did not deny it.
When Yukinoshita Haruno heard this answer, she nodded with great satisfaction.
Then she leaned closer, whispering something in Akira's ear.
"What about your girlfriend? She's Yukino's friend. Why did you abandon her? Or rather, can Akira-kun really bear to abandon such a lovely girlfriend?"
Akira looked at her without answering.
When Haruno saw his expression, she immediately understood his silence.
"Akira-kun is really greedy," Haruno chuckled. "But I do likes such an honest Akira-kun."
...
Half an hour later,
Inside an elegantly decorated restaurant, soft piano music drifted through the air.
Akira and Yukinoshita Haruno sat by the window.
"By the way, Akira-kun, I haven't paid you back for the two things you did for me. Do you want to exchange the reward for a condition? Anything is fine." Haruno chuckled, her eyes glimmering.
"Are you sure anything is okay?" Akira looked at her.
"Akira-kun, your eyes are so dangerous~," Haruno teased, pretending to look afraid.
"I'm going to serialize a comic in Future Comics. It's already been approved by the editor. In the future, there will be other series, and I want the animation rights for these comics to remain in my hands." Akira spoke calmly.
".... Is this condition enough? You could propose something far more extreme, and I wouldn't refuse." Haruno stretched out her hand, placing it lightly on top of his.
"....I feel like you're the more dangerous one," Akira said, glancing at her small hand but not pulling away.
Haruno smiled and withdrew her hand.
"When I was in high school, my mother said she would choose a good husband for me to help manage the Yukinoshita family's assets."
"Mrs. Yukinoshita wants to control everything?"
"Yes. My mother is like that. That's also why my father moved out of the house."
"... Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Akira-kun is very reliable. If Yukino can like you, it proves your character isn't bad. And your attitude toward me… is very interesting."
"I just don't like your fake smile."
Haruno's smile faded slowly.
"When you face Shizuka-sensei, your smile is natural. I think that kind of Yukinoshita Haruno is the real one," Akira said in a low voice.
"Shizuka is special to me. If she were a man, we might have become husband and wife long ago." Haruno chuckled softly.
"Shizuka-sensei has helped you?"
"Yes. Shizuka helped me a lot. Because of her, I became the Yukinoshita Haruno you see today. Otherwise, I might have ended up like Yukino—cold and distant to everyone." Haruno's voice carried nostalgia.
"I see," Akira replied without surprise.
"Shizuka and I go way back. She was my teacher in junior high and high school. After I graduated, Yukino entered Sobu High, and I asked Shizuka to take care of her. But that child is different from me. She's like a flower on a mountaintop—beautiful, but distant." Haruno's eyes shifted toward the window.
Akira didn't speak. He had already expected this.
While silence filled the table, the food arrived. They began eating quietly.
Soft piano music filled the restaurant—elegant, light, with a touch of happiness.
Haruno looked up at Akira across the table.
"Akira-kun, can you remember this piano piece?"
"Almost. Do you want me to play it here?" Akira asked.
"As long as you can play it, I'll agree to another condition. Anything at all—even a date with me." Haruno smiled.
"...Wait until I'm full," Akira replied and returned to his food.
Haruno's smile deepened. She already knew he could do it.
...
After finishing his dinner,
Akira stood and walked toward the piano.
The pianist, who was on break, noticed him and immediately understood. He stood up and gave Akira the seat.
"Thank you," Akira said before sitting down and testing the keys.
After a brief warm-up, he began to play.
The pianist at first assumed this young man was just showing off in front of his girlfriend. But as soon as Akira's performance began, his eyes widened.
This… isn't worse than my own level?!
Yukinoshita Haruno, meanwhile, gazed at Akira with admiration.
His memory and precision were truly enviable.
When the piece ended, Akira stood and walked back to her.
Haruno clapped gracefully, her face glowing with delight.
"I wish I could have half of Akira-kun's memory. It's truly enviable."
"It's innate," Akira replied.
"Once you marry Yukino, I'll be able to order Akira-kun around at will. How about becoming my assistant?" Haruno raised her wine glass, smirking.
"I don't have that intention. You should manage the Yukinoshita family yourself." Akira shook his head.
"Akira-kun is really cruel. Sister is hurt."
Haruno took a sip of wine, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Don't drink too much. I don't want to carry you upstairs," Akira said lightly.
"Would you like to come to my bar? There's a piano there too. You can use it freely. I want to hear you play more songs." There was genuine anticipation in Haruno's eyes.
"Let's go," Akira said as he stood.
"Mr. Akira is so kind. You are making me like you even more." Haruno set down her glass, stood up, and took Akira's arm.
He felt the pressure of her closeness and glanced at her.
"This is the first time I've been so intimate with a man....Even Hayama didn't get this opportunity." Haruno whispered near his ear.
Akira said nothing, staring ahead.
But in his heart, only one thought echoed:
Hayama, you're too pitiful, aren't you?
.....
Angel's Stairway,
This was Yukinoshita Haruno's bar.
When Akira walked in with her, the first person he noticed at the counter was Kawasaki Saki.
That's right—this was the same bar from the anime, where Kawasaki secretly worked without her family's knowledge.
She was saving money for college.
Though she had the appearance of a delinquent at school, she was surprisingly ambitious.
"Akira-kun, I'm right beside you, yet you're staring at another girl. That's too much~," Haruno said, hugging his arm and feigning hurt.
"She's my classmate," Akira explained simply.
"I see..Well then, I'll go to the bathroom. You two can talk slowly. When I come back, I'll take you to my private room. There's plenty of wine there. Since I'm in such a good mood, I'll even let you drink a little~." Haruno smiled, let go of his arm, and walked off.
Akira watched her leave, then approached the counter.
"Sir, what would you like to drink—" Kawasaki stopped mid-sentence, surprised.
"Good evening, Kawasaki-san," Akira greeted.
"Good evening, Fujimiya-kun," Kawasaki replied, her tone mixed with caution.
"Give me anything I can drink." Akira didn't question her about working there. He simply placed the order.
"...Please wait," Kawasaki said, beginning her work.
Akira watched her skilled movements, quietly memorizing them.
It was another ability worth learning.
Minutes later, she placed a glass of blue cocktail in front of him.
Akira picked it up, took a sip, and his eyes lit up.
"Kawasaki-san, this tastes amazing."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kawasaki replied calmly. She wasn't the type to be swayed by appearances.
Akira studied her as he drank.
At school, he rarely saw Kawasaki's true face. She usually lay on her desk, asleep after class. During lunch breaks, she disappeared entirely.
But now, up close, he realized her beauty was no less than Miura Yumiko's, and her figure, while not as curvy as Yuigahama Yui's, surpassed that of most girls.
"My work here…" Kawasaki suddenly began.
"I won't tell anyone," Akira assured her.
"....Thank you," she breathed out in relief.
"You're welcome. I assume you're working for something important. If it's money, I can offer you a job that won't affect school hours and will also give you two hours of tutoring."
"My hourly wage here is 1,500 yen. How much can you pay me?" Kawasaki asked seriously.
"How many hours do you work a day?"
"About eight. On weekends, I take care of my sister, so I can't work then."
"So that's about 250,000 yen a month?"
"Yes."
"I can pay you 200,000 yen. You'll help me clean the apartment and cook. I'll provide accommodation. Shizuka-sensei also lives there, and tutoring too, sometimes be me, sometimes Yukinoshita Yukino." Akira said, thought it through carefully.
"If Yukinoshita tutors me...150,000 would be enough," Kawasaki replied firmly.
"Yukinoshita is busy for now, so I may have to cover most of the tutoring. Though I'm confident I can match her academically, it's still—"
"Can I join the Service Club? If so, I can ask Yukinoshita questions during lunch break." Kawasaki cut him off.
"No problem. There are already three students receiving tutoring through the Service Club. Adding you won't be an issue." Akira smiled.
"One last question. Why are you helping me?" Kawasaki looked straight at him.
Akira finished the last sip of his drink, then set the glass down with a calm smile.
...
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