Given Yukino's personality, the fact that she would take the initiative to ask such a question meant it was anything but casual.

She genuinely cared about this matter, which was why she had asked right away.

Haru knew that perfectly well, and instead of answering, he threw the question back at her.

"What do you think?"

"I'm the one asking you right now." Yukino's tone remained calm and even.

"I know," Haru replied with a nod, "but I'd like to hear your opinion first."

Yukino bit into her sandwich, then fell silent as if sinking into thought.

Haru, relying on their years of friendship, smiled and said,

"Let me guess—you don't actually want me to turn her down. You want to be there to see it in person, don't you?"

Yukino's long lashes trembled, and something unguarded flickered in her beautiful eyes.

He kept smiling.

"We once made a deal—you'd let me take a photoshoot of you in a cat-girl costume. But you've never done anything like that before, so your modesty and shyness were wrestling with each other. At the same time, you worried I might do… odd things while shooting."

Yukino swallowed her bite of sandwich, picked up her glass of milk, and held it tightly.

"If you already figured it out, why do you have to say it?"

By the time she reached the end of that sentence, her delicate face had turned slightly pink.

Haru studied the flush on her cheeks with satisfaction.

"Because you look especially cute when you're like this."

"…I knew you wouldn't have anything decent to say."

Her face still red, Yukino shot back first, then admitted,

"You're right. I do want to be there. I want to see Senpai embarrassed and flustered with my own eyes."

Haru's voice took on an odd note.

"And why would Senpai be embarrassed?"

Yukino declared with complete confidence,

"Because you're so perverted—you'll definitely do something strange at the shoot."

"And why wouldn't it be her doing something to me instead?"

That made Yukino pause. She even considered it seriously.

"…Fair point. She's definitely capable of that sort of thing."

Haru couldn't help laughing. He'd read her thoughts from the start, but because of her reserved nature, she wouldn't spell them out. So he slowly, patiently peeled away the layers until that mix of shyness and irritation showed on her face—something he very much enjoyed.

It was just like how, when he stripped off Yukino's skirt and thigh-highs, he always took his time—so he could savor her cuteness for longer.

After a few more minutes, Yukino's attention started to wander, her whole demeanor turning languid.

Sensing the "sage-time" buff taking hold, Haru pressed forward.

"You've got something else you want to say, don't you?"

She leaned back in her chair, body relaxed, and gave a lazy smile.

"You noticed?"

"More or less. Let me guess—you're thinking it's Senpai's birthday today, and both for personal and practical reasons, you're willing to give her a little leeway—like granting her a special request. But you also want to watch the shoot up close. So if she refuses, you'd think that's a pity."

Yukino fell silent.

Her mood was strange now—half the pleasant haze of relaxation, half the effort of trying to think through how to answer him.

Seeing her eyes flicker back and forth, Haru teased,

"If she says no, you could always just sneak in and watch anyway. Observation is still observation."

Yukino froze for a moment—then, against the pull of her lazy comfort, sat up straight.

"…Sneak in? That might actually work."

This time, Haru was the one surprised.

"I was joking. Don't take it seriously."

But Yukino ignored him, murmuring to herself,

"She'll definitely have you shoot in the bedroom. My wardrobe's pretty big… If I hid inside, no one would notice."

What kind of bizarre eroge plotline is this?

Haru couldn't keep a straight face.

"I was just making conversation. If you really want to be there, I'll convince her for you."

"No—you won't be able to convince her."

It was clear she had already made up her mind.

Haru decided he'd better help her "relax" completely before she ran too far with this plan.

So, when she settled back again, he got up, walked over, and in one smooth motion scooped her into his arms princess-style.

She instinctively hooked her arms around his neck.

"…What are you doing?"

"Your mind's too tangled right now. You need a morning workout to clear it."

Her cheeks flared red.

"You're at it again?"

Without answering, Haru carried her toward the bedroom.

Yukino didn't fight it—just gave him a weary look.

"I really don't want to move right now."

"That's fine. I'll do the moving."

…

That afternoon, Haru came back from grocery shopping, ready to cook up a proper feast.

Utaha had called earlier, saying she'd have lunch with her parents but come over for dinner.

Her excuse was well-worn by now: My friends are throwing me a birthday party.

Technically true—plenty convincing for her folks.

Haru was rinsing vegetables when the doorbell rang.

Moments later, he heard Yukino and Megumi's voices in the living room—exactly as he'd expected. He poked his head out to greet Megumi before going back to work.

His cooking skill had long since leveled up to [Drugging], and thanks to his increasingly outrageous culinary talent—bordering on Cooking Master Boy levels—Yukino and the others had grown ever more dependent on his food. The more he cooked, the more invested he became, until that skill had now maxed out.

[Your (Drugging) skill has reached maximum level.]

[Special Effect Added: You may use your own… materials to craft any item—such as skincare products or snacks. Anything you make will have nourishing, restorative, and beautifying effects.]

That description had popped up while he was making lunch earlier.

He still wasn't sure what exactly "use your own materials" meant—but he had a vague, outlandish, and frankly absurd guess.

Before he could ponder further, Yukino's voice called from the other room.

"Haru, remember how I told you Hiratsuka-sensei wanted to help our photography club this year?"

"I remember. Why?" he called back.

Yukino appeared in the doorway.

"She messaged me online just now about some shoot details. I told her Senpai would be here tonight for her birthday. Sounds like she's thinking of coming over for dinner too."

"Let her come—it's just another set of chopsticks."

Yukino nodded and left to reply.

Two minutes later, Haru caught movement in the doorway again—this time Megumi.

She'd clearly dressed up for the occasion, wearing a top with a cute little bow at the neckline. When she stopped, the bow swayed—and so did Haru's gaze.

She caught him looking.

"You've gotten more and more lecherous lately, Amamiya-kun."

"…Huh?" He was genuinely puzzled—he'd only glanced.

Her voice was soft.

"You already touched me everywhere the other day. If you're thinking of doing something again now, I should warn you—Yukinoshita could walk in any second."

Haru's expression turned strange. This tone—wasn't that teasing… No, this is seduction?

Looking at the faint blush on her face, he suddenly had a thought.

"Kato, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

He lowered his voice.

"After you went back to your room that night… did you sleep well?"

It was about as tactful as he could make it.

Put bluntly: You didn't… relieve yourself, did you?

Megumi's blush deepened, her breathing turning uneven. She avoided his eyes, turning her crimson face away.

"Should I be saying 'as expected of you'? You're frighteningly good at asking questions that make a girl embarrassed."

"It's just a question—you don't have to answer."

She said nothing, and he went back to chopping vegetables.

A minute later, he heard her footsteps retreat.

Then her soft voice drifted back:

"…I was wet."

Haru's knife froze mid-cut. He spun around, but she was already gone.

Wet.

That was… an unambiguous answer.

Clearly, she'd done something that night—enough to unlock a "new achievement."

The fact that she admitted it at all surprised him. Bold, indeed. Definitely seduction.

When Haru's second dish was ready, new voices sounded in the living room—Utaha and Hiratsuka-sensei, arriving together.

Hiratsuka soon appeared at the kitchen door, sniffing the air like a hound. Her eyes lit up, her throat moved.

"That fish smells incredible."

"Just some Osaka crucian carp. Pretty common. But I'll take that as proof your nose is still sharp," Haru said with a grin.

~~~~~~~~~~

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