Yuuna and Kouhei stood together in front of the apartment building, the morning light casting a soft glow on their crisp school uniforms. The air was still cool, a gentle breeze brushing against their skin as if nature itself was wishing them luck for the day ahead.
Their matching blazers and neat appearance gave off an unmistakable sense of harmony, like a couple in sync without needing words to express it.
From the doorway, Yukari stepped out with a teasing smile playing on her lips. Her eyes sparkled as she looked them over, her gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
"My, my… you two really do look good together," she said with a wistful sigh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ah~, to be young. I wish I could still pull off wearing my old blazer again."
Yuuna smiled warmly, her voice gentle yet confident. "You can still wear it, Yukari-san. You're still youthful yourself. If you wore it, honestly, I doubt anyone would even question your age."
Yukari's eyes widened a little, clearly pleased. "Oh my… Really? That makes me so happy to hear." She chuckled softly, placing a hand on her cheek, clearly flattered. "Well then, I suppose it's time for you two to head out. You'll be late if you keep dawdling here."
Yuuna bowed respectfully. "Thank you for letting me stay the night."
"Oh, don't mention it," Yukari waved a hand playfully. "Since you're Kou's girlfriend, you're welcome here any time. Feel free to treat this place like your own." She paused, then leaned forward slightly with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Though just to be clear—I don't mean that kind of usage. But if you do decide to use it that way… just make sure you use protection."
Her words trailed into an awkward laugh, the implication clear, though her tone was more playful than serious. The atmosphere shifted, a flicker of tension in the air, as Kouhei looked off to the side, pretending not to hear her, while Yuuna simply smiled awkwardly.
Yukari clapped her hands lightly. "Anyway, have a safe trip, you two!"
Just as she turned to retreat inside, a sudden voice broke the calm.
The exclamation rang through the hallway, sharp and surprised. All three of them instinctively turned toward the sound.
A girl stood a short distance away, frozen in place, her hand near her mouth in surprise. Her eyes were wide, her expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief.
It was none other than Himeno Yui—Kouhei's underclassman in the school. Recently, he had started seeing her more and more, often by coincidence, and now… here she was again.
"Okumura-senpai and… Sarushima-senpai…?" she said, tilting her head with a look of visible confusion. "Wow… What a surprise to see you two together this early in the morning! But, um… why are you here together…?"
The question hung in the air like a heavy mist.
Yuuna and Kouhei exchanged a quick glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Their relationship wasn't meant to be public knowledge just yet... especially not under these circumstances.
Because, truth be told, Yuuna wasn't the only girlfriend.
There were four others, and it was Hina, Nagisa, Aria, and Misuzu.
And precisely because of that, none of them wanted a single girl to be publicly labeled as "the official one." That would be unfair. And so, they kept everything under wraps, at least for now.
"Hm?" Yukari poked her head back out from behind the door, curiosity getting the better of her. "What's going on out here? Oh? Who's this?"
"She's, uh… a kouhai from school," Kouhei quickly replied, trying to sound casual.
Yui bowed politely. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Himeno Yui. If I'm not mistaken, you live here, right? If so… then I guess we're neighbors! I just moved in and I'm renting the unit next door!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Yukari said, eyebrows raised. "Well, technically, I'm just visiting. The one actually living here is Kou."
"Wait… Okumura-senpai?!" Yui's eyes widened even more, her voice laced with surprise and barely concealed excitement. "I had no idea! I honestly thought no one lived here. The landlady mentioned the place was rented, but since I never saw anyone, I assumed it was a working adult. I never imagined it would be you, Okumura-senpai! I really admire you, so this is such an unexpected surprise!"
"Kou," Yukari said with a chuckle, nudging him lightly with her elbow. "I had no idea a kouhai admired you. How sweet."
Then her tone shifted, just enough to pierce the air like a sudden gust.
"But Yui-chan," she said with a knowing smile, "no matter how much you admire him, you can't have him. Kou already has a loving girlfriend, after all. Isn't that right?"
Both Kouhei and Yuuna stiffened on the spot.
The tension in the air was almost palpable now.
The truth had been casually and unintentionally exposed.
Yui blinked, her lips parting slightly in disbelief. "Okumura-senpai… and Sarushima-senpai…? You're in a relationship…?"
"Yes," Yukari answered before either of them could respond, her voice brimming with pride. "And they seem to be absolutely in love with each other!"
She clapped her hands again. "Anyway, since the three of you are going to the same place, I'll leave the rest to you. Kou, you better make sure you get these two ladies to school safely, or else I'll be very upset."
"I-I know…" Kouhei muttered, flustered by the unexpected reveal. His voice trembled slightly, still trying to regain composure.
"Alright then! Take care now!" Yukari said cheerfully before slipping back into the apartment and closing the door behind her.
The moment hung in the air, and it was heavy with awkwardness.
Yui looked at them both, a teasing grin starting to form on her lips.
"Hehehe… Did I just stumble on a secret by accident?"
Yuuna stepped forward, her shoes softly scraping against the concrete as she approached the younger girl with a gentle but composed look.
"…Himeno-san, right?" she said, her voice calm, though laced with a quiet seriousness. The wind caught the ends of her hair, lifting them ever so slightly as she paused. "You do understand that we're trying to keep this under wraps, don't you?"
Yui tilted her head, the same ever-cheeky smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her eyes sparkled with playful mischief, but something in them hinted at deeper curiosity, like a cat pretending to be harmless while circling its prey.
"I do, Sarushima-senpai," Yui replied sweetly, the tone of her voice airy but her gaze sharp. "But I have to wonder... why hide it? Is there something wrong with your relationship that makes you want to keep it a secret?"
Her words floated out with casual innocence, but the underlying edge in her voice couldn't be ignored. It wasn't confrontational, but neither was it naïve. Somehow, without knowing the full truth, it felt as if she already suspected something she wasn't supposed to.
Yuuna didn't flinch. Instead, she held her ground and smiled.
"I'm sorry, Himeno-san," she said. "But I'd appreciate it if you could keep this between us."
For a moment, silence lingered.
But the smile on Yui's lips didn't waver. In fact, it widened.
"You don't have to scare me like that, Sarushima-senpai," she said, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. "I can seal my lips, no problem."
She lifted a hand to her mouth and made a show of miming a zipper, dragging her fingers across her lips as though locking them shut, then tossing away the invisible key with a dramatic flick.
Yet before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, she dropped the next bomb with a casualness that made both Yuuna and Kouhei freeze.
"However…" she said, her voice taking on a singsong quality, "I don't think the others who've seen you two together just now could zip their mouths shut so easily."
She gestured downward with a slight tilt of her head.
Yuuna and Kouhei instinctively followed her gaze.
Below them, a small cluster of students in their school uniforms stood frozen at the base of the stairs, looking up with mixed expressions. Some had already started whispering amongst themselves.
The damage had been done.
"I'm pretty sure they saw even more than I did," Yui added with a chuckle.
But she wasn't finished.
"Well…" she continued, her expression twisting into something more impish. "Maybe we could minimize the fallout if I, say, looped my arms around Senpai… ."
Before Kouhei could react, she stepped beside him in one swift motion, snaking her arms around his arm and pressing her soft chest against his side.
"I think it'd lessen the damage if I did this," she said with innocence, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. "They'd probably mistake me for your girlfriend or something. Isn't that… better?"
Her voice was sweet. Too sweet, actually. Every syllable was laced with the kind of devilish charm that made it impossible to tell whether she was genuinely trying to help or just enjoying the chaos she'd stirred.
Yuuna's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She didn't speak, but her expression said enough.
"Oh my~ You look like you don't like that, huh, Senpai?" Yui turned to Yuuna with a coy smile, releasing Kouhei and stepping back, as if her little stunt had been nothing more than an innocent joke.
She stretched her arms above her head, yawning lazily.
"I think it'll be fine in the end," she said nonchalantly. "It'll probably just turn into a little rumor, nothing major. And you don't have to worry—I won't say anything about it."
Then she paused, glancing at Kouhei with that same mischievous glint in her eyes.
"However," she said slowly, "I do have a small request, Okumura-senpai."
Kouhei looked at her.
Yui leaned in just a bit, grinning like a fox that had just stolen a hen.
"I want you to help me cook… from time to time," she said, her voice honeyed and laced with playful intent.
She turned away, humming to herself as if nothing unusual had just occurred, leaving Kouhei and Yuuna standing there, stunned and unsure whether they had just been saved… or completely outplayed.