Haru was currently in the living room, deep in thought.
He had a pretty good idea of why Yukino and Utaha had gone to the restroom.
It was just a simple case of nature calling.
He had even knocked on the door earlier to remind the two girls to hurry up. If they took too long, Megumi might figure things out.
In that case, even though he could pretend not to notice, the atmosphere would still become awkward.
But what he didn't expect was that, the seemingly unaffected Megumi, who had appeared totally fine just moments ago, had also gone into the restroom.
And he noticed that before she went in, she opened her bag and took something out.
He quickly turned his gaze away, avoiding seeing anything he shouldn't have.
At that moment, the restroom door opened, and Megumi came out again.
She was still holding the same bag.
He played it cool, casually asking, "Where are they?"
"They're taking a shower," she replied, walking over to Yukino and Utaha's bags, crouching down and pressing her skirt.
From his angle, Haru couldn't look directly, because it would appear as though he was trying to peek under the girl's skirt.
So, he pretended to focus on the laptop, casually watching the news. "I see, so you came here to help them with their clothes."
"Not just that, I need to shower too," Megumi said nonchalantly.
He paused for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "The three of you... are showering together?"
She turned her head and glanced at him. "Do you want to join, Amamiya-kun?"
Haru: "..."
Well, that shut the conversation down.
He was completely blocked.
Her way of breaking norms was a perfect counter to him.
Especially since she seemed so calm about everything.
Except for her slightly flushed face.
Before long, she went inside with the clothes.
Yukino and Utaha immediately glanced at her.
Megumi knew what they were about to ask, so she softly said, "Amamiya-kun didn't ask any more questions."
Both Yukino and Utaha let out a sigh of relief.
They could guess that Haru was probably just pretending.
But it didn't really matter whether he was faking it or not, as long as he didn't bring it up on purpose.
So, when Haru saw the three girls again, they were all wearing different skirts.
So, they really were trying to pull a "trio" move.
He thought to himself.
"I've decided, let's watch a comedy movie next," Utaha suggested eagerly.
Neither Yukino nor Megumi objected.
From their expressions, Haru could guess that the three of them must have reached an agreement while showering.
When he had booked the room earlier, he made sure to pick a place that, although a bit old-fashioned in style, was fully equipped with furniture and appliances. The bathtub was spacious enough for the three of them, as long as they didn't move around too much.
"Alright, then you choose,"Haru said, not wanting to spoil their mood now that they had all agreed on something.
Yukino sat beside him as usual, and Megumi took her spot from before.
But only Utaha, smiling, said, "I'm going to sit somewhere else."
With that, she moved to sit next to Haru.
Yukino's eyes instantly turned hostile. "Do you think this is funny?"
"It is," Utaha smiled and countered. "If you happen to get heatstroke again, at least I'll be here to take care of you."
Yukino's cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip, her eyes practically radiating killing intent.
This killing intent wasn't just for Utaha —it was also aimed at Haru.
After all, it was his ridiculous excuse of "heatstroke" that had caused the whole awkward situation.
"Alright, alright, let's just keep watching the movie," he said, stepping in at the right moment.
Since they were watching a comedy movie, it didn't really matter whether Utaha switched spots or not. And Yukino wouldn't end up blushing like before.
Yukino coldly shifted her gaze and said nothing more.
Her hostility toward Utaha hadn't decreased one bit.
The reason was simple: when they were all in the bath earlier, Utaha would frequently flaunt her chest to Yukino.
What angered Yukino the most was when she had instinctively covered her chest with a towel as she got out of the bathtub, and Utaha casually said, "Why hide something that's not there?"
That sentence had cut deep!
Yukino had almost turned red with embarrassment.
She had also noticed that Megumi had lowered her head instinctively, as if comparing herself internally.
"Let's watch this one," Utaha said, picking a classic film, My Robot Girlfriend.
It was a bit of an old-school classic.
As the movie began, the four of them snacked and watched seriously.
Haru didn't lose focus this time, as the female lead, Ayase Haruka, was undeniably attractive to men.
Yukino was also watching intently, and since it was a classic comedy film, she wouldn't be as embarrassed as she had been earlier.
However, Utaha was glancing around, clearly not planning to watch the movie seriously.
After a few minutes, she secretly reached over and took Haru's hand.
His gaze sharpened, and he glanced left to see her raising her finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture.
So, you're up to something?
He recalled the time when the three of them had to rush to the bath because of a movie.
At the same time, he noticed that Utaha had edged closer to him.
Her movements were subtle, carefully done.
Until their bodies were almost touching, the sweet fragrance from her post-shower skin wafted over all at once.
He couldn't help but think—if Yukino wasn't sitting next to him, Utaha might have just sat on his lap.
In this atmosphere, if she did, it would probably go from soft seating to hard seating… and hard seating to something much more electric…
Just as he was lost in thought, he felt the small, smooth hand he was holding teasingly scratch his palm.
He glanced at her with some helplessness. Utaha was blushing, her face adorned with a playful smile, yet she still sat up straight, pretending to be serious.
The girls, having just showered and not going out, weren't wearing socks.
Utaha's pure black long skirt flowed straight down, accentuating her slender, fair legs, with the soft skin of her thighs slightly visible due to her sitting posture. Most of her graceful leg curves were hidden by the skirt, though.
This semi-hidden style at that moment carried an almost misty allure.
He had to use his gaze to silently remind her: Don't do this.
She smiled and nodded.
Then, with a flushed face, she mouthed the words: Want to touch?
Touch what?
Haru almost asked it out loud.
But right now, Utaha was particularly perceptive.
She gently took his hand, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, and slowly placed his hand on her thigh.
When it came to sneaky moves, she was a pro!
His widened his eyes in surprise, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine.
He instinctively looked back, only to find Yukino staring at the two of them with cold, beautiful eyes.
Before he could explain, Utaha took out her phone, typed something, and then showed it to both him and Yukino.
It read: "You should touch her leg too, that way it'll be fair."
Haru felt conflicted.
Oh, so this is how it's going to be?
Not only was she forcing him to touch her leg, but now she was guiding him to touch Yukino's as well?
Was Add to this, would Megumi also be dragged into this soon?
Yukino's chest rose and fell quickly. Clearly, she didn't want to draw Megumi's attention, so she kept quiet, sending a warning with her eyes.
Utaha was completely unafraid.
As long as it wasn't a one-on-one showdown, she wasn't afraid of Yukino's "queen" aura.
After all, Haru was an excellent shield.
The two beautiful girls exchanged fierce glares, and Haru thought for a moment. Since one hand was already resting on Utaha's thigh, he might as well be a little bolder… or no, fairer?
So, he boldly extended his other hand, quietly placing it on Yukino's thigh.
In an instant, Yukino's expression froze. Her small face quickly turned bright red, as if saying: You really dare?
He pretended to study the screen of the laptop. "This movie is pretty good."
"It's not bad at all," Utaha responded with a suppressed chuckle.
She was enjoying this, the thrill of dragging the noble, righteous heroine into her playful schemes.
Yukino, face flushed with embarrassment, gritted her teeth and grabbed his hand, twisting it slightly.
He remained unfazed.
Yukino paused for a moment, then instinctively applied more pressure, trying to get him to feel her warning.
But even a blade couldn't break through his defenses. What was Yukino's strength compared to that?
She twisted his hand for a while, but hesitated to really hurt him, leaving her confused and shocked when he was still completely fine.
Yukino didn't understand, but she was deeply shaken.
Haru threw her a look, as if saying: Had enough fun? Now it's my turn.
No!
Yukino's heart raced. Just as she was about to react, he gently pressed down on her thigh.
The familiar massage technique.
The familiar warmth and comfort.
Yukino's body softened, and she felt herself about to collapse again.
Haru used his elbow to support her waist, steadying her balance.
When she looked up at him with a face flushed with both shame and anger, Haru silently mouthed: Don't overheat again.
Yukino pursed her lips, looked away, and said nothing.
She understood what he meant.
If she moved recklessly, he would probably move in return.
At that point, she would likely collapse again.
Utaha, sitting beside them, covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she suppressed her laughter.
She really enjoyed these little acts under the radar.
In fact, she was even considering reminding Haru to apply more pressure and make Yukino overheat again.
_ _ _ _
The four of them had lunch at the store.
Although the place wasn't very large, the food was incredibly delicious.
At one in the afternoon, Yukino went to take a nap, and Megumi, yawning, followed her.
Haru had planned to excuse himself, allowing the girls to rest, but just as he returned to his room, a familiar fragrance suddenly filled the air behind him.
Turning around, he found himself wrapped in a pair of long, fair arms.
"I was jealous just now," Utaha's voice was husky, and her eyes glowed with a fiery intensity.
He understood instantly. As he used his foot to hook the door and close it, he cautiously asked, "Are you sure you want to…"
Before he could finish, she kissed him.
When it came to sneaky moves, Utaha was a true professional.