Yumiko was about to say something in agitation, but Yui covered her mouth to stop her.
Speaking quietly, she tried to calm her:
"Yumiko, don't get all riled up!"
"Mmph!!!"
Mouth covered, Yumiko could only grunt in protest, eyes wide with anger.
How could she not be agitated? Apparently only you, Yui, can stay calm!
She badly wanted to scold Yui for failing to protect "her man."
"Why is Miura-senpai so riled up?"
Isshiki Iroha scratched her head in puzzlement.
"Cough, it's nothing… Yumiko's got a pain in her butt, that's all. Go on with your story."
Yui sidestepped the issue.
"?"
Yumiko thought: Where did the buttache come from?! She was just about to pull Yui's hand away when she noticed a private message from Yui in the chat group:
Yuigahama Yui: "Yumiko, calm down!"
Miura Yumiko: "Calm down? How? My man's about to be snatched away!"
Yuigahama Yui: "Come on… but wasn't your man already snatched away by everyone else…and me?"
Miura Yumiko: "…"
It was like a bucket of cold water splashing over her; her inner flames died instantly. Once Yui saw Yumiko had cooled off, she relaxed a bit and seized the chance to press her argument:
Yuigahama Yui: "Yumiko, just think about it more openly. I'm guessing this isn't the last time something like this will happen in the future."
Miura Yumiko: "…But why can you stay so calm about it?"
Because her man was about to be "used" by someone else. Yumiko couldn't understand why Yui's feelings didn't fluctuate like hers.
Yuigahama Yui: "Sigh, Yumiko, don't you believe Rei Ao-kun likes you?"
Miura Yumiko: "Of course!"
Yuigahama Yui: "And do you think Rei Ao-kun would ever abandon you?"
Miura Yumiko: "Impossible!"
Yuigahama Yui: "So, since you believe he'll always care about you and give you the same affection he gives everyone else, what are you worrying about?"
"!!!"
Yumiko stood stunned. Thinking carefully, Yui's words…did ring true. No matter what, she couldn't change the fact that other people had already "sampled" Rei Ao, but his feelings for her hadn't diminished at all. She could sense that each time they reached that pinnacle.
That…was enough.
These words were a wake-up call. She never expected Yui to be so far ahead in her thinking.
Miura Yumiko: "Yui… you really don't mind?"
Yuigahama Yui: "Nope, I don't mind at all ~"
Yuigahama Yui: "Actually…I've even thought about doing it with you, Yumiko…"
Miura Yumiko: "Huh?"
Yumiko understood, staring at the suddenly shy Yui with disbelief.
"Gulp."
She swallowed hard, realizing she hadn't misunderstood Yui's meaning.
Wow! Yui was so open and bold? Even Yumiko had never considered doing it "together" with someone else!
A mental image flickered: she and Yui, side by side, gazing up at Rei Ao…
"Ugh!!!"
Yumiko's ears turned even redder.
"… …"
Watching them, Iroha glanced back and forth, feeling these two senpai were acting strangely and not knowing how to handle it. She threw a questioning look at Yukino.
"… …"
Yukino was also clueless about what was up with them, but guessed it had something to do with Rei Ao. So she said coolly, "Just focus on what you came to say."
"Oh, right!"
Iroha took Yukino's cue to ask, "Yukinoshita-senpai, from your perspective as someone who's a friend of Rei Ao-senpai, why do you think he suddenly asked for my contact info?"
"I can't give you a definitive answer."
She did suspect Rei Ao might have taken a fancy to Iroha, but with no firm evidence, she wouldn't jump to conclusions. "Could you tell me what you two were talking about before he asked for your number?"
Only by linking context could they deduce the motive behind Rei Ao's action.
"Sure, so basically…"
Iroha omitted details about her first kiss and that day's embarrassing happenings, summing it up as an accidental collision and apology. She described the general sequence.
Yui and Yumiko exchanged glances, seemingly reading each other's thoughts:
He's obviously got his eye on her!
Yukino thought the same. However, lacking proof, she couldn't simply say so. She exhaled, shaking her head. "Sorry, with so little detail, I can't tell you anything certain."
"I see…"
Iroha's shoulders slumped, disappointed.
But even without their analysis, she had her own theory – somewhat narcissistic:
"Ahem, Yukinoshita-senpai, do you think it's possible Rei Ao-senpai likes me?"
She rarely sounded this timid. This wasn't a false face; she really believed it.
"… …"
Yukino kept silent, realizing Iroha wasn't stupid.
"I can't judge. I'd suggest you consider how many times you've met Rei Ao-kun."
She was subtly hinting that meeting him so few times but concluding he liked her might be jumping the gun. Maybe it was a simple case of "love at first sight," or more likely, "lust."
Iroha, apparently, didn't read that implication.
"Twice. We've only met twice."
She was certain about that. Wait—she suddenly thought of a possibility:
"M-maybe, just as I've been paying attention to Rei Ao-senpai, he's also been secretly paying attention to me? So we're running toward each other mutually?"
"… …"
Hearing her mutter that left the three senpai speechless. It did feel a bit self-absorbed. That guy might just…like pretty girls.
"Oh, right, another question!"
Iroha said, "Yukinoshita-senpai, do you happen to know who Rei Ao-senpai's first love was?"
"???"
This random query drew question marks from the three of them.
"Why do you ask that?"
"I heard Rei Ao-senpai lost his first kiss a while ago, so he must've had a first love, right? He's so amazing, after all."
"… …"
Yukino's eye twitched. How did she know that stuff? Either way, Yukino had no way of answering. She didn't know who Rei Ao's first love was. He simply had a lot of female companions, some even Yukino hadn't met. Meanwhile, that question touched on the chat group and otherworld stuff.
"Sorry… I don't know…"
"Ah? Yukinoshita-senpai, you don't even know that? Seems like I haven't gotten any of my questions answered today."
Iroha was just making an offhand remark, but to Yukino it felt like a spear to the heart. She flinched, her expression turning ice-cold and gloomy.
"… …"
Seeing Yukino's face grow dark, Yui forced a wry smile and grabbed Iroha's and Yumiko's hands.
"Ahaha, I need the bathroom—let's go!"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Without further ado, she dragged them away, figuring that if they stayed, they'd have to face a scary Yukino!
~~~
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"Freelance in the Ninja World" and "Speedrunning Naruto to the Top"
Both Naruto Fanfic!
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