Tonight, Utaha accomplished something monumental.
Something she'd once told Haru to do himself.
Deep down, she had always suspected that Haru alone wouldn't be able to pull it off—after all, Yukino was nowhere near as open-minded when it came to bold or provocative things. Her tolerance was leagues below Utaha's.
So, halfway through tonight's game, Utaha hatched a daring plan.
Tokyo's Idea Queen: Kasumigaoka Edition.
She figured—since I can't win against Haru anyway, I might as well use my brain. Maybe I can find a way to get back at Yukino instead.
And so, once the two girls had "dressed up like penguins" after losing round after round, Utaha put her plan into motion—changing the punishment system.
She understood Yukino too well. If she'd attempted this on a normal day, she'd have failed miserably.
But tonight was different.
Yukino was mentally exhausted from the string of defeats, not to mention drenched in sweat from all the extra layers she had to wear. She was far too uncomfortable to process things like she usually did.
That's when Utaha struck.
When she suggested putting on costume accessories like animal ears instead of removing clothing, Yukino surprisingly didn't resist.
They both only had one outfit left.
Utaha was down to her bathrobe. Yukino still had her pajamas.
Either one of them taking something off would be a disaster.
Yukino, determined to honor the "you lose, you pay" principle, reluctantly put on a pair of cat ears.And that's when Utaha launched Phase Two of her plan.
Just like that, Haru unintentionally unlocked a new achievement:
✨ Dual Route Unlocked: Miss Meow & Bunny-Senpai! ✨
Without a doubt, he was the happiest man alive tonight.
Utaha basked in her victory and pocketed a golden opportunity for future payback.
Yukino escaped the punishment of public shame.
All three of them had a bright future ahead.
…At least for tonight.
Because in the days that followed, Utaha would smirk every time she saw Yukino in private and greet her with a cheerful:
"Good afternoon, Miss Meow~"
Yukino, slow on the uptake at first, eventually realized—she'd been played.
Initially, she was furious and looked for a way to strike back.
But before long, Yukino regained her mental balance, returned to peak form, and the next time Utaha hit her with the "Meow" greeting…
Yukino responded flatly:
"Good afternoon, Bunny-Senpai."
Mutual destruction? Yukinoshita Yukino excelled at it.
Over the years, she had beaten Haru countless times—she had plenty of combat experience.
Though Utaha had predicted that her "Meow Miss" move wouldn't last forever, she still couldn't help feeling a little regret.
Especially when Yukino called her "Bunny-Senpai"—it left her speechless for a long time.
She still remembered asking Haru once:
"Why do you still call me Senpai even though we're already this close? Why not just call me Utaha?"
And Haru had answered:
"Part of it's just habit… but mostly because… it's kinda exciting that way."
Over time, Utaha had gotten used to it.In a way, it made her feel special, since Haru didn't call Yukino the same way.
Still, this "Bunny-Senpai" title…Was a bit too much to handle.
__ __ __ __
Eventually, the day of the orange cat's audition arrived.
The shoot would run from afternoon until 7:30 PM, so Haru had plenty of time to prepare.
At lunch, Haru, Yukino, and Utaha sat together in the cafeteria. Megumi joined them shortly after.
Utaha opened her mouth, ready to say "Miss Meow" again. But the moment she saw Megumi was present, she gracefully held back.
Yukino noticed the shape of her mouth anyway.
With a cold look, she asked:
"Senpai, is there something you'd like to say?"
Utaha's reflexes were lightning-fast.
She composed herself instantly:
"Just thinking about tonight's audition."
"Speaking of which," Megumi suddenly chimed in, "I've been thinking about it too."
Haru welcomed her participation—her input would conveniently divert the conversation from descending into chaos.
"Let's hear it," he said.
Megumi explained in her usual calm voice:
"I looked into things online. There are quite a lot of cats auditioning today. From everyday orange cats to expensive purebreds... it's going to be competitive."
Haru caught her drift immediately.
"You're worried that Jelly might not make the cut?"
"Yes. I love Jelly too, but the judges don't know how adorable Jelly is. If they're more focused on breed and pedigree, we might be at a disadvantage."
She wasn't panicked, just quietly concerned.
It was obvious she had thought it through carefully—she wouldn't be saying this otherwise.
Utaha and Yukino exchanged glances, a bit surprised.
They were used to Megumi being passive and low-key—this sudden initiative caught them off guard.
Haru noticed their reactions but brushed it off.
"I've considered that too. But we've all worked hard for this moment. Even if the audition isn't fair, we'll still give it everything we've got."
Megumi nodded softly.
She truly believed in Jelly.
The cat had learned so many commands recently—it was almost unbelievable.If the production crew had any sense, there's no way they'd turn him down.
Jelly's obedience alone put it leagues above the competition.
And obedience just happened to be a director's worst nightmare.
After school, Utaha and Megumi informed their families and went home with Haru.
Before dinner, Yukino shared an update:
"Hiratsuka-sensei wants to come with us."
"Is she just curious and looking to tag along?" Utaha guessed.
Yukino shook her head:
"Not quite. When I first told her about it, she offered to help us through her connections—but I turned her down."
"I see," Utaha nodded.
she have no objection to the older single woman, but she had a good impression of her.
Megumi, of course, had no complaints either.
After dinner, once the "post-meal Sage time cooldown" passed, the group—Haru, three girls, and one orange cat—headed out to meet up with Hiratsuka-sensei.
By now, she'd already recovered her composure. Seeing Haru again didn't bring back the awkwardness of their past interactions.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help?" she asked in the car.
All five of them were seated.
"I asked around. I actually know someone connected to the production crew. If I call ahead, your chances of passing will be much better."
"That won't be necessary," Haru said with a calm smile.
"We'll pass on our own strength."
And if things go south, Haru thought, I can always use the [Hypnosis] skill to teach Jellybean a few extra tricks.
Like those viral cat videos where felines kick off a wall in a dramatic "Leo Flying Kick."
Post that as a behind-the-scenes teaser, and the investors will be drooling for more.
Haru looked down at the well-behaved orange cat in his arms and said:
"It is our cat pioneer. We should trust it."
~~~~~~~~~~
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