"Three" people going together.
If Misumi Uika were to directly invite Haru alone to the planetarium to stargaze, her intentions would have been far too transparent; just the two of them [one boy and one girl] going somewhere together clearly amounts to a "date."
Such a blatantly suggestive and ambiguous move was obviously out of the question for someone like Uika, who was deeply concerned about how Haru perceived her.
She couldn't rush things.
Though Haru still kept a certain distance between them, Uika could sense it, he was wavering. She had to seize this opportunity with care. If she got impatient and overstepped, she knew she'd regret it deeply.
Uika had to stay calm, absolutely calm.
Faced with such a normal-sounding invitation, Haru didn't find it strange. After thinking for a moment, he casually replied, "If it's next month, I don't have anything planned. Let's invite Tomori and go to the planetarium together."
If Uika really had ulterior motives, she wouldn't be calling the little penguin along.
As his official girlfriend, Takamatsu Tomori would naturally stay close to Haru the entire time. Even if the golden-haired Uika had Flying Thunder God jutsu, she wouldn't find an opening to get him alone. From any angle, this "outing" didn't seem like a problem.
At least, not for now.
"Then it's decided! I'll message you ahead of time!" Uika beamed with joy, her violet eyes narrowing with satisfaction as she sank into the soft pillow. The anticipation building in her chest rose steadily like climbing stairs.
"Thanks so much for chatting with me tonight, Haru. Lately, work's been exhausting, almost suffocating but just talking to you like this helped me relax a lot."
"Talking to me has that kind of buff effect? Should I start charging you for it?" Haru frowned in mock seriousness, pretending to calculate a proper fee structure.
Seeing him tease her like that, Uika laughed and narrowed her eyes. The way she looked at him was softer than ever, her smile no longer the forced professionalism of an idol but a genuine reflection of her heart.
After a few more light exchanges, she finally stood from the sofa, still smiling.
"It's getting late, so I won't bother you anymore. Goodnight, Haru."
Uika bowed sincerely and headed back to the bedroom, leaving Haru sitting on the couch raising an eyebrow.
"Goodnight, huh…?" he muttered with a small sigh. "It's been a while since someone said that to me."
Once he heard the quiet click of the bedroom door closing, he let out a long breath.
"…Not just six or seven, huh?"
Maybe Uika was right.
As the number of simulation targets in the [ULTIMATE ROMANCE SIMULATOR] increased, so did the memories and emotional moments he experienced with his "wives." Especially when it came to the intensely vivid [VR Simulations], which cost three uses, the feelings they left behind never quite faded.
Even if those simulations didn't alter Haru himself, the memories certainly left their mark. No matter how detached he tried to be, those bonds inevitably lingered.
"If Uika had been one of the simulation targets from the beginning…"
He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. Shaking his head, Haru exhaled quietly.
He already knew exactly what that "if" meant. Even without simulations, Uika's feelings had started to sway him more and more.
If she really had been part of the system from the beginning, there probably wouldn't have been any resisting her charm.
With mixed feelings swirling in his chest, Haru shut off the lights and lay down on the sofa, slowly closing his eyes.
…
The next morning.
The golden-haired beauty lying in bed rubbed her sleepy violet eyes with a delicate finger. The morning light had already begun streaming through the curtains.
Stretching comfortably, Uika sat up slowly in the warm sheets. The loose white shirt she wore had slipped slightly off her pale shoulder.
"…Can't believe I slept so well."
She murmured this in surprise as she glanced at her phone.
5:30 a.m.
After settling her plans with Haru the night before, she had returned to the bedroom feeling full of joy. The moment she slipped into his bed, surrounded by his faint scent, she had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep.
That kind of instant slumber was unthinkable for someone like Uika. As a top idol, she was constantly under pressure, both from her public image and from work itself. Insomnia had been a frequent companion.
But last night… she'd finally had a good night's rest.
Then she froze.
"…Crap, I forgot!"
Suddenly wide-eyed, she grabbed her phone and opened LINE. Immediately, the screen flooded with messages from Sumita Mana, along with over ten missed calls.
She hadn't really checked her phone yesterday, and it totally slipped her mind.
She hadn't told Mana she wasn't coming back to the apartment. She hadn't explained a thing.
[Ui-chan, you're still not home?]
[Aren't you coming back tonight?]
[It's pouring outside, are you really okay?]
[Answer me! Now!]
As soon as she opened the chat, the messages scrolled like an unspooling roll of paper. Uika took a deep breath and quickly called Mana.
The call was picked up almost immediately, and before Uika could even speak, the sugary voice on the other end cut in:
[Where the hell did you go?! You didn't message me all night! You didn't pick up! I was this close to reporting you missing!]
"I'm sorry, Mana-chan! I'm really, really sorry!"
"I was out for a walk and got caught in the rain, so I went to a friend's house for dinner and stayed the night. I forgot to message you. It was careless, I know…"
Mana was silent for a moment, then spoke in a suspiciously neutral tone:
[Friend's house, huh? Boyfriend's? I thought you two had a fight?]
"…He's not my boyfriend. I just happened to be nearby, and it started raining, so I 'coincidentally' went over… and it got too late to head back."
Uika's cheeks flushed as she explained.
But to Mana, her flustered voice sounded more like a nervous cover-up than anything convincing.
Even a stranger could tell Uika was panicking, there was no way someone who knew her this well wouldn't pick up on it.
Mana bit her lip to keep from laughing.
[So you guys totally did it, right?]
"Mana!"
[Even if you didn't, then what, no cuddling, no kissing? You stayed the night at his place, and you want me to believe nothing happened? What kind of guy can resist Ui-chan of all people? I'd love to meet him!]
[Wait… don't tell me… you made the first move?!]
As Mana's teasing grew wilder by the second, Uika with her face burning had muttered something unintelligible and quickly hung up.
Even if Uika tried to explain herself now, it was already too late, Mana had clearly made up her mind that Uika was just being stubborn. At this point, any attempt to "clarify" the situation felt pointless… and truthfully, Uika didn't really want to.
The golden-haired girl took slow, steady breaths to calm her racing heart as she quietly stepped out of the bedroom. Without any curtains, the living room was dim and still. As she reached it, her gaze drifted instinctively toward the narrow sofa.
That was where Haru had slept last night.
She had originally only wanted to get up early and prepare breakfast, but her feet moved on their own, carrying her softly toward the sofa.
"…"
The black-haired boy lay peacefully, still fast asleep.
His usually-tied hair fanned lazily across the pillow. That fair, handsome face drew Uika's eyes like a magnet. The eyes that always saw through her fragile heart were now shut, and his chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm.
Uika stood there, her face flushed, unable to tear her gaze away.
"Just… just a little peek," she whispered, convincing herself as she stepped closer to quietly admire Haru's sleeping face.
She had never been this close to him before.
No matter how many times she saw him, she was still struck by how stunning he looked and as she remembered the moment she'd stolen his first kiss, her already unsettled heart beat wildly, her eyes softening in a daze.
Slowly, she leaned down, her slender waist curving like a reed, and tucked a golden lock of hair behind her ear. Her fair face and ears were tinged with a vivid blush. Her smooth, dewy skin gleamed like water-soaked silk.
Her soft cherry-blossom lips drifted closer, little by little.
But just as they were about to brush his...
Uika jerked away in a fluster.
"No… he still hasn't accepted me…"
She already regretted kissing him that time. She couldn't make the same mistake again.
She looked down at his sleeping face one more time, then quietly turned toward the kitchen.
After preparing breakfast with her own hands, Uika silently slipped out of the small apartment she had grown to love. Standing just outside the door, she lifted her head toward the sky. The air after the downpour was bright and crystal-clear, and the blue sky gave her a bit of strength.
Narrowing her eyes, Uika smiled gently.
"Next time we go out…"
He'll say "I love you" with his own lips!
…
Their planned outing was set for next month. After confirming with the little penguin, Haru got an immediate yes. The three of them would go to the planetarium Primrose together.
Now that Haru had stepped back from center-stage with the band, acting more as a kind of "manager," he no longer needed to attend rehearsals or performances regularly. But even without him watching, the girls never stopped moving forward.
Their street performance had wrapped up, and preparations for MyGO's live show were steadily underway.
Thanks to their growing independence, Haru finally had time to rest and to focus on finishing his next artwork before the upcoming group exhibition.
Time marched on. The winds of passing days scattered the smoke of waiting.
And before he knew it, it was the Day of Decision.
The scorching traces of summer had long faded into memory, and the winter air leading up to Christmas carried a crisp chill. By ten in the morning, the sky was already blanketed with clouds.
Every now and then, a refreshing, graceful breeze blew past, causing people to glance up toward the distant sky.
Autumn seemed to have disappeared even faster than expected. The sharp drop in temperature made Haru shiver a little. But what made things worse was the meeting location, right by the Rabbit Hill shopping district, where he was supposed to meet Yahata Umiri.
He checked his phone: 10:14.
"…Umiri is usually pretty punctual. Why is she running late today?"
Don't tell me… I've been stood up?
Just as he unlocked his phone to send a message, a new LINE message popped up:
[Yahata Umiri: Turn around]
The moment he turned, a box of takoyaki nearly smacked him in the face.
Standing behind him without a sound was the black-haired girl, takoyaki in both hands. She stared at him blankly, her elegant, sharp presence completely unaffected by his startled reaction.
Even Haru, with his "Recon and Counter-Recon Lv.3" instincts, hadn't sensed her approaching.
Does she have some kind of higher tier stealth or tracking ability?
His thoughts wandered, but Haru didn't freeze up. He casually accepted one of the takoyaki boxes and said, "Could you maybe walk a little louder next time? Human hearts are delicate, you know. What if you scared me into a health crisis?"
"I'll take responsibility if that happens," Umiri replied coolly, her shoulder-length black hair swaying gently in the breeze.
Only now did Haru notice she looked a bit different today. Her black leather jacket had punk-styled chains and accents, and underneath was a fur-lined inner coat paired with a gray pencil skirt.
From up close, he could see the metal glint of her earrings. Her legs, long and slender, were bare to the cold.
If not for the deep red scarf around her neck, Haru might have wondered if she even felt the cold at all.
"Huh? This combo…"
The takoyaki she handed him wasn't just drizzled with the usual teriyaki sauce. It was topped with a mountain of bonito flakes and seaweed, exactly the way he'd once recommended to her.
And she still remembered.
But Yahata Umiri stood there expressionless, as if none of it mattered.
"So, what's the plan for today?"
"Honestly? I didn't really plan anything. I figured we'd just go with the flow and have fun."
Haru popped a takoyaki ball into his mouth, his tone easygoing.
Across from him, Umiri raised an eyebrow. This casual approach wasn't what she'd expected, but her expression remained serene, calm like a still pond, unshaken by anything external.
"I see," she replied with a small, serious nod.
But there was a gleam in her eyes, an unspoken challenge.
This wasn't just an outing. It was a decisive date.
If, by the end of this day, Haru still couldn't make her heart stir, if he failed to move her into speaking her true feelings, then it would mean his loss.
But if he succeeded in making the calm and composed Yahata Umiri reveal the truth buried in her heart, then the victory would be his.
Still, Umiri was no ordinary girl.
Even someone like Umiri, who can lie even about "love" with a perfectly expressionless face, possesses extraordinary rationality and emotional control. Common flirtation or any usual method won't work on her.
But the relationship between Haru and Umiri is far deeper than simple friendship. If Umiri weren't a woman, Haru could have sworn loyalty to her. She understands his nature completely, and he, in turn, has completely seen through her own nature.
"So… shall we head for food next?"
"Beats me. Let's just wander and decide later."
Haru smiled meaningfully, gesturing silently for Umiri to follow.
Umiri's expression flickered with mild surprise, she had no plan for what would follow, no script for this date. But Haru had already started walking, so she did the same, stepping forward without hesitation.
Moments later, the takoyaki stall emerged from behind its shutter.
"…What on earth is Haru doing?"
"Isn't today supposed to be their date? Why are they just strolling like friends?"
Shiina Taki, hiding behind a wooden bench, held two dorayaki buns. Only because she was uneasy about their "date" had she shown up early to tail them. But seeing Haru and Umiri walking side by side, with no signs of intimacy, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
As her brows furrowed, Taki braced herself and resumed following them keeping a respectable distance, of course. She didn't want to be spotted.
But what Taki didn't know was that Haru was fully aware of her every move.
Feeling the sharp stare piercing through him from behind, he couldn't hide a twitch of the lip. "Isn't her tailing technique awful? Her gaze almost killed me…"
Umiri, calm as ever, didn't even glance back at the "little tail." She spoke softly, "Maybe she's just worried. Are you upset about being followed?"
Haru shook his head. "Not upset… I'm more worried about whether you feel awkward."
"I won't," she replied.
Just as Haru was pondering his next reply, he felt a chill skitter down his spine and sneezed violently.
"Cold today, huh? Aren't you wearing enough layers?"
Without hesitating, Umiri took off the dark-red knitted scarf from around her neck and held it out.
"Here, this should warm you up a bit."
Haru blinked. Bro, wait—
It felt like I was the one being… "confessed" to.
"….?"
Perhaps Haru's odd expression amused her, Umiri quietly tilted her head, lips curving in a soft, natural smile.
Seeing her so calmly pleased, Haru conceded immediately: he took the scarf, wrapped one end around his own neck, and then thoughtfully looped the other end around her neck.
That move made Umiri pause… yet she stayed composed and silent.
"Is this okay? You're not big on being stared at."
"We're wearing a scarf, not handcuffs," Haru replied breezily. "Do you hate being stared at?"
She shook her head, expression still unreadable.
Before she could respond further, Haru's phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. Umiri swallowed before she could speak. Haru fished it out and saw the caller labeled "Annoying Pink-Haired One." Of course, the most boisterous "girlfriend" was calling now?
He sighed and muted the call.
Meanwhile, Anon a.k.a. "My true girlfriend" hummed and bobbed her head somewhere else, waiting hopefully. But as Haru hung up, she stared at her phone in disbelief, her cute little fangs bared in shocking realization.
"Huh? He hung me up?"
Anon had never had Haru hang up on her before. As the "true girlfriend" who overcame thousands of hurdles to be with him, suddenly being rejected like this infuriated her, she clenched her tiny fists.
But before she could redial, her phone dinged with a text:
[To become fertilizer (Note: tsundere boyfriend)]: "Dearest Anon, I apologize my situation is… complicated right now. I'll explain everything later and apologize properly!"
Reading that message, Anon's anger drained but her jealousy remained. What "complicated situation" could possibly be more important than her call?
"Wait… complicated situation?"
Her sharp mind raced. He always answered her calls, even when composing or painting. The only thing really more important than Anon's opinions would be… another girl!?
"Who is it?!"
"Is it "Tomorin-chan"? No… even if it's Tomorin, he wouldn't hang up on me. Then maybe it's Kita? No, she'd at least leave a message. Could it be Mutsumi? She's too polite to not care about me calling. There's only one possibility…"
She jumped to the worst conclusion.
"Either way, I should check with her first!"
So, she immediately texted Nagasaki Soyorin but no reply, not even a read receipt. She couldn't help but suspect Soyo was up to something shady.
"Hello?!"
No answer at all? She swallowed back her panic.
"Complete radio silence… This is what I was afraid of?"
Of course Soyo, the brown-haired fox, normally acts so sweet and obedient in front of Haru, but behind the scenes she's a scheming manipulator! The last time they had their MyGo band camp, Soyo tried to make moves, if she's found another chance to set them up alone, no way is Haru getting away clean.
This is bad. Haru is definitely down on one knee because of Soyo! And once she pins him, it'll be too late!
"I can't let that scheming fiend win! Even if I have to beat her, I have to be first, THE official girlfriend has to win!"
Feeling both determined and slightly self-impressed at her own deduction skills, Anon threw on her simple round-toed shoes and bolted out the door.
So that's the scene: Haru and Umiri's subtle date, Haru obviously outmaneuvering the casual affection, being "successful" at the scarf-draping gesture, triggering Anon's jealousy meter, and Taki tailing them desperately from a distance.