Yukino sighed resignedly, trying to appear calm as usual, but her gaze couldn't help darting around. Her hands awkwardly tugged her skirt downward, attempting to cover above her knees.
Her thighs brushed lightly together, the fabric faintly rustling. Her usually firm demeanor seemed to soften slightly.
Unfortunately, Yukino's embarrassment lasted only a few seconds before she quickly regained her vigilance.
"But I didn't expect you to have such perverted thoughts about me during club activities… I can understand that sometimes men can't control their eyes, but if you dare touch me carelessly, I'll immediately activate the anti-harassment alarm on my phone!"
Yuu rolled his eyes and said without hesitation, "Relax. Your charm isn't strong enough to make me commit a crime. I won't touch you at all."
"I hope you remember what you said today." Yukino snorted coldly, feeling relieved yet somehow irritated.
Yuigahama glanced back and forth between their expressions. She seemed to sense something and felt confused but couldn't find proof. She quickly shifted her gaze to Masuzu beside her and asked cautiously:
"Natsukawa-san, Yuu-kun's already said that… Do you want to switch seats?"
"…"
Her words were like a stone tossed into the sea.
As if everything that just happened was a bad dream, as if all she saw and heard was an illusion she refused to accept.
Her long hair obscured her expression against the cold windowpane. Masuzu pinched her nose behind her mask, closed her eyes, and let the world sink into boundless darkness.
"I want to sleep."
"Then don't disturb her. Come on, sit down."
Yuu's expression didn't change as he continued, "Club president, window or aisle? I'm fine with either."
Which position would be easiest to defend if attacked?
That thought crossed Yukino's mind. She then shifted slightly. "Aisle."
Under Yuigahama's hesitant gaze, Yuu sat in the seat in front of Masuzu.
Yukino lifted her skirt, sat upright beside him, and removed her jacket.
There was no physical contact between them. They kept an appropriate distance, like classmates who happened to sit together on a bus.
The girl looked cold and elegant. Her slender jade hands tucked her long black hair behind her ear. Her gaze remained lowered, not shifting toward the man beside her.
But from the corner of his eye, Yuu could see a faint flush behind her pale ears and how carefully she draped her jacket over her legs.
(Strange, she's usually so narcissistic, but a little praise makes her shy…)
Yuu pouted and turned back to the window.
The bus carrying them slowly moved forward. The streets they passed blurred like a painting in reverse, soon fading from memory.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Praising another girl's legs and saying they're your type in front of your girlfriend is clearly a suicidal move. Good kids with normal brains shouldn't imitate it. If you don't have a girlfriend, pretend I didn't say anything.
But in an unusual situation, Yuu chose an unusual approach.
He still remembered what Masuzu said that night:
—Meaning, the gentler he was, the further Masuzu would flee.
However, Yuu didn't want to deliberately hurt Masuzu either, because the first person to get hurt would be himself.
So, now he had to keep his distance.
Not too gentle, nor too harsh—then he'd follow her wishes, staying as cold as when they first met, and at the right moment, conquer her completely.
That was Yuu's current plan.
Figuring out how to make his stubborn girlfriend face her own feelings was quite a challenge for him—Yukinoshita Haruno was different, not comparable.
"It's only the first day…"
Sighing, Yuu prepared to use [I Predict Your Move] again.
This was the third time he'd used this ability on Masuzu.
He used it once earlier during the seating arrangement, learning that while Masuzu said she didn't want to sit with him, her heart was crying out sadly:
(I want to sit next to Yuu-kun on the trip, lean on his shoulder to sleep, breathe in his scent until I'm energized, secretly play with his stuff where no one can see, sit on his lap…)
It was truly sanity-draining to witness.
And whether it was just his imagination or not, Masuzu now seemed like a lioness cornered at a cliff's edge. Her thoughts were far more perverse, sensitive, and extreme than usual.
After bracing himself for another sanity hit, Yuu activated his ability. He pictured Masuzu's face in his mind, waiting for the system's hint.
"…"
Unexpectedly, as if the target had stopped thinking, he received only a blank, empty sheet.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In their eyes, there was only each other.
"Yukinoshita, if you want to sleep, sleep properly. Don't lean your head on me."
"Hmph, dream about that when we get to the inn. I'd like to say the same—don't try touching my legs while I'm asleep."
"Heh, who'd want to touch your bony legs?"
"Lies. You're getting better at lying."
"Then I'm lying about this too. Don't think I didn't notice how much your body's swaying. If I don't remind you, you know what'll happen, right?"
"…That was an accident, and it hasn't happened!"
During the journey, everything was quiet. Only the steady sound of breathing and the air conditioning filled the bus, a peaceful warmth enveloping its interior.
So, all the dialogue above was conveyed through the glances between Yuu and Yukino.
"I'm too lazy to deal with you. I'm resting."
After sneering at each other in disgust, they simultaneously turned away.
Yukino straightened her back, closed her eyes, and began to rest.
Meanwhile, Yuu gazed at the scenery outside the window. His expression grew slightly serious as he thought about the four-day trip's plan.
Not needing gentle treatment didn't mean he should deliberately flirt with other girls to make Masuzu jealous. That would likely backfire.
If Masuzu gave up and chose to return to Sweden, Yuu would have to go to the airport and bring her back—he didn't believe a decision made in such a state was well-thought-out. So, he'd naturally keep his promise, taking her back before she could leave the country.
But unfortunately, what Masuzu cared about most, and what most easily triggered her emotions, was his relationship with other girls. To pull her out of her avoidance, jealousy was an unavoidable step.
For now, he might have achieved a small result…
Yuu wasn't sure, as he suddenly couldn't detect Masuzu's strongest thoughts anymore. He could only put [I Predict Your Move] back on the bench and rely on his sharp observations to act.
Slowly, he felt like a cunning woman toying with a man chasing her.
Pursuing and yielding, advancing and retreating methodically, planning everything meticulously.
All to make the other person itch with curiosity until they surrender.
Wasn't that what scheming people did?
—But who knew, all he wanted was an answer to his confession.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
From Chiba to Kyoto, it was three in the afternoon.