Megumi's mind was already drifting toward a shutdown.

It was two-thirty in the morning.

She had only woken up in a daze, her throat a little dry from the tea she'd shared with Yukino and the others earlier while they discussed the filming schedule. That was the only reason she'd gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

When she passed by Haru in the living room, she didn't think much of it.

But on her way back, just before turning off the light, she noticed in the dim glow that his blanket had slipped off. Out of nothing more than habit, she decided to pull it back over him.

While doing so, her body unconsciously leaned closer.

And that tiny moment of proximity was all it took for her to suddenly be pulled into his arms.

For a second, her brain nearly overheated. Does Amamiya-kun always hug people in his sleep?

At the same time, another thought flashed through her mind: So this is what a boy's arms feel like… so wide and warm.

Those thoughts alone were enough to scatter her composure.

By the time she realized what was happening, Haru—still lost in his dream—had already started moving in ways that were anything but proper.

No, these couldn't even be called small gestures anymore.

Even someone as usually calm as Megumi found herself blushing furiously, her heartbeat pounding so loudly it felt like it echoed through the quiet room.

In that instant, she bit down hard on her lip, her lashes trembling like a shy firefly in the dark night—fluttering its wings, wishing to escape unseen.

But it was hopeless.

His arms were locked around her, and no matter how much she'd improved physically in recent times, she still couldn't break free.

I'm restrained!

And not just restrained—crowd-controlled!

Held tightly in Haru's embrace, her scrambled thoughts kept spiraling: Is he… going to take my clothes off?

If something like that had really happened, with her thin arms and legs, there was no way she could have broken free.

Fortunately, Haru woke up in time.

Though she still didn't quite understand how he had recognized her.

The living room was wrapped in silence.

Not far away, the orange tabby in its cat bed had already been awakened, its eyes glimmering faintly in the dark.

Cats had excellent night vision; naturally, it could see the two people clearly in the darkness.

But since neither Haru nor Megumi called it over, the lazy, plump creature simply shifted its posture and lay back down.

"Amaiya-kun."

Megumi's breathing was a little quick, though she was doing her best to keep her emotions under control.

"What is it?" Haru responded instinctively, even as he tried to read what was going through the girl's mind.

"Are you… about to confess to me?" The words slipped out of her mouth.

Haru froze.

The tense, awkward atmosphere in the room quietly softened.

He could tell she was making a joke to diffuse the tension—that was one of her most subtle and gentle traits.

So he played along.

"If someone really confessed without turning on the light… whispering things in the dark that would make you blush—that would be quite the scene."

Megumi nodded. "I think so too."

Hearing her voice steady a little, Haru said quietly, "Sorry. I mistook you for someone else."

"Who did you think I was? Utaha-senpai?" Megumi's first guess was the ever-scheming Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"No… I thought you were Yukino," Haru admitted honestly.

Megumi blinked, then said in sudden realization, "Ah, because I used Yukinoshita's body wash."

Then she added, "But Utaha-senpai also used it when she showered tonight."

"Perfume," Haru replied.

Now she understood completely.

Utaha's favorite perfume was nothing like Yukino's. Given how close Haru was with them and how long they'd known each other, of course he could tell instantly.

"Maybe I should consider buying a fragrance."

She spoke as if she were only half in the moment, her attention wandering.

Haru let out a breath of relief.

She always seemed to know what he was thinking.

And she had a kind of attentiveness that was uniquely hers.

Being around her was… easy.

"If you do buy perfume, I'm afraid I can't help you choose," Haru said with deliberate self-deprecation. "I'm hopeless with that kind of thing. Yukino likes to use that word."

Megumi gave a soft "Mm." "She has said you're not good with certain things."

With just a few words, the atmosphere in the living room had returned to normal.

The only difference was that the blush on Megumi's face hadn't faded. Even the skin along her neck had taken on a delicate pink hue, giving her a certain charm in the dim light.

"I'm going to bed."

Megumi slipped off the sofa, bending to look for her slippers.

When Haru had grabbed her earlier, the motion had been too sudden—her shoes had flown right off.

Thankfully, it wasn't like those jokes online: Well, that's it, the shoe's gone.

"I'll help you. Just stay seated," Haru offered.

Noticing she wasn't even wearing socks, he got up and moved across the room.

Activating his [Perception] skill, the darkness vanished from his sight, and he quickly located the two slippers.

Megumi sat obediently on the sofa, waiting.

When he set the slippers down at her feet, she remarked casually, "So Amamiya-kun actually has cat-like night vision?"

Haru had anticipated that question and held up his phone. "There was light, that's all. That's why I found them so quickly."

Megumi didn't respond—whether she believed him or not, he couldn't tell.

She slipped her feet into her shoes and casually adjusted her bathrobe.

A moment ago, it had been pulled open.

"Good night," she said at last, thanking him.

"Good night."

She walked toward the guest room door, but stopped halfway through opening it.

"I'll keep this a secret," she said, her tone unreadable.

Then she stepped inside.

The door closed with a soft click.

Haru sat in silence, not quite sure what to feel.

He was embarrassed, certainly.

But thanks to Megumi's warmth and gentleness, the awkwardness had been dissolved so effortlessly.

Looks like she won't overthink it, he thought, finally relaxing as he lay back down and closed his eyes.

Yet inside her room, Megumi pressed her hand to her burning cheeks.

Her mind was filled with the sensation of being held tightly in his arms…

And of the hand that had slipped inside her clothes.

He's already felt my figure with his own hands… as a guy, he's bound to have some improper thoughts now.

The girl pulled the blanket over herself, her eyes glimmering in the darkness like the warm flame of a candle stirred by the wind.

_ _ _ _

By morning, everything seemed normal again.

Megumi was as unreadable as ever, her thoughts impossible to guess.

Days passed quickly, and Haru and the others began filming the "Cat Ownership Guide" featuring their orange tabby.

Thanks to Haru's prior training, the filming went smoothly.

When the video went live, Haru didn't spend a single yen on ads—he just asked a few streamer friends to share it, and soon it was racking up clicks and comments.

He'd told Yukino and the others beforehand that he would handle the promotion.

Still, Utaha went ahead and posted about it on her socials, several times in a row.

In response, Haru left a string of comments under her account: "Great video. Love from Tokyo."

Utaha recognized him almost instantly.

In her own words:

"With your weird way of talking, you could pull my stockings over your head and stand in a crowd, and I'd still pick you out."

Haru frowned.

"Why would I put your stockings over my head?"

Utaha smirked.

"Well, you like tearing my stockings. Covering your head with my stockings seems perfectly normal."

The end of the month was her birthday. Haru and the rest all knew and had prepared gifts.

Utaha claimed she didn't need anything—said she was long past the age of getting excited over presents—but when she heard Haru was fretting over what to get her, she was clearly pleased.

At school, she'd been unable to hide her good mood for days.

That smile of hers convinced more than a few male classmates they might have a shot, only for them to be rejected with lightning speed.

Another batch of broken-hearted boys roamed the halls.

The preview videos had done well, and their commercial was set to air next month. The artsy, soft-spoken director even called to pass along the sponsor's thanks.

On Utaha's birthday morning, Yukino came into the living room after washing up and saw Haru setting down breakfast.

"What did you get Senpai for her birthday?" she asked casually.

"Perfume," Haru replied, placing a sandwich and a glass of milk on the table. "She mentioned the other day she was running low. You?"

"A book," Yukino said.

"A book?" Haru had expected something unusual from her, but not this.

Without another word, Yukino went to her room and returned with the gift.

Haru glanced at the title.

"Atlas Shrugged? I think I've seen a TV adaptation of this."

"There was one," Yukino confirmed, setting it on the table. "It's a sort of utopian novel about businessmen, scientists, and artists—people who aren't ordinary—creating a secluded paradise."

"And why that book?" Haru asked, curious.

Her expression cooled instantly.

"Because your Utaha-senpai has been… less than well-behaved lately."

"Oh? Details."

Haru leaned forward with a too-eager look.

Yukino sighed but explained anyway.

"She's been dropping hints—both openly and subtly—reminding me that she gave me a birthday present."

"So she's fishing for a return gift? That's not exactly scandalous."

"That's just the surface." Yukino blew across her hot milk. "What she really wants is special treatment on her birthday."

"Special treatment?"

"Exactly. Privileges."

Yukino rubbed her temple.

"I've told you before—when she's up against me, she loves scheming. Lately she's been preparing something, and during our filming discussions, she's been 'casually' fishing for my personal details."

"And?" Haru prompted, genuinely intrigued.

"I got so fed up I accidentally let something slip." Her voice turned icy. "About that time you said you wanted to photograph me in a catgirl outfit."

Haru froze for a long moment before cautiously asking,

"Don't tell me… she wants to hijack the photographer role on her birthday and shoot a set of your photos?"

"No."

Yukino shook her head and pointed at him.

"She wants you to take a set of her photos—to keep."

Her last words were practically bitten out.

For Utaha to request Haru as her personal photographer in front of Yukino was nothing less than provocation.

Worse, it was her birthday, and since she'd given Yukino a gift before, politeness all but demanded Yukino give her some leeway.

Yukino was certain Utaha had predicted exactly that.

Just hearing it was enough to irritate her.

If Utaha expected her to leave them alone for "private time," well… Yukino's fists might have something to say about that.

Haru understood Yukino's frustration and let the topic drop, returning to his earlier question.

"So, this book—why?"

Yukino's expression softened slightly.

"The author loves to push his philosophical ideas with complete abandon. By the halfway point, his evangelism turns manic—extreme, even."

She took another sip of milk, looking more relaxed now.

"If Senpai actually reads it, I suspect she'll end up thinking the same thing I did."

Haru smirked.

"So you think she's a little extreme herself?"

Yukino shot him a sharp look.

"A little? You must be joking. The way she's constantly trying to score points off me—'a little' doesn't even begin to cover it."

"And yet you enjoy it," Haru said, unable to hold back his grin.

Yukino pressed her lips together and lowered her head, quietly eating her breakfast.

That was as good as an admission.

From childhood until now, aside from Haru, she had never had a single friend at school.

It was only in high school that she finally met another girl who was not only brilliant in both academics and talent, but also matched her perfectly when it came to serious matters.

To say she didn't enjoy the satisfaction of taking Kasumigaoka Utaha down would have been a lie.

She absolutely reveled in it.

Especially every time she pinned the other girl to the ground and thoroughly trounced her—the rush of physical and emotional pleasure was unlike anything else Yukino had ever experienced.

After all, Utaha had gone from being her love rival to becoming a comrade-in-arms, gaming side by side with her.

"No wonder Senpai hasn't been coming by these past few days. Guess she was saving herself for your birthday," Haru muttered to himself.

Still eating her breakfast, Yukino asked in an almost casual tone,

"So, what do you think? Will you be her photographer, or turn her down?"

~~~~~~~~~~

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