The time was half-past nine in the morning.
The location was the Sobu High Special Building, Service Club Room.
As winter break had just begun, even students who had to attend extra classes due to excessively poor grades wouldn't be on campus at this time. The fields, school buildings, and cafeteria were deserted. Only the snow covering various spots adorned this once-bustling prestigious high school.
Along the path from the school gate to the Special Building, Yuu had also specifically confirmed that there was no one else in the school besides the two of them.
In a different scenario, this would be like no one being home and him bringing a female classmate to his room—an opportunity to be alone that would surely make anyone's heart pound and spark fantasies!
Even without using the status of the "Earless Wall" whatever they did now, no matter how loud they shouted, even if they immediately stripped off their clothes and opened the window to perform the Third National Series of Broadcast Calisthenics for Junior High Students in broad daylight towards the school building opposite, no one would find them.
Of course, since surveillance cameras operated 24 hours a day, they still had to restrain themselves in the corridors... Yuu also wasn't worried if their sneaking in was caught on surveillance footage, and both would be punished by the school.
As long as they didn't do immoral or illegal things, and honestly apologized verbally or wrote a letter of remorse, the school would surely take the initiative to give them an out, freeing the two Top-Ranked Students of their batch.
The world is truly like this. If one wants to live more freely, both power and interpersonal relationships are indispensable.
The same logic could be applied now.
Yuu thought that as long as he sincerely said a few kind words to Yukino, he could free himself from having "forcibly embraced" her, and not make an issue of this for the sake of their past.
After all, "A Couple for One Night, a Hundred Days of Affection." Even if the memory of that night was lost, the feelings mixed during intimacy would surely remain, right?
Yukino wouldn't really consider him a "Sexual Harasser" would she?
"So, Miss Yukinoshita, could you please put down your phone, and let's remain rational, sit down, and talk properly?"
Forced to move his chair near the door and sit, Yuu actively released goodwill, hoping to break the current stiff deadlock.
Unfortunately, the girl by the window didn't appreciate it.
"I have nothing to talk about with you."
Holding her phone in her hand, as if her eyes would be defiled if she looked at him, Yukino had her back to him, her voice as cold and emotionless as the chilling wind blowing outside the window.
"Don't worry, I'm thinking whether to call Yuigahama-san first, or call the police first, then tell her after the police arrive."
"Where is the point that should make me worried?!"
"At least I won't use personal punishment. Or, do you want to feel the sensation of an 'Anti-Perpetrator Stun Gun'?"
"As if you could beat me even if you had that thing..."
"Hmm?!" Hearing Yuu's heartfelt complaint, Yukino couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, as if she truly wanted to turn around and glare at him, expressing her dissatisfaction at being underestimated.
However, her head was only half-turned; she suppressed the urge and turned it back again.
If she made eye contact with him now, her true intentions would surely be exposed.
(I mustn't have any thoughts, he's Yuigahama-san's boyfriend... Shh, huh...)
Facing the vast white snowy scenery outside the window, Yukino pressed her not-so-constrained chest, and took a few silent deep breaths, trying to control her heartbeat which hadn't slowed down yet.
She wasn't interested in stealing her best friend's boyfriend, nor did she intend to become a third party disturbing their relationship...
So her rapidly beating heart and flushed face right now were all just because Yuu had suddenly hugged her and declared his love, which had shocked her!
Right, she just needed time to calm down. After that, she would resolve the problem of this reckless declaration of love—she absolutely could not forgive him. She had to let Yuigahama punish this jerk Yuu, who dared to act indecently and not guard his mouth towards his girlfriend's best friend!
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Yukino closed her eyes, forcing herself to clear her head, and stop thinking inappropriate thoughts.
Then she opened her eyes, saw her reflection in the window, and couldn't help but bite her lip, clench her fists, and lower her head with an annoyed expression as if on the verge of tears.
(Why do I feel relieved... Suddenly hugged, and suddenly declared love. This should be a disgusting thing, why am I...)
The answer was no longer important.
So many questions were actually just to cover a heart that refused to admit its honesty.
(I've gone to great lengths to convince myself not to love him, I've almost been able to calmly bless Yuigahama-san... Why did he have to use this kind of joke, lightly shattering my steadfastness!)
If Yukino had more courage, perhaps she would shout at him like this?
Unfortunately, the famous Ice Queen was just a timid person hesitant in the face of love.
Who knows when, Yukino had already harbored feelings for the young man named Tenkuji Yuu.
And as time passed, those feelings turned into love, into familiarity. It gradually deepened with every glance and smile, changing many of her thoughts and habits.
Yukino once thought that she had just found someone she liked, so no matter what happened, she mustn't let him slip away.
Declaring love didn't need to be rushed. One day when the atmosphere was right, even if she didn't say it, she could naturally express her feelings to him.
Then, that kind of leeway was soon shattered by cruel reality.
When she learned that Yuu was dating her only friend, Yukino only remembered that her brain immediately went blank. It was as if her breath and consciousness left her at the same time, and the entire world abandoned her at that moment.
It was an empty feeling where she couldn't think of anything. It was a loss and sadness she didn't want to remember.
She could only utter a pale blessing in a hoarse voice. She didn't even remember how she left the Service Club and how she returned home.
Although she couldn't cry, the tip of her nose hurt. Every time she thought about it, it felt like a dull knife slicing her heart, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.
So from that moment on, Yukino hid her deepest feelings, like a doll covered in snow. Until she could completely uproot them from her heart, she had to freeze emotions beyond friendship.
...And this kind of freezing, now looked ridiculous.
With just one hug, it could melt. What was the point of all her steadfastness and patience all this time?
Despite being very angry, despite being very uncomfortable, Yukino still didn't turn around to question the culprit—Yuu.
She just pretended to look at her phone, desperately trying to regain a composure that could no longer freeze.
After all, all the remaining courage she had was used to slap him when pushing him away...
Otherwise, she would have reacted very badly in his embrace.
However, even if she ignored someone, that someone couldn't possibly leave her.
Yuu saw her slightly trembling back. He got up from his chair and asked with concern, "Yukino? Are you alright—"
"Who gave you permission to call my name!"
That extraordinarily excited reaction made Yuu freeze in place, his mouth slightly agape in surprise.
A few moments later, he let out a soft, sad sigh, put one hand in his pocket, and looked at the sky at a 45-degree angle.
"Do you... hate me that much?"
"...It used to be decent. Now, I intensely hate you."
Yukino didn't turn around, so of course she didn't see Yuu's feigned behavior.
Yukino took a deep breath, clenched her hands on the skirt above her knees, and forcibly pressed her voice into coldness, saying without emotion:
"Tenkuji-kun, you've disappointed me greatly."
"You already have a girlfriend, yet you still disregard my feelings and Yuigahama-san's, and make a joke that is no different from sexual harassment... Didn't you think about our reactions before doing that?"
She shook her head: "No, you, who are the top of the class, must have thought about it. Even so, you still did it... Although I don't know the reason, but congratulations, this bad action of yours has successfully overthrown my past judgment of you."
"If a perfect score is ten, now your score is minus a hundred."
Words streamed out, unknowingly firing bullets of hatred, as if wanting to completely deny the wavering and doubt in her heart, and from then on position herself as his enemy.
After those words fell, Yukino bit her lip hard. The pain spreading under her teeth finally brought her mind back to normal from the chaos, but it was also accompanied by an unstoppable sense of loss.
(I've said this, he'll definitely retort with sarcasm like before...)
She thought sadly.
However, she heard Yuu suddenly laugh. After a relieved sigh, he said with inexplicable joy:
"Of course, even if you don't remember anything, you must still love me... Waiting for me, who loves you, to come look for you."
"Huh? W-what do you mean?"
Confused, Yukino unconsciously turned her head.
"I mean, it was all a lie."
Yuu raised one finger, placed it at the corner of his widely smiling lips, and winked at her while laughing.
"How terrible, you weren't a liar before, Yukino."
Yukino: "..."