"Haruno-senpai and I are just normal friends."
Mio answered on reflex—then almost immediately felt something was off.
She'd already made it pretty clear that she and Yukinoshita Haruno got along well. Wouldn't any reasonable person just assume they were friends? Why was Yukinoshita Yukino asking about it at all?
...Unless Yukino suspected her and Haruno were more than friends?
"I see." Yukino gave a small nod, her expression unreadable as ever.
"Is there... a problem with that?"
Yukino studied Mio's puzzled face for a moment, then pressed her lips together. She had, after all, seen the two of them walking into that couples' hotel with her own eyes yesterday. And now Mio was standing here telling her they were just friends.
What kind of friends checked into that kind of place together?
She wanted to say it outright. She almost did. But she stopped herself.
If her sister and Mio really were in that kind of relationship—a forbidden one—it made sense they'd keep it under wraps. Telling people they were "just friends" was the obvious move.
If it were me, I'd probably do the same... wait. That situation could never apply to me. Not in any version of reality.
Yukino set aside that line of thought.
"It's nothing," she said quietly. "I simply wanted to know the nature of your relationship. Please don't mind it."
"Of course I don't mind." Mio waved it off cheerfully. "Actually—could we exchange contact info? If that's alright?"
"...Why?"
"I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but my grades have never been great. When I get stuck, I never know who to ask." Mio tilted her head, expression earnest. "And you're supposedly the top student at our school, so..."
She let the sentence trail off. The implication was obvious enough.
"I promise I'll only bother you when I'm really, truly stuck. And I won't make you do it for free—I'll treat you to something good."
There was something about the way Mio was looking at her—that small, hopeful little gaze—that made it genuinely hard to refuse. Even for Yukino. She was starting to understand, in a vague sort of way, why people apparently wanted to do yuri things with Shirai Mio.
She didn't particularly want more contact with Mio than necessary. But then again—her sister clearly had some kind of undefined, unexplained relationship with this girl. If she had Mio's contact, she might be able to find out more.
Before she took out her phone, though, one question surfaced:
"If I'm remembering correctly, you mentioned you live next door to Chihiro-sensei. Why not ask her when you're stuck?"
Mio gave a helpless little laugh. "Chihiro-sensei has a drinking habit. Getting academic help from her is... a matter of divine timing."
"...Ah."
Even Yukino found herself momentarily at a loss. She wordlessly pulled out her phone and exchanged contact info with Mio.
The moment Mio had what she came for, she wasted no time putting on her best I-have-somewhere-to-be expression, gave a quick goodbye, and made her exit.
She absolutely did not want to keep hanging around Yukino. Knowing her luck, she'd trigger another task—and who knew if she'd be able to clear it.
Yukino watched her retreating figure and couldn't quite explain it, but there was something distinctly... fleeing about the way Mio walked away.
Back in the classroom, Mio had been looking forward to chatting with Yuigahama Yui—only to find her slumped over her desk, fast asleep.
Yui wasn't the type to nap at school. In all the time Mio had been here, she'd only seen it happen once or twice, and both times it was because Yui had stayed up too late the night before.
Which meant Yui had been up late last night.
Mio didn't wake her. She returned to her own seat and glanced over at Miura Yumiko, who was scrolling through her phone.
"Your Majesty—where is everyone?"
"Hayama had something to take care of. Totsuka and the others tagged along."
"How come you didn't go? Normally you'd be right there with them." Mio tilted her head. "Aren't you worried about someone making a move while you're not watching?"
"Making a move?"
"You know—swooping in on Hayama while your back is turned."
Yumiko let out a short scoff. "I've known Hayama forever. Even standing next to him every day hasn't gotten me anywhere. If someone actually managed to steal him from me—" She paused. "Then that just means he wasn't right for me."
She narrowed her eyes at Mio. "That said—you are professionally prohibited from participating."
"Relax. Even if I were going after you, I wouldn't spare a single thought for Hayama."
"What do you mean, 'even if you were going after me'—"
"Don't worry about the details. More importantly—any progress with Hayama this weekend?"
"No." Yumiko sighed, the queen's usual composure dropping a notch. "I was going to ask him out on Sunday, but he said his family had something going on and turned me down. And then... that was it."
The moment Mio heard there was no progress, her enthusiastic expression collapsed entirely. "Alright then. Let me know when something actually happens."
"I've been thinking it over, and... I still have a lot to learn." Yumiko fidgeted slightly, oddly awkward. "So maybe when you have time, you could... teach me again?"
"Sure, whenever I'm free."
"Are you free this weekend?"
Mio laughed despite herself. "My queen, it's Monday. I have no idea what my weekend looks like yet. Ask me again Thursday or Friday."
"Fine."
Right on cue, Hayama Hayato walked back into the classroom with his entourage in tow. He drifted over to Yumiko's desk and asked, curious, "What were you two talking about?"
"It's—it's nothing, we were just—"
"Girl talk," Mio cut in smoothly, rescuing Yumiko before she could flounder further. "Nothing for you to worry about, Hayama-kun."
Yumiko shot her a grateful look. She wasn't sure why she'd gotten so flustered—probably because it was Hayama. Or maybe not entirely because of him.
She wasn't sure.
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