At 8:30 that evening, Haru was punished by Yukino for his "forbidden indulgence" by being forced to cosplay as The Thinker.
What made it even harder to endure was that Yukino didn't take out a phone to snap a photo or record a video—no, she had brought out a sketchpad.
She was going to draw him.
That made him seriously wonder if this had been her plan all along.
There were still plenty of tourists around this time of the month. Even though night had fallen, the glow from the street lamps and shopfronts created a perfectly lit stage for public humiliation.
So, Haru assumed The Thinker's pose and stood outside like a living sculpture.
Yukino deliberately stepped a few meters back and set up her easel.
Passersby slowed down. Couples paused mid-date. People gathered to watch, their curiosity piqued by the strange scene unfolding before them.
Megumi was among the onlookers, quietly recording the moment with her phone.
Even Shizuka, unaware of the full context, had joined the crowd. Seeing the display with her own eyes, she couldn't help but mutter,
"You young people really know how to play."
Only Utaha shrank deeper into the crowd, nervously clutching a cup of juice. She didn't dare take another sip.
She could tell immediately—Haru had definitely taken the fall for her.
And knowing Yukino's personality, there was no way the punishment would stop with just Haru.
She was definitely part of Yukino's plan too.
Utaha looked at Haru with a mix of guilt and admiration, all while frantically thinking of a way to avoid her impending doom.
Once the impromptu sketching session ended, Haru didn't waste a second—he grabbed Yukino's hand and sprinted away from the crowd.
Megumi and Shizuka followed slowly behind.
Utaha stayed behind and let out a quiet sigh. She hadn't figured out a way to handle this.It wasn't like she could just walk up to Yukino and say, "You like him, I like him too. We share the same taste—let's join forces."
If she dared to say that, she'd probably end up pinned by Yukino again tonight.
—
After running for a while, Haru finally slowed down, rubbing his temples.
"I saw a bunch of people filming just now," he muttered. "I'm pretty sure someone's going to upload it tonight."
Yukino, catching her breath, gave a sly smirk. "You're used to being famous by now. What's one more video?"
"When did I ever get used to it?"
"You're a karate champion. You've gone viral multiple times as the 'Hooded Hero.' Don't play dumb, Mr. Celebrity."
Her teasing was as blatant as the grin on her lips and the sparkle in her eyes.
Haru could only offer a defeated mock salute. "I surrender."
Yukino chuckled, flipped through her sketchpad, and gave a satisfied nod. "Not bad. I've decided—this one's going up in your house."
Haru's scalp tingled. "Do you have to? If my mom sees it, she'll never let me live it down."
Yukino laughed softly. "That's perfect then. I get along well with your mom. Aside from the fact that she's… a little too enthusiastic sometimes, I actually enjoy talking to her."
Haru decided to go for the kill. "Alright then. I'll treasure it."
"Oh? You gave in fast."
Looking her in the eye, Haru said seriously, one word at a time: "When we have kids someday… I'll make sure they admire their mother's masterpiece."
Yukino's face flushed a brilliant red.
She didn't say a word.
After a moment of silence, Yukino blushed and shot Haru a glare.
"Trying to worm your way out of punishment with sweet talk? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not letting you off that easily."
"You're so heartless, Mother of the child," Haru sighed dramatically.
It turns out, smiles are contagious—this time, it was Haru's turn to grin.
Yukino's cheeks burned. She clenched her jaw, tempted to smack him.
He knew full well she wasn't good at handling this kind of teasing, yet he kept pushing her limits. It was clear he wanted to make her flustered.
Taking a deep breath, her voice firm despite her flushed face, she declared, "Tonight, I'm punishing Senpai. I hope you won't feel too sorry for her."
Haru raised his hand again. "Can't I surrender now?"
"Nope!"
"So… how are you going to punish her?"
"You'll find out tomorrow."
And Yukino, as always, wasn't one to bluff.
The next morning, the four of them sat together having breakfast. Haru saw with his own eyes how Utaha looked utterly drained—physically and spiritually. Yet whenever she made eye contact with Yukino, her expression turned indignant.
Wanting to avoid another cold war over the breakfast table, Haru spoke up. "So… what happened last night?"
Utaha didn't answer. Her face was stiff and unnaturally silent.
Yukino, on the other hand, had a faint smile tugging at her lips, and said nothing.
Haru turned to Megumi for help.
Megumi, calm as ever, looked at the two girls and asked, "Mind if I tell him?"
Utaha remained silent.
Yukino gave a gracious nod. "Of course."
So Megumi leaned slightly toward Haru and said in a carefully neutral tone,"Last night, Yukinoshita made Utaha-senpai sit through an hour-long highlight reel."
Then she added meaningfully, "Yes… her own highlight reel. And it was, indeed, very… highlighted."
Yukino casually clarified, "More like a 'Defeat Cutscene.' Haru used to call them that. I think it fits nicely."
Utaha's face turned visibly red.
Haru was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.
Even without witnessing it himself, he could picture the whole thing—Utaha being forced to relive her most humiliating reactions from that massage incident. The blush, the gasps, the fidgeting…
And Yukino made her watch it. For an hour.
He couldn't help but salute her in his mind.
It wasn't hard to imagine Utaha trying to resist at first… only to be mercilessly overpowered.
Haru gave Utaha a sympathetic look.
The mix of shame and resignation on her face said it all. And thinking back to her record against Yukino—many losses, few wins—Haru could almost see the imaginary scoreboard flashing:
2–16. The record speaks for itself.
—
After breakfast, Hiratsuka-sensei dropped by and offered to take the girls shopping.
Yukino, riding high from punishing the two "offenders" of the night before, was in excellent spirits and quickly agreed.
Haru, of course, was roped into coming along as their designated bag carrier.
As everyone set off, Utaha intentionally lagged behind and muttered to Haru with a sour expression,"I swear, I'm going to settle this with her one day."
Haru glanced sideways at her, concerned. "She's seriously strong, you know. Maybe think this through?"
"I admit she's impressive. But that doesn't make me the weakest one."
Right now, Utaha looked like a war goddess in waiting.
The only question was whether she'd eventually rise in victory… or end up on her knees again, being forced to rewatch her own defeat cutscenes.
Up ahead, Shizuka was chatting casually with Yukino. "Utaha looks unusually agitated today. Did something happen last night?"
Yukino gave a glance toward the sulking senpai, then smiled with a trace of disdain."It's the first time I've seen someone wear their 'defeat experience points' on their face. If we replay the footage for her right now, I bet her reaction would be even more dramatic than last night."
Shizuka blinked in confusion. "I understood every word you just said… but put together, none of it made sense."
Then a particular word caught her ear.
"Wait—'footage'? What footage?"
Was it what she thought it was?
Were the three girls… watching those kinds of paid videos last night?
Now that would be quite the scandal…