Haru had just stepped out of the restroom when a voice beside him called, "Wait a minute."
He stopped and turned. Shizuka was standing to his left.
"Were you… hiding here for me?" Haru asked.
"Yes, I came looking for you… Wait, what do you mean 'hiding for you'? Like, stalking?" Shizuka blinked, realizing what she had just said.
Haru chuckled. "Well, that's basically it. So why exactly are you waiting for me? What did you want to talk about?"
Shizuka fell silent for a moment, caught off guard by his straightforwardness.
Her lightly made-up face looked conflicted, and her gaze wavered.
Haru studied her expression and guessed, "Could it be… you want to talk about keeping certain secrets?"
"Keeping secrets?"
Shizuka froze, her cheeks tinged pink. She nervously tucked some hair behind her ear. "I suppose you could put it that way."
Trying to lighten the mood, she straightened her face and said, "You've been keeping secrets well, haven't you?"
"That depends… which secret are you talking about?"
"…You're so rude!"
Shizuka scolded him playfully, but Haru's teasing made her feel a little more at ease.
Deep down, she knew her question had been a bit pointless. If Haru had seen her during the hot spring trip or discovered the secret of sharing the bed Yukino would have confronted her by now.
She was sure Yukino would have done that.
But she didn't want to talk about it now. What she truly cared about was the relationship between Utaha, Yukino, and Haru…
And also a certain Megumi Kato. Shizuka almost forgot about that girl.
"Since I'm not hungry yet, Hiratsuka-sensei, you can ask me anything. I'll answer honestly," Haru said, patting his chest.
Ignoring his antics, Shizuka lowered her voice and hesitated. "After I visited your house that night… did Utaha ever talk to you about me?"
"No."
Haru answered plainly. Utaha hadn't mentioned anything to him.
Even though he had witnessed Shizuka's "piano performance" that night, neither Yukino nor Utaha had brought it up afterward.
But he could guess that, given Utaha and Yukino's current relationship, they probably had discussed it privately. After all, it was personal and private girls wouldn't be too embarrassed to talk about it among themselves, especially with someone they trusted, like Shizuka.
"That's good," Shizuka sighed with relief, though a vague sense of regret lingered. She didn't even know why she felt that way.
At least for now, she couldn't explain it.
"Why that expression? Did you do something bad that night?" Haru asked, a teasing suspicion in his tone.
Shizuka, hiding her embarrassment, replied indignantly, "I didn't do anything bad! And besides, I was your guest... what could I have done?"
"Like sneaking a midnight snack," Haru suggested.
"...I suddenly want to hit you."
"Better not... you won't win."
"Humph."
Shizuka glared at him but couldn't help laughing in the end.
Haru just watched her, letting the moment hang between them without saying another word.
Haru waited until she had laughed for a while before asking, "Besides that question, is there anything else you want to say?"
Shizuka's smile froze. She opened her mouth, ready to avoid the question, but Haru added, "Anyway, you already have a lot of secrets from me. A few more won't hurt."
"So… you want me to tell you everything about myself?"
"If you think I'm trustworthy, it would be an honor," Haru replied.
Shizuka let out a small, soft laugh. She opened her mouth again, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
She really wanted to know the truth about Utaha and her relationship with Haru, but she couldn't bring herself to ask.
She didn't have the standing to.
She didn't even know how to ask, or in what capacity.
Even if her suspicions were correct, it was still a private matter. No matter how good her relationship with Haru was, even if they could interact as friends, she felt she simply couldn't voice the question.
But if she didn't ask, her chest felt tight, suffocated by all the thoughts she wasn't expressing.
The feeling had come suddenly, and it was complicated.
She roughly understood why her chest felt so heavy.
And the more she understood, the more she didn't dare think about it.
I shouldn't be doing this!
A voice in her mind warned her.
"You don't have to decide right now. We can talk another day," Haru's voice came at just the right moment.
Shizuka's thoughts were interrupted, and her face flushed even more.
She turned slightly, hoping to hide her unnatural expression.
But her figure was already alluring, and as she shifted, the curves of her body became even more pronounced.
Even if her outfit today wasn't especially eye-catching, her figure had a natural, seductive appeal.
Her hips were a bit wide, stretching her long pants to accentuate the curves, the fabric wrinkling slightly along the contours... enough to spark imagination.
And her upper body was just as full and shapely, making the overall effect dangerously captivating.
Haru watched the subtle changes in her expression and finally made his decision. "Let's talk next time. No matter when it is, I'll be there for you."
"N-No, I…"
Shizuka had just opened her mouth when Haru interrupted, "If we don't head back soon, they'll start wondering if we got lost."
"That's a silly thing to say. We're not children... we couldn't possibly get lost," she said, unable to hold back a laugh.
Haru glanced at her flushed face. "Yeah… not children anymore."
Shizuka froze.
She couldn't shake the feeling that his words had a hidden meaning.
But Haru didn't explain; he simply turned and walked back first.
She stayed in place, staring after him, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Could it be that he had discovered what I did that night?
If that's true, then I've lost face in front of him once more...
Shizuka grimaced and let out a sigh. For the first time in her life, she felt a pang of resentment toward a man.
Once she returned to her seat, everyone continued eating and chatting as if nothing had happened.
After dinner, everyone went home.
Only Utaha chose to follow Haru and Yukino.
When Haru got home, he rested for a while before going to the bathroom to run the bath.
He even asked Yukino and Utaha if they wanted to bathe, but they said they would exercise first.
So he settled into the bathtub alone.
About five minutes later, he heard footsteps outside the bathroom.
The door opened, and Yukino's slender figure appeared in the doorway.
"I feel like I've seen this scene before," Haru muttered.
Just like that day, he turned and rested his hands on the edge of the bathtub.
He assumed Yukino had come to chat again.
But instead, she closed the door behind her.
The next second, he heard the shy, quiet voice of the girl:
"Let's take a bath together."
Not a question, but a statement.
~~~~~~~~~~