Let's do it again, Yukino.

"I hereby declare that from today onwards, you are no longer allowed to hug me."

Although it doesn't seem like she was angry about what Haruhi just did, the consequences were quite severe...

"..."

Spring scoffed, turned around, and squatted down with her back to Xiaoxue.

"Fine, I won't carry you then. I'll carry you on my back instead."

Looking at the pure sincerity in the boy's words, a warm feeling quietly rose in my heart.

"……Fool."

The girl chuckled and shook her head, saying nothing more. She stretched out her two slender, jade-like white hands and wrapped them around Chunri's neck, her entire body leaning against the boy's broad back.

The night is like water.

"I didn't want to see you again before the cultural festival, but just now I softened again."

The whisper, barely audible, drifted in the wind, yet it left behind words that the young man would likely never forget for the rest of his life.

"But I want to see Xiaoxue, hehe."

The boy limped toward the bedroom. As he opened the door, he heard Xiaoxue's faint murmur and Chunri couldn't help but smile and turn around to speak.

"Don't look back at how I look now..."

A strange force turned Chunri's head back.

Aren't you going to ask me why I don't want to see you?

"I don't want to ask. If Xiaoxue wants to tell me, she will naturally tell me. But you have to promise me that you won't tire yourself out like this anymore, okay?"

Although it's still unclear what Koyuki is planning, through observing her over the past few days, Kasuga has noticed that Koyuki is putting in extra effort for this cultural festival, and this isn't solely due to the Sagami committee chairman.

Are you worried about me?

"Of course."

"So, from what perspective are you concerned about me, Ah Qing?"

Like a kitten burying its face in the spring sun's back, the girl asked with a shy laugh.

Turn on the bedroom light.

She walked straight to the warm bedside and gently placed Xiaoxue on the mattress.

Although the girl was already sitting on the bed, her arms were still wrapped around Chunri's neck, and her bright black eyes were smiling at Chunri, showing no intention of letting go.

"Of course, I'd stand on the side of love—uh..."

When he heard Xiaoxue's question from behind, he originally wanted to say "lover," but then he thought of something and swallowed the word "person" back.

"What do you mean by 'love'... Ah Qing, you don't mean 'lover', do you? I never said I wanted to be your lover, did I?"

"So, those are adulterers?"

Snapped!

"I was just joking, Xiaoxue, why are you taking it so seriously?"

"I hate hearing that word... Even if it really is true, it was you, Haruhi Kasuga, who seduced me first! You know that!! I, Yukino Yukinoshita, can only be considered a victim at best!!"

Chunri tried to take a step back and blocked the eighteen palms that were sweeping towards him, but his body was immediately immobilized by the girl in front of him. After a struggle, the two of them fell straight onto the bed.

Under the dim, warm bedroom light,

The two faced each other.

Their breaths rushed straight to each other's lips and noses.

Warm, blowing,

now

Looking at the girl beneath him, Chunri's playful gaze suddenly softened. He gently stroked her face and hair, speaking softly yet solemnly.

"Yukinoshita, promise me you won't hide where I can't see you anymore!! I don't like that feeling."

"Especially that feeling of being abandoned again."

Unlike his usual carefree and cheerful demeanor, the boy spoke to the girl with an unusually dejected tone.

"You've been calling me Yukinoshita, so are you really angry this time?"

Xiaoxue was still smiling faintly.

"..."

Therefore, Chunri neither nodded nor shook her head.

"You know, I'm not good at thinking things through. If things aren't explained to me clearly, I'll take them seriously..."

"..."

The girl fell silent.

"Well, although I'm used to being treated like an idiot by you guys, it's still a bit hard to describe. Oh well, just pretend I didn't say anything."

This oppressive atmosphere didn't last long. Haruhi broke the silence first, rubbing his nose and casually making a comment. He then removed his arms from the sides of the girl's face and stood up.

"Xiaoxue, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go to the fridge and see if there's anything to eat, and I'll prepare dinner for you..."

The boy turned to leave the bedroom.

At that moment, Yukinoshita still managed to hold Haruhi's hand.

The girl's hands trembled slightly, and she lowered her face.

"I want to eat omelet rice..."

After hesitating for a moment, the girl still didn't say what was on her mind.

"Oh, I see."

The boy squeezed the girl's small hand comfortingly, then smiled and left the still-warm bedroom.

a long time,

I heard the door being closed again.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

She covered her clear face with one hand, and the shy blush on her ears had spread to her cheeks.

She recalled the scenes from that cultural festival in her previous life.

"At least consider my identity in this life. I'm a girl now, so how can I just say what's on my mind?"

The girl's murmured words to herself

"I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll save me in this situation... How could I possibly say that out loud, you idiot?"

Even for me,

I also harbor some regrets about that incident in my past life...

If it's you in this life, you'll surely save me from my injuries too.

Then, I can find an excuse to accept your confession again...

The blush on her face intensified again.

She shook her head violently, banishing all those thoughts from her mind.

"Idiot, idiot, you idiot who never thinks things through... It's driving me crazy..."

In the quiet bedroom, only the sigh of the girl who was hugging her doll echoed.

"So, you want me to be the clown in a one-man show, Ah Qing?"

……

…………

Time is slipping away quietly.

"The omelet rice is ready. Come out and eat, Xiaoxue."

"I'm angry, so I don't want to eat anymore!!"

After a long while, the girl's angry whimpers could be heard from inside the bedroom.

"It smells delicious, have a bite, going to bed hungry isn't good for your health..."

"I won't eat it, I just won't eat it!!"

Chunri sat at the dining table with her hands on her hips. After hearing the girl's response again, she didn't reply, only glancing at the alarm clock on the wall.

I silently counted down from five in my mind.

As the last "1" fell, the door was quietly pushed open.

Xiaoxue, wearing a nightgown, came out of the bedroom with her hands behind her back, as if she were holding something.

The girl walked towards the dining table with some difficulty.

However, Xiaoxue did not sit in her seat as Chunri had imagined, but instead went straight to Chunri.

Holding up the hem of her skirt with both hands, the girl squatted down to waist height.

"Take it off..."

The girl spoke with a blank expression, her face as cold as winter snow.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Seemingly not having heard what the girl squatting in front of him said, Haruhi picked at his ear and asked again.

"Don't make me say it a third time, hurry up and take it off."

The girl's tone became more forceful as she spoke again.

"..."

Chunri looked at Xiaoxue with suspicion, who hadn't lost her senses due to the fever.

So rushed? You don't even have time to eat before doing *that*...