Chapter 29

When lunchtime arrived, I headed to the connecting corridor to keep an eye on the hidden spot in the courtyard. Nothing could start until Yuki showed up there.

I had a feeling there might’ve been better ways to go about this, but even if I messaged Yuki with something like, “Miki said she wants to have lunch with you,” she’d probably just get suspicious and refuse outright.

The plan could easily fall apart, but fortunately, Yuki appeared soon after.

She said she only ate there sometimes, but honestly, I felt she’s probably there every time.

I sent a quick message to Miki and made my way outside as planned. This was all coordinated in advance.

As I walked past the shoe lockers and rounded the building, Miki appeared from behind a column, stepping out of the shadows.

“You’re late.”

“Whoa!”

I instinctively leaned back as Miki, wearing a scowl, advanced toward me.

She carried a lunch bag in one hand and scanned the area around us, her movements wary.

“Why were you hiding there?”

“If someone spotted me, they’d think it was suspicious. It’s not easy, you know? Even leaving the classroom was a hassle with everyone asking, ‘Where’s Miki going?’”

“Oh, my apologies for interrupting your busy schedule, princess.”

It was true that someone like her hanging out alone in such a place would raise eyebrows. Unlike how free Yuki and I were.

I took the lead, and Miki, her head slightly lowered, followed close behind. Once we entered the courtyard, she immediately climbed over the brick edge into the flower bed area. If we stayed there, it was unlikely anyone would see us.

Following along the wall to the far corner, I spotted Yuki sitting on the bricks.

Showing up with both of us at once would probably startle her, so I decided to go ahead first to ease into the situation. I left Miki waiting behind a round shrub and called out to Yuki from behind.

“Yuki.”

Yuki turned quickly, startled. Her wide eyes fixed directly on me.

She stood up silently and wobbled toward me as if in a daze.

“Whoa—”

Before I could react, she collapsed into me, and I caught her in my arms. She clung to me tightly, burying her face in my chest.

“Yuki has been so lonely… all alone…”

Her faint voice trembled from within my embrace.

Her arms tightened around my back, pulling me in with surprising force. Her chest pressed against me with enough firmness that I could clearly feel their shape.

“Wait a minute.”

I grabbed Yuki by the shoulders. Her grip only tightened in defiance as if unwilling to let go.

With no other choice, I pushed against her forehead to lift her head back. Her eyes were shut tight as I addressed her.

“…Why are you smiling?”

“I’m not smiling.”

“You totally are.”

Her lips were undeniably curling upward. Her expression was one of barely contained amusement.

And then, as if unable to hold back any longer, her half-smile erupted into a full grin.

Yuki finally unwrapped her arms, raised a fist in victory, and let out an excited cheer.

“Yes! One perfect reel-in! The ‘if pushing doesn’t work, try pulling’ strategy! Yuki-chan wins big time!”

I froze on the spot.

That sinking feeling of “could it be?” had just been confirmed in the worst way.

Yuki twirled around, her triumphant grin plastered across her face as she peered mischievously at me.

“Oh, Knight-kun, you were worried about me and came all this way to check on me, didn’t you? You couldn’t stop thinking about me when I didn’t contact you, could you?”

She leaned in obnoxiously close, practically breathing down my neck.

Then, just as suddenly, she pouted and crossed her arms.

“You know, I waited at the train station that day, thinking you’d come running after me. But you didn’t show up, so I got mad and sulked all the way home. Still, the delay must’ve hit you good, huh? Nice.”

Scratching her head, Yuki chuckled joyfully.

Meanwhile, I stood there dumbfounded, the definition of a deer in headlights.

While I stood frozen, Yuki leaned in closer, puckering her lips exaggeratedly.

“Okay, got it. Your feelings for me are crystal clear. Let’s flirt to our hearts’ content now. chuuuchuu~”

“Stop it, you idiot!”

I pushed her forehead back, but Yuki’s advances were relentless.

As I staggered backward from her playful attack, a firm grip suddenly landed on my shoulder from behind.

“So, what exactly am I being forced to watch here?”

A voice so cold it could cut through my spine in the moment.

I turned around to see Miki glaring at me with an utterly lifeless expression.

“So, you brought me here just to show me this?”

“N-No! Not at all! It’s just a bit of a misunderstanding… Please calm down, Miki-san.”

This was not how things were supposed to go. Honestly, even I thought Miki had every right to be mad.

“Wait—why is Miki here?!”

Yuki, finally noticing Miki, let out a startled shriek.

She quickly pushed me aside, stepping forward to confront Miki head-on. The two locked eyes in a tense standoff. Why were they even glaring at each other?

Now that I thought about it, this was my first time seeing them together. Facing each other like this, it was almost as if there was a giant mirror between them.

That said, there were small differences: Yuki had shorter hair, a slightly shorter skirt, and shorter socks compared to Miki.

“Oh, so this is where you eat lunch?” Miki sneered, her first words laced with mockery.

“What’s it to you? And what are you even doing here?” Yuki shot back.

“Well…” Miki trailed off with a smirk. “Hoshi-kun said, ‘Let’s have lunch together here,’ so I came.”

Oh no, that was a lie.

Not a complete lie, but definitely phrased in a way that would lead to severe misunderstandings.

Immediately, Yuki’s sharp, glaring gaze zeroed in on me.

“Hm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

And just like that, the flames jumped to me. Her eyes weren’t smiling, and neither was her mouth.

“I-I’m just an extra here! I thought it’d be nice for the two of you to bond, you know, as sisters or whatever.”

“Haaaaahhh~~?”

“I mean, I felt bad for Yuki being all alone, so I begged Miki to come along—”

“Oh, I see. For Yuki’s sake… Knight-kun, how thoughtful.”

“Looks like that wasn’t necessary, though.”

Yuki placed a hand on her chin, an exaggeratedly pensive look overtaking her face. There was no way she was thinking about anything good.

Once she seemed to have settled on an idea, her expression suddenly turned demure, and she lowered her gaze.

“…You know, all that stuff earlier about ‘if pushing doesn’t work, try pulling’ and ‘reeling you in’… it was all lies. Yuki’s really lonely by herself.”

“Well then, why don’t you and Miki eat lunch together?”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

She rejected the idea with a completely straight face. Her expressions changed so quickly it was hard to keep up.

While I was busy dealing with Yuki, Miki silently sat on a brick edge, pulled out her bento box, and started eating without a word.

Unlike Yuki, her eating speed was impressively fast. She neatly picked at her food and popped each bite into her mouth with swift precision.

“She just started eating on her own… And wow, she’s fast. She could probably win an eating championship,” Yuki quipped, mocking her.

Miki, of course, ignored her entirely. She quickly polished off the contents of her bento, stood up, and began to walk away.

I thought she was leaving for good, but as she passed by me, she stopped and leaned in close to whisper in my ear.

“We ate lunch together. I did as you asked, okay?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah…”

“Our deal—you haven’t forgotten, right? I’ll contact you later.”

The pressure in her voice was immense.

This wasn’t at all what I’d expected, but she wasn’t wrong about fulfilling her side of the agreement. Still, what exactly was she planning to demand of me later?

Miki gave Yuki one last glance before disappearing silently between the shrubs.