Haruno's sudden arrival—and that one word, "Onii-chan"—made Haru certain she wasn't planning on letting him slip away tonight.
It wasn't that he disliked their company. But the thought of sitting around watching two women drink? No—he wasn't "accompanying" them. He would literally just be watching. And he didn't even want to touch alcohol.
Not that Shizuka would let him anyway.
So Haru tried calling Yukino, hoping she'd say they were busy at home—something he could use as an excuse to head back. But when Yukino heard he was with her sister and Shizuka, she sounded completely at ease.
"Go ahead and enjoy yourself," she told him. "We're fine here."
That backfired.
So he turned to Utaha instead.
Her reply came in a voice message almost immediately:
"If Miss Haruno brings me up, keep your ears open and tell me everything later when you're back."
In other words, she'd already drafted him into service as a spy.
Out of curiosity, Haru asked Yukino why Utaha was so wary of her sister.
Her answer was blunt.
"Utaha-senpai once suffered a crushing defeat in front of my sister. To be more precise—she couldn't even put up resistance. She lost completely."
Haru understood at once.
No wonder Utaha still held a grudge.
The three of them ended up at Haruno's apartment.
It wasn't large, but everything was neatly furnished.
Aside from Shizuka and Haru, no one else knew about this place—it was Haruno's "secret base."
Haru went straight into the kitchen, planning to put together a few simple dishes to go with the drinks.
"Simple" was enough. With his current [Drugging] skill, the food would inevitably be delicious. And of course, the side effects of his buffed cuisine would kick in—an irresistible calm that would soon leave the two women flat on the couch.
He wasn't concerned. By then, they'd be resting, and it'd be his chance to excuse himself.
"Here, an apron. Want me to help?" Haruno walked in, smiling, a clean apron draped over her arm.
"No need. I can handle it."
Rejected, she leaned against the counter, idly swinging a can of Asahi beer in her hand.
"Want one?"
Haru gave her a flat look. "Are you serious?"
"Of course not. I wouldn't let you drink in front of Shizuka," Haruno laughed.
"You mean… privately, it's fine?"
"If you wanted to, sure."
She caught the words forming on his lips and cut him off with a knowing smile.
"I know what you're going to say. But honestly, plenty of middle schoolers sneak drinks, not to mention high school students."
"I don't like alcohol."
"Shame." She sighed with mock regret. "Guess that means I'll never have the chance to get you drunk."
Haru raised an eyebrow. "And if you did manage it, what would you do?"
With a sly grin, Haruno tapped her chin with a finger.
"Record your drunken antics on my phone, of course."
"Predictable. But not the truth."
He turned back to chopping meat.
She lingered by the doorway, her gaze fixed on him, the reflection of his swift knife work gleaming in her eyes.
"If you really want my honest answer… I could tell you, Onii-chan."
"I suggest you don't call me that," Haru said without looking up. "You haven't forgotten what happened when Kato overheard you last time, have you?"
Haruno coughed lightly, a faint blush on her cheeks. "…That was an accident."
"Accident or not, another one could happen again. Hiratsuka-sensei has already told me plenty of times how much she loves my cooking. If she sneaks into the kitchen for a taste, she might overhear you. You see the problem, don't you… Onee-chan?"
"…"
Haruno had no words.
The kitchen fell into a strained quiet. Haruno didn't mind. She simply watched him cook, her lips curving now and then at the sight of his dazzling technique.
At last, he had to shoo her away:
"You're distracting me."
Reluctantly, she retreated to the living room.
Before long, the dishes were ready and set on the table. Haruno and Shizuka both invited Haru to sit with them, but he disliked the smell of alcohol too much. He chose to sit apart instead.
Neither insisted. Especially once they took the first bite—after that, food and beer were the only things in their world.
Haru checked the time. It was still early. Kato was probably still at his place, and Yukino hadn't called, which meant the others were busy.
He idly watched TV in the living room. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a shift in the women's state.
The alcohol had hit.
And so had his food's "Sage time effect."
Two stunning women, both with flawless figures, now slouched gracelessly in their seats, stripped of their usual elegance.
"After eating this much, I'll need to exercise later," Haruno murmured, cheeks flushed, her eyes hazy with a drunken glow.
She leaned back, her body sinking into the chair, shirt riding up just enough to reveal a smooth curve of pale waist. She didn't even notice.
Shizuka wasn't much different. Eyes closed, she mumbled drowsily, "I need to watch my diet too… but right now, I really don't want to move."
"Then don't run or do planks," Haruno suggested lazily, rubbing her temples. "You could do yoga with me instead."
"Yoga? I rarely practice that."
"Then why not take the chance tonight? We could try it together."
"I don't want to move."
"Come on, Shizuka."
Under Haru's calm gaze, Haruno somehow fought past the heavy sage time laziness weighing her down. Her flushed face, tinted red from the alcohol, carried an odd excitement.
Without hesitation, she dragged the languid Shizuka to her feet, pulling her toward the bedroom.
The door wasn't even shut. Every word and sound carried clearly to Haru's ears.
"Shizuka, your butt seem bigger lately. Do you think you can still squeeze into my yoga pants?"
"Probably… though right now, all I want is to lie down."
"Alright, alright, just keep me company for a bit… Oh, and remember to take off your bra. Otherwise, it'll feel too tight."
"Fine~"
Haru stared halfheartedly at the TV, his thoughts wandering. Haruno really is something else. Just one sentence from her, and she not only got herself moving but dragged someone else along too.
Two minutes later, Haruno and Shizuka emerged again, both clad in yoga outfits.
Their cheeks were flushed, their eyes faintly hazy—yet the mix lent them an undeniable allure that was hard to ignore.
Haruno laid a mat across the floor, then opened a yoga course on her tablet.
The two women began practicing right away.
From start to finish, they never once looked at Haru, acting as if he didn't even exist.
At first, Haru thought he could treat their yoga session as a bit of entertainment.
But the longer he watched, the quicker he turned his eyes away—forcing himself not to look again.
The TV had switched to commercials.
Something about bears.
Yet staring at the bear onscreen, Haru's mind unhelpfully wandered… to camels in the desert.
Yeah… yoga pants really aren't something you should stare at for too long.
~~~~~~~~~~
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