As close friends, Mitsuhashi Ryoma and Hatake Goro should've been equally shocked when Kuroda Kaito was discovered.
But instead of accepting his fate and letting Hatake in on the truth, Kuroda chose to run.
Because he knew:
Mitsuhashi—who also had a sister and actually used his brain—would probably understand his predicament.
But Hatake Goro, that big idiot, would just slap him on the back and say something like,
"I'd never look down on you! Even if you like crossdressing, you're still my best bro!"
And then he'd probably spend the next week debating whether to call Kuroda his "bro" or "sis," completely ignoring any attempt at explanation.
Sure enough, things unfolded exactly as he predicted.
After teasing him a bit, Mitsuhashi quickly grasped his reasoning.
The two even made plans to hang out the next day.
Mitsuhashi even offered to distract Hatake and keep him away.
Kuroda thought he'd dodged a bullet.
What he didn't expect… was that the nightmare had only just begun.
Hatake Goro had already seen him.
And instantly fell in love with the "girl" he saw.
———————————————————————
"Fell in love at first sight?!" Yamauchi Sakura shrieked.
Yukinoshita gasped, her mouth forming a perfect "O" as she sucked in a sharp breath.
She suddenly felt short of breath—was the diversity of human nature really this overwhelming?
Her "Art of Reading Hearts" must be leveling up fast.
"I always knew you two would become remarkable in the future, but... I didn't think it would be this way," Kyousuke said blankly.
His expression went stiff as he glanced at his subordinates—suddenly they felt like strangers.
This was... a little too wild, even for them.
Kuroda buried his face in his hands and let out a pained groan.
Meanwhile, Mitsuhashi looked completely relaxed.
He knew it wasn't right, but he couldn't help but laugh—until Kuroda's look of despair snapped him out of it.
Quickly, he continued:
"But it doesn't end there. The reason Hatake didn't run straight up to confess and ask for contact info… is because he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he physically froze."
Kyousuke nodded.
That definitely sounded like Hatake.
That idiot, suddenly confronted with feelings for the first time in his life, would absolutely panic and shut down.
"He couldn't forgive himself for being such a coward. So he started… intense training."
Mitsuhashi paused dramatically, swallowing hard. His face contorted in pain.
"Let me guess… he went to Onizuka-senpai for advice on how to hit on girls?" Kyousuke asked.
"If only it were that simple…" Mitsuhashi groaned and covered his face. "That's why we're here to ask for help."
"What happened?" Kyousuke braced himself.
"Hatake Goro swore... that until he found that mysterious 'girl' again, he would not change his underwear!!"
'Hssss—!'
Kyousuke sucked in a sharp breath.
Then immediately went silent, slowly scooting his chair several meters away while dragging Sakura and Shouko's chairs with him.
Yukinoshita, equally alarmed, retreated just as fast—like they were all escaping from radioactive fallout.
Kyousuke turned to Yukinoshita, their ever-rational leader.
But the composed girl who'd been so carefully analyzing Kuroda's mental state just moments ago now looked like a startled kitten.
Her pale blue eyes practically begged him to be the one to ask the next question—like saying one more word to Mitsuhashi might bring a curse upon her soul.
"So… since New Year's… he hasn't changed his underwear at all?" Hojou asked, hesitantly.
"…Yeah," Mitsuhashi nodded.
Seeing Kyousuke start to escape through the back door with the girls in tow, he quickly added, "But he does wash them before putting them back on!"
"I would hope so. Otherwise, he'd already be in the hospital," Kyousuke muttered darkly, his view of his subordinates forever altered.
"Please, Boss—save Kuroda and Hatake!" Mitsuhashi cried out with all his soul.
"I'm just a regular club member. Whether we accept your request is up to our club president—Yukinoshita."
Kyousuke was sticking to protocol, though truthfully, he was just trying to avoid getting involved.
He was cold like that. And now he realized why the two idiots didn't come to him privately—they knew he'd refuse.
Mitsuhashi and Kuroda both turned their hopeful eyes toward Yukinoshita.
But even she looked overwhelmed by the situation.
Her expression was like a cat awkwardly wearing socks—lost and unsure what to do.
"T-This sort of personal matter… it's a bit outside the scope of our club," she said quietly.
"Oh… really? Not even the Service Club can help?" Kuroda sighed, as though already preparing to cry at Hatake's funeral.
"Sorry to bother you," Mitsuhashi bowed with exaggerated sadness.
But Kyousuke didn't feel relieved.
In fact, his expression grew tenser.
He could hear the inner workings of Yukinoshita's mind—the roar of justice, revving like a racing engine, demanding fuel in the form of victory.
"...The Service Club will take the request." Yukinoshita Yukino declared like a goddess of justice slamming down a gavel.
Her voice was cool, calm, and unwavering.
"First, let's confirm the request. You want us to help… break Hatake Goro's infatuation with the crossdressed version of Kuroda, correct?"
"Y-Yeah," Kuroda nodded quickly, though even just hearing the word "crossdressed" made him wince.
"If that's not possible, at least convince him to start changing his under—"
"Understood. That's enough." Yukinoshita cut Mitsuhashi off mid-sentence.
She was always blunt, but Kyousuke was pretty sure she just didn't want to hear the end of that thought.
"Please!"
Both Kuroda and Mitsuhashi stood up and bowed in unison, full of gratitude.
They knew Kyousuke would never interfere in something so personal—so going through the Service Club was their only chance.
"Alright! Then let's celebrate the Service Club's first official request with a barbecue after school!"
Yamauchi Sakura cheered and looked to Yukinoshita with hopeful eyes.
"Let's use the club budget! It's not like we ever spend that money anyway!"
"No. That would be an abuse of club funds," Yukinoshita replied instantly.
"But if we don't eat well, how can we solve tough requests? Our missions are physically demanding. A team meal should be considered essential," Kyousuke argued, backing her up.
That made two votes in favor, but Yukinoshita still looked reluctant—until she saw Shouko's innocent, starry-eyed gaze.
After a brief pause, she awkwardly nodded.
"W-Well… it's not impossible. But only after we fulfill the request."
It was a small concession, but a win nonetheless.
Shouko just looked too adorable, like a well-behaved kitten staring longingly at a treat.
Honestly, Sakura's bright yellow eyes were even more cat-like—and she'd definitely look cute with cat ears and a tail—but her energy was way too much for Yukinoshita to handle.
Shouko… or maybe Shou-chan… was more her style.
A calm, cuddly kitten. That's the kind she preferred.
"Yay!" Yamauchi Sakura cheered loudly, already deciding which restaurant they would go to.
With the celebration party settled, the members of the Service Club finally turned their attention to the two clients.
Yukinoshita thought for a moment before speaking up.
"Kuroda-san, you should go and explain everything directly to Hatake-san. Apologize sincerely and ask for his forgiveness."
Kyousuke twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Yep, that was Yukinoshita Yukino for you—always choosing the most direct and confrontational approach, whether it was dealing with problems or enemies.
If she did something wrong, she would own up to it without hesitation.
Honest and upright, never hiding, always facing the world and herself—head-on.
But…
"That won't work, Yukino-chan," Sakura said, tugging gently on Yukinoshita's sleeve.
"Why not? If they're good friends, they should be able to resolve a misunderstanding, right?" Yukinoshita asked, genuinely confused.
"Of course not!" Kuroda Kaito shouted, silently fuming.
'What is with this girl? How can she not understand something so simple?'
It's because they're friends that he can't just come out and say it!
"Oh, I see now," Yukinoshita replied, her sharp mind immediately zeroing in on what she assumed was the real issue.
"In this situation, Kuroda-san is also a victim. He has no reason to apologize. The one who should apologize is his sister. She should explain everything to Hatake-san and apologize on his behalf."
"That's even worse!" Kaito cried out, his face full of panic.
"Why? Are you worried you won't be able to convince your sister? If that's the case, I can help," Yukinoshita said confidently, clearly believing in the power of reason and justice.
"No, that's even, even worse!"
Kaito looked even more desperate and turned to his older brother for backup.
"Yukinoshita… it's because they're friends that the truth can't be spoken so plainly," Kyousuke sighed.
"Imagine finding out the girl you've fallen for—head over heels in love with is actually your close guy friend in drag. You wouldn't just stop being friends—you'd want to disappear off the face of the Earth."
"Why? Isn't friendship about mutual understanding?" Yukinoshita asked with a skeptical look, as if to say, 'Don't think just because I have few friends I'm that easy to fool.'
Kyousuke blinked.
'Right. Yukinoshita doesn't have friends, so she probably can't grasp what Kuroda's going through.' He thought about giving another example, but nothing quite fit.
"It's like this," Shouko spoke up. "Imagine a vegetarian. One day, his sister gives him a really tasty snack. He loves it and even shares it with his fellow vegetarian friends. But then she tells him the snack was made from meat."
"Oh, so it's Kuroda-san's guilt that's eating away at him," Yukinoshita mused. "In that case, the one who should apologize is still his sister."
"If that happens, I might as well just die," Kuroda groaned. "My sister is the worst. If she found out, she'd laugh so hard she'd need an ambulance.
Then I'd become the joke of every family gathering—hell, it'd probably be written into our family history."
"It's not about guilt," Kyousuke said. "These guys aren't that morally upright. If they were bored enough, they'd probably all dress up as girls for fun. The real issue here is pride."
He glanced at Yukinoshita.
"Back in Okinawa, they got so drunk they stripped naked, put their underwear on their heads, and ran through the streets.
They don't care about cross-dressing. What they do care about is realizing they fell for a cross-dressing friend. That's what would kill them."
And explaining that to Yukinoshita? Kyousuke had no idea how.
She didn't have friends or even anyone she liked romantically. It was like trying to teach a child how to do math without first explaining what numbers are.
Kuroda nodded in agreement. Finally, someone got it.
"Pride?" Yukinoshita frowned. "You're saying pride is more important than friendship?"
Her cool, calm voice was filled with genuine confusion—and it hit all of them like a gut punch.
'Yikes,' Kyousuke thought. 'She probably has a clearer definition of friendship than the rest of us morally flexible people.'
Shouko and Sakura both stared at Yukinoshita, shocked to hear such a line come from her mouth.
"What's wrong? Am I wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
In her world, friends were precious.
Pride was optional.
'If Kyousuke ever fell for her one day,' she thought, 'she'd turn him down firmly, and then go apologize to Sakura for her uncontrollable charm.'
"Uhh…"
Kuroda hesitated, unable to respond.
It really did feel like Yukinoshita was operating on a whole different level from the rest of them.
"You're absolutely right! I'm so touched, Yukino-chan!" Sakura suddenly burst into tears and leapt onto Yukinoshita, hugging her tightly and rubbing her cheek against hers.
"T-Too close… and it's hot…" Yukinoshita murmured, but she didn't try to push Sakura away.
In fact, her voice and expression seemed genuinely happy.
'See? I totally get how to make friends! Sakura thought proudly.'
But from Kyousuke's perspective, it looked more like a mother tearing up because her daughter finally made a friend.
'Actually… maybe Yukinoshita really doesn't have friends because she has such a specific definition of what friendship is.'
'Compared to the girls who gossip after class, she might not even see them as the same species.'
After all, not many people could live up to even the one standard she just mentioned.
'Impressive… My little justice heroine.'
Kyousuke was impressed, but he still wanted to explain a thing or two about male pride.
Just as he opened his mouth, he saw Sakura lean in and whisper into Yukinoshita's ear.
Yukinoshita listened intently, nodding thoughtfully.
"Hmm… I see… So that's how it is… I never would have guessed…"
Meanwhile, Ryouma and the others stared at the ground counting ants, having long mastered the skill of creating a human wall for their boss.
Breaking mirrors off cars was basic training.
After Sakura finally let go, Yukinoshita smoothed out her uniform and returned to her usual serious demeanor.
"I understand now. That was my oversight. I didn't realize how weird boys' friendships can be."
'Wait a second—'weird'?' Kyousuke turned sharply toward Sakura. 'What on earth did you tell her?!'
But all he got in return was a mischievous giggle.
But Kuroda Kaito had no way to argue with that last comment.
All he could do was twitch at the corner of his mouth and wait for whatever Yukinoshita would say next.
"In that case, the only way forward is to try something from Hatake Goro's side," she said, deep in thought.
"Falling in love at first sight with someone you've never even spoken to… Don't know their name, not even their gender—and calling that 'love'? That's not even catfishing level nonsense. It's pure, unfiltered lust at first glance."
Her words were sharp as knives, cutting deep.
The boys listening couldn't help but lower their heads in shame—except for Kyousuke, who kept his chin proudly lifted.
After all, he wasn't someone who judged others by appearance.
"And people like that—when they fall in love, it's intense. They act on impulse, swept up in emotion, and it looks like deep affection.
But once their fantasy is shattered, they snap back to reality. Not only do they stop liking the person, they're horrified at themselves for ever being interested in the first place..."
Yukinoshita's cool, clear voice flowed with pure logic as she dissected the situation.
It was just like how she'd previously analyzed Kuroda's reasons for cross-dressing.
Mitsuhashi Ryouma and his friend, who weren't familiar with her, listened in silent awe.
But those who did know her—Kyousuke, Shouko, and Sakura—were wide-eyed in disbelief.
'Where the hell did this emotionless girl learn to talk about love so accurately?'
"…The process is actually very simple. A few words are usually enough. And this conclusion—comes from my personal experience," she said, calmly.
Kyousuke exhaled. 'Ah, so that's why… Makes sense now—'
Wait.
'Your experience?!'
"Wait, Yukino-chan, you fell in love at first sight before?!" Sakura's eyes went wide in shock. It was hard to imagine this Yukino turning into some lovestruck airhead.
"How could I possibly do something that foolish?" Yukinoshita frowned, clearly insulted.
"It was the people who confessed to me," she clarified, her voice frosty. "They all showed up looking so confident, so full of courage—having rehearsed, coordinated with friends, even hired bands.
But when I simply asked them, 'Why do you like me?'—they froze. Couldn't answer. Or they'd stammer something vague like 'You're cute,' which is utterly meaningless."
"So… what happened after that?" Sakura asked.
"What else? They'd bow, apologize, and run off."
For some reason, Yukinoshita's expression darkened at that.
"That's how confessions usually go—if it works out, they hug. If not, they apologize for bothering the other person," Kyousuke said with a shrug.
"But yeah, I agree. A lot of people don't realize that confessing your feelings should be like a crescendo at the peak of a symphony—when emotions have fully built up."
"No, that's not it," Yukinoshita replied, shaking her head.
As her voice rang through the classroom, it felt as though a cold wind had blown through the air.
Kuroda instinctively looked toward the air conditioner's vent—then realized it wasn't the AC.
It was just Yukinoshita.
She was terrifying.