That "cringe" comment was obviously a joke.
But the look in Yukino's eyes asking "Are you trying to win me over?"—Makoto refused to acknowledge that.
At least, he wouldn't admit it for now.
If he tried to win someone over just by using a cat café because they liked cats, that'd be far too simplistic.
He had summarized so many points of knowledge—if he wanted to capture Yukino, he'd have to rely on combo moves, and those combos had to be smooth.
As for his trump card, he'd have to cheat the system—by trial and error within the time loop.
Yukino was slightly skeptical seeing how decisively Makoto denied it.
Ever since he first told her about the time loop and openly said, "I've tried to win you over many times," she had already realized one thing: Makoto was a flirt.
His talent was undeniably impressive, and he even seemed capable of handling her strict mother.
Even in academics, she had fallen behind him.
But more than all that, what she really wanted to know now was: What exactly had he experienced in the time loop? And would it happen again in the future?
Even though her curiosity was definitely stirring, there was one thing she was absolutely certain of: Being friends is fine, but there's no way I'll let him win me over!
As a proud and outstanding girl, if she already knew that Makoto was trying to court her and still fell into his "trap," wouldn't that make her a complete fool?
After they sat down, each ordering a drink, Yukino focused entirely on the cats once she realized Makoto had no intention of explaining anything.
Ichika reached out to tease a Siamese cat, though her gaze was fixed on Makoto. "You were right, this place has a great atmosphere. Perfect for killing time."
She was clearly trying to start a conversation.
Makoto, aware of this, responded, "As long as you're enjoying it."
His gaze shifted toward a woman seated further inside the café.
Next to the woman sat a little girl holding a Rubik's Cube, happily playing with a cat.
That mother and daughter pair was actually Makoto's true reason for coming to the cat café today.
In the time loop, he had accidentally discovered that they often visited this place.
The woman's husband was the business partner Mrs. Yukinoshita wanted to work with, but so far, negotiations between the two families hadn't gone smoothly.
More importantly, the woman wasn't just a housewife—she had real influence in business matters.
Makoto recalled the intel he had gathered during the time loop and quickly formed a plan.
"Fushimi-kun, I heard from someone today that you had lunch with the famous Kasumigaoka-senpai?" Ichika suddenly asked.
Makoto pulled back his gaze and looked at her radiant face. "Yeah, she had something to discuss with me."
Ichika didn't press further. She absentmindedly rubbed the cat's belly, casually remarking, "Kasumigaoka-senpai really is a rare beauty."
Huh?
Yukino had been quietly admiring the adorable cats, but when she heard that, she frowned slightly.
That comment reeked of jealousy.
And not even subtle jealousy.
Yukino didn't bother engaging in such a dull topic.
However, she was curious to see how Makoto would respond.
Makoto appeared completely calm, even still looking at the cats.
When one beautiful girl suddenly brings up another beautiful girl in front of you, it usually isn't just small talk.
He could guess that Ichika was fishing for details about his relationship with Utaha, possibly with some teasing intentions on the side.
But he chose to leave her hanging.
Five seconds passed.
Ten seconds passed.
Makoto kept staring at a nearby ragdoll cat as if he hadn't heard anything.
Eventually, Ichika couldn't hold it in anymore and waved her hand in front of his face.
When he finally turned to her, she pouted slightly and asked, "Didn't you hear what I said?"
To her surprise, Makoto replied, "I heard you."
Ichika blinked in confusion. "Then why didn't you answer?"
Even Yukino paid a bit more attention.
Makoto asked back, "You brought up Kasumigaoka-senpai out of nowhere—are you trying to get to know her?"
Ichika curled her lips in a sly smile. "And what if I am? Would you introduce us?"
"I would. I'm sure Matsukaze-sensei would love to see everyone getting along."
"Eh?"
Ichika's smile turned into bafflement.
Why did he bring up Matsukaze-sensei all of a sudden?
Was there a deeper meaning behind it?
She started thinking instinctively.
Yukino, watching from beside her, felt nothing in particular.
Just as I thought. Ichika-san has some game—but only a little.
As an observer, she saw it clearly.
Earlier, Makoto hadn't rushed to answer the question, and Ichika had ended up pressing him herself.
From that moment, the initiative had already shifted.
Then Makoto casually dropped Mayu's name, redirecting Ichika's attention and dissolving her earlier teasing intentions.
Yukino thought of a few classmates who loved video games—they often mentioned a certain game term: "combo move."
What Makoto had just pulled was a neat little combo to reclaim the initiative.
And she figured—he probably had one more move.
Sure enough, the next moment, she heard Makoto ask, "By the way, Ichika-san, what kind of roles have you played so far?"
"Eh? Why are you asking all of a sudden?" Ichika looked a little embarrassed.
She was still just a background actress, occasionally lucky enough to land a small speaking part.
Makoto seemed thoughtful. "It just occurred to me—if you ever run into acting problems, maybe we could discuss them."
Ichika looked up in surprise. "You know about acting too?"
"I studied it for a while," Makoto replied.
You studied this too? Yukino raised an eyebrow slightly.
Makoto's combo was exactly what she had anticipated—Ichika not only lost the initiative, but her train of thought was now completely under his lead.
Yukino honestly wanted to ask him: Just how many things have you studied? How many girls have you tried to win over?
But as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them again.
Because she remembered something Makoto had said to her before: "Is it really that hard to admit you care?"
It was that sentence that made her unable to concentrate on reading for the rest of the day.
If she asked now, wouldn't that just give him more satisfaction?
And Yukino didn't want to satisfy him.
As the conversation continued, Makoto and Ichika started discussing acting in depth.
Yukino listened for a while and realized Makoto hadn't lied—he was genuinely knowledgeable.
Just look at how Ichika's eyes were sparkling.
In that girl's eyes, Makoto had probably become a hidden treasure by now.
Yukino pulled back her attention and began to wonder: Did Makoto really bring me to this cat café today just to kill time?
She sank into thought.
After a while, while Ichika was still taking notes seriously, the mother and daughter Makoto had been watching out of the corner of his eye finally made a move.
The little girl holding the Rubik's Cube walked toward the counter.
As she passed by Makoto's table, she was too focused on the cats in the café and accidentally dropped the Rubik's Cube, which happened to roll right to Yukino's feet.
Just as Yukino reached out to pick it up, Makoto beat her to it.
When she looked up, she saw Makoto holding the scrambled Rubik's Cube and saying with a hint of nostalgia, "It's a 3x3 cube, huh. I used to play with these all the time as a kid. Brings back memories."
Then, he looked at the little girl who had been drawn to him and smiled. "Would you like me to solve it for you?"
"Yes, please!" the little girl nodded eagerly.
"I've been working on it for a while, but I still don't know how to fix it."
Yukino and Ichika both looked over at this point.
Makoto solved the Rubik's Cube in just a few quick moves, making the little girl beam with excitement. "Wow, that's amazing!"
"You just need to learn the method and practice a bit more. You'll be able to do it easily too." Makoto returned the cube to her.
Just then, the woman nearby stood up and walked over.
As a mother, seeing her daughter chatting happily with a stranger naturally made her concerned.
That was exactly what Makoto had been waiting for.
"You all seem to be having fun," the woman said, smiling warmly as she joined the conversation.
"Mommy, this big brother is so cool! He fixed my Rubik's Cube so fast!" The little girl was still thrilled.
"Is that so?" The woman gently stroked her daughter's head, her eyes full of affection.
Makoto seized the opportunity and said, "Hello, I'm Fushimi Makoto, a first-year student at Toyonozaki High School.
I just happened to pick up your daughter's cube and couldn't resist showing off a little."
The woman laughed. "Well, it looks like my daughter really enjoyed your little show."
Makoto smoothly turned toward Yukino and Ichika. "These are my classmates."
The two girls politely introduced themselves.
"Hello, I'm Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Hello, I'm Nakano Ichika."
Upon hearing their names, the woman was clearly a little surprised for a brief moment, but quickly composed herself.
She smiled and asked, "Would it be alright if I joined you? My daughter seems to really enjoy playing with you all."
The little girl nodded eagerly. "I want to play with this big brother!"
Makoto returned a friendly smile. "Of course."
Seeing his smile, the woman felt an inexplicable sense of warmth.
Not to mention, the name Yukinoshita had clearly caught her attention. With that, she sat down with her daughter.
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