At 7 PM, Mayu called Makoto and said she wouldn't be coming back tonight—Hiratsuka Shizuka had invited her over.
Makoto didn't think much of it at first and chatted with her casually.
But as they talked, she muttered, "Actually, we were going to come back after dinner. She's stayed over at my place before too.
But this time, she insisted I come to her place. Super persistent… Wait, no—intense might be a better word."
"Intense? Like, she forced you to come over?"
"Yeah. I told her we could just chat at your place—since exams are coming, we're supposed to exchange some teacher tips. But she insisted. It's like she's afraid of going to your place."
Makoto understood immediately.
This had to be because of that kiss the other night.
Sure, Hiratsuka Shizuka had acted normal at school since then, like nothing happened.
But Makoto knew—that night left a deep impression on her.
Not just because it was her first kiss, but also due to their age gap.
And let's not forget: she'd gotten emotional, stripped down, and started entertaining herself in the guest room.
All that combined… no way she'd forget it soon.
If she wanted to wipe that memory, she'd probably need to punch herself in the head.
So now she was dragging Mayu to her place—clearly avoiding Makoto.
But the more she avoided him, the more Makoto wanted to do something about it.
"It's about time I had a one-on-one talk with Shizuka-sensei."
After hanging up, Makoto had made up his mind.
But tonight was out of the question. Ichika had called earlier saying she'd stop by.
So he was waiting for her.
Except… at 7:30, instead of Ichika's call, he got a voice chat request from Yukino.
Why would she call at night?
Makoto knew her well enough to know—if she had something to say, she'd usually just text.
So a voice call meant it was serious.
The short film was about to air. Maybe she was getting nervous?
That had to be it.
Makoto figured it out and immediately hit "Decline."
Two seconds later, Yukino messaged: [?]
Makoto didn't reply. Instead, he sent a video call request.
Now the ball was in her court.
After a short pause, Yukino declined.
Makoto expected that—and requested again.
After a bit more hesitation, Yukino accepted.
The call connected, and her beautiful face filled the screen.
She'd clearly just taken a bath. Her flawless face was completely bare, not a trace of makeup.
And even without it, Yukino was still breathtakingly beautiful.
"Why did you initiate a video call?"
Yukino was the first to speak.
Her camera was aimed squarely at her face, revealing only a sliver of her soft, fair neck.
Clearly, she did it on purpose.
"Isn't that an easy question? The point of a video call is so that you can see the person you want to see," Makoto replied.
Yukino stared blankly into the camera.
"You're saying things like that on purpose—which means what you really want to say might make me angry, so you're choosing to hide it."
Makoto raised his hand into view and began clapping. "No wonder Ichika acknowledged you as a scholar of Makoto-ism."
Yukino finally showed some expression—though it was just disdain. "So you're not planning to be honest?"
Makoto countered with a question instead: "By the way, are you bare-faced right now?"
"Yes," she answered directly.
"That reminds me of something I once read in a book. Want to hear it?"
"No."
"Great, I'll tell you now."
"..."
Yukino sighed, closing her eyes briefly before reopening them. "Fine, hurry up."
Makoto chuckled. "The book said that in today's world, if a girl dares to meet a guy without makeup, it means one of two things: either she's too lazy to bother with it, or she's so naturally beautiful she doesn't need it. So, my adorable young lady, which one are you?"
Yukino was silent for two seconds before replying confidently, "Thanks for the compliment. I know I'm cute."
She didn't give Makoto a chance to tease her further.
The two were already quite familiar with each other.
While she still wasn't fully capable of handling Makoto's "updated" approach, at the very least, she could hold her own in some exchanges.
Then Makoto changed the subject. "By the way, another sponsor reached out to our club's account recently."
Yukino's expression turned serious. "Even though you're the club president and this kind of thing should be discussed together, I still think we shouldn't keep accepting ad deals."
"I feel the same."
"Huh?"
Yukino blinked, skeptical. "Really?"
"Did you think I was trying to make constant income off the club's account?"
"I think it's entirely possible."
"My adorable young lady, now that I can't agree with."
Makoto sat up a bit straighter, half-joking as he said,
"I wouldn't mind if we all earned a little spending money together, but I've always thought that once money gets involved too early in relationships, it could do more harm than good."
Yukino's eyes lit up. "Go on."
Makoto knew this topic would interest her and grinned.
"Sure, everyone might start out feeling like they're gaining something. But in truth, they might be losing. And the longer it goes on, the worse that loss becomes."
Yukino gazed at him for a moment, then her lips curled into a small smile. "This might be the first time I fully agree with you as president."
"Wait, so you didn't recognize me before this?"
"Only halfway. You come off as unreliable sometimes."
"I object."
"Your objection is overruled."
As they continued talking, Yukino visibly relaxed more than she had when the video first started.
She had been worried when Makoto brought up advertising again, fearing he might accept another deal.
As Makoto had pointed out, making some money was fine—but if it became too frequent, friendship would be bound too tightly with money.
Over time, even something like someone earning less could spark resentment.
Makoto understood these concerns, but he didn't say the rest of what he was thinking: with the Nakano sisters, their character made it highly unlikely that they'd fall out over splitting money.
Still, since Yukino was clearly nervous about the upcoming short film release, the video call was meant to distract her—and steer the conversation in a direction that would ease her mind.
The two kept chatting casually for nearly half an hour, with Makoto bringing up topics and Yukino sharing her thoughts in turn.
Then, out of nowhere, Yukino asked, "Aren't you going to ask why I contacted you tonight?"
"The answer was right there in the question, so there's no need to ask," Makoto replied.
Yukino's eyes softened instantly.
So he'd known from the start?
She really had been nervous tonight. Part of her worried about what to do if the short film received negative feedback.
Everyone had worked so hard together for this.
Even if she had once said, "We just need to do our best, no need to think about anything else,"—when the moment actually arrived, she still felt anxious.
She'd experienced this kind of emotion before, but back then, she always bore it alone.
Now, things were different.
She knew there was someone she could talk to.
Even if there were things she disliked about him, whenever she had something she wanted to share or vent, he was always the first person who came to mind.
"Feeling better now?" Makoto's voice brought her back.
Yukino smiled gently. "Yeah. Much better."
"So, how are you going to thank me?"
"Oh, so you helped me with an ulterior motive?"
"I'd call it a 'request.'"
"What's your request?"
"Let me see your legs."
Click—the call was cut off.
Makoto didn't look the least bit disappointed. He leaned back on the sofa and waited patiently.
Three minutes later, Yukino sent a message.
Makoto opened it right away.
There was no text, only a photo.
It didn't show her face—just the lower half of her body in a camisole nightdress.
It confirmed Makoto's earlier guess.
During the video call, she had kept the camera trained on her face and never moved it downward because her outfit was too revealing to show.
Sure, Makoto had seen nearly everything before, but Yukino was a reserved girl. There was no way she'd show herself in such attire to a guy late at night on her own initiative.
Her legs in the photo were slim and well-proportioned, with the hem of her dress revealing a portion of her smooth, fair thighs.
Her feet rested on the bedspread—heels full and round, toes aligned like little pearls, perfectly trimmed nails painted in a soft, youthful pink that gleamed under the light.
Then Yukino sent a message:
[Only this once. Think of it as thanks for earlier.]
Makoto: [Captain ready for takeoff!]
Yukino: [???]
Just before 8:20, Makoto finally received a message from Ichika.
But when he opened the door, it wasn't just Ichika outside—Nino was with her, dressed up beautifully.
"Good evening," Nino greeted with a confident smile.
Ichika smiled too, though hers was clearly a bit forced.
"Good evening."
Makoto replied, stepped aside to let them in, and asked, "Are you two sure it's okay to come out this late?"
Nino answered first. "I already told Miku and the others."
Ichika nodded, her smile dry. "Yep, we talked to them together. Everything's fine."
…
"There is definitely not nothing going on."
Back at the Nakano house, Itsuki was pacing the living room with a frown.
Miku and Yotsuba, sitting on the couch, nodded in agreement. "Ichika and Nino are definitely up to something!"
___
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!
Don't forget to leave a review too~ Actually, please leave one.
Check out the other translations too
___