Several uneventful days passed after Minamoto Senya quietly set another private agreement with Saeko Tsumujima in the library.
During this time, Chiyo Minamoto's schedule became even busier. Miyoko Kudou had arranged an outdoor product endorsement shoot for him, requiring him to film an ad in the open air.
Beyond that, there was also a small-scale Kendo tournament in Kyoto, organized jointly by several elementary schools. The organizers hoped that, given his reputation as a rising prodigy in the Kendo world, he could perform a sword demonstration at the opening ceremony to attract attention—and, naturally, he would be compensated.
As a result, his calendar had become tightly packed for the foreseeable future, leaving little room for free time.
Chiyo Minamoto called both Saeko and Senya to notify them of this schedule.
Toka was unnecessary to contact—sharing the same roof, she saw him every evening anyway, so he could casually update her during dinner.
Truthfully, Senya had been a little anxious when her phone rang and she saw "Chiyo" displayed as the caller.
She feared that, upon answering, Chiyo would want to set up another meeting with her, like before, or perhaps meet somewhere outside.
She hadn't yet recovered from the hotel ordeal that had lasted over ten exhausting hours, and she knew she couldn't endure even a fraction of that again in the short term.
Thankfully, things didn't go the way she feared.
When she heard Chiyo explain over the phone that he'd be too busy with work to come see her for the foreseeable future, Senya felt deeply embarrassed—but also relieved, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.
She could finally rest without worrying about her composure collapsing…
It was a shame, though: if Chiyo wasn't available, their previously arranged amusement park trip with Saeko would probably need to be postponed.
But that was fine. As students, they had all the time in the world.
Besides, she could use this period to recover her strength—perhaps even engage in some purposeful physical training to restore her stamina to a less embarrassing level. Sharpening herself for the day the trip would finally happen.
Time passed quietly.
By early August, the temperature soared, the first semester of the school year ended, and summer vacation began.
On such a hot morning, a plane originating from Eagle Country touched down at Tokyo International Airport precisely at nine a.m.
Yukino Yukinoshita stepped off the plane, dressed in a sky-blue sundress and a pure white sunhat. Her delicate features combined with her fresh, ethereal aura made her stand out among the crowd.
Chiyo Minamoto, who had come to pick her up, spotted her instantly.
Eriri and Rikka, holding hands, ran forward excitedly to greet her.
Chiyo and Haruno, more composed by nature, followed a few steps behind at a relaxed pace.
Today, only the four of them were present.
Saeko had her own plans and couldn't come, though she had apparently explained this to Yukino in advance.
Toka had enrolled in a French cuisine course starting on the first day of summer vacation, with morning classes every day, so she couldn't make it either.
Originally, Toka had intended to get a job in a restaurant kitchen to earn money while learning culinary skills, but Chiyo had immediately vetoed the idea.
His reasoning was simple: in today's world, a good restaurant wouldn't take an inexperienced newcomer, and an ordinary kitchen wouldn't provide meaningful learning opportunities. Most likely, she'd be assigned menial tasks others didn't want to do—washing vegetables, chopping, carrying, cleaning.
Not to mention, the competition between restaurants is fierce. Signature dishes are rarely entrusted entirely to a novice.
Even a properly apprenticed student would likely have to wait years to master the full craft. Take the so-called "Sushi God," for example: anyone hoping to work in his kitchen must twist towels for a year before touching fish, and even then, it would take another ten years just to fry eggs before they could finally make sushi—again, all measured in years.
Considering this, Chiyo persuaded Toka with thorough reasoning, and she reluctantly agreed.
However, she insisted that the tuition for her cooking course was a loan from him, and that she would repay it with interest once she started earning.
Chiyo, in truth, didn't mind. In his heart, all the distinctions between him and Toka were already irrelevant.
As for Senya, today she had an appointment with her editor to discuss licensing for spin-off products based on her novel, marking another step forward in her career.
Given her strained relationship with Yukino, even if she had the time, she probably wouldn't have wanted to come. Any attempt would likely have resulted in an awkward, forced conversation.
"You know, it feels like my little sister has gotten even prettier over the past few months," Haruno said softly, almost to herself. Her smile, and the slight curve of her eyes, seemed deliberately aimed at Chiyo.
Chiyo didn't disappoint. Without hesitation, he replied, "Not an illusion. Yukino's always been beautiful, and she'll only keep getting more beautiful."
A casual, simple comment, and yet he unexpectedly delivered a clear answer.
"What's the matter?" Haruno asked, watching him with a thoughtful gaze.
"Nothing… I just suddenly noticed your eyes—they're so bright."
"Bright?"
"Yes, looking at my sister, they shine."
"Haruno… you're so embarrassing," Chiyo teased.
"You know it…"
"Giggling~"
Haruno couldn't help but laugh.
Chiyo returned his attention forward. By now, Eriri and Rikka had reached Yukino and were chattering away.
Yukino cast a gentle glance at him, and when their eyes met, she offered a soft smile.
"Long time no see, Yukino! I've missed you so much!" Haruno exclaimed, opening her arms and hugging her without regard for Yukino's willingness.
Rikka muttered, "You two are really close."
Eriri added, "Well, they're sisters."
"My sister, on the other hand, treats me like I'm a nuisance," Yukino replied.
"That's because you often get into trouble," Rikka quipped.
"Enough, sister! Don't get so close, so many people are watching," Yukino said, finally breaking free from the embrace.
Having greeted the three of them, only one person remained: Chiyo.
Yukino stepped forward, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said softly, "Long time no see."
Chiyo smiled broadly. "Welcome back."
Though busy, he had come at Eriri and Rikka's request—but even without it, he would have been here. Months apart created a natural desire to see her in person.
Even if they had video-called two or three times in the past few months, some changes could only be observed firsthand.
"Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to pick me up," Yukino said.
"Just happened to be free… By the way, haven't you shrunk a bit?" Chiyo stepped closer, his hand hovering just above her head, moving toward his chest to compare height.
"You're the one who grew too fast, not me," Yukino replied, rolling her eyes.
The familiar, comforting feeling returned. Childhood friends shared bonds that didn't degrade with distance or time, allowing them to reconnect immediately.
"All right, you two, enough flirting—it's blocking everyone else," Haruno said, placing hands on both of their shoulders.
"Flirting…" Yukino blushed, her composure briefly faltering as she glanced at Chiyo.
Realizing this, she quickly returned to her usual calm demeanor. "Stop joking, sister."
Turning back to Eriri and Rikka, she smiled again. "Let's get our luggage and go. To thank you for picking me up, I'll treat you to ice cream later."
"Skip the ice cream; my stomach isn't feeling great. Juice instead?"
"Of course."
"Then I won't refuse. Oh, by the way, Yukino, any plans this afternoon?"
Eriri, unlike the ever-excited Rikka, looked surprised at Yukino's calm response. Though she masked it quickly, a trace of tension lingered in her smile.
Haruno noticed immediately. "Yukino and her friends… could be interesting in the future."
Chiyo, walking beside them, remarked quietly, "Be careful—if you're always scheming for fun, one day you might end up part of the entertainment yourself."
Haruno nudged him. "Hmm? Are you implying something?"
Chiyo smiled. "Relax. I'm just talking to myself."
After picking up Yukino, Chiyo left promptly. His busy schedule and prearranged work demanded it.
Haruno also took her leave, claiming that as the older sister, she shouldn't be around, letting the three younger girls interact freely. In truth, she felt bored and saw no point in staying. After reminding her sister to have dinner, she left with Yukino's luggage.
"Eriri, has he always been this busy?" Yukino asked, once Chiyo was out of sight.
Eriri shrugged off any lingering tension from Haruno's words. "Yes, very busy. Remember our beach trip? Even while we were playing, he was filming a commercial. After that, he was constantly occupied."
"Exactly," Rikka confirmed. "Weekends aside, he never has time to go home with me. Last weekend, he left a day early and didn't return until late at night. Even two big bowls of fried rice weren't enough. Mom had to make a whole pan of dumplings too. She was worried sick seeing how hard he works."
"I see…"
Listening to their descriptions, Yukino could imagine her childhood friend, Chiyo, working so tirelessly that he could only eat freely at home.
Nothing much had changed; even while she had been abroad improving herself, he remained the same.
It was good that he kept moving forward, but she still needed to remind him to take care of himself.
…
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