My turn?
Yukino didn't expect to be so lucky, being the second person picked.
She thought for a moment, glanced at Shinra, and then... chose Yui, whom she was relatively more familiar with.
"Me? Um... I'll choose Truth too. Hehe, ask away, Yukino!" Yui was very happy that Yukino chose her.
She seemed to think this was a sign of their good relationship.
Otherwise, why didn't Yukino choose someone else?
In reality, Yukino felt that choosing Shinra directly would be too obvious. Plus, the game had just started; there would definitely be chances later.
"Who among those present would make you the saddest if you argued with them?" Yukino asked a random question she came up with.
"Huh?"
Yui was stunned. Who among those present would make me the saddest if I argued with them? What kind of question is this?
However, seeing the gaze Miura Yumiko shot her way, the observant Yui immediately understood. Then, the smile on her face turned slightly bitter.
This... this was asking her to choose one of two.
Yui looked at Miura Yumiko, who was crossing her arms beside her, and then at the elegant Yukino sitting next to Shinra opposite her.
It should have been double the joy, so why did it turn out like this?
Ebina, watching the show from the side, was also finding it hard to keep a straight face. She didn't expect Yui's friendship Shuraba to arrive before Shinra's romantic Shuraba.
"Uh... this... that..." Yui stammered for a long time, finally saying as if resigned to fate, "I can't choose. I'd be very sad arguing with anyone."
Very good. Between Miura Yumiko OR Yukino Yukinoshita, she chose OR.
"I see. My question is done; it's your turn." Yukino signaled for Yui to continue spinning the bottle.
"Eh? Yukino doesn't think there's a problem with my answer?" Yui didn't expect Yukino to let her off so "easily," as she thought her answer was quite cunning.
Yukino shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her clear and beautiful face. "You spoke the truth, so there's no problem."
Yukino wasn't a petty person. Not to mention that Miura Yumiko and Yui became friends before she did; she wouldn't take her anger out on Yui just because she didn't get along with Miura.
If she did that, wouldn't she become the kind of person she hated the most in the past?
Besides... Miura Yumiko wasn't without merit.
Previously, Yukino disliked her because she thought Miura was the same type as those low-ability people she encountered before—only knowing jealousy, liking to use underhanded means to exclude dissidents, but not knowing how to improve themselves. However, after contact, Yukino found this wasn't the case.
Although Miura Yumiko always harbored inexplicable malice toward her, even by Yukino's standards, she was actually quite outstanding.
"Is that so? Hehe~" Yui rubbed her head, revealing her trademark silly smile.
Seeing this, Miura Yumiko couldn't help holding her forehead and sighing. Her silly friend was being PUA'd (psychologically manipulated) and didn't even know it.
"Eh, is it me? Then... I choose Hayama."
"Truth."
"How many girlfriends has Hayama had?"
"None."
Hearing this, everyone present, including the questioner Yamato, showed very surprised expressions. In their view, how could a central figure like Hayama never have had a girlfriend?
"It's true." Hayama said helplessly.
He indeed hadn't had a girlfriend. Just maintaining various relationships had exhausted all his mental energy. If he got a girlfriend, the current relationships would probably collapse instantly, which was what Hayama least wanted to see.
Hayama obviously didn't want to dwell on this issue too much, so he spun the bottle directly. The result pointed to himself.
Looking up, he saw Tobe's burning gaze. Their eyes met; now he had to choose him.
"Tobe, Truth or Dare?"
"Truth!"
As a friend, you should know the question I want you to ask, right?
Hayama had a headache, but he quickly asked the question he had prepared long ago: "Mm... If the person you like doesn't like you, what would you do?"
This wasn't a hint anymore; it was explicit.
Tobe didn't expect Hayama to ask this question, but he quickly understood Hayama's intention.
This is letting me show a man's demeanor in front of Ebina!
"Of course, find a way to make her like me. I'll do my best for that!" Tobe said with high fighting spirit.
Hayama felt a bit exhausted listening. A very forced smile appeared on his face as he said, "Okay, I understand. Next."
He was out of ideas.
These past few days, he had been instilling the principle of "think before you act" into Tobe openly and secretly, asking him to consider the consequences of a failed confession and whether the timing was right.
But—with little effect.
Tobe Kakeru was completely immersed in his own world. Actually, he didn't fail to understand Hayama's hints; he just didn't want to understand them.
Just like you can never wake a person pretending to be asleep, Tobe had made up his mind to express his feelings to Ebina. Even if he failed, he didn't want to stand still like before.
It was only because Hayama was a nice guy. If it were anyone else, they would either determine to help with the assist or clarify their thoughts to Tobe directly, saying, "Why are you so selfish? If you dare to confess, I'll send you flying!"
But Hayama was different. Hayama chose to stand in the middle, wanting his friend to succeed while preserving the existing relationships.
But where in the world are there so many best-of-both-worlds scenarios?
Ebina took everything in, lowering her eyelids. So it ends up like this after all.
"Ebina, your turn."
The bottle neck spun, and this time it landed on Ebina.
After thinking for a moment, Ebina looked at Shinra.
"Shinra-kun, Truth or Dare?"
"Truth." Shinra felt that in Truth or Dare, Dare was purely superfluous.
"What is the name of the first opposite-sex person you had good feelings for?"
When this question was asked, Yukino, Miura Yumiko, and Kawasaki Saki all locked their gazes on Shinra in unison.
"Zhu Huiya." Shinra said a name no one had heard before.
"Who is that?" Yukino was a bit confused.
"My mom." Shinra was concise.
Everyone was speechless. Okay, that really is the first opposite-sex person he had good feelings for.
"That's a bit sly~" Ebina said smilingly.
"Mm... Ebina-san probably wants to ask about the first opposite-sex person among my peers I had good feelings for, right?"
"Can you say that?" Ebina was a bit surprised.
Obviously, she didn't expect Shinra to run back himself after 'escaping a disaster'.
What is he after?
"What's there not to say?" Shinra's eyes were clear, seemingly not finding any problem with this.
"So who is that person?"
Seeing Shinra put it this way, Ebina let him continue. Originally, she wanted to use this opportunity to probe Shinra's tone.
Firstly, to see if there were any other rivals besides Saki and Yumiko for their sake. Secondly, to pave the way for her next move.
"Yukinoshita Yukino."
...
When this name was spoken, everyone present fell silent.
Honestly, this name coming from Shinra's mouth wasn't that surprising. After all, everyone had witnessed the relationship between Shinra and Yukino. Not to mention other things, the two were inseparable during club activities in the summer.
Not to mention this school trip; they came to the station in the same car.
But everyone, including Yukino herself, didn't expect Shinra to say her name at this time and in this setting.
And he looked so relaxed, seemingly not worried at all...
After a brief moment of astonishment, Yui immediately looked at Miura Yumiko beside her, finding that besides being a bit unreconciled, she seemed... fine?
The expected Shuraba explosion didn't happen at all. Neither Miura Yumiko nor Kawasaki Saki showed any other emotions besides being slightly unreconciled after hearing Shinra's answer.
Are they giving up?
Obviously not.
After all, the question said it was the first opposite-sex person Shinra had good feelings for.
Who said there can only be one person he has good feelings for?
Furthermore, does having good feelings necessarily mean liking someone?
Friends become friends because they have good feelings for each other, right? Without good feelings, one wouldn't even want to interact, let alone become friends.
Therefore, in Miura Yumiko's view, Yukino just had the first-mover advantage of knowing Shinra earlier. She could totally catch up from behind.
Kawasaki Saki didn't think that much at all. In her view, the current her was completely unworthy of Shinra. Even if she liked him, she only dared to do so quietly without letting others notice, let alone competing for favor openly.
In short, for the current Kawasaki Saki, she only had one thought: improve herself first, and talk about other things when she was qualified to stay by Shinra's side.
Precisely because of this thought, when Kawasaki Saki heard Shinra say Yukino's name, her heart felt sour at most. Asking her to give up just because of this... impossible.
Kawasaki Saki doesn't fight for the day and night (is patient).
The scene returned to Yukino herself.
After hearing Shinra say her name with his own mouth, the outside sounds disappeared from her mind, leaving only the sound of her beating heart in her ears, and pink girlish thoughts flooding in.
'What is he saying all of a sudden?'
'He has good feelings for me.'
'How should I answer?'
'I... him...'
...
After these thousands of thoughts flashed by, only one question remained in Yukino's mind.
'Is this a confession?'
No, it shouldn't be a confession.
Fortunately, Yukino sobered up quickly. Good feelings ≠ like, or love, let alone confessing to her.
But if Shinra really confessed, how should she respond?
Agree, or...
Wait, why is my first thought to agree?
Yukino was startled suddenly, then fell into a long silence. The problem she had been trying her best to avoid was finally placed in front of her, unavoidable this time.
She really...
"It should be my turn to spin the bottle."
Shinra's words pulled Yukino's thoughts back.
After answering the question, Shinra neither struck while the iron was hot to launch an offensive against Yukino nor explained his words. instead, he chose to continue the game.
As if everything he did just now was really just to answer Ebina's question.
Is that really so?
Yukino didn't know. She only knew she could no longer view Shinra as she did before.
She had been driven to a dead end and had to face her heart squarely.
Her heart was in turmoil.
The bottle neck spun again and stopped in front of Hachiman again.
"Me again?" Hachiman's dead-fish eyes widened. With so many people here, why is it my turn again so soon?
Am I a magnet?
"Then... still Ebina-san."
Under Tobe's burning gaze beside him, Hachiman chose Ebina Hina again.
"Does Hikigaya-kun have a problem with me?"
"No, no, just entrusted by someone."
"Is that so..." Ebina looked thoughtful, and a smile quickly returned to her face, "Ask away."
Hachiman felt that continuing like this wasn't a solution either, so he asked directly and simply: "If an opposite-sex person present confessed to you, who would you hope it to be?"
This sentence was almost equivalent to asking Ebina who she cared about most among these people.
As long as Ebina's answer wasn't Tobe, Tobe should understand that Ebina's heart belonged elsewhere and he had no chance, right?
As for why not ask who she least hoped to confess... hehe, Hachiman felt the answer would most likely be himself.
Don't ask; ask means experienced.
"A romance topic again?" Ebina tapped her head with her finger as if troubled, looking around.
seeing Ebina looking at him, Tobe wished he could step forward directly. However, Ebina's gaze didn't stop because of him.
"If I really have to say, it should be Shinra-kun."
"Pfft... cough cough."
Kawasaki Saki, who was drinking water, choked suddenly, looking at Ebina beside her in disbelief.
Miura Yumiko, Yui, and others weren't much better. Especially Tobe, he looked like he had lost his parents.
"Can I ask why?" Hachiman was also confused. Does Ebina really have good feelings for Shinra?
"Because rejecting him would be burden-free." Ebina shocked everyone again with her words. She said smilingly: "After all, besides me, many girls like him. Even without me, it's completely fine."
"Also, before university, I don't have any plans for romance."