Yukino was silent.
Just as Haruto thought Yukino would refuse, she whispered, "Then I'll leave it to you, Kuromori-kun."
It was just a casual joke to distract her, but she actually agreed?
But since Yukino had agreed, Haruto didn't hesitate.
"I'll start."
Haruto stood up and sat very close to Yukino. He could smell the faint scent of shampoo and body wash from her.
It smelled nice.
Haruto reached out and placed his hands on Yukino's hair, clearly feeling the subtle trembling of her slender frame.
However, Yukino continued to keep her head lowered.
After a moment of thought, Haruto began to tidy up Yukino's slightly messy hair.
He always felt that leaving it messy and tying it right away would look sloppy. Thus, Haruto experienced a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Feeling his actions, Yukino's fair cheeks gradually flushed. She unconsciously clutched the edge of her skirt with her hands.
Her heartbeat suddenly grew louder.
The rooftop was silent except for the occasional chirping of birds flying under the blue sky.
As Haruto helped her tidy her hair, he glanced at Yukino and noticed her cheeks blushing, even her ears were red.
"All done!"
Haruto spoke up, breaking the quiet.
"Phew~"
Yukino exhaled in relief, but the next moment, she suddenly realized he was moving closer to her.
What was Haruto planning to do?
Yukino's body immediately stiffened, and she stared blankly at him as he came closer, eyes wide open.
Then, she suddenly closed her eyes.
Haruto looked at her, then reached out and adjusted her tie.
"Sorry, my obsessive-compulsive disorder is acting up. Yukinoshita, your tie was crooked and bothering me, so I thought I'd fix it for you."
Hearing this, Yukino's eyes suddenly opened, and she gritted her teeth, glaring at him.
'Hey, why are you glaring at me? I'm clearly doing you a favor, not taking advantage, so you should be thankful instead of mad!'
Haruto thought for a moment and said, "How about I do it again?"
Yukino coldly replied, "Kuromori-kun, you're really annoying!"
"Thank you for the compliment." Haruto raised his hand, smoothing down Yukino's black hair that was tousled by the wind, and said, "Can we talk now?"
Yukino lowered her head, her eyes turning slightly red, and murmured, "May I borrow your hand?"
Haruto extended his hand and pulled her into an embrace.
'So warm.'
Yukino quietly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, resting her face gently on his chest.
Haruto gently patted her slender shoulders and said calmly, "If you need anything, you can tell me."
"Mm~" Yukino hesitated for a moment and murmured, "Could you help me?"
"Help?"
Haruto suddenly remembered something Yukino had said a few days ago. It was then that he'd met Yukino's older sister, Haruno.
And at that time, Yukino reminded him that if anyone asked for help, he could decline immediately.
With Yukino's character, would she actually take the initiative to ask for help?
Haruto didn't refuse: "What's the matter?"
Though she knew the other party was unlikely to refuse, Yukino couldn't help but sigh in relief at his agreement.
She didn't want Haruto to think she was trying to get close to him just to ask for his help.
But the situation had become increasingly dire.
If it wasn't resolved, the Yukinoshita family would face serious issues.
What a hassle!
Yukino sighed, raised her face slightly, looked at him with a pair of clear eyes, and softly said, "I'm sorry. Actually, I didn't want to involve you in this matter."
But she had no choice.
Now she knew that the only person capable of helping her might be Haruto.
After listening to Yukino's story, Haruto frowned slightly.
The situation wasn't simple.
In short, at a dance, Haruno had encountered a young man, and since the young man's remarks were quite arrogant, Haruno promptly dismissed him without hesitation.
Then, the trouble began.
The Yukinoshita family's business started facing pressure. In a short time, the losses were significant. But, of course, the Yukinoshita family was no pushover.
Even so, the opposing side was aggressive and well-funded. Even if the Yukinoshita family could stabilize the situation, it would only be temporary.
If this continued, it would only be a matter of time before collapse.
In such a situation, though the Yukinoshita family was in danger, it was merely a business matter, so Yukino didn't want to involve Haruto.
Because she knew very well that in the adult world, warmth is rare; it's mostly coldness and cruelty.
Even though Haruto wasn't an ordinary person, getting involved would bring him a lot of trouble.
However, things were far from simple.
Yukino's father, the president of a construction company and a regional council member, was suddenly taken away for investigation under the guise of "corruption."
Then, several executives and senior company leaders suddenly disappeared, causing the entire company to come to a standstill.
And the number of people was still growing.
Just yesterday, Mrs. Yukinoshita went missing after returning from the company.
In this situation, even though Yukino didn't have the best relationship with her family, she couldn't sit still any longer.
If things kept going this way, it wouldn't just be Yukino who needed to worry, but now there was no one left in the Yukinoshita family who dared to help.
In short, there was no one to turn to for help.
What's despair and helplessness?
The Yukinoshita family might be experiencing it now.
Yukino clutched his shirt tightly, her expression uneasy, and said, "Kuromori-kun, my father's situation is really bad. If it keeps going like this, it might—"
"Don't worry." Haruto reassured her, without jumping to conclusions, and said, "Don't worry; your father will be fine."
Yukino murmured, "I know Kuromori-kun is strong, which is why I called you here today. Will you help~"