How did I end up here?
Wasn't I in the service club?
It smells so good. Is someone cooking?
With a mind full of questions and a stomach full of hunger, Yuigahama Yui got out of bed and walked out of the room.
What she saw was a beautifully decorated apartment. The scent of food wafted from the open kitchen, and curious, she walked over. There, Yukinoshita Yukino, already changed into casual home clothes and wearing an apron, was preparing a meal.
"Yukinon!?"
The girl with the buns was startled and began to wonder if she was dreaming. Instinctively, she pinched her own cheek. "Ouch! So it's not a dream!?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was amused by her cute reaction and placed the food on the table. "Let's eat first. I'll explain everything to you, but I hope you won't be too shocked."
"Eh? Explain what?"
Yuigahama Yui tilted her head, puzzled. "Didn't I fall asleep in the servant department? And then Yukinon couldn't wake me up, so you brought me home?"
"…What did you just say?"
Yukinoshita Yukino slowly widened her eyes, unsure if she had heard correctly.
"Huh? Isn't that right?"
The girl with the buns said, still confused.
Is Yuigahama Yui… suffering from memory loss?
Did the shock from witnessing Ooka's transformation trigger a protective response in her brain, causing selective amnesia?
If that's the case, can I keep hiding it from her? But is it really okay to continue hiding it?
Yukinoshita Yukino found herself in a dilemma.
"Yukinon?"
Seeing that Yukinoshita Yukino seemed lost in thought, Yuigahama Yui waved her hand in front of her face. "What are you thinking about?"
"Did I cause you trouble...?"
The girl with the buns looked embarrassed.
"No."
Yukinoshita Yukino snapped out of it, shook her head, and smiled. "I was just thinking about whether I should have informed your family. They might be worried."
"Ah!"
Yuigahama Yui suddenly realized, and she hurriedly searched for her phone. "Oh no, what time is it? Ahh, it's already past eight!"
At Yukinoshita Yukino's reminder, she quickly grabbed her phone from her bag on the couch. The screen showed five missed calls from her mom.
She quickly redialed. The phone rang once before being answered. "Hello? Mom! I'm sorry I didn't pick up! I accidentally fell asleep at the club! Yeah, I'm fine. Yuki-chan brought me home. Eh? Will I be coming home tonight...?"
Yuigahama Yui said, glancing cautiously at Yukinoshita Yukino. When she saw Yukino nodding slightly, she smiled and happily replied, "Yeah, I probably won't be coming home tonight."
"Hehe~"
After a few more words of concern from her mom, she hung up and gave a silly smile at Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Let's eat now, or it'll get cold."
Yukinoshita Yukino said helplessly, handing her a bowl of rice.
Her friend really felt a bit clumsy—there was something about her that made it hard not to worry.
"Okay~!"
Yuigahama Yui cheerfully sat down and eagerly began to enjoy Yukinoshita Yukino's cooking.
She picked up a piece of fried fish and eagerly chewed, her face lighting up like it was about to melt. "So good! Yukinon, your cooking skills are amazing! When can I cook this well?"
The golden crispy coating of the fried fish wasn't hard, and with a bit of pressure, it made a satisfying crunch. The rich, fragrant oil filled her mouth, and the juice burst out, releasing the delicate, fresh flavor of the fish, which was soft and tender, melting in her mouth.
"Is this cod? How did you make it?"
While enjoying her meal, Yuigahama Yui, with her mouth full of oil, asked, genuinely curious.
"Mm, it's the usual frying method. First, steam the cod, then coat it with flour..."
Yukinoshita Yukino was talking when she suddenly noticed that the girl sitting across from her, Yuigahama Yui, looked as confused as if she were in a math class. With a sigh, she briefly explained, "It's something like tempura."
"Oh! I get it now!" Yuigahama Yui exclaimed, looking relieved and then starting to shovel her food into her mouth.
Do you really get it?
Smiling and shaking her head, Yukinoshita Yukino started eating in small bites herself, while in her mind, she messaged Hayashizaki.
[Hayashizaki-kun, do you think I should tell Yuigahama about the things in the jujutsu world?]
[Up to you, just say it if you want to.] Hayashizaki replied casually. [Don't ask me about everything, especially about things that don't really matter.]
[....]
Yukinoshita Yukino fell silent.
Ask you about everything?
A question flashed through her mind—had she really been asking Hayashizaki so often lately?
Once the question arose, her thoughts began to seek an answer. She looked back through recent memories, and the answer she arrived at only made her silent again.
It really seems like it.
She had indeed been relying too much on Hayashizaki lately. No matter the size of the matter, she would first ask for his opinion and then decide on her own afterward.
Is this really okay?
In her mind, a debate began, with two chibi versions of Yukinoshita Yukino sitting on either side. The one on the left had a serious expression, while the one on the right smiled softly. A third, normal-looking Yukinoshita Yukino sat at the judge's table and pressed the button on the left.
The serious Yukinoshita Yukino spoke first, her voice cold and solemn.
"This is certainly not good! Always depending on Hayashizaki-kun's opinion to make decisions will only make you more and more dependent on him. Over time, not only will you stop growing, but you'll also become the kind of person who can't make decisions on your own without Hayashizaki-kun!"
"Well-reasoned and convincing."
The judge Yukinoshita wavered slightly, then pressed the button on the right, signaling the smiling Yukinoshita to speak.
"What's wrong with that?"
The gentle Yukinoshita Yukino smiled, her voice not as cold as the other version of herself, but as soft and warm as the first breeze of spring at the end of February, or like the clear water running through a forest.
"Hayashizaki-kun's judgment is always correct. Isn't it better to refer to his opinion before making a decision? If you just worry about not growing and stubbornly go your own way, making the wrong choice, that's when regret will truly hit. Besides, what's wrong with depending on Hayashizaki-kun? The sense of security and reliability, aren't you kind of addicted to that feeling yourself?"
"Stop lying to yourself!"
Her gentle words pierced both the serious Yukinoshita and the judge Yukinoshita, causing a flush to appear on their faces. Neither could say anything more to argue.
This brain debate was won by the gentle Yukinoshita!
"Yukinon? Yukinon!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's awareness was pulled back by the call of the pink-haired girl with the bun.
"Recently, it seems like Yukinon is always zoning out, almost like Hikki in class."
Yuigahama Yui said, looking a bit worried.
"Really? I was just thinking, did I put too much salt in the cod tempura?"
Yukinoshita Yukino said, her face turning slightly red.
"Eh? I think it's just right."
Yuigahama Yui took another bite. "Does this mean Yuki-chan likes stronger flavors?"
[Yeah, I do.] Hayashizaki responded.
"Well, um... yeah, I guess... I like it."
Yukinoshita Yukino answered hesitantly.
...
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