"Hard to explain. There's some family stuff going on, so things aren't exactly warm between us right now—but it's not like we're at each other's throats."
Haruno didn't elaborate. Mio didn't push. As someone who'd read the source material, she had a rough idea of the situation anyway—and the topic had already served its purpose. Deflection successful.
Almost like she'd been waiting for an opening, Haruno pivoted: "You've been at the school for a while now. Have you actually talked to Yukino yet?"
"I've seen her a few times, but we haven't really spoken."
Technically accurate. Mio had been keeping deliberate distance from Yukinoshita Yukino—she'd spotted her maybe three times from across a hallway, but nothing had triggered. Proximity seemed to be the key.
"So?" Haruno's eyes lit up. "Isn't she cute?"
"She is. Looks a lot like senpai, actually. But she gives off this cold, hard-to-approach energy—really different from you. Interesting, for two sisters."
"Maybe Yukino only seems hard to approach, and I only seem easy to approach?"
"Can't rule it out. I haven't talked to Yukinoshita-san enough to say. But from where I stand, senpai's pretty approachable."
Lying through your teeth got easier with practice. Mio was becoming very good at it.
Haruno laughed softly behind her hand. "You know, the reason you find me approachable is because you hold a... special place in my book. Most people don't get this kind of treatment."
Mio arranged her face into something appropriately flustered.
And she was increasingly convinced that pivoting to Yukino had been a stroke of genius. Every time the topic came up, Haruno completely forgot to be insufferable.
Small mercies.
They talked, they queued, and somehow the line disappeared without either of them noticing. A staff member guided them to the front car.
Neither of them was actually scared—but speed had its own kind of thrill. Mio opened her mouth and screamed. Really screamed, unguarded and unrestrained, pouring out everything she'd been quietly holding since the day she'd woken up in this world.
If she'd cared even slightly less about her image, she might've gone full Beast Senpai mode.
The coaster decelerated into the station. Ride over.
Mio hopped off and, on instinct, reached for Haruno's hand to drag her toward the next ride.
Haruno pulled back.
"Don't rush—fix your hair first~" She reached up and started tucking Mio's windswept strands back into place.
"I—I can do it myself."
"Let me."
Mio lowered her hands and let her.
A flicker of confusion passed through Haruno's expression. Since when does Mio just... let things happen?
She smoothed out the tangles, then—apparently feeling creative—styled Mio's hair into twin tails.
Adorable. Very adorable.
Then again, with that face, even a buzz cut would probably look cute.
Something quietly amused crossed Haruno's expression and stayed there.
Two more rides, and it was noon. They sorted out lunch at one of the park's restaurants, then dove straight back into checking things off.
After the bumper cars—
Checkmark.
One attraction left.
The Ferris wheel.
Mio could practically see the exit from here.
"Most of the people in line are couples or little kids," Haruno observed.
"Well, the Ferris wheel's supposed to symbolize luck in love. Supposedly if a couple kisses at the top, they'll be together forever." Mio said it offhandedly—half-forgotten trivia she'd accumulated in her previous life during a very earnest, very unsuccessful campaign to figure out how to get a girlfriend.
She had no idea if it was accurate.
"Is my little kouhai hinting at something~?"
Mio blinked. Then it clicked.
"No—that was literally just trivia. And we're not a couple."
"I was just asking. No need to be nervous—you're acting like you actually meant something by it."
Haruno's smile widened with visible delight.
"Anyway. What happens if two people who aren't a couple kiss at the top?"
"No idea."
"Want to find out?"
"Sure," Mio said without so much as flinching. "If senpai's fine with it, I'm fine with it."
She still had her one veto, unused. But she genuinely didn't believe Haruno would follow through. Call it stubbornness. Call it reading the room. She'd watched this woman long enough to know the difference between a threat and a performance.
She didn't care how many death flags she was flying right now—she still didn't buy it.
Haruno narrowed her eyes. Honestly? There was a little temptation. Not because of the legend—she didn't buy that for a second—but she was curious what face Mio would make.
They'd already kissed once. And they were both girls. Another one wouldn't exactly be a scandal.
But Haruno held herself back. Going through with it would make her look like she was into this, and that was not the vibe she was going for.
She could still pretend, though. A little scare tactic to see if Mio would finally crack.
A distinctly bad feeling settled in Mio's stomach as the queue moved forward.
There weren't many people waiting. They boarded fast.
"Senpai, why are you sitting on my side?"
"To be ready, obviously~"
"Ready for what?"
Mio fixed her with an openly suspicious look. This woman wasn't actually planning to pull something at the top, was she?
While Mio was still turning that over—
"I don't know why," Haruno said, casual and sweet, "but my little kouhai has been very cooperative today~"
Mio's expression froze on her face.
...