"Kouhai, they have a raffle here~"
Haruno glanced at the ticket she'd gotten with her purchase, then waved it at Mio. "Want to test your luck?"
Under normal circumstances, a raffle might be at least a little exciting. For Mio? Not even a flicker.
The reason was simple — she was cursed with the worst luck imaginable.
"My luck is terrible. Go ahead without me, senpai." She gave the machine a skeptical, sidelong look.
"You're really not even curious?"
Haruno leaned in close, her voice dipping into something tempting.
"I have zero confidence in my own luck."
"Alright, fine~"
Haruno shrugged and walked over to the raffle station. She handed her ticket to the staff member and gave the machine a turn.
Mio had fully expected a small consolation prize. Then a golden ball dropped out.
The staff member, completely unfazed, said in an even voice: "Congratulations. You've won first prize. Here is your reward."
Mio peered over curiously. "What is it?"
"A coupon for a restaurant — 30% off. If you're a couple, it's 40% off."
"...Something feels a little sus about this."
"It is, but we haven't decided on lunch yet anyway. Might as well go there — couples get 40% off~"
Mio casually stepped sideways, putting a little distance between herself and Haruno. "The thing is... we're not a couple."
"We could be."
The more Mio retreated, the more Haruno advanced.
Rather than back into the display counter, Mio stopped after a few steps and gave up. "...Senpai," she muttered, "it's not like you're short on money. I can cover lunch if that's the issue."
Mio wasn't exactly rolling in it compared to Haruno — but she counted as comfortably well-off herself.
"Absolutely not. I invited you, so I'm paying. And it's not about the money. It's about the experience."
Haruno glanced at a couple nearby, arm in arm, then said softly, "Christmas only comes once a year. If you don't let yourself experience what it's like to date someone... that's a waste, don't you think?"
"It's not Valentine's Day."
"Close enough. Don't sweat the details." Haruno mimicked the couple as she said it, threading her arm through Mio's.
She'd been planning to play the cute, clingy girlfriend — but the moment she linked arms, Mio moved first, resting her head on Haruno's shoulder, putting on the look of the sweetest, most charming little girlfriend.
"My kouhai is dangerously practiced at this," Haruno said, smiling. "Do you pull this move on other girls often?"
The comment made something flicker across Mio's face — a tiny slip. But she recovered fast, turning to Haruno with the most luminous smile she could manage. "Mm, senpai's teasing me again. Your adorable kouhai only acts like this with you, obviously."
From experience, Haruno had learned: when Mio looked this sincere, don't believe a single word.
They left the shop once they'd bought the gift.
Haruno handed it off to a driver waiting just outside.
Mio watched the driver go and sighed. "Must be nice. Being a rich heiress and having a driver follow you around everywhere."
"Want to experience the rich heiress lifestyle~?"
"Hard pass. I'm perfectly happy as I am." Mio laughed it off. As a transmigrator, she had a pretty clear picture of what life in the Yukinoshita household was like. The last thing she wanted was to step into that kind of pressure.
"Sometimes I honestly envy you," Haruno said quietly. "Being able to do whatever you want."
Mio let out a small sigh. She wanted to say I can't exactly do whatever I want either — but swallowed it.
She didn't say a word. But Haruno caught the expression.
Interesting. So her adorable little kouhai had something she couldn't talk about.
She wondered if it had anything to do with Mio's occasional... unusual decisions.
Mio suddenly felt a prickle of unease. She glanced at Haruno — and found her being studied with keen, entertained interest.
"I know I'm cute, but senpai staring at me like that is going to make me blush."
She played up the bashful act on the surface — but inside, she was on high alert. Even with no active mission, she couldn't afford to drop her guard around Haruno. There was a real possibility Haruno was probing for answers right now.
"Can't help it. My kouhai is just that cute." Haruno tilted her head. "Lately I've been thinking... maybe I should find myself a girlfriend like you~"
"Senpai, you haven't forgotten you're also a girl, right?"
"I don't think there's any rule that says girls can't date each other."
Looking at Haruno's familiar, knowing smile — Mio would normally have shrugged it off. But this time, for some reason, it felt... a little less like a joke.
She dismissed the thought immediately. Haruno's just toying with me. A real relationship probably isn't in the cards for her anyway.
That was when a familiar figure caught Mio's eye.
Tall build. Golden hair. Sharp features.
Hayato Hayama — no one else it could be.
And surrounding him? A few of the popular group guys.
"Hayato, look — isn't that Shirai over there?" Shu Tobe pointed toward Mio.
Even on a crowded Christmas street, that white hair stood out like a beacon.
At Tobe's words, Hayama instinctively looked in the direction he was pointing — and immediately spotted Mio Shirai.
And Haruno Yukinoshita, arm hooked through hers.
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