"Was… that a rejection?"
Tanaka Masao took another sip of the miso soup before continuing.
"Feels kind of abrupt. Say, Yukinoshita-san, at a moment like this, shouldn't I be acting a bit more dejected?"
Yukinoshita Yukino seriously analyzed the situation.
"According to a normal person's reaction, yes—you should be showing signs of disappointment right now."
"Oh, oh, got it. Then I'll give it a try."
Tanaka Masao nodded, started working up his emotions, then took a sip of miso soup and put on an expression that was three parts disdain, three parts indifference, three parts pride, and one part embarrassed anger.
"Hah, seriously, your miso soup is pretty average. You didn't seriously think I liked it, did you? You really—"
Seeing him like this, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't hold back a smile.
"Tanaka-kin, where did you learn this way of talking? Your wording and tone sound completely disgusted, but…"
She covered her mouth, paused briefly, then continued,
"Why does it feel so much like you're lashing out in embarrassment?"
"Isn't it pretty effective?"
If it could even make Yukinoshita Yukino laugh, how could it not be effective?
After the jokes, the two of them ate quietly.
As for why it was only two people—obviously because Jahy had been fully focused on eating the entire time, embodying the true spirit of a dedicated foodie.
After lunch and fruit, the three of them rested a bit. By then, it was already close to two o'clock.
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't waste any time and urged the other two to start studying.
Jahy's task was simple: read books to broaden her knowledge—encyclopedias, literary classics, anything was fine.
Tanaka Masao's main focus was still history and civics, his weakest subjects. When he got tired, he switched to other subjects to relax.
Yukinoshita Yukino was also seriously reviewing. Whenever she reached an important point or solved a difficult problem, she would share it with Tanaka Masao.
Tanaka Masao was like a sponge, greedily absorbing all the knowledge Yukinoshita Yukino poured onto him.
…
Before they knew it, the sky was starting to darken, and they finally wrapped up their studying.
Tanaka Masao stretched and sighed.
"That was really fulfilling… though my head feels kind of swollen."
Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino teased him.
"That's a good thing. It means the knowledge successfully entered Tanaka-kin's brain."
"So that's how it gets in—learned something new today."
Jahy closed the book in her hands and sighed with satisfaction.
"This novel was really good. I liked it a lot. Are there more like it? I want more."
"There are tons of novels—enough to keep you busy. But first, let's deal with dinner."
Tanaka Masao stood up and checked the time.
"My parents said they'd be back really late tonight. It's already six—let's go out for dinner."
Yukinoshita Yukino also got up.
"That works."
She was tired from studying too and didn't feel like cooking. Eating out once in a while wasn't bad.
"Yay! Let's go eat something tasty!"
Jahy hopped up, visibly excited.
Tanaka Masao looked at Jahy.
[Right… there's still you, the living third wheel.]
Yukinoshita Yukino picked up her bag. After dinner, she planned to head straight home.
Tanaka Masao went to his room and brought out one of his jackets for her.
"Yukinoshita-san, it gets a bit cold outside at night. You should wear this."
That day, Yukinoshita Yukino was wearing a white spaghetti-strap dress, with a light blue short-sleeved outer layer on top.
It was perfect for daytime, but with the night breeze, it would get chilly.
Looking at the slightly oversized jacket, Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.
"Thank you."
She wasn't the type to be overly fussy, nor did she mind Tanaka Masao. She simply put the jacket on.
Yukinoshita Yukino was 163 cm tall—more than ten centimeters shorter than Tanaka Masao.
And since Tanaka Masao was on the heavier side, the jacket looked especially loose on her.
Tanaka Masao sized her up.
[So this is the legendary appeal of the "boyfriend jacket."
I should be able to ask for it back later, right?]
The three of them arrived at a nearby commercial street.
With it being evening and a weekend, the place was packed and lively.
There were solo pedestrians, laughing groups of friends, affectionate couples, and warm, harmonious families…
Tanaka Masao's group stood out a bit.
They kind of looked like a cozy family of three—but Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino looked too young.
As a sweet couple, they didn't seem particularly intimate, and with the noticeable gap in their looks, they hardly matched the "perfect pair" image.
Yukinoshita Yukino's flawless appearance, paired with her bun hairstyle, made her look gentle and virtuous.
The loose jacket added an air of fragility and cuteness.
She perfectly matched all the local ideals of a "white moonlight," a dream wife, a Yamato Nadeshiko—every beautiful fantasy rolled into one.
As a result, men around them kept glancing over—some even stealing looks despite having companions.
Yukinoshita Yukino was easily the most radiant flower on the entire street.
Small, energetic, and adorable Jahy also earned plenty of affection from the surrounding "old dads," who couldn't help but fantasize:
[If only I had such a cute little daughter.]
Blond guy: "Old man, is it safe to park the bike downstairs?"
As for that "blond guy," of course, that was Tanaka Masao.
He sighed helplessly and shook his head slightly.
[Yare yare… here it is again—those jealousy-filled gazes.
This feeling…
It's amazing!]
Tanaka Masao was enjoying this envious attention more and more.
Each of them held a meat patty bought from a stall, eating with great enthusiasm.
"I feel like I've forgotten something really important… munch munch…"
Tanaka Masao muttered while eating.
"Oh man, this is so good—wow~"
Yukinoshita Yukino simply glanced at him and reminded him calmly.
"You forgot you're on a diet."
"Oh, right."
Tanaka Masao finally realized.
"Come to think of it, I've eaten a bit too much these past couple of days. What should I do—stop now?"
Seeing him speed up his eating instead, Yukinoshita Yukino rolled her eyes.
"If I told you to stop right now, would you actually stop?"
"Hehe, at this point, how could I possibly stop that easily?"
"Then there you go. Just this once—don't let it happen again."
"That's great. Yukinoshita-san feels more and more gentle and forgiving lately."
"Then I should be more careful, or Tanaka-kin will get carried away."