If it were Yamada Ryō running into Yukinoshita Haruno head-on, Narumi could happily stand to the side, popcorn in hand, watching how Haruno would get led around by the nose by Yamada's completely unhinged way of thinking.
If it were Yukinoshita Yukino accidentally catching him going out together with Yamada, he'd make sure to subtly support Yukino so she wouldn't get dragged off course by Yamada's wild, free-floating imagination.
And if it were the Yukinoshita sisters together, then—being long used to such scenes—he'd naturally find a way to counterbalance Haruno, who was always fond of using a kind of pressure-based "education" on Yukino.
In other words, no matter how those three were randomly combined, he had flexible countermeasures ready.
But all three of them together at the same time… I didn't plan for this at all. How am I supposed to handle this?
Even someone as quick-witted as Narumi was starting to feel a headache coming on.
"Oh my, how lively today is. Looks like my decision to drop by and hang out with little Yukino wasn't such a bad idea after all."
Yukinoshita Haruno stepped out of the car and walked steadily over to the three of them, her smile as relaxed and radiant as ever.
"Though I thought I'd at most run into Tōru-kun—Ryō-chan being here too is a surprise~ Did you come all this way to ask Tōru-kun out on a date?"
After teasing them, she deliberately glanced at Yukino—who looked conflicted but remained silent—seizing control of the conversation with her trademark honeyed blade hidden behind a smile.
"I came to go on a date with him and my bass. Of course, if he makes me wait too long, that privilege gets revoked."
Yamada Ryō patted the massive bass case on her back with utter seriousness, neatly neutralizing Haruno's pointed sarcasm in the most straightforward—and effective—way possible.
Naturally, Haruno's real interest wasn't there at all. What she truly cared about was her quiet little sister standing nearby.
"Yukinoshita-senpai, why are you so sure I'm here to go on a date with Yamada, anyway?"
Trying to wrest control of the conversation back from Haruno, Narumi spoke up at just the right moment. Using Haruno's own tactics against her was one of the few methods that actually worked on Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Hm? Then why is it that the moment I come to pick up little Yukino, I see Ryō-chan standing here waiting for you to finish school? She came all the way from another school just to wait for you, you know~"
"And yet the moment I step out of school, I see you here, Yukinoshita-senpai. Who's to say picking up your sister isn't just a cover—and you're really here to see me?"
Intentionally playing the role of an overly confident guy at the right moment—if it succeeded in grossing out Yukinoshita Haruno, then it was worth it.
"Oh… now that does make sense."
Beside them, Ryō suddenly slapped her fist into her palm in realization. Completely out of the loop as she was, she still somehow managed to deliver a perfect straight-man response.
Alright, when Yamada's on my side, she can occasionally be useful.
"Then we can just all go on a date together. Problem solved."
She followed that up with an even more explosive suggestion.
Okay, I take back what I just thought.
Yukino still hadn't said a word, but her eyes had already darted back and forth between the three of them several times. Combined with Yamada's utterly outrageous proposal, she looked like she'd been frozen in plaster.
"…Ryō-chan's way of thinking is still just as impossible to keep up with as ever."
Yukinoshita Haruno forced out a strained smile, realizing that even she found it difficult to gain the upper hand in a conversation with Yamada Ryō.
Then again, anyone who could become friends with Narumi probably wasn't an ordinary person to begin with.
"But it's all just teasing. I know that, so I won't take it to heart."
Having failed to clash head-on with Yamada and Narumi, Haruno cheerfully shifted her gaze, redirecting her firepower toward the one person who still hadn't managed to join the conversation—her own sister, Yukinoshita Yukino.
"You'll get used to it eventually too, little Yukino. No need to worry so much."
There it was again—words that sounded gentle and considerate on the surface, yet carried another meaning underneath.
On the surface, Haruno appeared to be acting as a coordinator between Yukino—who wasn't yet familiar with Yamada—and Ryō herself, a perfectly respectable role for an older senior.
But to Yukino, those words carried an entirely different implication.
Though Haruno was her sister, she acted far more familiar with the "outsiders," Narumi and Yamada, her phrasing suggesting she could naturally serve as a bridge to help Yukino get closer to them.
That realization made Yukinoshita Yukino feel deeply uncomfortable.
She lowered her eyes, offering no reply, while a heavy gloom settled over her delicate features.
Reading the situation, Narumi's eyes flicked to the side. With Yukino clearly on the losing end now, he couldn't just stand by and watch anymore.
"Hold on, hold on—since when did you get so close to Yamada anyway, senpai?"
He lazily raised an eyebrow and stepped forward, positioning himself squarely between the Yukinoshita sisters.
"If you two are that eager to go on dates, why don't you go together? I'll grab my guitar and make a run for it."
"A date with Haruno-senpai? That's not impossible."
Out of nowhere, Yamada produced a signboard and solemnly pointed at the numbers written on it.
"However, the rate is 1,000 yen per hour, and the maximum allowed intimacy is a princess carry. Thank you for your patronage."
Yukinoshita Haruno's eyebrow twitched.
"Oh, by the way, my rate is double Yamada's. And as for hugging and other physical contact—that costs extra."
Narumi's decision to chime in finally made Haruno's polite smile start to crack.
"…Pfft."
Yukino, who had almost fallen back into an inferiority spiral thanks to Haruno's aggressive pressure, let out a small laugh. When she looked at Yamada again, her gaze no longer carried the same wariness and guardedness she'd shown toward a stranger earlier.
As expected… the people who can become his friends are all interesting in their own way.
"Oh my~ Talking with you two is really fun. You make your big sister feel a few years younger."
Sensing that the conversation's rhythm had been completely hijacked by Yamada and Narumi without her noticing, Haruno decided to cut her losses. She put on a lighter, more cheerful smile once again.
"But let's end the chit-chat here. I need to take little Yukino home, and you two have your own things to do, right?"
"Mm. Once you're gone, I can finally go on a one-on-one date with Koumi."
Having fully adapted to Haruno's conversational style—and putting it to active use—Yamada smiled confidently and flashed a half-heart gesture at Narumi. He, in turn, responded with a grin and a raised middle finger.
"You're saying that on purpose just to gross me out, aren't you, Yamada?"
"Life is already hard enough. Some things are better left unsaid."
"She forgot to take her meds before leaving the house today. Please don't mind her."
Narumi fought the overwhelming urge to physically clamp a hand over Yamada's mouth—right now, she was the biggest problem of all.
If only he'd let those three clash head-on by themselves from the start… Maybe the only real issue here was that he had come at the wrong time.