"Yukinoshita, something good happen to you?"
Kasukigaoka rested her chin in one hand, smiling as she twirled a pen between her fingers.
Her eyes were a rich wine-red, and when she smiled, they shimmered like pools of fine liquor. When she leaned in, Yukinoshita almost felt as if she could smell a faint sweetness in the air.
Yukinoshita quickly composed herself and put down her phone. "No."
Just moments ago, Miura had sent her a few screenshots from an online spat. In them, Yukinoshita had demolished an anonymous account on the Sōbu High school forum arrogant and sharp without using a single curse word. The other person was practically reduced to ash.
Yukinoshita thought there was little point in talking about it. Even if you tear one person down, there will always be more who hate you. And honestly, she was used to it.
Besides, if that person turned out to be one of the many "victims" of the golden-haired Yukinoshita's flirtations, then from their perspective, hating her was perfectly reasonable.
But Miura had said, "I don't believe you're the kind of person she says you are."
Yukinoshita had paused, then replied, "What if I really was?"
Miura responded, "Then I'm sure you had your reasons."
After that, Yukinoshita didn't know what else to say.
This feeling of being trusted and understood unconditionally was something she had never experienced before.
That golden-haired Yukinoshita might not be her, but she was still Yukinoshita. And that messy truth was something she had never tried to deny or explain.
She was someone who had grown used to silence, used to being misunderstood.
Her older sister Haruno had once mocked her, saying Yukino had always acted like the eternal understudy for the family's star, mimicking her every move despite clearly resenting it.
Back then, Yukinoshita would get furiously frustrated every time she heard that. But now, she had to admit Haruno was right.
As a child, she thought if she were good enough, she could finally earn her parents' approval. But no matter how hard she tried, all she ever saw was the back of her sister.
Sometimes, their mother would turn around and say, "As the second daughter, Yukino is already quite outstanding."
But Yukinoshita, who had never had anything to rely on or feel safe with, could only chase after her dazzling sister's image in hopes of finding some sense of security in being "right."
And yet, there was one thing Haruno had that Yukinoshita could never imitate.
Haruno could gently challenge their mother or whine to her like it was nothing. But Yukinoshita never dared.
A child who was never cherished or expected to be anything had no right to act spoiled.
Kasukigaoka propped her chin in her palm and doodled formulas on a blank sheet of paper.
"But seriously, you're giving off a whole different vibe from last week."
Outwardly, Yukinoshita didn't seem any different still the same expressionless face, still those lips that never said anything pleasant.
And yet… something about her felt softer, like a snowflake beginning to melt.
Kasukigaoka grinned. "Did you win the lottery or something?"
Yukinoshita: "…"
"Or maybe you fell in love? You've got that rare, blissfully dumb look on your face."
Yukinoshita finally let out a sigh. "It's class time, please refrain from chatting, Miss Sawamura."
"Alright, alright."
The lesson, as always, was efficient to a fault so much so that it left students feeling completely unaccomplished. No matter the topic, no matter how new, once it was explained, Yukinoshita would simply say, "Got it."
Come on, is she some kind of 'master of all knowledge'?!
During the break, Yukinoshita pulled out a notebook and began calculating something.
Kasukigaoka, who was mulling over her own novel ideas, couldn't help asking, "What are you working on?"
"I'm calculating how much money I have left and how much I can save next month."
Kasukigaoka teased, "Even a sheltered rich girl has to worry about money?"
Yukinoshita responded calmly, "My family might freeze my card next weekend. Better to prepare in advance."
"That's something you can predict?"
Then, more casually, she added, "If you really made your parents mad, just act cute and win them over, Yukinoshita."
Yukinoshita looked at her. "…You really do seem like someone who's used to acting spoiled."
Kasukigaoka was just about to retort when she stopped short.
How neglected must someone be by their own family to not even consider acting spoiled as an option?
After a long pause, Kasukigaoka clicked her tongue, crossed her arms, and said with mock pride, "Too bad. This awful person happens to be Kasushiko… Kasushiko-sensei's lifelong confidante."
Kasushiko-sensei the author of the light novel series Love Metronome.
"You're such a liar."
"I'm not! Just think about my name and Kasushiko-sensei's. Don't you see the similarities? That's because I'm her creative muse!"
"Is that so…"
Yukinoshita sounded doubtful, but not entirely dismissive.
Kasukigaoka gave a smug little hum. "Think about it. After volume 3, Kasushiko hasn't held a single book signing. If I didn't know her personally, how else could I have gotten you signed copies of all five volumes?"
Yukinoshita rested her chin in her hand. "Maybe you just forged her signature. That's exactly the sort of thing you'd do."
"Hey! Yukinoshita!"
But her usual sharp tone had softened.
"Relax, I'm just teasing."
She gazed at Kasukigaoka, her eyes warm and fluid like rippling water. "Since you're such close friends, do you know what Kasushiko-sensei's new book is about?"
The new book had already been teased on Twitter, and Yukinoshita, who followed the account religiously, was well aware.
She genuinely loved light novels her home was full of them, and she always had one in her bag.
For some reason, being treated with such rare gentleness by Yukinoshita made Kasukigaoka feel unexpectedly suffocated.
She had smiled just from checking her phone?
Who made her that happy?
A new boyfriend?
Still smiling, she replied, "I think it's a school-themed story."
As expected, Yukinoshita's eyes lit up. "A school setting, huh…"
Kasukigaoka liked seeing Yukinoshita's eyes sparkle like that because of something she said.
She was just about to say more when Yukinoshita continued, curiosity bubbling up.
"Is Kasushiko-sensei really a refined, intellectual thirty-five-year-old woman?"
"Uh…"
"When's the Love Metronome manga adaptation coming out?"
"Uh…"
"When's the new book going to be released?"
"Uh…"
Unbelievable. She's a serial update hound too!