The moment Haruno sat down, Haru moved at his fastest speed ever—bolting out of the bathroom.
At the same time, he shut the door behind him.
The sound of running water soon followed from inside.
With lingering embarrassment, Haru returned to the living room.
Unlike him, the others didn't possess [Steel Body], so they couldn't resist the [Drugging] skill's effects.
Haruno, now in a "nothing in the world bothers me" state, didn't even care that Haru had seen her in the bathroom. She remained as unbothered as ever.
In the living room, Yukino and the others were visibly relaxed—some absentmindedly watching TV, while others had closed their eyes to rest.
Before long, Haruno returned from the bathroom.
She didn't seem to hold a grudge over what had happened. Passing by Haru without a word, she made her way to the sofa, plopped down, kicked off her slippers, and casually propped her feet onto Yukino, who was still resting with her eyes closed.
Haru didn't disturb their relaxation and instead headed to the kitchen to do the dishes.
But after a few minutes, the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears.
He turned around to see Kato Megumi, her expression calm as ever.
She looked no different than usual.
"I'd like to ask you something," she said, rolling up her sleeves and stepping forward to help with the dishes.
Haru remained unfazed.
Through extensive testing, he was certain that [Drugging] only affected others subtly—no one would ever suspect anything unusual.
But Kato's next words surprised him.
"Earlier, Hiratsuka-sensei and I had a brief talk about photography. She's not an expert, but as an experienced adult, she still offered some valuable insights."
She spoke softly, her gaze slowly settling on Haru.
"Even though I wanted to rest, I just ran through my thoughts again… and realized that I'm in a really good state of mind right now."
Haru masked his surprise. "So, you mean…?"
"I'd like you to teach me more about photography."
Kato's voice was gentle yet firm.
"There's no equipment here, but I just want to learn the theory. Besides, I can help with the dishes while we talk—this way, you won't be stuck here alone and bored."
Under the buff's effects, her thoughts were sharper than ever, considering everything down to the smallest detail.
More impressively, she had resisted the overwhelming urge to simply lounge around.
That alone caught Haru off guard.
Then he recalled something—whenever Kato wasn't being acknowledged in their club, she would always quietly sit in the background and study on her own.
This girl was always calm, rational, and kind to everyone.
Her composure was different from Yukino's. While Yukino was cold and distant, Kato exuded warmth and gentleness.
Under the effects of the [Drugging] skill, Megumi Kato, upon seeing Haru washing the dishes alone, instinctively resisted the buff's influence. As someone who always cared for others, she immediately stepped in to help.
If Yukino wasn't resting with her eyes closed at the moment, she probably would've done the same.
Utaha, however, was different.
When Haru passed through the living room earlier, the black-stockings senior was lounging comfortably in her chair, a look of satisfaction on her face. Her shirt's top two buttons had been undone, revealing a fair expanse of her slender neck.
"It's rare to have some downtime. Are you sure you want to spend it studying?"
Haru wanted to see how long Megumi Kato could persist, so he deliberately asked,
"At least for now, I don't intend to change my mind," Megumi responded softly.
The more she talked with Haru, the more she felt like she was in an incredibly good state of mind.
It would be a shame not to put this mood to good use.
"Alright then."
Haru agreed.
Thus, the two began their lesson in the kitchen—Haru earning experience points in [Hypnosis] while Megumi Kato became increasingly engaged in the conversation, her entire being filled with the intoxicating sensation of acquiring knowledge.
By the time the 30-minute buff wore off, the excitement that had been building in Megumi's heart gradually settled back into its usual calm.
Just as Haru had tested, she didn't find anything strange. Instead, she murmured to herself thoughtfully,
"Did I study too long? My efficiency seems to have dropped—I don't feel as sharp as I did just now."
"Maybe you're just reaching a level-up bottleneck," Haru replied.
"A level-up?"
"Like in video games—right before you level up, it always feels like you need way too much experience, and you just wish you could instantly push through."
"I see…"
Megumi nodded, her eyes gleaming with a faint light.
The two removed their dishwashing gloves and tidied up the kitchen. As she wiped down the sink with a cloth, she said softly,
"Amamiya-kun, you're surprisingly knowledgeable about a lot of things. You even seem more experienced than most adults."
"Could it be that you've uncovered my secret identity as a superhero?" Haru teased.
Megumi, of course, didn't take him seriously. As she wiped the counter, she asked,
"You haven't gone out as Hooded Hero recently, have you?"
"Not for now. I figured I'd wait until the hype completely dies down before acting again."
"That's the most rational approach."
"Oh? So you see me as a rational person?"
"No, I think you're a chuunibyou with a kind heart."
Megumi smiled warmly.
"Doing heroic deeds like that—it's something you rarely see these days."
Recalling how she had once mentioned her admiration for protecting the weak, Haru chuckled,
"That's true."
By the time they returned to the living room, Yukino and the others had returned to normal.
Shizuka Hiratsuka was marveling at Haru's cooking skills, while both Utaha and Yukino seemed unusually relaxed.
Under the buff's effects, they had never felt such profound relaxation before.
That sensation lingered in their minds, leaving them completely refreshed, washing away all the mental fatigue they had accumulated from their busy days.
We have to come here more often! ×2
Both girls came to the same conclusion.
They weren't foodies—it wasn't the meal that tempted them. Rather, they simply craved that blissful feeling of ease.
And deep in their subconscious, they didn't find anything strange about it at all.
Instead, they rationalized it as: This is Haru's home. He's someone I like. Of course, I'd be most at ease here.
The only one who hadn't spoken yet was Haruno.
She sat quietly on the couch, her sharp eyes fixed intently on Haru.
Haru pretended not to notice and instead suggested,
"So, what's next? Are you all going shopping, heading home, or is there something else you'd like to do?"
"I'll rest a little longer, then head home," Shizuka Hiratsuka said lazily, leaning back into her chair.
"It's been ages since I felt this relaxed. Your place is a hidden paradise, Haru."
She had considered lighting a cigarette but, remembering the number of minors present, decided against it.
Haru then turned to Yukino and the others.
"Same here, I'll head home later," Yukino said.
Utaha smiled, "Then I'll leave with Yukinoshita."
She did want to stay longer, but recalling how she had struggled to walk home last night, she decided to retreat strategically…
Translation: I'll let him have his fun for now. Once I recover, I'll return as a knight to challenge the demon lord.
Megumi Kato also followed suit, stating that she would leave with the others.
That left only Haruno, who had yet to say a word.
Both Yukino and Shizuka found this strange. Normally, in moments like this, Haruno would be the most talkative one. But today, she had been uncharacteristically quiet.
Noticing her own unusual behavior, Haruno immediately put on a bright smile.
"I'd love to stay the night, but unfortunately, someone wouldn't approve."
She smiled mischievously at Yukino.
"This is Haru's house," Yukino replied expressionlessly. "If he agrees, then it's fine. No need to look at me."
"But you'd get jealous."
"…"
Yukino responded with a look that could only be described as concern for the mentally challenged.
Why would I be jealous of my own sister?
In her mind, even if Haruno stripped naked and lay in Haru's bed, he'd probably just lock the door and immediately call her:
"Yukino, get over here. Your sister's lost her mind."
"Haruno, you're coming back with me," Shizuka Hiratsuka cut in, stopping Haruno's teasing before it escalated.
Haruno sighed dramatically and nodded, but her gaze remained locked onto Haru.
She had easily dispelled her sister and friend's doubts, but she couldn't erase the awkward memory in her own mind.
He definitely saw.
Just thinking about the fact that she had used the bathroom right in front of him made her chest tighten with anxiety.
No matter how confident or dominant she was, at the end of the day, she was still a young woman.
And she was single.
Her skirt wasn't particularly short today—under normal circumstances, there was no way she'd have an accidental exposure.
But earlier, she had lifted her skirt herself… and even pulled down her underwear.
Unless Haru was blind, there was no way he hadn't seen anything.
Haru also felt awkward, but he had no choice but to play dumb. He busied himself slicing fruit for everyone after dinner, then quickly escaped to make tea.
When there was nothing left to do, he still didn't want to sit back down, so he simply pretended to be engrossed with his orange cat.
Thankfully, Yukino was also drawn to the cat. She came over, held down her skirt, and crouched beside him, joining in on the petting.
With someone accompanying him, his decision to stay off to the side didn't seem odd.
A short while later, Megumi Kato was the first to say her goodbyes, leaving with Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Shizuka initially wanted to drag Haruno along as well, but the latter dodged with a simple excuse—"I'll leave with Yukino."
"I should be heading back too."
By 7:30 PM, Yukino and Utaha stood up to leave.
Haruno was the last to rise.
As she walked alongside Haru, seeing off the others downstairs, she suddenly curved her lips into a seemingly casual smile.
"Haru, your eyesight's pretty good, isn't it?"
"Strictly speaking… not really. Sometimes, I have trouble seeing things clearly." Haru subtly admitted defeat, implying he'd forget everything.
But Haruno wasn't about to let him off so easily. She turned to Yukino and Utaha ahead of them.
"Is that true?"
"No." Yukino bluntly exposed his lie.
Utaha, on the other hand, was willing to play along.
"Since he said so, he must have his reasons."
Haruno chuckled softly and said no more.
Haru finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Not long after the three of them left, just as he stepped into the hallway, his phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from Haruno.
Haru sighed internally—so this matter was indeed not so easy to resolve.
He picked up, and Haruno's smooth, pleasant voice came through the receiver.
"Look down."
Look down?
Instinctively, he walked to the hallway entrance and glanced below.
Standing at the apartment entrance was none other than Haruno, looking radiant as ever.
She was even waving at him with a smile.
One thought popped into Haru's mind:
I'm doomed.