Under the anxious gaze of the waitress, Yukino and Utaha each finished placing their orders.
Just moments ago, these two had been radiating enough tension to start an all-out war at any second — but now, that "ready-to-throw-down-at-any-moment" vibe had completely vanished.
Such a bizarre way of interacting naturally left the waitress utterly confused… but, of course, she was too polite (and too scared) to ask anything.
After the waitress quietly left, Utaha suddenly remembered something and turned to Yukino.
"You said earlier that Megumi was a reliable ally of mine. Was that something Haru told you?"
"Mhm. He mentioned it to me during one of our casual chats," Yukino replied calmly.
"No wonder."
Utaha nodded almost reflexively. But just as she was processing that, Yukino casually added:
"Still, it looks like you've always trusted Kato without hesitation."
"Of course. We're friends, after all."
Utaha replied with her usual faint smile.
If this had been the old her, that answer would've been completely sincere — no questions asked.
But now… well, things were a little different.
Perhaps sensing the subtle trap in Yukino's words, Utaha deliberately took the lead this time.
"You're still as suspicious of her as ever, aren't you?"
But Yukino didn't answer directly.
Instead, she slowly began to explain, her voice calm and composed:
"Considering Kato's personality — and Haru's too — I'm actually pretty at ease with the two of them going to the film set together. After all, Kato would've probably guessed that he would tell me about it beforehand."
Utaha blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Why was Yukino suddenly explaining herself?
Yukino took a sip of her tea — only to frown faintly. The quality of the tea leaves here really wasn't great.
Setting down her teacup, Yukino met Utaha's questioning gaze head-on and said calmly,
"I'm guessing that was what you were about to ask me. So to save us both some time, I went ahead and answered it first."
She's even predicting what I'm going to say now?
Utaha's feelings were… complicated.
But thanks to Yukino's explanation, she could finally stop worrying about whatever was happening between Haru and Megumi.
"By the way," Utaha shifted the topic, "you invited me out for a meal today — was it really just to chat?"
"No," Yukino replied without hesitation. "I wanted to talk to you about your script."
"Knew it."
A trace of pride surfaced on Utaha's face. Her lips curled into a subtle smile.
"Ever since you decided I would be the lead actress for your short film, I've been quietly studying scriptwriting on my own."
Yukino, of course, called her out immediately.
"You sure you didn't secretly ask Haru for advice?"
Utaha didn't even blink. "Of course I asked him."
But Yukino's sharp gaze didn't miss a beat.
"And I'm guessing… it wasn't just about scriptwriting, was it?"
Utaha froze.
Right at that moment, the poor waitress arrived with their dishes — only to immediately sense the freezing-cold atmosphere between these two.
Hands trembling slightly, she carefully set down the plates, forced a professional smile, and escaped as fast as she could.
Yukino, composed as ever, didn't spare the scene another thought — her personality simply wasn't the type to be bothered by such minor details.
Casually, she picked up her vibrating phone from her handbag and began replying to a message.
Meanwhile, beneath the table, Utaha's long, black-stockinged legs wouldn't stop bouncing — a tiny, unconscious habit of hers whenever she was feeling agitated or annoyed.
That restless bouncing of her legs — it was a small, unconscious habit Utaha always showed when she was irritated or anxious.
Her long, slender legs, wrapped in black stockings, kept trembling beneath the table — a subtle yet vivid reflection of her current mood. And in stark contrast, Yukino sat there composed, completely unfazed, like an immovable wall of calm.
Yukinoshita really is strong…
Utaha sighed inwardly. Looks like she would still be needing Megumi's help after all.
Meanwhile.
"Wait, you're saying Utaha-senpai went out to eat with Yukinoshita?"
Inside the car heading toward the filming site, Megumi finally showed a rare hint of surprise after hearing Haru's casual remark.
It wasn't much of a reaction — barely noticeable, as always — but for Megumi, that already said a lot.
He pocketed his phone. "Yeah. I just texted Yukino to ask if I should bring her anything back for dinner, and she replied that she and Utaha were already eating out together."
Next to him sat a thermal lunchbox — he'd prepared it earlier just in case they got hungry later at the filming site.
Megumi also had a bag by her side, though instead of food, it was filled with drinks.
"They're actually eating out together, huh… Looks like their relationship has softened up a bit," Megumi murmured, almost to herself, before pulling out a cup of freshly bought strawberry juice and handing it over.
He accepted it casually, grinning. "You say that like they were mortal enemies or something."
"…Weren't they?" Megumi asked back in her usual calm voice, deadpan as ever.
"…Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"Oh."
That was all she said.
As always, Megumi didn't press for gossip, nor did she offer any opinions. Just an understated "oh," leaving everything else in silence.
After arriving at the film set, Megumi pulled a small notebook and pen from her pocket, looking completely serious.
"I'm officially here to learn from you," she said earnestly.
Haru raised an eyebrow, a little surprised."You really came here to study, huh?"
"Mhm," Megumi nodded. "The reason I asked you to come with me is simple — if you're around to explain things, I can learn much faster."
Her reasoning was so straightforward that he couldn't help but smile. He treated her just like any other friend, patiently answering her questions.
Everyone in the crew was busy with their own work, while Megumi quietly observed, occasionally asking him for clarification, then diligently jotting down notes like a model student.
Watching her so focused, he felt a certain thought that had been lingering in his mind slowly fade away.
Yeah... she probably really did call me here just to study.
Thinking about it carefully, that actually fit her style.
Every time Megumi asked to meet him, it was always for a legitimate reason. She was nothing like Utaha, who would casually make up excuses just to visit his house.
In fact, up to now, every time Megumi had gone to his place, there were always other people around. She never once created a situation where they were alone together — never giving things a chance to turn ambiguous.
And now, here they were at the film set, surrounded by staff — exactly the kind of place where friends would naturally hang out.
Taking a few sips of the strawberry juice Megumi had bought him, Haru felt his throat relax as he continued explaining how things worked on set.
After a while, the crew began taking a break. Megumi quietly put away her notebook and pen, then looked at him.
"Is the juice good?" she asked.
"It's alright," He replied honestly. "Just a little sweeter than I expected."
Holding her own cup of juice, Megumi replied in her usual calm, almost offhanded tone, "You once mentioned you don't like sour stuff, so I picked a sweeter option."
He paused for a second, instinctively turning his head to look at her. But as always, her expression was serene and unbothered — like she was just making casual conversation.
He chuckled quietly to himself.
Maybe I'm overthinking things.
This subtle way of being considerate — this quiet, almost invisible kind of charm — felt much more like something Utaha would do.
Still, Megumi's words just now... they sounded almost like a signal.
I paid attention to you.
After all, you don't remember tiny details like someone's food preferences unless you actually care.
He smiled wryly to himself. Maybe he was only reading into things because of how Megumi had shown a bit of affection for him the other day.
At least for now, looking at her calm expression, he couldn't see any particular meaning behind it.
So he laughed and replied, "Yeah, I'm not really a fan of sour stuff — whether it's fruit or drinks, I just can't get into it."
"Sweet and sour flavors can be pretty nice though," Megumi commented lightly — and just like that, she smoothly shifted the topic.
"By the way, is that bag of yours filled with drinks too?"
"Nah. I figured we might end up staying here for a while, and going out to look for food would be a hassle... so I went ahead and prepared dinner in advance."
Megumi blinked in surprise. "There's some for me too?"
"Of course," He replied naturally. "What, you thought I'd just sit here eating by myself while you watch?"
"...Fair enough," she nodded approvingly.
And just like that, the conversation moved on. But for a brief second, Megumi turned her face away slightly, her eyes flickering with a hint of emotion.
She didn't tell Haru that when his driver had picked her up earlier, she'd already noticed the lunch boxes peeking out of his bag.
Nor did she mention whether or not she'd eaten dinner already.
Because knowing his personality — so attentive and thoughtful — she knew he would've considered that detail without her needing to say a word.
And that casual line earlier — about remembering his taste preferences — it wasn't just an offhand comment. It was her genuine thought.
I remember the little things about you.
That alone would leave a deeper impression on him.
And the fact that she didn't have any other male friends around. That was another subtle way of saying: I care about you.
Utaha might've gotten ahead in this little race with her bold move last time — but Megumi was quietly, steadily walking down the same path now.
Yukino had predicted that Megumi wouldn't make any obvious moves today, knowing that Haru would probably tell her about coming to the set.
But there was one thing Yukino hadn't accounted for.
Megumi was the quietest member of the photography club — and arguably the one with the least presence. But that very trait gave her something valuable: time.
Time to quietly observe Haru's habits and preferences.
Time to carefully think things through.
She was thoughtful, calm, and gentle — traits that gave Yukino the false impression that Megumi wouldn't play any little tricks. That was Yukino's mistake.
Because Megumi didn't need to act different to move forward — she could simply respond to everything with quiet consistency.
That, too, was a kind of strategy.
It wasn't that she didn't have a mischievous side — but today, she didn't need to do anything out of the ordinary.
Just being herself was enough.
"Want to grab a bite first?" Haru asked, not knowing what was going through Megumi's mind. Seeing the crew was still taking a break, he figured it was a good chance.
But Megumi shook her head, then casually pointed behind him. "Those high schoolers you've been praising... they're here to see you. Looks like they've got something important."
He blinked in surprise and turned around — sure enough, it was the trio of high school boys along with a few classmates approaching him.
Before he could even say anything, a pale, slender hand reached out beside him.
In Megumi's hand — the notebook she'd been scribbling in earlier.
"...What's this?" He asked instinctively.
Megumi didn't answer directly. Instead, she gestured with her eyes — look at the notebook.
He glanced down... and was instantly speechless.
Written inside were detailed notes — records of the very things he'd said last time when hypnotizing those high school boys into acting better on set.
Of course, in Megumi's eyes, he had just been earnestly coaching them on acting techniques. So that's what she'd noted down.
Meeting his slightly astonished gaze, Megumi spoke in her usual soft voice, "I figured they're probably here to ask for your advice again. These notes might come in handy."
"...Can't lie — you've really saved me here," He admitted, laughing helplessly.
After handing over the notebook, Megumi quietly stood beside him without saying another word.
She didn't interrupt.She didn't get in the way.
Instead, she chose to show her thoughtfulness and attention to detail through her actions alone.
Anything beyond that — unnecessary words, unnecessary movements — simply wasn't her style.
Bzzz...
Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her skirt.
She casually took it out and glanced at the screen.
It was a message from Utaha:
Still at the filming site? Are you guys busy right now?
Megumi's fingers moved effortlessly across the screen.
He's coaching those high school boys again. Same as last time. Are you thinking of coming over, Utaha-senpai?
Utaha replied almost instantly:
Nah, can't. Yukinoshita's got me cornered right now. She's seriously a monster.
Megumi immediately understood.
That was Utaha's way of saying she'd taken some kind of L and was now looking for someone to vent to.
And Megumi... she had always been an excellent listener.
Quiet. Patient. Non-judgmental.
Maybe that's why Utaha trusted her so much.