Yuigahama Yui ultimately kept quiet.
The reason was simple—she wasn't close to Shirase.
Besides, his reputation around school was that he was "hard to talk to," so she quickly gave up on the idea of asking him for cooking tips.
At that moment, Yukinoshita Yukino took a sleek black bag from the chair beside her and pulled out a neat stack of folders, several photos tucked inside.
Shirase's demeanor immediately turned serious. "You worked hard."
"You don't have to say things like that. You've already paid me," Yukinoshita said evenly, though the faint curve of her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
"Paid?" Nino shot Shirase a sharp look. "You gave her money?"
Itsuki's eyes widened too. "That's not right, is it? I've heard about the Service Club—rumor has it they never charge for requests."
"Of course not," Yukinoshita replied, holding up the two Panda-san keychains Shirase had given her and shaking them lightly. "This is his 'payment.' Since it was a private favor, he insisted on giving me something."
Shirase nodded. "Exactly. It felt weird asking for help for free."
"That last part was unnecessary," Yukinoshita remarked dryly.
Nino, however, latched onto a different point. "Wait, those keychains? That's the reward? Usually, you'd treat someone to dinner or give them something more meaningful."
"I simply like these," Yukinoshita said without hesitation.
Nino's gaze sharpened. "Then how did you know she liked them?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Shirase.
Shirase stayed perfectly calm. "I think you've already figured that out yourself."
Nino pouted. "Fine, maybe I guessed a little…"
She turned away with a small huff, shooting Yukinoshita a sidelong glare. As another attractive girl, Nino couldn't help finding Yukinoshita's calm, superior attitude irritating.
Noticing the look, Yukinoshita rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly. "Maybe boys just enjoy finding out details about the school's popular girls, and Shirase-san happened to learn my preferences that way?"
Before Shirase could respond, Nino snapped, "Why does that sound like you're complimenting yourself?"
"I don't need to compliment myself," Yukinoshita replied coolly. "I already know I'm quite popular. And cute."
Nino froze, speechless. Did she just… say that out loud?
Itsuki blinked rapidly, a little stunned herself. Even Ichika would probably have a hard time dealing with a girl like this.
"That was unbelievably narcissistic," Shirase said suddenly.
Yukinoshita turned toward him, her smile unwavering. "Oh? Are you saying you don't find me cute?"
"I think Nino's cuter," Shirase said plainly.
The room went quiet for half a second. Yukinoshita blinked, her expression flickering subtly.
Meanwhile, Nino went bright red, glaring at him—half furious, half thrilled.
That idiot had just said something outrageous again—but hearing it made her heart race all the same. She tried, and failed, to hide her smile.
Itsuki only pressed her lips together, watching silently.
Yukinoshita eventually spoke again, voice calm as ever. "Everyone has different tastes. If you find Nakano-san cuter than me, that's simply your personal preference. I wouldn't take offense."
Nino's brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"No hidden meaning," Yukinoshita replied lightly. "Though, since this is the Service Club and I'm the president, I'd appreciate it if you didn't raise your voice here—it would disturb others."
Nino opened her mouth, then shut it again. The logic was annoyingly airtight.
Before she could think of a comeback, Shirase spoke up. "If it's just about noise, then… could I perform a backflip instead?"
Yukinoshita's smile turned razor-sharp. "Trying to defend Nakano-san? Admirable, but foolish. Still, if you insist on doing a backflip like a monkey, I'd gladly applaud."
"Why specifically a monkey? Why not a gorilla? You discriminating against gorillas now?" Shirase asked absently, flipping through the files.
Yukinoshita sighed softly. "I stand corrected. You're not a foolish monkey—you're just plain foolish."
Even the Nakano sisters couldn't get a word in.
Fuming, Nino turned to Yuigahama instead. "Yuigahama-san, are you a member of the Service Club too?"
"Eh? Me? Oh, no," Yuigahama said, flustered. "I just don't have much to do after school, so I hang out here and chat with Yukinoshita-san."
"You chat with her? Aren't you afraid she'll drive you insane?" Nino blurted out.
Even their short exchange had her blood pressure rising.
Yuigahama scratched her head with an awkward laugh. "Not at all! Yukinoshita-san's actually really nice. It's just—"
"Yuigahama." Yukinoshita's tone was calm but unmistakably sharp.
Yuigahama froze. "Ahaha, right, right, I won't say anything."
Yukinoshita sighed quietly. She truly didn't know how to handle Yuigahama. The girl was too kind, too genuine—she couldn't bring herself to be cruel to her.
That was precisely why Nakano Ichika's constant visits lately had her feeling both wary and uneasy. Ichika was kind too, but the subtle intent behind her "friendly" conversations made Yukinoshita cautious.
"These files are really detailed…" Shirase's low murmur pulled everyone's attention back.
He flipped through the pages, muttering, "Even photos… height, weight, best positions, strengths, weaknesses—it's all here. Definitely the right call asking you for help."
Yukinoshita's voice stayed cool and confident. "If I promise to do something, I'll always deliver."
She pointed to one of the photos. "That boy in the center, wearing number seven—he'll be your toughest opponent. No technical flaws, and he was already scouted by Urawa Red Diamonds' youth academy at the start of his third year. If things go as expected, he'll join their main lineup soon."
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