Yukio blinked at her. Her blatant lie was so transparent that he couldn't hold back anymore—he let out a burst of laughter.
"Wh-why are you laughing?!" Ibuki raised her voice again, trying to reclaim her usual haughty demeanor. But in the face of her burning cheeks and her evasive gaze, it had zero credibility. She exuded nothing but insecurity.
"Stop laughing already!" Ibuki had no clue why, but the more he laughed, the more tumultuous her emotions became. That swirling wave of embarrassment took over her mind, made her unable to look him in the eyes. Or perhaps it wasn't embarrassment—it might have been… delight? The hidden satisfaction of knowing he'd uncovered her feelings? Otherwise, how could embarrassment alone give her such renewed energy, dispelling the lethargy she'd felt slumped on the stairs?
"Sorry," Yukio managed, still stifling amusement at her predicament. Ibuki was simply too entertaining in this moment—trying to put on her usual tough-girl act, but her red cheeks betrayed her. It resembled an odd, coquettish appeal more than any real aggression.
"It's just that you're terrible at lying," he said with a smirk. "It's hilarious watching you try."
Ibuki's fair forehead creased with an angry vein popping up—"Who the hell's lying?! I'm telling the truth! I don't like you at all!"
Her voice rose a notch, and so did the redness in her face, betraying her as a straightforward, innocent girl who wore all her feelings right on her sleeve.
Yet after yelling this, Ibuki didn't linger. She ducked under Yukio's arm—he was taller, but she was quick—and prepared to leave.
She had to leave. Her heart was pounding so forcefully it nearly hurt. If she stayed any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to suppress the overflowing emotions and might blurt out those shameful words.
She was certain Yukio had discovered her feelings, so all she could think of was escaping. She didn't want to hear him refuse her, especially when he already had the gentle Shiina—Ibuki couldn't compare at all. It was better to keep her illusions intact, to pretend none of this had happened, so they could more or less continue in a normal manner.
"Hang on." Moving swiftly, Yukio grasped Ibuki's wrist before she could slip away. "Wouldn't it be better just to be honest about what you're feeling, rather than hiding it like this? That doesn't seem like you at all."
Ibuki froze. Indeed, this wasn't like her, either. She had told herself that a true samurai's daughter never fled, never gave up, always met life's challenges head-on. Yet here she was, doing exactly the opposite. But what else was there to do?!
In that moment, Ibuki—like a spring compressed to its limit—could withstand no more pressure. Triggered by Yukio's questioning, the coil of repressed emotions that had been building since the aquarium visit finally sprung loose. It exploded from her mouth like a volcanic eruption or a chain gun firing round after round of raw emotion.
"That's right! Fine, I admit it—I like you, okay? I like you!" she burst out in a harsh voice. "I hate sneaking around; I wanted to be upfront and tell you everything in my heart. But what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
"Am I supposed to be the third wheel? Should I force myself between you and Shiina, stealing another girl's guy? It's not like I want to crawl around in the shadows, but I don't have any choice! Don't you get it, Yukio?! Tell me—what am I supposed to do here?!"
She yelled until her voice grew hoarse, her ferocity peaking and then falling away as her last words trailed off, her tone dissolving into feebleness. Her once-bright eyes lost their light, as if all hope was fading.
Normally, any guy confronted with such an emotional confession would be overwhelmed by pity and concern. But Yukio, being no ordinary person, responded by testing the waters with a mischievous grin.
"So, you want to know what you should do?" he teased lightly. "Well, how about this—you let Shiina be the 'first wife,' and you can be the 'side wife.' That might solve everything."
"…?" Ibuki's eyes, a moment ago drained of all hope, suddenly fixed on him in astonishment, as though she were staring at some bizarre alien. There was neither relief nor joy at being accepted, only a strong sense of what the hell was he talking about?
After her shock came surging anger.
"You bastard!" she roared, lunging at him with a fist, frustration ignited. She was dead serious.
Thud.
Her punch landed in the open palm he raised to block it—completely ineffective.
Yukio frowned slightly, feeling it was time to drop the jokes and talk seriously, but then a gentle voice from above called out: "Yukio, let me speak to Ibuki-san alone, okay?" Shiina stepped down the stairs as she spoke.
Ibuki stared up, alarmed. Sure enough, it was Shiina. Then she must have heard everything Ibuki just yelled, right? She'd shouted her confession at the top of her lungs.
Yukio also looked uncomfortable, feeling guilty that Shiina had to clean up a mess caused by his own greed—like letting her handle the aftermath. He was about to refuse, but Shiina gently interrupted him. "It's fine," she reassured him softly. "Think of it as a reward for calling me your first wife. Let me talk to Ibuki alone."
She gave him a pleading glance, and his trust in her won out. Yukio nodded slowly, stepping aside to let them have their conversation in private. He didn't go far—just enough to give them space.
Meanwhile, Ibuki kept her head down, overcome with shame. She had just confessed she liked someone else's boyfriend, out loud. It was such a betrayal of her own moral standards that she couldn't even look Shiina in the eyes.
But then Shiina spoke, and her words were so startling they snapped Ibuki out of her stupor at once: "Ibuki-san, how about the three of us go on a date after the holiday break, around Christmas?"
"Wh-what?" Ibuki stared at her like she was some mystical being. If Yukio's suggestion had felt bizarre, this was even more outlandish. "Sh-Shi…" She tried to address Shiina by name but was too flustered to complete her sentence. "Do you realize what you're saying?"
She couldn't fathom Shiina's logic—why would a girl invite the person who just confessed her love to her boyfriend out on a three-person date? Had Shiina lost her mind?
But Shiina only gave a faint, cloud-like smile, reminiscent of the first time Ibuki had met her—elegant, serene, consoling. "I know exactly what I'm saying. This is my strategy," she explained calmly. "A strategy for love."
***
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