"Girls these days are bold," Mio murmured, leaning against Yui's shoulder and sneaking careful glances at the couple in the distance.
Yui's eyes had naturally drifted the same direction. "Isn't it kind of rude to stare at them?" she said softly.
And even as she said it, her gaze slipped — not to the couple, but to Mio. To the curve of Mio's lips, specifically. Because for just one unguarded second, she'd found herself thinking: what if it were us—
Stop.
She'd never been able to forget the feeling of that kiss. The one Mio had given her at her house.
Strictly speaking, it had started even earlier — that very first accidental moment. She hadn't been able to get it out of her head since.
If I could... I'd want to try again.
Mio had been about to say something teasing, as usual. But something about the way Yui was looking at her gave her pause. That expression wasn't quite right.
Hm.
She held back the joke. Instead she asked, quietly, "Yui. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm n-not looking at you any particular way," Yui said, turning her gaze back to the couple and arranging her face into an expression of casual curiosity. Inside, her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it. "I was just wondering... can girls date girls?"
"Of course they can." Mio answered without hesitation. "If you like someone, why not?"
Wait.
She glanced at Yui. She's asking me this right now, in this exact moment, while watching two girls kiss — is this a hint?
But Yui's attention seemed to have drifted away, not fixed on Mio at all. Just genuine curiosity, maybe.
Then Yui turned and looked directly at her. "What about you? Could you... be okay with a girlfriend? A girl as your partner?"
Yui's fingertips had quietly bunched up the fabric of her skirt. Her eyes were bright with something that looked a lot like nerves.
Mio wanted to just say yes, I've always been into girls — but that felt too direct. What if Yui freaked out? What if finding out Mio was into girls made her pull away?
Yui had always given off a certain... vibe. That cheerful, warm, effortlessly social kind of girl. Mio had figured she was probably straight. The teasing between them had always felt like the kind of casual flirting she'd seen between close girl friends back in her old life — playful, affectionate, not really meaning anything.
Probably.
So after a moment's thought, she answered carefully: "If I liked someone, yeah, it wouldn't be an issue for me."
Then, in a deliberately light tone, she added: "If the person happened to be Yui, I'd have absolutely zero problems~"
She meant it as a joke. A cute deflection.
But Yui's heart did not receive it as a joke. Her heart received it at full speed.
It took a while for her to settle back down. And when she did, she noticed the key thing Mio had actually said — if I liked someone. Not a blanket yes to any girl. A conditional.
She'd need to actually like the person.
Yui now knew, with a quiet certainty, that she had feelings for Mio. Real ones. Not friendship-feelings that had gotten confused. She liked Mio — as a girl, liking another girl.
She didn't know exactly when it had started. Maybe from the accident. Maybe even from the very first moment they'd met in the park, and it had been love at first sight all along.
But she still didn't know how Mio felt about her. And if she confessed too soon, too rashly — what if it pushed Mio away?
She thought back to that day at her house. Mio had kissed her — and if Yui remembered right, Mio hadn't pulled back. Hadn't resisted. If anything, there had been something almost like reluctant wanting in how she'd responded.
That said a lot.
She was still turning it over in her head when Mio's world suddenly froze.
"Congratulations, host! Task complete. Yuigahama Yui's conquest rating toward the host increased by 5 points. Please select your reward."
"Hang on," Mio said. "I feel like I literally didn't do anything. How is the task already done?"
"People's feelings have a way of moving on their own. The host's presence was probably enough~" The System gave a breezy non-answer, then spread out the reward options:
[Yuigahama Yui's Keen Eye]
The host becomes better at reading people's thoughts through their words and expressions. Part of the Yuigahama Yui series.
[Yuigahama Yui's Resolve]
Boosts the attribute bonuses of all Yuigahama Yui series cards. Effect is further enhanced when the host is in Yuigahama Yui's presence. Part of the Yuigahama Yui series.
[+1 Hour Card]
Select one active task to have its deadline extended by double. Single-use — disappears after use.
"Why does it say hour and not time?" Mio squinted at the last card. The System's sense of humor was deeply suspicious.
"Haaah, don't sweat the small stuff, host~"
Mio didn't bother arguing. She picked [Yuigahama Yui's Resolve] — it boosted all her Yui-series cards and got an extra buff while she was near Yui in person. Solid pick.
The moment she chose, the world started moving again.
Mio looked at Yui beside her. Yui still had that slightly troubled look on her face, like she was working something out.
She doesn't look like someone who just figured out their feelings.
But the task was done. The System wouldn't give her a freebie without good reason.
Mio thought back over their conversation. Had Yui been testing her? Probing to see what she was into?
But why would Yui need to do that?
Unless—
Unless Yui is starting to have feelings for me.
Mio sat with that thought for a moment, genuinely unsure what to do with it.
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