Reincarnation: Yukino Yukinoshita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Yukino enjoyed a refreshing bath, wrapping herself in a clean bathrobe as she finished. While placing her worn clothes into the washing machine, a troubling realization struck her: this was Haru's house, and she hadn't brought any spare clothes.

The heavy rain outside showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. If her clothes didn't dry by morning, she'd be left in quite the awkward situation.

She meant her clothes would be damp, of course.

The bathrobe covered her slender, porcelain frame snugly. As she stepped out of the bathroom, still contemplating how to address the issue, Haru spoke up as if reading her mind.

"If your clothes aren't dry by tomorrow, I'll head out early and buy some for you," he said casually.

So, he already thought of that.

Yukino brushed back her damp hair, her gaze slightly incredulous. "I half-expected you to suggest I hand over my apartment key so you could fetch my clothes."

Haru, petting the orange cat on his lap, chuckled. "You wouldn't agree to that."

She shot him a pointed glare.

Of course, she wouldn't agree.

It wasn't about not trusting him—after all, they'd known each other for years, and he'd visited her apartment plenty of times.

She simply didn't feel comfortable letting him rummage through her underwear drawer.

The topic ended there, Yukino wisely choosing not to broach any awkward questions about sizes.

She knew Haru was well aware of her measurements.

They'd grown up together, after all.

Yukino sat down on the sofa, her fresh presence filling the room with a faint, alluring fragrance.

The post-bath glow made her radiant; her flawless, porcelain skin practically shimmered under the soft lighting. The delicate texture of her complexion reflected the warm hues of the room, lending her an ethereal glow that was impossible to ignore.

Haru, seated nearby, couldn't help but notice.

Yukino caught his gaze, a faint headache forming as she sighed. "Can't you tone it down a little?"

"Tone what down?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"That look in your eyes. Staring at a girl fresh out of the bath like that is extremely inappropriate, you know."

"Are we really talking about this?"

"Huh?"

Yukino softly uttered a sound, her eyes filled with a mixture of mild embarrassment and irritation.

Years of familiarity made Haru instantly aware—this was the sign she was about to "explode."

It was simply because she was too shy, and it irritated her.

Haru quickly backed off, "I'll dry your hair for you, then go shower."

"I can do it myself," Yukino replied, though she knew he was deliberately changing the subject. Her irritation slowly faded away.

"I insist," he said.

Since he was adamant, Yukino didn't reject him.

The sound of the blow dryer filled the air, making the cat on the sofa glance up occasionally.

However, this wasn't the first time Haru had used a blow dryer at his house, so the orange cat soon grew bored and returned to lazily lying down after a few glances.

Yukino, listening to the sound of the dryer and feeling Haru's hands gently brushing through her hair, felt a warmth inside.

And... a little sweetness.

But she kept it to herself.

If she let it show, he'd surely start bragging again.

As her childhood friend, she could tolerate his occasional foolishness, but she wouldn't allow him to keep acting that way in front of her. It would just put her in a passive position.

After he finished drying her hair, Yukino thanked him and returned to the sofa, hoping to pet the cat again.

However, she had just bathed, and the fragrance of her skin was overwhelming for Haru, but especially for the sensitive nose of the cat.

The orange cat couldn't handle the strong scent and ran away, decisively.

Yukino smiled helplessly, then gently pulled the cat back.

"Meow, meow?"

Yukino grinned as she petted the cat's head, almost as if talking to herself. "You can't act foolish like him, Jelly."

"Meow~"

Haru pretended not to hear. He still needed to shower.

Yukino opened a small bag of pet treats to keep the cat distracted.

But while focusing on the cat, she accidentally dropped the treat, and it rolled right by Haru's feet, landing near the sofa.

Haru heard the noise, lifted the sofa with one hand, bent down, and tossed the treat into the trash.

Yukino stood there, stunned for a moment.

After Haru went to take his shower, she gently lowered the cat to the floor and bent down to lift the sofa. She tested the effort.

It was difficult.

Very difficult.

She could barely lift it even a little.

She had no choice but to let go and reconsider the sofa that was big enough for a grown man to lie down on.

Has his body gotten so strong after all these years of training?

She was silently amazed.

After Haru finished his shower, he didn't wear a bathrobe—he wasn't used to it.

The washing machine had already been working, filled with only Yukino's clothes.

He wouldn't take the initiative to hang them up for her, though, as close as they were. Yukino would care about that.

So, when Haru returned from drying his hair and entered the living room, he saw Yukino happily petting the cat.

The orange cat was sitting on her lap, covered by the bathrobe, occasionally squirming—it was clear the cat wasn't used to the scent from her.

Haru felt a little envious.

So, he sat next to Yukino.

Yukino gave him a puzzled look. "What's up?"

"Nothing. You carry on," Haruksaid, still eyeing the cat.

Yukino sighed. "Be honest."

"I told you to carry on, didn't I?"

"You think I don't know you? When you look at me like that, I can tell you have some weird thoughts."

"Weird? Not really."

"Then tell me."

Seeing Yukino's 'I'm all ears' look, Haru pointed at the struggling cat. "It seems uncomfortable."

Yukino, with a serious expression, said, "Jelly will get used to it. Besides, I'll be here again in the future, so it'll get used to it sooner or later."

"After all, Jelly is my cat, and I care about how it feels."

"Wow, you have a gentle side?"

Yukino smiled brightly, but the words were tinged with mockery.

Haru boldly replied, "It's well-known that I'm the gentle type."

Yukino pursed her lips, seemingly in thought.

After a couple of seconds, she finally spoke with a serious face, "I'm starting to question my judgment."

"That was so rude."

"Shh, I'm thinking."

Seeing his stunned expression, Yukino couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Come on, tell me what you're really thinking."

Haru finally showed his true thoughts, "What I meant was... is it my turn now?"

At first, Yukino didn't understand, but then she noticed Haru staring at her lap.

She immediately sent him a "death glare."

Haru sighed, "It's not fair. The cat gets the beautiful girl's lap pillow, but what about the cat's owner?"

Yukino glanced at her mischievous childhood friend, then gently placed the cat aside. "Come here."

"Are you serious, Yukino?"

"If you act foolish again, I'll change my mind."

Haru immediately flopped down, not on the couch, but onto Yukino's soft lap.

Even though there was a bathrobe between them, it was still incredibly comfortable.

The air was filled with the scent of her hair, teasing and irresistible.

He could lift his eyes and see her delicate cheek, now faintly tinted with a charming blush.

It could have been from the warmth after the bath, or perhaps a subtle sign of her hidden shyness.

"This is great..."

Haru closed his eyes, not even caring about the TV, enjoying the comfort of the beautiful girl's lap.

Yukino, hearing his voice, smiled softly, a sweet, tender smile no one else would ever see.

Not her sister. Not her mother.

No one.

The night passed peacefully.

The rain stopped in the middle of the night, and Yukino's clothes had dried. Haru lost his chance to pick out her underwear.

In the morning, they arrived at school together and went their separate ways in the building.

"Good morning, Amamiya-san!"

Yuigahama Yui was still full of energy as always, especially when she greeted Haru.

Several girls from their class noticed this interaction.

So, after the third period ended, Yuigahama, who had just returned from the restroom, was stopped by a group of girls.

"Yuigahama, what's your relationship with Amamiya-san?"

The girls were all serious.

They had never seen Yuigahama and Haru interact like this before.

And today, they had even talked a little, which meant at the very least, they were friends.

This didn't sit well with the other girls in their class.

If they paid attention, they would know that Haru was close to Yukino, but no one had confirmed anything publicly.

That meant Haru was still "everyone's Amamiya-san."

Admiring a handsome guy was normal for teenage girls.

But now, they noticed that Yuigahama and Haruka's relationship was progressing rapidly. Did that mean she was trying to lock "everyone's Amamiya-san" down?

This was completely outrageous!

~~~~

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