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The words of farewell died on her lips before she could even utter them.
'Is he mocking me for being all alone?' Utaha's gaze toward Kai gradually grew dangerous.
"KAI!"
Yui's small face flushed slightly, still not quite used to such an intimate gesture in public.
"Don't move. There's still a little bit on the corner of your mouth... there, all clean."
Setting down the napkin, Kai smiled and lowered his head, locking eyes directly with Yui until she was completely flustered. Only then did he finally pull his gaze back.
Turning his head, he noticed Utaha Kasumigaoka was still sitting there. Feigning surprise, he asked, "Oh, Senpai, you haven't left yet?"
"..."
'You know perfectly well I'm your upperclassman, and yet you still talk to me like that...' Utaha had always considered herself someone with a sharp, venomous tongue, but looking at him now, Kai was definitely giving her a run for her money.
Forcing a completely fake, plastic smile, she replied, "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Kouhai-kun. When did I ever say I was leaving?"
She had actually been planning to leave, but since he had specifically framed it like that, walking away now would basically be admitting that she really was completely and utterly alone.
"Don't tell me Senpai is actually waiting for someone?"
"…Is it illegal for me to go shopping by myself?"
"Ah, I see. In that case, enjoy your solo-shopping trip, Senpai. Yui and I are going to head out!"
Wearing an inscrutable smile, he shot Utaha one last glance before standing up and leading Yui away.
'That look... he was definitely mocking me, wasn't he?' Thinking back to the look Kai gave her right before he left, Utaha uncontrollably started tapping her foot against the floor, feeling intensely irritated. But then, as a sudden thought struck her, the corner of her lips curled up into a faint, calculating smirk.
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"Does Senpai really enjoy being a third wheel this much?"
Walking down the street, Kai had originally planned to wrap an arm around Yui's waist. But thanks to the burning, piercing glare practically searing holes into their backs from the side, Yui refused to let him do it. Just holding his hand was already taking every ounce of courage she had.
There was nothing he could do about it, Yui's skin was just way too thin.
Kai could only cast a sidelong glance at the absolute mastermind behind it all.
Ever since they stepped out of the restaurant, Utaha Kasumigaoka had been relentlessly tailing them. She didn't say a single word, she just kept staring.
"Third wheel? You're overthinking things, Kouhai-kun. I just happen to be shopping in the exact same direction."
Confronted by Kai, Utaha just stared back with a pair of perfectly wide, innocent eyes.
However, she couldn't completely hide the smug amusement dancing in the depths of her gaze. 'That's what you get for mocking me about being alone. So what if I'm a third wheel? I'm absolutely not going to give you two a single chance to get intimate.'
"You're good. If you've got the guts, feel free to keep following us."
"Hmph!"
Seeing that Kai couldn't do anything about her, Utaha felt even happier.
Basking in her own smugness, Utaha completely failed to notice the fleeting, calculated amusement that flashed through Kai's eyes.
The oldest tricks in the book really were the most effective—that was an eternal, unchanging truth.
And just like that, Utaha Kasumigaoka tailed Kai all the way to a movie theater.
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"Are you seriously going to watch this?" Seeing that Kai had picked a horror movie, Utaha couldn't help but furrow her brows in distaste.
"Don't tell me Senpai is actually scared?"
'If you aren't scared, how am I supposed to find an opening?' Sweeping his gaze over Utaha, Kai bluntly provoked her.
"Oh well, it's totally understandable if Senpai is a coward. There are plenty of other movies playing anyway. This works out perfectly—it'll give Yui and me some alone time!"
After saying that, Kai turned to Yui and spoke in a soft, reassuring voice. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"Mhm!"
Even though Yui was easily frightened herself, the sense of safety Kai provided gave her a massive boost of courage.
"..." He was incredibly gentle and sweet when talking to Yui, but the second he turned to her, he acted like an absolute jerk. 'Is he completely blind? In what universe does that little girl outclass me?'
Utaha had actually been slightly terrified of watching a horror flick, but being blatantly provoked like that completely ignited her competitive drive.
"I'm just worried that my little Kouhai-kun might end up wetting his pants from fear. Now that would be truly humiliating."
"I was just about to say the exact same thing to you, Senpai."
"Hmph!"
Seeing Kai matching her tit for tat, Utaha let out a cold hmph. After buying her own ticket, she confidently took the lead and marched straight toward the screening room.
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"Um..."
Watching Utaha walking ahead of them, Yui suddenly gave Kai's hand a gentle, nervous tug.
"Hmm?"
"Senpai is actually a really good person. You shouldn't argue with her so much."
The entire way there, Kai and Utaha hadn't stopped bickering for a single second. Yui genuinely thought that Kai hated Utaha, so she wanted to try and smooth things over.
After all, apart from having a venomous tongue, Utaha really didn't seem like a bad person.
"Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing!"
He hadn't expected Yui to interpret it that way. Kai didn't bother explaining the intricate details, he just offered her a reassuring smile.
In reality, this was the exact psychological effect Kai had been aiming for.
If he had acted like some rigid, boring nice guy, someone like Utaha Kasumigaoka wouldn't have even given him a second glance. On the contrary, the more aggressively he matched her energy, the more he provoked and engaged her emotions.
As for having Yui right there next to him? Kai wasn't worried in the slightest.
It wasn't like he hadn't successfully managed a 1v2 scenario before. There was absolutely nothing to fear.
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"It seems Kouhai-kun really needs to practice his taste in movies. We're literally the only people in here. It's obviously not going to be a good film."
After stepping into the theater, they realized that apart from the three of them, the room was completely empty. It was painfully obvious that the movie was a total flop.
"Isn't that perfect? We basically rented out the entire theater."
'It's not like I actually came here to watch the movie anyway...' Pulling Yui along, he found their assigned seats and sat down.
"Tch!"
Seeing that Kai wasn't bothered by her jab in the slightest, Utaha clicked her tongue in annoyance and sat down as well.
However, she deliberately left a single empty seat between herself and Kai.
"Hmm??"
"What are you looking at? Who knows if you might try to take advantage of me once the lights go out."
It wasn't necessarily that she didn't trust Kai, it was purely because sitting that close to a guy in a dark theater made Utaha feel incredibly self-conscious.
Despite her talent for effortlessly dropping highly suggestive, aggressive banter, deep down, she was actually incredibly conservative.
Simply put, she was all bark and no bite.
"Take advantage of you?"
"..." Kai didn't bother offering a verbal defense. He simply wrapped an arm around Yui and shot Utaha an incredibly disdainful, unimpressed look.
"YOU..." She could let a lot of things slide, but absolutely not when it came to her personal charm and physical appeal. Utaha Kasumigaoka had never once been looked down upon in that department.
If she hadn't been taking Yui's feelings into consideration, Utaha would have straight-up demanded:
'In what universe does that little girl look better than me? Are these black tights completely invisible to you?'
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