They finished watching the movie. Once the ending credits had rolled and most people had left, the three of them finally walked out together and headed to a bookstore.
Ibuki wasn't particularly fond of bookstores, but since both Yukio and Shiina had gone along with her choice of movie, she felt she couldn't complain about spending an hour browsing books.
After leaving the bookstore, they headed to a restaurant for lunch—one Yukio had booked in advance. The layout used square tables, no round ones. So Yukio took a seat next to Shiina. After all, not long ago in the theater, she'd said he should treat her a little better than the other girls, and he'd agreed—no backing out now.
That left Ibuki opposite them. She didn't feel particularly dejected, but now and then, she'd stand up to take a look, or lean down under the table for a peek at the other side.
She was determined to prevent Shiina from stealing more bites, or to watch that Yukio didn't try anything shady. Given he'd gone for a thigh-grab in the cinema, who knew if he'd try something similar under cover of the tablecloth? Better to keep an eye out.
Her vigilance made Yukio's shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. It took effort not to burst out. Once their meal was served, Yukio cut some wagyu into bite-sized pieces for the girls, then, with a little grin, lightly pinched Shiina's ever-so-cute cheek.
Perhaps that was part of the rhythm between them. After receiving one gentle pinch on her cheek, Shiina sweetly said, "Ah," so Yukio used his chopsticks to pick up a small piece of wagyu, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Shiina.
"How is it?" he asked.
Shiina, her cheeks already tinged pink, took a few small bites before swallowing, then smiled contentedly. "It's delicious."
Ibuki, inwardly brimming with curses, tightened her grip on her chopsticks. With a clear cracking sound, the wooden sticks snapped into four pieces. "Excuse me," she said curtly, "could I get another pair of chopsticks?"
Yukio realized he couldn't just spoil Shiina alone. He picked up another piece of wagyu, leaned forward, and grinned at Ibuki. She felt her heart jolt strangely. That guy…there was something toxic about him. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she had to concede that sneaky smile of his—a bit playful, a bit wicked—was reminiscent of a storybook witch casting a spell on a prince, making it impossible not to be captivated. Having him smile at her like that, it was almost inevitable her heart would start pounding.
Without thinking, Ibuki leaned forward as well—sitting across from him, so they both had to move in. Still, with her usual prideful nature, she couldn't help spouting something. "I—I only let you feed me this time because my chopsticks broke, so—don't get the wrong idea! It's not, I'm not like…I'm not, like, dying for you to feed me or anything!"
The way she phrased it made Yukio want to pull a prank. When Ibuki leaned in, he could have quickly eaten the wagyu himself but since Ibuki had been so unstable today, he decided not to tease her. He fed it to her properly, in as gentle a manner as he had with Shiina. "How is it?" he asked, same as before.
"Well… not bad," Ibuki replied while chewing, nowhere near as graceful as Shiina. Still, the corner of her mouth was curving upward in a smile she couldn't hide. She found the wagyu at this restaurant extremely good. After the server brought her a second pair of chopsticks, she couldn't resist picking up another piece herself.
Yet she didn't go for a third piece. It wasn't that the plate was empty—more that the piece she picked up on her own tasted somewhat bland, like it lacked flavor. 'Could it be this jerk's feeding had some magic that enhanced the taste?'
At that thought, Ibuki glanced at Yukio, her gaze hinting at something. But just then, she saw Shiina feeding Yukio a large prawn, her right hand with the chopsticks, left hand cupped underneath to catch any drips. In Yukio's eyes, since he and Shiina were basically like an old married couple already, he thought nothing of letting her feed him in public. There was no shyness on his part.
Of course, it ended up provoking Ibuki. Feeling like she didn't want to lose, she too picked up a large prawn. Without a word, she held it out straight toward Yukio, her left hand underneath. But her chopsticks, and the prawn itself, trembled slightly as her face turned pink. One might worry she'd drop it any second.
Judging by her posture, Yukio feared she might just jam the prawn into his nose. Nevertheless, she was trying to show him some service, even if it was also a sign of her competitive streak. So he happily ate the second prawn as well.
After lunch, the three strolled around Zelkova Mall to help with digestion. Then Yukio brought them to a row of lockers, extracting a paper bag and a small, fancy gift box: the paper bag for Shiina, the box for Ibuki. Ibuki's eyes widened in surprise.
Shiina didn't look too shocked, just curious. "What's the Christmas present you're giving me, Yukio? Mind if I open it here?"
"Open it back in the dorm," Yukio suggested, tapping the locker door casually. "I'm giving you a manuscript of Jane Eyre that used to be stored in the British Glorious Press archives. It's been well-preserved. If you open it now, pages might get scattered. Better to look it over slowly at home."
Shiina instantly raised her head, letting out a little cheer, hugging her gift bag with both arms, and basically leaping into Yukio's arms in excitement. She absolutely adored that novel but never dreamt of obtaining a copy of its original manuscript from over a hundred years ago—a real treasure. The author's own writing carried more emotional and cultural weight than any collectors edition a publisher might put out for profit.
She was so thrilled that her normally quiet demeanor vanished. Her face turned as red as an apple, and if not for the other mall patrons, she might have kissed him right there. Seeing Shiina that happy, Yukio also felt it was worth all the trouble: one month earlier, he'd started making calls outside, and in the end, had someone helping him bring the manuscript in via a delivery driver who supplied foodstuffs to the school.
Ibuki, however, stood oddly silent. Although she too received a Christmas gift, there wasn't much joy on her face, starkly contrasting Shiina's excitement. And when Shiina pulled out the present she'd been carrying in her small white handbag, Ibuki's expression grew noticeably darker.
"Yukio, check out this necktie. Do you like it?" Shiina asked.