Reincarnation: Yukino Yukinoshita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Haru spent the entire afternoon at the Karate Club.

As for the photography club, only Yukino and Yui remained, while the other two girls had disappeared without a trace.

Yukino had told them earlier, "There shouldn't be any club activities today. If you're bored, feel free to do something else."

Yui, however, chose to stay.

Part of it was because she didn't know where to go.

The other part was due to her mother's words from the previous night, which had left a lasting impression on her.

"Even though Yukino and Amamiya-kun are close, and she gives off that aura of a drama heroine, their relationship hasn't been confirmed yet."

There were many conflicting thoughts in the girl's mind.

Before, they had merely been buried deep inside, but now they were stirred up by her mother's words.

At 4:50 PM, Haru finished his sparring session for the day.

His senior's clothes were already drenched in sweat, and he now spoke to Haru with a mix of both joy and pain. "Next time you come to spar, don't go so hard. My body can't take it."

Haru smirked. "Senior, that comment sounds a bit like girl."

"Haha, don't say that. If I were a girl, I'd definitely like a guy like you—someone who gives off a sense of security."

After watching Haru and the others leave, one of the members immediately spoke excitedly, "President, you should have kept Amamiya here. If he joins, we might make it to the top 16 in this year's karate competition!"

The President, however, shook his head without saying a word.

Keep him here?

What could he use to keep him?

As the strongest member of the club, with considerable combat experience, he had spent the entire afternoon sparring with Haru and already had seen a lot.

For example, his physical fitness far exceeded his own.

And it was possible that Amamiya hadn't even used his full strength today.

Such realizations were astonishing and easy to make one feel discouraged.

So, he smiled and said to the members, "Didn't you notice? In today's sparring, he used wrestling techniques and mixed martial arts, but never once did he use karate moves."

The other member was stunned. "Does that mean he's not interested in karate?"

The senior didn't respond directly. Instead, he thought to himself: With his monstrous physical abilities, he is most likely unwilling to join the karate club and be inferior to others.

Rather than ruin the recently built friendship, it was better to act like nothing happened.

After all, it was a rare opportunity to spar with such a master. Every time they practiced, he improved.

"The newcomers really is getting more ruthless," he muttered, glancing at the surprised and regretful faces of his teammates. His own astonishment wasn't any less than theirs.

…

After saying goodbye to the Karate Club, Yukino immediately handed Haru a handkerchief and a bottle of mineral water.

These were things she had prepared in advance.

Yui, standing beside her, froze for a moment as she reached into her pocket to grab a handkerchief.

Haru drank the water and turned to Yui. "Sorry, you must have been really bored today. You could've gone off to do something else."

Yui quickly loosened her grip on the handkerchief and shook her head. "No, it was very exciting."

Then, she casually added, "By the way, can I learn this from you?"

"You mean fighting?" Haru understood her meaning.

Yui nodded eagerly.

Yukino suddenly spoke up, "If you want to learn, I can teach you."

Yui: "??"

Yukino,calmly said, "Haru is better at wrestling. Women are naturally weaker than men, so considering the risks and practicality, you're better off learning Aikido from me."

Then, she turned her face, locking eyes with Yui. "But my standards are very high. If you're truly willing to let me teach you, please make sure you don't have any other intentions along the way."

Her words were sharp and clear like a blade.

"Th-then, I'll leave it to you, Yukinoshita-san," Yui forced a smile.

Being a girl herself, Yui immediately recognized the unspoken message: "Keep your feelings in check. My blade is fast."

Haru was the most composed person there.

Since his reincarnation, his thoughts on relationships hadn't changed.

Fall in love when the time is right, and marry when it feels natural.

It may seem like he goes with the flow, but it was more accurate to say that he follows his instincts.

The reason he chose not to go to Toyonosaki and instead came to Sobu High was to see the real-life versions of two-dimensional girls.

After all, before reincarnation, he had spent quite a bit of money on their figurines…

Yukino's sudden cutting remark effectively stopped Yui's little thoughts.

As they walked toward the school gate, Yui, in an attempt to avoid the previous conversation, asked casually, "By the way, are we really going to film a short film in the photography club?"

"To be precise, it's an experimental short film, mainly to help you practice. After all, practice is where true understanding comes from," Haru explained.

Yui, relieved that he was talking to her, quietly let out a breath. "But I'm still a beginner."

"That's why you're in the 'beginner's protection period.'"

Haru smiled, pointing to himself and then to Yukino.

Yui's spirits lifted. Of course, with the two experts from the photography club leading the way, she was sure she could learn quickly.

Since their path didn't align, Yui parted ways with them at the school gate.

Haru stopped and turned to Yukino, who had been staring at him. "You've been wanting to ask me something since earlier, haven't you?"

Yukino admitted openly, "Yes."

"What's the question?"

Yukino didn't respond directly, but instead glanced at Yui's departing figure. "Congratulations, you've won another girl's heart."

Haru followed her gaze and said, "Honestly, I'm more curious about why she suddenly changed."

"Changed?"

Yukino quickly realized, furrowing her brow. "Yes, her change was too sudden. From what I've observed, Yuigahama isn't the type to be a lovesick girl."

Haru also thought the same.

Yui had stayed in the photography club simply because she enjoyed the atmosphere, where she could easily fit in with the group.

Although over the past few days, he had noticed that Yui seemed to have developed a liking for him, it was unlikely that this feeling alone could account for the recent change in her behavior.

Much like the other two girls in the photography club, who also liked him but were easily deterred by Yukino's presence.

Today, Yubihama's behavior was clearly off.

Yukino, deep in thought, gave a skeptical look. "Could it be that she met you when she was younger?"

Haru was unsure. "I doubt it. That would be a bit too strange."

Yukino continued to ponder. "I also think that's unlikely, considering how she's been acting these past few days. She doesn't seem like someone who has known you for long."

An awkward silence filled the air.

Neither of them had any answers. Haru decided to change the topic. "How about we just head to my place?"

Yukino blinked. "How did you know I wanted to go to your place?"

"I not only know, I can also guess that your main reason isn't to pet the cat," Haru laughed.

Since he had already guessed her thoughts, Yukino no longer bothered to hide it. "I'm curious about your current physical condition."

"Do you need me to take off my shirt for an inspection?"

"...You can shut up now."

Seeing Yukino's disgusted look, Haru didn't mind. He casually asked, "How about we stop by your place first and grab some spare clothes?"

This was a subtle hint at whether she would stay over.

Yukino thought for a moment before agreeing.

It was boring being alone at home on weekends, and having her childhood friend around seemed to make it more enjoyable.

After Yukino went home to grab her clothes, she entered Haru's house just as he finished changing into slippers and went straight to the bathroom.

She paused, curious, holding the clothes bag. She noticed the lazy orange cat sitting on the floor and decided to pet it for a bit.

Before long, Haru came out.

He was holding a basin filled with water.

"What are you doing?" Yukino finally couldn't help but ask.

Haru replied naturally, "Didn't you want to observe my physical abilities up close? I have an idea."

"An idea?"

Yukino put down the cat and stepped back, curiously.

Haru stood in front of the basin and suddenly jumped with speed.

In mid-air, his legs attempted to perform a "water-skimming" move.

The posture was impressive.

Then, with a splash, both his feet landed in the water-filled basin.

Water splashed everywhere, and the surrounding floor got wet.

Yukino expressionlessly raised her hand, clapping slowly. "Nice performance. If I'm not mistaken, kindergarten kids love to jump in puddles like that on rainy days."

Haru, a bit embarrassed, said, "Let me try again."

He could feel he could do it properly this time.

Though the first try lacked fine control of his body.

Yukino, a little helpless, stood by. Just as she was about to say, "Can you stop being so ridiculous," Hartu began his second attempt.

This time, when his body took off, his feet actually skimmed the water surface.

His entire body swiftly moved over the water.

It looked just like light martial arts from a wuxia movie.

Yukino froze in place, her fair face showing signs of astonishment.

"How's that for the water-skimming trick? What score would you give it?"

Haru smiled triumphantly.

Yukino stared at the ripples in the water for a moment, then looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Can you do it again?"