Reincarnation: Yukino Yukinoshita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Amidst the cheerful and relaxed atmosphere of the luxurious cruise, a sudden boom echoed throughout the ship.

The guests were startled. Some, out of instinct, ducked down and covered their heads.

Near the restroom, shattered wooden panels and debris scattered in all directions as if an immense force had struck. The restroom door showed significant damage, and the walls on both sides had chunks of stone and wood peeling off. The flickering lights illuminated the airborne fragments, while large sections of the wall continued to crumble.

The scene looked as if a heavy-duty truck had rammed through the space.

Guests and staff standing nearby froze in shock.

Because—just moments ago—they had seen a silhouette flying out along with the debris.

Now, that figure lay amidst the dust and rubble.

"What happened?!"

After a brief silence, panicked voices rang out as people rushed toward the scene.

When they saw the bloodied face of the man sprawled on the ground, they were stunned.

"Wait… isn't that Mr. Hisada?"

Some of the guests who were familiar with Hisada jun gen recognized him—though they weren't entirely sure.

Because his face was swollen beyond recognition. His brow and nose were completely split open, and dark red blood seeped through the floorboards, filling the gaps between them.

Among the crowd, Mr. and Mrs. Yukinoshita had also arrived at the scene.

After recognizing the man, they exchanged glances, the same thought flashing in their minds—someone was out for revenge.

In their social circles, Hisada jun gen's dirty dealings weren't exactly a secret. It was just a matter of how much one knew.

Mrs. Yukinoshita, being a sharp and ambitious businesswoman, was well aware of his criminal record.

"This is… excessive."

She heard her husband mutter in shock.

Her gaze followed his and landed on the wrecked restroom—her own expression shifting into one of deep surprise.

"It looks like he was hit by a truck." She gave her assessment.

Her husband nodded, still in disbelief. "I doubt this party will continue after this… The host is going to be investigated for sure. He insisted on 'protecting privacy' and didn't install security cameras—now, that decision is coming back to haunt him."

Mrs. Yukinoshita remained silent.

Her sharp eyes scanned the ruined restroom, a strange thought flashing through her mind.

It reminded her of something.

Specifically, earlier that evening—when Haru had fought the bodyguard. His strength and speed had left her equally stunned back then.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

"A superhuman? That's just my imagination running wild."

"At the end of the day, Haru is just a kid. Maybe he's just a little stronger than most people, that's all."

As she wrestled with her thoughts, Hisada jun gen slowly regained consciousness.

Supported by a few people, he struggled to his feet.

It took him a moment to regain focus.

The staff and guests surrounded him, asking if he was okay.

But suddenly—he shoved them aside. Limping forward, he muttered under his breath, "Don't stop me. I have to turn myself in!"

Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.

"I've committed too many crimes. If I don't confess today, I'll never sleep peacefully again!"

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

The staff hesitated, unsure if they should stop him. But when he suddenly snapped at them, they backed away, afraid to interfere.

Under countless baffled gazes, Hisada jun gen limped off the ship.

Meanwhile, at the dock, Officer Yuki and his team had been waiting for an update.

When they saw a battered, limping man stepping off the cruise, shouting about turning himself in, they were utterly stunned.

"…You've got to be kidding me."

Officer Yuki took a long drag of his cigarette before tossing it aside and stepping forward, his face filled with admiration.

Amamiya did it again.

The boy never failed to surprise him.

And his efficiency? Absolutely terrifying.

—

Back on the ship.

As the guests were still reeling from Hisada jun gen's bizarre behavior, Haru had already returned to his seat, sitting beside the Yukinoshita sisters as if nothing had happened.

They all watched the "crime scene" unfold from a safe distance.

The reason Haru had acted so rashly was simple—he had noticed Yukino's unease earlier.

And because he couldn't figure out the cause, his frustration had been building up.

Hisada jun gen's refusal to cooperate had simply given him a good excuse to vent.

Now that he had calmed down, he realized he had probably caused a bit too much of a scene.

But at least… the problem was solved.

Of course, from the police's perspective, this would probably be classified as yet another "hardcore solution."

"Looks like the ball is ending early," Haruno said, watching the wreckage near the restroom with an air of disinterest.

Yukino withdrew her gaze, her tone serious. "Don't you think that was way too loud? It sounded like something crashed into the cruise ship."

Haru glanced at her serious expression and teased, "But we didn't even go to the bow to embrace the wind. Why do bad omens still happen?"

His sudden remark distracted Yukino, lessening her unease. "Who asked you?"

Haruno, always eager for gossip, chimed in. "Wait, were you guys actually planning to go to the bow? Isn't that a famous scene from Titanic?"

Haru sighed dramatically. "Yeah, but unfortunately, Yukino refused."

Haruno played along. "What a shame."

Yukino ignored them both.

With an incident like this on board, the ball was inevitably canceled.

The three of them disembarked and shared a ride back to the hotel.

Haruno, still curious about what had happened, tried calling her mother for details, but even she wasn't sure.

Feeling unfulfilled, Haruno grumbled in the hotel elevator, "I won't be able to sleep tonight. Yukino, let's sleep together."

Yukino shot her a deadpan look. "I fail to see any logical connection between those two statements."

Haruno chuckled. "Of course, there's a connection. Hugging my little sister is the only way I'll sleep soundly."

Haru cut in. "Nonsense. Only I have the right to hug Yukino to sleep."

Yukino's expression darkened. Am I a body pillow?! Why do these two always trigger my idiot intolerance?!

In the end, Haruno failed to obtain the "Yukino Pillow" for the night.

—

Later that evening, as they were winding down, Yukino received a message from her sister.

"It was Hisada jun gen who got beaten up. Apparently, he was in a really bad shape."

She shared the news with Haru before bed.

"Oh? Who's that?" Haru asked, playing along.

Yukino shook her head. "I don't know him personally. I only heard our mother mention him before. Apparently, he's a big-time businessman."

She pondered for a moment. "If Haruno said he was beaten badly, then it must have been really bad. But why?"

Haru replied nonchalantly, "Probably because he was kind."

Yukino gave him a puzzled look.

Haru smirked. "You know the saying—'A kind man is easily bullied, just like a gentle horse is always saddled.' So he got bullied."

Yukino narrowed her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's not how the proverb goes."

"Eh, close enough."

"..."

—

The next day, Haru and Yukino departed from Hokkaido.

The incident from the night before attracted media attention, but the police stated that an investigation was ongoing and that further updates would be provided later.

Officer Yuki also sent Haru a message—short and simple, filled with gratitude.

Everything seemed to return to normal.

But a day later, an online theory began to spread:

"That luxury cruise was full of rich people. And where there are rich people, there are bound to be criminals. So the one who did it must've been Hooded Man."

At first, only a small group of netizens paid attention. But once journalists released photos of the cruise's wrecked restroom, the internet exploded.

The level of destruction—shattered walls, cracked floors—was clearly beyond human capability.

At the very least, it looked like a heavy-duty truck had slammed into the spot at full speed.

And so, Hooded Man went viral once again.

To the internet, Hooded Man was already superhuman.

The idea that only he could pull off such a feat became the accepted truth.

Some even went as far as to claim that Hooded Man might be a real-life Superman—just without the red underwear and cape.

"What is all this nonsense?"

Haru, the very person in question, chuckled helplessly and set his phone aside.

Yukino, calmly pouring tea beside him, glanced over. "You're reading the news comments too?"

"You saw them?"

"Mm. I read them this morning. If they hadn't used the word 'Superman,' I could've almost accepted their theory."

Blowing on her tea, she added in a matter-of-fact tone, "But their claims are way too exaggerated. I saw the damage photos too. There's no way you could've caused that level of destruction."

Wow.

Haru smiled, not bothering to argue.

At that moment, Yukino suddenly asked, "Did Senpai message you?"

"Yeah. Since I helped promote her new book, she wants to treat me to a meal as thanks."

"And you refused?" Yukino's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Of course. I told her not to overthink it—we're friends, there's no need to be so formal."

"Oh."

Yukino's reaction was indifferent.

Haru frowned. "That's it? Just 'Oh'?"

"What kind of reaction were you expecting?"

"I figured you'd at least get a little jealous. That way, as your boyfriend, I could take the opportunity to—"

"To do what?"

Her beautiful eyes locked onto him, sharp and unwavering.

Haru remained unfazed. "To comfort you, of course."

Yeah, more like you want to 'comfort' me in bed.

Yukino felt both embarrassed and annoyed.

Since she hadn't gone out today, and there were no guests at the Amamiya house, she had only put on a slightly shorter dress.

The hem barely reached her knees.

And just now, as she sat down to pour tea, the fabric shifted, revealing the smooth, graceful curves of her legs.

Haru kept sneaking glances.

Not even trying to hide it.

Yukino took a sip of tea, then lazily picked up the orange tabby cat lounging nearby. She sighed. "I'm seriously starting to suspect you have a major leg fetish."

Haru denied it without hesitation. "Impossible. I'm not into legs."

"Oh? Then why do you keep staring?" Yukino's gaze was full of doubt.

Haru remained composed. "If I were obsessed with legs, wouldn't I have died at yours long ago?"

"…Idiot."

That sounded absurd, yet it oddly made sense. So Yukino couldn't refute him.

Not that she wanted to.

She knew full well that her legs were beautiful. She had taken great care of them over the years—smooth, flawless, practically perfect.

Otherwise, there's no way Haru would become noticeably bolder every time she put on stockings.

…

Currently, Yukino's filming schedule was set at twice a week—a balance between maintaining progress and not taking up too much of her classmates' summer vacation.

Thanks to Haru's connections, all the extras were perfectly arranged. On top of that, his ability to lighten the mood during shoots had gradually dissolved the classmates' previous biases against Yukino.

At the very least, they now understood that while she was strict, she was also fair.

And fairness was something everyone appreciated.

—

By mid-August, there were only ten days left of summer break.

After another day of filming, Yukino and Haru were packing up the equipment when Utaha stayed behind.

Yukino paused. "Senpai, you need something?"

Utaha spoke naturally. "Last time, Haru rejected my offer to treat him. Since you're both here today, how about dinner together?"

"Tonight?"

Yukino didn't refuse immediately. She recalled that, after wrapping up filming, Haru had mentioned plans to go swimming with the Photography Club.

Could this sudden invitation be related?

As if confirming her suspicions, Utaha added, "Yes, tonight. Haru said you're all going swimming in two days, right? I don't swim often, so I was hoping to get some tips from you."

Yukino remained expressionless. "What makes you think I'm good at swimming?"

Utaha glanced at Haru, who was still tidying up the table. "He told me you're an all-rounder. A walking encyclopedia."

Yukino nodded lightly. "That's not incorrect."

Utaha's eye twitched. She just admitted it so casually?

Yukino then said, "But tonight won't work. My sister's picking me up soon. Why don't we all have dinner together after swimming?"

"All of us?"

Utaha hesitated slightly.

Yukino tilted her head. "Is that a problem?"

Utaha sighed. "I'd rather not let everyone know I write novels."

"Oh, that's easy. We just won't bring it up."

"…Alright."

And just like that, the two girls reached an agreement.

Haru, despite being the one who helped make Utaha's book a bestseller, and the person originally invited, remained silent the entire time.

—

After school, Yukino was picked up by Haruno.

Haru had initially thought about hitching a ride, but as soon as he approached the car and spotted Mrs. Yukinoshita sitting in the front seat, he immediately understood—this was a family gathering.

So, after a simple greeting, he wisely stepped back.

Guess I'll just head home and grind some more XP.

These days, he had leveled up [Auto-Aim] to Level 6 and [Jump] to Level 8.

Both skills had improved significantly.

The former made it ridiculously easy for him to pick people out of a crowd—or, more importantly, to target weak spots with pinpoint accuracy.

As for Jump, he could now double jump in mid-air with ease.

He even had a hunch that triple or quadruple jumps weren't out of the question.

At this rate, will I eventually be able to step on my own foot and launch myself into the sky?

—

"Amamiya-kun."

As he walked down the street, lost in thought, a familiar scent drifted past him.

He turned around to see Utaha's beautiful face.

Before he could ask anything, she spoke first. "I was going to head home with Megumi, but she got dragged off by someone else last minute."