Reincarnation: Yukino Yukinoshita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

With Yukino out of the house, Utaha was like Uchiha Sasuke having awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan—a thousand wicked ideas flashing through her mind with dangerous brilliance.

Originally, she had come here for serious business.

Last time she and Yukino had worked on the script together, she'd gained valuable insights. After over a month of revising, the final draft was now complete.

Just to be thorough, she wanted Yukino to look over it in person one last time.

As for inviting Megumi, that too was rooted in work—Megumi was the confirmed second heroine of the story.

When it came to her projects, Utaha was still someone who could separate play from professionalism.

Even if she had already realized that Megumi had backstabbed her.

But right now, with the entire house empty save for herself and a fat orange cat too lazy to roll over, Utaha was positively gleeful.

Humming a light tune, she took the sheer negligee from her bag and dashed into the bedroom to try it on.

She'd carefully selected this lingerie—pairing the thin, black, lace-trimmed nightdress with an equally delicate pair of sheer stockings. Not as opaque as her usual tights, but far more seductive.

Most importantly… they were ridiculously easy to tear.

Aside from this stunning "two-piece set," she'd also brought two other essentials:

A fresh bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume—elegant and seductive, with a scent that lingered like a lover's whisper.

And of course, the pièce de résistance: the manually controllable bunny-ear headband she'd once teased Haru with.

The difference between a plain bunny ear and one that twitched on command was night and day. It wasn't cosplay—it was war.

Utaha stood in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection. The soft sheen of the sheer black fabric, the curve-hugging silhouette, the way the stockings emphasized the lines of her thighs…

To call her figure "hourglass" was an understatement.

"This should make up for not coming to mess with him lately," she murmured with a sly, victorious smile.

Earlier, when she told Haru that she'd invited Megumi over, she had assumed Yukino was still at home—so she hadn't gone into detail.

It was only after Haru left to buy groceries that she remembered something:

When she contacted Megumi earlier, Megumi had said a guest was over and that she'd probably be free around 5 PM.

Which meant…

There was a real chance Megumi and Yukino would arrive at the same time.

Which meant…

Utaha had more than enough time to deliver her "special reward."

She decided not to wait in the living room.

Instead, she stayed in the bedroom, wrapping herself in her cardigan and sweater, but underneath…

She was armed and dangerous—wearing the black sheer negligee, the lace stockings, and atop her head, the twitching bunny ears that could be manually posed at the most provocative angles.

"When he sees me like this, he'll probably be speechless."

She could hardly wait for Haru's reaction.

Meanwhile…

While Haru was shopping for groceries, he received a message from Megumi.

"I'll be dropping by around dinnertime. Sorry to trouble you again, but could you make enough for one more?"

He wasn't surprised—Utaha had already told him in advance—so he casually replied:

"No problem at all. Come whenever. I'll head back as soon as I finish shopping."

Kato: "You're out right now?"Haru: "Yeah, the fridge was pretty much empty."Kato: "You're at that big supermarket below your apartment, right? I'll head over now."

"Sure," he replied, pocketing his phone.

A little later, Megumi arrived, dressed in her usual calm fashion—skirt and warm leggings. Spotting her, Haru couldn't help but tease:

"Why do so many girls wear outfits like that in this kind of weather?"

Megumi blinked and looked down at herself. "Does it not look good?"

"On the contrary. It looks great," Haru admitted. "It just always makes me feel cold for you."

"I don't feel cold," she replied. Then, tilting her head curiously, she asked, "But now that you bring it up, do you have any fashion suggestions?"

Haru chuckled. "That's kind of outside my expertise. Just look at me—I only wear dark stuff with minimal designs. Pretty much the definition of zero fashion sense."

Megumi didn't look convinced. "You've been around Yukinoshita for a while. She's got a pretty sharp eye for fashion. Don't tell me she's never shared any tips?"

Haru paused. "Actually… she has. Though, honestly, her sister Haruno's way more into that stuff."

As he picked out a few carrots, he recalled, "Haruno once said if a girl wants to stay stylish during winter, a cashmere coat paired with thick-soled, high-cut leather boots is one of the most reliable combos."

He caught Megumi quickly pulling out her phone and typing notes into her memo app.

Amused, he asked, "You're that into this stuff?"

Megumi answered calmly, "Any girl would be interested in this kind of talk."

When she finished, she looked up. "Got any more?"

Haru gave it a moment's thought. "Hmm… minimalist long black coats that go down to the calves, paired with thick black stockings. Shoes-wise, either small leather shoes or rounded-toe styles."

Megumi jotted it all down carefully.

Haru smirked. "If you're really that interested, you should ask Yukino directly later. I'm sure she could give you even better advice."

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "If I really did that, I bet she'd look at me with that deadpan face and say, 'I don't have time for such pointless topics. Ask Utaha-senpai if you're curious.'"

Haru burst out laughing. "Yeah… that's totally what she'd say."

They dropped the subject after that, but Megumi saved her notes like treasure. She even planned to transcribe them later on her laptop.In her heart, she knew—Haru may have claimed those were Haruno's suggestions, but the way he remembered and shared them so clearly meant he genuinely liked that style. People only remembered things that either delighted or repulsed them.

And if he had taken the time to memorize those kinds of looks… they clearly landed in the "delight" category.

They finished shopping and walked back together. At the door, Haru pulled out his keys. "Go on in first. I'll sort the groceries and start cooking."

Megumi swapped into slippers and asked sweetly, "Need a hand?"

"I've got it. It's nothing."

"Alright."

As she stepped inside, Haru's nose twitched. Something was off.

The moment he walked through the door, his [Perception] skill kicked in—There was a new scent in the air.

A faint, seductive perfume. Elegant. Alluring.

He couldn't pinpoint the brand, but he was sure of one thing—it wasn't the scent Utaha was wearing earlier.

Why did she change perfumes?

She hadn't planned to go out. There was no one else in the house.

Why would she apply a different scent after he left?

Pushing the thought aside for now, Haru kicked off his shoes and headed to the kitchen with the groceries.

Meanwhile, in the living room—

Megumi had just stepped inside when Utaha, who'd been hiding in the bedroom, heard the door.

Haru's back!

Grinning with anticipation, she tossed off her sweater and outerwear, revealing the sheer black negligee underneath.

She adjusted the thin, lace-patterned stockings that came with the outfit—far more sensual than her usual tights—and finally perched the rabbit-ear headband atop her head.

Everything was ready.

Let's see how he reacts when he sees this…

With that thought, she sashayed out of the room in full "gift mode."

But—

The moment she rounded the corner, she found herself face-to-face…

With Megumi, who was crouching beside the cat, mid-stretch.

Their eyes locked.

Utaha's seductive smile froze in place.

Megumi's eyes widened in stunned silence.

One second… two… three…

"…Utaha-senpai?" Megumi asked, her voice faint, disbelieving.

Utaha flinched. Without a word, she spun on her heel and bolted back into the bedroom.

What the hell is Megumi doing here!?

Wasn't she supposed to arrive at five!? She said she had guests—why is she early!?

Her heart was pounding. Her cheeks burned with shame. She practically threw her clothes back on.

Out in the living room, Megumi was still frozen in place.

What… did I just see?

Bunny ears.A sheer nightdress.Black lace stockings.

Her mind whirled with confusion.

Why would Utaha-senpai wear something like that?

She glanced toward the door, where Haru was just walking in with the groceries.

He spotted her standing by the cat and asked casually, "Why aren't you sitting down?"

"…Just needed a second."

Her expression was unreadable as she turned toward him. Clearly struggling with what she had just witnessed.

Haru, oblivious, walked toward the fridge.

Then Megumi muttered, "…I saw Utaha-senpai just now."

Haru didn't seem surprised. "Yeah, she came by right after I left."

"She was in your bedroom."

"Right, she's probably going over the script notes. Didn't she say she wanted to finalize things with you today?"

Megumi's gaze sharpened. "Does going over a script require bunny ears and stockings?"

"…Huh?" Haru froze.

He turned around slowly.

Did I just hear… bunny ears?

He felt like a viewer watching a livestream who saw a wild comment flash across the screen:

"There's a Gundam here."

And the next dozen replies were:

"Wait, where!?"

Megumi pursed her lips. She could tell immediately—he had no idea.

Haru blinked. "You're serious? She actually wore the bunny ears?"

Damn… and I missed it!?

"This is way too awkward to explain," Megumi said with a sigh. "You can ask Utaha-senpai yourself."

She moved over to the kotatsu and began petting the fluffy orange cat, her thoughts racing.

Haru scratched his head, baffled, and turned toward the hallway—just in time to see Utaha walk out of the bedroom.

"You're back," she said calmly, dressed now in her usual, elegant clothes.

Totally normal. Except…

Haru immediately locked onto her face—her flushed, beet-red face.

"Did something… happen just now?" he asked cautiously.

She paused. "You mean in your room? I was reviewing my script."

Megumi chimed in without looking up, her voice feather-light:"Does that require bunny ears and lace stockings?"

Haru's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Utaha froze, visibly flustered. "P-please ignore those details… Anyway, Megumi, let's go over the final script edits. You are my designated supporting lead, after all."

Megumi glanced up at her, eyes narrowed. "If I follow your lead, does that mean I have to wear bunny ears and stockings too?"

"…!"

Utaha's face went crimson again.

She swore—

For the first time in her life, she felt an overwhelming urge to run away.

But before she escaped, she was definitely going to pull a Yukinoshita move…

And pin Megumi to the floor.