Yukinoshita-san is definitely secretly in love with me.

Miura had been sent to the infirmary once again.

Technically, Onozawa Kei and Uezawa Junko were her closest friends. Yet they had no qualms about leaving her in Yukinoshita's care.

With her signature cutesy smile, Kei beamed, "We're counting on you to take care of Yumiko, Yukinoshita. Ehehe~"

Junko smiled gently as well. "Right. I'm in charge of the sports festival planning committee, and Kei has to come with me after school to help pick up supplies. So for today, we're counting on you!"

Miura coughed lightly, putting on a serious face. "You two are heartless... Whatever. You've got important stuff to do. Go."

A vein popped on Junko's forehead.

Right now, she really wanted to smile sweetly and say, Then how about I stay here with you instead, Yumiko?

Because if she did, that tsundere idiot…

She'd totally cry. Totally cry, right?

The school nurse had already started recognizing Miura as a frequent visitor, considering this was her second visit in a short span.

"You sprained your ankle just last week, and now you've got a headache? You youngsters really need to take better care of yourselves," the nurse said. She was a middle-aged woman with a kind face. "Alright, let me see the thermometer."

Miura tensed up, reluctantly pulling the thermometer from her mouth and handing it over as slowly as possible.

She wasn't actually feeling unwell.

Back then, when Yukinoshita had asked if she was okay, something short-circuited in her brain. Without thinking, she said she had a headache.

The nurse glanced at the reading. "Hmm? Your temperature looks normal."

I'm doomed. I've been caught lying. I'm about to suffer social death...

"She felt really warm to the touch."

Yukinoshita spoke up.

She had gently touched Miura's forehead with the back of her hand and noticed that Miura's face was burning red, even her forehead was feverish.

The nurse also reached out to feel her temperature, then slowly pulled her hand back in slight confusion. "You do feel a bit warm. Lie down for now. I'll check on you again later."

Miura exhaled in relief.

Thank god for Yukinoshita. She'd just been saved.

At that moment, someone burst into the infirmary.

"Sensei! A student just collapsed during P.E. Could you come quickly?"

The nurse gave a few quick instructions to the girls before grabbing her bag and rushing out with the other student.

And just like that, the room was silent.

Only the two of them were left.

In such a quiet space...

Would Yukinoshita... do something to her?

Miura yanked the blanket up over half her face, hiding her flushed cheeks.

"Y-you better not try anything, okay?!"

Yukinoshita couldn't help but notice ever since their relationship had slightly softened, her internal reactions around Miura were nothing but question marks.

Do something?

What could I even do to her?

Oh... maybe Miura thinks I'll take advantage of her while she's sick because of my "bad girl" reputation from before?

Really? Miura the queen bee of the school actually worries about something like that?

Weren't you supposed to be the ruler of all the girls, even the delinquents?

Yukinoshita sighed. "Relax. I'm not going to 'bully' you."

Bully...?

It was such a plain, ordinary word. But coming from Yukinoshita someone whose cold, restrained aura practically radiated from her face it suddenly felt strangely suggestive.

Miura was sure Yukinoshita must be thinking about all the ways she could "bully" her now.

Ugh... Yukinoshita, you're the worst!

She pulled the blanket even higher, covering nearly her whole head. Only a pair of eyes peeked out from beneath the fabric, shimmering like ripples in water.

She was usually so commanding and proud. Yet now, doing something so sweet and girly...

To be honest, she looked ridiculously cute.

Yukinoshita gently tugged the blanket down a bit. "You'll overheat if you stay like that."

Miura instinctively wanted to snap back with a tsundere comment. But she suddenly remembered Junko's many repeated warnings on LINE, and their carefully devised "Operation Plan."

Junko was right if she didn't even have the guts to exchange contact info with someone, Yukinoshita would keep thinking she was hard to approach.

So come on, Yumiko. Be brave!

It wasn't like she'd never taken the initiative with friends before. It wasn't like she'd never exchanged contacts with other girls her age.

So why was it so hard... just with Yukinoshita?

Miura didn't know the answer. And she didn't want to think too deeply about it, either.

Somehow, she felt like she couldn't think about it too deeply.

"Yukinoshita!"

Her sudden shout startled Yukinoshita. "...What is it?"

Miura was being unusually odd today.

"Well..."

She had reread the operation plan on LINE countless times. But now, with her nerves at their peak, her mind was going completely blank.

What was the plan again?

Sorry, Junko. Sorry, Kei.

I'm about to mess this up all over again...

Just as her brain was overheating, a hand gently ruffled her hair.

Like pressing pause on a boiling Miura-brand pressure cooker.

She stared blankly at Yukinoshita, now sitting by her bedside.

Her black hair was perfectly neat. The red ribbon at her collar hung in two symmetrical curves. Even the buttons on her shirt cuffs were fastened properly.

This person who was always so serious and aloof was now looking at her with a soft, gentle expression.

Just like a child, Miura felt herself being soothed.

"No need to rush. Take your time."

Back when they had just entered Sōbu High, Miura had already heard all about Yukinoshita.

Rumors about her being flirtatious. About her delinquent past. About how she was constantly toying with boys.

Back then, every class had someone badmouthing her curses, resentment, gossip everywhere.

Miura couldn't accept it. How could someone like her be considered better than me?

And then Yukinoshita had "played with" Hayama's feelings, and Miura's opinion of her plummeted even more.

But now, in this moment, Miura finally had to admit it.

Yukinoshita really did have that kind of beauty the kind that could pierce straight into people's hearts without relying on anything else.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You can take your time."

Yukinoshita said, "Miura, you can tell me anything. Or nothing at all. Whatever you want."

A calmness suddenly settled over Miura.

She sat back up with a huff, her cheeks puffed like a child sulking.

"It's just, I'm the class discipline officer, okay? And yet Yukinoshita isn't even in the class LINE group. So rude! Makes me look bad!"

Since when was that part of the discipline officer's job...?

Though a bit confused, Yukinoshita took out her phone and joined the group.

"There. I'm in."

The very next second, her phone chimed with a new notification.

[Friend Request from Miura Yumiko]

Miura set her phone down and looked up at the ceiling. Her voice was thick with guilt.

"It's, um... it's just that, as the class discipline officer, I obviously have to keep track of everyone's contact info..."

Yukinoshita: "..."

Being a class officer is rough, huh?