"Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Yukinoshita. I'm Matsukaze Mayu, a teacher at Toyosaki School."
Matsukaze Mayu seemed a little nervous.
Fushimi Makoto, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease. "Hello, I'm Fushimi Makoto."
"Hello, both of you. Come on in."
A flicker of surprise crossed Mrs. Yukinoshita's eyes.
She hadn't expected Fushimi Makoto to bring a teacher along.
The three of them entered the spacious, bright living room, where Yukino and her father were also waiting.
When Yukino saw Matsukaze Mayu, her expression matched her mother's.
After exchanging greetings, Fushimi Makoto handed over the gifts, and Mrs. Yukinoshita thanked him with a smile.
Yukino silently got up to pour tea and bring over some snacks.
"I originally wanted to invite my other daughter too. After all, you helped me out so much this time, Makoto... By the way, would it be all right if I called you Makoto?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita was warm and gentle throughout, like an easygoing older relative.
"Of course." Fushimi Makoto knew this wasn't her "true face."
Matsukaze Mayu, sitting beside him, blinked. I want to call him Makoto too. That would feel more intimate.
After a brief exchange, Matsukaze Mayu asked curiously, "Mrs. Yukinoshita, you said Makoto helped you out a lot. Would you mind telling me about it?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita's smile grew even brighter. "Simply put, we'd been unable to close a business deal for a long time, but with his help, our family finally secured it."
Matsukaze Mayu stared at Fushimi Makoto in surprise, as if to say, You can do that too?
Then she brightened. That's my favorite student for you. He's amazing.
Across from them, Yukino's eyes flickered. The day her mother called her, she'd felt much the same way as Matsukaze Mayu did now.
Not only had her mother praised her, which was rare, but she'd also started paying more attention to her.
And the reason for all of it pointed to Fushimi Makoto.
Is this how you plan to win me over?
Improving my relationship with my mother, giving me more of her love and attention, and making things better for my family too.
Yukino sighed inwardly.
Can I really withstand this kind of approach?
Besides, there were still plenty of secrets surrounding this guy.
Yukino knew she couldn't do what Fushimi Makoto did and chat and laugh with her mother so effortlessly.
Just then, Mrs. Yukinoshita asked with a smile, "By the way, Yukino mentioned that you seem to know a lot about our family, Makoto. Is that true?"
Yukino immediately tensed up.
This involved the Time Loop, after all!
Fushimi Makoto noticed Yukino's change in mood and thought, Haji-Yuki's getting triggered.
Let's Each Use Our Own Terms
In the living room, the Yukinoshita Couple wore warm smiles.
Yukino looked calm on the surface, but she was nervous inside.
Matsukaze Mayu watched Fushimi Makoto with curiosity, while privately wondering what his real relationship with Yukino was.
"It's a long story."
With everyone watching him, Fushimi Makoto remained remarkably composed.
Mrs. Yukinoshita had expected as much. She smiled and said, "If it's something you'd rather not talk about, I won't ask."
It was a case of retreating in order to advance.
Especially coming from an older person, and with Yukino there, it sounded more like a reminder: I really want to know what happened.
But Fushimi Makoto simply smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Aunt Yukinoshita. I'll tell you next time, then."
Mrs. Yukinoshita: ?
Yukino beside him nearly lost it, but she managed to hold back.
I should've known. That's just how this guy is, and he's probably tried this out plenty of times during the Time Loop.
The girl easily caught the look of surprise that flashed across her mother's face.
That was close. I almost laughed out loud...
Matsukaze Mayu spoke gently. "I just remembered, Makoto. You're usually very busy too. If you don't really want to talk about this, we can switch to a lighter topic."
Well done, Teacher Matsukaze.
Fushimi Makoto thought that bringing Matsukaze Mayu along had definitely been the right choice.
She was already gentle and considerate, and now that she was so devoted to him, everything she said and did naturally came from his perspective.
With his teacher stepping in, even if Mrs. Yukinoshita still wanted to pry, she couldn't press him any further.
That would be very rude.
"Thank you." Fushimi Makoto thanked her sincerely.
"You're welcome~"
Matsukaze Mayu smiled happily.
She wasn't happy because Fushimi Makoto had thanked her. She was happy because she'd taken the chance to call him "Makoto," and he hadn't minded at all. He'd accepted it naturally.
That was what had really made her happy.
Who said a gentle, sweet, beautiful teacher couldn't have her own little schemes?
Mrs. Yukinoshita noticed it all, and her thoughts quietly shifted.
But she said, "Since it's something you'd rather not discuss, let's change the subject, as Teacher Matsukaze suggested."
Then, with the kindly manner of an older relative, she asked, "You helped me so much this time, Makoto. I have to reward you. Is there anything you'd like?"
She'd already decided before they arrived that she had to give him something in return.
That would not only help bring Fushimi Makoto, a younger person, closer to her, but also indirectly strengthen his friendship with Yukino.
"There is actually something I'd like your help with," Fushimi Makoto said.
"Oh? Go ahead and ask. If it's something I can help with, I'd be happy to." Mrs. Yukinoshita spoke warmly.
Yukino glanced over without thinking. She was a little curious about what Fushimi Makoto was going to say too.
"I'm thinking of starting a club soon. If all goes well, I'll shoot a few short films with the club for practice."
"Shoot short films for practice?"
"Yeah. I've written a few stories that I'm fairly happy with, and I feel like I might be able to pitch them to film and TV companies someday. If one of them became a movie or a TV series, that'd be incredibly satisfying."
Everyone except Yukino, who had already guessed as much, was a little surprised by what Fushimi Makoto said.
Shouldn't high schoolers be thinking about studying or dating? Or joining the Soccer Club or a baseball club and working hard to make it into a professional league?
But Fushimi Makoto had come up with something far beyond their expectations.
Only Yukino nodded to herself. She'd already thought that his stories were perfectly suited for adaptation.
Besides, she'd heard him mention that he had nine more stories like those.
"Kids these days are really impressive," Mr. Yukinoshita remarked.
Mrs. Yukinoshita asked, "You want me to put you in touch with film and TV companies?"
Fushimi Makoto nodded.
"No problem. Let's exchange contact information. You can get in touch with me whenever you like."
Mrs. Yukinoshita took out her phone and added calmly, "I don't know much about the entertainment industry, but I've met people from that world at parties before, including some working actors. I should be able to help."
"Then I'll be counting on you."
"Is there anything else you'd like to do?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita brought the conversation back to its original topic.
She'd been generous and easygoing the whole time, clearly wanting to leave a good impression.
"If possible, I have one more small request," Fushimi Makoto said.
"What is it?"
"I'd like you to treat me like a friend your own age. That would make me feel more accomplished."
Treat him like a friend his own age?
What are you up to, Fushimi Makoto?
Yukino frowned.
Mrs. Yukinoshita laughed instead. "What kind of request is that?"
Mr. Yukinoshita chuckled. "Ever since we met, I've felt you were a little too mature. But now, finally, you're acting like a boy your age should."
Matsukaze Mayu covered her mouth, laughing too.
Clearly, they'd all reached the same conclusion.
At this age, many high schoolers were at their most sensitive and eager to be seen as mature.
They were about to grow up, and part of them longed to become adults as soon as possible, while another part felt both nervous and excited about the new world waiting for them.
The Yukinoshita Couple had both been that age once.
To them, Fushimi Makoto shared those youthful feelings too, wanting the older generation not to treat him like a child.
That was why Mr. Yukinoshita had said what he did.
Only Yukino felt restless.
This guy had matured during the Time Loop!
She didn't believe for a second that Fushimi Makoto still had the chuunibyou streak of a teenager or that same innocent eagerness to become an adult.
"You don't want to be treated like a kid either, do you, Makoto?" Matsukaze Mayu asked with a gentle smile.
"Yeah, I've always felt that way."
He was talking nonsense!
Yukino took a deep breath.
Matsukaze Mayu's gaze softened. "Then in private, we can treat each other as friends."
Mrs. Yukinoshita smiled. "If that's all you're asking, then as long as there aren't any outsiders around, I can treat you like a friend."
"Same here," Mr. Yukinoshita chimed in.
Wait!
Aren't you going to ask what I think?
Yukino was starting to panic.
"That would be great," Fushimi Makoto said, beaming.
Then he looked at Yukino as if puzzled. "By the way, if we really treat each other as friends, what should Yukinoshita and I do?"
Yukino stared at him expressionlessly.
Her little look seemed to ask, Is this another one of your combo moves?
Fushimi Makoto pretended not to notice. "How about this? We'll each use our own terms. Yukinoshita, you can call me 'big brother,' and I'll call you 'classmate.'"
"I refuse," Yukino said without hesitation.
The Yukinoshita Couple exchanged smiles. Once again, they felt the youthful spirit in Fushimi Makoto.
Now that's more like it. The overly mature way he spoke earlier made it feel as though we were talking to someone our own age.
Before you continue