Itsuki is So Cute

"Itsuki?"

"Eh? What's up, Kuromori-kun?"

Haruto sighed softly and said, "What were you thinking about? I've called you a few times already."

It was understandable for Miku to get lost in random thoughts. After all, she was a homebody, prone to becoming a recluse. But Itsuki? She was a foodie! She shouldn't be overthinking things!

Itsuki's face turned slightly red, and she hesitated, trying to change the subject: "No, I wasn't thinking about anything. By the way, Kuromori-kun, what should we do about Nino and Miku?"

What else could they do? Of course, they had to go back and find them. Did Itsuki really expect them to just find their way out on their own?

Haruto even doubted if they could find the exit at all. After all, with so many intersections, it was entirely possible they'd get lost in a panic.

"We have no choice but to go back."

Itsuki took a deep breath. Even though she was terrified, she couldn't leave Nino and Miku behind. She had to go back!

Clenching her fists, Itsuki declared, "Kuromori-kun, let's go!"

"Wait."

Haruto grabbed her arm and started walking. Seeing Itsuki staring at him blankly, he said, "You're going the wrong way. The exit's that way."

Itsuki blushed with embarrassment: "Well, everything looks the same!"

"Then stop running off and just follow me."

"Okay~"

Itsuki followed behind Haruto, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently tugged on the corner of his shirt.

Her eyes wandered, and she pouted, saying, "It's too dark here, I can't see the way."

Haruto thought for a moment and didn't refuse.

It made sense for Itsuki to be scared. After all, she was a girl, and the haunted house was famous for being terrifying.

"Let's go."

"Mhm."

Seeing that Haruto didn't reject her, Itsuki breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She quickly followed him, sticking close. "Kuromori-kun, do you think Nino and Miku will be alright?"

She was genuinely worried.

Nino was terrified of the dark, a fear she'd had since childhood, and Miku wasn't particularly brave either.

With the two of them lost in a haunted house, they must be really scared.

Itsuki felt a pang of guilt. If she hadn't grabbed Haruto and run off, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

Haruto glanced at her and said calmly, "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

There were cameras all over the haunted house, and staff members constantly monitored the situation. If tourists were in trouble, they wouldn't just keep scaring them.

After all, what if something went wrong?

So there was no need to worry. Unless, of course, someone was especially timid—that was a different story.

Because people had a habit of scaring themselves with their imagination.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Itsuki screamed, and the next moment, Haruto felt his arm caught in a trap—a trap softer than any cushion.

That's right!

It was a trap!

A trap that could ensnare anyone's heart.

Haruto turned to see a head emerging from the stone wall beside them.

Their eyes met.

The staff member was dumbfounded. Why wasn't there any reaction at all?

Even guys would've been startled by this, right?

What's with that look of disgust?

The staff member was furious, opening his mouth and waving his hands in frustration.

Haruto raised his eyes, feeling utterly calm. He even wanted to say, "How stupid."

The staff member stood there, speechless for a moment, before quietly backing away, questioning his own life choices.

He pulled out a small mirror, muttering to himself, "Weird, I thought my makeup looked good today."

His face was pale, his hair messy and disheveled, and the makeup was truly grotesque.

At first glance, it looked terrifying.

Unfortunately, he had encountered Haruto. Even if a genuinely terrifying ghost had shown up, it wouldn't have scared him at all.

Hearing the staff's muttering, the corner of Haruto's mouth twitched slightly.

He pondered if his indifference was too much pressure on the staff here.

But it couldn't be helped. He felt no emotion and couldn't fake being scared.

Haruto looked away, taking Itsuki with him.

Right, these staff members needed to be taught a lesson—no more slacking off.

Besides, it was so soft and squishy.

Haruto glanced at Itsuki, who was still clutching his arm and shivering, and decided to say nothing.

It wasn't that he wanted to take advantage of her, but if he pointed it out, the super innocent Itsuki would surely explode with embarrassment!

Sometimes, selective amnesia was necessary.

Like now.

Haruto chose to turn a blind eye.

There was a saying that all five of the Nakano quintuplets were well-endowed, and Itsuki was no exception.

Haruto had once accidentally stumbled upon Yuigahama Yui in a similar situation, and the memory of that moment was still fresh in his mind.

Curiosity and a strong desire to explore were natural.

Haruto couldn't help but feel a bit curious now. Did he just accidentally do the same with Itsuki?

No, stop letting your imagination run wild!

Haruto quickly cut off the stray thoughts.

He wasn't trying to make a move on Itsuki.

That would be terrible!

Miku was one thing; he liked her, and she liked him too, so there was no psychological burden when teasing her.

But not Itsuki!

Because with Itsuki, Haruto always felt a guilty conscience poking at him—something he hadn't felt in a long time.

At this moment, Itsuki finally snapped out of it.

That had been too sudden.

It came out of nowhere. Thankfully, Haruto had been beside her, or else she would have freaked out and bolted.

Stunned for a second, Itsuki quickly let go of Haruto's arm and backed away in a panic. But in her rush, she didn't realize there was a coffin lying behind her.

At that moment, a hand reached out from the coffin, grabbing for Itsuki as she approached.

Haruto raised an eyebrow and immediately reached out, wrapping his arm around Itsuki's waist, pulling her into his embrace.

He wasn't sure why, but whenever he thought about other guys getting close to Itsuki, it really bothered him.

Haruto thought it over and quickly arrived at a conclusion.

It wasn't jealousy or anything like that—it was just a possessiveness within him.

Haruto wasn't surprised to come to this conclusion.

After all, Itsuki was a very cute girl with a genuinely pleasant personality.

Serious and meticulous, hardworking and always striving for improvement.

Itsuki was also a foodie. When she ate, the happiness on her face was something Haruto could never forget. Even now, it stayed with him. Maybe it always would.

In short, Itsuki was truly delightful.

So cute.

Is that why?