290: Plans For Tomorrow

"Sorry, sorry. I ran into someone I knew on the way, so I chatted for a bit and took longer than expected."

Returning to Yukinoshita's apartment, Iroha explained the reason she had taken so long to buy ice cream while taking the ice cream out of the bag and handing it to Yukino and Yui.

The ice cream had been out for a while and was already melting.

Fortunately, Iroha had bought only boxed versions, so eating with the small spoons provided wasn't too troublesome.

The three of them sat together on the sofa, eating their ice cream. As they did, Iroha lightly swung her toes back and forth, humming softly in a good mood.

Compared to before she left, she seemed to be in much higher spirits.

The reason for that was obvious.

The acquaintance she mentioned earlier was most likely their next-door neighbor.

Yukino let out a small sigh.

The power of love was truly remarkable—no, that wasn't right. With so many girls around that neighbor, this couldn't be called love at all. 

Strictly speaking, it was something far from correct—a severely twisted relationship.

And yet, Iroha was deliberately maintaining such a relationship, seemingly wanting to take things even further.

Hiratsuka-sensei had asked Yukino to keep an eye on Iroha and report any unusual behavior.

Now, seeing Iroha knowingly approach someone who had multiple ambiguous relationships, was this worth reporting?

Yukino gently bit down on her ice cream stick, leaving neat teeth marks on it.

In the end, she decided to observe for a little longer. As things stood, Iroha's relationship with their neighbor didn't seem worrisome enough to require an immediate report.

"By the way, tomorrow, I'll be out all day."

Yukino suddenly informed the two, implying that they didn't need to come over tomorrow.

This wasn't a big deal. Everyone had their own things to do—it wasn't realistic to expect someone to always stay at home and tutor others for free.

Iroha understood this and didn't mind losing an excuse to get closer to Suzumiya.

After all, just now, she had officially exchanged contact information with Utaha.

From now on, she could directly gather information about Suzumiya through another fellow "victim." 

That was far easier than trying to get answers from Suzumiya himself.

"The weather has been really hot lately, and the sun is super strong outside. Where are you going, Yukinon?"

Yui asked curiously.

"The Marine Life Exhibition."

Yukino replied concisely, pulling open a drawer under the coffee table and taking out a promotional flyer.

"I got this flyer from someone in front of the station. After coming home, I looked it up online. This exhibition not only features various marine creatures but also includes additional halls where related suppliers showcase and sell equipment and fish species."

Yui's eyes lit up.

"Eh? That sounds really fun! Are you thinking about getting some fish, Yukinon?"

Yukino lightly rested her left index finger against her chin.

"I wasn't planning on it, but if I find one I like at the exhibition, I might consider it."

"You should think about it! Your living room is so big, with plenty of empty space. Getting some goldfish or something to swim around lazily when you have free time could be really soothing!"

Yui suddenly clapped her hands as if she had a great idea.

"That's it! As a thank-you for taking care of me lately, why don't I go with you tomorrow? If you find a fish you like, I'll buy it for you as a gift!"

Hearing this, Iroha instinctively sensed trouble.

Sure enough, before Yukino could even respond, the next moment, the ever-enthusiastic and well-endowed upperclassman leaned in expectantly and said,

"Iroha, staying home and studying all the time is so boring. You just finished your exams—you need to balance work and rest. Let's take this chance to go out together!"

"Uh… well…"

Iroha blinked, unsure how to respond.

It wasn't just that she had no interest in marine life—her original plan for tomorrow was to deepen her connection with Utaha. 

Ideally, she wanted to learn more about what had happened between Eriri and Suzumiya, which would help her plan her next move.

So, she decided to refuse—but in a tactful way.

"Um, Yui-senpai, I think Yukino-senpai might be a little troubled by this…"

"Eh?"

Yui turned to look at Yukino and saw her frowning, clearly looking uncomfortable.

She quickly backtracked, trying to smooth things over.

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry! If this bothers you, Yukinon, just forget I said anything!"

Yukino was silent for a moment before shaking her head slightly.

"No, if Yui and Iroha come along, in a way, that would actually be a great help."

Both of them froze, unable to understand what she meant.

Without further explanation, Yukino picked up the remote and switched the TV channel.

"Have you been following domestic news lately?"

Yui and Iroha exchanged glances and smiled awkwardly.

Their reactions made it clear they didn't pay much attention to current events.

Most girls were like that—keeping up with celebrity gossip and fashion trends but having little interest in the news.

Seeing this, Yukino explained,

"This Marine Life Exhibition is being funded by environmentalists and marine industry professionals." 

"While it aims to showcase the beauty and charm of marine life, it also serves another purpose—gathering public signatures in protest against the government."

"Protest? Why? What happened…?"

Yui trailed off because the answer was already on the news broadcast.

On the TV screen, the headline "Government Decides to Discharge Nuclear Wastewater into the Ocean" said it all.

Even though Yui and Iroha rarely followed national news, they immediately understood that releasing nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean was unquestionably wrong and extremely dangerous.

Has their country lost its mind?

If they did this, how would marine life survive?

Wouldn't the ocean ecosystem be thrown into chaos?

What would happen to people whose livelihoods depended on the sea?

"This is the situation. As a citizen, there's very little I can do. But even so, I still want to do my part."

Yukino looked seriously at the two beside her.

"So, if you come along, I'd really appreciate it."

"I'll go, Yukinon!"

"Count me in too!"

Now that they understood the reason, both of them raised their hands without hesitation.

During the conversation that followed, they decided on the time and place to meet up tomorrow.

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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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