Reincarnation: Yukino Yukinoshita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Kasumigaoka Utaha instantly became the center of attention in the Photography Club.

Even though she was still standing at the doorway, her presence alone dominated the room.

And she was well aware of it.

Maintaining her polite smile, her sharp gaze swiftly scanned the five people inside before landing on Haru.

With a slight tilt of her head, she silently conveyed her intent: I'm here for him.

Yukino remained as composed and aloof as ever, seemingly unaffected by the message.

But only she knew the storm of emotions swirling within her heart.

As the club president, Haru naturally rose to greet her.

"Senpai, what brings you here?"

"I mentioned last time that I'd drop by the Photography Club, didn't I? I happened to have some free time today, so I thought I'd stop by."

Utaha's smile remained as graceful as ever as she added, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

While inviting her in, Haru chuckled and replied, "Not yet. But if you'd come any later, I wouldn't have time to help you."

Utaha blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his bluntness.

Then, to her own surprise, she felt a flicker of joy in her heart.

So this is the renowned genius who left such a lasting impression on my childhood.

Feigning a casual glance, she stole a quick look at Yukino.

The girl who had matched her in popularity and reputation at school was someone she naturally paid attention to.

After all, Yukino had not only aced the entrance exams but was also as visually striking as Utaha herself.

If things continued as they were, the two would undoubtedly be compared more often in the future.

As for the other "beautiful freshman," Eriri Spencer Sawamura?

What an amateur.

Utaha's sharp intuition told her all she needed to know about Eriri.

While Haru was busy introducing the club, Utaha's observant eyes caught a brief change in Yukino's expression as she glanced at her.

It was fleeting, but to someone as perceptive as Utaha, it spoke volumes.

Even with some measure of wariness, she's confident enough in herself to keep it in check.

Interesting.

Utaha's smile deepened ever so slightly.

The club itself wasn't large, so Haru quickly moved from introducing the members to showing off their professional equipment.

"All of this—did you buy it yourself?"

Hearing him list off a series of high-end items with technical names she didn't recognize, Utaha looked genuinely surprised.

"Haru bought all the equipment himself," Yui chimed in with admiration. "He didn't hold anything back so we could learn as much as possible."

The expression on her face was pure admiration, bordering on awe.

Even though Yui had only joined the club recently, Yu's dedication and teaching style were already turning her into a full-fledged fan.

Utaha glanced at the equipment once more, then shifted her gaze back to Haru.

Her eyes glimmered with an enigmatic sparkle that only she herself could understand.

Yukino, on the other hand, watched silently, her expression unreadable.

"Well, senpai, feel free to look around. I've got work to do."

Haru didn't seem to care much about Utaha's arrival. After all, visitors weren't uncommon, and having someone like her in the clubroom was just another day in his book.

Besides, Utaha was clearly a talented individual. If she showed interest, she might even become a "high-quality XP package."

"Do you mind if I observe?" Utaha asked politely.

Before Haru could answer, Yukino interjected coldly, "As long as you don't disturb us."

"Understood."

Utaha nodded, though curiosity about Haru and Yukino's relationship now tugged at her thoughts.

"Are we going to do an outdoor practice session today?" Yui asked eagerly.

She had thoroughly enjoyed the last practice session and was excited for more hands-on learning.

"No, not today," Haru replied, glancing at the overcast sky. "It looks like rain's on the way."

Turning back to the group, he inspected the lighting in the room with a critical eye.

"I need someone to use their phone flashlight," he said, pointing toward a specific spot.

"I've got it!"

One of the "Selfie Duo" members jumped up with a cheerful grin, phone in hand.

Seeing Haru's serious demeanor, Yukino asked, "Should I go first this time?"

"Let Yui go first; you can go next," Haru replied.

"Eh?"

Yui froze in surprise. Was it already her turn to step up?

Looks like I'm playing in the big leagues now!

Excitement and nerves bubbled inside her as she prepared. After all, Yukino's performance in front of the camera last time had been flawless, setting an intimidating standard.

Yukino, meanwhile, had no objections to Haru's arrangement. She simply stepped aside, quietly observing the session as it began.

Utaha watched with great interest.

She noticed how serious Haru looked at this moment, a stark contrast to the warm and approachable demeanor he had shown earlier.

At his signal, Yui took two deep breaths, nervously stepping into the camera's frame.

She was clearly tense.

Despite reassuring herself that not many eyes were on her, she couldn't shake the nerves.

Even Utaha, an outsider to the club, found her performance lackluster.

Yet Haru didn't call for a retake.

Instead, he gestured silently, directing the girl holding the phone to adjust her position.

When Yui followed his cue and sat down, he immediately signaled to the girl with the phone again, making a downward motion with his arm.

The girl, having been part of the club since day one, understood his meaning right away.

She quickly lowered the intensity of the phone's flashlight.

The lighting on Yui dimmed slightly, casting softer shadows over her.

"That's good," Haru finally said.

Yui's body relaxed, her rigid posture loosening with relief.

Still, she couldn't help but ask nervously, "Did I… do really badly just now?"

Everyone turned their eyes to Haru.

That's such an unnecessary question, Utaha thought to herself.

Even as an outsider, she could tell the performance wasn't great. In her eyes, Yui had just asked something foolish.

But to her surprise, Haru shook his head.

"No, your performance was exactly what I was looking for."

"?"

Aside from Yukino, who seemed to be deep in thought, everyone else froze in confusion.

Yui stammered, pointing to herself. "I met your standard? But I thought I was…"

"Nervous, stiff, and underperforming," Haru finished for her.

Blushing, Yui nodded shyly.

"And that's exactly the feeling I wanted," Haru said matter-of-factly.

"Wait, what? I don't get it," one of the other girls said, her expression returning to its usual innocent curiosity.

Utaha also wanted to ask, but remembering her position as a guest, she wisely kept silent.

Haru didn't rush to explain. Instead, he turned to Yukino.

"What do you think?"

Everyone shifted their gaze to her.

Despite the attention, Yukino remained composed. Resting her chin on her hand, she pondered aloud, "The key moment seemed to be when you instructed Hashimoto to lower the lighting. But I haven't fully figured out the reason yet."

"Oh, right! The president did gesture to me earlier," Hashimoto, the girl with the phone, added, still looking puzzled.

Haru nodded at Yukino.

"In my envisioned framework, Yui isn't a person from this era. That's why the lighting on her needed to contrast with the environment."

"In simpler terms, the bright halo of light around her before she sat down represented the markings of her own time. But as soon as she sat and made contact with something from this era, I had Hashimoto dim the light to symbolize those markings fading and blending into the present. It's no longer as visible."

The room fell into silence as Haru finished explaining.

Yui and the other two girls looked even more confused, failing to grasp his logic.

However, Yukino, with her long-standing understanding of Haru's thought process, quickly pieced it together.

But it was precisely because of that understanding that her typically pale cheeks now showed a faint trace of surprise.

"Not from this era? You've already built a framework for a story?"

Utaha's sharp instincts as a writer picked up on the word "story."

Her eyes lit up as she looked at Haru with newfound excitement.

"You're saying Yui's nervousness fit the character you envisioned. Does that mean you already have the story's progression mapped out?"

Haru waved a hand dismissively. "Not entirely. I just had a sudden idea that seemed worth trying."

Utaha's eyes gleamed as she murmured, "So Yui's performance matched the character you had in mind. And now you even have a rough outline for how the story might develop… I see, light and shadow can be used to interpret such intricate details."

Haru nodded but added, "There's still a lot I haven't figured out yet."

Utaha didn't seem to hear his disclaimer. She stared at him for a moment longer, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile.

"I'm curious—very much so."

She raised a finger and gently tapped it on Haru's arm.

The same gesture she'd used last time.

But this time, her gaze was even more intense.

She didn't clarify whether her curiosity was about the story's direction or about Haru himself.

Yet the dazzling smile on her face left Yui and the others momentarily stunned.

Yukino, as usual, remained expressionless, her thoughts still lingering on Haru's explanation.

[You are teaching, (Teaching) XP +86.]

[You are teaching, (Teaching) XP +97.]

[You are teaching, (Teaching) XP +94.]

While Yukino was still carefully analyzing every detail, Utaha, though an outsider, was rapidly feeding Haru valuable XP.

There was not even a moment to mourn for Yukino who was distracted, as the next person to appear was the high-quality XP package, Kasumigaoka-senpai.