"Let's go." Yukino adjusted her position and posture, supporting Hoshimi as they walked towards the entrance.
To be precise, they weren't just supporting each other; they were mutually relying on each other.
After all, Yukino had a sprained right foot and was walking unsteadily, and with Hoshimi being weak and wobbly, they could only progress by supporting each other.
A walk that normally took a few steps was now a struggle for both of them.
At the entrance, Yukino waited for Hoshimi to sit on the floor and change his shoes before pulling him up again.
Click!
Hoshimi opened the door and turned to look at Yukino, "Yukino, I'm leaving now."
"..." Yukino remained silent, staring fixedly at Hoshimi.
Just go. Why are you still looking at me? There's no way I'll let you stay tonight!
Don't even think about it! Not for the whole high school phase! At least... ahem~
Yukino's earlobes turned red, and she stopped her train of thought.
"Huh?" Hoshimi looked at the wall beside him, surprised. "When did this sticker get here?"
"Huh?" Yukino was taken aback and instinctively turned her head to look.
There was nothing there. What was Hoshimi talking about?
Uh-oh! Hoshimi was tricking her again!
Yukino's expression changed, and she quickly turned back to look at Hoshimi, but it was too late. Hoshimi used the last bit of his strength to pull Yukino into his arms and then aimed for her lips.
Smooch!
After kissing her, Hoshimi quickly bolted.
Bang!
Yukino's chest heaved with anger as she stared at the closed door, gritting her teeth.
"Hoshimi Kiyokawa!"
...
Yukino's apartment door closed, and Hoshimi left. Haruno, who had witnessed the entire scene through the surveillance, felt utterly devastated.
She sat lifelessly in front of her computer, questioning her life choices.
Was her sister too stupid, or was Hoshimi too good at stealing hearts?
How long had it been? Shizuka told her that Hoshimi was a transfer student who just arrived this year.
It hadn't even been a month, yet Hoshimi and Yukino had progressed to the point of kissing!
Given some more time, Hoshimi might even bring a new member into the Yukinoshita family!
"Ah!!!"
Haruno couldn't bear to imagine Yukino holding a baby and let out a groundhog-like scream.
No way! She couldn't let things continue like this! She had to stop Hoshimi and Yukino from developing any further!
Maybe she should grab a knife and deal with Hoshimi!
Acting on impulse, Haruno got up and prepared to find a knife.
After taking a few steps, she changed direction and flopped onto her bed, rolling around.
"Ah!!!"
Another groundhog scream.
She couldn't actually stab someone! She wasn't that crazy yet!
Even if she managed to do it, the Yukinoshita family would probably be pulverized by the enraged Arisugawa family.
She wasn't the type to act without considering the consequences.
So, what should she do now?
Haruno lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in deep thought...
...
At the same time, in the luxurious estate of the Iwanaga family.
Having finished a family dinner, Kotoko Iwanaga was lying on a soft chair, enjoying a full-body pampering service from her maids.
Massage, nail clipping, skin hydration, facial spa, hair care... every beauty treatment imaginable.
She wanted to make herself as beautiful as possible to capture Hoshimi's heart.
It was a pity that tomorrow was Saturday, no school, and she wouldn't see Hoshimi.
She could only see him on Monday, but at least she could see him in her dreams tonight, which was nice.
"Weekend, huh..." Kotoko muttered.
"Miss, what's the matter with the weekend?"
A maid standing by respectfully asked after hearing Kotoko's muttering.
"It's nothing." Kotoko closed her eyes.
She was a bit worried that over the weekend, that tsundere Yukinoshita might seize the chance to get closer to Hoshimi.
But after analyzing it, she realized she was overthinking.
That Yukinoshita was a classic tsundere, and a particularly dense and reserved one at that. Even after being provoked this afternoon, she hadn't made any moves, so she was unlikely to take the initiative over the weekend.
To be precise, Kotoko doubted that Yukinoshita even knew what it meant to take the initiative.
Yukinoshita was probably the type to wait for her lover to make all the moves.
Maybe only at the last moment would she take a step forward to respond to her lover's feelings.
Such an opponent was nothing to fear.
The advantage was hers; there was no need to worry.
...
Apartment 1507.
Yukino lay in bed, unable to calm down for a long time.
Even now, she felt like she was dreaming.
How had her relationship with Hoshimi suddenly advanced so quickly?
Not long ago, she and Hoshimi were still at odds... How did they suddenly... kiss...
And not just once...
"Ugh~~"
Yukino's cheeks burned as she pulled the covers over her head, leaving only her eyes exposed.
She couldn't understand why.
She started to recall the moments she had known Hoshimi...
At first, Hoshimi played pranks on her in dreams. During that time, she was sure she hated him, not even a hint of fondness.
Then Hoshimi appeared at Sobu High. Her initial thought was revenge, a harsh revenge! Still, no fondness!
But as she pursued revenge, somehow they started to have frequent physical contact...
Initially, she resisted this occasional contact, but over time, she got used to it...
Then Hoshimi softened his attitude, started learning tennis with her, working out together...
Later, when she sprained her ankle, Hoshimi helped treat her injury, and she learned about the terrors of the dream realm from him, seeing another side of Hoshimi.
From that point on, she became confused and even her desire for revenge wasn't as strong.
But this wasn't the main reason their relationship improved; the real reason seemed to be after that conversation.
"Hoshimi, do you have feelings for me?"
"Uh? You just realized?"
It seemed like after that, Hoshimi's attitude changed. The pranks decreased, he occasionally showed concern for her, and their physical interactions increased...
Facing such a Hoshimi, she seemed to forget about revenge, focusing solely on the tennis match.
After the match, things inexplicably progressed to this point.
"Ugh~~"
Yukino pulled the covers completely over herself.
Maybe she shouldn't have asked that question back then...
Forget it, she didn't want to think about it anymore. Time to sleep...
Regarding future matters, she'd think about them in the future...
Confronted with an unfamiliar realm, the usually unyielding Yukinoshita decided to avoid it...
===
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