After a thorough, cautious, and comprehensive judgment that Yukino had not lost her purity, Haruno finally let out a long sigh of relief.
She looked at the surveillance footage of Hoshimi and Yukino being affectionate with each other, gritting her teeth and muttering, "Hoshimi Kiyokawa!"
You little bastard, tomorrow at Sobu High's workplace tour, I'm going to show you what cruelty really means!
How dare you seduce my adorable sister! You won't die a good death!
...
As Haruno vented her frustration and anger in front of the surveillance, Yukino was in a state of emotional turmoil, cuddling with Hoshimi.
After a long while, before the movie even ended, the two of them pulled away from their intimate embrace. It wasn't that they were satisfied, but their lips were numb, and they needed a break.
Hoshimi, looking at the faint hickeys on Yukino's fair neck, felt quite pleased.
He vividly remembered the trouble caused by the hickeys Yukino had left on his neck before.
Now, it was time for some payback.
"Hoshimi~" Yukino, nestled in Hoshimi's arms, called softly, her eyes dreamy.
"Mm-hmm?" Hoshimi shifted his gaze to Yukino's exquisitely perfect face.
"Do you know what my favorite line from this movie is?" Yukino's softened voice was now tender and soothing, much like the gentle mist of a southern river brushing against one's face.
"I don't know." Hoshimi shook his head. He had been so preoccupied with Yukino that he hadn't paid attention to the movie's plot. How would he know the lines?
But from Yukino's question, he did glean some information.
She must have seen this movie before, otherwise, after what they just did, Yukino wouldn't be asking such a question.
"Hoshimi~ My favorite line is this..." Yukino, half-squinting her eyes like a cat, used a rare, lazy tone to slowly utter her favorite line.
"Some people are shallow, and some people are all glitter on the outside but empty on the inside. One day, you'll meet someone as dazzling as a rainbow. Once you meet that person, you'll feel that everyone else is just a passing cloud."
After finishing, Yukino didn't forget to comment, "That line is really good, it has depth."
Hoshimi thought for a moment, then grasped Yukino's soft, delicate hand and asked, "Yukino, are you saying I'm the person as dazzling as a rainbow?"
"Nope~" Yukino's eyebrows arched, and she looked at Hoshimi with a faint smile, "Hoshimi, you're more like the one who's all glitter on the outside but empty on the inside."
"Oh?" Hoshimi raised his eyebrows slightly. He looked down at Yukino, smiling, and said, "Yukino, are you admitting that I'm handsome?"
"..." Yukino froze for a moment. She hadn't expected Hoshimi to respond from this angle.
She thought he would get mad, then use it as an excuse to "punish" her until she admitted he was the "dazzling rainbow."
But instead, things took this turn, which slightly surprised her...
Yukino sobered up a little. She looked at Hoshimi, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a strange light.
Did Hoshimi do it on purpose? Did he deliberately give a response contrary to what she expected?
If so, why would he do that? To make the atmosphere more harmonious? Or was he just trying to tease her?
She couldn't figure it out... couldn't figure it out...
As expected, she still couldn't understand people's hearts...
Yukino pursed her lips, giving up on thinking. She lowered her head, snuggling back into Hoshimi's arms, poking his chest with her finger, and whispered softly, "Hoshimi, I don't like lying..."
"So, you're admitting I'm handsome~" Hoshimi asked again.
"..." Yukino didn't answer, but the pressure of her finger poking his chest increased a bit.
Men who don't let go when they're winning are really annoying.
Thinking back now, she still couldn't figure out how she ended up getting involved with this "nasty" scoundrel.
It really feels like she somehow unknowingly fell into a carefully woven trap by Hoshimi...
"Hehehe~~" Hoshimi chuckled when Yukino fell silent again, hugging her tighter as they continued watching the movie together.
Not long after, the movie ended.
Yukino broke away from Hoshimi's embrace and, looking at the deep night outside the window, said, "Hoshimi, it's very late now, you should go home."
Hoshimi leaned back, casually saying, "I don't want to go. It's so cold and lonely at home, such a big house with only me in it. I feel empty, lonely, and cold~ Besides, Yukino, isn't it the same for you? You're alone at home too, why don't I stay? We could keep each other warm."
Yukino shot a sidelong glance at Hoshimi, feigning indifference as she said, "Hoshimi, how did you manage before? Why are you suddenly feeling empty, lonely, and cold now?"
"Aiya~" Hoshimi slapped Yukino's bouncy thigh, complaining, "My lovely Yukino-chan, I was used to being alone before. I could endure the emptiness, loneliness, and coldness. But now it's different. After spending so much time with you, I don't want to be alone and cold anymore."
"What's that saying again?" Hoshimi pinched Yukino's thigh. "Oh~ I remember now, it goes, 'I could have endured the darkness if I had not seen the sun.'"
"That line is spot on. I'm exactly in that state now~ Yukino, sending me home is like throwing me back into the darkness. Could you bear that?"
"Hmph!" Yukino snorted, crossing her arms coldly, "Of course, I can. If I don't send you home, I'd be irresponsible to myself, placing myself in the darkness. And also..."
Yukino looked at Hoshimi, correcting him seriously, "That line you just quoted is from a short poem by the famous American poet Emily Dickinson. To be precise, you should call it a 'poem,' not just 'that line.'"
"Oh~" Hoshimi didn't care about her correction. He leaned in closer to Yukino, grinning, "Yukino, you've prepared so much for me, surely you thought I'd stay over, right? In that case, I can't let your efforts go to waste, so..."
"So, you're an idiot!" Yukino snapped, grabbing Hoshimi's wandering hand and tossing it aside. "Hoshimi! You jerk! Can you stop being so handsy when you talk!"
"And stop making excuses! I'm not letting you stay over at this stage, no matter how eloquent you are! Don't even think about it!"
Hoshimi's eyes lit up as he chuckled, "Then Yukino, how about you come over to my place instead?"
"Get lost! Go home!" Yukino, fuming, pushed Hoshimi's face away with her hand.
This guy was getting closer and closer. He was almost kissing her!
"Alright, I'll go home for today, but I have one more question. Answer it, and I'll leave." Hoshimi mysteriously raised a finger.
Yukino: "Ask."
Hoshimi gave a sly smile, forming a circle with his thumb and index finger, and asked cryptically, "Yukino, did you prepare this?"
===
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