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[-Continuation-]
[Location - Yukinoshita Residence]
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[Yukinoshita's POV]
"Hikigaya, I need to go now, so ta-ta for now!" Haruno stated in a sing-song voice, preparing to end the conversation as our mother had instructed her.
[Hikigaya] : "Wait! …Yukinoshita. Is she doing okay?"
The voice on the line inquired with a hint of concern.
At his remark, my sister Haruno shot me a mischievous, teasing grin, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she shortly answered in a playful tone. "Oh, she's absolutely peachy, don't you worry that pretty little head of yours."
This was the second time she gave me a similar look in less than a minute, the first instance being in response to the same question from the same person.
Thinking further, how did he get hold of my sister's contact number? It was a perplexing question that nagged at my mind.
It couldn't have been Hayama, he wouldn't engage in something so reckless and potentially problematic.
That left only one possibility - my sister must have given it to him herself. But when did that happen?
Umm, it felt as though I already knew the answer to that question.
[Hikigaya] : "Peachy…huh? Well, call me back later."
Once again, like on rare occasions, his tone seemed to carry a hint of… longing, a subtle undercurrent of emotion that I couldn't quite place.
"Of course, sorry for now. Talk to you later, lil brother!" Haruno apologized in an overly saccharine tone, batting her eyelashes playfully before ending the call with a dramatic flourish.
Surprisingly enough, her apology sounded somewhat genuine… It seemed she took a real interest in him, for reasons I couldn't fathom.
Otherwise, she wouldn't disclose her number to just anyone, at most, she would provide them with her secretary's number.
[Hikigaya] : "Yeah, no worries."
–tut!
And the conversation came to an end.
My sister gave me a sly wink before remarking. "Someone is certainly lucky to have such a caring, doting boyfriend."
I would like to argue that it was Yui who was worried, and he just simply 'happened' to convey her regards to me in her stead, as he often did.
And I also understand the potential misunderstandings that could arise due to my own inability in communicating with Yigahama, especially considering her tendency to overthink and jump to conclusions.
Nonetheless, my current situation did not allow me to stay in touch with her properly, despite knowing I am disappointing her by declining her well thought out invitations.
But I couldn't say it out loud, as it would seem like an obvious lie, one that even someone as socially inept as Hikigaya would see through. Only if he had delivered it as convincingly as it was phrased in my mind…
"Shouldn't you be leaving?" I gently reminded my sister of our mother's strict instructions.
The reason I was currently using, as an excuse to avoid her upcoming barrage of teasing questions, was not my preferred tactic under normal circumstances, as I myself wasn't particularly fond of our mother's instructions. But for now, my main objective was to get rid of her presence immediately, before she could delve deeper into this awkward topic.
So ultimately, I was left with no choice.
Haruno simply laughed and brushed it off with a casual wave of her hand. "It's break time, remember? We have a lovely ten minutes to spend with just us two sisters. Plus, you can't be skipping this Yukino, you are coming with me whether you like it or not. Mother won't like it if you try to avoid her instructions."
She said in a singsong voice, her tone equal parts playful and commanding.
"I am aware." I nodded reluctantly, finding it annoying to deal with all this stuff.
..…I would rather prefer spending time in solitude, somewhere like the Service Club room.
"Admittedly, you don't seem to be managing things as well as you are to be expected from him. He will be disappointed." Despite my reservations, Haruno persisted.
"...don't go there." I bristled at the mention of him.
"Seriously, Yukino, you shouldn't be like this. You might regret it later on. He is not as simple as he seems to be on the surface, and trust me, he will attract many eyes once everything is revealed." Haruno urged, her tone taking on a more serious note.
"You were inquiring about him?" I couldn't believe her audacity, my eyes widening in disbelief.
She admitted. "I had to, but I promise I didn't pry into anything too personal."
"Still, you went too far, Haruno." I said coldly.
"Shhee, don't be so protective. But think about what I said too. He is not like any of those boys you dismissed as foolish the moment you met them, was he?" She urged, her tone becoming almost wheedling.
"Actually, he was the most foolish one of all of them." I retorted, recalling my initial impressions of him.
That was truly my first impression of him, even after giving a leeway of considering both scenarios.
The initial one being during the car accident, which we had already talked about - only a foolish person would willingly throw themselves in front of a moving car for whatever reason it may be.
The second one can be considered as more of our first official meeting, in the Service Club room.
I tried to overlook my first impression of him as a foolish person under the justification of not judging a book by its cover, but alas, the book cover, the pages, and the words written within all belong to the same doctrine of foolishness.
"Yet you are still not bothered by the presence you categorised as foolish." Haruno then pointed out.
Exactly. A point to be debated on, in my opinion, as I found myself strangely drawn to his company, despite my initial misgivings.
Haruna continued. "Don't trust his nonchalant and easygoing attitude, he has eyes clearly set on you. I could see it, and I know you could too, because he is not hiding it."
True, we are on quite good terms, and he shows himself in front me more than in front of anyone, but…
"That is not what it is. We are… Club Meets."
I found it difficult to bring myself to utter the word 'Friends', so there was no way it was possible for me to envision a future where our relationship extended beyond that, no matter how much my sister seemed to imply otherwise.
"Heehhhaa… looks like it goes both ways… seeing how his personality also seems to be growing on you..." Haruno continued after what looked like a heartfelt laugh, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
With a teasing tone, Haruno approached me, petting my head and ruffling my hair, scattering my carefully arranged locks.
"But really, my dear little sister - of all things, you are using 'Club Mates' to draw boundaries between him and you?" She asked, her voice dripping with amusement.
I simply drew her hand away from my head, unwilling to let her further disrupt my hair.
She expressed without holding back. "Anyway, it is because he understands the boundarie you set up, he is not crossing the line."
"You seem oddly interested in him." I stated, finding her behaviour peculiar.
Indeed. Though I can't completely understand her, I know more than anyone that my sister, just so she could tease me a little more, won't push me into something that may potentially harm me.
I have seen on many occasions how mercilessly she cuts off those she deems useless and harmful.
"Ohh~ don't worry, I won't steal from my own sister." She tried to tease, acting assuringly.
Hikigaya, just what had he done to earn her favour…?
Whatever the reason might be, I hope you are well aware of what he had to put up with by getting involved with a woman like my sister.
…she can be quite annoying, especially for someone like him whose aim is to seek peace.
"See, I know you both could understand each other the best." She added.
Unbelievably annoying.
"...Haruno, I want a moment of privacy, so can you please get out of my sight for a moment." I remarked harshly.
"What's the rush? Eager to chat with your boyfriend, are we now? But sadly, time is up, my dear princess." Haruna said, seemingly unaffected by my comment.
Glancing at my wristwatch, I confirmed. "I still have two minutes remaining, which is ample for me."
Quickly, I composed a text message to Yui, reassuring her not to worry about me and explaining that I was occupied momentarily. I hoped she would understand.
As for Hikigaya, I needed to figure out what to do about him… I just hoped I would find the strength and resolve to survive.
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[To be continued….]
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