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[-Continuation-]
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[Hachiman's POV]
"Oh, both of you sisters are doing the sciences, huh?" I added, in a sad tone, that I am sure I won't be choosing science for my university.
"So Yukinoshita is aiming to go to a national or public university for the sciences, too…?" Haruno's smile, somehow, looked as if it were one of ridicule.
"She's no different from back then, huh…? Always trying to match with me, always trying to take after me…" Haruno's voice softened, her eyes gazing off into the distance with a hint of nostalgia.
But beneath her words, I could sense some kind of eerie uncertainty.
I couldn't let her continue to belittle Yukinoshita, though. "Hey, aren't you guys being too harsh on her, always poking at her about this?"
It was a harshness akin to the absolute winner looking down on his foolish challenger and scoffing at him, as if dealing with a child.
With a beautiful face that was so perfect that it showed no signs of cruelty, Haruno smiled at me. "I don't know... How about you? Aren't you being too supportive of her?"
I thought about it for a moment before responding. "I understand that I have no right to meddle in your sibling's affair, but consider this - If I had an older sibling who was praised and admired by the people I looked up to, why wouldn't I want to emulate him? ….It's the obvious reference."
I took a small breath before continuing. "I am sure you also had someone you looked up to and followed in their footsteps. Maybe it was your father or mother. Whoever it was, everyone has someone like that in their life."
"In fact, look at Komachi." I gestured in her direction. "She went to the same elementary and middle schools as me, and now she's trying to follow me to high school again. Is she simply copying my footsteps? I don't know, and I don't care. What matters to me is carving out the best path possible for her, in case she ever does want to follow in my footsteps. That's what being an older sibling is all about."
"Ultimately, no matter the path she chooses, I am, and always will be, proud of her."
Haruno probed. "But what if your sister really is trying to follow you?"
"To be loved, admired, and respected by my siblings to the point where they wanted to be like me... I would think of it as the best blessing I could ever receive." I responded with sincerity.
I kinda understand the dynamic between these two sisters.
One is chasing, while the other is a Runner.
The bigger version, Yukinoshita, who was chained by her family her entire life under the pretense of responsibility as the eldest, wanted to lead a life of her own, deciding her future for herself.…. just like the smaller version of Yukinoshita.
On the other hand, Yukinoshita felt neglected and wanted to be acknowledged by her family and be like Haruno.
Which was like a slap on Haruno's face.
They both desired the very thing the other detested the most.
In the end, both of them didn't get the thing they wanted.
The more they pushed each other away, the more resilient they became.
...and so the distance between them.
"Heehe! We think so, unlike Hachiman. I was hoping I finally had a little brother who thought like me, but I guess I was just keeping my hopes up. You are just like Yukino, totally different from me. Maybe that's why I like you so much." Haruno said to me, her tone carrying a hint of fondness amidst her teasing.
Little brother, huh…? She is skipping a lot of things in between.
She asked, not so seriously, as she leaned in closer. "But really, Hachiman, you didn't actually trespass into this area, did you?"
"Why do you two sisters always see me as some kind of criminal? Is my face really that bad?" I remarked, a little bit annoyed.
And just now, I remember you saying, you and Yukinoshita don't think alike.
I let out a frustrated breath. "You don't have to worry, I got the pass from a friend."
"A… Friend?" She raised an eyebrow and added. "Is this friend by any chance named Arigoro Ryota?"
?!!....??!! Fuck.
My heart sank as she mentioned his name. Damn, she must have done some digging behind my back.
"....." I remained silent and stared at her expectantly, silently asking for her reasoning.
"You know I had to look after my sister." She explained softly, her voice filled with …overly concern. She added. "Yukino occasionally attracts a lot of trouble, and I have to make sure she is safe…"
Her words were annoyingly reasonable, and I couldn't argue with her logic.
Anyway, that confirms that she did a background check on me?
How much does she know about me, then? I asked myself curiously.
Let's just hope Ryota did a decent job of covering his tracks, which I highly doubt, but having hope isn't bad, even if it stems from falsehood.
"I heard you play a lot of games, is that true?" She asked slowly, shattering my false hope.
I sure am curious to know where exactly she 'heard' smoothing like that.
"I wouldn't say that, but I have my fair share of experience in gaming." I totally didn't admit it.
I was never a game addict, nor am I a passionate gamer.
I simply like games.
In fact, I am not even good at most of the games I play. I am the type to jump from one game to another once I get the hang of it.
Haruno added, totally keeping her eyes on me. "I don't play a lot of games either, but recently, there was this game that caught my eyes…"
"Let me check for a second. I forgot the name." She said, breaking away her eyes from me and taking out her phone from the pouch beside her.
She is definitely doing it on purpose… She wasn't the kind of person to forget the name of the game after hearing it, let alone after trying it, as she claimed. After all, her specs were equal to that of Yukinoshita.
A chill ran down my spine.
She smiled as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, and the fact that it was beautiful made it even scarier. Then she opened her phone with a few clicks. "It was called, [Candy Crash]."
"Nope, never heard of it." I lied without a single thought. "Is it a new game?"
How tough is it for me to utter those words? Very tough.
"Yeah it is, very recently actually, just three days ago."
"So, how was it?" I didn't waste my chance of receiving a rating from someone like her.
"Passable, I guess."
"Hm-uhm, thought so." I responded …..without feeling too bad.
Well, that's what the game was meant to be.
"Yukinoshita seems to like it though." She added excitedly.
"Is that so…" I said with a hint of pride in my eyes.
Heeh, of course she does. I kinda(:totally) tweaked the game's theme here and there by adding a bit of famous 'panda' dashboards in it.
On the other hand, Haruno silently observed my stubbornness and refusal to come out clean like she planned to do.
With a deep breath, she finally brought up the subject. "Okay, it is my loss, so let's stop talking in circles."
Oh, she isn't as fool- *ahem, as stubborn as Yukinoshita in accepting defeat, I guess. I couldn't help but admire her for being the first to break the stalemate.
"...." Still, I paused for a moment before giving in. "Well, I don't like beating around the bush either, but I don't know what exactly you want to talk about."
It was true - I was completely clueless as to what she wanted from me. Was she asking about my professional life or my personal life?
"I wasn't specific, I guess." She muttered, not blaming me for my confusion. "I want to know your workings, Hachiman."
My mind raced as I tried to figure out why she suddenly had an interest in my life. Was it just curiosity, or did she have ulterior motives?
"So, my professional life then?" I asked cautiously. She nodded in confirmation.
"I gain nothing from this deal, though, do I?" Before I could say anything else, I cut in with a sly smile.
"The favour of your future sister-in-law." She continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Isn't that appetising enough?"
Should I call myself a favour collector? First it was Ms. Hiratsuka, and now Haruno.
"Still, shouldn't you be the first to say just how much you know about me after your little digging?" I shrugged, trying to play it cool even though I was slightly nervous about what she might have discovered.
Wait, why am I acting like I have some criminal record?
So, nothing to hide to begin with, but let's do this, after she gives me some of the details, I will mix some lies in between the truth and tell her the other half.
"Well, where do I start…" Her voice trailed off as she took a moment to collect her thoughts before diving into the details.
.
.
And so Haruno put everything she knew about me after her investigation.
I cut it short, but it was pretty long.
".....and that's about it." She concluded, a sly smirk playing on her lips.
She is just playing around with me now… no, it is basically bullying.
What does she mean, 'that's about it'?
She practically knows every minute detail about me. And yet, she has the audacity to downplay it as merely a bit of digging.
This woman is utterly insane.
"You pretty much know everything, woman! I thought you said you weren't going to mess around anymore." I asked in a defeated tone.
Suddenly, her tone shifted to seriousness, her gaze piercing through me. "Actually, there's just one thing I want to clarify..."
"What is it?" I asked, replicating.
"Was everything that happened just a series of coincidences?" She pressed.
"I am not sure I am following you." I responded, feeling perplexed… Or at least acting like.
"I mean, you getting into an accident that day, you joining Service Club, and then winning a competition in 'that' company of all, and then befriending Ryota of all people... is all of this really a coincidence?"
Haruno's expression as she asked this didn't match the seriousness of her words. It felt more like a friend sharing a conspiracy theory than an interrogation.
But I won't let her nonchalant expression deceive me.
"Aren't you overestimating the abilities of a regular high schooler?" I countered, trying to maintain my composure, though my heart pounded loudly in my chest.
Fucking hell, I could have died. She has no clue how close I came to death that day.
"Right, I thought the same thing. Even people with years of experience, won't be able to pull off something like that." She admitted with a dejected tone, like she really hoped her theory was actually right.
Well, she's not entirely mistaken... I did tweak the situation slightly to steer it in a certain direction, but things fell into place in more ways than one.
And sometimes, I wonder if I have exhausted all the luck my entire life has to offer in that one encounter with Ryota.
Admittedly, I did specifically target [Orgo Gaming], out of all the other companies because of their close connections with Yukinoshita's family. It was nothing major, just a bit of light internet research on the company's shareholders and their upcoming projects.
So, while she's partially correct, she doesn't have the complete picture.
But there's absolutely no way she can uncover the truth behind my actions.
"What are you disappointed about?" I questioned.
Shouldn't she be glad that her speculation turned out to be wrong? I mean, I definitely wouldn't be able to stay calm if I found a guy loitering around my sibling and manipulating the situation.
"It would have been really cool if it was your plane all along…" Haruno spoke with an excited tone, her words tinged with a hint of intrigue.
"How is something like that cool? Shouldn't you be worried in a situation like this? Has anyone changed the definition of cool?" I asked with a stupefied look.
I added. "...and you know, don't just take my words for it. Who knows, I might be lying."
"Well, I don't care." Haruno said.
"I don't get it…?" I inquired.
"What is important is the motive, and I just found yours, nah, more like I confirmed it." She just pressed.
"....." I simply stared at her for a few seconds.
"You did."
"So it doesn't matter in the end ...and actually, I wouldn't mind having someone who would go to such lengths for my little sister as a brother-in-law." She leaned closer and whispered those words.
The fireworks shot up, exploding as if to override Haruno's whisper.
The intermittent but continual thunderous roars and the flickering sky.
The smell of gunpowder that floated along the wind and the imprints of the black screens.
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[To be continued….]
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