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[-Continuation-]
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[-Yukinoshita Yukino's POV-]
"I am Yukinoshita Yukino, Hachiman's girlfriend."
The words left my lips with a calm clarity, my voice steady yet carrying an unmistakable air of finality.
It was not a declaration seeking approval or validation, but a statement of fact.
I felt a surge of... something.
Pride? Relief?
I couldn't quite pin it down.
There was a sense of control in the way I spoke, an undeniable authority that silenced any unnecessary reactions.
My chin lifted almost imperceptibly, channeling the poise of someone I had long admired.
Her ability to command a room with mere words had always fascinated me.
The irony wasn't lost on me - how I found myself mimicking her mannerisms in this crucial moment.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
I added the polite phrase in a stark contrast to my earlier statement.
My eyes swept across our little gathering.
The two young women who had come up to our table froze, their faces contorted into a mix of surprise and disbelief.
One of them - Orimoto, was it? - had her mouth slightly agape, as if the words to respond had escaped her entirely.
I felt a flicker of satisfaction at their wide-eyed surprise, quickly tempered by my ingrained sense of decorum.
It wouldn't do to show too much emotion, after all… openly, at least.
My gaze drifted and landed briefly on the man I had just called my boyfriend - and I felt my breath catch.
He looked... smug?
The corner of his mouth was turned up ever so slightly, his eyes glowing with an emotion I couldn't quite place.
I felt a strange flutter in my stomach.
Shaking off the distraction, I quickly diverted my attention to the woman whose presence seemed to charge the very air around us, as I did not want to get sidetracked by the mystery that was Hikigaya Hachiman.
"And this." I continued, gesturing towards her with a sweep of my hand, keeping my movements poised and deliberate. "Is Yukinoshita Haruno, my elder sister."
I watched as Haruno's lips curled into an amused smile, a soft chuckle escaping her at my sudden formal introduction.
She said nothing, merely leaning back and crossing her legs, settling in like a spectator at a private theatrical performance.
It was as if she saw right through something in me, that even I still couldn't identify.
I turned back to Orimoto, studying her with newfound curiosity, who had claimed to be from the same junior high as Hachiman.
Truthfully, I am more than a little dissatisfied with this woman standing before me.
While her apparent dismissive attitude towards Hachiman certainly played a role in my displeasure, there's something else that was overshadowed by a larger, more perplexing question.
The question that kept repeating in my mind was -
Just how...
How in the world did she come to the conclusion that Haruno, my elder sister, of all people, was Hachiman's girlfriend?
The sheer illogic of it baffled me.
Here I was, clearly Hachiman's age, sitting right beside him.
Surely, if one were to make assumptions about relationships, wouldn't I be the obvious candidate?
And yet, her question had bypassed me entirely, landing squarely on my sister - a woman who, despite her youthful appearance, was visibly our senior.
This led me to a series of unsettling thoughts.
Did Hachiman and I not present ourselves as a couple?
Would others who saw us together fail to make the connection?
The idea that our relationship might not be apparent to outsiders bothered me more than I cared to admit.
However, I understand, as it was sensible since we had only begun dating two days ago… and were just figuring it out ourselves.
But what truly unsettled me was her implication of Hachiman being with Haruno.
No. Absolutely... no.
For that matter with anyone else other than me.
That thought didn't sit right with me, and I wasn't entirely sure why.
I had harbored a complex array of emotions towards my sister over the years - admiration, frustration, and a desire to surpass her.
But this… this was different.
A sharp, tingling sensation that seemed to radiate from my core.
This wasn't the familiar territory of sibling rivalry or frustrated admiration nor the typical irritation, either.
It wasn't resentment, and it never was and will be.
??!That's when realization dawned on me.
Could this be... jealousy?
The realization was - Anew.
I had never felt this before, not with this intensity, not with this clarity.
And now that I understood it, the feeling only grew worse, gnawing at me from the inside.
My chest tightened as I came to terms with the fact that, yes, I was... jealous.
Jealous of my sister.
Envious that anyone could look at him and someone else and think for even a moment that they are together.
This concept had always seemed rather abstract to me, something I had read about in literature but never truly understood.
Now, experiencing it firsthand, I could attest to its unsettling nature.
It was a most disagreeable sensation, one that left me feeling off-balance and somewhat vulnerable.
Of course, Haruno, with her keen perceptiveness, must have noticed this shift in me the moment I rose to 'clarify' the situation.
Her earlier teasing chuckle now took on a new, almost mocking amusement.
She saw right through me, as she always does.
She had recognized this new emotion in me before I had even identified it myself.
She had always possessed an uncanny ability to read me, often understanding my emotional state better than I did.
It was a dynamic I had never been comfortable with, and now, with this new development, I found it even more unsettling and disconcerting.
So, I refused to look in her direction.
It would only feed her enjoyment of this situation.
Knowing Haruno, she was undoubtedly filing this moment away in her memory for the perfect time.
The realization filled me with a sense of foreboding.
That's another complication I will have to deal with - her knowing smirks, the veiled comments, the relentless teasing that lay in wait.
I will just have to endure it once everything settles down.
But could I, though?
Haruno had always taken a particular interest in my personal life, and this new information would undoubtedly provide her with ample material.
More so now that she was aware of my relationship with Hachiman.
In a way, I couldn't help but blame Hachiman for this predicament.
There he sat right next to me, that same smug look still plastered on his face, oblivious to the trouble he has caused.
Part of me wanted to be annoyed, to blame him entirely for this predicament.
And yet…
There was something disarmingly charming about his obliviousness.
His smile, rare as it was, had a way of softening his usually cynical features.
No, Yukino, focus, I sternly reminded myself.
I caught myself mid-thought, mentally shaking off the distraction.
Still, I also made a mental note, I will need to give him an earful later for those 'slip-ups' - not once, but twice he gave us away.
Although, if I am entirely honest with myself, I bear some responsibility for the second incident.
After all, when he asked me, I did agree to his unreasonable request, and I had to choose to refuse.
At least on the paper.
But seriously?
How could I have refused when he looked at me like that - with those earnest eyes?
He was simply too adorable to refuse.
His childish whims, as unreasonable as they sometimes are, have a way of breaking through my defenses.
And let's not ignore the fact that I did enjoy the little journey.
I was lost in my own thoughts, spiraling through all these conflicting feelings, necessary and unnecessary, when I was pulled back to reality by Orimoto's voice.
"Wow, um... I didn't realize..."
Orimoto fumbled, her earlier bravado slipping away as she glanced at me, then back at Hachiman, as if searching for a way to recover from the unexpected turn of events.
"I mean, I couldn't have known you were… you know... dating."
"Yes, well, now you are informed."
My response came swift and sharp, cutting through the awkwardness and with the same gracefulness, and I reclaimed my previous sport back on the chair, smoothing my skirt as I did so.
In a moment of what I can only describe as possessiveness - another new emotion I would need to examine later.
In a subtle motion, I moved my chair just a bit closer to Hachiman, reclaiming my place beside him, closer than before.
That should make it clearer now, shouldn't it?
Surely, no one would question it after this.
I thought to myself, pleased with the slight shift in proximity, though I quickly chose to ignore the amused chuckle I heard from across the table.
Haruno, of course.
Always watching, always entertained by my discomfort.
I made a conscious decision not to meet her gaze.
There would be time enough later to deal with her observations and inevitable teasing.
For now, I needed to focus on the present situation, on Orimoto and her friend, on Hachiman beside me, and on maintaining the composure expected of a Yukinoshita.
….
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[To be continued…]
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