Chiba is not as busy as neighboring Tokyo. During the evening rush hour, there are no crowds, just a few students walking on the streets bathed in the sunset glow. Housewives carry shopping bags in and out of the discount areas of supermarkets, and early-off workers head to izakayas with orange lights.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, there is a sense of peace.
Yukinoshita Yukino, carrying her school bag, walked home following Hayashizaki's directions in her mind, with Hikigaya Hachiman pushing his bicycle two steps behind her.
"Isn't this the usual way home from school?"
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned and asked. Could the curse spirit be in the high-end apartment building where she lived?
"Because it's near your home."
Hayashizaki answered naturally,
"It's just within my curse power sensing range."
He didn't hide his voice, but his mouth appeared under Yukinoshita Yukino's collar. No one on the street would notice that there were three voices between the two of them.
While walking, Hayashizaki explained the concept and classification of curse spirits to Hikigaya Hachiman.
"What level is the curse spirit we're dealing with later?"
the boy with dead fish eyes asked cautiously.
"Just a third-level curse spirit, very weak."
Hayashizaki said casually.
"Then, what if we can't beat it?"
"Then you'll die."
"...You must be joking, right?"
"Guess."
Hayashizaki smiled.
A drop of cold sweat quietly dripped down Hikigaya Hachiman's forehead. He felt that Hayashizaki was really capable of leaving him to die. Maybe Yukinoshita Yukino would be fine, but he couldn't be sure about himself.
"Can I go home now?"
The boy with dead fish eyes, who had lost his will, pushed his bike backward like he was moonwalking.
"You can try."
Hayashizaki smiled again.
"Guess not."
With a helpless sigh, Hikigaya Hachiman stopped pretending to be silly and quickly walked back to Yukinoshita Yukino's side, walking alongside her.
"It's the president's duty to protect the members' safety, right?"
"You're really spineless, Hikigaya"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked straight ahead at the road, looking a bit nervous. Normally, she would have given Hikigaya a mocking look when saying this.
"It's okay, even if you hide behind me like a scared frog, I won't blame you."
"Okay."
Hikigaya Hachiman nodded briefly.
Yukinoshita Yukino was momentarily speechless, then fell silent. She had clearly underestimated her club member's thick skin, even Hayashizaki found it amusing.
With Hayashizaki sealed within her, she wouldn't be in any real danger even if she got hurt. Yukinoshita Yukino, who still felt a vague sense of guilt towards Hikigaya Hachiman for hitting him with her car at the beginning of the school year, thought of standing in front to take the main damage as a way of compensation, even if it was just self-satisfaction.
But now, it seemed better to let Hikigaya suffer a bit.
Knowing Hayashizaki's nasty personality, he wouldn't let Hikigaya Hachiman be killed by a curse, but he might wait until Hikigaya was seriously injured and near death before helping him.
"We're almost there."
Following Hayashizaki's guidance, the two arrived at a neighborhood with mostly old buildings, looking like they were from a decade ago compared to the high-rise buildings they passed earlier.
Yukinoshita Yukino saw some very cheap, low rental houses, only two stories high, with stairs outside and rusty tin roofs that made one doubt if they could keep out the rain. The low white walls had turned yellow over the years, with some unknown stains and wild vines growing here and there.
She didn't expect such an old building area near her high-end apartment. While feeling amazed, she also felt a strange familiarity with the area, as if she had heard or seen it somewhere before.
Soon, they stood not far from a four-story office building, surrounded by a temporary iron wall, looking like it was about to be renovated.
This office building seemed to be the tallest in the area, but it was clear that no one had worked there for a long time. The outer walls had large patches of peeling paint, and the weathered cement walls told the story of time passing.
The next moment, Yukinoshita Yukino's navy blue pupils suddenly shrank, reflecting several figures walking out of the construction site, one of whom was a very familiar relative.
"Sister!?"
She instinctively wanted to find a place to hide, but the nearest hiding spot was 200 meters away, making it impossible to avoid.
Besides, even if there was a place to hide, it was too late.
They were standing right in the middle of the road, and those people would see them as soon as they turned their heads.
And, as if by some special sense, her sister Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes met hers the moment Yukinoshita Yukino saw her.
The short-haired beauty said a few words to the people in black suits with business bags beside her, then ran straight towards Yukinoshita Yukino, even though she was wearing high heels.
Running away was impossible now. Yukinoshita Yukino could only stand there stiffly, as if she had been frozen in place.
"Is that your sister?"
Hikigaya Hachiman scratched his head in confusion and asked hopefully,
"She seems to have come out of that abandoned office building. Does that mean we can't go today?"
Hayashizaki didn't have a chance to shatter his dream because Yukinoshita Haruno had already arrived in front of them.
She looked about seventy percent similar to her sister Yukinoshita Yukino, but more mature, with delicate makeup on her face. Her short black hair fell to her shoulders, with slightly curled ends dyed a faint wine red, adding a touch of fantasy and allure.
Looking further down, she was wearing an office lady's short skirt suit, suggesting she was discussing business. Unlike Yukino, who always wore her school tie neatly, Haruno's tie was a bit loose and pushed up by her ample chest, something her sister didn't have.
"I didn't expect to meet you here, Yuki-chan! What are you doing here?"
Her voice was as sweet as honey, filled with surprise and a hint of interrogation.
Yukinoshita Haruno's bright and deep eyes looked at her cute sister, completely ignoring the dead-fish-eyed boy beside her, which was exactly what he wanted.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, sister?"
Yukinoshita Yukino awkwardly turned her head to avoid eye contact with her sister and asked back.
"Oh my, does Yuki-chan's smart brain have a confused day too? Didn't I tell you before that there's a place near your apartment that's going to be demolished?"
Haruno teased, pointing a finger at her lips.
"It's a project our company took on, and they handed it to me, even though I'm still a college student."
This woman exuded an irresistible charm with every move.
Hikigaya Hachiman found her scary and quietly moved away.
Yukinoshita Yukino's mind buzzed.
No wonder it felt familiar; her sister had mentioned it before!
The recent events had been so surreal that she had completely forgotten about it.
"So, what are you doing here, Yuki-chan? You didn't come to help your sister, did you?"
Yukinoshita Haruno's face wore a perfect smile, but her eyes revealed a faint coldness.
...
...
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