"Can I still come to you guys for manuscript reviews?"
As he was leaving, Zaimokuza hesitated and turned back to ask.
"Are you a masochist or something?" Yui Yuigahama questioned, her tone laced with suspicion.
"After getting roasted so thoroughly, you still want to come back?" Hachiman Hikigaya remarked, genuinely impressed by Zaimokuza's unshakable resolve.
This time, Zaimokuza refrained from his usual chunibyo flair. Instead, he shyly rubbed his nose and admitted, "Even though the feedback was unanimously negative, how should I put it...?"
The aspiring light novel author chuckled sheepishly. "It's kind of nice. Having something I wrote out of sheer interest actually read by people, and even getting feedback on it... that feels pretty amazing."
Hearing this, Hachiman, a fellow loner often left unchosen during group activities in gym class, couldn't help but offer a faint smile. "Got it. I'll look at it again next time."
"Much appreciated!" Zaimokuza turned away, his broad back exuding relief. The hallway had no wind, but he tugged at the hem of his coat to mimic a dramatic flourish. "Farewell for now! I'll return with my next masterpiece once it's finished!"
Feeling that his departure had been suitably stylish, Zaimokuza walked away, leaving Yukino Yukinoshita and her companions to prepare for their own journey home.
As they reached the school gate and prepared to part ways, a familiar and troublesome figure appeared.
"Yaa~ Yukino-chan, your big sister came to pick you up from school! Aren't you moved?"
Haruno Yukinoshita leaned casually against the sleek black luxury car, arms crossed, a playful smile on her face. The familiar emblem on the car hood caught Hachiman's eye.
"Big sister..." Yukino seemed genuinely surprised by Haruno's presence. Beneath her faintly trembling lashes, unease and guilt flickered in her gaze. "Why are you here?"
"I just said it, didn't I? I came to pick you up, silly Yukino-chan. Why are you acting so slow?" Haruno teased as she stepped forward, reaching out to poke Yukino's forehead. Yukino instinctively stepped back, avoiding her touch.
Unfazed, Haruno withdrew her hand and casually turned her attention to Hachiman, who was pushing his bike. She smiled and greeted him, "Hello there, Hikigaya-kun. We meet again."
"You picked up your bike, huh?"
That simple remark, seemingly innocuous, hit like a cursed technique, instantly unsettling all three of them.
Oh no. Busted.
When Sukuna fled with the others two days ago, they had inadvertently left Hachiman's bike behind. Yesterday, Hachiman had retrieved it after school, relieved to find it still in place and untouched.
But that moment of carelessness had drawn Haruno's attention.
Stay calm. Even if she suspects something, she wouldn't think the office collapse was caused by us. Just control your cursed energy.
It *was* you!
Why don't you just admit it was Yukino's fault?
After bickering with Sukuna internally, Yukino finally calmed down enough to compose herself. She masked her expression, ensuring Haruno wouldn't pick up on anything suspicious.
Hachiman, meanwhile, was a master at playing dumb. Although Haruno's subtle hint about the bike rattled him momentarily, he quickly recovered, scratching his head and feigning cluelessness in a way that almost mirrored his sister, Komachi's, antics.
"Ahaha, yeah, I totally left it behind. Thank goodness no one stole it, eh-heh~!"
His exaggeratedly cheerful tone combined with his perpetually deadpan, "dead-fish" eyes created a disarming effect akin to a unique cursed technique. Even Haruno seemed momentarily thrown off. Though her flawless smile remained, it wavered ever so slightly as she averted her gaze.
Standing nearby, a certain pink-haired girl with a bun had been completely ignored. Watching Yukino and Hachiman interact with this elegant "big sister" left Yui Yuigahama fuming slightly, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster hoarding food.
Mostly, though, her irritation was directed at Hachiman.
"Um..." she finally spoke up, timidly. "You all know each other?"
"Oh, my apologies." Haruno's sharp eyes scanned Yui before she broke into a sunny smile. "I'm Yukino-chan's big sister, Haruno Yukinoshita. And you are?"
"I-I'm Yui Yuigahama, Yukinon's friend!" Yui stammered, her voice growing louder in an attempt to assert herself against the subtle pressure of Haruno's gaze.
"Ah, I see~." Haruno dragged out her words, leaving her intentions ambiguous. "Thank you for being friends with Yukino. I hope you'll continue to do so."
"Continue to...?" Yui's brows furrowed in confusion, her irritation bubbling back up. She opened her mouth to argue but was swiftly interrupted.
"Let's head home, Yukino," Haruno said, turning to her sister. "The driver will take us back."
"Home?" Yukino's eyes darted nervously. Was she about to be taken back to the main family home?
"Relax. Just your apartment." Haruno grinned and reached out to pinch her sister's cheek. This time, Yukino didn't avoid her. "I'll be staying with you tonight. You don't mind, do you?"
What now? Guess I can't go hunting for that special-grade curse tonight. Yukino directed the thought inward.
Go home. I'm not in a rush, Sukuna replied nonchalantly.
I *am*! You're not the one stuck sharing a body!
Doesn't matter if you're in a rush. Be a good girl and head home. Sukuna's cheerful response made Yukino sigh in defeat.
Brushing away Haruno's meddlesome hand, Yukino sighed, "...Do as you please."
Turning to her companions, she said, "That's it for today. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you."
Hachiman wasted no time pushing his bike away. He couldn't leave quickly enough—Haruno was terrifying.
"Ah, uh, see you tomorrow, Yukinon!" Yui called after her before trotting to catch up with Hachiman.
"Hikki, wait up!"
Yui's mind churned with jealousy as she glanced at Hachiman and recalled how he had met Haruno while with Yukino.
"So, Hikki, you know Haruno-san?" Yui asked, feigning curiosity while probing for answers.
"We ran into her once," Hachiman replied nonchalantly.
So he *was* with Yukinon then!
Unaware of the storm brewing in Yui's heart, Hachiman hesitated before continuing. "Actually, I think we might've met before that..."
"Eh?"
"Her car... Back when I missed the first week of school because of the accident, the car that hit me—it looked like the one they use."
"...Oh."
Yui was momentarily stunned, her eyes widening.
Noticing her hesitation, Hachiman frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing! Ahaha..."
Yui laughed nervously, her mind spinning with questions she didn't dare voice.
"I know.
I've known for a long time.
But I didn't expect it to come so soon.
"Ah, it's been such a long time since I've had Yukino's cooking."
Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Yukinoshita Haruno watched with great interest as the black-haired girl busied herself in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Her ample chest seemed ready to spill out.
"If you're so free, sister, why not help me with something?"
Amid the sizzling sound of frying oil, Yukinoshita Yukino, dressed in an apron, spoke casually, not expecting much, as she focused on the tempura in the pan.
"No way," Haruno replied, covering her mouth with a smile. "After all, food tastes better when someone else makes it. If I helped, it wouldn't taste the same."
Haruno's response was exactly what Yukino had expected. She kept a calm expression as she transferred the fried tempura onto a plate before moving on to the next dish.
"If you're not going to help, then please leave, sister. Don't get in my way."
"You were there, weren't you? Back then."
I've known this for a long time, but I didn't expect my sister's probing to come so soon and so directly.
Haruno's out-of-context comment was as abrupt as could be, causing Yukino to halt her cutting motion in the kitchen.
After a brief pause, the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board resumed. Yukino, feigning composure, replied, "What do you mean?"
"Hmm~"
Haruno squinted at her for a moment. Though Yukino kept her eyes fixed on the ingredients, she could feel her sister's intense gaze.
Fortunately, Haruno soon shifted her attention, seemingly deciding to let her off the hook for now.
"Oh, by the way, I'll be staying here for a while. I have work in the area, and commuting between Tokyo and Chiba is too much of a hassle." Haruno's sweet, honey-like voice floated in from the living room. "Plus, I can keep an eye on you, Yukino, to make sure my dear little sister doesn't get tricked into running around with someone."
Glancing at the spot where Haruno had been standing moments ago, Yukino quietly let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she was already sweating a bit.
She's got her sights set on me now.
In her mind, Sukuna commented wryly, By the way, do you think that Hikigaya guy took the blame for us?
He took the blame for you, Yukino corrected.
Yukino, why so distant? Aren't we partners in destiny?
Suddenly hearing her name called so intimately by Sukuna, Yukino's hand trembled, almost flipping the food out of the pan.
Sukuna-kun! A faint blush spread across her cheeks. Embarrassed and furious, she wanted to shove the spatula into his mouth. "Stop messing with me while I'm cooking!"
Alright, seriously though, if you're really trying to avoid your sister and get out of here, I have an idea.
It's not about avoiding her—it's about not letting you take over my body! Yukino hesitated before asking, "What's your idea?"
Knock her out and tie her up. Quick and effective," Sukuna suggested casually. "With your current physical abilities, taking down your sister would be a piece of cake."
Yukino was speechless for a moment, then sighed helplessly. She muttered under her breath, "It was my mistake to expect anything from you…"
"What mistake?" Haruno curiously popped her head back into the kitchen. "Who are you talking to, Yukino?"
"!" Startled, Yukino turned to glare at her sister, her large, watery eyes shimmering. "Sister! Didn't I tell you to wait at the dining table?"
"I just came to ask if dinner's ready. Haruno is hungry," the short-haired woman said innocently.
"It's almost done!"
"Alright, I'll go wait."
Back at the dining table, Haruno rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought about her sister's recent suspicious behavior.
She hadn't seen Yukino pull out her phone, so it wasn't like she was talking to someone. Was she just talking to herself?
Oh no, has Yukino been alone for so long that she's developed some sort of mental problem?
Could she have been talking to an imaginary friend?
Meanwhile, in a channel Haruno couldn't hear, Yukino was having a fierce argument with her "imaginary friend." It's all your fault! I almost got caught by my sister!
How is this my fault? You're being unreasonable, little sister, Sukuna said, exasperated.
If you hadn't given me such a ridiculous and unreliable suggestion, I wouldn't have acted so strangely. Now my sister is suspicious! She's the type who never gives up until she gets to the bottom of something. What if I'm exposed? Yukino asked anxiously.
Isn't it possible that even if your sister is suspicious, she won't think it's something supernatural, like a curse? She'll probably just assume you've lost your mind.
Hearing this, Yukino calmed down a little.
Indeed, no matter how smart her sister was, she couldn't possibly figure out what had happened to her. She'd likely just develop some terrible misunderstanding.
On second thought, there was no need for her to panic. But when it came to Haruno, her emotions were easily swayed—just like when she was a child.
Sukuna's assessment of this? You're used to being teased.
Of course, he wouldn't dare say that aloud. After all, Yukinoshita had already reached her breaking point several times that day. Pushing her further might result in something drastic.
Excessive exploitation is unwise; sustainable development is the way to go.
At the dinner table, Yukino braced herself for Haruno to bring up her earlier self-talk but was surprised when her sister ignored it entirely. Instead, she started talking about a construction site accident.
"Hey, Yukino, did you know? The official explanation for that collapsed office building was a gas pipeline explosion, but that building didn't even have a gas line installed! They're using an excuse that everyone knows is ridiculous."
Haruno casually chatted as she ate.
"And in reality, the firefighters and police who went to investigate couldn't figure out the true cause of the collapse. Not just because of the extensive damage, but they also found something really strange."
"Oh? What was strange?" Yukino perked up her ears and cautiously asked.
"They found extremely clean cuts on the broken concrete walls, almost as if someone had sliced through the building like butter with a knife." Haruno animatedly described, even gesturing with her hands.
"Isn't it strange?" She laughed playfully. "Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if it was the work of aliens or some kind of supernatural being."
"…That's impossible," Yukino replied, averting her gaze.
"Yeah, it's impossible," Haruno agreed with a nod.
"Did this incident cause any losses for the company?" Yukino quickly changed the subject to steer the conversation away from the dangerous topic.
"Not at all. In fact, it saved us some demolition costs! If there really are aliens, I'd have to thank them," Haruno joked.
See? You should be thanking me, Sukuna chimed in.
Thank you, Mr. Alien, Yukino thought sarcastically.