Near the door, Utaha, who had been watching the drama of the three girls with amusement and curiosity, was immediately intrigued when she heard that sentence. She left them and walked closer, carrying a notebook.
"Finally found it? Is it definitely a key?"
"I don't know if it can be a key, but only this bracelet connects my past and my future with him."
Haruno leaned against the desk, putting the colorful beaded bracelet she had just found from the drawer onto her wrist. She then lifted her arm slightly and gazed at the cheap colorful beads with tender eyes.
It was the most perfect creation she had strung together over several nights, thinking of the past, imagining his warmth, and pouring her unwillingness to give up through her fingertips, threading the beads one by one with nylon string.
She was trying to recapture his attention in this ridiculous and pathetic way.
At that time, how did Yuu feel when she deliberately cut off contact and waited for him to come and confirm their relationship, and how did she feel when she made the bracelet that eventually fell off on the street?
Haruno didn't know.
But perhaps, it would feel heavier and more painful than her own feelings?
"Anyone would hate to be separated from the person they love most."
A helpless smile appeared on Haruno's lips. She let out a light sigh and slowly lowered her hand.
As for the outcome, how could the almighty Haruno fail?
Although she went through a lot of pain and reluctance that she didn't want to remember, in the end, she managed to get Yuu back through this bracelet—Yuu, who would accept her lies, who promised to be with her forever in this world where the original could not be found, finally returned to her side.
Although there was no proof, Haruno still believed that it was this bracelet she made that made Yuu dream of the past every day, and then gradually regain the emotions that had once been lost—so, if rounded up, it was her effort!
After the session of reminiscing and gratitude ended, she raised her eyes, met Utaha's gaze as she walked to her side, and spoke casually.
"Kasumigaoka-san, according to the explanation in the notebook, isn't the most important item for me and Yuu-chan the most suitable to be the key to entering the dream?"
Utaha opened the notebook, re-examined its inner pages, and nodded after a moment.
"If there's no other way to interpret it, then yes."
"Then, this is it!"
Haruno's tone was firm. She glanced at the black-covered notebook: "Can you confirm it from your side?"
Utaha began to think hesitantly: "...Shall I try?"
As a writer, unlimited and daring imagination is the most important part.
And she—Kasumi Utako, the famous beautiful JK writer—certainly had the power to act, trying to translate this imagination into words.
She didn't need to know the specific method. There was no cost to trial and error, so she just needed to try the most probable method.
So after thinking for a moment, she flipped the inner page of the notebook towards Haruno and gently wrapped it around Haruno's bracelet, as if to copy the pattern.
"Does this work?" Haruno looked at her with strange eyes.
"How would you know if you don't try?" Utaha shrugged indifferently. She took the notebook back, glanced at it, and quickly lifted her chin, showing a victorious smile.
"Huhuhu, it's only right that I did it~"
"It actually worked? I can't believe it's this simple." Haruno raised her eyebrows, amused. She waved a finger at Utaha, signaling her to show the contents.
"Take it."
Although she was not happy with the attitude of the person in front of her, who was always superior and naturally summoned her, she didn't want to cause trouble. Because after all, this person was a university student, her family was rich and powerful, and she was also the most active in helping her complete the mission among everyone here.
Utaha became too lazy to make trouble and directly handed the notebook to her.
Haruno's expression became serious. She focused her gaze, carefully reading every sentence in the notebook. After confirming that the content hadn't changed from what she saw in the living room, she looked at the newly appeared line:
[Haruno Yukinoshita has obtained the key.]
[Qualified: Yuuki Asuna (Not yet obtained), Natsukawa Masuzu (Not yet obtained), Yukinoshita Yukino (Not yet obtained).]
"So easy to understand."
Haruno pouted, but a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. She looked and thought for a while, then returned the notebook to Utaha.
She then turned, smiled at the three girls crowding around her, and wiggled her wrist, showing off the bracelet on her arm.
"I'm all set. What about you guys? Don't tell me you haven't found anything and are just chatting there?"
Masuzu hissed annoyedly inwardly. She spread her hands and said with feigned frankness: "You know Yuu's attitude towards me in the last mission. I didn't give him anything, so of course, he couldn't have given me anything either... Even if there was something before, I can't remember it now."
Haruno didn't mock her. She just smiled brightly and offered friendly advice: "Then, search more in this room. Maybe he kept something as a memento, like a photo, a diary, or something... If you really can't find it, leave Yuu-chan to me! I'll bring him back intact!"
"...Tch, just wait for my revenge."
Masuzu secretly gritted her teeth. With great reluctance, she turned to conduct a thorough search in another part of the room.
(Sure enough, the combat power of the older sister and younger sister are on different levels...)
(How can I take down this person who faintly has the aura of an official wife?)
Sora didn't know what difficult problem Masuzu was contemplating. Seeing her walk aggressively towards her older brother's bedside table, she immediately followed with a vigilant face.
"I'll help you search, and keep an eye on you at the same time."
"Then, next..."
Haruno shifted her gaze. Now, in front of her, besides Utaha who pulled a computer chair and sat down, rubbing her calves clad in black stockings, only her sister remained.
"What about you?" She reached out and familiarly smoothed the hair beside her sister's cheek. "Have you found the key?"
"..."
After a moment of silence, Yukino slowly nodded, then turned to ask for the notebook from Utaha.
She turned her back to her, moving silently, as if not wanting her sister to know what the item was.
Haruno also didn't force her to turn around. She only raised her eyebrows with a small smile and said with a slight mocking tone: "Why, afraid I'll snatch it?"
"Of course. From childhood until now, how many things have you snatched from me under the guise of 'Big Sister is doing this for your own good'?"
Yukino said coldly without turning her head. After bending slightly over the notebook, she seemed a little relieved.
After tidying the collar of her sweater, she finally turned, showed the line "Yukino has obtained the key" to Haruno, and then returned it to Utaha.
"Anyway, don't think I've forgotten what you did before."
"Alright, what a vengeful sister."
Facing a gaze that seemed to dispel all unease and doubt, as firm and sharp as her own yesterday, Haruno merely shrugged indifferently. She suddenly changed the subject:
"Although I didn't hear what you two were arguing about earlier, Yukino-chan, do you want to call Dango-chan to act with us?"
Yukino was slightly startled, then her expression quickly darkened. She asked in a restrained tone: "...You also oppose the official girlfriend knowing the truth, just like Natsukawa-san?"
"Official girlfriend? Pfft, I laugh at the sound of it."
Haruno burst into laughter, waving her hand in front of the corner of her upturned lips, as if dismissing the title.
"As if we're fake. Yuu-chan once said, you know~ Among the four of us, only you became his target after he started dating Dango-chan."
Seeing her sister fall silent, slowly clenching both hands, Haruno smiled cheerfully and uttered a very cruel fact for her—
"Meaning, we all came first. There's absolutely no need to worry about Dango-chan, who is the object of infidelity—only you, who came later, would feel guilty towards her."
"By the way, your memory hasn't even returned yet, but you've already given yourself the title of fake girlfriend at the beginning... Tsk tsk tsk, what self-torture, Yukino-chan."
"..."
Under the barrage of attacks from her sister, Yukino bit her lip hard. Her long, drooping hair covered her expression. She only lowered her head and didn't speak.
Not long after, the smile at the corner of Haruno's lips slowly faded. She sighed silently and ruffled her own hair with a slight annoyance.
After teasing her sister this far and uttering those words, she only then felt that she had gone too far—she had already vented her anger earlier in the day, but she was still being mean to her. What should she do if her sister decided to cut off their sisterly relationship?
Regardless of whether they were rivals or how often they fought, Haruno never doubted that she would always love this stubborn and unruly sister of hers. Of course, she didn't want to truly break up with her.
So, she had to say something to fix things.
"Good heavens... Yukino-chan..."
Just as she was about to open her mouth, trying to ease the atmosphere, she saw Yukino suddenly lift her head. Her expression didn't show the struggle and sadness she had imagined.
Her glistening wet eyes seemed to have made a decision, staring at her sharply and seriously.
"Nee-san..."
They both spoke almost simultaneously. Their voices overlapped.
And at the same time, they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell from downstairs.
*DING-DONG!*
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuu opened the door. Outside the door was the empty corridor he had seen so often.
He smiled confidently and calmly. After standing still for a moment, he suddenly held his head and squatted down, letting out a distressed groan.
"Damn it, it failed... I felt the skill was active, why did it fail!"
Where did it go wrong!
While struggling with this question, he walked down the stairs.
After all, someone had just rung the doorbell.