The next moment, the blade pierced straight through.
"After all, I'm the heir to the Yukinoshita Family, a girl, so this is the only way I can protect myself and my family. And in the future, my younger brother will manage the Yukinoshita Family with me, so if I'm a little more mature, it'll make things easier for him, right?"
Yanami stared blankly at the exquisite face, captivating under the light, and a phrase from a Chinese textbook surfaced in her mind: "I found her pitiable, let alone an old servant."
Defeated.
Completely defeated.
The little person inside the blue-haired girl's heart clutched her head and wailed. This was the strongest opponent she had ever faced. Even Komari, Lemon, and Karen combined wouldn't be enough against Yukinoshita Haruno!
—Yes, Yanami's earlier casual innocence had been a façade. In truth, she'd been trying to find the other party's weakness and win in a single blow!
Since when did that guy have such a terrifying woman at his side!? And what's with "manage the family together"!? Do you want him to marry into the family!?
Under Yanami's gaze, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled sweetly, tucked away her sorrowful look, and asked with hostess-like warmth:
"Anna-chan, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll whip something up for you two. Kiyono likes mapo tofu with soda. Can you handle spicy food, Anna-chan?"
—Feminine charm! She's trying to drown us in feminine charm! A woman who can socialize with the elegance of a young lady and cook in the kitchen—who could resist that!?
—And Yukinoshita Haruno's schemes didn't end there.
She glanced at the plastic bag beside her, planning to sneak in two extra chilies.
"I—I have no objection." The foodie Yanami lowered her head like a defeated samurai.
And Kiyono… simply sat on the sofa's edge, silently fiddling with his phone. Both sides had shown him kindness. In other words, he bore the names of Yanami and Yukino at once. In this situation, anything he said would be inappropriate!
"So what exactly is going on with Big Sister? And what does 'manage the family' mean!?"
After Yukinoshita Haruno trotted off to the kitchen, Yanami popped her head up from the sofa arm like a ghost, her expression dark.
Kiyono didn't hide anything and explained what had happened back then.
Pfft.
The faint sound of an arrow hitting the mark.
Adoption… growing up together… childhood sweethearts…
Wasn't this the development she had always dreamed of!?
Yanami sank to the floor, slowly exhaling a tiny, transparent soul.
Kiyono felt a twinge of guilt. He picked up two potato chips from the table and fed them to the blue-haired girl lying there.
Crunch, crunch.
Yanami took bite after bite, then looked up at him.
"Want more…"
Cre-eak, cre-eak.
"More."
---
"Here you go."
Wearing an apron, Yukinoshita Haruno brought out the dishes. At first glance, one might have mistaken her for Yukinoshita Yukino. She set out sodas for the two of them and, for herself, a can of low-alcohol sweet wine.
"Wow, it looks delicious!"
Yanami revived on the spot, eyes sparkling.
She raised her chopsticks, converting grief and indignation into appetite.
Yukinoshita Haruno watched the girl across from her eat with zero concern for her image, looking slightly surprised—actually, everything she made tonight was a bit spicy, not ideal for most girls; chili makes you sweat, and sweat can fade makeup and leave scents on clothing.
She had planned a small trick, but both Yanami and Kiyono were used to it and didn't care about such details at all.
Haruno took a sip of sweet wine, her expression a touch complicated. It seemed these two were closer than she'd thought. She felt as if she'd lost a round.
Just then, Kiyono stood up. "I'll go wash my hands in the restroom first."
After he left, Yukinoshita Haruno watched Yanami for a moment—still happily eating, completely absorbed, not even noticing Kiyono's absence. Haruno thought for a beat, a mysterious smile blooming on her lips, and followed him.
In the restroom, Kiyono dried his hands and sighed at the mirror, "It's still comfortable to be alone…"
The mirror suddenly reflected the short-haired woman behind him. Kiyono raised an eyebrow and moved aside.
"Are you washing your hands, t—hmm!?"
His voice cut off. Yukinoshita Haruno extended a fair, slender hand, grabbed his collar, and pushed him onto the toilet lid.
Wait, what? Big Sister, what are you doing?
Under Kiyono's astonished gaze, Haruno smiled sweetly, closed the door, locked it, and with a soft click, turned off the light.
Darkness swallowed everything.
She pressed the flush button; the rushing water masked the sounds.
In the pitch black, in that tiny space where their bodies nearly touched, she unbuttoned her top with a soft breath.
"You secretly fed Anna-chan snacks just now, didn't you?"
"W-wait—yes, but Yukinoshita Haruno-sama, you don't have to do this. I'm still a loyal vassal of the Yukinoshita Family…"
Kiyono was stunned. He could just make out the short-haired woman unfastening one button after another, her expression alight. Her jacket slid down; a snow-white, fluffy inner layer emerged, along with a certain high, full curve.
Her right leg pressed in. Just thinking that Yanami was still outside made Kiyono's mouth twitch.
"Little brother, being unfaithful to girls outside the Yukinoshita Family is not allowed, you know."
Her tone didn't change and she didn't smile, but even in calmness her eyes seemed to shimmer, carrying a restless charm.
"It's not allowed even within the Yukinoshita Family!" Kiyono tried to stand.
"Eh, I didn't expect little Kiyono to be so steadfast. That's great—wonderful. Then remember to keep your distance from Yukino in the future, and don't agree to her requests." Haruno held his shoulders down.
"I'm not your property!"
"…Hm? Aren't you?" She tilted her head.
Don't say that so seriously!
Yukinoshita Haruno lightly pressed a finger to the young man's lips. Her own lips drew near; her breath ran hot. Just as the boy braced to resist, she withdrew her hand, flicked on the light, and finally took something from the innermost pocket of her top, placing it in his palm.
"Mother asked me to give this to you."
Kiyono blinked. In the light, he saw the item clearly—an exquisitely made amulet.
"Mother went to the shrine to get it for you. Keep it safe, okay?" Feeling her heartbeat racing, Haruno quietly stepped back.
"So you came all this way just to give me this…" Kiyono's expression twisted. "You couldn't have given it to me out there!?"
Haruno said nothing—just a faint blush, a mischievous, triumphant curve to her lips—and left. Outside, she exhaled softly and pressed a hot palm to her cheek.
Kiyono held the amulet, then after a long moment walked back to the living room.
Yanami was already on her second bowl of rice, oblivious.
Looking at the innocent blue-haired girl, Kiyono felt a sudden, inexplicable guilt. He looked away and, by chance, met Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes.
His cunning elder sister gave him an ambiguous, knowing smile.
—Hey! Stop wrecking the worldview of pure love warriors!
---
At that moment, in London—at the airport.
Wheels rattled across the floor. The cool, black-haired girl strode through the empty hall, a stern aura clinging to her.
Look closely, though, and you'd see the slight lift of her brows, the stiffness eased from her usual chill.
She would be home tomorrow…
How would that guy feel, seeing her?
---
After dinner, Yukinoshita Haruno casually found an excuse and unhesitatingly stayed over. She even pulled Yanami to sleep with her in the living room, as if to whisper secrets. Kiyono, the history-savvy "Fengxian," quietly returned to his room.
Once the bedding was laid out, Haruno wandered off to change into pajamas, her utterly natural demeanor making Yanami's mouth twitch.
They slipped beneath the covers. A slit in the curtains let the moonlight paint Haruno's profile—mature, mysterious, beautiful—the sort of natural leading lady who belongs in the spotlight.
The clamor faded; the air gentled.
The intellectual beauty turned on her side, facing Yanami, voice soft.
"How did Anna-chan meet Kiyono? He's been at home all these years—I'm very curious."
Oh? Round two is about to start?
Yanami tugged the blanket up to hide the lower half of her face; her voice came out a little muffled.
"Hmm… it was when I was working part-time at a family restaurant… I forgot my wallet, and Kiyono helped me out. His method was a bit subtle, but he's always thinking of others…"
As she spoke, she drifted into memory.
"Anna-chan, are you talking about something from another world?"
Yukinoshita Haruno tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone odd. She had no recollection of Kiyono working anywhere. Come to think of it…
She felt she wasn't the only "player" here, but still couldn't untangle Yanami's situation.
"Maybe. Miss Yukinoshita Haruno, how did you find Kiyono?" Two dimples bloomed on the blue-haired girl's cheeks; she didn't press the previous point.
Hearing that, Haruno showed a strange, complicated look.
"I didn't find him. My sister did."
Eh?
The answer stunned Yanami into silence. Four bold characters flashed through her mind: Another master appears!
After a moment of worry, she thought of something else and asked gently:
"If you had another chance, Miss Yukinoshita Haruno, would you bring him home again?"
"If it were the me back then—probably not. But if I could choose with my memories… it might be different."
Haruno's voice was soft. In the dim moonlight, their eyes met—and the same emotion arose in both hearts.
Neither of them had done such a thing. That girl—no matter how or where she encountered him—would unhesitatingly extend her hand. That was the greatest difference between them.
A faint melancholy spread between the two. At last, Haruno playfully broke the hush, and the two unfamiliar girls—taking a certain person as their bridge—traded entirely different viewpoints.
Gradually, their voices dwindled and disappeared. Yanami watched the beauty opposite her drift off, then, her own gaze hazy, quietly pulled out her phone—
[Looking at you.jpg / Looking at you.jpg / Looking at you.jpg]
After sending, she sighed and kept staring at the screen. In the dead of night, some private thoughts slowly turned into words and poured out.
"I know, Kiyono was forced too, right? You must have been so lonely and helpless back then. I'm actually very grateful to Miss Yukinoshita Haruno and the others—after all, the Yukinoshita Family gave you a good place to grow. I just…"
"I regret not firmly taking you home back then."
With that, the blue-haired warrior reached her limit, set the phone aside, closed her eyes—
—and slept very peacefully.
---
The next day—school started tomorrow. Yanami knew that with the Great Demon King Yukinoshita Haruno around, she had lost her best chance, so she decided to head back to Tokyo. This wasn't long-distance—just different cities. She could still visit on weekends and lonely nights.
Actually… a buff!
So thought Yanami, walking cheerfully beside Kiyono. The three moved along the sidewalk together to see her off.
Haruno glanced at the blue-haired girl sidling closer to Kiyono, arched a brow, and smoothly linked her arm through his—perfectly normal for siblings out on a walk, right!
Yanami's lake-blue eyes widened. She gritted her teeth and edged in another step—what about that budding "sisterly" feeling from last night!?
Caught between them, Kiyono kept his face expressionless. Just then, a black car glided past along the curb, and the boy instinctively turned to look.