Next Target, 200PS!!
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If we manage to reach 200PS before I go to sleep, I'll release the bonus chapter today!
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"Of course not!"
Her quirky and mischievous behavior made Kai laugh. He reached out and ruffled Futari's hair, smoothly handing the dessert in front of him over to her.
"If you want it, go ahead and eat it."
Futari had been staring at the plate since the moment it arrived.
"Thanks, brother-in-law!"
Taking the dessert, Futari flashed him a sweet smile. She plopped right down in his lap, leaning comfortably against him as she ate her treat, clearly deciding this was the best seat in the house.
"Futari!"
Hitori felt deeply embarrassed, worried her sister was being a nuisance to Kai.
But at the same time, she found the scene strangely harmonious. She and Kai were a couple, and her little sister got along great with him. If they became a family in the future, it would be perfectly fine, wouldn't it?
Perhaps getting carried away by her own fantasies, Hitori suddenly lowered her head, too flustered to speak.
"Alright, alright!"
Eventually, Michiyo walked over. She grabbed Futari by the ear and hauled her up.
"Don't bother them, understand??"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
Even while crying out in pain, her grip on the dessert remained ironclad.
"Save me, brother-in-law! Save me!"
"..."
How was he supposed to save her here? It wasn't like he could fight her mom.
In the end, Michiyo dragged Futari away.
"Alright, go eat in your room!"
"Geez!"
Grumbling in dissatisfaction, Futari looked at the dessert in her hands and happily trotted off to her room anyway.
——————————
"So? How is it??"
Downstairs, Naoki looked at his wife with eager anticipation.
Knowing exactly what he meant, Michiyo smiled.
"Confirmed. THEY AREN'T PAID ACTORS!"
When she brought the sweets up earlier, her main goal was to figure out if her daughter had hired these kids. But looking at them now, there was no doubt they were Hitori's genuine friends.
"Thank goodness!"
The answer filled Naoki with joy and deep relief. His daughter had finally grown up.
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There wasn't anything particularly special to do at the Gotoh household, so they mostly just sat around chatting. Fortunately, Marin was an expert at keeping the atmosphere lively, so the mood in the room remained pleasant.
Kai was already lying down, fully embracing the lazy weekend vibe.
"Listen here, Kai, don't push your luck!" Yukino had been chatting with Marin. Noticing that Kai was currently using Megumi's lap as a pillow, her eyelid twitched.
"Don't make things awkward for Megumi!"
"Hey, lying down without a pillow is really uncomfortable!" Kai argued his case with a straight face.
"..."
Then why did he have to lie down at all? Couldn't he just sit up?
Before Yukino could press the issue, Kai looked up at Megumi. From this angle, it was obvious that Megumi possessed an excellent figure.
"Are you feeling awkward, Megumi?"
Catching Yukino's concerned gaze, Megumi simply shook her head.
"Not really awkward. It's a little strange, maybe, but it's fine."
It was definitely strange. After all, this was her first time giving anyone a lap pillow. Yet, she didn't feel uncomfortable—perhaps because the person resting on her was Kai. She even adjusted her posture to make him more comfortable.
"You're just taking advantage of the fact that Megumi is too nice to get mad!"
Not expecting Megumi's response, Yukino had to find a different angle.
"Anyway, get up!"
"What a pain. If I can't use Megumi, can I use your lap, Yukino?"
"No!" Yukino rejected him without a second thought.
If it were just the two of them, maybe. But with a room full of people? It would be a miracle if she agreed.
"Then I'm not moving!"
With that, Kai simply rolled over, burying his face toward Megumi.
"Mmph."
Feeling his breath against her, Megumi awkwardly turned her head away, but she made no move to push him off.
"You..."
Watching this play out, Yukino found the situation increasingly intolerable. Finally, she marched right over.
A moment later, Kai felt his head being lifted from one lap and placed onto another.
"Hmm?"
Looking up, he found Yukino's face mere inches from his own.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea. As the club president, it's my duty to look after the members."
Despite her words, Yukino stiffly turned her head, refusing to meet his eyes.
"Is that so? I won't hold back then!"
Saying that, he prepared to roll over and face her. But he was stopped before he could even move.
"Don't even think about it!" She shot him a harsh glare. Did he think she was as easy to bully as Megumi?
"..."
Whatever. Kai didn't push it.
Seeing how low Yukino's bottom line had already dropped, it probably wouldn't be long before she accepted a lot more.
"Ooh!" Marin started hooting and teasing them.
Though she tried to maintain her dignified club president persona, Yukino's flushed face gave her away.
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It wasn't until the sky began to dim that Kai and the group finally left the Gotoh residence.
Originally, Yukino planned to take the train back with them. But right then, a sleek sports coupe suddenly pulled up in front of them.
The window rolled down, revealing a woman in the driver's seat who bore a striking resemblance to Yukino. However, unlike Yukino, she possessed an outgoing, familiar personality, much like Marin's.
She waved at them cheerfully.
"Yukino!"
"Haruno?"
Seeing her older sister, Haruno Yukinoshita, Yukino felt no joy—only the creeping sensation of being monitored.
"What are you doing here?" Her tone made it obvious she suspected her sister of stalking her.
"I was just passing by! I saw my little sister and wanted to say hi, but you treat me like this? So mean."
Haruno put on a deeply wronged expression, looking at her sister with puppy-dog eyes.
"..."
Having dealt with Haruno her entire life, Yukino knew exactly what her sister was like. Her expression remained flat as she stared her down.
"Hehe!"
Sure enough, a second later, the wounded act vanished without a trace. It was instantly replaced by a bright, cheerful smile as she turned to Kai and the others.
"Hello there! I'm Haruno Yukinoshita, Yukino's older sister. You two must be Yukino's friends!"
Already guessing her identity, Kai and Marin offered polite greetings.
Kai quickly evaluated her. As expected of Yukino's sister, Haruno was a high-tier heroine capable of triggering system quests.
However...
[Sister Donburi!]
The very first quest to pop up. Predictable.
Meanwhile, upon hearing her sister's words, a faint smirk touched Yukino's lips.
"They are indeed my friends. But there aren't two of them. There are three."
"Huh?"
Haruno paused. She scanned Kai and Marin, then let out a laugh.
"Oh, Yukino, you always love playing jokes on your big sister. There are clearly only—"
"Hello, Yukinoshita-san."
Just as she was about to say there were only two, Megumi's flat voice cut in.
The sudden sound visibly startled Haruno. She finally noticed Megumi standing right there.
"This..."
No way. There really was another person. Why hadn't she seen her? Or rather... was she even human?
Catching the shift in Haruno's gaze, Megumi spoke calmly.
"Sorry. I'm just a normal person. My presence is just a bit thin, so people tend to overlook me."
"..."
Thin presence? Normal? None of this made sense.
From the corner of her eye, Haruno caught Yukino struggling to hide a triumphant smile. Growing up, Haruno was always the one pranking her little sister. She never expected the day would come when Yukino actually got her back.
"Yukino, you have quite the wicked streak!"
Haruno quickly collected herself and flashed Megumi a bright smile.
"I'm so sorry about that. Hello, I'm Haruno Yukinoshita!"
"It's fine."
Megumi shook her head, her eyes flashing slightly. Even though it was their first meeting, Megumi got the distinct feeling that this older sister's smile was fake. Still, it was someone else's sister and none of her business, so Megumi kept quiet.
At that moment, Haruno's gaze locked onto Kai.
"I never expected Yukino to have such a handsome guy hanging around her! Honestly, why didn't you introduce him to your big sister?"
Despite constantly teasing her, Haruno was deeply protective of her younger sister. Any boy who got close to Yukino needed to be thoroughly inspected.
Acting flirty, Haruno leaned toward him.
"So, handsome, want to go for a drive with me later?"
"HARUNO!" Before Kai could answer, Yukino cut in, glaring at her sister with genuine anger.
Knowing Yukino wasn't faking it, Haruno immediately backed off.
"Alright, alright! I was just joking, don't get mad. I'm still waiting to eat your home-cooked dinner!"
She brushed it off, but Yukino's strong reaction only proved how much this boy mattered to her. That realization made Haruno even more interested in Kai.
"Hmph."
Oblivious to her sister's scheming, Yukino let out a soft hmph. She looked apologetically at the others.
"Sorry. My sister is a nuisance."
"It's not really a nuisance."
Having seen the anime, Kai knew exactly what kind of person Haruno was. After this, she was definitely going to come looking for him. But that was exactly what he wanted. She liked testing people? Fine by him. He wasn't afraid of a little test.
"I'll be heading back now."
She had wanted to say a proper goodbye, but with her sister here, there were things she couldn't say. With a brief farewell, she got into the passenger seat.
'Whatever. School starts tomorrow anyway. I'll see him then.'
On the drive back, Haruno casually tried to probe Yukino about her feelings for the boy named Kai.
But Yukino remained silent the entire ride, staring out the window, lost in thought. And the quieter she was, the more curious Haruno became about him.
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Meanwhile, Kai had already boarded the train with Megumi and Marin.
"By the way, Megumi, is it okay for you to be out this late? Do you need me to help cover for you?" Marin asked enthusiastically, leaning close to Megumi.
"It's fine. I already told my mom." Megumi shook her head.
In truth, for some reason, Megumi felt her presence had grown even thinner lately. In the past, people would at least notice her eventually. But recently, she could walk right past her parents and be ignored, as if she were invisible.
So, even if she didn't come home tonight without telling anyone, her family probably wouldn't notice she was gone. Or rather, they wouldn't even remember she existed.
Before, even if she didn't show it, that thought would have deeply saddened her.
But now...
Thinking of something, Megumi looked up at Kai standing next to her, a faint smile touching her lips.
It didn't matter.
At least there was one person who always noticed her.
And that was enough.
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~ Every 200 PS => Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)