Next Target, 400PS!
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'Crap!'
Catching Yukino's expression, Haruno realized she had miscalculated. She shouldn't have teased her that much. She immediately pivoted, adding, "Speaking of which, your big sister is actually quite fond of this Kai-kun. Would you mind introducing us, Yukino?"
"..."
As soon as she heard that, Yukino's gentle expression disappeared and was replaced by a wary look. She stared at Haruno for a while, then let out a quiet scoff. "Heh..."
"???"
What was that supposed to mean? Was Yukino looking down on her?
Did Yukino know anything about what had already happened between her and Kai? Haruno thought that if she revealed everything they had done together, Yukino would probably lose her mind.
Haruno quickly pushed that idea aside. It was much too soon to reveal something like that. There was no way she would just give up, though. She kept up her carefree act.
"Hehe. Don't forget, you've never beaten me at anything since we were kids."
Yukino didn't even flinch. Her expression remained icy and composed. "Is that so? Then let's test that theory."
Yukino understood her sister well. Once Haruno wanted something, arguing was pointless. The only thing to do was to challenge her directly.
"Then I'll be waiting!"
Haruno noticed that even though Yukino looked calm, she was gripping her utensils much tighter than before. Yukino was as stubborn as ever, always acting tough. Haruno just smiled and let it go.
"..."
Haruno was right. Yukino kept her calm look, but inside she felt a heavy pressure. She had never beaten her older sister at anything, not even once.
But this time was different. Now, she had a reason she couldn't lose. With that determination, Yukino's eyes grew sharp and focused.
Fumino watched the whole exchange quietly from the side. She had always known about the tension between her daughters, but she never stepped in. To her, Yukino was talented but still needed to toughen up in some important ways. This rivalry was just what Yukino needed to grow.
Still, seeing both her daughters so determined over this boy made Fumino deeply curious. Just who was this Kai?
"Now, now, it's just a family dinner. There's no need to..." Mr. Yukinoshita completely misunderstood the situation and thought his daughters were about to argue. He quickly tried to calm everyone down.
This time, Haruno stayed silent. Fumino interrupted him, her voice cold and sharp.
"Since you think this is just some family dinner, you can sit this one out."
"???"
Her sudden dismissal left him stunned.
"What?" Confusion was written all over his face—he half-wondered if he had misheard her. "Fumino, you're joking, right? It's a family dinner. As the..."
He was the husband of the family head. How could they possibly hold a formal family dinner without him?
"I am not joking..." Fumino didn't give him a chance to defend himself. "Haven't you always thought networking dinners were tedious and pointless? Since you love coasting through life so much, you can stay home and do exactly that. Until you actually manage to advance your career..."
She paused, her glare merciless. "...anything concerning the future of the Yukinoshita family is no longer your business."
Those words were practically a death sentence for his standing in the household. Frankly, Fumino felt she was being merciful. She had sacrificed a massive amount of capital and pulled countless strings just to secure him that councilman seat.
She had planned for him to build his resume, move up over a few years, and eventually get a job in Tokyo. That would have made the Yukinoshita family stronger in the capital.
But after years, he hadn't made any progress. In fact, he was becoming less important. He had no motivation to succeed. All he did was act foolish and buy drinks for people who didn't respect him. He hadn't made any useful connections.
Fumino couldn't help but feel deeply disappointed. She hadn't even insulted him directly yet. What else did he expect from her?
The truth was, they were just too different. Fumino was ambitious and wanted to lead the Yukinoshita family to a better future. Her husband only wanted to keep things the same. That difference had slowly ruined their marriage.
"But... I..." He stammered, unable to find the right words. After a long, awkward pause, he looked at his daughters, hoping they would help him.
"I'm full." Haruno didn't even glance his way. Treating him like he was entirely invisible, she dropped her napkin, stood up, and walked out of the dining room.
With no other choice, he turned to Yukino. She reacted the same way.
"I'm finished as well. I'll be in my room." With a frosty, dismissive tone, Yukino stood up and followed her sister out.
Like Haruno, Yukino felt no real connection to her father. He was barely there in their childhood, always missing when it counted.
"This..."
He never thought they would just leave. He stared at the empty doorway for a while, then slowly looked back at Fumino.
"Sigh." Fumino didn't say anything else. Her sigh showed just how disappointed she was. She couldn't believe a grown man would try to hide behind his own children. What had she ever seen in him?
"We're done here." Leaving those cold words hanging in the air, Fumino stood up and retreated to her room.
"..."
The large dining hall was now empty, with Mr. Yukinoshita sitting alone at the big table. The silence around him felt heavy.
His wife hated him. His daughters had no respect for him. What was the point of staying in this house? He felt like he was doing his best. Why did he have to be so ambitious? Was it really so bad to just be a regular, local politician? Why did she always push him to aim higher when he didn't want to?
'Kill them! Kill them!'
Right at that moment, the sinister whisper that had haunted him once before echoed in his ears again.
But this time, the voice was perfectly clear. Without thinking, he gripped his fork tightly. His eyes went blank for a moment, and a faint red light flashed in them before disappearing. He quickly pulled himself together. The weakness he showed before was gone, replaced by a quiet sense of malice.
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Meanwhile, on Kai's end.
After his unexpected adventure with Shizuka Hiratsuka, Kai finally went back to his apartment.
"Sakiko?" Stepping through the entryway, he noticed the entire apartment was pitch black. "Are you asleep?"
He wasn't very late. Shizuka had thrown off his plans a little, but he still had time before their usual bedtime.
Confused, Kai walked deeper into the living room.
"Wait!" Just as his hand hovered over the light switch, Sakiko's voice rang out from the darkness.
"Sakiko? Is everything okay?" He paused and turned around.
Most people wouldn't be able to see anything in this darkness. But Kai was different. As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, his senses were much sharper than normal, so he could see clearly even in a completely dark room.
Sakiko took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke. "I want to try something different tonight. Can we leave the lights off?"
"Of course!" A smirk instantly spread across Kai's face.
Sakiko moved closer and gently tied a soft blindfold over his eyes.
"Tonight, you don't need to move!"
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