Shout out to Drako for the pledge, 2 bonus chapters as thanks to Drako, Manny, Kloud and Kishan.
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As the evening sky deepened into a soft indigo, a familiar figure barged into Yukinoshita Yukino's room.
Lying boldly across her neatly made bed, rolling around without a care in the world, was none other than her sister.
Yukino stood at the door, arms crossed tightly against her chest, her ice-blue eyes full of silent judgment.
"Sister, please return to your own room," she said in a voice sharp enough to cut glass.
The intruder, Yukinoshita Haruno, only smiled lazily, twirling a strand of her freshly washed hair. She wore a light, silky nightgown with delicate straps, her skin still dewy from her bath. The casual way her slender neck and collarbones were exposed made her full figure seem even more eye-catching, as if shimmering under the dim room light.
No wonder everyone said she was dangerous.
"Oh, don't be so cold, Yukino-chan! Big sister finally managed to come home. Naturally, I need to recharge my precious little sister's batteries!" Haruno chirped, ignoring Yukino's frosty glare as she bounced once more on the bed.
Yukino clicked her tongue, unimpressed. "Be serious. You never do anything without a reason. What's the real reason you're here tonight?"
Stretching like a lazy cat, Haruno suddenly lunged forward and hugged her tightly. "Mmm~ Well, it's almost the end of the month, you know? Mother has ordered me to prioritize my personal affairs over work for now," she said in a sing-song voice.
Yukino stiffened at the mention of the "personal affairs." Her mind instinctively flew to a certain engagement she didn't want to think about.
Pushing Haruno away in embarrassment, she muttered, "But the month isn't over yet. Isn't Mother being a little too hasty?"
Haruno only grinned, poking Yukino's cheek playfully. "That's because the Suoh family is moving fast. And..." she paused dramatically, "they've started to notice Nozomi."
At that name, Yukino's entire body tensed up. Her lips pressed together, but no words came out.
Haruno leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "If the Suoh family recognizes Nozomi's true potential and marries Suoh Yuki to him first, what do you think will happen?"
"......"
Yukino's hands clenched at her sides, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she couldn't even name.
Haruno chuckled softly. Seeing her sister so flustered, she couldn't help but feel a little warmth in her heart. "Now you understand why I had to come back, right? Yukino-chan, you can't just stand still and wait. You have to show your charms too!"
In typical Haruno fashion, she moved swiftly to action.
"So until this situation settles down, I'll be staying here with you. Please guide me well, dear little sister~"
Yukino huffed, turning her head away. "Stay if you want. But stay out of my room."
"Oho? Is there a secret hidden here that even I don't know about? If you say that, it only makes me more curious~"
"If you dare enter without permission, I won't hold back," Yukino said coldly, her voice pure frost.
"Wow, so heartless! I feel like crying now!" Haruno dramatically clutched at her chest but still lunged forward to hug Yukino tightly, nuzzling her cheek.
With great effort, Yukino pried her off and shoved her out of the room, slamming the door with a thud.
Breathing heavily, Yukino sat back down on the bed. Her gaze unintentionally drifted downward, to her own body.
That idiot Nozomi's words echoed in her mind:
"Is it cute?"
Her fingers lightly brushed against her legs as if remembering the lingering warmth. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
Of course she knew she was cute—objectively speaking. But being told that by him... it stirred something different inside her. A warmth she didn't know how to deal with.
And now, after hearing what Haruno said—
If Suoh Yuki really married Nozomi... what would she do?
What about her feelings?
Was Nozomi planning to gather all the girls who liked him, like a greedy king from some fantasy story?
She buried her face in the bed, groaning internally.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared at the ceiling, lost in the swirl of conflicting emotions.
She didn't understand herself anymore.
She knew he was fickle. That infuriating, shameless man—Nozomi—was always teasing her, always walking the fine line between affection and arrogance. And yet…
That night, when he had pulled her into his arms, she hadn't resisted. No matter how much her pride screamed at her, her body had leaned into his warmth like it had a mind of its own.
The proud Yukinoshita heiress—helpless before one man's embrace.
What nonsense.
Just as she was spiraling deeper into her thoughts, her phone buzzed, vibrating against the blanket like it had a mind of its own. Yukino glanced at the screen with narrowed eyes.
Nozomi: "Yukino, are you asleep?"
She rolled her eyes. Yukinoshita Yukino: "Do you enjoy bothering me so much? Should I block you and end your little reign of harassment?"
Nozomi: "Nooo, don't block me! I just couldn't sleep… I wanted to talk to you."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "About what? Another one of your ridiculous requests?"
Nozomi: "I still want Yukino's lap pillow..."
She blinked.
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Shameless. Why is that always your go-to request?"
Nozomi: "Because it's the one thing that truly relaxes me.""When I rest my head on your lap, all my stress disappears. Even if I don't think about anything, just being there makes me happy."
Yukino's hand paused midair. Her phone dimmed, but she didn't move to unlock it again immediately.
This idiot.
That was so typical of Nozomi—blunt and embarrassing, but weirdly sincere.
She secretly scoffed. Of course, he liked her legs. The pervert had always been obsessed with them. From casual glances to manufactured "accidental" touches, he never missed an opportunity. Now he was begging, again, for her lap to sleep on like some spoiled cat.
Nozomi: "So... can I? Just for a bit? Maybe tomorrow at noon? I swear I won't do anything weird. Just let me be a man madly in love with your legs!"
Yukino nearly choked on air.
Yukinoshita Yukino: "I refuse. Do you really have no shame?"
Nozomi: "Not much left, no. I'm just gonna cry in my futon now… Yukino is so cruel…"
That actually made her smile.
He was so absurdly shameless that it looped around to being kind of cute.
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Then cry. If your performance moves me, maybe—maybe—you'll earn yourself a lap pillow."
Nozomi: "Eh?! Are you serious? You actually want to see me cry?!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "You're the one who said you would. So, prove it. Cry, and I'll consider it."
Nozomi: "...I changed my mind. I'm not crying anymore."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "No tears, no pillow."
What were they even doing?
Arguing over lap pillows like it was some sacred ritual. And yet…
To her, it had become something real. Something only shared between them. She didn't notice how she clutched her phone to her chest, smiling like a lovestruck schoolgirl.
—
The next day, a weekend, Yukino returned to Sakurasou. The cats greeted her with lazy affection, curling around her legs like fluffy serpents.
But her sister Haruno was nowhere to be seen.
So much for "Mother said I can't work, so I'll stay with you~". That woman was definitely up to something.
As she stroked a sleepy calico, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Nozomi again," she sighed.
"Nozomi" said with a straight face, "Yukino, come to my room."
She narrowed her eyes. "What for? You're not planning something stupid again, are you?"
"Nope. I just figured you'd want to open more treasure chests. You were really lucky last time, maybe today you'll pull something magical."
Tempting… but his tone made her suspicious. His eyes practically sparkled with mischief.
"I won't do anything weird! I swear!" he added quickly, hands raised like a falsely accused monk.
And yet—
As soon as she entered, the door clicked shut behind her.
In one fluid motion, Nozomi swooped in, picked her up effortlessly, and sat her right onto his lap.
"Wha—!?" Yukino's breath hitched. She instinctively placed her hands on his chest, pushing slightly, but not too hard.
"Liar!" she snapped, eyes burning.
"No lies here," Nozomi said with a grin, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I promised not to do bad things. This is definitely a good thing."
"Shameless pervert! This is harassment!" she retorted, but her voice had lost its edge.
Nozomi leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. "Just one thing… give me your lap pillow, and I'll behave."
Yukino's ears turned pink.
So he really had been thinking about her all night.
She bit her lip and gave a small nod.
Nozomi beamed.
A moment later, he lay down across her thighs, his head settling into her lap like it was his rightful throne.
He closed his eyes, content. Yukino looked down at him, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead.
He could've pushed further, she knew. But he didn't.
And because of that—
She allowed herself to enjoy the moment.
A quiet warmth bloomed between them, intimate and soft. Not too much, not too little.
Just right.
For now.