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Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath. She reached out and lightly brushed away her sister's hand from her white dress, then said in the same cool, indifferent voice she used with Yui: "Is there something that can't be said here, or should we go home, big sister?"
Yui paused, seemingly sighing with emotion. "Yukino, it seems you've truly grown up."
"I've grown up and don't need you to prove it, big sister. If you have nothing else, please move aside. I still have a lot of work to do."
As Yukino spoke, she walked straight past her sister.
Yui did not stop her again, but said, "I'll come to your place tonight. There's something I need to tell you."
Yukino's footsteps paused for a moment. "...Okay."
This inter-school sports festival, jointly organized by the Higashi Karate Club, Soubu High, and Advanced Nurturing High School, would conclude with its final group event.
Although Soubu High did not achieve any particularly good rankings in this sports festival, the school's students didn't care much. Everyone had fun, and that was enough sense of collective honor.
Soubu High students celebrated, waving goodbye to the Higashi University students, and watched them get on the school bus and leave.
The students of Advanced Nurturing High School also got on their bus, but they had no students seeing them off, silently leaving Soubu High.
On the bus, the students of Advanced Nurturing High School sat in their respective seats. No one spoke. If they weren't doing their own things, they were just looking out the window.
They weren't disappointed by losing the final team sports championship. As long as the championship didn't affect their class points, they didn't care.
Sakayanagi Arisu silently watched all of this.
What would the future of Advanced Nurturing High School be like? Even the daughter of its chairman couldn't clearly see it. For the students attending this school, they were probably quite bewildered about the future too.
Perhaps, she could truly only hope for Fujiwara Tetsu.
Only by following the small path of clarity could one's heart feel truly relaxed and comfortable.
He didn't care what the school would be like; he was only waiting for the moment he gained freedom.
'Fujiwara Tetsu... if you can truly give me everything I want, I will also do things for you.'
He thought secretly.
There's effort, there's gain. In his eyes, it was very fair.
As Advanced Nurturing High School left, the principal of Soubu High was practically bursting with laughter.
This joint sports festival received unanimous praise from parents.
In the parents' eyes, if you can invite students from Higashi University to participate in school activities together, that helps a student's growth.
Whether it can improve academic performance is unknown. Anyway, parents believe that if you know Higashi University students, your academic performance will improve.
"My youth romantic comedy, there's no problem at all!"
Hachiman Hikigaya, with dead fish eyes, walked past the crowd.
He remained that silent, ordinary student, to the point that even his classmates in his own class barely knew him.
Oh, saying "knew" is an exaggeration; probably only a few remembered his name.
But this was the life Hachiman Hikigaya himself chose.
This was his chosen youth.
At a high-class apartment in Chiba City, Yui confidently carried a convenience store bag in her hand, swiped her card, and entered the building.
Arriving at the sixteenth floor, she opened her door and changed into slippers at the entrance.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Yui returned to her home as usual, placed her bag on the tea table, and then, completely unconcerned about her image, sat cross-legged on the sofa.
After taking a shower and washing off the sticky sweat, Yukino walked out of the bathroom. She glanced at her sister sitting on the sofa and said, "Couldn't you have said something beforehand when you came? I thought someone had broken into our house."
Yui leaned back on the sofa, smiling meaningfully. "It's not that I'm afraid you're secretly doing something sneaky, is it, little sister?"
"What could I secretly do?"
"Heh, a sneaky little cat!"
Yukino didn't care at all about Yui's words.
She glanced at the beer in the convenience store bag and advised, "Drink less alcohol."
"Yukino, are you starting to lecture your big sister too?"
"There's nothing I can lecture you about. I'm just concerned about you."
"If you're concerned about me, you should stay away from Tetsu-kun."
Yui's tone softened.
Yukinoshita Yukino changed into her usual home clothes. She lowered her beautiful eyelashes and said, "Tetsu-kun isn't your exclusive possession."
"Indeed, you're interested in him."
"I don't deny it."
"Heh, he's really amazing to make you, my cold and aloof little sister, actually develop feelings like a young girl."
"I'm also a normal woman, big sister."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked directly at her sister, without any fear.
This was something she absolutely dared not do in the past, but now she dared to look her in the eye, brazenly expressing her thoughts and opinions.
Yui's tone softened. "Do you really want to compete with your sister?"
"Big sister, you're excellent. Since childhood, I could only follow behind you, only chase your footsteps, only use things you've used."
Yukino said, "...I've always been wondering, it's not about being afraid or worshipping you, it's that I don't dare to compete with you. I'm very humble; I feel that I can't compare to you in anything."
"You went to a good junior high school, and I studied hard and also got into that junior high school. I also got into Soubu High."
"You gave up on the university in Chiba Prefecture and tried your best to go to Higashi University, and I also want to try my best to continue chasing your footsteps."
"You say I'm immature. I admit that point, because I fundamentally have no self. I can only parrot others, completely unaware of what I truly want."
Yui silently listened to her sister's complaints. She picked up a can of beer, opened it, and poured some for herself.
"I truly have to thank Tetsu-kun. He made my little sister, who was like a chuunibyou, also become smart."
"I've always hoped you could change, but this time, I'm actually a bit hesitant. I don't want you to change. If you were your old self, I would let you win easily."
"Now, even I have no absolute certainty, Yukino. Your change is very annoying."
"As your sister, I admire you very much, but as a competitor, I won't hold back."
Yukinoshita Yui said with firm resolve.
She no longer regarded Yukino as a simple younger sister. She would treat her as a dangerous opponent and utterly defeat her.
"I won't give up easily either, big sister!"
In Yukino's clear eyes, a determined fighting spirit also flared.
She, too, was a person who wouldn't easily admit defeat.
"Big sister, in our competition, you are at a disadvantage."
"Why do you say that? Do you think you're a step ahead? But big sister, I'm a student at Higashi University. That's the real advantage from being 'close to the water's edge and getting the moon first'."
"No, it's because of Mother."
Yukinoshita Yukino was extremely calm.
"Mother is very concerned about the Yukinoshita family. Otherwise, she wouldn't have driven away our aunt back then and gotten angry with her."
"Big sister, you are the eldest daughter who will inherit the Yukinoshita family. Mother will not allow you to change. She will only make you find someone to marry into the Yukinoshita family. This is Mother's insistence."
"But I am different. I am just a concubine's daughter. Mother doesn't have high demands on me. This is thanks to big sister, who carries the Yukinoshita family's banner."
"So, big sister, your opponent is not just me, but also Mother!"
Yukinoshita Yukino slowly left the living room. "...I'm a little tired. I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, big sister!"
The bedroom door closed.
Yui's face looked grim.
"To prevent Yukino from bearing the family's pressure, I protected her. Now, it seems I'm cultivating an opponent. Did I shoot myself in the foot?"
She slumped down, falling onto the sofa, looking at the empty beer cans.
Yes, Yukino was right. She faced even greater resistance.
....
....
Tokyo Bay coastline. Fujiwara Tetsu drove his Porsche 911 into Advanced Nurturing High School.
He saw the entire school built overlooking the sea, occupying a vast area. There was even a bustling commercial street within the school grounds, similar to a business district.
Even a top-tier school like Higashi University couldn't provide every student with their own dormitory.
But Advanced Nurturing High School, this school, not only had dormitories but also allowed every student to have their own private room.
Coupled with the artificial island built in Tokyo Bay, this school was truly excessively extravagant.
"This place could easily be an industrial park, or a CBD commercial district. It's strange for a school to occupy such vast resources and not be profitable."
Fujiwara Tetsu shook his head, parking his car in the parking lot.
Today was the weekend, so the school didn't have classes.
If it were in the past, students from this school wouldn't be allowed to leave campus on weekends.
However, since some rules changed, some students also went home on weekends.
Walking into the campus, he could see that many stores on the school's commercial street were closing down.
After the school stopped giving money to every student, how could a bustling commercial street be supported by the purchasing power of a group of high school students?
As expected, some shops naturally moved away from here.
Just two steps after leaving the parking lot, Fujiwara Tetsu saw the slender Sakayanagi Arisu, sitting on a roadside bench, staring at him.
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