The purpose of Yukinoshita's visit today was to see Kirara, whom she hadn't met in a long time, and by the way, pet the cat.
However, among that, there was also the unspoken intent of using this opportunity to meet a certain someone.
Unfortunately, the development of things went beyond her expectations. After being offline for a long time, Yukino had to admit that her understanding of that boy was extremely limited.
Looking at the two green-haired girls who looked as dignified and graceful as hostesses, handing her tea and then sitting back down on the sofa, the second young lady didn't even have the mood to pet the cat anymore.
On the contrary, Kirara, who had been lazily dozing off, instantly perked up upon sensing a familiar presence.
It was obvious that being reunited with her first owner, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, made her very happy.
"Speaking of which, Yukinoshita-san is also a student at Shuka Academy, right? How did you meet Onii-chan? Is it convenient to tell me?", The one speaking was Mortis. Although she didn't think the black long-haired straight girl in front of her posed any threat, this girl was indeed pretty, but her aura was just too cold. She looked like someone difficult to get along with. Most importantly, Princess Flat-chest.
'Big is good. Big is beautiful! What difference is there between flat-chested girls and tabletop?'
'Cough! Cough! Perhaps indeed some people do like that type.'
But according to Mortis's observation, she hadn't found any special preference Onii-chan had for this type of girl. His aesthetic taste still leaned more toward the style of Soyo.
Of course, even a lion uses full strength when hunting a rabbit. Even if one strategically looks down on the opponent, tactically one must still treat the enemy seriously, so gathering intelligence was still very necessary.
Mutsumi beside her didn't speak, only sipped her black tea in small sips, but her elf-like pointed ears quietly perked up, clearly also concerned about this kind of matter.
"I am indeed a student of Shuka. As for my acquaintance with Kaito-kun, it was just an accident," Yukino did not hide anything. With just a few words, she explained the process of how they met.
Actually, there wasn't much to talk about. The interactions between them weren't many to begin with. To say they were friends was already flattering herself. If anything, they should be considered…
More than strangers, less than friends?
At least, that was the conclusion Mortis came to.
Feeling completely at ease, the girl also let down her guard.
No matter how she looked at it, the possibility of this Yukinoshita girl posing any threat to herself was minimal.
Besides, judging by her ice-beauty aura, she didn't seem like the type who would proactively pursue boys.
Mortis's principle was very simple: as long as you don't fight me for Onii-chan, we're half-sisters from different mothers.
"Yukino, can I call you that?"
'Yukino?', The second young lady was silent for two seconds, 'Calling someone directly by name upon first meeting, should that be called too extroverted or lacking a sense of boundaries?'
But refusing would seem too cold and unfriendly. After all, the girl was Kaito nominal little sister, and Kaito was also her lifesaver.
After a brief hesitation, she lightly nodded.
"You can call me Mortis directly too!", Mortis's style was that of instant familiarity. She released her goodwill without reservation. In just a few minutes, she was already intimately calling her "Yukino-chan" and chatting with her about many girl-to-girl topics.
Yukinoshita had a hard time dealing with such an enthusiastic girl.
She was purely socially awkward, never having had any close friends from childhood to adulthood. If forced to name one… her older sister might count as half?
Although she had outstanding appearance, due to her cold temperament and sharp tongue, boys dared not approach, and girls, out of subtle jealousy and envy, mostly kept their distance.
It was the first time the second young lady experienced this kind of being clung to for a chat.
How to describe it… a little strange, but not to the point of being annoying.
"Yukino-chan is really beautiful, there must be a lot of friends around you, right?", Mortis excitedly leaned in, starting to dig for gossip.
"…No, not really," The second young lady subtly pulled away from her a bit. She still wasn't used to being so close to others.
"Eh? Is that so?", Mortis was a little surprised but not disappointed. Her golden eyes instead sparkled, "Since that's the case, how about letting me be your first friend, Yuki-chan! I really like Yuki-chan!"
'Yuki-chan? What kind of weird nickname is that?', The second young lady fell silent from her shamelessly opportunistic attitude.
She really couldn't handle girls this enthusiastic.
"Hey hey, anyway, let's exchange contact info first, okay?", Mortis clearly wasn't joking. With great initiative, she pulled out her phone, intending to add her as a friend.
The reason why the little girl was so enthusiastic was actually very simple.
Even though she felt Yukinoshita didn't pose much threat, one can never be too careful.
To ensure that she didn't misjudge and cause a setback, she might as well add another layer of insurance.
'Yuki-chan clearly has the kind of very serious, rigid personality. If I become friends with her and she learned that I like Onii-chan, with her upright behavior style, she definitely won't do something like snatching a man from a friend!'
'What's called a master plan, huh? (Tactical lean back)'
'Hmph! Hmph! Eliminating a potential rival without any effort at all, I really am a genius!'
Just as Kaito stepped out of the kitchen, he saw the three girls in the living room chatting happily.
Well, maybe the phrase "chatting happily" should be put in double quotes.
To be more precise, it was Mortis's one-sided enthusiasm. She was basically the only one talking the whole time. Mutsumi would occasionally chime in, while the second young lady was the unfortunate listener being clung to.
Even from a distance, he could clearly see the helpless and exasperated expression on Yukinoshita's face, mentally and physically exhausted from being pestered by the proactive Mortis.
After all, she was a guest. It wouldn't be good to let her continue being harassed by Mortis.
"Lunch is ready. If Yukinoshita-san doesn't mind, why not stay and have a meal with us?", In the end, Kaito still stepped in to change the topic, and also conveniently helped her out of the situation.
"I'll help Onii-chan bring the dishes!", Sure enough, Mortis's attention was quickly diverted. Happily pulling Mutsumi, she ran to the kitchen, giving Yukinoshita a chance to breathe.
The second young lady showed an expression like she had the words "saved" written on her face, and let out a heartfelt sigh of relief.
But that look only lasted a moment. She soon returned to her usual cold demeanor, placing one hand on her chest, hesitated for a moment, then lightly nodded.
"…Then I'll accept your offer."
"There's no need to be so polite."
Kaito smiled at her, "After all, you're Kirara's owner and also my friend. Just treat this place like your own home."
This should have been the most obvious polite remark.
But Yukino subconsciously averted her eyes, slightly dazzled by that faint smile.
She had clearly reminded herself countless times in her heart that feelings born from beauty would sooner or later shift when someone more beautiful appeared.
But when facing that face which surpassed all the beauty of spring flowers and autumn moons, her heart still itched slightly, like blades of grass pushing through the soil, quietly growing under the sunlight.
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