Half an hour later.
In Su Yu's living room, a freshly brewed pot of tea sat on the table.
Su Yu glanced at the time.
"Click."
The door opened.
Soon, two girls entered the living room.
Yukinoshita Yukino spotted the teacups and gracefully made her way to the sofa.
Yuigahama Yui did the same, but after taking just a few steps, she noticed Su Yu's gaze—and the arrangement of the three cups.
In the end, she sat beside him.
"Lady Yukinoshita, please enjoy your tea," Su Yu said with mock seriousness.
"You've wasted my tea," Yukino remarked after taking a sip.
"Let's start with Kawasaki Saki's situation," Su Yu said, cutting to the chase.
"Why don't you take a guess? I can give you a hint—I didn't make her leave you," Yukino replied with a sly smile.
"My… secretary?" Su Yu guessed after a brief pause.
"More like an assistant. It depends on how capable she proves to be—and whether you trust her enough to eventually manage your company," Yukino explained.
Su Yu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
"Did your sister teach you this?"
"People grow, you know. I just happen to grow a bit faster than most," Yukino said, completely lacking in humility.
"Growth? Have you really grown?" Su Yu asked, shifting his gaze downward deliberately.
Yukino immediately noticed his line of sight, and her expression turned ice cold.
Su Yu smirked and took a sip of tea.
"I admit you've improved, but you still have a lot to learn. That being said, you handled the Kawasaki matter well. Everything is going according to plan."
"Your plan?" Yukino froze.
"My plan was to do absolutely nothing—because I knew you would take care of it. You wouldn't drive Kawasaki Saki away, so that left only one option," Su Yu said calmly.
"Are you saying… I played into your hands?" Yukino narrowed her eyes.
Su Yu shook his head.
It wasn't manipulation—he had simply predicted what she would do.
"Hmph. Then take a guess—what did I talk about with Hiratsuka-sensei?" Yukino challenged.
"You would have told her the full details of your arrangement with Yui. Sensei would be worried about Yui, and you would take full responsibility, reassuring her that you would help in every way possible. Then, you probably proposed a hypothetical scenario—one that would subtly shift Hiratsuka-sensei's stance toward me.
"By using the commission she gave me, you even found a way to keep her in Sakurasou—perhaps permanently," Su Yu said with a knowing smile.
Yui's eyes widened in surprise.
Yukino fell silent for a moment before looking at him intently.
"How do you really see Hiratsuka-sensei?"
"I respect her deeply. Being looked after can sometimes be a blessing—it means someone cares. I don't mind that kind of attention," Su Yu answered.
"And what does Sakurasou mean to you?"
"I hope to rest beneath the cherry blossom tree one day."
"Returning to your roots?"
"This place is my second home."
Hearing that, Yukino smiled softly.
Yui had stayed quiet for most of their conversation, but now she finally understood.
After their "family meeting," the two girls went to take a bath together.
By now, they could talk to each other openly about everything.
Of course, any teasing about that kind of relationship was just a joke.
Not only Yukino—even Yui probably couldn't accept something like that.
Her admiration for Yukino was more like how Su Yu had initially seen her—appreciation for something beautiful.
People are naturally drawn to beauty, and Yukino was simply a beautiful existence.
Meanwhile, Su Yu returned to his room and continued working on his manga.
When the two girls finished their bath and stepped out, Yukino's face was flushed.
"Good luck, Yukino," Yui said with a smile before heading to her own room.
Yukino hesitated for a moment, then walked up to Su Yu's door and knocked.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Su Yu greeted her with a knowing smile.
"I was expecting both of you to come," he teased.
"Y-You're such a pervert!"
Yukino's face turned even redder as she clenched her fists.
"I was joking. Come in," Su Yu said, stepping aside.
"Y-You better behave like last time," Yukino muttered before stepping into the room.
Su Yu closed the door behind her and turned to see Yukino sitting on the edge of the bed.
She looked flustered, fidgeting slightly.
Su Yu smiled and gently pulled her into his arms.
Yukino was shy, but she was also obedient.
She leaned against his chest, quietly wrapping her arms around him.
"Thank you, Yukino," Su Yu whispered.
"No need to thank me. I just… didn't have a better choice," she murmured.
"Tsundere Yukino."
"Terrible Su Yu."
"What kind of wedding do you want?"
"You can plan it. Just keep it simple."
"I wish I could marry you right now."
"I… I feel the same way."
Hearing that, Su Yu tilted his head down to look at her.
Yukino lifted her gaze to meet his, then slowly closed her eyes.
Su Yu wasted no time, pressing his lips to hers.
She was clumsy in her response—but there was a hint of practice in it.
Clearly, she had taken Yui's advice.
Su Yu noticed immediately—and was momentarily surprised.
But he quickly decided to take advantage of it.
Yukino, however, wasn't ready.
As he deepened the kiss, her mind went blank.
She had zero experience with this.
Just as she was about to panic, Su Yu pulled back, listening to the rapid beat of her heart.
At the same time, he confirmed something—
Yukino still had a lot of room to grow.
Right now, she was probably on par with Komachi Hikigaya.
Not that he had tested it with Komachi, of course…
As they lay back against the bed, Yukino's face was burning red.
She glanced at Su Yu with nervous anticipation.
But—
Su Yu suddenly stopped.
"That's enough for tonight. If we keep going, I won't be able to hold back."
"I… I…"
"Yui knows more than you do. Maybe I should go find her instead?" Su Yu teased.
"I-I can learn!" Yukino grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
"You can't learn this," Su Yu said with an amused expression.
"Why can't I?" Yukino turned even redder. "I don't believe you!"
She had already gathered all her courage.
Su Yu leaned close and whispered something in her ear.
Yukino froze for a few seconds.
Then—
With pure embarrassment, she delivered a soft punch to his chest.
This wasn't about not being able to learn.
It was something she absolutelycould notbring herself to learn!
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X