Yukinoshita Haruno's cherry-blossom lips trembled.
She leaned forward, her alcohol-laced breath brushing Kiyono's earlobe, and asked with a smile, "Does 'you guys' include me?"
"Of course. You're tied for first place with everyone else, you know."
Kiyono said it with a serious expression, expressing "everyone is my wing" in a different way.
"No way!"
A Yukinoshita woman would never accept a perfunctory answer like "tied for first place."
"Crush all other options and let big sister enjoy first place all by herself!"
Haruno tilted her head back, took a big gulp of sake, and slapped the table in dissatisfaction.
"Then, Miss Haruno, you'll have to be prepared to spend some money, won't you? That position isn't so easy to get."
Just then, the grilled skewers arrived, and Kiyono mumbled as he took a bite of a meat skewer.
"Bastard, that's way too condescending."
So, I'm still not special in his heart?
Ultimately, even her own feelings were ambiguous.
Was it the subtle influence of Yukinoshita's mother that made her see him as a future husband, or was it genuine emotion stirred by the accumulation of daily moments, or simply a pathological desire to snatch away her younger sister's things?
She couldn't tell.
But he did occupy a special place in her heart.
With this boy in the picture, she couldn't imagine Yukinoshita's mother bringing just any son-in-law home again.
Thinking like that was a bit annoying.
"By the way, Miss Haruno, you're already in your second year of university, right? What are your feelings about it so far?"
Kiyono suddenly spoke, seemingly recalling how he'd felt when he saw Yanami become a university student a couple of days ago.
This was the second time he had asked Haruno this question.
The first time was not long after she had been admitted, and back then the young lady's answer had only been two words: "So boring."
He had a premonition that he would spend an incredibly long time in this world—perhaps it would fast-forward like last time, but there would still be a long stretch of time.
He was contemplating his own future and the future paths of the girls around him, and at the same time, he was subtly probing Miss Haruno's inner world.
"Boring," Haruno's lips parted slightly.
"You dislike those interpersonal relationships that much?"
"It's more like a physiological discomfort," Haruno smiled.
"Those adult social games cloaked in youthful innocence—I've truly seen enough of them. Especially the kind where they're looking at you, but it's not really you, it's more like they're appraising a vase at an auction…"
"If you don't like it, you don't have to do it."
Kiyono suddenly said.
Yukinoshita Haruno froze.
Her gaze slowly rose to look at the young man's facefac
---
Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly felt time slow down considerably.
The hawker's cries from the distant takoyaki stall, the creaking of swaying lanterns ahead, even the sound of bubbles in the salarymen's glasses at the next table—all became background noise in a slow-motion scene.
Only the young man's words clearly penetrated her heart.
Although she detested the youthful hypocrisy mixed into university life, she was actually very good at living in that veiled atmosphere, able to react perfectly without much thought.
But the more she adapted, the more irritated and empty she felt.
And now, a tiny crack had quietly appeared in her heart.
Haruno looked at him, her eyes like the rippling surface of a flawless lake.
"I have to maintain the Yukinoshita family image, you know."
"It's just university. Even the goddess Athena occasionally gets a touch of worldly smoke and fire."
Seeing that the young lady was about to pour more sake, Kiyono leaned over and snatched the bottle, pouring the remaining alcohol into his own glass, his voice like the whisper of a devil.
"Besides, you have me, a best-selling author, backing you up. There's nothing to worry about."
Because of the alcohol, Yukinoshita Haruno's jade-like cheeks flushed.
She smiled ambiguously, deliberately extending her foot under the table to hook around the young man's calf.
"What if tomorrow's headline reads, 'Yukinoshita family's eldest daughter throws red wine on professor…'?"
"No problem."
Kiyono smiled. "Just say I needed to gather material for my new book. If that doesn't work, we'll release a fake rumor that I'm marrying into the family to attract media attention."
…Seriously, is a great writer really that amazing?
Haruno propped her chin on her hands, silently watching his face, and said with a smile, "Kiyono-sensei, you're inciting a crime."
"Isn't this the escape drama you yourself spoke of? As a princess, how can you not personally experience the profound fall described in the script?"
Kiyono casually took a sip of sake.
Haruno suddenly turned her face away.
The charcoal burned fiery red, just like her heart.
For most people, studying is painful and tedious.
Especially during adolescence, daydreaming in class is almost inevitable.
After all, it's an age of curiosity, and with the impact of the internet, imaginations run wild and brains are filled with all kinds of random thoughts.
For example, a lot of boys will fantasize about having a beautiful female teacher giving them private lessons.
She would, of course, wear a suit and high heels, strict yet gentle.
If they had such a teacher, they would surely become geniuses, ace the college entrance exam, study abroad, and finally win a Nobel Prize.
And now, the ideal had become reality.
Kiyono turned his head in a daze.
The library door slowly opened, and then a crisp tap-tap-tap sounded—the sound of heels striking the wooden floor.
A figure appeared before him.
Shoulder-length hair with curled ends, an exquisitely beautiful face with a cool and seductive expression.
The buttons of her black blazer were fastened tightly, a certain mysterious fullness pushed up high, with a pristine white shirt revealed beneath.
Below the black-and-white pairing were black stockings that seemed to reflect a faint sheen, making her legs appear even straighter, longer, and beautifully curved.
Special Teacher · Yukinoshita Haruno.
At this moment, Kiyono's gaze changed, becoming calm and profound, like that of a philosopher in thought.
No one could read his heart through his eyes.
With Haruno dressed like this, her navy-blue eyes also turned cold.
She walked gracefully to his side.
"Come, big sister will study with you. If you study well, there'll be a reward…"
She patted Kiyono's head.
Without waiting for him to speak, she picked up a textbook.
"After the Bun'ei War, how did Hōjō Tokimune transform a 'natural weather phenomenon' into political capital? Analyze this in combination with the narrative of the Hachiman Gudokun."
"Tokimune interpreted the typhoon as the 'demon-breaking arrow' shot by the god Hachiman. In the Gudokun, he likened the samurai corps to incarnations bestowed by heaven. Rulers in chaotic times all need to turn natural disasters into proof of divine right."
"Completely correct."
Snap—the first precarious button came undone, and the faint glow of a deep V neckline appeared.
Her expression remained serious and stern.
Kiyono's gaze involuntarily drifted over—is this the kind of reward you're talking about?!
"Question two: In the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in 451 AD, who was the general who said, 'I think like a Roman, and fight like a barbarian'? Analyze why he was called the 'Last Roman'."
"Aetius. He allied with the Visigoths to repel Attila at the Catalaunian Plains, but was later defamed as a barbarian general by Church historians."
Kiyono answered meticulously.
"As expected of big sister's prized student, you'll soon unlock a hidden achievement—"
The second button was unfastened.
Sitting in his chair, Kiyono saw an infinitely beautiful sight.
A faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils.
In his highly focused state, scenes of advanced mathematics flashed through his mind.
He only needed to answer four more questions correctly, and then…
Just as the Q&A game reached its fourth stage, the girl beside them finally couldn't bear it any longer.
With a thud, the hardcover edition of World Geography: Asia slammed heavily onto the table.
Yukinoshita Yukino was standing there at some point, the pen in her hand gleaming with a cold light like a sword.
"Unnecessary people, please do not disturb our studies."
"Big sister is a senior from a prestigious private school. This is proper guidance, you know. Look how happy Kiyono is to learn."
"Are you two even studying…?"
Yukino's gaze grew sharper, a cold aura spreading.
Haruno narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Don't be jealous, Little Yukino. After big sister teaches Kiyono the adult way of learning, I'll teach you right away too."
"I can manage by myself. Besides, that guy over there has already been thoroughly kneaded and trained by me."
Yukino said faintly, with an air of superiority.
Kiyono had always looked up to her and followed her path, so how could he be swayed by such a low-level temptation from her older sister?
"Oh, is that so?"
Haruno pursed her lips and let out a soft hum.
She leaned in, her moist cherry-blossom lips exhaling a warm breath near the young man's ear.
"Is Little Yukino as gentle as me? As patient as me? As good as me?"
Kiyono suddenly took a deep breath, raised his hand to brush a lock of hair from his forehead, his eyes deep, his tone like a wandering bard:
"Haruno, I have always respected and cherished you. And as for Yukino, my heart is filled with gratitude and admiration…"
Hmm!?
The expressions of medium Yukino and small Yukino instantly synchronized.
The two of them gave a cold smile and began today's special "Love Education" from the Yukinoshita family.
Afterward, Kiyono endured humiliation, sandwiched between the two noisy sisters, studying diligently and earnestly—if he didn't work hard, then in the future he would only live the ordinary life of a useless man with a car, a house, money, and someone to support him, with no future prospects to speak of.
It was truly terrifying.
Kiyono secretly warned himself, writing books and studying at the same time, starting his silent self-improvement.
But on this lonely and cold path, he was not alone.
Whenever he felt a little tired, he would see the figure of that righteous girl, and the two of them silently composed this destined relationship.
As the "deadline" approached, he occasionally wondered what each of the three Yukinoshita women pursued.
He owed a debt of gratitude to the Yukinoshita family.
Yukino had brought him home, and Haruno, as his older sister, had looked after him for many years.
As for Yukinoshita's mother, needless to say—without her approval, he would never have been able to grow up safely in that home.
The debt was like a mountain.
Perhaps years of familial affection had softened the weight of that pressure, but he didn't want to mix it with matters of the heart while their relationship was still burdened by such a sense of obligation.
Moreover, before repaying his debt, he didn't have the right to decide his own feelings—at least not here.
Kiyono let out a soft sigh.
And on this day, at school, as he emerged from the Service Club with his exercise book, he happened to cross paths with the golden-haired fairy bathed in the midday sun.
Sawamura Spencer Eriri leaned against the window with her arms crossed, her green ribbon reflecting dazzling light.
She seemed to be waiting for someone.
When she saw Kiyono, she adjusted her bangs and lightly coughed.
"Well, uh… I heard you're planning to take the entrance exam for Todai? Are you trying to use your identity to get in through the back door?"
The familiar tsundere tone from the very beginning, though now it could be called tsun-tsun-dere.
"No, no, I will cross the Akamon with my own strength!"
Kiyono snorted.
Things obtained through one's own power felt different.
"After you leap over the Akamon, are you going to marry into the Yukinoshita family and become the second-generation Yukino's bed-warming son-in-law? You worked so hard to get into Todai just so they can feel even more accomplished when they step on you, right!?"
—As expected of a famous doujinshi artist, the plot she casually came up with sparked endless imagination.
At this point, Eriri couldn't help sighing sourly in her heart, feeling a slight bitterness under her tongue.
As the young lady of the Sawamura family, she knew more about sons-in-law and adopted heirs in high society than the average person, and she was well aware that the Yukinoshita family would never let go of such an excellent prospect.
Ever since that baseball game—or perhaps even earlier—whenever she lay in bed at night, tossing and turning, such thoughts would occasionally surface. Yukinoshita Yukino, and that Haruno, and her own goals should all be the same, right?
Facing such formidable opponents, did she really have a chance of winning?
The answer was simple, wasn't it?
She wasn't that narcissistic.
She clearly knew that in this world, she was merely someone who had been saved, while the Yukinoshita sisters were the strongest.
Clearly, she couldn't stop any of this.
Let's just say he's going to practice his skills.
As the young lady of the Sawamura family, Eriri consoled herself with such magnanimity and elegance.
She had seen such things many times… Not really!
Why didn't I pick up Kiyono back then!
That was the key to victory!
She had been the first to meet Kiyono, yet she had only given him some money… Wasn't this just like a game?
Why can't I load a save!
Just as Eriri was filled with indignation, Kiyono's voice made her expression twist even further.
"Yes, yes, I'm about to achieve class ascension and become a famous gigolo," Kiyono said casually.
"Be ashamed of yourself!"
One second she was full of energetic complaints, the next she lowered her head dejectedly, full of the desolation of a hero at the end of his road.
She wanted to say, You can come and freeload off the Sawamura family… but it was beyond her power to change anything.
The Yukinoshita family, to her, was like a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer facing Gojo-sensei and Sukuna—completely incapable of forcing them to go all out.
But! But it doesn't matter!
This world is just a simulation.
Once they return to the real world, everyone will be back at the starting line, and then everyone else will be the challenger!
Eriri clenched her fist, strong shadows carving sharp angles across her face.