Yukino smoothed out her skirt with both hands and spoke in a voice just as cold as Haruno's. "Is there something that can't be said here, or should we talk about it at home, Sister?"
Haruno was momentarily stunned. She replied with a trace of emotion and relief, "Yukino, it seems you've really grown up."
"Whether I've grown up or not doesn't need your approval, Sister. If there's nothing else, please step aside. I still have work to do."
Yukino said this and walked directly past her sister.
Haruno didn't stop her again but said, "I'll come to your place tonight. There's something I need to tell you."
Yukino paused briefly. "...Okay."
This inter-school sports day, co-hosted by the Tokyo University Karate Club, Sobu High School, and Advanced Nurturing High School, concluded with the final team events.
Although Sobu High didn't achieve high rankings, this wasn't the Olympics. Most students didn't care much. As long as they had fun and felt a stronger sense of school unity, that was enough.
The students of Sobu High cheered and waved at the Tokyo University students led by Toru, watching them board the bus and depart.
The students from Advanced Nurturing High School also boarded their bus, but no one came to see them off. They left Sobu High quietly.
On the bus, the students from Advanced Nurturing sat silently in their seats. No one spoke. Some looked out the window, others focused on their own tasks.
They weren't upset about losing the team championship. As long as it didn't affect their class points, it didn't matter to them.
Arisu silently observed it all.
Even as the Chairman's daughter, she couldn't clearly see the future of Advanced Nurturing High School. Perhaps the students here were equally unsure about what lay ahead.
Maybe, she could truly only pin her hopes on Toru.
Only Ayanokoji looked the most relaxed and carefree.
What happened to the school had nothing to do with him. What he was looking forward to most was the moment he finally gained freedom.
Fujiwara Toru... if you can truly give me what I want, I'll work for you too.
He thought to himself.
With effort comes reward. That, to him, was fair.
Advanced Nurturing High School departed, but the principal of Sobu High was smiling so much his wrinkles were about to burst.
This exchange sports day had received unanimous praise from most of the parents.
In their eyes, having students from Tokyo University participate in school activities was great for their children's growth.
Whether it improved academic performance was unknown, but if their kids could interact with Tokyo University students, maybe it would help them study harder.
"My youth isn't wrong at all!"
Hachiman walked through the crowd with his usual dead fish eyes.
He was still that nameless, ordinary student. Even among his classmates, not many remembered who he was.
Actually, saying "remembered" was already giving too much credit. Maybe only a handful even knew his name.
But that was exactly the life Hachiman had chosen for himself.
This was the youth he had chosen.
...
In a high-end apartment building in Chiba City, Haruno, carrying a convenience store bag, swiped her card and entered the building with practiced ease.
When she reached the sixteenth floor, she opened the door, changed into slippers, and entered the room.
The sound of running water came from the washroom. Haruno, as if she were at home, placed the bag on the coffee table and sat cross-legged on the sofa without hesitation.
After finishing her bath and washing off the sticky sweat, Yukino walked out of the washroom. She glanced at her sister on the sofa and said, "You could've told me in advance you were coming. I thought someone had broken in."
Haruno leaned back on the sofa and smiled playfully. "Aren't you afraid I, your dear sister, might catch you doing something sneaky?"
"What could I possibly be doing in secret?"
"Heh, little kitten sneaking a taste."
Yukino completely ignored her words.
She glanced at the beer in the convenience bag and advised, "Don't drink too much."
"Yukino, are you lecturing your older sister now?"
"I'm not lecturing, just concerned."
"If you care about me, stay away from Toru-kun."
Haruno's tone turned cold.
Yukino changed into her casual homewear. With her long lashes lowered, she replied, "Toru-kun isn't your possession."
"Interesting."
"I don't deny that."
"He's really something. He actually made you, my cold and chuunibyou little sister, act like a young girl."
"I'm a normal woman too, Sister."
Yukino looked directly at her sister without fear.
This was something she never dared to do before. But now, she faced her head-on, expressing her own thoughts and stance.
Haruno's tone softened. "Are you really going to compete with your sister?"
"You're excellent, Sister. Since childhood, I've only ever followed behind you. Chased after your footsteps. Used things you had used."
Yukino said, "...I've always given in to you. No, it wasn't giving in. It was because I admired you. I feared you, so I didn't dare to compete with you. I lacked confidence, always thinking I couldn't match you."
"You got into a prestigious middle school, so I studied hard and got in too. You went to Sobu High, and I followed you there as well."
"You gave up local universities and aimed for Tokyo University. I also want to go all out and keep chasing your back."
"You said I was immature. I admit it. Because I had no sense of self. I could only echo others, not knowing what I truly wanted."
Haruno listened quietly to her sister's words. She opened a can of beer, took a gulp.
"I really have to thank Toru-kun for making my foolish, chuunibyou sister more sensible."
"I've always wanted you to change, but now I hesitate. If you were still your old self, it'd be easy to make you admit defeat."
"But now, even I'm not fully confident. Yukino, you've changed a lot."
"As a sister, I'm proud. But as a rival, I won't show mercy."
Haruno said firmly.
She no longer saw Yukino as just her little sister, but as a real threat—an opponent she had to defeat.
"I won't give up easily either, Sister!"
Yukino's clear eyes burned with resolve.
She wasn't someone who would easily admit defeat either.
"Sister, in this competition between us, you're actually at a disadvantage."
"Why? You think you're ahead now? I'm a student at Tokyo University. I'm the one closest to the moon, so to speak."
"No, because of Mother."
Yukino was extremely calm.
"Mother values the Yukinoshita surname very much. Otherwise, she wouldn't have driven Aunt away and gotten so angry back then."
"Sister, you're the eldest daughter and heir to the Yukinoshita family. Mother won't allow you to change your surname. She'll have your husband marry into our family. That's her insistence."
"But I'm different. I'm the second daughter. Mother doesn't demand much from me. I should thank you for that, for carrying the burden of the Yukinoshita family."
"So your opponent isn't just me, but also Mother."
Yukino left the living room. "...I'm a bit tired. I'm going to sleep. Good night, Sister."
The bedroom door closed.
Haruno's expression turned unpleasant.
"To shield you from the pressure of the family, I worked so hard to protect you. Now it turns out I was raising a rival. Did I spin my own cocoon?"
She slumped onto the sofa and gulped down her beer.
Yes, Yukino was right. The resistance she faced was greater.
But how could someone as outstanding as Haruno give up so easily?
In the middle of the night, Yukino quietly opened the bedroom door. She looked at her sister, sprawled drunk on the sofa, and let out a quiet sigh.
She tiptoed over, cleaned up the empty cans, then fetched a thin blanket and gently covered Haruno with it.
Afterward, she returned to her room to sleep.
The next morning, Yukino got up early. Seeing her sister still asleep, she went to the kitchen and made hangover soup.
Even though she now saw Haruno as a rival, in her heart, she was still her beloved sister.
Her admiration was real. Her fear was real. But so was her gratitude.
Because her sister had stood in front of her, shielding her from the storm, she had been able to live out her chuunibyou youth.
...
Along the coast of Tokyo Bay, Toru drove his Porsche 911 into Advanced Nurturing High School.
The entire school was built by the sea, occupying a massive area, and even had a bustling commercial street inside, like a business district.
Even top universities like Tokyo University couldn't provide a dorm room for every student.
But Advanced Nurturing High School, a mere high school, not only provided accommodation, but each student had their own private room.
Coupled with the artificial island it was built on, the school's extravagance was off the charts.
"They could've built an industrial park or a CBD here. Strange that a school taking up so many resources isn't being targeted."
Toru shook his head and parked in the lot.
It was the weekend, and there were no classes today.
Originally, students weren't allowed to leave campus on weekends, but now that some rules had changed, some students returned home on weekends.
As he walked onto campus, he noticed the commercial street had lost its former bustle.
Since the school stopped issuing money to students, how could a bunch of high schoolers support a lively commercial district?
Naturally, some shops had already closed down and left.
Just after stepping out of the parking lot, Toru saw the petite and slender Arisu sitting on a bench by the road, waiting for him.
(To be continued.)
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