Hearing those unexpected words, Haruno blinked in surprise and froze in place.
Ignoring her reaction, Chisato continued speaking.
"You love and cherish your sister so much that anything involving her makes you overly persistent.
Like right now, a suspicious guy like me somehow ended up in contact with your sister without you even realizing it.
That gave you an unprecedented sense of crisis, which made you want to get to the bottom of it. But honestly, your sister is already a high school junior.
No matter how much you love her, it's best to leave her some personal space. Don't you think so?"
After saying all that, Haruno still hadn't reacted.
Chisato silently averted his gaze and grabbed his already-packed school bag.
He hadn't originally planned to be so blunt, but Haruno's relentless questioning had been quite bothersome. He lost his patience for a moment, and this was the result.
But at least now, he could finally leave.
"Well then, I really should get going."
"…Alright, fine."
This time, Haruno didn't stop him.
After seeing Chisato off, she returned to the living room, where Yukino had come out of her room and was tidying up the teacups on the table.
"You heard all that?"
"What exactly do you mean, sister?"
"Obviously, about me being a siscon. Thanks to Chisato's words, I realized that I may have been overly protective of you all this time."
"…"
Yukino raised an eyebrow slightly.
Since she was little, she had always been played around with by this cunning older sister.
Like when she couldn't keep up physically but was still dragged around, or when she was forced onto amusement park rides she was terrified of, or when her sister suddenly disappeared at the zoo just to secretly watch her panic in the crowd until she was on the verge of tears—then took a picture of that moment and kept it until now, occasionally bringing it out to tease her.
With all those countless memories of "interactions" between them, where was there even a hint of sisterly affection?
So as the person in question, Yukino simply couldn't agree with Chisato's evaluation of her sister as a "siscon."
There was no way a "siscon" could have such a terrible personality.
Yukino picked up the teacups and headed toward the kitchen, not wanting to continue the conversation.
"Enough of that, sister. You've been driving for a long time. Take a bath and get some rest."
But Haruno wasn't letting her off so easily and followed behind with her hands behind her back.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the first time you've ever invited a boy over, right?"
"Yes, because I wanted to thank him."
"That's so strange. My dear little sister… would she really be moved by something as trivial as a favor I asked for?"
"Haah—"
Yukino let out a tired sigh and turned to look at Haruno.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing much. I'm just curious about what exactly happened between you two these past few days. I won't ask about Chisato's side, but I know you very well.
You've always disliked him, haven't you? And yet now, you two are quietly sitting together, drinking tea. That alone is unbelievable to me."
"I already told you, it's—"
"Don't say it's because of gratitude."
Haruno cut her off before she could finish. The playful smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of utter boredom.
"There's no need to keep repeating such a boring lie."
Yukino looked at her but didn't back down.
"I don't know what kind of story you've made up in your head, but this is simply the truth."
She wasn't lying.
Chisato had helped her, and she genuinely felt grateful. That was all there was to it.
"Even though I don't agree with Chisato's assessment of you earlier, I do think his last point was correct. Everyone deserves their own privacy, don't you think?"
At this point, Yukino expected her sister to look displeased or even angry and had mentally prepared herself to deal with it.
However, instead of getting angry, Haruno's expression was one of "Ah, my little sister has finally grown up."
It was the kind of sentimental look that was just embarrassing to see.
Then, she broke into a relaxed smile again.
"Got it, got it. Your dear sister won't ask anymore."
She walked past Yukino, gently patting her shoulder.
"I'll go take a bath first. Get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll show you the gift I bought—an exclusive collector's edition of the Ferocious Panda picture book and a plushie. I'm sure you'll love it."
With her carefree laughter, the tense atmosphere dissolved.
The relationship between the sisters seemed to have returned to its usual state.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Chisato, who had just stepped into his home, was drenched in sweat as he frantically explained to Utaha and Eriri why there was such an obvious scent of women's perfume on him.
That woman—Yukinoshita Haruno…
Nothing good ever came from meeting her.
…
July's second half marked the official arrival of the scorching summer heat.
The cicadas outside had begun their relentless chorus, their wings vibrating from dawn till dusk.
Under such weather, walking on the asphalt road meant witnessing the air distort from the rising heat, shimmering like a mirage.
In short, the season of sweat had officially arrived, and every physical education class was a torment.
The girls, in particular, lamented their suffering. They dreaded the searing sunlight scorching their delicate skin, yet skipping PE wasn't an option.
Their PE teacher had once said that PE grades would be recorded in student files and could potentially affect their future university choices.
Missing out on an ideal university due to failing PE wasn't something that regret could fix.
With that in mind, most girls begrudgingly attended class after taking every possible precaution against the sun.
Yet among them was an exception—Kazusa.
Ever since the July heat wave began, she hadn't attended a single PE class.
Every time, she excused herself with claims of feeling unwell and sat in the shade by the field with a bottle of mineral water, quietly waiting for Chisato to finish class.
The boys who witnessed this overly sweet scene would either make sarcastic remarks or groan in frustration.
That rose-colored youth was a dream forever out of their reach.
Today's PE class was no different.
"Let's go get some water."
After completing their 800-meter run, the boys huddled together, draping their arms over each other's shoulders as they headed for the vending machine.
"I'll pass."
Chisato separated from the group, walking in the opposite direction.
And was promptly met with glares and mockery.
"Who's talking?"
"Get lost! Don't let me see your face!"
"Normies, don't talk to us. We feel attacked."
This sort of thing had happened before. Chisato, amused as always, didn't take it to heart. These guys were mostly just running their mouths and meant no real harm.
Fukube Satoshi, watching him leave, turned to the others and said,
"Even if you're joking, doing this all the time isn't great, you know?"
"Hah?! A guy who actually landed his childhood friend has no right to say that!"
"We asked you to have your girlfriend set up a group date for us, and it's been ages with no news! You never even considered it, did you?"
"Listen up, guys! Let's hoist the class rep up—there's a pole over there!"
"Hey! Cut it out!"
Meanwhile, Chisato sipped the water Kazusa handed him, glancing at the group of rowdy boys causing a commotion in the distance.
A smile appeared on his face.
Kazusa, on the other hand, simply turned her head to observe him. After he finished drinking, she pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Such an intimate gesture was unprecedented. It made Chisato feel slightly uncomfortable, and he instinctively leaned away.
But when he saw Kazusa's subtly displeased expression, he obediently straightened up and let her continue.
"Kazusa..."
"Hm?"
"Maybe it's just my imagination, but lately... you've been especially gentle with me."
"Are you a masochist? Do you like it better when I scold you?"
"Not really. It just feels a bit odd. Did you do something that would make me mad, so now you're trying to soften me up in advance?"
"..."
Chisato's playful accusation unexpectedly rendered Kazusa silent.
Seeing her reaction, Chisato's expression grew slightly intrigued.
"...Kazusa, your reaction... don't tell me I actually hit the mark?"
"Shut up!"
Kazusa withdrew her hand and stood up, turning her back to him as she tossed the tissue into a nearby trash bin.
She was a terrible liar. Any question Chisato asked was always answered by her straightforward, honest reactions.
But since she clearly didn't want to talk about it now, Chisato had no intention of forcing the issue.
It was probably just something trivial. When she eventually decided to bring it up, he could just reassure her that he didn't mind at all.
After all, Kazusa had chosen to stay by his side even after learning about the other girls in his life.
For that alone, he felt it was only right to accommodate her as much as he could.
Changing the subject, Chisato leaned back slightly and looked up at the sky.
"Summer break is less than two weeks away. It'll be nice to relax a bit, and Kazusa won't have to come to school every day just to nap on her desk."
Hearing that he had dropped the matter, Kazusa sighed in relief.
She smoothed her skirt to prevent it from riding up before sitting down beside him again, looking up at the sky as well.
"The weather forecast says it'll be sunny all week. I like clear days, sure, but in this heat, I kind of wish it'd rain every now and then to cool things down."
Chisato made an offhand remark, and Kazusa listened in silence.
Normally, she would chime in with some response, but today she was unusually quiet—too quiet.
Her clear, beautiful eyes remained fixed on the sky. The next moment, she turned to meet Chisato's gaze, as if making up her mind about something.
"Chisato."
"Hm?"
"This weekend, around seven in the evening, there's going to be a fireworks festival near Meiji Shrine."
"..."
Chisato looked at her but didn't immediately reply.
Unhappy with his silence, Kazusa pinched his nose.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Ugh... I'm just a little surprised. This is, in a way, the first time you've formally invited me somewhere."
"If you don't want to, forget it."
Kazusa let go, feigning indifference.
"As if. Seven in the evening this weekend, right? I'll come pick you up beforehand."
Satisfied with his response, Kazusa nodded.
"No need for that. Let's just meet at the festival."
"With so many people there, cell service might be spotty. It'd be safer if we met up first and went together."
That made sense. In the end, Kazusa accepted his plan.
That evening, after returning home, she answered a video call from her mother. While chatting, she mentioned the fireworks festival.
"A fireworks festival? How nostalgic. This weekend, huh... Looks like I, as your mother, can't just sit back and do nothing."
Kazusa, feeling uneasy, asked,
"What are you planning, Mom?"
"It's a secret~ You'll find out when the time comes~"
And with that, she was casually brushed off.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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