Chapter 187 – Magnanimity

"Person A has been picked up and is being taken to the plane."

"Good job." Yukio praised their efficiency, then hung up the phone and leisurely headed back to his dorm.

With this, Nagumo was completely out of the picture. Feeling quite pleased, Yukio thought about how this news might bring some relief to Ichinose tomorrow.

Reflecting on how this event might impact the school, Yukio returned to his dorm, took the elevator, and smiled serenely when the doors opened.

As expected, Shiina was already waiting for him at the door.

When listening to Ishizaki's complaints in the classroom earlier, Yukio had already anticipated this: "Come in."

This natural demeanor made Shiina pause slightly, then she sweetly laughed out loud.

Clearly, she was the one waiting for Yukio, yet his greeting made it seem like he was welcoming her from inside the dorm. This amusing aspect was part of why she was so taken with him.

The two walked into the dorm side by side. Shiina slightly lowered her head, bent over, pressing one hand against her knee, while the other leg stretched back, bending at the knee. She used her other hand to gently grasp the heel of her raised foot.

Her legs, constrained by black stockings, bent into a very appealing curve, tempting one to test the thinness of the stockings. The black stockings disappeared into her white flats, which she easily removed by pulling on the heel.

Yukio thought to himself that the most feminine gestures were probably the casual tucking of hair behind the ear and this way of removing shoes.

Without her shoes, Shiina appeared even more elegant. Her black thin stockings protected her delicate feet, extending up to her thighs, highlighting her legs' curves and the alluring absolute territory.

"Do you like it?" Shiina laughed lightly, touching her hair, and then, in response to Yukio's preferences, tucked her hair behind her ear. She looked like a rose swaying in the wind, captivating his heart.

Yukio didn't choose to answer this obvious question directly. Who could say it didn't look good? They should probably see an eye doctor: "Can you...not wear slippers?"

"Pfft," Shiina laughed, as expected, her toes wrapped in black stockings wiggling happily. Girls always enjoyed their crush finding new ways to compliment them.

A simple "not wear slippers" was far more pleasing to Shiina than a plain "looks good."

'However, it can't be that easy to let Yukio pass this test~' Shiina also had her own little thoughts. She had said she would always support Yukio and that she accepted his relationships with other girls.

But that didn't mean she was really that simple. Girls always want a bit more pampering, a bit more love from their sweetheart.

For this reason, a little scheming was necessary. For example, Shiina waiting by the door for Yukio to come back was to show her magnanimity and love. This way, she could make Yukio feel more guilty and be more cherished by him.

But being magnanimous didn't mean unconditional indulgence. If it were unconditional, she might end up losing out big time. So Shiina's plan was to first act jealous, making Yukio feel troubled, and then understandingly show that she could be magnanimous for his sake.

This was the best kind of magnanimity, the kind that could earn the most affection and value from Yukio.

So now, it was time to act jealous and find fault: "Oh? You don't want me to wear slippers because black stockings look good, right? So does Yukio prefer my thigh-high stockings or Ichinose's knee-high socks?"

This question was quite crude, essentially asking if she or Ichinose looked better. Extending it a bit further, it was like the classic question of who Yukio would save first if both Shiina and Ichinose fell into the water.

The problem was, Yukio wasn't going to be led by Shiina. Following his heart, he answered honestly: "I like garter stockings the most."

"...!" Shiina was slightly at a loss. Yukio, you're not playing by the rules! Please read the script; you're supposed to be torn and unable to answer, then she would kindly reassure you, showing her magnanimity.

How did it turn into garter stockings? Speaking of which, if Yukio said he liked garter stockings the most, should she go check them out tomorrow and try some on?

Unfortunately, Shiina's cunning little plan hadn't even unfolded before it was thwarted.

Shiina's adorable blinking was too cute, making Yukio wrap his arm around her slender waist and lift her up.

"Yukio?" Shiina was dumbfounded, completely unable to understand Yukio's intentions, and could only snuggle in his arms.

Yukio gently tightened his embrace, holding her closer with enough strength to not cause pain. After bringing her into his arms, he leaned in, softly rubbing his cheek against Shiina's: "Of course."

"If I had to say, if there was an even higher ranking above garter stockings, it would be just wearing garter stockings."

Not sure if she thought of something or if her cheeks were heating up from the rubbing, Shiina's face quickly turned red and gradually became hot as she shyly closed her eyes: "Yukio, you pervert."

How could she not be shy? It was so embarrassing! Originally, after hearing Yukio's preferences, Shiina had planned to visit the shopping center tomorrow to buy a couple of garter stockings to try.

But right after she had that thought, Yukio came out with the line about just wearing garter stockings. How could Shiina handle that?

"It's because you asked me the question." Yukio laughed as he carried Shiina into the living room and placed her on the sofa. "Actually, last night I was just comforting Ichinose, I didn't do anything."

Then he explained properly, from Nagumo's plot, to Ichinose being trapped by her past, to getting forgiveness and overcoming her difficulties, and finally the class announcement.

He told the whole series of events, finally emphasizing, "So, nothing really happened."

"I know that." Shiina had no doubt, she directly believed Yukio. She didn't question at all whether there were any sparks between Yukio and Ichinose while they were alone together for a whole night.

Why did Shiina trust Yukio so much? She was a bit too shy to say.

Feeling the heat on her cheeks, she turned her face away again, not daring to look at him. While others might doubt, she wouldn't.

After all, she had experienced it herself, and after that, she couldn't get out of bed for half a day and even had trouble walking. But Ichinose went to class perfectly fine and announced everything, which was enough to dispel any doubts.

However, Shiina's demeanor was just too alluring, making Yukio's fingers itch with desire. Her deliberately turned face and neck seemed to be tinged with the color of rose petals dampened by water, glowing red and exuding a subtle fragrance.

"Hiyori, I want to drink pork bone miso soup."

"Eh?" Shiina didn't quite follow Yukio's shift in conversation. How did the topic switch to dinner? But thinking about it being early evening, it made sense it was dinner time, so she didn't think much of it: "Does your dorm fridge have pork bones?"

"If not, I can go back to my dorm to get some. I have them there~ Also, why do you want miso soup? Haven't you been making those soups from your hometown?"

Yukio was very sly, with a hidden meaning: "The pork bone miso soup I'm talking about isn't made with pork bones."

***

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