Ch 123. Haruno's Scheming

Apartment 1507, Living Room

Haruno sat alone on the sofa, leisurely enjoying her fruit salad.

Yukino, on the other hand, sat upright on a single armchair, her head bowed as if deep in thought or perhaps simply unsure of what to say.

Crunch-- crunch---

In the silent and cold living room, the crisp sound of chewing was the only melody.

Suddenly, Haruno picked up a piece of cut banana with a toothpick and offered it to Yukino. "Yukino-chan, would you like some?"

[A/N: Little Yukino changed to Yukino-chan.]

Yukino shook her head. "No, thanks…"

"Really? What a pity." Haruno continued eating, oblivious to Yukino's reaction.

The atmosphere between the two sisters fell into silence once more.

From the silence between them, no one would guess they were sisters; they might as well be strangers.

"Sister, did you come for something today?"

After a while, Yukino, unable to sit still with her concerns, couldn't help but ask.

Haruno, still enjoying her fruit salad, smiled and presented the excuse she had prepared.

"Yukino-chan, it's already May, and summer is coming soon. You haven't bought new summer clothes this year, right? I came to take you shopping for new clothes."

"Hmm?" Yukino looked at Haruno in confusion.

When did her sister become so thoughtful and want to help her buy new clothes?

Not understanding the underlying intent, Yukino shook her head. "Sister, it's not necessary. I still have plenty of summer clothes from last year; it's enough."

"Are those from home? I remember you only bought three or five sets of summer clothes last year. Is that really enough? And given your situation now, shouldn't you get some more stylish summer clothes?"

Yukino was stunned.

How does my sister know I only bought three or five sets of summer clothes last year?

And what does she mean by my situation needing more stylish summer clothes? What does that even mean?

"Yukino-chan, you have a boyfriend now, right? That boy, what's his name again? Hoshimi Kiyokawa? Now that you have a boyfriend, shouldn't you dress up a bit more attractively? What if he runs off with someone else?"

Haruno teased with a smile, taking another bite of apple, deliberately making noise to distract Yukino.

"..." Yukino fell silent for a moment, then muttered in a sullen tone, "No need. I'm already cute as I am. I'll dress how I want. If he runs off with someone else, then he... must be blind."

At the end, Yukino's mind conjured up the image of Iwanaga Kotoko, and her tone unintentionally grew harsher.

"Hehe~ My silly little sister~" Haruno chuckled, glancing subtly at Yukino's bedroom door.

She put down the toothpick, moved closer to Yukino, and began giving her sisterly advice with a tone of experience.

"Yukino-chan, listen to me." Haruno raised her index finger, waving it in the air like a conductor.

"Men are visual creatures; the first thing they notice is your appearance."

"About your little boyfriend, I haven't talked much with him, so I'm not sure what he's like, but since you're dating him, you should get to know him better."

"At the very least, you need to see if he's the type who only looks at looks. If he is, then it's troublesome. He might fall in love with anyone, sleep with anyone, and break up with anyone."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't date freely, but you need to be clear about him first. Otherwise, if you're deceived, our mother will worry."

Yukino pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

"Oh, Yukino-chan, don't worry. I won't tell mother about this. You can tell her once you're sure everything is fine."

"Also, your boyfriend's identity is not simple. The likelihood of mother stopping you is low."

"But you should think carefully before making a decision. This is a lifetime commitment."

"You need to look carefully, seriously, and see if he's someone worth entrusting your life to."

Haruno, as an older sister, offered her advice with good intentions, but her eyes subtly glanced towards Yukino's bedroom door.

Yukino's apartment was stark and cold, with nothing to hide behind in the living room.

The study had only a desk and bookshelf, no place to hide a person.

The guest room was even less likely, just a bed with a solid base, impossible to hide someone.

The bathroom had been checked secretly, and no one was there. The kitchen was the same.

The only place left where someone could be hidden was Yukino's own bedroom.

Moreover, Yukino sat directly facing the bedroom door, glancing at it from time to time, which seemed to indicate that Hoshimi was hiding inside.

Haruno had considered that dragging Hoshimi out might not be a good strategy.

What could she do if she dragged him out? Confirm Hoshimi and Yukino's relationship?

That wasn't her goal. She wanted to create a rift between them, causing them to separate on their own.

To achieve this, all she needed to do was provoke Yukino-chan.

Honestly, she didn't want to confront Hoshimi directly.

Hoshimi's background was too troublesome, and dealing with him would be cumbersome.

Moreover, Hoshimi was smart, so going after him directly would be inefficient.

Therefore, targeting Yukino became the best option.

Additionally, just a few days ago, Hoshimi had personally handed her a knife, and now was the perfect time to use it.

Haruno leaned forward, whispering in Yukino's ear.

"Yukino-chan, what's up with that Iwanaga junior? Have you asked Hoshimi? Has he given any explanation?"

"..." Yukino remained silent, her elegant face as expressionless as a dead calm, completely concealing her emotions.

"Hmm~ Sorry, Yukino-chan. I shouldn't have brought this up." Haruno clasped her hands in apology, but the glint of mischief in her eyes betrayed her true intentions.

"Yukino-chan, as compensation, let me take you shopping for clothes! You can buy as much as you want!" Haruno said grandly, patting her chest.

"Hmm, okay." Yukino nodded slightly, her gaze lowered.

"Hmm??" Haruno was taken aback.

Yukino-chan actually agreed? She had only used this as an excuse; she thought Yukino wouldn't agree...

"Sister, I'll go change into clothes for going out. Please wait a moment."

Yukino stood up and expressionlessly headed towards her bedroom.

"..." Haruno's mouth twitched.

The provocation had worked quickly, but why wasn't she happy?

Was her sister too invested in Hoshimi?

Moreover, if they really went shopping for clothes, would her living expenses be enough? Several credit cards should still have some limit...

It should be fine, right?

Click---

Yukino entered her bedroom and locked the door behind her.

In the living room, Haruno, eager to see the outcome, temporarily forgot about the money issue. She stealthily approached the bedroom door and began listening intently.

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