Bab 219: Ch 219. Haruno: Yukino, Your Sister is Here to Save You!
In the living room, the three of them sat in different postures, each with different expressions.
Hoshimi, with a faint bruise at the corner of his eye, sat on the single sofa, covering his neck. He looked at Yukino, hesitating to say something.
Yukino, who was also sitting on a single sofa, maintained her usual elegant posture.
She sat there without any sign of sadness or joy, her eyes devoid of any emotion, as if she were a statue of ice and snow—silent and cold. However, her reddened ears and the tightly clenched pink fists betrayed the fact that she was far from calm inside.
As for Miss Kotoko, she appeared particularly miserable. Occupying the long sofa, her clothes and hair were in disarray, as though she had just suffered abuse.
Of course, this wouldn't have seemed so tragic if not for the fact that her left leg was missing.
At this moment, Kotoko's prosthetic leg lay alone in the corner of the long sofa, silently narrating the fierce battle that had just occurred.
Moments ago, an intense "battle" broke out in Yukino's apartment.
Hoshimi had rushed to the kitchen to search for the secret, while Kotoko was supposed to hold Yukino back. Kotoko obeyed, but within three seconds, she was subdued by Yukino.
Fortunately, Yukino still had some rationality and didn't pin Kotoko to the ground. Instead, she tossed her onto the soft sofa.
Immediately afterward, Yukino was about to head to the kitchen to stop Hoshimi from searching. However, Kotoko, having recovered her senses, unwillingly grabbed Yukino's clothes.
"I am the 'Goddess of Wisdom,' the 'Yokai Priestess'! How can I be subdued by a mere high school girl in one move?! Impossible! I don't believe it! You must have cheated! Let's do it again! I won't lose this time!"
Then, Yukino sent Kotoko's prosthetic leg flying...
By the way, their clash didn't last more than five moves. Kotoko made the first three attacks, but Yukino seized the right moment and subdued Kotoko in two moves, accidentally knocking off her prosthetic leg in the process.
The confrontation was neither intense nor alluring—after all, it was just a struggle between two fully covered "flat" girls, with nothing much to look at.
After sending Kotoko's prosthetic leg flying, Yukino froze for a moment. However, there was no time to dwell on it, so she quickly turned toward the kitchen to stop Hoshimi, who was already rummaging through its contents.
Hoshimi then experienced firsthand the combat prowess of the second Miss Yukinoshita...
Stimulated by the imminent exposure of her secret, Yukinoshita's second daughter unleashed her full power, holding nothing back. Within a few rounds, she had Hoshimi pinned beneath her.
Hoshimi, sensing the presence of a big secret, was not about to give up. Using all his strength and leveraging his male physical advantage, he counterattacked Yukino, making their fight a stalemate for a while.
During the struggle, Yukino, who was proficient in Aikido, managed to deal considerable damage to Hoshimi. After taking a few hits passively, Hoshimi had a bright idea. Seizing an opportunity, he initiated his ability "Dreams" that lasted over ten minutes, finally subduing the rampaging Yukino.
The injuries on Hoshimi's neck and the corner of his eye were the results of Yukino's resistance during the use of his dreams. The marks on his neck were from several knife-hand strikes, while the bruising at the corner of his eye came from Yukino's scratches.
It was precisely because Yukino had inadvertently injured the corner of Hoshimi's eye that she stopped resisting, allowing him to continue his ability.
As for the final outcome, it lay on the coffee table in plain view—the secret Yukino had tried so hard to hide was now exposed to everyone.
Hoshimi looked at the plate containing the deliberately carved stick-shaped taro, his expression becoming complicated.
From the faint bite marks and subtle lick traces on one end of the taro, it was evident that Yukino had been using it to practice certain techniques.
Along with the taro, there were stick-shaped popcorn bars, carrots, and a half-melted ice pop—all irrefutable evidence...
To be honest, Hoshimi had never imagined that Yukino was hiding such a delicate secret. It was clear she had been practicing these techniques to prepare herself mentally in advance.
Had he known her secret in advance, he would have refused to cooperate with Kotoko and, instead, would have helped Yukino cover it up.
This kind of private matter should ideally stay just between him and Yukino; having a third party know was not ideal...
After all, Yukinoshita's second daughter was an upright person. How could she let others discover she was secretly practicing such techniques?
Therefore, Hoshimi found himself at a loss for words.
Should he comfort Yukino? Probably not. At this moment, trying to comfort Yukino in front of a third person (Kotoko) would be no different than adding fuel to the fire.
Should he just say something to brush it off?
He glanced at Kotoko, who was eyeing him like a predator ready to pounce.
That didn't seem feasible either. Judging by Kotoko's expression, she clearly wouldn't let this go easily.
Having been subdued in just a few moves, Kotoko was clearly holding a grudge. Now that she had an opportunity, there was no way she wouldn't strike back.
So, what should he do now?
Hoshimi fell into a brief contemplation.
"Yukinoshita-senpai~ Who knew you had such a wild side~ How is it? How does the taro compare to Hoshimi's..."
Just as Hoshimi was pondering a solution, Kotoko began her attack, smirking sinisterly as she stared at Yukino.
But she had only gotten a few words out when Yukino's phone rang, like a timely rescue.
"Ring-ring-ring~~~ Ring-ring-ring~~~"
Yukino calmly took out her phone and glanced at it.
"Caller: Sister"
Why was her sister calling at this time?
Feeling puzzled, Yukino silently answered the call.
"Hello, hello~ Yukino-chan, are you at home?"
Haruno's voice came through the receiver. The room was so quiet that not only Yukino but even the distant Hoshimi and Kotoko could barely hear it.
Kotoko temporarily lowered her flags of attack, waiting for Yukino to finish the call before continuing her revenge.
"I'm at home. Is there something you need, sister?" Yukino glanced at Hoshimi before replying calmly.
"I'm coming over to talk to you about something, so I thought I'd check if you're home first to avoid a wasted trip."
"Huh?" Yukino grew even more puzzled.
In the past, her sister would never notify her before coming over.
Besides, her sister had a key to the apartment. Even if she wasn't there, Haruno could enter and wait.
So this advance notice seemed a bit strange.
But...
Yukino's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Kotoko.
It was perfect timing. If her sister were coming over, she'd have an excuse to kick out this annoying little brat.
Oh, right, that bastard Hoshimi had to be driven away too!
As for the oddity of the advance notice, she would find out once her sister arrived.
"Sister, I'm home. When will you arrive?" Yukino's cold tone carried a slight sense of relief.
Normally, she would have responded with, "What is it? Can't you say it over the phone?"
But today was different. Without her sister's intervention, she really didn't know how to handle this situation.
When her secret was exposed, she had the urge to drag everyone present down with her. If Kotoko were to mock her further, she might actually lose control...
"Yukino-chan, I'm already on my way and will be there soon."
Hearing Haruno's reply, Yukino's tense body involuntarily relaxed. She suppressed the joy in her heart and replied coldly, "Alright, I'll wait for you at home, sister."
Honestly, it was the first time she had ever felt happy about her sister visiting. It was also the first time she realized the positive side of having an older sister...
Sister, your timing couldn't be better...
"Got it. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I can bring it over."
"No."
"Alright, I'll hang up then. See you soon~"
"Beep—beep—"
The call ended, and Yukino put away her phone. Without any expression, she issued an order to Hoshimi and Kotoko, "Hoshimi, Iwanaga-san, it's time for you to leave."
"Alright, we'll go now." Hoshimi seized the opportunity, stood up immediately, and went over to Kotoko to help her put on her prosthetic leg, preparing to take her away.
"Hoshimi, wait." Kotoko used her white-socked foot to press against Hoshimi's abdomen. She turned her head to look at Yukino, smiling sweetly, "Yukinoshita-senpai, since we're your friends, why not let us meet your sister? I promise not to reveal your secret~"
As she spoke, Kotoko raised her chin and pointed to the various stick-shaped items on the coffee table, clearly threatening Yukino.
"Hmph!" Yukino snorted coldly, staring expressionlessly at Kotoko and said, "Iwanaga-san, we're not exactly friends, and you have no right to meddle in the family affairs between me and my sister. Could I trouble you to leave?"
"Oh, is that so..." Kotoko tilted her head, her smile sweet and sugary as she said, "I don't have the right to involve myself in the family matters of Yukinoshita-senpai, but what about Hoshimi? Does Hoshimi have the right to get involved in your family affairs?"
"..." Yukino did not answer, but her gaze grew even colder.
She no longer paid attention to Kotoko and instead turned her head towards Hoshimi, speaking in a cold tone, "Hoshimi, my sister is coming over. Could I ask you to give us some private space?"
Hoshimi said nothing, simply making an "ok" gesture.
Right now, Yukino was like a time bomb grasping at a lifeline. If she was saved, everything would be fine, but if she wasn't, she would completely explode.
With long-term considerations in mind, the best choice now was to quickly take Kotoko, this "flint," far away.
Once Yukino felt she had been "saved," then they could handle the follow-up matters.
Having made his decision, Hoshimi grabbed Kotoko's little white-socked foot, leaned close to her ear, and softly persuaded, "Kotoko, stop teasing Yukino. If you continue, she'll really explode. Let's leave for now. Anyway, you already know her secret, so you can tease her with it later. Come on, be good~ Let's call it a day~"
While Hoshimi was speaking, he didn't stop what he was doing. His left hand was tidying Kotoko's hair, while his right hand was straightening out her dress.
After finishing, he fetched the prosthetic leg from the corner of the sofa and squatted down to carefully put it on Kotoko.
"Tch~"
Looking at Hoshimi squatting in front of her, Kotoko puffed out her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction.
Secrets have a time limit; if you don't use them today, they won't work later.
She was sure that as soon as they stepped out of Yukinoshita's house today, Yukinoshita would never acknowledge this incident again!
Moreover, with Yukinoshita's cold and lofty image outside, who would believe she would do such things in private? In that case, this secret would be even more useless in the future.
"All done. Kotoko, let's go." After attaching the prosthetic leg, Hoshimi grasped Kotoko's soft little hand and squeezed it gently.
"Hmm~ I'm injured and can't get up without Hoshimi's hug~" Unwilling to give up, Kotoko tried to find balance from another angle, clinging to the sofa and acting spoiled with her petite figure.
"..." Hoshimi, helpless, could only face Yukino's icy gaze as he leaned down and scooped Kotoko up in a "princess carry."
"All right, here's your hug." With that, Hoshimi quickly made his escape with Kotoko in his arms.
Soon after, at the entryway, Hoshimi braced himself under Yukino's watchful gaze as he helped Kotoko put on her shoes.
Hmm, without even looking back, he knew Yukino was standing at the end of the entryway, watching him...
After all, Yukino's cold gaze was far too piercing; that feeling of needles on his back, thorns at his neck, was all too familiar...
After putting on Kotoko's shoes, Hoshimi didn't look back to bid farewell to Yukino. Carrying Kotoko on his back, he wordlessly opened the door and slipped away.
However, from an angle that Hoshimi couldn't see, Kotoko had been provocatively smiling at Yukino the whole time.
Only when the door closed did Yukino and Kotoko's gazes finally break.
...
Before long, downstairs, in the quiet of the night, Hoshimi, who had temporarily relaxed, carried Kotoko as they walked forward.
As they continued, Kotoko suddenly murmured softly in Hoshimi's ear, "Hoshimi, do you think I should move here too?"
"..." Hoshimi didn't answer, merely pinching Kotoko's springy thigh in response.
"Hmm~" Kotoko, unable to decipher exactly what Hoshimi meant, puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
It was today that she finally realized Hoshimi treated her and Yukinoshita differently...
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