บท 136: Ch 136. Morning Shura Field
In the morning, the first thing Hoshimi, Yukino, and Kotoko did upon waking was surprisingly consistent: they all went to bathe and clean themselves before attending to other preparations.
Soon after, Kotoko, who was attended to comprehensively by the maids, was the first to finish and leave the house.
At this moment, Yukino, with her cheeks flushed, had just wrapped herself in a towel and walked out of the bathroom, while Hoshimi was still lounging in the bath, enjoying himself with his eyes closed.
Time continued to pass smoothly...
At 7:40 AM, as Hoshimi took the elevator down, he happened to meet Yukino.
"Good morning~ Yukino-chan."
"I told you not to call me Yukino-chan," Yukino said as she entered the elevator, her gaze fixed disapprovingly on Hoshimi.
"Alright, Yukino-chan, no problem, Yukino-chan."
"Ugh~" Yukino stared at Hoshimi for a moment before sighing, as if resigning to something.
She walked to Hoshimi's left side and, with a neutral expression, greeted him with a morning salutation, "Good morning, Hoshimi."
"Oh~" Hoshimi responded and, taking the opportunity, held Yukino's hand.
Whether it was due to her physical condition or some other reason, Yukino's hand was always cold.
Though it felt nice to hold in his palm, it made him worry whether Yukino might have some issues.
"Hoshimi."
"Hmm?"
"Your hair is still wet." Yukino raised her other free hand and pointed to a strand of damp hair on the back left side of Hoshimi's head.
Hoshimi shrugged nonchalantly, "It's fine. It'll dry once I'm out in the wind."
"..." Yukino gave Hoshimi a sideways glance and said nothing more. She kept her gaze forward, lost in thought.
Hoshimi, smiling all the while, did not bring up any new topics. He held Yukino's cold hand, lightly squeezing it, occasionally tracing her palm with his fingertip.
Yukino didn't show much reaction, only responding with small, similar traces on Hoshimi's palm as a minor form of retaliation.
The subtle physical contact between them evoked an indescribable, tingling sensation in their hearts.
Ding—
As the elevator reached the first floor, the two of them walked out, leaving the apartment and heading onto the street, their small interactions never ceasing.
When they reached the street, Yukino's earlobes suddenly reddened, and she said softly with a hint of reproach, "If we're holding hands, let's do it properly without fidgeting."
"Alright, my cute Yukino." Hoshimi smiled and changed their hand-holding to interlocking fingers.
This hand-holding position was more intimate but made it harder to fidget since the fingers were intertwined.
They continued walking down the street with their fingers interlocked, enjoying the serene morning.
The gentle breeze and warm sunlight added a special flavor to their quiet moment.
The bustling passersby and the flowing traffic only highlighted the intimacy and silence between them.
Unfortunately, this silent intimacy didn't last long. After passing two intersections, they saw Kotoko standing on the opposite side of the road.
"Hoshimi, Yukinoshita-senpai, good morning~"
Across the road, Kotoko waved cheerfully and greeted them.
"...." Yukino frowned imperceptibly. From Kotoko's bright smile, she sensed some ill intentions.
She remained silent and followed Hoshimi across the road.
While Hoshimi and Kotoko chatted, Yukino observed this somewhat different junior without revealing her thoughts.
"Good morning, Kotoko. How did you know I'd pass by here on my way to school?" Hoshimi asked, ruffling Kotoko's hair.
Today, Kotoko was not wearing her usual white dress but had changed into the black uniform of Sobu High School.
The top was nothing remarkable, flat like Yukino's. However, the black plaid skirt and over-the-knee black stockings gave a fresh look. Kotoko, who usually wore white stockings, looked refreshingly new in black stockings.
Adding to this were her round-toe shoes and Kotoko's petite frame, which made the black Sobu High uniform look unexpectedly cute.
"Kotoko, it looks great~" Hoshimi praised, rubbing Kotoko's head.
"Of course." Kotoko puffed out her chest confidently, though the lack of volume somewhat diminished her confidence.
"Kotoko, you haven't answered my previous question."
"Hmm? Isn't it obvious? Can't you figure it out yourself?" Kotoko covered her mouth in surprise, looking at Hoshimi as if she had just discovered how clueless he was.
"Well~ I just wanted to confirm if you found out through classmates."
"Yes."
"Alright." Hoshimi gently rubbed Kotoko's head.
It seemed that a too-perfect persona had its drawbacks. The schoolgirls were too focused on him, tracking his daily route to school, and this information had even become something that could be spread around.
This made him slightly concerned about his safety, in various senses...
"Yukinoshita-senpai, could you not scrutinize me?" Kotoko suddenly turned to Yukino with a hint of distress, saying, "I know I'm cute, but I don't like being looked at strangely by someone of the same sex. I'm already attached to someone. What if it's misunderstood?"
"..." Yukino frowned, withdrew her gaze, and said indifferently, "Kotoko, you're overthinking it."
"Really?" Kotoko twirled her cane and asked with a hint of deeper meaning, "If that's the case, why were you secretly observing me, Yukinoshita-senpai? Are you looking for flaws from a rival's perspective, or do you know something?"
"..." Yukino fell silent. She squeezed Hoshimi's hand, signaling him to address the issue.
In reality, Yukino was observing Kotoko's prosthetic limbs and artificial eye. Such matters couldn't be spoken of directly as it would seem too disrespectful, so it was better for Hoshimi, who was familiar with Kotoko, to handle it.
"Ahem~" Hoshimi, receiving the hint, cleared his throat and began, "Kotoko..."
Before Hoshimi could finish, Kotoko raised her voice, cutting him off.
"Yukinoshita-senpai, it must be Hoshimi who told you about my situation, right? You were just verifying the truth of Hoshimi's words, weren't you?"
At these words, Hoshimi's mouth twitched.
Good grief, wasn't it just last night that he said there wouldn't be too much fighting?
Why did it start so early today? And right from the beginning with attempts at sowing discord.
However, he was not like Yuigahama Yui, and he wouldn't be overly sensitive or fall for such obvious schemes.
Kotoko's words likely meant he should stay out of this, and she wanted to test Yukino's demeanor as a rival.
Having confirmed Kotoko's intention, Hoshimi chose to observe with interest.
Meanwhile, provoked by the challenge, Yukino decided to confront it head-on.
"Yes," Yukino affirmed.
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