Yukino and Shinnosuke sat facing each other at the dining table. In front of Yukino, there were still uncleaned dishes.
Haruno noticed, in a corner of the room not far away, a puppy was yawning.
'This strong feeling of seeing a newlywed couple, what is this?'
'Where is my sweet and innocent little sister? Why has she become like this?'
This scene was too shocking for Haruno. Coupled with her previous imagination, it made her unable to think calmly at all.
"Haruno-nee, do you want rice?"
"Wa-want, huh?"
Seeing Shinnosuke get up to prepare rice and bacteria-free raw egg, Haruno felt helpless.
"Want tea?"
Seeing Haruno's expression, Yukino's heart unconsciously felt satisfied. It seemed she slightly understood why her sister always liked to tease her.
'In this sisterly confrontation, I am the winner!'
Having won a direct confrontation against Haruno for the first time, Yukino's mood was very good. She had just seen black tea in the side cabinet.
Without waiting for Haruno's reply, Yukino went to brew tea, as if she was very familiar with everything in this room.
Haruno unconsciously began to think hard.
'Nohara Shinnosuke, isn't he the boy Shizuka-chan mentioned?'
'Did they start dating? When did that happen?'
'No, it's only the beginning of the semester. They definitely haven't known each other for long. Today's incident must be a coincidence. From the conversation just now, it can be analyzed that this boy named Nohara Shinnosuke is very easy to get along with.'
'Something must have happened between the two of them for them to have dinner together.'
'The only thing worth noting is that the boy called my sister Yukinon, and she didn't object at all.'
After calming down a bit, Haruno realized something was wrong. Yukino must have deliberately been trying to irritate her. In that case, she might as well play along.
Soon after, Yukino brought the teapot of black tea. Shinnosuke had also prepared rice and bacteria-free raw egg, and cut up all the remaining ingredients and added them to the electric hot pot and closed it.
Although she knew it was just a misunderstanding, seeing their compact cooperation, Haruno's heart still ached.
'Yukinon has really grown up, daring to play tricks on her older sister.'
"Yukinon, don't you want to explain it to me? The relationship between you two."
Haruno looked very uneasy, not reaching out to accept the teacup Yukino offered, and also ignoring the tableware Shinnosuke placed beside her.
"As you can see, my relationship with Shinnosuke is just like this."
This was the first time Yukino had called Shinnosuke by his first name. Previously, she had always called him Nohara-kun.
"Oh? In that case, Mom must also know about this. When are you planning to bring Shinnosuke to meet Mom?"
Haruno's words once again made Yukino's whole body stiffen. Her life was over, she had gone too far.
Yukino didn't dare to imagine what her mother would say and do if she knew she was dating so early after starting school. Most importantly, she wasn't dating Shinnosuke at all! The two of them had only just met!
In an instant, Haruno regained the initiative. Seeing Yukino biting her lip tightly, she finally felt relieved.
'My sister is still my sweet little sister, nothing has changed, she's not secretly dating.'
"But, if Yukinon begs me, it doesn't mean I can't help you two hide this relationship."
"Yukino and I are just classmates. To be honest, I'm more interested in Haruno-nee."
Without waiting for Yukino's reply, Shinnosuke opened his mouth and broke the sisterly confrontation. The atmosphere was no longer so tense.
"Hmph, Nee-san, we're not dating, just having dinner together."
Haruno raised an eyebrow, looked at Shinnosuke, and became more interested in this brave young man.
"Oh, is that so? Nohara-kun wants to pursue me? Or could it be that you're interested in both of us sisters?"
If it were an ordinary high school student, hearing Haruno's words would definitely make them feel confused, right? But Shinnosuke didn't panic at all, and Haruno even saw a hint of disgust on his face.
'How dare he be disgusted by her and Yukino?'
"I like the sexy, beautiful, and gentle type. Although Haruno-nee has a sexy body and a beautiful face, she has absolutely nothing to do with the word gentle."
'Gentle... has nothing to do with it?'
The truth was indeed a double-edged sword. Haruno's gentleness was just a pretense; she was not a gentle person at all. This was the first time she had met someone who spoke so directly, and for a moment she felt a little confused.
"Pfft—"
Yukino couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
This was the first time Shinnosuke had seen Yukino smile. The smiling Yukino was much more beautiful than the cold-faced one.
"Alright, Nee-san, hurry up and eat. It's cold, if you've been drinking but haven't eaten, your stomach will definitely feel bad."
Yukino's words stunned Haruno for a moment. Was this really her sister? Why was she so obedient?
Yukino didn't think too much. For some reason, having Shinnosuke by her side made the atmosphere less tense. Her relationship with her sister, on second thought, wasn't that tense.
Maybe it was because the sukiyaki was too delicious, Haruno also relaxed. How long had it been since she had eaten with Yukino like this?
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Soon after, Haruno and Shinnosuke began to chat amiably. The two became increasingly enthusiastic as they talked, as if they had just met but already felt close.
"Haruno-nee, I didn't expect you to understand so well! Beef is indeed the most delicious when you devour it all at once!"
"That's right! The aroma of beef and the aroma of rice blend perfectly! Truly delicious."
As a woman skilled in socializing, it was very easy for Haruno to become familiar with Shinnosuke.
This was also a forced choice Haruno made after several silent confrontations with Shinnosuke. She was completely helpless against Shinnosuke.
Yukino saw her sister rendered helpless in front of a peer for the first time, and her mood was excellent.
However, no feast lasts forever. Shinnosuke and Yukino were already full. Haruno, who had a good appetite, watched the two of them finish all the remaining sukiyaki.
After finishing eating, Yukino took the initiative to help clean up the leftovers. Haruno reopened the conversation.
"I heard from Shizuka-chan that you and Yukinon are in the same club. In that case, Yukinon will be troubling you in the future."
"It's precisely me who needs to change her twisted personality! Every day at school she's showing off her charms, don't you really know that those girls are all children of wealthy families?"
Yukino's voice came from the kitchen, full of dissatisfaction.
"Children of wealthy families?"
Haruno was a little confused, not quite understanding what Yukino was saying.
Yukino was not only good at cooking but also versatile in household chores. Soon after, she finished cleaning everything up.
"Alright, Nee-san, don't bother Nohara-kun anymore. Hurry up and go home."
While in the kitchen, Yukino looked outside and only then realized it was already very late. Continuing to stay at Shinnosuke's house was a bit inappropriate.