The clash between the sisters was interrupted by another unexpected development.
Still, the relationship between them, which had only recently improved a little, had once again taken a turn for the worse.
Yukino knew perfectly well that her sister couldn't hear Saku's inner voice. Otherwise, Haruno wouldn't have waited until now to make a move.
Because of that, Yukino couldn't tell whether her sister was genuinely serious or merely doing what she'd always done and treating everything as an amusing game.
But one fact was undeniable.
Haruno had never been this physically close to another man.
Not once.
Not even with male relatives.
That was why Yukino genuinely couldn't tell anymore.
Whatever Haruno's intentions were, Yukino still found the situation deeply uncomfortable.
As for why?
Perhaps, maybe, possibly...
She simply couldn't accept the thought of Saku becoming her brother-in-law.
If those two actually got together, they'd probably team up and irritate her to death.
Haruno had no idea what Yukino was thinking.
She only knew this was exciting.
Saku was entertaining.
Teasing Yukino was even more entertaining.
And beneath all that was one tiny feeling Haruno didn't particularly want to admit.
She envied Yukino's good fortune.
Sooner or later, Haruno would probably enter an arranged marriage.
So before that day came, perhaps she could afford to be selfish for herself just once.
And if the person happened to be Saku...
That didn't sound completely unacceptable.
He was handsome.
He was interesting.
What was there to dislike?
Would that affect Yukino?
Haruno wasn't particularly worried.
The Yukinoshita family was traditional in many ways, but it wouldn't necessarily care if a future husband had several close female companions, as long as the family's interests weren't harmed.
The fantasy flickered through Haruno's mind for only an instant.
By the time she looked up again, she and Saku were both staring toward the opposite end of the Bamboo Grove path.
A girl was approaching.
She wore glasses and had shoulder-length hair, giving her a quiet, gentle appearance.
She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she was certainly pleasant-looking, with a petite and delicate air about her.
Haruno vaguely recognized her.
She'd occasionally seen the girl around Hayama, usually together with that Miura girl.
Beyond that, Haruno knew very little.
She simply wasn't someone worth paying attention to.
"Hey, hey."
Haruno poked Saku's arm.
"Who's that?"
Then she leaned toward his ear to ask.
The sweet, cloying scent drifted over with the gentle breeze, reaching Saku's nostrils.
It smelled wonderful — not the scent of body wash, but a natural body scent, just like Utaha's and Mai's.
There was a saying that body scent and body odor were both pheromones secreted by glands; it was simply a matter of social acceptance that made one seem pleasant and the other not.
Saku didn't know whether that was true or not, but Haruno's scent genuinely did smell wonderful, and with her sweet, playful voice speaking right beside his ear, it created a tingling, almost numbing sensation.
Before Saku could answer, Yukino pulled her sister away.
"Her name is Ebina Hina. She's one of Hayama's friends."
"Huh? No fair."
Haruno pouted.
"I wanted my little brother to tell me."
"That's enough."
Yukino glared at her.
"Keep this up and I'll tell Mother."
Haruno froze.
Wasn't that usually her favorite method for keeping Yukino under control?
She hadn't expected the same weapon to be turned against her one day.
「Yukino's mother... come to think of it, I don't think her name was ever mentioned in the anime.」
「But from what I've heard, she's a super-sized Yukino, and also a larger version of Haruno.」
「If I get the chance, I'd actually like to meet her. Anyone who gave birth to two daughters like these has to be a great beauty herself.」
Yukino shot Saku a vicious look, her teeth practically itching with irritation.
Lusting after her mother was one thing. That part was true.
But why was she apparently the base unit Saku used to describe the entire family?
Haruno couldn't hear any of this.
All she saw was Yukino glaring at Saku again.
She couldn't help sighing internally.
'Yukino, Yukino...'
'You'll never win over a boy if you keep glaring at him like that.'
Then again, there was always Hikigaya.
Haruno genuinely supported her sister choosing her own romantic partner.
The problem was that Hikigaya didn't exactly meet the standards for marrying into the Yukinoshita family.
Of course, Yukino wasn't the family heir, so it wasn't necessarily a serious problem.
Haruno was different.
She would either enter an arranged marriage or take a marry-in husband.
And whoever married into the family had to be capable enough to elevate the Yukinoshita family even further.
At minimum, he needed enough ability to preserve the family legacy.
That meant Haruno couldn't afford to be careless about marriage.
Nor could she freely marry purely for love.
All she could do was hope that her eventual husband would be capable, someone she genuinely liked, and someone who genuinely liked her in return.
Unfortunately, the odds of finding all three in one person seemed painfully low.
But if the project Saku had promised actually succeeded...
Then perhaps Saku really could become an almost perfect candidate.
If that day ever came...
Haruno might genuinely have to apologize to her little sister.
...
Among the bamboo, everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, the brave warrior Tobe had become so nervous his stomach was practically cramping.
He kept trying to encourage himself.
Yet his feet refused to move.
At this moment, he didn't look toward Hayama.
Instead, he turned to Hikigaya, the person who had spent all this time giving him advice and helping him prepare.
At least for this one moment, Hikigaya had surpassed Hayama in Tobe's heart.
After all, Hayama, his supposed big bro, had once tried to convince him to give up.
If your big bro couldn't support you when it actually mattered, what good was he?
Was he just there so everyone could kiss his boots?
Unfortunately for Tobe...
The moment he turned toward Hikigaya, Hikigaya suddenly moved first.
He rushed forward.
Tobe's brain stopped working for a second.
'Huh?'
'Bro?'
'Why are you running ahead of me?'
'Wait.'
'Don't go over there! That's my goddess!'
'What are you doing?!'
There wasn't even time to ask.
Tobe forgot his nervousness completely and immediately chased after him, hoping to drag Hikigaya back.
But he was already too late.
"I like you, Ebina!"
Hikigaya forced the most practiced smile he could manage.
It looked somewhat twisted.
But he truly put everything he had into it.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
He even knew what consequences would follow.
And yet, he still did it.
Before Ebina could respond, Hikigaya continued.
"But you probably don't like me."
"So... let's just leave it at that."
"You can pretend this never happened."
"You don't even have to answer."
Ebina froze for only a few seconds.
Then she understood exactly what Hikigaya was trying to accomplish.
Her gaze softened as she looked at him, and she gave him a genuinely sincere smile.
She hadn't known what method Hikigaya would use to fulfill her request.
So what he'd just done truly stunned her.
Surely, Hikigaya understood what this would do to him afterward.
Yet despite knowing that, he'd still chosen to help her without hesitation.
Ebina didn't know what anyone else would think.
But at that moment, she was genuinely moved by Hikigaya's kindness.
And so, for the first time, she showed him a side of herself that she normally kept hidden.
It lasted only a few seconds.
The moment she noticed Tobe rushing over from behind, Ebina's expression changed.
Her face became serious.
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you for liking me."
"But right now, I don't intend to date anyone."
"And I don't think I'll fall in love with anyone either."
She paused.
"Just being able to stay together with everyone like this is already enough for me."
"I don't want anything to change."
"So..."
"I'm really sorry."
By then, Tobe had finally reached Hikigaya.
And he'd heard every word.
Ebina wasn't rejecting Hikigaya specifically.
She'd clearly stated that she didn't want a relationship with anyone and didn't want their current situation to change.
Ebina glanced briefly at Tobe.
She didn't linger.
Instead, she turned and walked away, leaving Hikigaya to handle what came next.
Hikigaya immediately understood.
He patted Tobe on the shoulder.
"You heard her."
"That's how it is."
"She doesn't want to date anyone."
"...Yeah."
Tobe looked conflicted.
"I get that. But..."
"Even so, I still wanted to..."
He stopped and scratched his head in frustration.
"Ah, damn it. You..."
"Forget it."
"What's done is done."
Even Tobe wasn't stupid enough to miss what had happened.
Hikigaya had deliberately confessed first.
As long as Tobe never confessed, his confession couldn't fail.
And technically, the request had been completed.
Understanding it was one thing.
Accepting it was another.
Tobe had genuinely wanted to confess properly.
Even if Ebina rejected him, he still wanted to say those feelings himself.
Now that opportunity was gone.
At the perfect moment, Hayama finally stepped forward and comforted him.
"Come on, Tobe."
"This result isn't necessarily bad."
"You wouldn't want Ebina to feel pressured either, right?"
Hearing that, Tobe still felt unwilling.
But in the end...
He could only accept it.
…