This woman really is hard to deal with.
Looking at the smiling Yukinoshita Haruno, Sato couldn't help complaining to himself.
How should he put it?
He felt as though he was facing a little temptress, a mischievous little devil wrapped in the appearance of a beautiful college girl.
A devil's thoughts.
A devil's smile.
"Ara ara~ Young man, why did you suddenly stop talking?"
Seeing Sato fall silent, Haruno's lips curved into a playful smile.
He really was an interesting boy.
Sato decided not to indulge Haruno any further. Turning back toward the buffet table, he picked up a pair of tongs and began filling his plate without even looking at her.
"There's really nothing to say. Do whatever you want."
"Oh? Then I'll go let little Yukino hear it."
Haruno didn't seem convinced and spoke in a mock-threatening tone from behind him.
Sato didn't react at all. Instead, he leisurely sampled the spread of food before him.
He knew that the more he argued with Haruno, the more excited she'd become.
She was exactly the kind of person who delighted in teasing others. He had already realized that during the school festival.
More importantly, there really wasn't anything between him and Yukinoshita Yukino.
Hmm, this grilled meat is pretty good.
After tasting it, Sato nodded in satisfaction.
It wasn't on the level of Yukihira Jōichirō's cooking, or even Takanashi Tōka's, but it was still better than what most chefs could make.
Seeing that Sato genuinely didn't seem to care, Haruno puffed out her cheeks.
The gesture, childish as it was, looked surprisingly adorable on her rather than out of place.
He really was a difficult one to deal with.
But for the sake of her adorable little sister...
She wasn't going to give up that easily!
A determined gleam flashed through Haruno's eyes as she turned to him once more.
"Then, Nohara-kun, how about we dance together?"
"Dance?"
Holding his plate, Sato turned to look at the eager Haruno. Her gray eyes sparkled, showing no sign of giving up.
"Sorry. I don't know how."
"That's okay. I can teach you."
"But I don't want to learn."
Sato answered calmly, then casually speared a piece of steak with his fork and popped it into his mouth.
"Huh?"
Haruno glared at him with puffed cheeks as though she were upset, her voice carrying a hint of grievance.
"This is an invitation from a beautiful young lady, you know, Nohara-kun!"
"A young lady?"
Sato raised an eyebrow before looking at her seriously.
"Are you still considered a young lady after turning twenty?"
"Why wouldn't I be?!"
Haruno suddenly seemed to care very much about that question.
"Isn't that already heading toward thirty?"
"H... Heading toward thirty?"
Haruno stared at Sato with her mouth slightly open.
This was obviously the prime of youth, so how had it become "heading toward thirty" in his eyes?!
Looking at her dumbfounded expression, Sato couldn't help laughing.
"You see, once you've passed twenty, you're on your way to thirty. Isn't that what heading toward thirty means?"
Huh?
Was that how the phrase was supposed to be used?
Who says you're already heading toward thirty the moment you turn twenty?!
Haruno suddenly shot him a charming sideways glance.
"Nohara-kun certainly has a silver tongue."
For just a moment, she'd almost believed she was getting old.
But she'd only just turned twenty!
"This is the best time of my life, you know!"
She emphasized the point once more.
"Mm... Maybe."
Sato pretended to think it over before nodding in agreement.
"But if you're twenty and still don't have a boyfriend, wouldn't that be wasting the best years of your life? How about giving my suggestion from earlier another thought, Haruno-onee-san?"
Haruno looked at him with smiling eyes before suddenly laughing like the ringing of silver bells.
"It seems your big sister is still quite charming after all. Even though you have so many girls to choose from."
"Well, maybe I just like older women."
Sato replied with a smile.
His words reminded him of that brat Shinnosuke.
Who knew why a kid that young was already so devoted to older women?
"Oh? Is that so?"
Haruno was about to continue when the banquet hall suddenly fell quiet.
Both of them turned to look.
The crowd at the center of the venue had gradually made space, where a foreign man with short blond hair stood. Beside him was a graceful young woman.
If it wasn't Eriri, who else could it be?
At the moment, Eriri stood awkwardly beside the man, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention.
Unable to settle herself, she simply looked around, searching for Sato in the crowd.
Their eyes met.
Sato smiled and waved.
A smile instinctively appeared on Eriri's delicate, adorable face.
But the moment she noticed Yukinoshita Haruno standing beside him, that smile disappeared without a trace.
She stared straight at him, as if waiting for an explanation.
This girl...
Sato couldn't help smiling to himself, while Haruno watched the exchange with great interest.
Before long, the man beside Eriri finished his speech.
It was the usual welcome, thanking everyone for attending his daughter's birthday party and wishing everyone an enjoyable evening.
So this man was actually Eriri's father, the British diplomat.
With the speech over, Eriri was finally free.
Wearing an obviously displeased expression, she walked toward the two of them, her twin golden ponytails swaying with each step.
Eriri was dressed in a turquoise evening gown. She resembled a young lotus shoot just emerging in summer, giving off a fresh, breezy feeling. The hem of her dress reached just above her knees, revealing a section of smooth, jade-like calves that looked as pure as freshly unearthed lotus roots.
Eriri was in a very bad mood.
Her eyes stayed fixed on Yukinoshita Haruno standing beside Sato.
Another woman she'd never seen before.
Before she could say anything, Sato smiled and spoke first.
"Eriri, you look beautiful tonight."
"Huh?"
The unexpected compliment completely caught Eriri off guard.
She instinctively gripped the hem of her dress, her face flushing red as she stammered,
"Th... Thank you."