Returning home, Yukino placed her schoolbag on the cabinet in the entryway. Looking down at the extra pair of shoes that appeared out of nowhere, her exquisite small face remained expressionless, but her eyes revealed a few traces of helplessness.
Why here again?
"Yukino-chan is back?"
Looking at Haruno, who was leaning against the sofa back with a glass of red wine, sitting and standing improperly, Yukino couldn't help asking: "Don't you have your own things to do?"
Coming to her house every day, doesn't Mother really have any objections?
Seems not, even quite supportive, because in Yukinoshita Mother's view, Haruno came to take care of her sister Yukino.
But Yukino always felt that her sister was completely using the excuse of taking care of her to hide from their mother here.
And... Yukino looked at the beauty with slightly flushed face, obviously tipsy. Who is taking care of whom, hey!
"Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for health. Tidy up; we'll have dinner later." Yukino said grumpily.
Obviously the older sister, but every time she comes here, I cook. She has absolutely no intention of taking care of her younger sister.
...Although she indeed doesn't need the other party's care.
Thinking this way, Yukino took out a light blue hair tie from her pocket, tied up her shoulder-length hair, went to the kitchen to put on an apron, then opened the refrigerator and took out the ingredients needed for tonight.
Because of an extra mouth to feed, Yukino planned to cook one more dish. Fortunately, she dragged Shinra to the supermarket to buy a lot of ingredients on the way home from school yesterday, so there was no need to worry about insufficient ingredients.
Haruno leaned over to look, saying with satisfaction: "Very sumptuous~"
Then she was ordered by Yukino to process the ingredients.
If Haruno doesn't help actively, can't Yukino make her help actively?
Eating for free? Dream on!
While processing ingredients, Haruno looked for topics.
"You should be going on a school trip next week, right?"
In previous years, the second-year high school trip was around this time. As Haruno, who always paid attention to her sister's movements, knowing about the school trip wouldn't be surprising.
"Mm." Yukino responded without following up.
Haruno didn't mind. She said as if sighing about youth: "So nice~ School trip."
Although Haruno was still just a university student, sighing about the school trip seemed fine because there were no school trips in university.
School trips belong to elementary, junior high, and high school stages, exclusive collective activity memories for Japanese students.
"So still going to Kyoto this time?" Haruno asked.
Kyoto and Tokyo are located in the west and east of Japan respectively. The former was once the capital of Japan, and the latter is the current capital. Sobu High is located in Chiba City, within the Tokyo metropolitan area. The school trip aims to let students understand their country's culture more comprehensively, so arranging the location in Kyoto is a matter of course.
Going to Kyoto for a school trip can be considered the ancestral law of Sobu High.
"Yes. Do you want me to bring you souvenirs?" Yukino didn't hide it because there was nothing to hide. Her sister was also a student of Sobu High. When she went on the school trip back then, she brought souvenirs for Yukino, which was a literary peripheral, and Yukino liked it quite a bit.
"That's so embarrassing~" Hearing her sister wanted to bring souvenirs for her, Haruno's beautiful eyes narrowed into a slit, while saying words of refusal.
"Then forget it." Yukino didn't indulge Haruno's hypocritical refusal at all.
"Eh eh eh! No, souvenirs are a must."
Seeing Yukino seemed really not planning to bring gifts for her, Haruno immediately became unhappy.
Then she rolled her eyes and asked: "Can I choose the type?"
"Up to you." Yukino didn't know what her sister wanted. If the other party could say it herself, it would save her the trouble of thinking.
After dinner, Haruno held her phone and began to select the items she wanted on it.
It had to be said that the Internet was indeed the greatest invention of the 21st century, allowing her to understand Kyoto-specific products clearly and intuitively without leaving home.
Looking at the dazzling array of items on the website, Haruno was dazzled. She collected a basket of products in total. Finally, placing them in front of Yukino directly made several black lines appear on Yukino's forehead.
Knowing it's souvenirs; those who don't know would think you plan to stock up from me.
So many things; even if she bought them all, she had to be able to bring them back.
Moreover, Yukino not only had to bring souvenirs for Haruno alone. Not to mention distant ones, Father and Mother also had to have some, right?
If really buying according to the list listed by Haruno, Yukino might as well skip the school trip and go there directly to buy, buy, buy.
"Only one item!"
Yukino strictly limited the number of souvenirs, ordering Haruno to reduce the list to only one.
"Eh—"
"Eh is useless!"
Facing Haruno's wailing, Yukino's heart was as hard as ice, unmoved.
Seeing her sister so 'heartless', Haruno had to start the screening work unwillingly. Unknown if she knew long ago that Yukino couldn't tolerate her picking so many things, anyway, Haruno quickly reduced the souvenir list to only two.
And the remaining two options seemed to make Haruno very tangled; she didn't want to give up either. Seeing this situation, Yukino thought if only two, maybe she could make an exception.
After all, she is my sister...
Just as Yukino planned to speak, Haruno clapped her hands and said: "Decided!"
Yukino took back the words on her lips, planning to listen to the following.
"You buy this one, Yukino. As for the other one, leave it to Shinra."
Yukino: #
Looking at Haruno who seemed intoxicated by her world-shaking wisdom, Yukino felt her chest was going to develop for the second time due to anger.
So you tangled for half a day, planning to let Shinra bring you souvenirs?
How shameless!
However, Haruno didn't care about this or that. She took a screenshot of the list and planned to send the picture to Shinra.
Yukino snatched Haruno's phone, deleted the message she just edited, and said suppressing her anger: "No need to trouble him. Just two, right? I'll bring them for you."
Haruno was stunned, then revealed a playful smile. She said: "Oh my, is this... being jealous?"
"No." Yukino wore a grumpy cat face, "Are you very familiar with him? Asking him to bring souvenirs for you!"
The face of the Yukinoshita family has been lost by you! Yukino thought indignantly.
"Okay, okay, not like I won't pay. Just asking Shinra to help bring something. Human favor, this kind of thing, needs coming and going to last long." Haruno didn't think she had a problem.
In her opinion, troubling people is also an art. Small things like helping to buy things not only won't make the other party feel troubled but can promote the relationship between both parties. Why not do it?
On the contrary, Yukino not wanting to trouble others for anything makes people feel distant easily. In relationships between men and women, the most important point is to make the other party feel needed.
"That's not okay either." Yukino kept a straight face. Saying coming and going to last long, what long-term relationship do you want with Shinra?
Seeing Yukino like this, Haruno understood what the other party was thinking. While finding it funny in her heart, she didn't mean to stimulate her anymore.
"Fine if not okay. By the way, I remember except for following the large group on the first day of the school trip, the remaining two days seem to be free activities, right?"
"Group action on the second day, individual action on the third day."
"Pretty much. So where do you plan to go on the second day? Kinkaku-ji?"
Yukino said vaguely: "Pretty much. These things are decided by other members in the group."
Haruno knew Yukino too well. Seeing her vague appearance anxious to clear herself, she knew this itinerary wouldn't be simple.
She asked almost without thinking: "So Shinra and his group are also going to Kinkaku-ji?"
Yukino's breathing stagnated, but soon returned to normal. She replied in as flat a tone as possible: "Should be. I don't know."
Don't know? I don't think so.
Haruno gave Yukino a meaningful look, making Yukino feel uncomfortable all over. She planned to explain something but found she didn't know how to explain.
Coincidence?
Yukino dared to confirm her sister definitely wouldn't believe it.
Just as Yukino's brain was running fast, Haruno stood up from the sofa.
"Where are you going?" Yukino asked subconsciously.
"Sleep. Where else can I go?" Haruno yawned. It was getting late, plus she drank a little wine, so it was indeed time to go back to the room to sleep.
In addition, Haruno knew very well that too much is as bad as too little. Just teasing her sister a little is enough. If really pushing her too hard, she wouldn't get any benefits.
Maybe because she played such tricks too much. Previously she felt it interesting to use Shinra to tease Yukino. Now... it seemed not so fun anymore. A trace of irritability inexplicably arose in Haruno's heart.
Forget it, forget it, going to sleep.
With the closing of the room door, Yukino breathed a sigh of relief quietly. Although she didn't know why her sister suddenly went back to the room to sleep, at least she didn't have to rack her brain to explain to her that this was just a coincidence.
Speaking of which, it was originally a coincidence; what is there to explain?
Yukino was a bit annoyed. If it were the previous her, facing this situation, she would probably feel saying one more word was a waste of time. But now... sigh, since when did I become like this?
That night, both sisters suffered from insomnia.
...
Shinra didn't know the sleep situation of the sisters upstairs. For him, today might count as a good day. Although that guy Tobe didn't drop a wish-power commission for him, his confession object Ebina released a wish-power commission to him because she was worried about the other party confessing.
Although it was only the lowest-level white wish-power commission, solving it would probably only yield one wish-power point, but mosquito legs were also meat, better than getting nothing. Moreover, this matter itself wasn't difficult to solve. Just let Tobe realize his confession was destined to fail. The only problem to worry about was fearing this guy would still charge knowing he would fail. That situation was the trickiest.
So to prevent this situation from happening, Shinra decided to throw this trouble to Hayama. He believed the nice guy Hayama definitely had a solution.
Are you kidding? Shinra wasn't familiar with Tobe, plus not in the same group, so he couldn't control the situation development at all times. In comparison, Hayama, as the core of the riajuu group, was much more convenient.
As for whether Hayama would accept, this problem didn't need to be worried about at all. After all, Hayama was the one who least wanted the existing relationship to be destroyed.
Let's put it this way: this wish-power commission was completely picked up for free for Shinra. He didn't even need to exert much effort himself, just conveying the meaning implicitly to Hayama would do. He didn't need to worry about the rest at all.
And why didn't Ebina tell Hayama directly, but went around to find Shinra... of course, because 'monks from outside can chant scriptures better' (outsiders can handle things better). Many times, saying it yourself and letting others say it may lead to completely different results.
If Ebina explained clearly to Hayama or Tobe directly, their relationship couldn't return to the past. But if asking a third party to convey it, even if awkward, there was at least a layer of veil between them. As long as not pierced, everyone was still good friends.
Shinra thought this way, and his phone vibrated suddenly.
So late, who sent him a message?
Shinra was a bit puzzled. Opening it, he found a long list. Looking at the sender again—Haruno.
Shinra: [?]
Haruno: [Souvenirs, please.jpg]
Shinra: [Are you stocking up?]
Haruno: [Sister won't let you bring it for free. In exchange, I have intelligence to provide]
Shinra: [What intelligence?]
Haruno: [Yukino's itinerary for the second day of the school trip.dox]
Haruno: [How about it? Proud.jpg]
Haruno: [Wait until the day of the school trip, I can also broadcast Yukino's location in real-time, convenient for you to create chance encounters]
Shinra: [...No need]
If really wanting a chance encounter, do I need you to create it?
Haruno: [Eh, don't say that~ Isn't the third day free activity? Using the excuse of purchasing souvenirs to ask Yukino-chan to go shopping should be no problem, right?]
Shinra saw through it. Haruno asking him to help bring souvenirs was fake; creating opportunities for him and Yukino was real. Just what benefit does doing this bring her?
Shinra: [On the third day, we already agreed to go out and play together.]
Haruno: [Is that so~ Then forget it]
Actually gave up so crisply... Wait, this guy didn't just come to fish for information, did she?
Shinra reacted belatedly. Asking for souvenirs is fake; inquiring about his school trip arrangement is real. This guy is really something.
Staring at the list for a while, finding that many items could be purchased directly online without going offline, Shinra thought since he didn't need to buy them personally, he might as well satisfy the other party and farm favorability by the way. Anyway, they were all small items not costing much money; why not do it?
Shinra: [So many things; mail them to you then?]
Haruno: [Eh? You really plan to buy. Remember to fill in the address of the old house for receipt, don't fill in Yukino's place. I'm afraid she will misunderstand.]
Shinra: [...]