"...Really?"
The blush on Hinami's face deepened several shades.
"I thought you only saw me as a sister, with no other feelings at all..."
Hinami murmured softly.
"Before, I really could only see you as a sister. After all, Hinami was still so young back then. Now it's different..."
Byakuya smiled somewhat awkwardly.
"Mm... So we're officially dating now?"
Hinami had a somewhat surreal feeling.
"Yes. From now on, please take care of me."
Byakuya's tone was sincere.
"Mm, Byakuya-niichan..."
Hinami couldn't help but embrace Byakuya.
She still preferred the way "Byakuya-niichan" sounded after all.
[Ding! Host has completed "embrace" with Fueguchi Hinami. Reward: 10 Fusion Points...]
Meanwhile, outside the study, the maid happened to overhear the conversation between Byakuya and Hinami.
But she wasn't surprised. She had long seen that Director General Amaha and little Hinami would become a couple...
She silently offered her sincere congratulations to the two lovers in her heart.
...
From then on,
Byakuya and Hinami exchanging bentos every day became as routine as any other daily habit.
Sometimes she would bring him breakfast while he brought her lunch; other times, they would simply swap bentos.
"Amaha-senpai came to bring Hinami another bento. How sweet."
"This is definitely 'already dating' behavior, right? Even more intimate than a regular couple."
"Could this be one of those 'both secretly in love but neither knows' situations? Hinami-san, you'd better not leave yourself with that kind of regret!"
"..."
As Byakuya came once again to deliver a bento to Hinami, the girls around them still tirelessly discussed their relationship, growing more and more enthusiastic.
"Actually... Byakuya-niichan and I are officially dating now."
Hinami spoke up somewhat shyly.
"Huh? So you really are dating? Didn't Hinami deny it just two days ago?"
"That means Hinami was too embarrassed to admit it two days ago. She must have been dating him for a while already."
"No wonder Hinami always rejects those boys so decisively—turns out she's long since been taken~"
"..."
Hearing that Hinami and Amaha-senpai were officially dating, even the girls who had been teasingly insisting they were together showed some surprise.
"No, Byakuya-niichan and I only started officially dating yesterday."
Hinami immediately clarified.
The girls finally understood.
"As expected of Hinami-san! If I remember correctly, wasn't the day before yesterday the first time Amaha-senpai brought a bento? Hinami-san took the opportunity and became official with him yesterday?"
"Did Hinami confess first, or did Amaha-senpai? Could you satisfy our curiosity?"
"Once word gets out, all those boys are going to cry themselves to sleep in the bathroom. I bet no one will dare bother Hinami anymore! Hahaha—"
"..."
Though Hinami had announced her relationship with Byakuya-niichan, the girls showed no sign of stopping their discussion.
If anything, the flames of gossip in their hearts burned even brighter...