Hinami's sudden gesture left Byakuya slightly stunned.
Coming back to his senses, he opened his mouth and let Hinami feed him.
"How does Byakuya-niichan feel? Doesn't this feel more like a real couple?"
Hinami asked.
"Mm, though it would be a bit embarrassing if someone saw us."
Byakuya smiled.
"Ah... If Byakuya-niichan feels uncomfortable, let's only do this in private from now on."
Hinami said quickly.
...
Word of Byakuya and Hinami's relationship spread rapidly through the campus, until eventually almost everyone knew.
After that, basically no more boys came to confess to Hinami, which relieved her of considerable trouble.
After all, rejecting confessions was also quite a headache...
...
As Byakuya neared the completion of his Master's degree, he decided to continue on to a doctorate.
Further study had no downsides for him, and learning was effortlessly easy anyway.
Hinami's studies also didn't suffer. After officially dating Byakuya, her grades actually improved even more.
That was because Byakuya often helped tutor her.
Influenced by Byakuya, Hinami's goal became the same as his—to continue at Kamii University all the way through to a doctorate.
"Hinami, you and Byakuya have been dating for quite a while now, haven't you? Have you two thought about taking things further?"
One day while resting at home, Ryouko suddenly asked Hinami.
"What do you mean by 'taking things further'?"
Hinami looked puzzled.
But she could already roughly guess what her mother wanted to say...
"For example, marriage, having children?"
Ryouko smiled. "Your father has been wanting grandchildren for a while now."
"Marriage and children...?"
Hinami's face instantly flushed. "That's still too early..."
"Actually, it's not that early. When your father and I were your age, we were already expecting you."
Ryouko said. "But there's no need to rush. It mainly depends on what you want. If you're not ready, you can take your time."
"Mm... Actually, Byakuya-niichan and I have already made a promise."
Hinami said. "When I finish my undergraduate degree, we'll register our marriage, so it won't interfere with my studies."
"Isn't that coming up soon?"
Ryouko asked.
"Yes. But I also need to start preparing for the Master's exams. Byakuya-niichan tutors me often, so I can't let him down."
Hinami nodded.
"Hinami is so smart—you'll definitely do well."
Ryouko encouraged her with a smile.
"Thank you, Mom. I'll do my best."
Hinami said.
After that, Hinami successfully passed the Master's entrance examination and became a graduate student at Kamii University.
Later, except when she needed to meet with her advisor, Hinami spent almost every day studying in the private study alongside Byakuya.
Even though they weren't married yet, they might as well have been an old married couple living together.