235: Brief Meeting with Yukino

Yukino was a little surprised when she stepped into the restaurant. There were two things that caught her off guard.

One was that she didn't expect to see her new neighbor here.

The second was the girl sitting next to him.

If she remembered correctly, the girl at the dining table was not one of the two she had seen in the supermarket yesterday.

This was quite thought-provoking.

Yukino was not good at speculating without a factual basis, but the scene before her eyes made it hard for her not to overthink.

If she guessed correctly, her neighbor was probably engaging in the kind of frivolous and carefree behavior often associated with men who maintain ambiguous relationships with multiple girls at the same time.

In a sense, it was truly pitiful and sad.

This applied to both the two girls beside him yesterday and the girl sitting next to him now.

It also included those classmates of Isshiki who had revealed their feelings to him and Yui after yesterday's study meeting, looking so uneasy and fidgety.

They were all like that.

Sighing silently in her heart, Yukino quickly looked away. The waiter who approached announced her sister's name, and she was led into the restaurant.

The two people's eyes met only briefly, but for some reason, Chisato felt that she detected a trace of contempt and disgust in Yukino's gaze.

If she were to use an analogy, it felt like being looked at as if she were garbage— the kind that couldn't be recycled and had no value at all.

It was hard to understand. Why was this girl so aggressive?

"Could that be the neighbor Suzumiya-kun just mentioned?"

Although their eyes met for only a brief moment, Youko's keen eyes caught the exchange.

By observing Chisato's gaze, she turned around and easily spotted the girl being led by the waiter toward Haruno's table.

Although Kazusa had previously shown great trust in Chisato, she wasn't completely dismissive of her mother's words.

But after the girl in question appeared on the scene and after seeing her awe-inspiring and beautiful figure, she cast Chisato a vigilant and honest look.

Regarding her mother's question, she chose not to interrupt but waited quietly for Chisato's response, appearing a little uneasy.

"It's her. I met her once after we moved."

Chisato nodded and provided a straightforward answer.

Although Youko had always maintained an easy-going demeanor while chatting with people, her tendency to constantly ask questions made it difficult to regard her as harmless.

Chisato was not that naive; he didn't consider lying to her, so he answered her questions with affirmative and positive replies.

"Just a casual relationship?"

Youko asked again, half-smiling.

"It's just a one-sided relationship."

Chisato smiled without guilt. Since everything he said was true, he and Youko maintained eye contact, confident and unflinching.

Youko raised her hand and gently brushed her hair, seeming quite satisfied with this answer.

"I'm sorry, Suzumiya-kun. It's like this as you get older. You become a bit curious about everything and always want to get to the bottom of things." 

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable; as long as it doesn't affect your relationship with Kazusa, that's all that matters."

As she said these slightly playful words, the tense atmosphere subtly eased.

This woman was quite powerful. Although she wasn't showy, she always had the situation firmly under her control.

"Thanks to you last time, I enjoyed a nostalgic meal of hometown cuisine. Today, I'm going to invite you to try this Western cuisine that I recommend." 

"The chef here knows me well, and his craftsmanship is quite good too; give it a try."

Picking up her knife and fork, Youko finally shifted her focus from Chisato. The previous scheming and testing had come to an end, and it was time for real conversation.

Kazusa had harbored resentment towards her mother for not taking her abroad two years ago. 

This negative emotion hadn't faded with time; instead, it had become more entrenched in her heart.

She had originally thought she would always remember this and resent her mother for leaving her behind.

But with Chisato's arrival, those feelings dissipated incredibly quickly.

She began to feel that the things she had always cared about were actually quite childish.

The conflicts between her and her mother seemed insignificant for a moment.

She had a new presence to rely on.

Thus, the unhappy and unpleasant memories from the past no longer caused her to harbor negative emotions or view everything around her as an enemy.

With her heart at ease, she found a peaceful home, and her personality and outlook on the world began to change positively.

It was like stepping out of the shadows and into the sunlight, where everything she touched felt warm and welcoming.

Now, as Kazusa looked at the incomparable longing she had for the past, she regarded her mother as a goal to strive for.

There was no doubt that Chisato was now the pillar of her soul, and she wanted to walk hand in hand with her in the future.

The two of them could truly accept each other and live in harmony.

For Kazusa, there was nothing happier than this.

"Delicious."

The moment the finely chopped prime raw beef was coated in egg yolk and placed in his mouth, Chisato let out a heartfelt expression of admiration.

Youko rested her hands on her chin, squinting her eyes and smiling.

"It's great that it suits your taste. I'll give Kazusa the VIP card for this restaurant later. From now on, you can come here to eat directly after your dates." 

"Oh, by the way, you two aren't adults yet, so I can't forget to remind you that for drinks, all the beverages must be replaced with non-alcoholic options like today."

"You don't need to remind me."

Although she was very happy inside, Kazusa feigned disgust at her mother's slightly nagging remarks.

It was also because of her overwhelming happiness that she didn't notice that her mother had not touched the beef tartare appetizer, which she usually enjoyed.

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