Chapter 217 – So Cute

As it turns out, Haruno still had the upper hand.

The moment she said, "That cement-carrying position makes it easier for you to grab my thighs and butt," Haru could only obediently choose the normal bridal carry.

"I'm closing my eyes now~"

Putting her arms around Haru's neck to steady herself, she closed her eyes and deliberately dragged out her tone with a teasing lilt, clearly enjoying the moment.

Yukino, meanwhile, was already on the clock tower, taking photos of the nighttime cityscape. Her heart was pounding.

Even though the three of them had technically secured permission in advance, it didn't change the fact that sneaking up here like this at night was—by her usual standards—blatantly irresponsible.

If this had been the old her, no amount of convincing could have persuaded her to go along with something like this.

And yet… here she was.

Standing atop the clock tower, the view below brought a rush of vertigo-inducing exhilaration. Her chest rose and fell with each quickened breath.

But she didn't turn around or sneak a glance. She stood still, quietly immersed in the moment—until she finally heard the sound of movement behind her.

Haru had brought Haruno up.

She turned slowly.

"You can open your eyes now," Haru said as he gently let Haruno down.

Haruno blinked her eyes open, and the first thing she saw was her little sister standing there—face flushed, clearly trying to suppress her emotions.

Then she looked down.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit her.

Thump-thump-thump!

Her heart surged in her chest.

Looking down from here—this wasn't like being on a Ferris wheel or at an observation deck.

This was different.

It wasn't just the height. It was the fact that it was just the three of them up here—herself and the two people she cared about the most.

There were no noisy tourists, no crowds jostling for selfies. If you tuned out the occasional engine roar from below, the only thing left was the sound of the wind whipping past at high speed.

Yukino, ever perceptive, instantly picked up on her sister's shifting emotions. And since she was in an unusually good mood herself, she took the initiative for once.

"Do you want a photo?" she asked.

"Yes!" Haruno almost shouted—she'd nearly forgotten all about that in the moment's awe. She whipped out her phone and started snapping pictures of the view without hesitation.

Haru stood off to the side and watched them calmly.

In reality, the space they were standing on wasn't particularly large. If not for his enhanced abilities and sharpened skills, he never would have dared bring them up here.

But now, with him around, the two sisters were wrapped in the safest protection imaginable.

Even if one of them were to suddenly fall, he was confident he could catch them before they even neared the ground.

"Oh right, let's get a group selfie!"

Haruno clapped her hands like she'd just remembered something. Without waiting for a response, she pulled the two of them down to sit on either side of her—one arm wrapped around Yukino, the other holding the phone high.

Haru didn't resist and simply cooperated.

Click.

In the photo, Haru raised his hand in a classic anime-style greeting pose.

Yukino looked a little stiff and caught off guard, her face clearly unprepared for the sudden closeness.

Only Haruno was smiling radiantly.

After checking the photo, she burst into laughter. "Yukino's expression is so cute~!"

Yukino's face instantly darkened.

"Retake."

Haruno grinned, her crescent-moon eyes practically glowing.

"Even if we retake it, I'm not deleting this one~ You know, these unprepared, natural expressions are the most real—and the most perfect."

Yukino bit her lip, coldly pointing out the issue.

"But you two were clearly prepared for the photo. Both you and Haru adjusted your poses."

"Yup, guilty as charged," Haruno admitted cheerfully.

"I just struck a random pose, honestly," Haru added with a casual chuckle.

But Yukino wasn't interested in excuses. She got straight to the point.

"By that logic, doesn't that make your poses in the photo less than perfect?"

To her surprise, Haruno simply nodded.

"Exactly. I'm not perfect."

Yukino froze.

She didn't even try to deny it?

All the retorts she'd been carefully preparing got stuck in her throat.

Haru jumped in quickly to back her up.

"When it comes to shamelessness, I admit defeat. Haruno-nee totally outclasses both of us."

Haruno just beamed. "Give it a few days, and I'll edit the photo nicely. I'm going to set it as my phone wallpaper."

Yukino was fuming.

What is this?Public execution?

Just as she was about to get up, Haru grabbed her arm.

"Alright, alright, Yukino. Worst case, I'll just steal her phone for you next time."

His expression was eerily similar to that viral meme: "Bro, let it go."

Yukino sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I never asked you to steal anything. And she's literally sitting right there. Saying that out loud—are you sure you're not being incredibly stupid?"

Haruno cheerfully extended her phone.

"No need to steal. Here, take it."

Yukino was momentarily stunned, clearly hesitating—Should I really let Haru help me?

But Haru remained sharp. "She definitely hid the photo in a private album. Without the password, the phone's useless."

Yukino quickly caught on. A glance at her sister's mischievous expression confirmed Haru was right.

"Forget it."

She returned to her usual calm demeanor, dropping the subject.

The three of them sat in peaceful silence for a bit.

Then Haru's [Perception] skill picked up on a faint movement behind them—like something brushing against the door.

Of course, Yukino and Haruno didn't hear it.

Turning around naturally, he spotted the intruder:

A Siamese cat—with a charcoal-dark face.

The feline seemed unfazed by their presence, perhaps used to being cared for by humans. It simply made its way over, each step as graceful as a ballerina's.

Haru could tell it was well-cared for. He reached out a hand.

After a short pause, the cat leapt lightly onto the clock housing, meowed once, then began climbing up even higher.

"Yukino, turn around. You'll like what you see," Haru said once the cat was close enough.

The sisters turned simultaneously.

And sure enough, sitting beside them now—without anyone noticing—was a cat.

"Meow~"

The Siamese let out a soft cry, then sat down and began grooming itself leisurely.

Yukino's gaze instantly softened.

"Oh… it's the little coal miner."

Haruno laughed. "Not as cute as the orange jelly at Haru's place."

The three humans and one cat enjoyed the peaceful night view together.

Eventually, the three of them climbed down. The Siamese cat stayed a while longer, then gracefully jumped down after them.

Since it was already late, Haruno didn't bother going home. She simply followed Haru and Yukino back to their place.

Haru, of course, had no objections. He'd already planned on sleeping on the couch again.

But while Haruno was taking her shower, Yukino walked over quietly and said, "You can sleep in the bedroom tonight."

"…Huh?" Haru blinked in surprise.

Yukino remained composed.

"My sister already knows about our relationship. There's no point in pretending anymore. You don't need to rough it on the sofa when the bed's more comfortable."

Haru didn't reply right away—he just stared at her.

Three seconds passed.

Yukino's cheeks flushed.

Her voice turned cold and snappy.

"Well? Are you going to say something?"

"I have no complaints," Haru replied, then teased, "Can't believe you'd invite me to the bedroom first… I guess that surprise really did win you over."

Yukino's blush deepened.

Some things… you don't have to say out loud, you know?

Since it was so late, the sisters finished their showers and retreated to their respective rooms.

Haru, still not sleepy, chilled in the living room, petting the orange tabby while watching TV.

Only around 11:30 did he finally get up for a shower.

The house was quiet by then. His [Perception] confirmed that the sisters were both in their rooms and barely making a sound.

After his shower, he assumed they'd already gone to bed. The house was warm, and he didn't feel cold at all anymore. So he wrapped a towel loosely around his waist and walked out bare-chested.

Just as he was about to dry his hair in the living room, a sudden sound came from the guest room.

He turned instinctively—

And saw Haruno stepping out, wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe, tea cup in hand. Clearly, she'd come out for a drink.

Their eyes met.

Haruno paused for a beat… then her bright eyes sparkled.

Her gaze slowly drifted downward—from his face to his toned abs and well-defined waist.

Haru remained composed. "Can't sleep, Haruno-nee?"

She didn't answer.

Instead, as if taking in a deep breath, her voice came out soft but full of anticipation:

"Can I… touch your muscles?"

~~~~~~~~~~

You can support me by subscribing on Patreon and read upto 5 chapters ahead.

patreon.com/Ranabir_20