138. I... I don’t know

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Yuki Suoh stared intently at Yukinoshita Yukino, her expression dead serious. With a sudden step forward, the elegant but slightly intimidating aura she carried pressed in like a typhoon. That pair of proud C-cups loomed in Yukino's vision like a looming threat from a rival faction.

Yukino instinctively took a step back, her cheeks instantly heating up.

"I..."

"Tell me the truth," Yuki demanded, her voice calm but forceful. "Do you like my brother?"

The space between them vanished. Yuki's womanly fragrance drifted in the air like sakura petals, and her soft bust pressed teasingly against Yukino's chest. There was no escape.

Suddenly, she snaked an arm around Yukino's waist.

"If you don't answer, I'll just hug you right here until the whole school thinks we're a thing. Tomorrow's headlines? 'Two school belles locked in forbidden love!'"

Yukino's eyes widened.

"A-Are you seriously threatening me with your reputation?! You're the daughter of the Suoh family! Don't you care about your name?!"

Yuki simply giggled.

"That's not a threat. It's... encouragement. Reputation's just noise. What really matters is that I can tell Nozomi—my brother—has finally become the man he always said he wanted to be."

Her eyes softened with warmth and pride.

"A man with real strength. A protector. Someone who holds power in his hands, and uses it for his own. He's the kind of guy who'll chase the girl he likes until she gives in. Yukinoshita, can you really resist someone like that?"

Yukino bit her lip. Yuki's words hit her like a well-timed plot twist.

"I... I don't know."

It was the honest truth. She couldn't sort out the emotions swarming inside her.

"I've never dated anyone. I've never even wanted to. I'm not even sure if what I'm feeling is love... But he saved me. And we're getting engaged at the end of the month. I thought... I should at least try to get to know him better. Even if his behavior is erratic, even if he flusters me at every turn."

Yukino's voice trembled, but her gaze held steady.

"What about you, Suoh-san? You say he's your brother... but is that really all he is to you?"

Yuki's breath caught. Her posture stiffened.

"Engaged? End of this month?!"

Yukino nodded, calm but resigned.

"That's what my mother decided. I don't have the right to object."

Yuki puffed out her cheeks, a pout forming.

"You totally could object. But you won't, cunning Student Council President. You're totally into him!"

Yuki crossed her arms, clearly annoyed yet flustered.

"Well... Mrs. Yukinoshita is a woman with good judgment. Unlike my parents who couldn't see past their own noses, she clearly noticed Nozomi's potential."

She stepped closer again, her voice dropping to a rare, serious tone.

"As for me, Yukinoshita... I love my brother."

Yukino froze.

"Not in the 'just family' way. I really love him. And I mean it! Words like 'like' or 'fondness' aren't even close to enough. No one on Earth can love him more than I do."

Her fists clenched slightly.

"So if he wants to marry you, I won't object. But know this — I will always be by his side. I'll support whoever he chooses, even if it's you. Just... take care of him. Make sure he never loses that fire."

Yukino stared, completely blindsided.

"...Are you making a request or passing me a burden?"

"Honestly? Both."

Yuki wiped at the corners of her eyes, which had become misty with emotion.

She gently tugged Yukino over to a nearby bench, patting the seat beside her.

"Come on. Sit. I'll tell you a story. About the real Hozuki Nozomi. The one I grew up with."

Yukino, curiosity sparked, followed.

"When we were kids, we were raised at a shrine. A quiet, peaceful place tucked between the mountains. We were childhood friends."

Yuki's voice turned nostalgic.

"Back then, I was a huge crybaby. I didn't like talking to strangers, and I'd always hide behind him. He was mature, calm... the type who'd shield me from everything scary. My knight."

She smiled.

"We used to tell each other stories. He called himself the 'Son of God,' and I was the 'Daughter of God.' We promised to stay together forever and bring glory to the Suoh family."

Her tone shifted again—darker this time.

"But then... I was kidnapped."

Yukino leaned in.

"The criminal had disguised himself as a servant—an everyday face blending in with the shrine's workers. No one suspected a thing. He crept close, snatched both me and my brother, and bound our hands and feet tightly with coarse rope.

Just remembering that scene sent a cold shiver down my spine."

"I cried so much," Yuki said, her voice trembling like the flutter of a shrine bell in the wind, "the kidnapper got annoyed and raised his hand to hit me."

"But my onii-sama—my precious brother—shielded me with his tiny body." Her eyes shimmered with the memory. "He took the full brunt of the beating. His head was drenched in blood… and yet he still smiled. With blood streaming down his face, he looked at me and said, 'Don't cry, Yuki. It'll be okay.'"

"He told me to close my eyes and count to ten. 'When you open them, everything will be fine,' he said. He joked that he might look a little drained, but it wasn't a big deal, so I shouldn't worry."

"So I obeyed him," she whispered, "even though I was shaking, I counted to ten. When I opened my eyes... the kidnapper was unconscious, collapsed on the ground. And my brother… he smiled again. 'See?' he said. 'It's all done. Yuki shouldn't cry—it doesn't suit your pretty face.'"

"...And after that?" Yukinoshita Yukino's voice broke the silence gently.

Yuki Suoh's smile faltered, replaced with a hollow pain. "At first, I didn't understand. I thought he just needed rest. But when I saw him again, he couldn't even recognize me."

Her voice grew smaller.

"He forgot who I was... forgot our parents. He became like a wandering soul. Dazed. Slow. Empty."

"The old priest at the shrine said he had lost his soul. They stripped him of his title as 'Child of the Gods' and forbade me from seeing him again. To them, Hozuki Nozomi was as good as dead."

"They sentenced Masaki Suo—the old name for the boy I loved like no other—to a slow, quiet death."

"But I couldn't abandon him."

Yuki looked down at her hands, as if reliving the determination she'd once clenched into her fists.

"My brother once told me he dreamed of a house surrounded by cherry blossoms, where he could live peacefully and nap all day. So I fought. I invoked my authority as the Suoh family's miko and secured him Sakurasou on May 6th."

"He lives there now. I even arranged for caretakers to act as his foster parents, just to ensure he got tuition and living expenses. They don't bother him—they just provide from afar."

"Yukinoshita, you must never tell my brother any of this," she said, her tone suddenly serious. "If he knew he's been living off his little sister's efforts, he'd be mortified."

"I thought he'd stay in that fog forever. But one day... I saw it. A spark. He was back."

"Maybe it wasn't me who woke him up—it was another woman—but I don't care. As long as my brother shines again, I'm happy."

She turned toward Yukino, eyes misty yet fierce.

"Yukinoshita, please… whatever happens, help him stay that way. Help him stay radiant. Energetic. Alive."

Yukinoshita Yukino sat in silence, her heart tangled in emotions she hadn't expected. The truth behind Hozuki Nozomi's past wasn't just tragic—it was noble. Heartbreaking. Unforgettable.