145. So shameless! So rude! And yet…

Walking down the path of Sakurasou, Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze quietly drifted toward the little hand being held in hers. Her heartbeat skipped, cheeks blooming with a soft flush like cherry blossoms caught in the breeze.

Today had been… way too stimulating for the always-composed Yukinoshita.

She had seen that bizarre magical treasure chest. Then, she had foolishly used the contents without thinking— That curious potion that melted away fabric as though enchanted. And then…

Ugh. That part.

She really, really wanted to forget it. But her mind kept playing it on repeat like a mischievous cat batting at her sanity.

Hozuki Nozomi had hugged her. No, boldly hugged her. And kissed her cheek.

So shameless! So rude! And yet…

Despite her embarrassment and overwhelming sense of shame, she hadn't pushed him away.

In fact— she had even toyed with the outrageous idea of staying the night.

But her maiden pride and deep-seated sense of propriety overruled such an improper whim. She had made the decision to leave.

No, not a decision. A request.

Because deep down, she understood. If Nozomi had truly wanted to stop her, to pull her back and make her stay by force… she wouldn't have been able to resist.

But he didn't.

Instead, he respected her will. He clearly cared about her. Enough to control himself. Even when she had clearly noticed the strain in his breath, the tension in his eyes.

Her heart fluttered with unease. Compared to Yuki's obvious devotion to Hozuki Nozomi, she often felt like she was the one always asking him to compromise.

That thought made her lips purse in silent frustration.

She glanced toward his face— and noticed his faint smile, peaceful and satisfied.

"Are you… happy?" she asked quietly, almost mumbling. The question escaped her lips like a stray thought.

Nozomi blinked, turning to her with a gentle expression. "Of course I am," he said warmly.

"If the guys at school found out I was holding the hand of the President Yukinoshita, I'd probably become their enemy for life. The envy would be unreal."

"Hmph. So it's a matter of male vanity now?" she sniffed.

"Maybe a little. But that's not the only reason I'm happy."

He didn't elaborate. He didn't have to. Yukino already knew what he meant.

After all… he did see her earlier. Everything.

That smug bastard. He said he was going to show her something beautiful, and it turned out she was the one being shown.

Despicable.

Still holding her hand, Nozomi walked slowly. So slow it was annoying.

Yukino narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You're stalling so I miss the last train and get forced to stay at Sakurasou, aren't you?"

"No way! Where's your proof? Don't just accuse me like that!" he said with a nervous chuckle.

"Then pick up the pace. You're moving like a turtle."

"…It's just that… the night view is really nice today. I wanted to enjoy it a little longer—with you."

Smooth. Too smooth.

"But no matter how pretty the scenery is, it's still nothing compared to the President's beauty."

Yukino's face turned bright red. "B-Baka… stop spouting nonsense!"

He obeyed, chuckling softly. They eventually arrived at the tram station.

Nozomi reluctantly let go of her hand. "Let me know when you get home safely, okay?"

"I'm not a child. Is all this worry necessary?"

"It is for me." His voice was uncharacteristically serious. "I'd hate to lose someone important to me just because I wasn't careful enough."

"…Fine," she mumbled.

———

"By the way, what do you think of Suo-san?"

The sudden question caught Nozomi off guard. "I think Yuki's super cute. Why?"

"Do you regret letting her join the club?"

"No, not at all. But… I hope you'll treat her with care. She's… she's a good girl."

Nozomi gave her a quizzical look. "Didn't expect you to ask me to care about another girl. You're still my president, right?"

"…I made a promise to you."

He grinned. "Well, even if you hadn't, I would've looked out for her. She's kind of like my adorable little sister, after all."

Yukino looked away. "She doesn't think of you as a brother," she whispered under her breath.

Then glanced back at him— Words caught in her throat again. The words echoed in her mind, tugging at a strange, fluttering emotion inside her chest.

She glanced sideways at Nozomi. She wanted to say something—something casual, like "see you tomorrow" or "take care"—just like how normal friends did.

But the words clung stubbornly to her throat, refusing to be spoken.

She wasn't used to this. The second daughter of the Yukinoshita family—aloof, intelligent, and always distant—had never really experienced friendship, let alone something deeper.

She took everything seriously. Especially her own feelings.

Nozomi's hug… That kiss on the cheek… His warmth that lingered even now on her skin…

Each of those things screamed loud and clear that he liked her.

Yukino wanted to respond. Wanted to reach out.

But she was clumsy. Woefully inexperienced in matters of the heart. Her feelings tangled themselves into knots, impossible to sort out.

She was frowning in frustration, trying to force her heart into shape, when suddenly—

Nozomi stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Yukino froze, breath caught in her throat. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, and her entire body lit up like a string of festival lanterns.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammered, voice muffled by his shirt.

Nozomi took a deep breath, his voice low and steady.

"Don't frown like that," he said. "Seeing you troubled makes me want to hug you, even if I get punched or yelled at afterward."

"Also… promise me you'll still meet me tomorrow. Don't disappear on me just because of what happened today, okay?"

Yukino nodded, her reply barely more than a breath.

Her slender arms—delicate and hesitant—wrapped quietly around his waist.

He hadn't gone any further. He hadn't succeeded in making her stay.

But something had definitely changed. The distance between their hearts had closed, even if just by a little.

She would try. To accept Nozomi. To meet him halfway.

Of course, his charm had something to do with it. But there was another reason pressing on her heart. The engagement ceremony at the end of the month…

That inevitable moment.

The one where she'd find out her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, was the bride-to-be.

Would she cry? Maybe.

But Nozomi— Nozomi believed that even if that moment came, he could make her smile again.

He had never intended to settle for just Haruno. He wanted Yukino too. He always had.

And Yukino… well, she had long since understood the world Nozomi lived in. So taking both sisters from the prestigious Yukinoshita family…

Didn't seem so impossible anymore.

———

Back home, Yukino buried her face into her pillow. Her cheeks still burned with residual heat. Her heart was racing, her head spinning.

If her sister saw her in this state, she would never hear the end of it.

Unable to sleep and still full of thoughts, she decided to text Suo Yuki.

"...Suo-san, have you returned home yet?"

Yuki: "Just got home. I'm lying in my brother's bed."

Yukino blinked. That… was fast.

Yuki: "But ugh! There's a girl's scent all over it already! Who's so sneaky? Someone got here before me!"

Yukino's face turned red. The guilty party was… her.

Not that she meant for it to happen. How could she have guessed that the potion would strip her clothes away like that?! What else could she do except dive into his bed in a panic?

Suppressing the whirlwind of embarrassment in her heart, she typed back.

Yukino: "Why are you in Nozomi's bed?"

Yuki: "Isn't it obvious? I was trying to graduate into being a full-grown woman!"

Yuki: "My intel says Mahiru and Sayu have both already done it, and even Kamiigusa-senpai is upstairs. So if I turn on the lights and act all cute, he'll definitely do it! Then boom—mission accomplished!"

Yukino read that, eyes twitching.

Yukino: "Why the rush?"

Yuki: "Because I'm falling behind! More and more amazing girls are popping up around Onii-chan every day. If I don't act, there won't be a place for me in his heart!"

Yuki: "You're the most unfair one, Yukinoshita! You don't even have to do anything, and he still adores you!"

Yukino: "T-That's not true. He… he likes you too."

Yuki: "Oho? Is this a confession? Did my dear brother say that to you himself?"

Yukino: "Yes. He said you're the cutest, the one he treasures the most. So… can you please go back to your room now?"

Yuki: "AHHH! I GOT CAUGHT! He found me! I've been kicked out! Emergency escape!!!"

Yukino stared at the screen, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.

She scrolled back to her earlier message—the one where she warned Nozomi that Suo Yuki was in his room—and felt her cheeks go red again.

Somehow, the night had ended in utter chaos.

And yet…

Her heart felt lighter.

Just a little bit.