Chapter 93: A Surprise Encounter with Kawasaki Saki, and Yukino Wants Answers!

Shirakawa didn't object to Haruno's dinner invitation. Looking at Izumi Mio, who was currently at home, it was clear she hadn't prepared anything for dinner.

Cooking something last-minute would be a hassle. Joining Hiratsuka and Haruno for a meal didn't sound like a bad idea. Even if they weren't JK-level high school girls anymore...

They were still beautiful women, after all.

"Since you don't mind, there's a Western restaurant nearby that's pretty good," Haruno said, blinking as she pulled up a map on her phone. Her gaze settled on a highly-rated restaurant close by.

If Shirakawa were just an ordinary high school student, a cheaper fast food spot would be more appropriate. But judging by the situation... he was the owner of this apartment building.

Money clearly wasn't a concern.

So they could afford a bit more luxury. Even if she, the senpai, offered to treat her kouhai, it wouldn't be strange.

"Sure..." Hiratsuka glanced at the mess inside the apartment. Cleaning it all up would definitely take a while—at least the entire evening.

She looked at Haruno with a slightly warning gaze and said seriously, "Since it's a housewarming dinner, this one's on me."

"Oh~"

Haruno instantly picked up on the subtext: basically, don't stir the pot at dinner tonight, right?

As they'd say in other Asian Households... "the guest follows the host's rules"?

Still, it was precisely Hiratsuka's attitude that made Haruno even more curious about Shirakawa.

It was rare to see Hiratsuka Shizuka pay this much attention to a student.

She smiled brightly and replied, "Since Shizuka's treating, I'll cover the cost at the izakaya later."

"If you're a second-year, Shiraishi-kun... then technically you're still underage. It's a shame you won't be able to drink."

With Haruno in the group, there was no way the mood could go cold. Riding in a Rolls-Royce owned by the Yukinoshita family, they headed to the restaurant.

Hiratsuka and Haruno sat in the back.

White Ishikawa took the passenger seat. Most of the conversation revolved around him. Haruno asked questions, and Hiratsuka, as his homeroom teacher, answered.

When Haruno heard that Shirakawa had consistently ranked first in his year—surpassing even Yukino in the humanities—her eyes showed clear surprise.

She remembered that Yukino rarely talked about her grades. The only time she ever brought it up was when Haruno asked and found out she'd placed second.

But now...

Shirakawa was outperforming even Yukino?

"Shirakawa-kun, have you thought about where you want to go for university? Tokyo U? Waseda? Or maybe just a local national university?"

Haruno asked with sincere curiosity.

Grades alone didn't say much—no matter how good he was, it was hard to escape one's social class. But after interacting with him even briefly...

Shirakawa...

He didn't feel like a typical high schooler. She wasn't sure if he was just putting on a mature front for his teacher and senpai.

That thought sparked a mischievous idea.

As they drove toward the Western restaurant, she pulled out her phone and messaged her younger sister Yukino on LINE.

Haruno:

I'm having dinner at this restaurant. Shizuka's here too.

[Location Shared]

Yukino, you should come too~ It's not a super formal dinner, but you should dress nicely if possible!

Haruno sent the message.

She didn't care whether Yukino declined. Her eyes scanned Shirakawa's handsome side profile. Leaving everything else aside—

He was definitely the handsome type.

The Rolls-Royce soon arrived at the hotel. Following Haruno's lead, they made their way to the rooftop Western restaurant. The ambiance was excellent.

In addition to dinner service...

There was also a bar where guests could order drinks. So they didn't even need to go to an izakaya afterward. While Haruno was booking a table—

At the bar...

White Ishikawa noticed a familiar figure.

Wearing a sleek black women's suit over a white shirt, silver hair tied into a high ponytail, the girl's expression was cool and distant.

Compared to Yukino's innate aloofness, this one was even more stoic. She was wiping glasses with a towel, about to serve a customer when—

She saw someone she knew...

It was her classmate, Shirakawa.

Kawasaki Saki's eyes flickered with discomfort. "You... what are you doing here?"

"Coincidence, I guess?"

White Ishikawa shrugged, glancing at Hiratsuka and Haruno in the distance. He smiled and leaned in with a subtle warning:

"If you don't want Hiratsuka-sensei to find out you're working here..."

"Mm..."

"Best to go help in the kitchen or maybe take the day off?"

---

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Yukino had returned from Sobu High.

Thanks to her spiritual sight ability, she hadn't attended Service Club lately. Even with all the lights in the apartment turned on...

Those...

Dark spirits lurking in the corners constantly agitated her nerves. Her mind felt like a taut string—ready to snap at the slightest touch.

Reading Haruno's message, Yukino fell into brief contemplation. There were usually more spirits out on the streets at night.

Going out...

Was definitely a challenge.

But Haruno's non-negotiable tone made her sigh. Since a driver was already downstairs, she decided to go.

"..."

"If it's just a casual dinner with Hiratsuka-sensei, why do I need to dress formally?"

She didn't understand her sister's intentions.

But she still followed instructions, picking out a long black evening dress. Though it didn't highlight her figure, with her elegant and cool beauty—

It was more than enough.

Maybe she could talk to her sister about the evil spirits she'd been encountering. It was hard to even describe the experience, but perhaps...

She could ask Haruno if she should get Shirakawa's help. No need to explain the details.

Looking into the mirror, Yukino slipped on a pair of low-heeled matching shoes, then pulled out her phone and called Haruno's driver.

"It's time to go."