Chapter 85: A Deepening Misunderstanding

Upon returning home, Yukinoshita Yukino was surprised to find that her older sister, Haruno, was also there. The gurgling sound of water from the bathroom hinted at her sister's presence. Yukino's mood suddenly became complicated, a mixture of annoyance, curiosity, and a touch of anxiety. Setting aside her school bag, she sat on the sofa and waited quietly.

Soon, light footsteps were heard. Accompanied by the gentle scent of soap and Haruno's distinctive aroma, two soft arms wrapped around her back, embracing her tightly.

"Hehe, Yukino, did you miss your sister?" Haruno's voice was cheerful, almost teasing. "Since Yukino rarely emails your sister, your sister came here to keep you company today. Are you happy?"

Yukinoshita Yukino wore a gloomy face, not looking happy at all. "Sister... I don't agree!" She suddenly blurted this out, her voice slightly trembling with emotion.

Haruno looked bewildered, her embrace loosening slightly. "Ah? What don't you agree with?"

"I don't agree with the engagement!" Yukino exclaimed, turning around to face her sister with a firm gaze, her silver eyes gleaming. "It's too unreasonable to get engaged after only meeting a few times."

Haruno sighed, a faint smile playing on her lips. "What's the point of not agreeing? You know Shiina Mashiro, right? Her parents were forced into a marriage driven by family interests." She paused, her gaze softening. "This also caused Shiina to have almost no parental love in her life. Yukino, compared to junior Shiina, we are much happier."

Yukinoshita Yukino was stunned, Haruno's words touching her heart slightly. "But, Mother is too overbearing. She even forces marriages. Don't we have choices in our own lives?" She immediately asked again, returning to the main topic bothering her mind.

Hearing this, Haruno smiled and playfully poked Yukino's small face with her hand, saying teasingly, "That's good momentum. If you can do the same in front of Mother, I believe Yukino can get what she wants." She leaned in slightly. "Even though she's domineering, she's a mother. How could she not consider her daughter's ideas?"

Yukinoshita Yukino's cheeks were hot, a mix of embarrassment and vexation. "Sister, are you trying to say that I'm a coward? In front of Mother."

"That's the truth, isn't it?" Haruno retorted, her tone relaxed yet direct. "If it weren't for Father's help, you might not have been able to transfer."

After Haruno finished speaking, Yukino suddenly became depressed, her shoulders slumping. "That marriage proposal, is there really no way to refuse it?"

Haruno was slightly moved. Is her younger sister so concerned about this marriage proposal? She raised her hand and gently embraced her sister, smiling and saying, "Renji is very talkative, he shouldn't have told you, but... Yukino hates Renji? Why don't you agree to this engagement? You should give a reason."

"There are many reasons!" Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but speak, her tone rapid. "First of all, we've only met a few times and don't know each other well enough." She paused, searching for words. "Secondly, I don't particularly dislike him, but it hasn't escalated to getting engaged!" Yukino looked at her sister, her eyes pleading for understanding. "Sister, do you think it's reasonable to get married after only meeting a few times?" She pointed towards Renji. "Besides, he has a very good relationship with Shiina."

Haruno thought her younger sister was so concerned about this engagement, and she felt even happier. She raised her hand and touched her sister's hair, smiling, "Don't worry, since Mother has made the decision for the engagement, and I agree, she has conducted a careful investigation."

"Have you seen the news about Congressman Takayama's downfall a few days ago?" Haruno asked, subtly changing the subject.

"I've seen it. It's said that they were a pair of scoundrel father and son. They relied on the power of the congressman to do many bad things, and even many girls were killed. They were simply devils." After Yukinoshita Yukino finished speaking, her expression was stunned, her eyes wide. "Sister, do you mean that this matter is related to Renji?"

"How clever, you truly are Yukino, you immediately grasped the key point." Haruno winked.

"But, the news said it was an accident..." Yukino still doubted.

"Since you watched the news, have you seen the video circulating on the Internet?"

"..." Yukinoshita Yukino rubbed her forehead, a faint memory flashing. "I haven't seen it, but people around me said that the cat killed the father and son." She stopped, a frown appearing on her brow. "How is this possible? Cats are so cute, how can they kill people?" As she said this, she saw her sister's serious expression. Yukino swallowed involuntarily. "Is that true?"

Haruno nodded seriously. "It's true." She continued, her tone calm yet meaningful. "When Congressman Takayama was dismissed, our Yukinoshita family immediately seized the opportunity and made my father the new congressman." Haruno leaned in slightly. "Sister, I was lucky enough to see the real surveillance video. The father and son were caught by cats and disappeared into dust in front of the servants." As she said this, she saw her sister's dull expression and couldn't help but smile amusedly. "You must be wondering what this has to do with Renji, aren't you?"

"Well, he's just a high school student, and he can still command cats... um... command cats?" Speaking of this, Yukinoshita Yukino shivered, remembering something Renji did. The cat seemed very attached to him. When she walked to school, the cat would come from a distance. With such a strong affinity, it should be possible to command cats. In that case, he always brings the cat with him whenever he sees her. Was that intentional? Thinking of this possibility, Yukinoshita Yukino's cheeks grew hot, a mix of embarrassment and anger. If it was intentional. Then this person has long had his sights on her, the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family!

"It seems you remembered something, Yukino." Haruno smiled. "I'll tell you one more thing." Her tone became more serious. "On the day the Takayama father and son got into trouble, Takayama Toshihiko bribed some criminals with money to surround Shiina and her friends, wanting to bully them." She paused. "It was Renji who arrived in time and beat up those criminals. Instead, they caught Takayama Toshihiko and sent him to the police station." Haruno whispered, "As a result, that night, Takayama and his son strangely disappeared."

After hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino was more certain of certain things. Renji Kamisaka, this person, deliberately let the cat dangle in front of her. Thus creating an opportunity for encounters. This person has had his sights on her for a long time! Damn, she thought he was a simple and gentle person, but she didn't expect him to be such a cunning man! For her, he could actually come up with such methods. Yukinoshita Yukino felt complicated, her feelings a mixture of annoyance and a subtle, unacknowledged admiration.

"But even so, we can't think that he did it." Yukino wanted to ask more carefully, trying to find a loophole.

Haruno pinched Yukino's face and smiled, "It seems you are well protected, so you haven't been exposed to the darkness of this world." She took a breath. "If there's no cooperation between chaebols, they can only be opponents..." Haruno explained, her expression turning serious. "Congressman Takayama was a member of another chaebol, so our Yukinoshita family couldn't get the position of congressman." She leaned her face closer. "Regardless of whether the Takayama father and son affair was done by Renji, he could get away with it, which is enough to prove his strength." Haruno whispered, "Furthermore, before the incident, the Takayama father and son were discussing how to deal with Renji and how to take away high school student Shiina to play with him." She ended with a chilling tone. "Before this matter was over, the two father and son strangely disappeared, and Renji is said to be very popular with cats, so the answer is obvious." Haruno smiled faintly. "Perhaps he didn't do it, but that's not important. What's important is that he probably has a power behind him that can handle all crises." She looked at Yukino directly. "A congressman was killed without anyone knowing how he died. Do you think his background is worth paying attention to?"

Hearing this, Yukinoshita Yukino shrugged, feeling defeated. "Sister, the engagement can't be changed, can it?"

"Yes, we'll meet officially at the end of the month and then finalize it." Haruno hugged her sister again, more tightly. "Don't be too depressed, Renji is still a good person, well, he's just a little fickle."

Yukinoshita Yukino looked at her sister angrily. "Isn't he too fickle?" She protested. "He and Shiina are very close, and there seems to be another girl at home..."

"Isn't it normal for capable men to have several lovers?" Haruno retorted, her tone relaxed. "Don't be fooled by our father's honest appearance. If Mother wasn't so strong, he might have several lovers." She sighed. "In the world of chaebols, marriage is mostly an exchange of interests. Love isn't important." Haruno kissed the top of Yukino's head. "Of course, I still care about him. If Renji wasn't good, I wouldn't agree." She smiled again. "But aside from his fickleness, he fully meets my expectations. Well, he's much better than Hayato."

At the mention of Hayato Hayama, Yukino's face turned sour, a frown on her brow.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot that Yukino-chan also hates Hayato." Haruno chuckled. "I don't care anymore, but I'm just curious, why don't you like him either? He and I are very similar, right?"

Hearing this, Haruno rolled her eyes, an amused expression. "That's truly miserable. If I'm the same as Hayato, wouldn't Yukino-chan also hate me?"

"You're really annoying," Yukino snorted, trying to pull away from Haruno's embrace.

"Oh, really? If you hate me, why don't you break free from my embrace?" Haruno teased, hugging her tighter.

"You're hugging me too tightly," Yukino pouted.

"You're just stubborn, Yukino-chan. Don't worry, trust my judgment. Renji is quite good." Haruno whispered softly in her ear. "We should get along."

Back in her room, Yukinoshita took a deep breath, a heavy weight settling in her chest. Even her sister agreed. It seemed she would have to get engaged to him. Even if she graduated from high school, she would be forced into marriage. But at least, she also wanted to go to college before considering marriage. She had to fight for that.

The beautiful misunderstanding continued. Without Renji knowing, Haruno had delivered a perfect wave of assists, letting the beautiful Yukino agree to this non-existent engagement. I wonder what kind of expression Yukino will show when she finds out that the one she's engaged to is her older sister.

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