"Well, you see, I was thinking—it's been a while since we spent time together as sisters."
"We literally just met last month."
"Say whatever you want. The point is, as your older sister, I just want to get a little closer to you.
That's not so wrong, is it?
Or are you going to reject me even after hearing such a heartfelt reason? If so… I'll just call Dad and complain~"
Haruno grinned with a mischievous hum, clearly pleased with herself.
Yukino could only place her hands on her hips in resignation.
At that moment, their roles seemed reversed. Haruno was the willful little sister, and Yukino was the calm, responsible elder.
"Alright, don't worry. I won't stay long—just tomorrow, the day after…"
Haruno looked upward and pressed her fingertip to her chin, thinking carefully.
"The day after that I'll leave. I won't interfere with your daily schedule either. I'll even cook for you, so don't look so troubled."
Having said that, she stood up and gently patted Yukino's shoulder as she passed her.
She headed straight for the kitchen, and when she returned, she was holding a wine glass and a bottle of red wine.
It was something she'd brought over on a previous visit—clearly, she planned to enjoy a drink tonight.
"Want some?"
"..."
Yukino shook her head.
"Yeah, I guess not. Still in high school, after all. If Mom and Dad found out you were drinking, they'd totally come for me, hahaha~"
With a carefree hum, Haruno poured herself a glass, opened a pack of snack foods, and enjoyed her drink along with a late-night variety show, looking perfectly content.
Yukino, watching her, thought again about what she'd just said. Then, silently, she sat beside her sister.
"You can go take a bath first, you don't have to worry about me. I'll probably stay up late tonight."
Haruno's words didn't elicit much reaction from Yukino.
But after a moment of silence and a shake of her head, she looked at her sister's profile and asked:
"Did Mom make you do something you didn't want to do again?"
"..."
Haruno stared at the TV as if Yukino hadn't spoken, taking another sip of wine, unmoved. Not a single reaction—like the question had never even been asked.
That silence only confirmed Yukino's suspicion.
Just as her sister knew her well, the reverse was true too.
After living together for so long, they were family. If you couldn't tell when something was obviously off, you couldn't really call yourselves sisters.
"..."
Yukino didn't wait for an answer. She wasn't discouraged.
In the next moment, under Haruno's gaze, she stood up and started walking toward her room.
"Don't do anything unnecessary."
Haruno gently swirled the wine in her glass, looking through it toward Yukino's retreating figure.
Even through the red-tinted curve of the wineglass, she could see that Yukino's gaze was sharper than before.
"So you're admitting it?"
"Mmm~ And what if I am? What are you going to do about it?"
Her tone turned playful again, and her posture on the sofa grew even more relaxed. Though she still wore a smile, there was a faint chill to it.
"Some things are better left unknown. There's no perfect solution anyway. Knowing more just adds to your sense of helplessness.
That's why smart people usually choose silence from the beginning."
"That's not the right way. I've said it before—if you really don't want to do something, then you should just tell Mom directly. If you can clearly express how you feel, then surely—"
"Little Yukino, it's exactly that part of you that I love the most. Please, please never change it, okay?"
Yukino's expression was firm and serious, but her words were cut off by Haruno.
The unfamiliar chill in Haruno's eyes faded, and the usual cheerful, elegant big sister returned.
Her little sister was great in every way—bright, lovable—but this strong sense of righteousness centered on her own values was honestly a bit too naive.
Maybe it was fine while she was still in school, but Haruno couldn't imagine how Yukino would manage in the real world—one that was neither just nor beautiful—while trying to live by her ideals.
Rationally, Haruno knew the world wouldn't change for one person. So in the end, it would be Yukino who'd have to change.
But emotionally, she couldn't help but dream. Maybe, just maybe, Yukino really would find a way to live by her own beliefs and walk that path all the way through.
"Alright now, don't overthink it. Go take a bath. Thanks for your concern, but your big sister will handle her own problems. Otherwise, what kind of big sister would I be?"
Haruno walked over and gently patted Yukino on the head.
She was the type to get flushed easily after drinking. Even though she hadn't had much, her cheeks were already faintly tinged with red.
"..."
Yukino looked at her older sister, enduring the sudden gentleness in her gaze. She opened her mouth but, in the end, couldn't bring herself to speak.
"Thank you."
Haruno followed up with a softer and gentler tone of gratitude.
At that, Yukino truly had no other thoughts to counter with—she could only nod slightly under her sister's gaze.
Haruno's lips curled into a faint smile.
"It feels like it's been a long time since we communicated like this, as sisters. Why don't we… take a bath together like old times?"
"I refuse."
Yukino's tone grew firm again the moment that topic was brought up.
"Ehh~ Don't be so heartless. A heart-to-heart between sisters, a long-overdue chat in the bath—it's a nice idea, isn't it?"
This wasn't a matter of being heartless or not.
Yukino ignored her sister's wailing and went back to her room to grab her change of clothes.
Tonight's dinner was yakiniku, and as everyone knows, that kind of food produces a lot of greasy smoke.
After eating, the smell tends to cling to you.
For Yukino, who was very particular about cleanliness, if not for Haruno's sudden visit, her first instinct upon returning home would've been to rush straight to the bathroom.
After watching her younger sister disappear into the bathroom, Haruno withdrew her gaze, slowly sat up from the couch, and set the wine glass she'd been holding onto the coffee table.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and gazed down at the screen, which was filled with a string of missed calls and numerous unread messages.
Her gaze, now cold and indifferent, lingered for a moment before she powered the phone off and collapsed heavily onto the sofa, her jet-black hair falling messily over her cheeks.
_______
50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!