Hina Tachibana had actually been a little worried about Sister last night. How could she not be?
After all, Sister had said she was going on a date with Lin Ye after school, and had even added that she might not come home. How could Hina not worry?
A boy and a girl staying out overnight. What would happen?
As an adult, Hina knew perfectly well. They'd probably end up sleeping together and doing all sorts of things.
It was a bit early for Rui, but not necessarily out of the question. Here in Japan, it's hardly rare for High School Students to be intimate.
Of course, Hina hoped Sister would take it slower and hold back a little, rather than rush. But if the partner was Lin Ye, she found it acceptable.
If they were sleeping together and dating as lovers, the future would surely head toward marriage, right?
Even if Lin Ye didn't want that, Hina would find a way to make him want it.
Only…
Things had gone beyond what she'd expected.
Sister and Lin Ye hadn't slept together. Instead, they had run into the same kind of dangerous Strange event Hina herself had once faced, and Yukino Yukinoshita had been dragged into it too.
If Lin Ye hadn't been there, Hina truly felt that she and Sister might never have seen each other again.
Having lived through it, Hina knew exactly how dangerous the Strange were. One careless step and you could die, die in agony.
Sister could never have handled it on her own.
Thank goodness for Lin Ye.
Hina decided that next time, she absolutely had to thank him properly.
"But how should I thank him?"
"Wait. Lin-kun is Rui's boyfriend now. A boyfriend protecting his girlfriend is only natural, so there's no need to thank him… No, I still have to thank him."
A boyfriend was a boyfriend, but thanks were still owed.
Treating him to a meal was the bare minimum, and there should be something more. But even Sister was already Lin Ye's girlfriend. What else could she offer as thanks?
She didn't know. She had no idea.
Hina thought it over, then decided to stop thinking about it for now. She'd figure it out when the time came!
The call ended.
Rui Tachibana looked at Lin Ye and Yukino Yukinoshita for a while, then spoke first, thanking Yukino.
"Student Yukinoshita, thank you."
Without Yukino Yukinoshita, she really couldn't have given her sister a decent explanation.
Rui knew that once her sister learned she had stayed the night and slept with Lin Ye, Hina would only grow more enthusiastic about him, and that would put even more pressure on Lin Ye.
And then her sister would inevitably find out that she and Lin Ye had broken up.
Rui was certain her sister would grill her endlessly. She didn't want to face that, and she had no idea how to explain.
"It's nothing."
Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head. "In return, I need you to promise me one thing."
The girl with long black hair fixed her gaze on Rui Tachibana, her serious eyes waiting for an answer.
Rui nodded at once, without a trace of hesitation. "All right."
She had no idea what Yukino Yukinoshita would ask for, but whatever it was, she'd agree.
"What happened these past two days among the three of us… I'd like you to keep it secret."
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't want any more people than necessary to know about this.
She trusted Rui fairly well, but she couldn't help a little worry, so she decided to simply ask outright.
"Don't worry. Even if Student Yukinoshita hadn't asked, I'd have kept it secret."
She wouldn't tell anyone.
She knew what would happen to the three of them if this relationship got out.
Rui even thought that if it leaked, especially the relationship between Yukinoshita and Lin Ye, nobody would notice or believe it. Everyone would just think it was fake.
Even so,
Rui still wouldn't tell. It had to stay secret.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. We're friends. I know where the line is on this."
Rui said again.
All three of them were awake now.
Lin Ye looked at the two girls and said slowly, "I'll get up and go out to buy some breakfast. What would you like?"
Knowing the state both girls were in, Lin Ye had no intention of making them get up and leave.
He'd handle breakfast.
"A sandwich and milk."
"Same."
Yukino Yukinoshita and Rui Tachibana both chose something simple.
Eating lightly was fine. There was no need to make it complicated.
Besides, Japan basically has no dedicated breakfast shops. People buy breakfast at the convenience store, where there's a decent variety, though not a huge one.
"Okay."
Lin Ye got dressed and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Over ten minutes later,
he said a quick goodbye to the two girls and left.
The big room was left with only Rui Tachibana and Yukino Yukinoshita.
Both girls stayed quiet until, after a while, they slowly spoke up and broke the silence in the room.
"Student Yukinoshita, last night…"
"Don't worry. I didn't see anything."
But that single sentence set Rui's sense of shame completely ablaze.
Didn't that mean Yukino Yukinoshita had watched the whole thing last night?
Rui strained to remember, but her memory was somewhat hazy.
She recalled Yukino Yukinoshita watching from the side, with reactions of shock and stifled laughter, but there were other reactions too. It was all just a little blurry.
"But I heard everything very clearly."
The words Rui had been about to say stuck in her throat. She froze, eyes wide.
What did that mean? She'd heard it clearly?
"Ugh…"
That sound.
Rui remembered it very well herself.
The sound she'd made last night had made her realize she couldn't take it at all, that she had no way to hold out.
That sound had been pure instinct!
"Student Tachibana's voice was quite pleasant."
Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't making it up. It was true.
Last night, Rui really had let out some alluring, suggestive sounds toward the end.
She was stunned.
But she also understood just how powerful Lin Ye's Hypnosis was.
It could trap a girl in an illusion this completely.
And if that was so…
If it had been her, she wouldn't have lasted either.
Facing Rui's gaze, Yukino Yukinoshita kept nodding.
"It's a normal physiological reaction. Don't worry about it."
"Ugh…"
Rui's face turned even redder.
How could she have guessed that Yukino Yukinoshita would be this blunt, without a hint of reserve?
"S-Student Yukinoshita… you've made those sounds too, haven't you?"
Yukino Yukinoshita fell silent.
She probably had.
After all, when she kissed Lin Ye, she'd made that kind of sound too.
But,
how could she admit it in front of Rui?
Yet flatly denying it with a lie didn't suit Yukino Yukinoshita's character either, so she just got stuck.
"Student Yukinoshita isn't answering, which means I'm right."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ???
"I must be right. Student Yukinoshita's voice must be lovely, a cool, suggestive sound. Lin-kun must love it so much he trembles!"
He had trembled, in fact.
Yukino Yukinoshita remembered it clearly.
But the conclusion was the same: this was something she could not admit.
She'd still firmly deny it,
so her answer was still silence.
Even if Rui said she was admitting it by default, Yukino didn't care.
"Looks like I'm right."
"I'm going to wash up first."
Yukino Yukinoshita stood and walked to the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of rushing water started up.
Rui leaned back and began to recall last night.
She couldn't help touching certain parts of her body.
The lingering memories told her what had happened last night,
but they were still hazy, and she wasn't quite sure.
"Was it… because it was too intense?"
Yes.
It must have been that it was simply too intense, and it had made her forget things for a while.
Otherwise,
how could her memories of last night still be this fuzzy?
Rui lifted the blanket and caught a faint, unusual smell.
A moment later, she realized what it was.
She shuffled a few steps to the side of the bed and found something.
Mm.
Perfectly clear now.
No doubt about it.
This had to be that.
Rui hugged her arms around herself. Along with the embarrassment came a wave of wistfulness.
She had finally gone from a girl to a woman.
She had experienced it too,
and had given herself to her boyfriend. But sadly, that boyfriend had quickly become her ex.
She and Lin Ye had broken up.
No matter how unwilling she was, they had broken up.
All she could do was face that cruel fact.
A while later,
Yukino Yukinoshita came out after washing.
"Student Tachibana, I'm done."
"Mm-hm, I'll go right now."
Rui, clutching a bath towel, walked toward the bathroom. As she passed Yukino Yukinoshita, she noticed some marks on the girl's body.
Kiss marks.
Obvious ones.
Rui was completely sure.
Clearly, Lin Ye and Yukino hadn't been idle last night either.
Damn it.
After finishing with her, he'd gone and done this and that with Yukino Yukinoshita too.
The more Rui thought about it, the more annoyed she got. Extremely, extremely annoyed.
Why…
Forget it.
There was no why.
She and Yukino Yukinoshita held different positions in Lin Ye's heart, completely different ones.
Rui reached the bathroom.
The warm water poured over her, but it still didn't soothe her mood.
Fragments of last night kept surfacing in her mind.
"It should be fine, right?"
Outside,
Yukino Yukinoshita murmured softly.
After all, Lin Ye and Rui had never really had that kind of relationship.
But judging by Rui's reaction just now, she hadn't seen through it.
Yukino thought it over and stopped worrying.
This was something Lin Ye should handle and resolve himself.
And if Rui ever realized the truth, it would probably be long after this!
…
Lin Ye left the hotel and went to a convenience store nearby.
"Welcome!"
Lin Ye picked out two meat buns and bought two cartons of fresh milk and sandwiches in different flavors.
On top of that,
he bought some skewers.
They were a bit greasy, but he felt like eating them right now.
"Ring me up…"
"Please come again."
Lin Ye carried the breakfast back to the hotel.
On the road, cars came and went, though not many, and a few people were out strolling.
Bag in hand, Lin Ye stood at the roadside watching the passersby.
Judging by Rui Tachibana's reaction this morning, his plan had worked.
The only question was when the lie would be exposed.
But for the short term, there was no problem.
"Rui Tachibana won't give up. I really don't get it."
What exactly about him was drawing Rui Tachibana, and Iroha Isshiki too?
Couldn't he just change whatever it was that attracted them?
Couldn't he change every last one of those things?
Being pestered by women was a troublesome business, with no joy in it at all.
"Sigh. Worst case, I'll just use Hypnosis."
Use Hypnosis to make the girls let go and forget completely.
That was the last resort, to be used only if he had no other choice.
Yukino objected to him abusing Hypnosis, but last night she had accepted it when he used it.
That showed that Yukino was willing to let him use it at times.
Ding!
He took the elevator
up to the hotel room.
Ding-dong.
After the doorbell rang, the door opened quickly.
"Lin-kun."
Rui had finished washing up too.
Both girls were dressed now.
Lin Ye set the breakfast on the table, and the three of them sat down.
"Let's eat."
With that, the three began breakfast.
Lin Ye noticed that the way Yukino held her hand looked a little odd,
but remembering what she'd done last night, it all made sense.
Yukino had worked hard last night, and he could understand that.
"Let me feed you, Yukino."
Lin Ye even offered.
"No need."
Yukino refused at once.
"I…"
Rui was more direct. She immediately held out her sandwich, hoping Lin Ye would help, but Lin Ye naturally refused outright.
That left Rui sad and hurt.
It was expected, but still.
Being turned down really did hurt.
Rui ate in silence. She knew this was Lin Ye's way of refusing her, a way to make her leave.
Of course,
all she could do was accept it and take it in stride.
She knew things like this would only happen more and more, making her feel hurt and sad again and again.
In the end, she would either hurt so much she gave up, or persevere until she won.
It was up to her to choose.
Rui realized she must never let go, never give up.
This was only the beginning.
Every bit of coldness from Lin Ye, she would accept and face in full.
Yukino Yukinoshita saw it all, and a flicker of pity crossed her heart without her meaning to.
Only,
she quickly pressed that pity down.
After all,
she and Rui were love rivals.
Wouldn't sympathizing with a rival be cruel to herself?
Besides,
she had so many rivals that she truly couldn't sympathize with all of them.
If other women got treated this way by Lin Ye in the future, would she have to sympathize with each one in turn?
Or if she herself got treated this way someday, would the other women sympathize with her?
No way, no way!
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help thinking.
…
…
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