Haruno Yukinoshita truly hadn't expected that her perpetually aloof Sister could play so wild.
From the playing cards and the state of dress of her Sister and Rui Tachibana, she understood exactly what scene had just played out here.
Interesting. How fun.
Who could have imagined this!
If Mother found out, her face would change on the spot. That solemn woman, so mindful of the family's honor—how could she ever accept this image and behavior from her Sister?
If it were only Sister and Lin Ye,
there wouldn't be much of a problem.
The two were already engaged, practically family. Private amusements between a couple were perfectly normal.
But now Rui Tachibana was here. An outsider. Even though Rui was a girl, it changed the nature of the situation entirely.
This was far beyond anything Mother could accept under ordinary circumstances.
After all,
even Haruno had been startled, and even she felt she couldn't accept it.
If the man hadn't been Lin Ye—and she knew Lin Ye wouldn't go so far as to lay a hand on Sister—she would probably have been furious at the sight.
If it was Lin Ye, it wasn't much of a problem anyway.
Still, Haruno Yukinoshita had one lingering worry: at this rate, Lin Ye's threshold would only climb higher and higher, and in the end he might well tip over into madness.
They were already playing this wild. Who knew how much wilder the future would get.
A faint smile never left the corner of Haruno Yukinoshita's mouth, yet that slight curve carried not the slightest warmth.
Rui Tachibana was nervous. She had a feeling this woman would turn on her any second, and the feeling only grew stronger.
'Thump, thump, thump…'
Her heartbeat sped up, pounding harder and harder.
Rui pressed her lips together, on edge, waiting to see what would happen next.
"Shizuka was so worried about you, she thought something had happened. Yukino, you've been taking leave more and more lately, to the point that it isn't normal anymore. Shizuka even wondered whether you'd run into some kind of trouble. Honestly, it leaves me… helpless!"
After Shizuka Hiratsuka's call, Haruno Yukinoshita had of course told her that Yukino was fine. But she had still used some of her resources to track Yukino down.
The apartment's surveillance had quickly confirmed that Yukino and Lin Ye had returned.
On the way over, she hadn't thought much about it.
After all, it was one man and two women.
Even if it had been only Yukino and Lin Ye, a man and a woman alone in one room, she could have accepted that. She saw no problem with it, because she had confidence in Lin Ye. She thought the odds of him making a move on Yukino were very low.
Never mind that there was an outsider present.
But the scene before her now truly exceeded her imagination.
Things really did develop fast. So fast she'd been caught completely off guard.
"…"
Yukino Yukinoshita still had no idea how to explain herself.
She knew perfectly well that, in a scene like this, even jumping into Tokyo Bay wouldn't clear her name.
Besides, it was simply the truth. Flatly denying it wasn't her style, either.
"I'll explain it to Hiratsuka-sensei myself later."
"Oh? You'll tell her you took leave to play such thrilling games with Lin-kun?"
Yukino Yukinoshita's eyelid twitched.
How could she possibly say that!
She absolutely could not say that.
This had to be kept hidden.
"I wasn't feeling well. My condition hasn't been good lately."
That was also the truth.
Her condition could fairly be called terrible, and from here on it would likely get worse.
After all, she now owed Lin Ye ten times.
Even at twice a week, that would take over a month to pay off.
Her life for the coming month
would surely never be as peaceful as before.
Yukino Yukinoshita had already braced herself for it.
"It really isn't good. Of course it isn't, when Yukino's been playing this wild!"
Haruno walked over to Yukino, came to stand beside her, and reached out to stroke her cheek.
Yukino turned her face away to dodge, but Haruno had no intention of giving up and immediately tried again.
"Sister,"
"I'm only worried about you, Yukino. I wanted to see whether Lin-kun bullied you hard today."
As she talked, Haruno remembered something. "Last time, Lin-kun bullied me thoroughly. I lay in bed at home for several days before I recovered. Who would have thought Lin-kun could be so fierce and cruel!"
One hand pressed to her cheek, Haruno let a faint blush bloom, looking ever more bashful. "I said 'no more' so many times back then, and Lin-kun truly showed no mercy at all. No tenderness whatsoever, just thinking of his own pleasure."
A few simple sentences sketched a scene so ambiguous it set the imagination running.
Rui Tachibana had already made the connection.
Last night, she had been treated by Lin Ye in just that way, this way and that.
It had been so intense she couldn't bear it and had cried out for him to stop, but Lin Ye hadn't stopped.
Rui knew that feeling and that thrill.
So Yukino Yukinoshita's elder sister, Haruno Yukinoshita, had already had that kind of relationship with Lin Ye!
The fact stunned Rui.
A blood sister had been with Lin Ye, and so had the younger sister.
This…
This relationship was far too complicated.
She couldn't imagine how the two sisters would get along in the future.
The thought drifted through Rui's mind, and she grew only more unsure how to sort out this tangled relationship properly.
"Sister, please don't use words that make people get the wrong idea,"
Yukino Yukinoshita corrected her. "Others will misunderstand."
"Who here would misunderstand? Nobody, right?"
Rui Tachibana felt Haruno Yukinoshita's gaze land on her.
Clearly, the only "other" here was her.
"Um…"
"I remember you're Tachibana-sensei's sister, right?"
"Y-yes."
"And your relationship with Lin-kun is?"
"It's, it's…"
"We're classmates at the moment."
Lin Ye spoke up. He knew very well that Haruno Yukinoshita genuinely loved stirring up trouble, and not just in the ordinary way.
"Wow, classmates alone can get this far? Lin-kun has so many, many female classmates. Next, will Lin-kun bring them over to Yukino's place one by one to play? Like Iroha Isshiki, our junior. Or that pink-haired girl with the big buns—oh right, Yui Yuigahama, wasn't it?"
Haruno chattered away merrily, every line seeming to add another layer of strange atmosphere to the room.
Yukino Yukinoshita was used to this and didn't mind. Of course she still reacted, because her sister's behavior was undeniably shocking enough.
Lin Ye stayed calm. What hadn't he seen? A few lines from Haruno had no effect on him.
Rui's reaction was different.
She couldn't help glancing at Lin Ye, as if seeking confirmation that it was true.
Were those two girls also close to Lin Ye?
"Since Miss Haruno puts it that way, I could consider it."
"Eh?"
Haruno froze.
"When the time comes, we'll play a game. Miss Haruno will definitely love it. I sincerely invite you to join."
"Wow, wow! You're inviting me? I'm so happy, I'm really so happy that Lin-kun is willing to invite me!"
Her tone climbed higher and higher,
and a look of intense excitement welled up in her eyes.
"Will you join?"
Lin Ye confirmed once more.
"I'll join, I'll join! Lin-kun is inviting me, how could I not?"
She, Haruno Yukinoshita, couldn't have asked for more.
"What should I wear when the time comes? What kind of outfit does Lin-kun like?"
As she spoke, Haruno started offering suggestions. "Formal wear? A Maid outfit? A flight attendant uniform? Or…"
She ticked them off one by one, smiling brightly.
The words tugged at Rui Tachibana's mind and set her imagination running.
She wondered whether she could use methods like these to draw Lin Ye in even further.
Not a bad idea. She'd learn it too.
"Any of them is fine. Not a big problem."
"Then I'll bring them all! Whatever Lin-kun likes, I'll wear it. Worst case, I'll wear every one of them over. Oh, and more girls, everyone in a different uniform. What do you think, Lin-kun?"
Even Lin Ye couldn't help imagining it.
One person in a uniform didn't mean much to him. But a whole group, each in a different uniform, appearing before him? Lin Ye did feel the slightest stirring of interest.
"When the time comes, we'll all play cards with Lin-kun, taking off one item whenever we lose. Lin-kun will definitely be thrilled."
"You're looking forward to that scene, aren't you, Lin-kun?"
Haruno could barely hold back her smile as she spoke.
Never mind a man; even she, a woman, felt a little stirred.
That sight—how many men could withstand it?
She certainly couldn't.
And as for Lin Ye,
Haruno Yukinoshita was sure he was at least tempted. He just hadn't been moved to act yet.
She needed to add a little more fuel to the fire.
"I'm looking forward to it. Very much. I'm only afraid Miss Haruno won't be so willing?"
"Hm? I'm very willing."
Haruno was puzzled. Her attitude clearly showed she was willing. How had that turned into unwilling?
"Because the star of the event I'm inviting you to is you."
Haruno felt the faintest doubt creep in, along with a bad premonition.
Could it be…
"You guessed right. It's that game where you cried 'no, no.'"
Haruno Yukinoshita: ???
Her eyelid twitched.
"Lin-kun, I haven't done anything to wrong you lately. Are you really going to treat me that way over just a little bonus like that?"
She'd been well-behaved lately. She hadn't tried anything at all.
Compared with the past, it was infinitely more peaceful.
"It's a reward for you, not a punishment."
But the content was a punishment!
"When the time comes, wouldn't it be wonderful for me to play with Sis Haruno properly, together with the other girls?"
Wonderful how?
Not wonderful at all.
Haruno kept denying it in her mind.
She resisted fiercely, yet she seemed to have no way of changing Lin Ye's mind.
"Forget it,"
Haruno said, softening slightly. "I won't join this game. You all have fun, Lin-kun!"
Either way, she wasn't taking part. It was no fun.
Who liked being made the entertainment?
At the very least, Haruno certainly didn't.
Of course,
that had a great deal to do with what she'd been through back then.
That experience had left an indelible mark on her.
"What a pity. I was really looking forward to Miss Haruno taking part."
"No, no."
If you really wanted me to join, you wouldn't put it like that.
Hehehe.
But Haruno didn't dare stay stubborn now. She knew all too well what stubbornness would get her, and it was nothing good. So when it was time to bend, she bent.
Otherwise, what would she face in the end? That would truly be too difficult.
Rui, on the other hand, grew curious.
What on earth could have frightened this woman, so full of presence, into denying it again and again?
Rui wanted to know.
She decided to find time later to ask.
If Lin Ye really liked it, she wasn't unwilling to make the sacrifice and try.
That was how Rui Tachibana thought.
To rebuild her relationship with Lin Ye as lovers, she had gone all in, steeling herself for all manner of sacrifices.
As long as it earned her more of Lin Ye's affection, she was willing to do anything.
That was Rui Tachibana's resolve.
"Are you two going to keep going?"
Haruno pointed at the playing cards scattered across the table.
"Want to join?"
"No,"
Haruno shook her head and refused at once.
She'd had a little interest at first,
but Lin Ye's attitude just now told her that playing cards with him would end badly. Besides, having gone to Macau City with Lin Ye, she knew his gambling skill.
Under those eyes,
she had no chance of winning at all.
She was no match for him.
So,
with nothing fun to gain, Haruno wasn't about to do anything to her own detriment.
"I actually would love to gamble with Miss Haruno."
"No thanks. Lin-kun, I know your gambling skill. How could I be your match? Why would I join a bet I'm certain to lose!"
Haruno's attitude was firm, and she wasn't about to change it.
She was staying out of this gamble.
"In that case, I won't force you."
Lin Ye went on.
Haruno breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been a little worried Lin Ye might force her, but apparently she had overthought it. Lin Ye wasn't that bad.
"Since the game's not continuing, Yukino, Student Tachibana, you two can get dressed now."
The two had only pulled a jacket over themselves to cover up.
At Haruno's words, they looked at Lin Ye, seeking his approval.
After Lin Ye nodded, the two picked up their clothes and went into the bedroom to change.
Click…
The door closed behind them.
"Lin-kun, tell me. Besides taking off clothes, what other stakes were there?"
She felt Lin Ye's stakes couldn't have stopped at clothes.
She was sure there had to be something more intense, more thrilling.
That was Haruno's thinking.
Faced with Haruno's questioning, Lin Ye only shrugged and gave no answer.
And that sight only made Haruno more certain of her guess.
…
…
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