She had long known about fire prevention, theft prevention, and bestie prevention.
But... Soga Yura never expected that Sakura Mai and her Yuzu had only interacted for a mere few minutes.
Yet she was already swinging her pickaxe to undermine her foundation.
Why had she chosen to influence the Saotome family's little rabbit to take care of her Yuzu back then, rather than choosing Sakura Mai, who seemed more suitable no matter how one looked at it?
Wasn't it precisely for the sake of fire prevention, theft prevention, and bestie prevention?
Sakura Mai was different from ordinary girls.
The family environment she grew up in destined that in Sakura Mai's concept of things, there would be entries like 'it doesn't matter even if it's a girl' or 'rather, that's even better'.
Back then, Sakura Mai's 'father,' the "Sword Princess of Frenzied Assault" Tennoji Jurei, had stormed the Sakura family in a fit of rage, sword in hand. The result? He was beaten by the Sakura family's little princess until he obediently 'married into the family'.
That wedding of the century had struck a chord in the hearts of so many.
It could be said—
From the very beginning, Soga Yura had been 'carefully guarding' against Sakura Mai.
It wasn't that she didn't trust her best friend... but that she truly couldn't rest easy regarding Sakura Mai.
This guy... was born with a handsome appearance that attracted bees and butterflies alike. Coupled with her Knight Princess attribute that captivated both men and women, her good-natured personality, and that Sword of Will ability that grew stronger with every setback, she looked in every way like a harem protagonist from a light novel.
Maybe she would just abduct her little sister.
If that happened, the 'sisters book' might really turn into a 'sisters book' in a different sense.
But... Soga Yura was teary-eyed.
She had guarded against this for so many years... she never expected that just letting her guard down for these few minutes would allow Sakura Mai to sneak in.
It was one thing for that damn rabbit to root around for her family's cabbage. But why did Sakura Mai also look like she wanted to swing a pickaxe to scr... steal her family's cabbage?
If Sakura Mai's first remark about Yuzu calling her 'Sister' could be explained away by Soga Yura as her Yuzu being too polite...
Then... when Sakura Mai used a tone bordering on dazed to say that Yuzu was very cute...
Soga Yura had already sniffed the sprouting of an ominous scent.
Whimpering and babbling, Soga Yura barely mustered the strength to lunge at Sakura Mai, only to be easily pinned back into her seat by Sakura Mai with a single hand.
The sedan driver glanced at the rearview mirror, then silently raised the partition between the front and rear seats.
"What's wrong with you today?" Sakura Mai, unexpectedly obtuse in this regard, had not yet realized that in Soga Yura's eyes, she had already transformed into a villain swinging a pickaxe to poach her corner.
Sakura Mai was still puzzled. Theoretically... Soga Yura shouldn't be unable to control her own ability.
Pinned down by Sakura Mai's single hand, Soga Yura was dumbstruck.
Because... she wrinkled her nose and smelled the rich citrus fragrance on Sakura Mai's hand and in her embrace.
There could be no mistake... that was Yuzu's scent.
That was the body fragrance of the Yuzu she had raised herself.
Her lips trembled so much they couldn't seem to close, and her right hand pointed at Sakura Mai as if looking at a traitor who had betrayed her.
"Sakura Mai!!! What did you do to Yuzu!!!"
"I just hugged Sister Yuzu, that's all..."
Boom boom boom!
Soga Yura felt as if she had been struck by five thunderbolts.
'Just... hugged?'
She looked at Sakura Mai with tear-filled eyes. "I haven't even hugged Yuzu!"
"For nearly ten years..."
"Not even once!!!"
"Even..."
"Even setting aside hugging, I don't even dare to hold Yuzu's little hand."
"Wuu... Sakura Mai, you jerk." Soga Yura's tears were about to spill from her eyes.
Sakura Mai wanted to explain. "It was Sister Yuzu who said, 'Sister Mai, can you let me hug you'..."
However... before her voice could fully fade, she saw that Soga Yura's eyes seemed to have turned completely hollow.
"Yuzu said..."
"Sister Mai?"
"Hug?"
Even though early spring had already passed, Soga Yura suddenly felt very cold.
"No—"
"No!!!"
Snowflakes drifted outside the window, accompanied by a spray of bright winter plums.
Having bid farewell to Sakura Mai, Su Yuzu leisurely embarked on the road back to the dormitory with Kujou Katora.
After all, Keigunen Private Academy was still a campus. After midnight, even on the commercial street, there were very few pedestrians or students left.
Su Yuzu bought a few more skewers of spicy chicken wings.
While waiting for the spicy chicken wings, the smile slightly raised on the corner of the girl's mouth, adorned with a touch of transparent lip gloss, made her crystal-clear lips look like jelly under the midnight lights. In Kujou Katora's eyes, she seemed to have transformed into a little devil... no, a little succubus smiling.
In front of different girls, Su Yuzu seemed naturally capable of displaying the attribute they desired.
In Saotome Yukina's eyes, she looked like a Senpai who enjoyed bullying people a little bit but was actually gentle and considerate.
In Mihou Sakai's eyes, she was a flawless, radiant savior.
In Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's eyes, she was a demon, utterly atrocious, holding her vitals and playing her to death.
And... what Kujou Katora expected.
A bad-hearted girl and her dog.
Taking the wooden skewer from Su Yuzu's hand, Su Yuzu only took one for herself.
Kujou Katora watched Su Yuzu's movement of gently biting off the wing tip, and even felt... that the many skewers in her own hand were not as good as the single one in the girl's hand.
If the spicy chicken wings in the game were purple-grade Favorability gifts, then... the one in Su Yuzu's hand right now was undoubtedly orange-grade.
"Kujou-senpai is leaving Keigunen tomorrow, right?"
"Yes..."
"What a pity..." Su Yuzu pitied her Combat Records.
Kujou Katora felt the same. Although being by Su Yuzu's side often meant getting slapped by Lady Fate, but... after leaving Yuzu and lacking Lady Fate's slaps, Kujou Katora didn't even know how she should live.
"You must come to see me often."
"Okay."
"If work isn't too busy... just come once every day."
Listening to the girl's 'command', Kujou Katora even wanted to lower her head and assent.
"By the way—" Stuffing the leftover wooden skewer into Kujou Katora's palm, Su Yuzu retrieved the Favorability reward she had obtained from Kujou Katora from her inventory.
[Loyal Dog's Collar].
It was a dark red leather collar. It possessed the function of teleporting the wearer to the owner's side when encountering life-threatening danger.
"This is a gift I prepared for Kujou-senpai~" It was time to verify if the girls' Favorability rewards... really were definitely suitable for them.
After all... Su Yuzu was still very interested in the Little Rabbit's clothing and accessories.
Thump thump—
Her scarlet pupils constricted; Kujou Katora felt as if her entire body was trembling with excitement.
"Wuu..." Whimpering mournfully, under the lights in front of the dormitory building, the slender woman tilted her head slightly back, stretching her neck forward.
She didn't even dare to look directly at the girl before her.
"Eh~" The girl's atrocious laughter rang out.
"What is Kujou-senpai doing?"
"Does Kujou-senpai not think... this collar suits Kujou-senpai's ability very well—"
"Hound of Blood?"
"Eh?" The scarlet pupils quaked.
"Or perhaps—"
"Kujou-senpai..."
"Wants to be my dog?"
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