Gently, she hugged Yuzu.
The body of the girl in her arms was soft and wonderful.
It was completely different from Soga Yura, that steel plate.
Even if Sakura Mai had to hold the girl or offer her a lap pillow, watching her sleep peacefully all afternoon or even all night, there would be absolutely no problem.
Clearly, the two sisters possessed appearances carved from nearly the same mold.
But compared to Soga Yura, who pushed everyone a thousand miles away even while smiling, the well-behaved and adorable girl in her arms was simply too lovable.
Sakura Mai even momentarily harbored the thought of abducting Yuzu home to be a mascot.
Because of the rather subtle difference in height, the girls' body lines fitted together perfectly.
When Sakura Mai lowered her head, she could just touch Su Yuzu's ear, whispering beside it.
However, the Knight Princess remained silent and quiet.
Only her occasional, faint breaths would blow up a small, slender lock of hair by the girl's ear.
"Good morning~"
"Sister Mai." Su Yuzu hugged Sakura Mai's waist.
The voice was very light, but Sakura Mai felt as if the girl was acting like a spoiled child towards her.
Sakura Mai's trench coat was habitually left open.
Su Yuzu, quite naturally, slipped her small hands directly inside the trench coat, hugging Sakura Mai's waist directly.
Although Sakura Mai still wore a shirt underneath the trench coat—completely different from the bandage outfit on the Recruitment page—and Yuzu couldn't directly touch the Knight Princess's pale, soft waist...
But... this was already enough.
Su Yuzu could clearly feel the beautiful lines of Sakura Mai's spine, and even touched the edge of the girl's waist dimples.
Rubbing gently against Sakura Mai's embrace, Su Yuzu politely let go.
Although she was reluctant in her heart, but... Sakura Mai still decisively opened her arms, allowing the girl to take a small half-step back to create some distance.
Because of the rich fragrance of wood blossoms on the Knight Princess, Su Yuzu's cheeks even looked a bit flushed.
At this moment, the belated Soga Yura arrived. Her crimson eyes were written full of envy, jealousy, and hate; her entire being was about to turn into a walking meme.
She was just short of regretfully biting a handkerchief and sobbing 'ying ying ying'.
Bastard, bastard, bastard!
She had told herself... she couldn't embrace Yuzu.
She longed to embrace Yuzu incomparably.
Yet she... she was craving her so much.
If anything happened on the commercial street today, this guy would have to bear at least seventy percent of the responsibility.
Soga Yura bit her lip as she looked at Su Yuzu.
After stripping away the cold, disdainful disguise that made Su Yuzu loathe her so much, Soga Yura's expression looked just like a... crybaby.
No different from when she was little.
There wasn't even any improvement.
It was as if the Soga clan's Eldest Young Lady, standing under the spotlight and attracting everyone's attention, was also just a disguise.
Su Yuzu even felt that if she hugged Sister Sakura Mai for just a few more seconds, Soga Yura's tears would start falling uncontrollably.
But... even so.
The atmosphere between the two was still very stiff.
Soga Yura didn't know how to speak to Yuzu at all.
It had been too long... since she had said a word to Yuzu.
The last time she spoke to Yuzu was on Yuzu's and her own birthday, after she had exhaustedly finished dealing with the banquet prepared for her by the Soga clan.
Soga Yura saw Yuzu squatting at the door of her room, sleepy and teetering.
The result... the result was that under "Domination," she overturned the cake in Yuzu's hands.
Seeing Yuzu look like she was about to cry on the spot for the first time back then... Soga Yura felt as if her own heart was being sliced open as well.
But... it was also that moment that made Soga Yura start thinking, again and again.
Was her choice wrong?
The cake Yuzu made... was delicious.
So sweet.
Really... so sweet.
And the time before that when she spoke to Yuzu, it seemed to be when Yuzu said... she had been admitted to Keigunen Private Academy.
Even though she was happy enough inside to roll around on the floor.
Yuzu is amazing, Yuzu is really amazing.
But after squeezing for a long time, controlling "Domination" for a long time, in the end, she only squeezed out an 'Oh'.
After slamming the door with a sour face, her chest felt squeezed and blocked to the point of suffocation.
Thinking about Sakura Mai's words again.
Yuzu... would probably be even sadder.
Now, the atmosphere between the two was similarly strange and awkward.
Soga Yura looked at Yuzu, not knowing how to speak at all.
And Su Yuzu... she looked at Soga Yura.
She could empathize, she could forgive, she could understand everything Soga Yura chose.
But... she absolutely could not agree with it.
There was absolutely no way to accept it calmly.
Su Yuzu... looked at Soga Yura, who lowered her head silently and stared at her own toes, unable to speak.
But... compared to the indifference of the past, where they seemed ready to draw swords against each other, the silence between the two seemed to be the most significant progress.
Fortunately—
The people here today were not just Su Yuzu and Soga Yura.
"What are you standing there for? Sit down." Sakura Mai pulled Soga Yura to sit down, as if she didn't see the awkward scene between the two.
Of course—
To avoid being too awkward, she sat opposite Sister Yuzu herself.
"What would Sister Yuzu like to eat?"
"Sister is buying."
Listening to Sakura Mai's words, Soga Yura almost stood up again.
Whose sister!
Whose sister are you!
That is my little sister!
Mine!
But... looking up at Yuzu holding her cup, Soga Yura cowardly lowered her head again.
One couldn't see a trace of her usual appearance—cold as a flower on a high peak, always looking at Su Yuzu with disdain.
She was even... excessively withered.
"What flavor does Yura want?" Sakura Mai scrolled through the menu on her phone. "Yuzu [Yuzu], is that okay?"
"I remember you like 'Yuzu' the most."
Sakura Mai was very distinctively dense sometimes.
But... could she really not read the atmosphere right now?
Not necessarily.
Hearing Sakura Mai's words, Soga Yura's back arched up, looking like a cat whose tail had been pinched.
She looked up nervously at Yuzu opposite her.
The girl still maintained an indifferent posture.
It was just... Sakura Mai could see that the girl's hand holding the cup had tightened.
"O... Okay." Soga Yura's voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzzing.
Sakura Mai was just about to place the order.
Just then, Su Yuzu suddenly reached out her hand and blocked Sakura Mai's phone.
"Let me do it."
She glanced at Soga Yura.
The so-called Yuzu in her name... was actually a very fragrant 'citrus', or rather a tangerine, which stimulated the taste buds considerably.
But in other words—
It was also very sour.
Sour to the point of being almost inedible.
Soga Yura indeed liked the aroma of citrus very much, but if served 'Yuzu' directly, she would probably end up like the Little Rabbit last time.
Unable to eat it at all.
But given Soga Yura's personality, she would probably turn into a crybaby, and then swallow it all while crying.
Why show off if you can't handle the sourness?
She didn't know how her brain worked.
While disdaining her internally, Su Yuzu re-ordered.
She replaced the 'Yuzu' in the crepe with a standard pomelo, also known as Wendan.
Diagonally opposite her, Soga Yura's head was about to be buried under the table.
Under the tabletop, the girl's fists clenched tightly.
________________________________________
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