Chapter 143: I Don't Believe It Unless You Prove It to Me
The Natsukawa household was bustling with activity tonight, the clinking of glasses and cheerful toasts echoing through the air.
Kogoro Mouri, listening from across the street, was itching to join the festivities.
However, considering it was Natsukawa's night to host his future brother-in-law, he resisted the urge. There would be other opportunities for drinking.
But... it smelled so good!
The aroma of alcohol wafted over from across the way.
Back at Natsukawa's home, in the living room, Yuri was completely flushed, his initial hostility largely evaporated.
His mind was blank. He had no coherent thoughts, only a lingering desire to match Natsukawa drink for drink. He hadn't managed to ask a single question he'd planned after drinking.
Natsukawa, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. Although he'd consumed quite a bit, his tolerance was naturally high, and he remained steady as a rock.
However, he no longer cared much about Yuri's true identity.
As for why...
"Come on! Natsukawa-san, do as you please—I'll drink!" Yor slammed her glass on the table, grabbed the bottle of red wine, and drank straight from it.
Swaying from side to side with glazed eyes, she looked like she could topple over at the slightest push.
Good heavens.
They really were siblings.
Their alcohol tolerance was remarkably similar—both already tipsy after just a few drinks.
Natsukawa suddenly wondered if his suspicions about Yuri were somewhat off base.
A spy shouldn't have such low alcohol tolerance. Otherwise, even if he managed to infiltrate high-society banquets and social circles, he probably wouldn't gather any useful intelligence. His targets wouldn't even be drunk yet before he'd already passed out.
Pulling the bottle from Yor's hand, Natsukawa checked the time. It was getting late—Anya should go do her homework!
"Anya, go do your homework first." Natsukawa shook his head. He absolutely couldn't let Yor drink like this next time.
"Okay~"
Anya patted her stomach contentedly and prepared to leave, then moved a chair away from the TV.
Looked like she'd have to watch the Spy Wars and Kamen Rider reruns tomorrow instead.
The creaking sound of the chair being moved jolted Yuri somewhat more alert. He rested his chin on his hand, watching Anya enter her room, then glanced back at his sister and Natsukawa, a hint of emotion in his voice:
"I didn't expect my sister to get a boyfriend so quickly. When we talked on the phone earlier, I thought she was lying to me. Speaking of which, how long have you and my sister been together, Natsukawa-san?"
Deep down, Yuri still harbored suspicions. He had only recently urged his sister to find a boyfriend, and suddenly she already had one?
It all seemed rather convenient.
He knew his sister's personality well. Many men had pursued her over the years—quite a few wealthy and powerful, and plenty of handsome ones too—so why had she chosen Natsukawa?
Could he be an actor his sister hired just to appease him?
Although the acting was superb, he still felt something was off.
His profession as a Public Security officer instilled in him a certain wariness toward everyone except his sister—including even his superiors.
"Hey, sis, are you and Natsukawa-san really a couple?"
Yor pouted, her rosy cheeks pausing for a moment, a hint of confusion appearing in her hazy eyes. "What did you say, Yuri? Speak louder—I can't hear you."
Well, Yor was already drunk. Talking to her at this point was like words going in one ear and out the other.
"Natsukawa-san, are you and my sister really together?!" Yuri turned to face Natsukawa directly, his expression serious and his gaze sharp, as if interrogating a criminal suspect.
"Of course we are." Natsukawa assumed the man was just drunk and didn't pay much attention to his expression. He walked to the TV cabinet, retrieved a photo from the drawer, and handed it to Yuri.
It was a photo Anya had taken when they went to Mountain Mist Temple, showing the two of them cuddling together. Natsukawa planned to get an enlarged print made and display it in the living room when he had time.
The photo was quite recent, and the two of them were smiling happily in it—it didn't look fake at all. Natsukawa even had his arm around Yor's waist, and their intimate pose made Yuri feel indignant.
Then he noticed the timestamp in the upper right corner, slightly blurred by the camera: three days ago?
Yuri still wasn't convinced!
Although the two were embracing while viewing cherry blossoms in the photo, the date was only three days ago—that wasn't very long!
Could this be a last-minute scheme of his sister's, taking a quick photo just to fool him so he'd stop pestering her about finding a boyfriend?
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
Yuri, his anger rising to his head, pointed at Natsukawa with a cold smile. "So you really are just an actor my sister hired! How could my sister get a boyfriend so quickly? She never mentioned anything about it before!
This photo was definitely taken hastily just to appease me! Even though you two are hugging, your eyes are looking in completely different directions! You're obviously not a real couple!"
As for having seen the two of them drinking coffee together at Café Poirot a while back...
Heh, maybe my sister was already looking for someone to play this role back then.
That's right!
Clear and logical, his reasoning flawless—Yuri felt he'd figured out the truth and breathed a sigh of relief.
Natsukawa: "..."
Because this was a candid shot, not a posed photo...
"Yuri, what are you talking about?" Yor, still half in a daze, vaguely heard words like "actor," "boyfriend," "temporary," and "couple," and felt confused. "Natsukawa-san isn't an actor—he's part of the Air Force. I heard Yumi say that any man who goes out with a fishing rod and doesn't bring back any fish the next day is considered 'Air Force.'"
"..."
Miyamoto Yumi, how dare you slander me like that!
Natsukawa felt indignant, but this also reminded him that in the future, when using the excuse of night fishing, he should bring back a few fish the next day. Otherwise, it would be extremely embarrassing to be labeled as someone who always comes back empty-handed.
"Fishing rod? Empty-handed?" Yuri was momentarily confused, but he didn't care about that right now.
Realizing his sister could still somewhat understand what was being said, he immediately pressed on. "I still don't quite believe that you and Natsukawa-san are actually a couple! This whole situation is very suspicious!"
"I showed you the photo—what more don't you believe?" Yor was getting angry now. She slammed the wine bottle on the table, and the entire bottle cracked and shattered on the floor.
"..." ×2
Emboldened by alcohol, Yuri wasn't afraid at all. He challenged forcefully, "Why don't you kiss Natsukawa-san then, sis? Otherwise, I can only assume you just asked him to act in order to get me off your back!"
Is there really such a good opportunity?
Natsukawa straightened his posture, rubbing his hands together eagerly under the table, and scooted his chair a bit closer to Yor.
"Yes, hurry up! I'm starting to suspect I'm just an actor you hired too! Let's prove it to Yuri quickly!"
Natsukawa's gaze locked onto Yor's face, her rosy lips looking even more alluring with the tint of red wine.
He'd been eyeing them for a while now, and with this golden opportunity presenting itself, he naturally didn't want to let it slip away. He pretended to hesitate and said, "How about... we prove it to Yuri?"
Yuri narrowed his eyes. Natsukawa's expression and smile seemed extremely lecherous at this moment.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The more he looked at Natsukawa, the more displeased he became.
Yor was caught in a dilemma. Although the two were officially dating, their physical affection had been limited to hugging. Now that her younger brother had said such a thing, wasn't he putting her on the spot?
Sure enough, if you don't discipline someone for three days, they'll start causing trouble.
However, perhaps it was the impulsiveness brought on by intoxication that made Yor lose her temper. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "Since you don't believe me, then I'll prove it to you right now!"
Okay, okay, prove it right away!
Natsukawa coughed twice to hide his excitement, then scratched his head with feigned shyness.
Yuri, you're truly my lucky star!
(End of Chapter)
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