It was barely five in the morning the next day when Haruno woke up.

She had planned to quietly wash up and leave before anyone noticed. But the moment she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Yukino rubbing her eyes and turning on the living room light.

Haruno, hair a wild mess, blinked in surprise.

"...You didn't sleep last night?"

Honestly, Yukino thought her sister was unexpectedly soft and adorable when she dropped that polished, perfect façade.

She nodded. "The idea of sharing a roof with you was so strange I couldn't sleep."

Haruno knew her too well.

Yukino had strong self-discipline in most aspects of life but the one weakness she had was that she liked to sleep in. Her sleep quality was usually excellent, and it often took three alarms to drag her out of bed.

So every morning, she'd sit in a daze for a few minutes, sometimes with a touch of grumpiness.

But waking up this quickly today? She probably hadn't really slept at all last night.

Yukino gave a small yawn.

She took out a bento she'd prepared the night before from the fridge and handed it to Haruno. "Don't forget to eat."

Haruno scoffed. "I'm not a kid who can't find her own food…"

Still, she hugged the lunchbox to her chest and grinned.

"Just a suggestion: next time, can you not put carrots in the omurice?"

Yukino gave her a flat look. "You don't have to worry. There won't be a next time."

"Tch."

Haruno grumbled and stomped off to wash up.

"Would it kill you to show a little softness toward your big sister?"

By the time she came out, she'd already finished her skincare and makeup routine, back to her usual glowing, composed self.

She always moved like she was marching into battle her perfection so intense it bordered on obsessive, like a wind-up doll that never got tired.

Before leaving, Haruno playfully flicked Yukino's forehead.

"Our little Yukino is still just a child. Why should she have to worry about something as far-off as marriage?"

"No need to lose sleep over it. Your big sister will take care of this mess for you in no time~"

Then she gave Yukino a light push back toward the bedroom.

"There's still more than two hours left. Go back to sleep for a bit."

Yukino frowned. "If I sleep now, I won't be able to get up again later!"

"I'll call you. I love seeing little Yukino grumpy from sleep but too tired to yell at me. Hehehe."

Yukino lay back in the bed that still held a trace of Haruno's warmth. Haruno switched off the light, gently closed the door, and walked out again stepping back into the radiant battlefield that belonged to her, armed and ready.

...…

Today, Sōbu High was as calm as ever, though Yukino noticed that Miura had been rather down lately.

Miura had always been the center of attention, like a proud little phoenix surrounded by admiring birds. Even the way her hair moved seemed to shine with self-confidence.

But now she looked more like a molting chick tired, listless, and droopy.

"Miura, are you sick?"

Miura gave a look like she wanted to bury her face in a wall. "...No."

Just a few days ago, she'd been loudly declaring how she would create the perfect environment for Yukino to confess. The key being that Yukino had to confess first!

But she'd failed before she even got started. Her own confession had gone down in flames, with family and friends metaphorically crying over her grave...

If even she had such a hard time, how much worse would it be for someone like Yukino, who'd been hated by so many in the past?

If Yukino confessed, wouldn't the whole school erupt with mockery and insults? Wouldn't she be ripped apart on forums, her name dragged through the mud?

Miura could already imagine Yukino's face twisted in pain as she endured a storm of ridicule...

No wonder Yukino had hesitated for so long!

My poor girl, I'm so sorry, QAQ...

With the system offering no help, Yukino had to switch into "Little Genius of Empathy" mode. Based on her logic, when she flipped that switch, the answers would follow.

Though... ahem.

Now that she thought about it, Miura had started acting weird right after she found out Yukino had gone to Nishimiya's house on behalf of Ms. Hiratsuka for a home visit.

Could it be that Miura actually…

She wanted to be friends with Nishimiya?

Well, that would make sense. Nishimiya was gentle and pretty, and Miura clearly liked that kind of friend. After all, both Yui and Ueda were the soft and sweet type.

Come to think of it, Miura had been the first one to get involved with the whole Nishimiya case.

So maybe Miura was just feeling sad that she missed her chance to connect with a potential new friend?

In that moment, Yukino's logic loop clicked into a smooth, complete circle in her mind.

Nice. I'm really getting the hang of reading people lately.

At this rate, maybe making new friends wouldn't be so hard after all.

Yukino cleared her throat and said seriously,

"Don't give up. There will be other chances."

Don't give up. There'll be more people you can befriend like Nishimiya.

The words came out of nowhere, and Miura blinked in confusion for a split second then it hit her.

Yukino's encouraging me!

Even when life was this tough, as long as she didn't give up, she could overcome both family and social obstacles!

The dejected little chick suddenly puffed up with new energy, crossing her arms and huffing confidently.

"I don't need your pity. Just wait and see."

Truly, a perfect day for another round of completely mismatched communication.

During a break between classes, someone from the student council approached Yukino about an interview request for the school newspaper.

She was about to turn them down immediately.

"Please, Yukino-chan. The twin jewels of the Yukinoshita family are such a hot topic!"

Yukino paused, surprised, and looked at the member of the school press team in front of her.

"You... know about my sister?"

The third-year student's eyes lit up at the mention of Haruno.

"Of course I do! Who doesn't?"

"She was the most charismatic and popular student council president in Sōbu's history. And she was the lead vocalist of the school band. Practically the perfect idol!"

Clearly, this senior was a full-on Haruno fangirl. She began listing Haruno's achievements one by one from national mock exam scores to music competition awards.

"You wouldn't believe how many people lined up to confess to her on her graduation day. It wasn't about actually dating her it was more like closing a chapter in their lives. Everyone knew she wasn't interested in romance back then."

She beamed at Yukino.

"Your sister's still amazing now, right?"

Yukino gazed out the window. After a long moment, she nodded.

"More amazing than ever."

Yukinoshita Haruno so admired, so bright would continue to be dazzling.

But the obsession that had only grown in her absence over the past year, the obsession that would only drag her down into darkness...

That should never have existed in the first place.

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