Suppose every girl Lin Ye had ever saved held some measure of goodwill toward him -- never mind how strong that goodwill was, never mind whether each one of them actually loved him.
At the very least, it would still be far more than what an ordinary person could expect!
There were plenty of girls at Sobu High, but most of them had no particular feelings toward Lin Ye at all.
Aside from Iroha Isshiki, no other girl held any special fondness for him.
Yui Yuigahama certainly didn't count.
Yukino Yukinoshita could tell that much.
Of course, that had something to do with the fact that Yui Yuigahama knew Lin Ye already had feelings for her, and had once pursued him herself.
Lin Ye already had a girl he liked and was pursuing, and she was in the same club besides -- no matter how much Yui Yuigahama might like him, she could never show it, especially since her feelings weren't all that strong to begin with.
"Actually, this is pretty normal. It just shows how much charm Lin-kun has. If no girl liked him at all, that would make him seem far too ordinary."
The first person hit by that realization was Lin Ye himself.
In his past life, he'd never had a single girlfriend.
In other words, in his past life he really had been that ordinary.
But in this life --
in this life, if he hadn't crossed over into this world, gained this weekly superpower, and been thrust into this dangerous Strange Game that gave him the capital to soar --
then otherwise,
his future
would have been unbearably difficult.
Forget someone on Yukino Yukinoshita's level -- even Ryou Fujibayashi, who had already given herself to him, would have been utterly out of his reach.
Beautiful girls never lacked for suitors.
Even a girl like Kyou Fujibayashi, whose temperament wasn't the gentlest and who had a bit of an edge to her, he thought an ordinary version of himself would have had a hard time winning over.
Of course, if they'd attended the same school, with that long companionship of being classmates... maybe there would have been a chance!
"Even if Lin-kun were completely ordinary, I'd still like him,"
Ryou Fujibayashi spoke up.
Her tone was serious, her attitude resolute.
As far as Ryou Fujibayashi was concerned, no matter what Lin Ye turned out to be, she would choose to love him. Of course, she knew perfectly well that her unprecedented feelings for him had begun the day he saved her during an Inner World incident at her school.
But that affection wouldn't change just because Lin Ye's future had turned out ordinary.
Yukino Yukinoshita's dark blue eyes settled on this young nurse.
This gentle, somewhat introverted girl had just mustered up her courage to declare her feelings so plainly -- how deeply she must care for Lin Ye!
Yukino felt a pang in her chest.
This man really had a way of making a girl fall completely.
"Thank you for liking my boyfriend,"
she said first, offering her thanks.
At the same time, she made her relationship with Lin Ye clear, staking her claim.
Even though Ryou Fujibayashi clearly liked Lin Ye, Yukino had no intention of letting her turn into another Mai Sakurajima situation.
She absolutely did not want another person coming to share and possess her boyfriend.
Even if, taking a hundred steps back, she felt nothing for Lin Ye -- no affection at all, even outright dislike --
she was still his girlfriend, his quasi-fiancée, the one who would marry him and build a new family with him in the future.
She would do her duty as girlfriend and wife, and fulfill her responsibilities.
Likewise, she would demand that Lin Ye fulfill his own responsibilities and duties as boyfriend and husband.
And so, she could not possibly allow Lin Ye to keep flirting his way through every woman he met.
Absolutely not allowed.
Yukino Yukinoshita had possessiveness in her -- and a very strong dose of it at that.
She might have already resigned herself to Lin Ye's relationship with Mai Sakurajima, might have even seemed to accept Mai's existence,
but that was only temporary. Eventually, this complicated three-way relationship would have to end.
Either Mai Sakurajima stepped aside, or she, Yukino Yukinoshita, would.
There was no third possibility.
The blissful fantasy Lin Ye entertained, of having a harem all to himself, was never going to happen.
At that moment,
Lin Ye suddenly felt the full weight of Yukino's stare.
He didn't know exactly what her reaction meant, but he understood that her last words had been a clear declaration of possessiveness toward him.
"Still, personally, I'd suggest Miss Fujibayashi not get her hopes up. Staying friends with my boyfriend, in the normal sense, would be the best and most appropriate arrangement."
Yukino issued the warning, offering her suggestion.
She wasn't actually worried Ryou Fujibayashi would succeed -- after all, even Iroha Isshiki had thrown herself at him directly and been turned down, and even her own sister had done the same without any success.
So,
she figured the odds of Ryou Fujibayashi succeeding were quite low. But low odds or not, what needed to be said still needed saying.
She still felt she had to warn Ryou Fujibayashi, to push that unrealistic fondness for Lin Ye deep into the back of her mind and keep her distance from him.
Only then could that possible outcome be shut out for good.
"Since Student Yukinoshita has said as much, there's nothing more I can do,"
Ryou Fujibayashi sighed softly and continued, "I... won't give up. Since Student Yukinoshita already knows I have feelings for Lin-kun, I won't hide it anymore. I intend to keep pursuing him. I intend to be with him."
Her gaze was gentle, but her tone was unusually firm.
Yukino's expression didn't change, but inside, ripples of turmoil stirred.
A trap.
It seemed she had walked right into her own trap.
She'd thought that by laying the relationship out plainly, by putting everything on the table, this reserved, introverted girl would grow more cautious and careful -- would retreat on her own and let the matter drop.
Instead, this girl had taken the initiative and shown nothing but resolve.
"Miss Fujibayashi, are you serious about this?"
Yukino pressed further, seeking confirmation.
She needed to be sure -- and this also gave Ryou Fujibayashi a chance to back down.
But that chance was clearly not one Ryou Fujibayashi intended to take.
She had only just managed to gather the courage to say what she'd said; there was no way she'd accept Yukino's hint now.
She was certain to refuse it.
"Of course I'm serious. Everything I've said, I mean it. As seriously as it's possible to mean anything,"
Ryou Fujibayashi said, each word deliberate, her attitude utterly resolute.
It could be said that
she had already put everything on the line.
"I understand."
Yukino's gaze lingered on Ryou Fujibayashi for a moment before shifting toward Lin Ye,
and that cold, complicated look in her eyes stirred up an inexplicable feeling deep in Lin Ye's chest.
Lin Ye's head was spinning.
But since Ryou Fujibayashi had already said all that, all he could do was support her.
At the very least, he couldn't possibly object, couldn't resist or push back.
"Lin Ye, what do you think?"
Yukino spoke up.
She was asking him, but more than that, she was pressuring him -- forcing him to make a decision, hoping he would refuse Ryou Fujibayashi right then and there.
"What do I think?"
He drew out the words first, feigning surprise, then said, "What I think, of course, is that Ryou's personal wishes should be respected."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ???
Respected?
Shouldn't he be flatly refusing her right now?
She felt Lin Ye ought to reject her firmly, without leaving Ryou Fujibayashi any room for hope or fantasy.
Otherwise, if Lin Ye didn't refuse, wasn't that basically handing Ryou Fujibayashi all the encouragement she needed?
Yukino's look toward Lin Ye grew even less friendly.
She noticed the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and it hit her -- this was one of his tricks again.
This bastard was using Ryou Fujibayashi to squeeze her further, to pile on the pressure.
Fine. Just fine.
This guy really did love pulling this kind of stunt.
Thinking back on Lin Ye's repeated schemes over time,
Yukino thought she finally understood his intentions.
"My boyfriend really is someone who respects other people's thoughts and wishes,"
she said with a sigh,
her words dripping with resentment, and even though her tone was ice-cold, Lin Ye felt every bit of it.
"That's the only proper way to be."
That proud look on his face only made Yukino more irritated.
This bastard was truly awful, truly infuriating.
He clearly knew exactly what answer she wanted, but he refused to give it.
"Thank you, Lin-kun, for respecting me. I... will do my best. I will win you over,"
at this point,
Ryou Fujibayashi seized the opportunity to declare herself once more.
Using this opening, she made sure Yukino fully understood her feelings for Lin Ye.
And then, as this relationship kept developing over time, eventually its true nature would be laid bare before Yukino, in full.
That was the understanding Ryou Fujibayashi and Lin Ye had reached without words.
If their intimate relationship were revealed all at once, bluntly, it would always come as too much of a shock.
But handled gradually like this, Yukino's ability to accept it, to bear it, would clearly be much greater.
That was their unspoken agreement.
The moment Yukino had chosen to speak up in the first place, this outcome had already been sealed.
Yukino gave Lin Ye a light kick under the table, a reminder.
But Lin Ye showed no reaction at all, as if he hadn't felt it.
Anger. She was seething.
But then it occurred to her that this bastard was doing it on purpose just to provoke her, and Yukino had no choice but to swallow her anger whole.
At least for now, she couldn't let it erupt. Once this was over and they were back at the apartment, she would have a serious talk with Lin Ye and make him pay for this.
Yes,
she was absolutely going to make Lin Ye pay for what he'd done today.
And at that moment, Lin Ye spoke up again. "Miss Ryou, I think it's best if these things just happen naturally, without forcing anything. I already have a girlfriend. Even though I respect your feelings and your good intentions, I still think you--"
"I know that. But this is the choice I'm making right now,"
Ryou Fujibayashi said, pressing the point further.
Yukino's mood improved slightly at Lin Ye's attitude -- at least this bastard still had the sense to show some consideration for her feelings.
Of course, that wasn't nearly enough. But since there had been some improvement, her mood recovered a fair amount all the same.
"Fine! I hope you don't come to regret this later."
"I won't regret it,"
Ryou Fujibayashi said firmly.
As for her relationship with Lin Ye, there was no way she'd ever regret it.
Yukino watched her silently.
Even so,
the three of them headed for the Fujibayashi home.
The door opened.
A figure inside made Yukino freeze for a moment.
A long-haired girl, with a face identical to Ryou Fujibayashi's.
If she'd run into this girl alone somewhere else, she might have wondered whether Ryou Fujibayashi's hair had simply grown out unusually fast.
"This is..."
"This is Student Yukino Yukinoshita, Lin-kun's girlfriend,"
The moment Kyou Fujibayashi saw Lin Ye and the beautiful, long-black-haired girl at his side, she instinctively assumed the two of them were a couple.
And as it turned out, she was exactly right.
This was Lin Ye's girlfriend.
Kyou Fujibayashi was not pleased at all.
What was this bastard thinking, bringing his girlfriend to stand in front of her little sister Ryou? What did that mean?
Was it a hint, meant to nudge her sister into stepping aside on her own?
"Hello, I'm Ryou's older sister, Kyou Fujibayashi,"
"Hello, I'm Yukino Yukinoshita,"
A brief, polite greeting exchanged.
Yukino studied this beautiful woman standing before her.
Twin sisters.
This was truly something else.
And such beautiful twins, at that.
How could Lin Ye possibly handle both of them?
This man -- especially a man this fickle -- had no interest at all in a pair of sisters like this?
Yukino thought to herself, mocking silently.
"Thanks for taking care of Ryou tonight. Won't you come in for a cup of tea?"
But before Lin Ye could say anything, Yukino beat him to it, refusing.
She was worried Lin Ye might accept, and she really didn't want to stay here any longer.
"It's gotten pretty late tonight, we should head back. We'll come visit again some other time."
"Alright, be safe on your way back."
And with that, Lin Ye and Yukino left, leaving the two sisters watching their backs.
Kyou Fujibayashi's expression shifted as she turned to her sister. "So, how did it feel?"
"Um, Student Yukino Yukinoshita is pretty aggressive, very possessive,"
"Did she invite you to eat just to try to get you to give up on Lin Ye?"
Kyou Fujibayashi asked bluntly.
In the past, she would have wanted nothing more than for Lin Ye to stay far away from her little sister.
But now that her sister had already been thoroughly claimed, so to speak, she really didn't feel like objecting anymore.
She felt she had no right to keep interfering in her sister's private life.
"Yes, but I refused. I told her how I feel about Lin-kun,"
Kyou Fujibayashi was a little surprised by this -- her sister really wasn't the type to do something like that.
But since her sister had already gone and done it, as the older sister, all she could do was support her.
"Sister, you'll support me too, right?"
Ryou Fujibayashi blinked her big eyes, showing her own resolve.
"I will,"
In the past,
Kyou Fujibayashi definitely wouldn't have answered so directly.
But this time,
she was different from before -- she chose to answer straightforwardly, showing her support outright.
"Or... how about we share him together, sis?"
"Get lost."
Her answer came just as firm and clean.
Faced with her little sister's half-joking, half-serious question, her tone and answer held not a shred of hesitation -- otherwise, she'd only invite further teasing from her sister.
"I'll always welcome you if you change your mind. Lin-kun really is a good man,"
"Heh."
A good man?
Could a fickle man like that really be called good?
Kyou Fujibayashi filed that under serious doubt.
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