Hojo Shione eased her car into a spot near H University, killed the engine, and unbuckled her seatbelt. Leaning across the center console, she pressed the back of her hand against her sister's forehead.
"Not bad. I think the fever should be gone by this afternoon."
She was too close.
Hojo Suzune's field of vision became entirely obstructed by two very prominent obstacles, and irritation flared instantly. She shoved her sister back with a grumble. "There was never anything wrong with me to begin with."
Hojo Shione settled back into her seat, entirely unbothered by the push. A meaningful smile tugged at her lips. "Suzune… are you upset that I came to pick you up yesterday?"
"Hmph hmph."
Caught red-handed, Suzune let out a couple of noncommittal grunts and turned her face toward the window, refusing to elaborate.
Of course I'm upset.
There was nothing wrong with her
. If her sister hadn't rushed over with a single phone call, she would have stayed at Seiya's house last night. If she'd played her cards right—acted a little cuter, pushed a little harder—she might have even wormed her way into his bed.
Mission accomplished.
Instead, she'd climbed a mountain for nothing, ridden an open-air cable car, and taken a half-hour cold shower. She'd barely basked in Seiya's attention before her sister swooped in and ruined everything.
The thought that she might have missed a golden opportunity to share a bed with Shiratori Seiya made her chest ache with regret. She wanted to spill everything to Hojo Shione right then and there.
"Heh heh." Looking at her sister's disgruntled face, Hojo Shione chuckled softly. "Even if I hadn't come to get you, do you really think Seiya would have let you stay at his place?"
She tilted her head, her tone knowing. "Sure, making yourself sick gets him to worry about you, gets him to take care of you. But if I weren't in Tokyo, maybe it would work. As long as he could contact me, though—he'd send you back to me immediately."
Suzune's face flushed deeper. Her little scheme had been seen through completely. Too embarrassed to deny it, she let out a soft huff. "Hmph. How would I know unless I tried?"
But she had tried, hadn't she?
Her stupid, meddling sister.
Hojo Shione's smile faded slightly. She remembered the time she'd feigned illness, hoping to stay at his house. He'd ended up taking her to the hospital in the middle of the night. Seeing him worry about her had made her heart both happy and aching, but there was still a quiet sadness beneath it.
Especially with Suzune.
Even though she was now doing everything she could to give Shiratori Seiya a sense of security, the fact remained that Suzune was her sister. With their relationship, it would be very difficult for her to "steal a bite" unnoticed.
That was exactly why she'd been confident enough to let them spend the day together.
Still, even knowing this, the thought of her sister having intimate contact with Shiratori Seiya made her chest tighten with a complicated mix of jealousy and frustration. She hadn't expected Suzune to go so far as to make herself sick just to test the waters.
But that's how it should be, Hojo Shione thought, studying her sister's fever-flushed face. Without that kind of determination, how can you compete with anyone?
"Are you sure you want to meet Takahashi Mio?" she asked.
"Meet her? Why wouldn't I?" Suzune shot back, her voice edged with mockery. "Maybe only cowards wouldn't dare to meet her, right?"
Hojo Shione didn't take the bait. She simply smiled. "Aren't you afraid she'll tell Seiya?"
"Let her tell him. I just want to meet her." Suzune pouted, grasping for justification. "Besides, setting you aside for a moment—I've known him for years. What's wrong with vetting her for him?"
She was making excuses, and she knew it. But underneath the bravado, a thread of nervousness coiled in her stomach.
The truth was, she was overstepping. They were already dating. If she pushed too hard, she'd only end up annoying Seiya. But she couldn't back down now. She had to see this person with her own eyes.
She needed to understand what kind of woman she was. Why Seiya liked her. Why, setting aside even her own sister, she herself had been overlooked.
The resentment had reached its peak before she even came to Tokyo—when she'd seen those intimate photos, when she'd learned that this woman was Seiya's girlfriend. She had to meet her. She had to know.
Taking a deep breath, Hojo Suzune reached for the door handle.
But as she moved, Hojo Shione caught sight of the red cord peeking above the collar of her sister's shirt. Her pupils contracted slightly. She reached out and grabbed Suzune's arm.
"Wait."
"What now?" Suzune turned back impatiently, her breath a little short from the lingering fever.
Hojo Shione didn't answer. Her fingers brushed against her sister's neck, drawing out the accessory tucked beneath her clothes.
Suzune flinched like a startled cat, clutching the red cord protectively. "What are you doing?"
"Did Seiya give you this?"
"Yes. So what? Are you jealous of this too? He's given you plenty of things for your birthday. He even wrote you a song…"
Hojo Shione's gaze lingered on the small jade dagger. Her expression grew complicated.
Still thinking of her?
But then why would he give a keepsake like this to her sister?
Confusion flickered in her eyes. For a moment, she didn't know what to think.
"Are you done staring?" Suzune snatched the necklace back, tucking it securely beneath her clothes. She slid out of the car, shut the door, and walked into the campus without looking back.
Hojo Shione remained in the driver's seat, watching her sister's retreating figure, lost in thought.
...
At the entrance of Humanities Building No. 2, Takahashi Mio stood fidgeting, her eyes scanning the area with nervous intensity.
There was something inherently unsettling about the unknown. A cryptic text message, sent from nowhere, mentioning Shiratori Seiya—it was enough to set anyone on edge.
Her mind drifted back to the first time she'd met him. The notification method had been different, but the sense of unease had been just as strong.
Damn it. Is someone threatening me?
Why is my life such a mess?
Her brows knitted together, her face cycling through a complicated series of emotions as her imagination ran wild.
After a moment, she tried to reason with herself. The only thing she had to hide was the online loans. Could the other person know about those? Those shady debt collection companies leaked customer information all the time. She'd report them later. Definitely.
Her thoughts swirled chaotically, her gaze sweeping across the courtyard, completely unaware that a petite figure had already approached.
"Are you Takahashi Mio?"
The voice came from right beside her. Takahashi Mio's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She whipped her head toward the source.
Where did this kid come from?
The girl standing before her was small—so small that Takahashi Mio's first thought was that she must be lost. Then her attention snagged on the other girl's eyes.
Striking.
Alluring.
There was something magnetic about them that made it hard to look away.
She noticed, too, the flush coloring the girl's cheeks—something slightly unwell about it, like the lingering traces of a fever. Takahashi Mio hesitated, then ventured cautiously, "Are you… the one who sent the text message?"
Hojo Suzune didn't answer.
Her hands clasped behind her back, her gaze swept over Takahashi Mio like a scanner evaluating a counterfeit bill. She circled her once, slow and deliberate, then let out a soft scoff.
"Hmph. Nothing special."