In front of the door of the high-end apartment where Yukino lives—it truly lives up to its name as a high-end apartment.
Even standing right in front of the door with her ear pressed against it, Haruno couldn't hear a thing.
"..."
After hesitating for a moment, Haruno finally pulled out a key.
Ever since Yukino moved out of the house, Haruno had used her connections to get a spare key made long ago.
However, out of 'respect' for Yukino's privacy, she had never used the key; she had 'only' installed surveillance cameras in Yukino's room.
How could she not know when Yukino was home!?
But after Yukino and Kaguya became friends and they were warned, the situation changed... Yet today... Frowning, Haruno checked the time and saw that the night was already deep. Yukino and the boy named Hayashi had been in the room for almost an hour.
She simply couldn't hold back any longer!
'Little Yukino! Little Yukino! Although your wings have grown strong now, and Mother can't control you, I, your older sister, believe you should still retain some of the Yukinoshita Family's modesty!'
'Although it's just a boy and a girl alone... it shouldn't be... it shouldn't be, right!'
'Little Yukino definitely respects herself. I must be overthinking things...'
She kept comforting herself, but whether it was sisterly telepathy or not, Haruno felt her eyelids twitching incessantly, sensing something bad was about to happen.
At the same time, Haruno, holding the key, opened the door just a crack.
The bright light inside shone through the crack, illuminating half of Haruno's delicate face and allowing the sounds from inside to leak out.
"!!"
Haruno's pupils contracted violently, and the anxiety weighing on her heart finally died.
She couldn't believe the reality before her eyes, feeling as though she didn't even recognize her own sister anymore.
Silently, she partially closed the door, then opened the gap slightly again. This time, Haruno finally confirmed that the girl inside really seemed to be her sister.
...Haruno didn't know how she managed to walk out of the apartment building.
Even after stepping outside and being hit by the cool breeze, she remained stunned for a long time. As a sister complex, she naturally knew that Little Yukino loved cats.
In fact, Yukino originally liked both cats and dogs, but because Haruno had mistakenly thought Yukino only liked dogs, she had once put a group of dogs in Yukino's room, intending to give her a surprise.
This resulted in scaring the young Yukino, giving her a phobia of dogs, and making her only like cats.
And now... who would have thought! Her pure, icy, and aloof sister, the sister as solitary and noble as a secluded orchid, becomes... Yukino Nyan?
Because she was too shocked, Haruno didn't realize that Yukino's cat ears and tail were actually real.
Also, when she pushed the door open just now, did Little Yukino notice her?
'She must have!'
Haruno wasn't sure if she had imagined it. Although the moment was brief, she felt Yukino had glanced toward the doorway, whether intentionally or not.
It wasn't surprising that Haruno felt uncertain, because that behavior was completely out of character for Yukino.
What made it even harder for Haruno to believe was that she even detected a hint of mockery in Little Yukino's gaze.
Is this normal?!
Absolutely not normal!
Her sister, pure as snow and clear as ice—Yukinoshita Yukino!
How could this happen!
That is definitely not my sister!
But... that face definitely belongs to Yukino... As Haruno, who came from a prominent local family and received a modern education, she completely dismissed any supernatural explanations.
Therefore, despite being utterly shocked and unwilling to accept it, she had to admit that her sister had gone astray!
!
"Damn, Shinomiya! I knew nothing good could come from Yukino getting involved with them!"
Haruno angrily punched the nearby wall, startling the security guard at the apartment entrance.
"Miss Haruno! D-did something happen?"
The security guard was startled by Haruno's actions. As for why he recognized Miss Haruno—it was no joke, she was a former generous patron.
Haruno had spent quite a bit of money to protect her beloved sister and keep track of her movements.
"I'm fine!"
A fierce smile flashed across her face, and Haruno said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, oh~~"
Slightly frightened by her 'I'm going to sink someone in Tokyo Bay' expression, the poor security guard quickly shut up.
It seemed Miss Haruno was in an exceptionally bad mood today!
'It must be because of her sister. Honestly, her sister was so beautiful today, but it's a shame she was being supported by a boy!
Ah... I really want to kill that man...
Sinful, sinful! How could I have such a thought?! But she is truly beautiful. I envy that boy... Youth is wonderful.'
...leaving aside the security guard with an unusually rich inner monologue.
After dealing with the security guard's concern, Haruno's mood worsened considerably.
The resentment toward the Shinomiya Family in her heart grew stronger.
After all, in her view, according to the information provided by Hiratsuka Shizuka, the boy named Hayashi at school was first and foremost a transfer student who had been at Sobu High School for less than a year.
He had also taken leave for a period... Wait, Yukino had also taken leave once or twice during that time... Could they have met during that period? But even calculating generously, Yukino shouldn't have had much contact with him!
If it were the old Yukino, she absolutely wouldn't... absolutely wouldn't... Therefore, Shinomiya Kaguya must have done something to Yukino!
It all made sense!
Haruno completely figured it out!
Why would the young mistress of the Shinomiya Family take an interest in her sister?
Why would she even warn the Yukinoshita family not to interfere with Yukino's affairs?
So that's it!
Vassal? Interested in Yukino's abilities? That's all nonsense!
How could Haruno not know about the filth of high society!
A bunch of wolves in sheep's clothing!
So, that vicious woman, Shinomiya Kaguya, took an interest in her sister's solitary and icy-pure nature!
What could be more pleasurable for them than taking a cold, proud, and righteous girl and watching her icy demeanor shatter, becoming stained and corrupted!
Not to mention that Shinomiya Kaguya and Little Yukino have similar attributes—both are ice-cold types!
That vicious woman, that poisoner! That tramp!
Thinking this way, Haruno felt she had uncovered the truth of the matter.
Therefore, Yukino must now be carrying out a mission for her 'master'!
And that look of mockery from Yukino just now... Haruno even suspected that she herself had become part of Kaguya's entertainment.
Kaguya was watching her through surveillance somewhere!
The more she thought about it, the colder Haruno felt!
But at the same time, she felt powerless. For ordinary families, the Yukinoshita Family was an insurmountable mountain, but to them, the Shinomiya Family was an unreachable Celestial Palace.
"Little Yukino, your older sister is useless—!"
Murmuring to herself, Haruno, whose hands and feet were cold, subconsciously pulled out her phone, wanting to call her mother.
But Yukino's mocking smile suddenly appeared in her mind... A sharp pain struck Haruno's heart. She silently put down her phone and crouched by the roadside, like a dog that had lost all spirit.
That's right, if she couldn't save Little Yukino, could Mother?
Telling Mother wouldn't make any difference.
In front of Shinomiya, they were too insignificant.