Yukino had never been particularly interested in a massive financial conglomerate like the Shinomiya family. However, for the sake of her own family, she ultimately decided to go along.
"I understand. Is there anything I need to prepare?"
Seeing her younger sister agree, Haruno smiled brightly.
"No need. I'll prepare everything—including the evening gown for the banquet. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we went out together, Yukino. Since we'll be going to Tokyo on Friday, how about we stay the night there and go shopping in Roppongi on Saturday? We can pick out some new clothes together."
"We'll talk about Saturday when the time comes," Yukino replied, shaking her head slightly. Then she looked at Haruno and added seriously, "As for the dress… please don't pick something too revealing."
"Got it, got it~ Leave the outfit selection to your big sister. You can trust my taste. Alright, I won't bother you anymore. I'm going to take a bath~"
Waving her hand casually, Haruno left the room in high spirits. As soon as she stepped out, she called their mother to inform her that Yukino had agreed to attend the banquet.
On the other end of the line, their mother nodded in satisfaction after hearing the news.
"Good. The eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family—Kaguya Shinomiya—will also be attending this banquet. She's about the same age as Yukino. If the opportunity arises, you two should try to get acquainted with her. And if there are other girls from prominent families present, you may introduce yourselves as well. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Haruno replied confidently, "Leave it to me, Mother!"
Once the call ended, the smile on Haruno's face slowly faded. She rubbed her temples helplessly.
"Sending Yukino to socialize with the daughters of those major families… I'm not even sure that's the right decision. She's never been good at this kind of thing. Still… we don't really have another choice."
She sighed quietly.
"If the Yukinoshita family wants to move forward and step beyond Chiba, we have to seize this opportunity. A grand banquet hosted by the Shinomiya family isn't something you get invited to very often."
Another thought surfaced in her mind—the members of the Time Vessel Association who had visited their home earlier.
Just like Yukino, Haruno had sensed something strange about them.
"…Forget about the Time Vessel Association for now. The main priority is the banquet. Building good relationships with a few key figures there is far more important."
Wednesday, 6:00 AM.
Yukino woke up early.
She sat up in bed with remarkable energy, feeling completely refreshed.
After stretching her body, she slipped off her nightgown and walked over to the full-length mirror in her room. Standing there, she quietly examined her reflection.
"…It really feels like my physical condition is getting better and better."
She murmured to herself.
"Last night I meditated for two hours before sleeping. I only slept four hours, yet I feel completely energized."
Then her gaze shifted downward, and she frowned slightly.
"…But this part hasn't changed at all."
She raised her hand and pressed lightly against the small, modest curve of her chest, clearly dissatisfied.
At school, she had seen Miko's friend, Hana Yurikawa. Despite being the same age, Hana's figure was astonishingly developed—honestly better than many of the female teachers in their twenties or thirties.
Yukino had always been careful about her nutrition growing up.
So why was the difference still so huge?
Fortunately, when she had bathed at Luo Yu's house yesterday, she noticed that Miko's figure was only slightly larger than her own. That had made her feel a bit better.
Patting her cheeks to refocus herself, Yukino quickly changed into sportswear and left the apartment for a morning run.
She clearly remembered Luo Yu's advice.
More exercise would help her adapt to the new power she had gained. At the same time, it would gradually improve her physical condition.
By the time Yukino finished running for half an hour and returned to the apartment, Haruno had only just stumbled out of her bedroom, yawning.
Seeing Yukino in sportswear with a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, Haruno froze for a moment. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
"Yukino… did you just go outside?"
Yukino nodded calmly.
"Yes. I went for a run. If you're not in a hurry, I'm going to take a shower first."
Haruno stood there, completely stunned.
Her sister—who had always had terrible stamina—had actually gone out for a morning run.
And judging from the sweat and steady breathing, it definitely wasn't some casual jog. Yukino had clearly taken it seriously.
"…Did I wake up wrong today? When did the world change this much…?"
Pinching her own cheek, Haruno felt the sting of pain and finally confirmed that she wasn't dreaming.
This was real.
Yet the more she thought about it, the stranger it felt.
Fifteen minutes later, Yukino stepped out of the bathroom after her shower.
Seeing Haruno still sitting on the sofa in a daze, Yukino frowned slightly.
"Big sister, hurry up and wash up. Didn't you say you have class this morning? If you still want breakfast, stop wasting time."
After saying that, she headed straight for the kitchen to prepare breakfast—and her own lunchbox.
Yes.
That was definitely her little sister.
Haruno exhaled deeply before rushing to the bathroom.
After finishing her morning routine and changing clothes, Haruno walked into the kitchen.
She saw Yukino wearing an apron, calmly preparing breakfast.
"Yukino… could you make me a lunchbox too~?"
Yukino rejected the request without hesitation.
"No. I don't have an extra lunchbox. You can eat at the school cafeteria."
"Ah… fine. Then I'll find time to buy a lunchbox today."
Hearing that, Yukino simply shook her head slightly.
Buying one was her sister's business.
Whether she would actually cook for her… was another matter entirely.
After breakfast, Yukino declined Haruno's offer to drive her to school and instead left the apartment to take the bus.
Haruno, meanwhile, drove toward Tokyo—her mind still full of question marks.
On the way, she called Shizuka Hiratsuka to talk about the strange changes in her younger sister.
Hiratsuka had only just woken up and was still groggy when she answered the call.
But after hearing Haruno's story, her eyes widened.
"Seriously? If I remember correctly, your sister's stamina was terrible. And now she's voluntarily going out for morning runs—and doing well at it? That's really strange. But isn't that a good thing? Why do you want me to observe her? If you want someone to watch her, do it yourself. I'm busy."
Seeing that Hiratsuka was unwilling, Haruno remained silent for two seconds before speaking again.
"I'll be attending a banquet in Tokyo this Friday. If there are any suitable unmarried men there, I can help you take a look."
"You said it. Deal!"
After hanging up, Haruno muttered internally about that desperate-for-marriage woman while pressing harder on the accelerator.
Meanwhile, Yukino arrived at school.
When she entered the classroom, she noticed that Luo Yu had arrived even earlier than she had.
After sitting down at her desk, she turned toward him.
"Good morning, Luo Yu."
Luo Yu returned her greeting with a smile.
"Good morning. You seem to be in great spirits today."
Yukino nodded and lowered her voice slightly.
"Yes. I meditated last night, and after sleeping, I feel completely refreshed this morning. It feels great. Also… Luo Yu, I probably won't be able to come for training this Friday. I have to go to Tokyo with my family for something."
"Oh? Going to Tokyo? Family matters?"
A trace of hesitation appeared in Yukino's eyes.
Then, worried someone nearby might overhear them, she took out her phone and sent Luo Yu a message.
Yukino:
"Do you know about the Time Vessel Association?"
The moment Luo Yu saw those words, his eyes narrowed instantly.
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