Oko Shinomiya's arrival pushed the atmosphere inside the banquet hall to an almost suffocating level of tension.
The lively chatter from only moments earlier disappeared almost completely, leaving behind nothing more than hushed whispers as everyone quietly discussed the scene unfolding before them.
Oko began walking toward Yuto's side of the hall, ignoring the people around him as though they barely existed.
There was only one person in his eyes.
His younger sister—Kaguya Shinomiya.
Kaguya watched her older brother approach without allowing the slightest change to show on her face.
Her expression remained perfectly unreadable.
Hayasaka, however, was already trembling faintly beside her.
"What's wrong, my dear little sister?" Oko stopped in front of Kaguya, his lips curving into what was clearly meant to be a friendly smile.
"Shouldn't you greet your older brother when you see him? Why make such a cold face?"
Because of the enormous age gap between them, the scene looked somewhat strange.
Rather than Kaguya's brother, Oko looked closer to being her uncle.
As the eldest son of the Shinomiya family, he was far older than his younger siblings.
The age difference between him and Kaguya alone exceeded twenty years, which was one of the reasons nearly everyone had long considered him the most likely person to inherit control of the family.
Kaguya's wine-red eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
For the briefest instant, there was a sharper edge within them.
Then it vanished.
A light smile appeared on her face.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Onii-sama. Good evening."
Her greeting was perfectly calm.
Oko's fingers tightened so slightly that almost nobody could have noticed.
A trace of coldness flickered deep within his eyes, yet the warm smile of an affectionate older brother remained firmly in place.
"It truly has been a long time. I never imagined you would grow into such an outstanding young woman."
Oko laughed warmly.
The words sounded harmless enough.
But nobody familiar with the struggle inside the Shinomiya family would mistake them for simple praise.
Kaguya's smile did not falter.
"Onii-sama has always been busy handling the family's affairs. It's understandable that we haven't had many opportunities to meet."
"Ahahaha! I suppose that's true."
Oko casually scratched his bald head and laughed as though they were simply siblings catching up after a long separation.
Kaguya lightly covered her lips.
"I would suggest Onii-sama take some time to rest every now and then. Nobody's body is made of steel, after all. It wouldn't do for you to wear yourself out."
She looked directly at him with a faint, almost innocent smile, appearing every bit like a younger sister genuinely worried about her brother's health.
Quite adorable, really.
Oko casually rubbed his face before laughing again.
"I'm usually exhausted, yes, but I've gotten used to it. If I suddenly started taking breaks, I might actually feel uncomfortable."
"Is that so? Then perhaps Onii-sama should visit a hot spring sometime and properly relax. I've heard soaking in one can help the entire body unwind."
"Hahaha, all right. Once I've finished dealing with the miscellaneous matters over the next few days, I'll go soak in a hot spring."
"That would be for the best."
Kaguya and Oko smiled lightly at one another.
Around them, the wealthy elites watching the exchange remained almost perfectly silent.
Their expressions, however, varied wildly.
Some looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
A few could barely conceal their anticipation.
Every person in the room had their own calculations running through their mind.
"This must be Miss Yuuki, correct?"
Oko suddenly turned toward Asuna with a mild smile.
"What an outstanding young lady. No wonder you and Kaguya became friends."
Asuna immediately became somewhat flustered.
A hint of nervousness rose inside her, but she still managed to return a polite smile.
Oko nodded pleasantly before shifting his gaze toward Yuto.
"Now this is an unfamiliar face. Are you also one of Kaguya's friends?"
A faintly assessing look appeared in his eyes.
Among all the information Oko had gathered about Kaguya's movements and the people around her, there was no record whatsoever of this young man.
While silently considering that, his gaze casually flicked toward Hayasaka standing beside Kaguya.
It was such a brief and seemingly insignificant glance that most people would never have noticed.
Hayasaka did.
She instinctively avoided his eyes.
And with that tiny reaction...
Oko reached his own conclusion.
"Come to think of it, Onii-sama, why did you come here tonight?" Kaguya smoothly changed the subject with a faint smile.
"Aren't you incredibly busy?"
Naturally, Oko noticed what she was doing.
He quietly glanced toward Yuto one more time before turning back to Kaguya.
"Hahaha! I've been so buried in work lately that if I didn't show my face soon, everyone might start wondering whether I was still alive."
The words immediately stirred the room.
Nobody openly reacted, but countless imaginations began racing at once.
Perhaps...
That was the real reason Oko had come tonight.
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly.
She understood the implication hidden beneath his words, and for the first time since he arrived, there was a subtle fluctuation in her emotions.
"Onii-sama is joking. Who would dare entertain such a disrespectful thought about you?"
Her smile remained calm.
Oko's eyes tightened faintly.
He stared straight at his younger sister, the corners of his mouth slowly rising.
"You never know. Sometimes... the people closest to you are exactly the ones thinking such things."
The entire hall became so quiet that no one dared make a sound.
Even the people standing nearby unconsciously softened their breathing.
Oko's words had become far too direct.
Nobody here was stupid.
Everyone understood exactly what he was implying.
"Hehe. Onii-sama really shouldn't think too much. Perhaps you're simply worrying over nothing."
Kaguya covered her lips and laughed softly.
Oko remained silent for a moment.
Then his smile slowly returned.
The way he looked at Kaguya now carried a faint trace of genuine admiration.
"I have to admit... you really have grown, Kaguya."
"Not at all. Onii-sama flatters me."
Oko lightly rubbed his nose before releasing a long, almost theatrical yawn.
"Ahhh—looks like I'm getting tired. I suppose I really have been too busy lately."
He wiped away the tiny bit of moisture that had gathered at the corner of his eyes before turning toward Shouzou Yuuki.
"Mr. Yuuki, I'm very sorry, but I think I'll head back and get some rest. My apologies for intruding on your banquet."
Oko smiled somewhat helplessly.
Naturally, Shouzou did not dare object.
He could only smile politely and reassure Oko that his presence had already been an honor.
Oko then turned back toward Kaguya.
"I'll be leaving first. You should stay and continue enjoying the banquet."
He smiled faintly.
"Then Onii-sama should remember to get some proper rest after returning home."
Kaguya offered only that simple response before standing quietly in place.
Oko looked at her for another moment, smiled without saying anything, and turned to leave.
Just before walking away, however, he suddenly looked back.
This time, the person in his sights was no longer Kaguya.
It was—Hayasaka.
He concealed the glance extremely well.
Almost nobody realized that his attention had shifted away from Kaguya at all.
Everyone simply assumed he was taking one final look at his younger sister.
Then, without warning...
Oko smiled to himself.
And left.
The smile immediately stirred a trace of suspicion in Kaguya's heart.
Hayasaka, meanwhile... was left with emotions far more complicated than anyone around her could see.