Next Target, 400PS!
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Meanwhile, on Kai's end.
He had originally planned to head straight back. But just as he was about to reach his apartment, a sleek sports coupe suddenly pulled up right in front of him.
"Yo, what a coincidence running into you at a time like this."
The driver's side window slowly rolled down, and Haruno Yukinoshita waved at Kai with a bright, beaming smile on her face.
"..."
Kai didn't buy that for a second. There was no such thing as a coincidence in this world. Haruno Yukinoshita was definitely waiting for him here on purpose.
"Just call me Haruno-nee. After all, you're Yukino's friend."
Seeing Kai remain silent, Haruno assumed he just didn't know how to address her. She acted incredibly familiar with him, as if they were already the closest of friends.
"I'll just call you Kai, how does that sound?"
Resting one arm casually on the edge of the window, she let her older-sister charm radiate in full force. This was exactly why Haruno Yukinoshita was known as a woman who knew perfectly well how to wield her allure. Every single movement she made was meticulously calculated to highlight her best features.
"Haruno-nee."
Seeing her act like this, Kai didn't reject the offer. Regardless of what Haruno Yukinoshita's actual goal was, it wasn't a big deal to him. Since she wanted to play games, he was more than happy to play along.
"Good boy!"
Seeing Kai act so 'obedient', Haruno couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"No wonder Yukino likes you so much!"
But as she said that, Haruno's tone took on a distinctly suggestive edge.
She had previously tried to probe Yukino about this Kai, but Yukino's attitude had been consistently evasive. She refused to say a single word about him. Perhaps Yukino Yukinoshita thought that as long as she kept her mouth shut, her older sister would remain in the dark.
But in reality, it was exactly that defensive attitude that made Haruno's curiosity about Kai spike even higher.
After all, if they were just friends, Yukino wouldn't have any reason to avoid the topic so aggressively. It was precisely because there was something going on between them that she didn't want to talk about it!
Regardless of the situation, she needed to thoroughly investigate anyone who got close to her little sister. At the very least, she absolutely couldn't allow someone with ulterior motives to approach her adorable Yukino.
"It's still early. Why don't we go grab a drink together?"
In truth, it actually was a bit of a coincidence. Having finally wrapped up her grueling workload, Haruno had been planning to go get a drink and properly unwind.
There had been way too much going on lately, and the pressure was suffocating. If she didn't blow off some steam, Haruno genuinely worried she might just snap. As a result, the moment she turned the corner, she spotted a familiar face. Once she confirmed it was indeed Kai, Haruno didn't hesitate for a second and drove straight over.
"Sorry, Haruno-nee, but I'm not of legal drinking age yet."
To this, Kai just offered a simple shrug.
"Oh, right! My apologies, I forgot."
Haruno acted as if she had just remembered that Kai wasn't even twenty yet. She blinked at him playfully, feigning embarrassment.
"It can't be helped. Your aura is so mature, Kai, that it made me subconsciously forget your age. If you were just a little older, I bet even a big sister like me might find her heart fluttering for you!"
"Does my age stop your heart from fluttering, Haruno-nee?"
If he were actually some innocent, naive schoolboy, hearing such suggestive flirting would probably leave him blushing and entirely at a loss for words.
But unfortunately for her, while that might work on others, it had zero effect on Kai.
Not only was he entirely devoid of shyness or embarrassment, he even laughed and fired back a teasing remark of his own.
"I never expected you to be so fickle, Haruno-nee. It seems my feelings were misplaced after all!"
By the end of his sentence, Kai even let out an exaggerated, theatrical sigh.
"..."
She raised an eyebrow slightly. She clearly hadn't expected Kai to respond to her flirting like that.
However, it was precisely this reaction that made Haruno's gaze instantly turn dangerous.
'He's a player!'
That was the immediate label Haruno stamped onto Kai. It seemed Yukino's judgment of men was getting worse by the day. She couldn't believe her sister hadn't realized that this Kai was a dishonest flirt.
If she let a guy like this hang around Yukino, with her sister's pure and naive personality, it was only a matter of time before she was completely chewed up and spat out.
At that thought, Haruno's expression stiffened with strong resolve.
'No. To protect my sister from getting played, I have to be the one to step in and deal with this man myself. This is exactly what I must do as her older sister!'
"My, my! Your big sister isn't fickle at all. It's just that your aura, Kai-kun, genuinely makes my heart skip a beat. If grabbing a drink is off the table, would you be willing to go for a drive with me instead?"
"You have to give your big sister a chance to get to know you properly, don't you?"
Haruno was still confident in her own appeal. Even if this boy was a player, given his age, she flat-out refused to believe he could escape the palm of her hand.
"I don't mind either way!"
Shrugging, Kai replied with a perfectly casual look. "However, someone else might disagree."
"Hmm?"
Someone else might disagree? After a brief moment of surprise, a sudden realization hit Haruno.
"Don't tell me... a girlfriend?"
'It can't be Yukino, can it? Damn it, has Yukino already fallen for his trap?'
Thinking of this, Haruno instinctively gripped her steering wheel tighter, her heart leaping into her throat.
"Not a girlfriend. Honestly, she's probably somewhat similar to you, Haruno-nee!"
"???"
Similar? What was that supposed to mean?
Just as Haruno was trying to figure it out, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. The figure of Soyo Nagasaki suddenly came running over from a short distance away.
"Kai-kun!"
Sure enough, the newcomer was Soyo Nagasaki. This was also the first moment Kai had noticed her approaching. All he could say was that these heroines either never showed up, or when they did, they appeared in groups. Dealing with Haruno Yukinoshita was one thing, but now even Soyo Nagasaki had crashed the party.
It couldn't be helped. Soyo Nagasaki had tried to set up a meeting several times, but Kai had rejected her every single time.
For the sake of her beloved Sakiko, Soyo decided to take the initiative and camp out right near Kai's neighborhood. She refused to believe there wouldn't be a time when he showed up alone. Fortunately, her patience had finally paid off.
"Hmm?"
However, as Soyo Nagasaki drew closer, she saw that Kai was currently chatting with a mature woman sitting inside a sports coupe. From the outside, the atmosphere between them looked quite 'harmonious'.
Just about anyone would subconsciously assume that there was something special going on between the two of them. At that thought, Soyo Nagasaki narrowed her eyes, carefully sizing up the woman in the car.
Soyo Nagasaki had actually stalked Kai in secret for a while now. She had long since figured out that he was a dishonest, two-timing scumbag. Even though he was already dating Sakiko, he was still entangled with several other girls. She had literally shoved photographic proof right in Sakiko's face, yet Sakiko flat-out refused to believe her.
Because of that, Soyo was entirely convinced that the man standing before her had used some sort of sinister manipulation to brainwash Sakiko. Otherwise, why would Sakiko doubt her words and blindly trust this man instead?
Although she had never met Haruno Yukinoshita before, Soyo instinctively concluded that this woman was definitely just another one of Kai's illicit flings.
"Heh!"
At that thought, Soyo Nagasaki let out a sudden, contemptuous scoff.
Haruno Yukinoshita: ???
'What is this woman's problem?'
At first glance, her aura appeared very gentle, making her seem very approachable. However, that look of outright contempt just now... Haruno was sure she hadn't imagined it. This girl was intentionally looking down on her.
"Hmm?"
Haruno Yukinoshita was never the type to swallow a provocation without biting back. Although she had no idea what this girl's deal was, she narrowed her eyes and gave Soyo Nagasaki a sweeping, analytical once-over.
"And who might this be?"
"Good evening. I am Soyo Nagasaki. You may address me as Nagasaki!"
Even in front of strangers, Soyo flawlessly maintained the refined etiquette of a high-society lady.
"..."
'Good evening? Is she some aristocratic lady from a bygone era?'
Haruno mocked her silently in her head, but she took the encounter a bit more seriously now. Coming from the Yukinoshita family, Haruno understood the stark truth of high society better than most. It would be a disaster if she accidentally offended the wrong person and ended up dragging her family into an unnecessary mess.
"I am Haruno Yukinoshita. Since you're a friend of Kai-kun... Nagasaki-chan, you can just do what he does and call me Haruno-nee!"
Yukinoshita? Soyo actually recognized that surname.
However.
"Nagasaki-chan?"
She arched an eyebrow slightly. That form of address made her feel as though she were being treated like some immature child.
"So it's the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family. However, I'll have to pass on 'Nagasaki-chan'. If you don't mind, just calling me Nagasaki will suffice!"
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