章 27: Chapter 14 – Releasing Tension Part 01
"Sooooo, Yukino-chan? Any reason why you're here with a boy who is not Hikigaya-kun, hm? Don't tell me that you're cheating on him. Your big sis would be very disappointed if you were~!"
"Nee-san… It's not like that..."
The black-haired girl sitting opposite to me sighed in exasperation as she massaged her temple, the older woman sitting next to her continuously poking her sides. I can see what Yukinoshita-san meant when she saidher relationship with her older sister was not the greatest…
As it had turned out, the woman who had accidentally "eavesdropped" on my phone call with Hideki was none other than Yukinoshita Haruno, oldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family, and older sibling of the raven-haired beauty sitting down opposite to me. After a brief introduction between me and her, she had sat down at our table and began to pester her younger sister about her time here in Finland – much to said younger sister's chagrin.
"Reeeeaaaally? But here I thought you two lovebirds were inseparable after you hooked up. What gives? Was it the looks? I will admit, I won't blame you for choosing this handsome silver fox, though he does remind me a little too much about Hayato…" The older Yukinoshita sibling narrowed her eyes as she looked towards me, bringing her hand to her chin in a thinking pose. Didn't Miura-san also compare me to a 'silver fox'? I guess it must be my hair…
"Stop spouting nonsense, Nee-san. You of all people should know that I wouldn't give up Hikigaya-kun for anyone else." Yukinoshita replied to her sister, then began to explain our 'objective' here thoroughly. "Hikigaya-kun, Miura-san and myself are currently helping a Finnish tourist guide named Harri with a project of his, the point of which is to up the quality of the experience tourists – especially Japanese tourists – have when travelling to Finland. Along with the three of us, there are a few other tourists helping Harri with his endeavour, including Kasugano-kun here. For today, we were split into pairs and sent to various tourist attractions in and around the city, and I ended up with Kasugano-kun." Yukinoshita's sister eyed the two of us for a few moments, then nodded to her younger sister. "Now, a more pressing matter would be… Why are you here, Nee-san? I thought Mother had you occupied for the entirety of August, so you wouldn't even have a chance at going on vacation." Yukinoshita then continued in a colder tone.
"Mou, don't be like that, Yukino-chan~! Would you believe me if I said that I just missed my dear, cute younger sister so much that I wanted to see her again?" Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes at her older sister as she paused and tilted her head in a cutesy way. I'm going to guess that's a no… Yukinoshita Haruno sighed after a few moments, then continued in a more serious tone, her expression also changing in an instant from cheerful and playful to deadly serious. "In truth, Mother sent me here to keep an eye on you, Yukino-chan. She doesn't trust you, and you know that she still opposes you being engaged with Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita lowered her gaze down to her food, which she hadn't touched at all since her sister had appeared. Though, I haven't eaten much myself either. I suddenly almost feel like a 'third wheel', observing this situation… "But, you can at least count on your big sis to support you~! And, I get a free vacation, so I'd say everything worked out splendidly." In an instant, Yukinoshita's sister was back to her previous self as she tried to hug her younger sibling, but Yukinoshita leaned away from her.
"Well, I would sincerely hope that you cease from causing too much trouble while you're here, Nee-san." Yukinoshita said and picked up her utensils again. "Now, if you don't mind, Kasugano-kun and I were in the middle of eating, so if you could keep it down, I would appreciate it."
"Ooo, that's a good idea! I haven't eaten anything after landing here, and I'm starving." Yukinoshita Haruno glanced around the restaurant for a moment, then called over a waiter as soon as she spotted one.
I returned to my food as well, but couldn't keep my gaze away from the Yukinoshita siblings. Now that they were sitting next to each other, I could clearly see the resemblance in the two pretty ladies, though their personalities seemed to be polar opposites. It must be hard for a quiet girl like Yukinoshita-san to have an overly energetic older sister… And if what she said about her older sister's personality is true… It's understandable why they wouldn't get along. After the elder Yukinoshita finished ordering her meal, she shifted her gaze to me and eyed me up for a few moments.
"Hmmm… Kasugano-kun, was it?" The older woman spoke, meeting my eyes with her own.
"Um, yes. Kasugano Haruka, as I said before. What is it… Yukinoshita-san?" I glanced at the younger Yukinoshita opposite to me, but she seemed to be aware that I was talking with her older sister rather than her. This might get a little confusing, if she's going to stay around…
"You can call me Haruno-san. Wouldn't want to get the two of us confused, now would you?" The older woman nudged her younger sibling, who in turn shot a cold glare towards her. "Anyway, you seem to have had your eye on Yukino-chan here for a while now, but I'll warn you, she's taken already!"
"O-oh, It's… not like that, Haruno-san." Very briefly, I saw the older woman's smile drop ever so slightly when I used her first name like she had asked me to, but it quickly returned to its former splendour. "I'm quite aware of the relationship your younger sister has with Hikigaya, and I'm… not interested in Yukinoshita-san in that way."
"Hmmm… I guess if you say so. You did also mention someone called 'Sora' in your phone call earlier – sorry about that, by the way, I couldn't help but listen in after you mentioned our family name. But, anyway, who is this Sora, then? Someone you came here on vacation with? A lover, perhaps?" Both Yukinoshita and I froze as Haruno questioned me about my relationship with Sora, which was not left unnoticed by the older woman. I guess technically she hit the nail on the head with that one… But we can't have her knowing about that.
"Um… No, Sora is… my twin sister." I replied to Haruno and scratched my cheek awkwardly, while Yukinoshita stood up from her seat suddenly,
"My apologies, I must go to the bathroom. I will be right back." Yukinoshita said and sent me a cold glance, then began to make her way towards the bathrooms. Something tells me that she didn't really have to go to the bathroom… Haruno narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched her younger sister leave us, then turned back to me, a slight glint now visible in her eyes.
"Twin sister, huh? Well, that doesn't prevent her from being your lover as well, now does it?" Haruno leaned closer to me over the table as she looked into my eyes, her well-proportioned, porcelain face akin to a mask, with her expression frozen into a permanent smile. If she really is as manipulative as Yukinoshita-san said… She must have practised that expression a lot… Before I could reply anything to her, we were interrupted by the waiter bringing Haruno her meal. "Thank you!" She said to the waitress in English, flashing a bright smile at the young man. Haruno had chosen the same dish as her younger sister, and began to dig into it immediately. "This is good! Yukino-chan's tastes are great as always. Oh, and I was joking with that just now, don't worry." She then said to me with a wink, and I let out an awkward laugh as I returned to my meal as well. She says that, but… I can't help this feeling of dread growing inside of me… There is definitely more to Yukinoshita Haruno than meets the eye. Shortly afterwards, Yukinoshita returned to the table and sat down, not meeting my gaze with her eyes. Her older sister stopped eating to observe her for a few moments, her gaze flicking over to me every now and then.
"What is it, Nee-san? If you have something to say, say it." Yukinoshita said to her older sister coldly.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Haruno said and returned to her food, while her younger sister narrowed her eyes, but returned to her own food shortly as well. "Haruka, huh… Distant... And your sister was Sora, right?" Haruno suddenly asked, turning to face me, and I nodded to her as an answer as I ate. "Haruka and Sora… So the 'haru' in your name must be read as… 'clear weather'? Since your sister's name is read as 'sky'?"
"That's right." I replied after swallowing. "Though 'haru' can also be read as 'spring', I'm fairly certain that… our parents named us with that reading in mind. Your name... also has 'haru' in it. Is that why you're… interested?"
"I was just curious. 'Distant Sky'... They're good names for twins [1]. But, speaking of my name… Can you guess what the 'haru' in my name means?" Haruno pointed towards me with a fork, and I could see that her younger sister was keeping an eye on our conversation, though she was trying to hide it.
"Hmmm… Let me think for a moment..." I placed my fork down for a moment and began to think. Her family name, 'Yukinoshita' means 'below the snow', which would make Yukinoshita Yukino 'snow from below the snow', so Haruno-san must be… "...'Spring from below the snow'?" I said out loud. That's my best guess, and it makes sense as well. Though, without knowing how it's written in her name, I can't be sure.
"Good guess, though a bit wrong." Haruno placed her utensils on her plate and lifted her left hand, then began to draw on her palm with her right hand. She's writing kanji…
"'Light from below the snow'?" Haruno nodded to me and picked up her utensils again.
"Correct! A good name for someone like me, wouldn't you say?" Haruno gave me a wink and cut into her chicken, while a quiet sigh escaped from Yukinoshita's lips.
"How long are you going to spend here, Nee-san? And where are you going to stay if you're supposed to 'keep an eye on me'?" Yukinoshita asked from her older sister. She really doesn't like her older sister being around… I wonder how Miura-san and Hikigaya will react if Haruno-san stays here?
"How many breads have you eaten in your life?" Haruno asked in turn, tilting her head slightly. Wait a moment… Did she just… "I jest, of course." Haruno then said quickly and sent a glance in my direction. "Mother wanted me to stay here as long as needed, so… I'll be returning to Japan together with you when your vacation is over. As for where I'm staying… I haven't made plans yet, but… Where are you staying, Yukino-chan?" Yukinoshita tensed up at her older sister's question, her fork freezing in place as she was about to place a piece of chicken into her mouth.
"...Why should I tell you that? You're perfectly capable of finding your own place for the night." Yukinoshita replied and continued eating, not even looking towards her older sister.
"Don't be so cold, Yukino-chan! But, if you're not going to tell me..." Haruno shifted her gaze to me, a slight grin on her face as she leaned forwards and rested her chin on her hands, her forearms pressing against either side of her sizeable breasts. "...Then maybe Kasugano-kun here will? Right, Kasugano-kun? Or should I call you Haruka? Then we'd be on a first-name basis with each other." I looked away from Haruno, and met the cold gaze of her younger sister. While we aren't on the best terms currently… She does believe that Sora and I are trustworthy. And I'm going to stand by that.
"Erm… Haru is just fine, Haruno-san. It's… what my friends call me. And as for where we're staying… Well, I don't think it's my place to say that." I saw Yukinoshita relax her shoulders a little, while her older sister simply stared back at me blankly for a few moments, then let out a sigh as she sat back in her chair properly.
"What have you been telling him, Yukino-chan..." Haruno said quietly, then picked up her utensils again. "Well, no matter. I already know you're staying at he hotel by the Lumberjack's Candle Bridge. What was it called… Pohjanhovi? Something like that." Yukinoshita began to cough as she nearly choked on her food, having heard what her sister had just said. If she already knew, then why would she bother asking..? "Though, I am hurt that you didn't tell me that, Haru. Perhaps you do fancy Yukino-chan, hmm?"
"That's… Quite enough, Nee-san." Yukinoshita said after she swallowed down her food with the help of a glass of water. "I would like for us to finish our meals, so we can move on with our sightseeing and then return to our hotel. Right, Kasugano-kun?" Yukinoshita looked towards me, and something in the look in her eyes told me exactly why she wanted to return to the hotel.
"Um, yes, of course. It'll be… good to see Sora again as well, and… talk with her. If she's there already, that is." Yukinoshita furrowed her brows a little as I mentioned my sister, but gave me a small nod as a reply.
"Hmmm… Well, we don't have to sit here and just eat. I'm definitely curious about you, Haru. There's something… more to you than what you've told and what I can see. You're not just another boring 'pretty boy' like Hayato..." There's that name again… 'Hayato'… Someone they know? "You won't mind if I ask some questions, do you? I'd like to get to know you better."
"Well… I guess there's no harm in some light chatting while we eat." I replied to the older woman, whose eyes seemed get a new glint in them, while her younger sister let out another small sigh.
I soon found out that Haruno's understanding of "light chatting" was quite different from mine or Yukinoshita's. Either that, or she was purposefully asking me about – almost literally – everything. And what could I have done but answer her questions? While I obviously left out some… key details surrounding mine and Sora's exact relationship, I did tell Haruno about our family situation and how Sora and I had promised to stay together, since we had no other family left – at least not close family. Haruno expressed her sympathy towards me when I told her about our parents, but I could tell that something was… off, like it wasn't genuine. And every now and then, I could spot that Haruno seemed almost bored to be listening to me, despite the fact that she herself had been the one to ask in the first place. The glint she had in her eyes never left, though, as if there was something that was keeping her interested in what I told her. She said that I wasn't just another "boring pretty boy", whatever that meant… There's no way Haruno-san knows about my relationship with Sora, but I'm fairly certain she knows that I'm not telling her everything. Yukinoshita-san's reactions earlier haven't helped much either… Speaking of her… As I was telling Haruno more about my sister, I glanced over at Yukinoshita, who was currently quietly enjoying her chocolate mousse. She's been awfully quiet this whole time… Could… Could me telling Haruno-san everything Sora and I have gone through have caused her to rethink our "situation"? Certainly, she's a smart girl, and could probably fill in the blanks in my story due to the fact that she knows what's really going on between Sora and I… Well, that might just be wishful thinking. Yukinoshita-san isn't one for idle chatter anyway, unlike her older sister. But… If hearing about everything again has even slightly helped with the possibility of her accepting mine and Sora's relationship…
I'll take it.
Before long, we had finished our meals, and after paying for them, we found ourselves making our way outside. I had already forgotten how hot it was outside today, but the sun blaring down on us was more than enough to remind me of it. I hadn't really noticed it before, but I guess it can get quite hot here in the summer, even at these latitudes. I should have brought my sunglasses with me… I thought as I gazed upwards at the sky, shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand while Yukinoshita fetched her own pair of sunglasses from her bag.
"That was some good food… I might try to learn that dish." Haruno said and stretched as we stopped. "So, where to next? Have you already planned out where you want to go, Yukino-chan?" She then asked, turning to her sister.
"It seems that you are under the assumption that you are coming with us, Nee-san." Yukinoshita replied to her sister and pulled out her phone to check the time.
"And? Yukino-chan, you can't mean… You're going to leave me here and have fun with Haru on your own? That's no fair! I want to make the most out of this vacation as well!" Haruno crossed her arms and pouted, then shifted her gaze over to me, a slight smirk appearing on her face. "Come on, Haru! You wouldn't leave a lady alone like this, right? Would you deny me the fun of going sightseeing with my cute little sister?" Haruno reached out with her hand and placed it on my shoulder as she looked into my eyes with a pleading look.
"I… well..." I looked towards Yukinoshita, who pocketed her phone and sighed.
"It's still quite early in the day, and we would be best off trying to find something to do for at least two hours before returning." Yukinoshita said and took out the notebook she had been writing things in. "You can stay with us, Nee-san, but don't stir any trouble, or embarrass us in public, please."
"Haaaaiiiii. Your big sis wouldn't even think of doing anything like that. Wouldn't you agree, Haru?" Haruno replied to her younger sister and turned to me, her hand on my shoulder snaking around my arm as she pressed herself against me, causing my arm to be wedged between her breasts.
"Um… O-of course, Haruno-san. But… could you… not cling onto me like that?" I said and tried to pry the older woman off me, but she tightened her hold on me instead.
"What, is it making you embarrassed? I thought you would enjoy something like this, given that you're apparently not 'into' Yukino-chan, and you didn't mention having a girlfriend at all. Both of those..." Haruno moved her face closer to mine, and I backed away from her as much as I could. "...mean that you're free game for me." Haruno finished by blowing some air into my ear, and despite my best efforts, I felt my cheeks heating up. Was that really why she was asking so many questions from me..? No, Yukinoshita-san said that her sister was manipulative… This has to be that. Right?
Right?
"Nee-san..." Yukinoshita said with a sigh as she began to massage her temple again. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. So, please..." Yukinoshita's eyes met mine – though I could barely see hers from behind her sunglasses – and she paused for a moment, hesitating with something. "...Could you let go of Kasugano-kun? He is very clearly uncomfortable with your presence." Yukinoshita then continued. Haruno looked at her sister for a few moments, then shifted her gaze back to me.
"It's… As Yukinoshita-san said. So, if you could..." I said to the older woman and attempted to free myself again, this time with more success than before, as I felt Haruno's grip on my arm loosening.
"Hmmm… Well, fine." Haruno said and let go of my arm. "But just because I can't be physical with you doesn't mean that you'll get rid of me that easily, Haru." Haruno winked at me and took a few steps forwards. "Right, let's go, then! Or were you planning on spending that two hours standing here and boiling under the sun, Yukino-chan?" Yukinoshita stood still for a few seconds, then walked past the two of us back towards the signboard we had looked at when we first arrived here.
"We still have some places to go to here, and we haven't been to any of the souvenir shops yet either, so there's still plenty to do." Yukinoshita said, and the two of us began to follow after her.
"Oooo, souvenirs? Shopping for them is always so much fun, wouldn't you say, Haru?" Haruno asked from me, but all I could offer in return was a small awkward laugh. With Haruno-san sticking around with us…
I feel like this is going to be a long two hours.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット