When Chisato returned to the living room with pen and paper, he saw Haruno staring blankly at Dark Wing.
He didn't think much of it and sat down on the other side of the sofa.
"That crow is my pet. It's very well-behaved, it won't fly around recklessly, and it won't attack people without reason. You don't have to worry, Miss Haruno."
Haruno shifted her gaze.
"It's not that I'm worried about that. I just think this crow looks quite intelligent."
"Well, it is a crow, after all. They're one of the smartest bird species. It's not surprising that you'd get that impression."
"There's also a good chance that pets tend to reflect their owners to some extent."
Haruno chose to subtly compliment Chisato before bringing the topic to a close.
In truth, she didn't particularly like crows, but for some reason, she didn't find herself disliking this one at all.
She even had the urge to ask Chisato to call it over so she could pat its head. However, considering that wasn't the main reason for her visit tonight, she decided against it.
Chisato felt a bit uneasy as he placed his practice notebook flat on his lap. He opened it but didn't immediately put pen to paper.
For him, being asked for an autograph was a first. Without any prior experience, he wasn't sure what to do.
"So, I just need to write my name on this, as you said, Miss Haruno?"
Haruno nodded, a look of anticipation on her face.
"Yes, and if possible, make it look as nice as you can."
"I understand."
Although he had never signed anything for anyone before, Chisato was quite confident in his handwriting.
After all, he had received praise from Teacher Yukino several times in class, and she had even asked if he had taken calligraphy lessons before.
On the blank page of the practice notebook, Chisato wrote his name in a slightly casual yet stylized manner.
"This should be fine, right?"
Haruno leaned in to take a look and nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, that'll do. Thank you very much, Chisato-kun. I'll keep this carefully when I get home.
Hopefully, when you achieve fame and success in the future, this autograph will become even more valuable."
She smiled as she accepted the practice notebook. After getting his permission, she neatly tore out the signed page.
"It's probably best not to have such expectations. Besides, it doesn't seem like you're short on money, Miss Haruno."
"Ah, speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask this for a while now. I can't shake the feeling that Suzumiya-kun knows a lot about me.
The things you said in the elevator earlier felt like they came from someone who's known me for years…
No, even a longtime friend wouldn't necessarily be able to say so many accurate things about me. How should I put it?
It's as if you've analyzed me from a god's perspective, seeing right through me. It's actually quite unsettling. If possible, could you clear up this mystery for me?"
Haruno claimed to be unsettled, but judging from her expression and demeanor, Chisato didn't see any sign of distress.
On the contrary, her smile grew even more playful and radiant.
With one hand propping up her chin, she leaned forward slightly, her hot pants barely covering the tops of her thighs.
In this position, the tightness of her sleeveless top was pushed to an exaggerated degree, making it seem as though it could barely hold on.
It was hard not to wonder whether the loose-fitting sleepwear she was wearing was actually the right size for her, or if she had intentionally chosen this outfit to make a point.
Coming to a man's apartment alone this late at night—was she truly confident in her safety, or was she purposefully putting herself in this situation, hoping something would happen?
Trying to guess Haruno's intentions was no easy task.
She wasn't like Iroha, whose thoughts were relatively easy to read.
With Iroha, after chatting for a while and observing her facial expressions and small gestures, he could more or less figure out what was on her mind.
But Haruno was different. Her expressions barely changed in response to external stimuli.
At most, she would chuckle lightly or show a fleeting look of surprise, but she always adjusted herself quickly and returned to normal.
Her ability to keep everything under control was top-tier—she was the epitome of the "big sister" type, and people like her were the hardest to deal with.
She was like a feather floating in the wind, impossible to predict.
Chisato struggled to find a response to Haruno's question while also thinking about how to end the conversation and send her home for the night.
But given the current situation, it seemed that inviting her in was much easier than getting her to leave.
"Well, if it's a difficult question to answer, I don't mind if you don't say anything. I already knew this would be the case. If I had a secret like that, I probably wouldn't tell others easily either."
Even in the face of Chisato's prolonged silence, Haruno didn't seem the least bit discouraged. Her smile remained just as bright, matching her name perfectly.
"…"
What's with this? You already knew, so why bother asking? Were you just trying to gauge my reaction?
Chisato was beginning to have trouble keeping up with Haruno's pace.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
Not long after Haruno had entered, the doorbell rang again.
Just once.
"Don't open it."
That was Haruno's immediate reaction.
Chisato hadn't known who could be ringing the doorbell so late at night. But after seeing her reaction, he immediately understood.
Great. If only they had come sooner and taken this sister away.
"It's fine. This apartment complex has good security, so it's unlikely to be anyone dangerous. And even if it were, I'd protect you, Miss Haruno."
Playing dumb, Chisato ignored Haruno's pout and headed toward the entryway to open the door.
As expected, standing outside was Yukino.
She wore the same style of ultra-short hot pants as her sister, revealing her dazzlingly pale thighs.
However, unlike her sister, who was wearing a sleeveless top, Yukino at least had the sense to throw on a jacket.
That said, since she hadn't fastened it, the gap in the front still allowed glimpses of what lay beneath.
Of course, it wasn't quite as impressive as her sister's.
"Sorry for visiting so late. Has my sister been bothering you?"
Although Yukino privately had a poor impression of Chisato's lifestyle, she still handled matters fairly.
Since her sister's visit was clearly abrupt and had inconvenienced someone, she displayed the most basic courtesy, leaving a fairly good impression.
If she could make some compromises on her cold and delicate face and show a bit of a smile, it would make her appear much more approachable.
However, given her personality, that seemed rather difficult to achieve.
Chisato pursed his lips without responding.
Instead, he lowered his head and looked down. Yukino, puzzled by his action, followed his gaze downward and saw a pair of slippers she was extremely familiar with.
In an instant, she understood everything. Watching Chisato step aside and place a pair of slippers before her, she took a deep breath.
Knowing exactly what this action meant, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
This was a clear expression of his distress and a plea for her to quickly take her sister home.
"I truly... apologize."
For a brief moment as she bowed her head in apology, Yukino's usually cold face showed a slight flush.
She changed into the slippers and followed Chisato into the living room.
When Haruno saw her sister, she casually smiled and waved at her.
Chisato used the excuse of making tea to leave the living room, giving the two sisters some time alone.
He had no intention of getting involved in this mess.
After he left, Yukino, standing before her composed and unbothered sister, could finally say what had been on her mind.
"Sister, how could you do this?"
She never would have imagined that after behaving herself all day, her sister would choose to sneak out the moment she went back to her room to sleep.
Had she not gotten up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and noticed that the door to her sister's room was slightly ajar with the bed empty, she wouldn't have stormed over to the neighbor's place.
Who knew how much longer her sister would have stayed here otherwise?
"Oh dear, what have I done?"
Haruno put on a bored expression, instantly showing her impatience.
"Coming here so late, dressed like this... into the home of an unfamiliar man. How improper. Not to mention, you're far too careless!"
"Haha, Yukino, the way you just spoke sounded exactly like Mom."
Haruno pointed at the empty soy sauce bottle on the table.
"I just came over to borrow something and ended up chatting for a bit. You know I really enjoyed Chisato-kun's performance this afternoon, right?
As a fan, chatting with him for a while isn't inappropriate at all. Even if you hadn't come, I was planning to head back soon.
It's not as serious as you're making it out to be—talking about propriety and being careless. In your eyes, what kind of person do you think I am?
Some desperate woman starved for attention?"
Haruno's voice was low, but her presence was strong, and with just a few words, she had completely turned the situation in her favor.
However, Yukino refused to give up on her lecture.
"Even if that's the case, you should have at least informed me before leaving. Even if you don't consider yourself, you should think about how others feel."
"Yes, yes, I got it. I am an adult, after all. I will take responsibility for myself."
Haruno had lost interest. Now that her sister had found her, her night was over, and nothing more would happen.
She swiftly got up, walked to the kitchen entrance, and looked at Chisato, who was waiting for the kettle to boil. With a smile, she said,
"Sorry for the trouble, Chisato-kun. No need for the tea; I'll come back for it another time. I'll head home now."
"I see."
"Yes, and please take care of me in the future, future superstar."
"Please don't tease me."
Chisato escorted the sisters to the door.
Before leaving, Yukino once again lowered her head slightly in apology, while Haruno suddenly reached out and ruffled his hair just as she was turning away.
"Softer than I expected."
Leaving that remark behind, she left decisively.
Closing the door, Chisato sighed and fixed his hair.
This woman sure got familiar way too quickly. If they met a few more times, would she just go ahead and hug him outright?
He returned to the living room and looked at the table.
In the end, she hadn't even taken the soy sauce she had supposedly borrowed. It had clearly been an excuse.
And now, he was left to deal with the empty bottle she had brought.
What a day this had been.
After a moment of helpless complaints, Chisato returned to his room, hugged the pillow that still carried Utaha's scent, and peacefully turned off the lights to sleep.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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