The sound of high heels clicking against the floor can reveal a great deal about the wearer's personality.
When a strong-willed woman walks in heels, each step strikes the ground with authority—like a queen striding through a path of thorns, proud and commanding.
When a gentle woman walks in heels, the sound is soft, light, and almost melodic.
From the rhythm of the approaching footsteps alone, Kotomi Izumi instantly judged that the woman walking toward her was of the strong-willed kind.
Before she could even turn around to see who it was, a woman's voice reached her ears.
"Is Ms. Izumi lost in thought over someone? You're staring so intently at that peach soda with such a heavy expression—don't tell me there's a tragic love story behind it?"
That voice carried both dominance and playful mischief. Kotomi's lips twitched—she immediately knew who it was. Her appearance made perfect sense, and yet was a little unexpected.
Turning around helplessly, Kotomi said, "Who starts a conversation by making up such a twisted love story?"
The woman approaching her was none other than Haruno Yukinoshita.
Haruno visiting Sobu High's culture festival was perfectly reasonable—yet still surprising. As Yukino's older sister, it was natural for her to drop by and look around. But considering how strained the relationship between the two sisters usually was, it was hard to imagine Yukino ever inviting her. She wouldn't even tell Haruno she'd be performing at the festival.
Not to mention, that very morning, Yukino had mentioned that none of the three tickets she'd taken had been given away.
So, leaving aside how Haruno had managed to get in—how did she even know the culture festival was happening today?
"Well, what a coincidence," Haruno said lightly, "I was just wandering around and happened to run into you, Ms. Izumi. I have to say—"
Before she even finished her sentence, Haruno swiftly pulled out her phone. Click, click, click! The camera shutter sounded repeatedly as she snapped photo after photo of Kotomi.
At first, Kotomi didn't even realize what was happening, and by the time she did, several pictures had already been taken. She lunged forward to snatch the phone, but not only did she fail, Haruno managed to snap a few more shots—capturing Kotomi's flustered, red-faced expression mid-pounce. The combination of embarrassment and anger on her face was enough to make anyone want to steal a kiss.
With graceful ease, Haruno spun out of reach, moving so lightly that one could hardly believe she was wearing high heels. Then, at a safe distance, she waved her phone triumphantly.
"Coming to the culture festival was definitely the right decision. I just scored some adorable pictures of Ms. Izumi~ You know, ever since our first meeting, I've always wondered what you'd look like in a school uniform. And now my wish has come true—what a sight to behold!"
"Who would've thought that the bestselling Dengeki Bunko author, Izumi Ki, is actually a beautiful JK in black pantyhose—so dignified!"
"I originally imagined you as the white-stockings type, but even in black, you're just as captivating. Have you ever thought about trying a two-tone look—one white thigh-high and one black? I've never worn it myself, but I've seen manga heroines pull it off beautifully."
As Haruno spoke, her tone grew more animated—it was hard to believe she was the older sister of the stoic, icy Yukino Yukinoshita. The contrast between the sisters wasn't just large—it was like they belonged to two entirely different worlds.
"Good thing there aren't many people around," Kotomi replied dryly. "If you said that in a crowd, they'd probably think you were some dangerous pervert with an obsession for high school girls."
"Hey, it's only natural to appreciate beautiful things," Haruno said with a smirk. "That's not a personality flaw—it's an instinct. A primal impulse embedded deep within the human genome. And right now, the most beautiful thing in my eyes is you, Kotomi."
Her words dripped with confidence, her tone smooth and natural. Haruno leaned forward slightly, her gentle gaze locking onto Kotomi as she reached out her fair, slender hand to tuck a loose strand of white hair behind Kotomi's ear.
—Completely unfair!
Kotomi screamed internally, her cheeks instantly flushing with a shy crimson hue.
She had let her guard down—Kotomi Izumi hadn't expected that when Haruno Yukinoshita went on the offensive, her "attack power" would be this high!
Kotomi still remembered the first time they met: Haruno's tone, her smile, and her overall demeanor had been that of a cheerful, dependable older sister. It wasn't until later that she realized that this "bright big sister" image was merely a detachable outer armor. Whenever Haruno was around people she felt close to, she would shed that cheerful façade and reveal her true mischievous nature underneath.
And that alone showed how much Haruno actually cared about her sister, Yukino. After all, whenever Yukino mentioned her, her descriptions were always the same few words: "annoying," "irritating," "insufferable," and "busybody."
So when Haruno said what she just did, how could Kotomi not blush? But she also didn't want to appear flustered in front of her. Kotomi's competitive spirit always emerged in strange situations. Suppressing her embarrassment, she tried to speak calmly with a casual laugh—only she overdid it, and her voice came out trembling slightly.
"From the time we first met until now, it hasn't even been three months in total, right? And you're already shedding your 'cheerful big sister' armor in front of me?"
Haruno, of course, caught the adorable quiver in Kotomi's voice, but chose not to mention it. She knew if she did, the flustered little Kotomi might actually start throwing punches—not that they'd hurt anyway.
"Pfft~ Ms. Izumi, your description is so vivid. When you said that, the first thing that popped into my head was a Gundam bursting out of its armor."
Her light pink eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued, smiling brightly.
"Closeness isn't something that time alone can define. Some people know each other for years and remain lukewarm acquaintances—familiar strangers at best. And then there are those who meet just once, in a fleeting moment, and before they even realize it, they're already falling hand in hand into love. If I told you that I fell in love with you at first sight, would you believe me?"
"Not even a dog would believe that," Kotomi shot back instantly.
"Hey, what's with that mouth of yours?!" Haruno said, half exasperated, half amused. "I just poured out a whole heartfelt line, and the best you can do is throw that back at me? Four words, each one hitting like a max-level critical strike."
She pouted in mock annoyance. She had hoped to see Kotomi's face turn even redder, but instead, she'd been completely countered. When did I become so unconvincing that not even a dog would buy what I say?!
For some reason, though, Haruno just couldn't get enough of seeing Kotomi flustered. It was as if Kotomi carried with her an invisible allure—an unspoken seduction that whispered to every woman who saw her, in a voice as soft and bewitching as a witch's spell:
"Come on… conquer me completely. Don't you want to see me blush, trembling in your arms, belonging to you and you alone?"
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven