What feeling drove her to follow them to the Service Club?
Rarely did Haruno, always calm and sharp, find herself unable to understand her own emotions.
It wasn't for her sister, nor for the handsome young pianist on stage… She couldn't find any reason she could accept.
Could it really be that a strange hunch, sparked by hearing that piano performance, pushed her to act?
If she didn't follow, she might miss the answer she'd always been searching for—that was the odd premonition.
But…
Was it purely intuition, or purely attraction?
No need for reasons, just do what you want to do… That was Yukinoshita Haruno.
So, she brazenly barged into the warehouse-like clubroom, facing the stares of three high school students and a teacher.
One hand on her slender waist, her expression firm and confident, as if nothing could faze her—Haruno smiled, raising her brows, waiting for the others' responses.
"Yukinon's sister?! Oh, I'm Yukinon's friend, Yuigahama Yui, nice to meet you…"
Nervously, Yuigahama bowed quickly, her gaze discreetly darting between the two, as if comparing the sisters' similarities.
She's a pretty innocent kid—Haruno's initial impression.
Meanwhile, sitting stiffly by the window with a shocked and exasperated expression, Yukino's cheek twitched as she said, "Why are you…"
Haruno waved her hand, already knowing what her sister would say and having prepared a perfect excuse.
"Sobu High is my alma mater. Isn't it normal to come check out the event?"
She found a chair, sat across from the three, and puffed out her lips as if complaining. "Yukinon's holding such a fun event at school but didn't tell me a thing. So sneaky~"
"It has nothing to do with you, does it? I have no reason to tell you."
Yukino lowered her head, pressing her temple, her voice colder and sharper than usual, showing strong rejection.
"If you're just here to say hi, you can leave now."
As usual, Haruno melted the icy breeze with a bright smile. "Huh~ Why the rush to kick me out? Just last Friday, you were so nice letting me stay at your apartment for so long~"
"I told you to go home, but you didn't listen!" Yukino glared fiercely, like a kitten threatening a foreign intruder in her territory.
Her claws and teeth didn't hurt, so it looked utterly adorable.
Smiling even brighter, Haruno propped her elbow on her thigh, resting her fair, beautiful cheek in her hand, observing her sister's expression with keen interest.
"Oh, could it be, you're afraid I'll badmouth you to your friends?"
Having found her answer, Haruno defended herself with an exaggerated expression, her tone pitiful. "No way! I'm not that mean. I won't spill Yukinon's secrets~"
For some reason, the person sitting at the far left of the long table slightly curled his lips, glancing at his phone as if suppressing a laugh—
(Was it something I said that amused him, or did he see something funny?)
Curiosity flashed through her mind, but she didn't rush to ask, continuing her observation.
Without hiding her disgust, Yukino brushed back the long hair on her shoulder and snorted irritably. "I don't want others seeing you act like this, which is why I want you to leave."
"So harsh. Others don't mind." Haruno suddenly shifted her gaze, smiling as she asked, "Right, Yui-chan?"
"Huh? Yeah!" Like a dozing student startled awake by a teacher, Yuigahama instinctively straightened her chest, answering with slight confusion. "I mean, I'm fine with it, but it's mainly up to Yukinon…"
(Is this a neutral stance? But she seems to care a lot about Yukinon's feelings…)
Haruno nodded inwardly, her face showing exaggerated surprise as she spoke with admiration. "Oh~ So you're a good friend who respects Yukinon's opinions."
Yuigahama instantly scratched her cheek, chuckling shyly. "Ehehe, it's not that big a deal~"
"Don't trust her flattery too much, Yuigahama-san." With a resigned tone, Yukino sighed heavily. "And friends or whatever, it's not that kind of relationship."
"Huh?! It's not?"
Yuigahama was shocked, staring at her in disbelief. "But I thought you and I were already friends…"
"Oh, this…" Seeing her teary expression, Yukino seemed at a loss for words, frozen in confusion.
After a moment, she clenched her fist in front of her chin, clearing her throat twice as a cover. "Yuigahama-san, I think we should start by discussing the definition of a friend…"
"Too complicated! Being friends isn't homework!"
"Pfft, haha!" Enjoying their odd interaction, Haruno couldn't help slapping her thigh, laughing freely. "Wow, Yui-chan's so cute~ Totally different from the people Yukinon's met before. You could really be great friends!"
"I-I'm not as great as Haruno-san says…" Yuigahama paused suddenly, tilting her head and muttering, "Huh? Wait, so just now…"
"Look at the situation, Haruno. We're in a meeting."
Hiratsuka pulled out a lollipop, chewing it in her mouth, her resigned gaze cutting off Haruno's laughter.
"Though I knew you'd show up, I didn't expect you to chase us straight to the Service Club… No one should've told you the club's location."
Haruno spread her hands, blinking innocently. "Other places aren't as interesting as here. As for the location, can't I just find it with intuition?"
Of course, she didn't tell the truth.
"What?!"
But Hiratsuka seemed to buy it, her mouth agape in disbelief, her cola-flavored lollipop nearly falling out.
"Finding it with just intuition? Haruno, have you developed a sixth sense…"
Haruno pretended not to hear, shifting her gaze back to her sister.
"Oh, by the way, I want to watch your challenge activities later. That's okay, right?"
More than a question, her tone was like confirmation after deciding.
"No." Yukino, in her rebellious phase, answered firmly and bluntly, as expected.
Haruno said nothing, just staring into her sister's eyes with a teasing look.
One second, two seconds.
Those clear, black-pearl eyes soon gave in. Turning away, Yukino sighed in resignation.
"…Though I'd like to say that, our club activities are open to the public. If you have nothing better to do today, just come along."
"Yay, got Yukinon's permission~"
Haruno raised her hand in a mock cheer, and as expected, Yukino shot her a sharp glare.
Haruno paused her gesture, suddenly recalling something, showing a thoughtful expression. "But Yukinon, even though you're the club president, the one actually challenging the other clubs is Tenkuji-kun over there, right?"
After a long detour, she finally looked directly at Yuu.