Yukinoshita Yukino had barely slept a wink. Now, with dark circles faintly under her eyes, she sat drowsily in the backseat of a sleek blue sports car.
At the wheel sat a woman with short hair, her beauty almost a mirror of Yukino's own—eighty to ninety percent the same face, yet her aura was vastly different. Where Yukino radiated an icy, disciplined sharpness, her older sister Haruno oozed warmth, playfulness, and danger. A mature version of Yukino, equipped with a mischievous streak.
"Oh my, Yukino-chan, why are you so gloomy on the very first day of school? That's not like you at all~" Haruno sang from the driver's seat, her voice dripping with mock innocence.
"…"
Yukino slowly opened her eyes. The first thing that greeted her was Haruno's infuriatingly beautiful face smiling back at her through the rearview mirror. One glance was all it took for Yukino to decide she didn't want to waste her breath responding.
Haruno, of course, noticed her little sister's silence. She never minded Yukino's cold shoulder—it was, after all, her favorite toy to play with. So she just kept going, cheerful as ever.
"Sigh, if I hadn't happened to drive by, you'd definitely be late today. That's so unlike you, making such a rookie mistake. Hmm… that must mean you were up to something very exhausting yesterday."
"…."
"Let me guess—you stayed up late cramming for exams?"
"…."
"No? Then maybe… you were binge-watching cat videos?"
"…."
"Still wrong? Fufu. Then there's only one possibility left! You must've been out on a date with Hikigaya-kun!"
"?!"
At the sound of that name, Yukino's eyelids twitched. Subtle, but not subtle enough to slip past Haruno.
Her older sister's lips curved into a sly grin. "Hehehe~ I knew it was Hikigaya-kun. Don't tell me… Yukino-chan and your Hikigaya-kun got all cuddly last night?"
"???"
Yukino's eyes shot open, her pale cheeks instantly burning crimson. She sat upright, snapping back in a flustered voice, "T-There was no cuddling at all!"
"Eh? Really?"
"…."
Seeing Haruno's exaggerated look of surprise, Yukino quickly clammed up, pressing her lips together. She wasn't going to give her sister any more ammo.
With anyone else, Yukino could stay calm and collected, her poker face unshakable. But against her mother and especially her older sister, her defenses always crumbled. A glance here, a teasing word there, and Yukino's emotions went haywire. It was infuriating.
Sigh. I still have a long way to go, Yukino thought, forcing herself to take a breath.
Meanwhile, Haruno, delighted by every flicker of Yukino's reactions, leaned into the teasing even more. "Now, now, don't pout. That kind of thing is perfectly normal between couples, you know? I'm just curious—who made the first move? You? Or Hikigaya-kun?"
Yukino pursed her lips into a thin line and replied coldly, "Hmph. Who would ever want to do something so indecent with a useless maggot like him?"
"Eh? That's harsh. I think Hikigaya-kun is actually pretty cute, you know~" Haruno chuckled.
"Cute where?! He's nothing more than… a hopeless good-for-nothing!" Yukino shot back, her voice rising despite herself.
"Hehehe. Is that so? Then why don't you give him to me, Yukino-chan?" Haruno said playfully, her tone sweet yet sharp as a blade.
"…?"
"It just so happens I could use a boyfriend."
Yukino's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her voice turned icy as she snapped, "Yukinoshita Haruno. You'd better be careful what you say. Hikigaya-kun is my boyfriend. Even if you're desperate enough to eat young grass, you're not allowed to eat from your own yard."
"Oh dear, my little sister's scolding me again. How scary~" Haruno giggled, utterly unbothered.
"Hmph."
Yukino folded her arms and turned away, deciding Haruno wasn't worth any more of her energy.
Yes. Choosing Haruno would have been a mistake. An extremely correct decision not to, in fact.
Last night, Yukino had stayed awake weighing her options carefully. Between Haruno and Kato Megumi, a relatively unknown schoolmate, the system had made it clear she could only pick one.
Haruno was far too dangerous. Choosing her was like choosing to juggle lit dynamite. One wrong step and everything would explode. And if Haruno ever actually fell for Hikigaya and made a move on him, Yukino honestly wasn't sure if even he could handle it—or if she could withstand the pressure.
No, Haruno was out of the question.
Compared to that, Kato Megumi was far safer. Someone Yukino had never even heard of until now. If Haruno was "hell mode difficulty," then Kato Megumi was "elementary school tutorial level."
So, Yukino had chosen Kato.
And when she did, the system immediately provided her with some basic information:
[Name: Kato Megumi]
[Personality: Gentle, quiet, soothing, witty; Hidden personality: ??]
[Relationship with Host: High school classmate]
[Relationship with Hikigaya Hachiman: Middle school classmate, high school classmate]
[Maximum points obtainable: 100,000]
Two details instantly stood out to Yukinoshita like red flags.
First—Kato-san and Hikigaya had actually been middle school classmates. That meant there was already some kind of shared past between them, and in matters of the heart, even the faintest "childhood connection" could turn into a troublesome advantage. She had to keep a close eye on that.
Second—the ceiling for obtainable points from Kato-san was a mere hundred thousand.
The system had explained how points worked: every little act of intimacy between Hikigaya and a chosen girl—holding hands, hugging, kissing, even starting a family—would add to her total. And if Kato Megumi's affection for Hikigaya grew strong enough that she wanted to hold his hand for a lifetime, she could net fifty thousand points in one go.
Fifty thousand… it sounded like a lot, but compared to the mountain she had to climb, it was nothing.
Points were essentially shop tokens. Only by reaching one million could she exchange them for a rare healing potion capable of saving Hikigaya's life.
But if Kato-san maxed out at a hundred thousand, that meant Hikigaya would have to… interact with ten different girls to reach the goal.
The very thought made Yukinoshita choke on her own breath.
"Ten…? Ten girls?!" She gripped her skirt tightly, her face twitching. "What am I supposed to do, share him like some… public bus?!"
Every time she tried to resist, every time her pride told her no way, the system's emotionless voice would echo in her mind:
'Host, you wouldn't want Hikigaya to die in three years, would you?'
It was the cruelest persuasion imaginable. Each time, her face would twist in anger, but she could never fully fight back.
"Damn it…" Yukinoshita muttered under her breath. "Fine… one step at a time."
Kato Megumi, according to the profile, was a quiet, plain sort of girl. Someone unremarkable in presence, easy to overlook. If that was true, then guiding her into Hikigaya's orbit shouldn't be too difficult… at least compared to other potential rivals.
Haruno's cheerful voice snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. "We're here~"
The blue sports car rolled smoothly to a stop along the road by the school gate. Haruno leaned casually against the steering wheel, eyes wandering as if looking for entertainment, and then her gaze fixed on something ahead.
"Oh? Isn't that Hikigaya-kun? Riding in on that clunky bicycle of his… He's just as late as you are, Yukino-chan. Oh, but—what's this? Why is there a girl sitting on the back?"
"…What?" Yukinoshita blinked, startled.
Her head whipped up instinctively, following Haruno's line of sight. Sure enough, right there at the gate was Hikigaya. He had just stopped his bicycle, and the girl who had been riding behind him slid off the seat with practiced ease. The two exchanged words, smiling faintly as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yukinoshita's pupils shrank. "W–What the hell…?"
A cold weight settled in her stomach. That girl… riding Hikigaya's bicycle, smiling with him so casually… Who was she?!
[This female classmate is Kato Megumi, Host.]
The system's monotone voice rang in her ears like a gavel striking down. [You will need to have your boyfriend grow closer to her in order to earn points.]
"…WHAT?!" Yukinoshita's voice cracked, her face paling.
Her breath caught, and she leaned forward, eyes wide in disbelief. The girl she had just been strategizing about—the quiet, easy-to-handle, elementary-level Kato Megumi—was already this close to Hikigaya?!
Her mind reeled. Wait a second… what happened to the "quiet background character" persona?!
No, this couldn't be right. She hadn't even started making her moves yet. How had Kato-san already made it this far?!
"Don't tell me…" Yukinoshita muttered, biting her lip as panic laced her voice. "Were you two… old lovers from middle school? And now your flames are rekindling?!"
Her head spun at the thought, and for the first time that morning, Yukinoshita felt truly shaken.