Animania: Everyone Loves Me

"Mm…", Yukinoshita Haruno stretched out her slender pale fingers, gently tapping her chin, as if she were thinking.

It was only when her little sister's gaze grew darker and darker that she smiled, "Really can't do anything about little Yukino. Alright, alright, Onee-san promises you, if this exorcist doesn't work either, then we'll ask that Kaito-kun you keep thinking about. How about it?"

"…Onee-san!", Yukino bit her lip, her snow-like pretty face tinged with a faint blush, but her tone grew increasingly dangerous, "Are you… out of your mind?"

"Tch! Tch!"

Haruno clicked her tongue. Her sister rarely got this emotionally agitated, before, it was always from being teased, but this time, it was clearly from the mention of a boy's name.

The siscon radar activated, and a thick sense of alertness surged in her heart.

'That boy named "Kaito" seems to hold a very important place in little Yukino's heart.'

'Maybe not quite "like," but she definitely has a considerable level of affection toward him.'

Yukino had always been a cold, unsmiling iceberg since childhood. Not to mention close male friends, she didn't even have many close female friends.

"She'd only been in Tokyo for less than two months, and yet that "Kaito-kun" has managed to leave such a strong impression?'

'Is he some kind of playboy?'

'Otherwise, those affection-raising methods are way too practiced.'

Just like how every father thinks any punk who dares touch their daughter is a bastard who deserves to be drowned in Tokyo Bay, it's the same for siscons. They always assume the worst of any male who dares get close to their precious sister.

Although she always loved to tease little Yukino, Haruno did dote on her deeply. She absolutely couldn't let her get tricked by some bad man.

So…

"Speaking of which, after this matter is resolved, how about little Yukino brings that Kaito-kun out to meet me? He seems to take good care of you at school, doesn't he?", Yukinoshita Haruno's tone was very casual, like it was no big deal, "As your Onee-san, I really want to properly thank him~"

Once they met in person, no matter what kind of demon or monster he was, he wouldn't escape her discerning eyes.

If he really was a bad man with ill intent, then no need to say more, just go full fists blazing and end it.

But if he turned out to be an unexpectedly good guy… well, maybe she'd give her blessing to her sister—

'My foot!'

'Yukino is still so young, what love are we even talking about?

'Interacting with boys and stuff like that… at the very least, wait until after graduating university, okay?'

'Me, the Onee-san, has been single this long, never dated anyone, and is still living just fine.'

'There's nothing wrong with single life, that's all hard-earned experience from me as a senior.'

"I'm just ordinary classmates with Kaito-kun," Yukino hesitated for a moment, her voice turning cold again, "As for gratitude… I'll repay him myself. No need to trouble you."

Yukinoshita Haruno: "?"

The black-haired older sister's eyes widened.

'What's with that white-flag tone of voice?'

'Are you sure you meant "repay" and not "beat up"? Because I think that yellow-haired brat deserves a good "beat down".'

Before she could continue questioning, a certain secretary lady knocked on the door and came in. Her expression seemed a little dazed. She paused before speaking, "…Ojou-sama, the person you invited has arrived. He's waiting in the reception room."

With outsiders present, Yukinoshita Haruno immediately tucked away her teasing expression toward her sister, nodded slightly, but then frowned.

Her secretary was a prestigious graduate, always capable and decisive.

'Now what's with that lovestruck girl expression? Face glowing and dazed, did she just bloom?'

Just as she was about to call Yukino to go check it out, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by the secretary.

The other woman hesitated for a moment before quietly saying, "Ojou-sama, please… mentally prepare yourself."

'Prepare?'

Yukinoshita Haruno felt even more confused, but it was clearly related to the exorcist who had just arrived.

She furrowed her brows in thought, but seeing that Yukino had already walked ahead, she couldn't dwell on the details and quickly followed.

Since the person had already arrived, whatever the weirdness was, she'd find out soon enough by seeing him in person.

———

Kaito casually glanced around at the surroundings, but his gaze lingered in a certain direction through the window.

'There is indeed a demonic presence, but it is only at small fry level.'

Within the pitch-black grudge aura, there was also a faint scent of blood. It had clearly taken human lives.

No wonder the client had previously contacted many priests, shrine maidens, and onmyoji, yet none of them had succeeded, and one unlucky priest even ended up mentally broken from fright.

A vengeful spirit that had killed before had already taken shape. It truly wasn't something that could be exorcised easily.

Just as he was thinking this, clear "click clack" footsteps suddenly sounded from behind, and someone opened the door.

"This must be Miss Togawa, correct? Nice to meet you, I'm Yukinoshita Haruno. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

A practiced social smile appeared on her pretty face. Yukinoshita Haruno entered the reception room, and the first person she saw was the secretary Sakiko, sitting on the sofa with a calm expression.

The two had only ever contacted via phone before and had never met in person.

But from the voice, she'd figured the other was probably a young girl.

Now seeing her in person, sure enough, she was an outstanding beauty, not inferior even to her own sister.

'Also… the surname Togawa, is it a coincidence? Or is she really related to that Togawa Group?'

Thoughts spun endlessly in her mind, and Haruno then turned to look at the boy in the room. He had his back to her, gazing out the window, 'This must be the exorcist Miss Togawa brought.'

She couldn't see his face, but the view from behind was rather attractive.

Haruno couldn't help but think so. For some reason, her heart, normally unmoved by appearances, began to stir strangely.

She wanted to get closer to him. Just a little closer…

'Wait, why am I having such dangerous thoughts?'

Haruno snapped back to clarity, startled by her own thoughts.

'To actually feel this kind of interest toward a younger boy I just met… Could it be I have really been single too long? So lonely I can't take it?'

'No no no, only that Shizuka would lose sleep dreaming about marriage, right?'

'I'm not that desperate, okay?'

Her wavering heart almost gave way. Haruno patted her chest and was just about to greet him, when the next event came in quick succession.

"You're… Kaito-kun?", Somehow, Yukino had already walked past her and was now looking at the unfamiliar boy's back. Her voice was a little hesitant, and… with a faint, hard-to-detect hint of delight.

"Huh?", Hearing her sister's voice, Haruno paused slightly.

Then, her pitch-black eyes narrowed, her gaze gradually turning dangerous.

'That Kaito-kun, the one Yukino has been concerned about all this time, even thinking of him constantly during her recent time off school, is standing right in front of me?'

'Let me have a look at you, you little punk, just what kind of god… or devil… are you?'

"Long time no see, Yukinoshita-san," The boy's crisp voice rang out in the room, reminiscent of lemon or mint.

Time was quietly entering summer. A breeze stirred, brushing over the window sill, lifting the curtains, and ruffling his clothes.

The sky-colored light moved against the wind. In the warm sunshine, the boy's skin was nearly translucent, like glass.

All the armor of logic and reason crumbled in the starlight flickering deep within his pupils.

Doki! Doki!

In a daze, Yukinoshita Haruno clearly heard—

The sound of her own heartbeat.

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