Yukinoshita-san is definitely secretly in love with me.

As a rising figure within a prestigious family, both Mrs. Yukinoshita and her eldest daughter were constantly attending social functions.

Even when Yukino had been studying abroad, she still had to fulfill her duties whenever she returned home during the holidays.

Though she hadn't received much affection or attention from her parents, it was undeniable that being born into the Yukinoshita household had granted her an extremely privileged upbringing.

But what puzzled Yukino more than anything else was the fact that, from yesterday to today, her mother hadn't shown any anger toward her.

That was seriously strange.

After everything that had happened, including her daughter turning into a blonde version of Yukinoshita, her mother still managed to treat her with relative warmth. Could it be that this once-terrifying woman had somehow evolved in the past year?

That night, Mrs. Yukinoshita didn't even spend the night at home. Around ten o'clock, impeccably dressed, her hair elegantly swept up, high heels clicking against the polished floor, she prepared to board a plane to Tokyo.

The Yukinoshita family had passed into her hands from the previous generation, back when it was far less formidable than it was today. Back then, Mrs. Yukinoshita was little more than a young heiress with no real authority, surrounded by opportunists who were ready to flee with the family's assets.

It was this young Yukinoshita lady who stepped forward, stabilized the situation, and took control. Later, she brought Mr. Yukinoshita into the fold through a strategic marriage. The two of them, relentless workaholics, had since propelled the family to unprecedented heights.

To Yukino, this woman, who treated every professional encounter as a battlefield and never relaxed her guard, often resembled an older version of Haruno.

They were both so confident and capable, almost like perfect superhumans.

So when this kind of woman, who measured her time in seconds, unexpectedly wasted half a day at home yesterday, Yukino didn't dare flatter herself by assuming it had anything to do with her.

Yet just before leaving, Mrs. Yukinoshita actually showed a rare moment of tenderness toward her younger daughter. She reached out and gently ruffled Yukino's hair.

"At tomorrow's banquet, listen to your sister," she said.

After a moment's thought, she added, "If anything happens, call me. No matter what it is, there will always be an adult from the Yukinoshita family to handle it."

She might not be the most attentive mother, but she wasn't an entirely terrible one either.

It was another Saturday, the Buddhist sabbath day.

Yukino, already well-practiced in such things, changed into her formal dress and got into the car with her sister Haruno.

Placing her clutch bag to one side, Yukino asked offhandedly, "What's Mom going to Tokyo for this time?"

Haruno pulled out a compact mirror and did a final check of her makeup. "There's a charity gala in Tokyo tomorrow. She's going to lay the groundwork for the company's expansion there."

Yukino scoffed under her breath.

"Another gathering of those pretentious old hags..."

When it came to Tokyo's charity circles, well, those who knew, knew. And those who didn't there was no point explaining. The web of interests involved was too intricate. Most of the relevant information had already been wiped from the internet, so trying to uncover the truth now was pointless.

In short, the whole thing was a farce. A clique of aging socialites, flaunting their wealth, dodging taxes, showing off young boy toys or in some cases, parading around beautiful girls.

Haruno laughed. "Hey now, you just lumped Mom in with them."

Yukino replied instantly. "She's the exception."

Haruno chuckled. "Wow, Yukino. That's some top-tier double standards."

It wasn't really hypocrisy. The truth was, Mrs. Yukinoshita had always been single-mindedly focused on making money. Her lifelong ambition was to elevate the Yukinoshita family into Japan's elite. She had no time for meaningless games or hollow displays.

Even in these shady social circles, she could always extract what she needed to advance her goals.

It had been over a year since Yukino last saw Haruno. So much had happened bizarre and absurd things she could hardly make sense of but to be able to talk with her sister now without any awkwardness still felt like a blessing.

And yet, for some reason, Yukino couldn't shake the feeling that there was something subtly off about Haruno.

As much as she hated to admit it, if there was anyone in the world who understood Haruno best, it would be Yukino herself.

At the same time, Haruno was also beginning to sense something was off about Yukino.

They shared the same face and body, but the blonde Yukinoshita and the black-haired Yukinoshita were completely different people. Even Mr. and Mrs. Yukinoshita had simply chalked up Yukino's transformation to a long-overdue rebellious phase.

But Haruno sensed something deeper, as if the soul inside her sister's body had been replaced.

The blonde Yukinoshita had been like a small, bristling beast, fierce on the outside yet hiding fragile, fractured emotions beneath. It was as if something was always chasing her, forcing her into the dark.

Yukino, on the other hand, was a proud, sensitive little princess, an idealist to the point of foolishness. She might seem lost or fragile, but when push came to shove, she always had her own principles and strength.

No matter how dark the road became, she would still find her own path forward.

Just as Yukino knew Haruno better than anyone, Haruno understood Yukino just as deeply.

They had once been inseparable sisters, growing up side by side. Their bond ran deep.

And this current "Yukinoshita" just wasn't right.

Every movement, every word, even her silences, reminded Haruno more of the sister she remembered than the version who had replaced her for the past year.

Yukino had been frail as a child, much like a certain famous fictional sister. She spent the first couple of years of her life in and out of hospitals before finally being brought home.

Even back then, their parents were always busy. Besides the maids, only little Haruno was around.

One day, when she came home from elementary school, she saw a shy, silent little ball hiding behind the sofa.

"Wow, you're my little sister?" she exclaimed.

"So cute! A million times cuter than Fran!"

Fran was the dog Haruno used to keep.

Little Yukino didn't say a word. She just stayed curled up behind the sofa, completely still.

Even at that age, she was already stubborn. Once she got stuck in her own head, no one could talk her out of it.

But Haruno had always been outgoing and decisive. She dashed up to her room, grabbed all her toys, snacks, and drinks, and piled them up in front of her little sister.

"All of this is for you!"

Still, little Yukino didn't respond.

So Haruno brought over Fran too. After hesitating a moment, she pushed the dog forward and said decisively, "Fran is yours now too!"

Yukino immediately burst into tears, terrified by the dog, and scrambled out from behind the sofa, trembling.

Haruno pounced and hugged her tight.

"Got you!"

"What do you want? Mommy and Daddy? My whole doll collection? Pretty clothes?"

"Or maybe... your sister's love?"

She pressed her soft, milk-scented lips to Yukino's cheek with a loud smooch.

And Yukino wailed even harder.

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