Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

Emerging from behind the slide, Haruno smiled brightly at the pair:

"Hehe~ Just as Mother said, you two make such a lovely couple."

Yukinoshita let out a soft "Ugh," her face flushing crimson as she lowered her head.

Meanwhile, Hikigaya muttered under his breath, "Figures... this was never just a coincidence."

"Hikigaya-kun, whispering behind my back again?"

Haruno's grin widened as she seemingly appeared out of thin air right next to him, ghostlike.

"Come now, share with me what you just said. Tell your dear onee-chan, won't you?"

"N-Nothing at all!"

A subtle scent drifted over, and Hikigaya's face instantly turned a light shade of red.

"Oh my, how cute you are, Hikigaya-kun~"

Seeing this, Haruno couldn't resist and stretched out her arms, as if wanting to hug him.

Unlike her younger sister, Haruno exuded a mature charm. Her curvaceous figure and refined beauty made her a breathtaking vision of elegance.

But to Hikigaya, this proactive goddess resembled nothing less than a mischievous goblin, eager to torment the brave knight.

Hikigaya dodged swiftly, retreating to the safety behind Yukinoshita.

"Oh? You escaped?"

"Onee-sama, aren't you supposed to be at university?"

Yukinoshita stepped forward protectively, shielding her boyfriend as she questioned her sister with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Hehe, well…"

Unlike the overbearing authority she faced with their mother, Yukinoshita could at least converse with Haruno somewhat comfortably.

As their casual chatter continued, a few preschoolers wandered into the playground. Yukinoshita, seeing them, instinctively complimented the adorable little boys and girls.

Haruno, however, couldn't help but tease, asking if Yukinoshita was longing for children already.

She even went so far as to joke that Yukinoshita should have one right after graduation.

This immediately sent Yukinoshita into a flustered frenzy, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Despite the light tone of their conversation, it was clear that Yukinoshita was no match for Haruno's sharp wit.

No matter how hard she tried, Haruno was simply out of her league in terms of intelligence, charisma, and allure.

Hikigaya wisely chose not to intervene.

Normally, seeing his girlfriend being teased so mercilessly, he'd feel compelled to step in and defend her.

But Haruno's sheer presence was overwhelming.

Sigh. Better let Yukinoshita handle it herself…

Yes, this was for her own good. He was helping her grow stronger!

Hikigaya's attention drifted toward the preschoolers playing nearby.

Had Haruno not shown up when she did, those kids might've stumbled upon him and Yukinoshita earlier...

Shivers.

Hikigaya couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

While Yukinoshita might buy Haruno's claims of coincidence, Hikigaya wasn't convinced. Haruno showing up here? Purely by chance? Impossible.

This must've been her way of delivering a "friendly reminder."

Wait…

A terrifying thought struck him.

Could it be possible—just possible—that Haruno had known all along about his and Yukinoshita's secret meetups in this playground?

University life wasn't as rigid as high school; Haruno certainly had the free time to tail her sister.

As a self-proclaimed sister complex, it wouldn't be far-fetched for her to keep tabs on Yukinoshita—and him.

The notion sent a chill down Hikigaya's spine. His eyes darted toward Haruno, who was still chatting with Yukinoshita.

And as if on cue, Haruno turned her gaze toward him, their eyes meeting seamlessly.

She smiled slyly and even threw him a flirtatious wink.

"??"

What the…

That devilish grin nearly scared the life out of Hikigaya.

He tried to feign nonchalance, but Haruno stopped mid-conversation, her focus now squarely on him.

"Hehe, we've been chatting so much that we almost forgot about Hikigaya-kun here."

Gulp.

No need to target me just because I stole your sister, okay?

Still, Hikigaya could understand her feelings.

If some random guy whisked Komachi away, he'd probably want to murder the guy too.

"R-right!"

Yukinoshita turned around, pulling Hikigaya—who had been hiding behind her—into the center.

"Hikigaya-kun, come here. Stand in the middle."

"Huh?"

Hikigaya blinked, alarmed.

Fine, I'll come over. But why do I have to stand in the middle?!

"Hehe, Hikigaya-kun, come on~ Let onee-chan give you a hug~"

This time, with Yukinoshita forcing him into position, Hikigaya had no room to escape.

And so…

Haruno succeeded with ease.

"Haruno! Haruno-san!!"

"Call me onee-chan~"

"Ugh…"

"Come on, say it. You'll have to call me that sooner or later~"

Holding him tightly, Haruno turned to look at Yukinoshita with a triumphant smile.

Yukinoshita coughed lightly, avoiding eye contact as she tried to mask her emotions:

"Hikigaya-kun… maybe you should just call her that."

"I…"

Hikigaya sighed. For the sake of his girlfriend, he reluctantly muttered:

"B-Big onee-chan…"

"?!"

Haruno froze briefly, glancing at Yukinoshita in surprise before her face lit up with an ecstatic smile.

Hugging Hikigaya even tighter, she buried him against her chest.

"Aww~ When will I find an obedient boyfriend like Hikigaya-kun? So envious!"

"Someone as amazing as you, Haruno-san, will definitely… um, find one…"

"Aww, Hikigaya-kun, your compliments are getting sweeter~"

Haruno's mischievous grin widened as she leaned closer to him.

"I'm tempted to give you a big kiss right now~!"

"Huh?!"

Ignoring Hikigaya's stunned reaction, Haruno turned to Yukinoshita with a teasing look.

"Yukino-chan? Would you mind if I kissed him on the cheek?"

Lost in thought about the points she could earn, Yukinoshita answered absentmindedly:

"...Sure, go ahead."

Haruno: "?"

Hikigaya: "???"

What?!

Yukinoshita! Are you out of your mind?!

Haruno blinked a few times before realization struck. Her lips curled into a smirk as she licked her lips, her gaze heating up as she eyed Hikigaya.

"Hehe, is that so? If you don't mind, then onee-chan is getting excited!"

Hikigaya's face drained of color.

Trapped in her embrace, he felt like he was sinking into an inescapable abyss.

"Wait!"

Seeing Haruno's eagerness, Yukinoshita finally snapped out of her daze and hastily intervened:

"Haruno! Wait a second!"

Her goal had been to gain points—not to let her boyfriend get "stolen" in the process!

She didn't mind some harmless teasing for the sake of the plan.

But Haruno?

She wasn't someone Yukinoshita could allow to go too far!

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