"Please, Miss Haruno."
Seeing Hachiman extend his hand, Haruno hesitated for a moment but eventually placed her hand in his.
"Then, I'll be counting on you, Hikigaya-kun."
At this point, there was no room for her to refuse. Even if it was just for show in front of her mother, she decided to go along with it.
Haruno believed that with Yukino watching from the side, Hachiman wouldn't dare act improperly.
However, she underestimated him.
Grasping her soft hand, Hachiman gave a gentle pull and drew her directly into his arms.
"Eh…"
Falling into Hachiman's embrace, Haruno let out a soft gasp.
"H-Hikigaya-kun, Yukino is still watching."
For some reason, a small wave of unease rose in Haruno's heart.
This was surprising, considering she often represented the Yukinoshita family at social events and had attended countless balls.
By all means, she should have been used to this.
Yet, for reasons she couldn't pinpoint, facing Hachiman made her unexpectedly nervous.
Was it because of Yukino?
Haruno secretly speculated.
She was well aware of her younger sister's feelings for Hachiman.
And now, here she was, holding Hachiman intimately in front of Yukino.
It all felt… slightly inappropriate.
On Hachiman's side, however, such considerations seemed to have no place.
Having pulled Haruno into his arms, he smoothly wrapped an arm around her slender waist.
As expected of the sisters, their waists were equally slim.
However, with Haruno in an evening gown, the tactile sensation was far superior to Yukino's school uniform.
The high-quality fabric's silky texture tempted Hachiman to let his hand slide slightly up and down.
"Hikigaya-kun, y-you… don't move your hands around!"
Noticing Hachiman's subtle movements and feeling the strong masculine presence emanating from him, a faint blush crept onto Haruno's cheeks.
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
Hearing Haruno's words, Hachiman offered an insincere apology.
Seeing his attitude, Haruno felt slightly annoyed.
How dare he act so boldly with me?
Should I tell Yukino about this?
With that thought, Haruno glanced in her sister's direction.
But to her surprise, she couldn't find Yukino anywhere.
Wait, what?! Where's Yukino…?
In fact, the moment Hachiman and Haruno embraced, Yukino had already left.
Although she trusted Hachiman, seeing him dancing intimately with her older sister stirred some complicated feelings in her heart.
So, Yukino decided it was best to avoid the scene entirely—out of sight, out of mind.
Noticing the confusion on Haruno's face, Hachiman quickly deduced what she was thinking. He chuckled lightly and said, "Yukino? She left a while ago. Probably went to check on the venue."
Hearing this, Haruno started to wonder.
What is Yukino thinking?
Does she trust Hikigaya-kun, or… does she trust me?
If it's trust in Hikigaya-kun, that's understandable. But if it's trust in me, then… could it mean Yukino thinks my charm isn't enough to catch Hikigaya-kun's interest?
That's too much, Yukino.
We have the same face, and my chest is even bigger than yours. Where does all this confidence come from?
Since that's the case, don't blame your big sister for being unkind.
Initially, Haruno was very resistant to their mother's decision. But seeing Yukino's attitude now, her competitive spirit was ignited.
After all, women are always comparing—be it jewelry, handbags, or boyfriends.
Anything could become a contest.
And now, Hachiman had become the latest subject of comparison between the sisters.
Oh, little Yukino, let your sister teach you how to truly handle a man.
With this thought, a seductive smile appeared on Haruno's face.
"Well then, since Yukino has already left, let's start dancing, Hikigaya-kun."
As she spoke, Haruno took the initiative and placed her hand on Hachiman's shoulder.
Her sudden assertiveness left Hachiman momentarily stunned.
What's going on?
Haruno's shift in attitude was so abrupt that Hachiman was completely baffled.
But he wasn't about to overthink it.
After all, as an old song goes: A girl's thoughts, boy, don't try to guess…
You'll never truly understand the way a girl's mind works.
Often, they'll take a small matter and spin it into something incomprehensible.
As for what Haruno was thinking now, Hachiman didn't bother to figure it out. Dancing was all that mattered.
With that thought in mind, he guided Haruno, and the two began moving gracefully to the rhythm of the flowing music.
...
As the music ended, Haruno's face was faintly flushed, and she smiled at Hachiman.
"Hikigaya-kun, how was it? I didn't do too bad, right?"
"Mm, Miss Haruno's dancing is excellent," Hachiman nodded.
Hearing Hachiman's compliment, Haruno's smile grew more alluring as she continued,
"Then, compared to Yukino and the others, who dances better?"
The question caught Hachiman off guard for a moment, but he responded with a smile.
"Miss Haruno is a bit better."
It was the truth.
Compared to Yukino and the other girls, Haruno—who frequently attended social events and balls—was naturally more skilled in dancing.
Haruno's face lit up with a triumphant smile upon hearing this.
Looks like I've won, Yukino.
With this thought in mind, Haruno spoke again,
"Then what does Hikigaya-kun think of me? Am I pretty?"
Hachiman was stunned.
He hadn't expected such a question from her.
After a brief pause, he nodded honestly.
"Miss Haruno is, of course, very beautiful. I'm sure you must have plenty of admirers."
As Yukino's older sister, Haruno's beauty was undeniable. Among all the girls Hachiman knew, Haruno was undoubtedly one of the most striking.
Hearing his praise, Haruno's smile became even brighter.
"Then, Hikigaya-kun, would you like to be my boyfriend? If it's you, I wouldn't mind."
Huh?
What the heck is this? Is she trying to seduce me?
Haruno's words made Hachiman raise an eyebrow.
But after a moment's thought, he began to piece things together.
This was probably Mrs. Yukinoshita's idea.
Perhaps she felt that Yukino alone wasn't enough to handle him, so she sent Haruno as reinforcement.
But wait… would Haruno really go along with something like this so easily?
Although Haruno usually appeared to obey Mrs. Yukinoshita, Hachiman knew it was just a façade. Deep down, Haruno was constantly thinking about how to rebel against her family.
For her to say something like this today genuinely caught Hachiman off guard.
Could it be that Haruno, like Yukino, was planning to use him as leverage in her rebellion against the Yukinoshita family?
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