My face did not redden, nor was I out of breath. Haruno answered without changing expression either. When our eyes met, she gave me a seductive smile and whispered in my ear:
"But don't you think matching outfits are kind of cute?... What do you think?"
There was something magical in her voice, and the breath against my neck was sweet and teasing. I knew perfectly well that she was toying with me, yet my cheeks heated up on their own, making me too afraid even to glance at her expression.
After thoroughly enjoying my reaction, Haruno added with a smile:
"Matching with Yukino♪"
Thanks to that lighthearted tone, my body finally relaxed, and a sarcastic remark slipped out along with a helpless sigh.
"Rather than matching with me, wouldn't sisters wearing matching outfits create a cuter effect?"
"Going too far would backfire. The way things are now is enough."
I took a jab at her, but Haruno seemed to have anticipated even that and immediately fired back. It was such a pointless conversation, yet she was clearly enjoying herself, a fierce gleam lighting up her eyes. Ugh, I really wasn't good at dealing with this person...
However, sadness suddenly clouded her gaze.
"...We used to wear matching outfits pretty often──"
She spoke softly, as though reminiscing about the past.
"...That's surprising."
So I honestly voiced my impression.
"...It's not that surprising. Our family just bought them for us. Nothing strange about it."
The smile that had been on her face moments ago vanished. Haruno merely narrowed her eyes and glanced at the loungewear in her hands.
What surprised me was not that the Yukino sisters had once worn matching clothes. Even I had been made to wear matching outfits with Komachi. It was easy enough to imagine parents having