When Rui pushed open the tavern door and walked inside, one could imagine how shocked Tachibana Hinata was to see her little sister appear there.
"Rui? What are you...?"
"..."
Rui did not answer her sister's question. She merely stared coldly at the man standing beside her sister, then spoke only after a long moment.
"Sister, who is he?"
"..."
Faced with Rui's question, Tachibana Hinata looked extremely flustered, while the man beside her appeared remarkably calm.
"In any case, it's not good to talk while standing. Let's sit down first."
Duanmu Huai hid nearby and silently watched the scene. After all, with the stealth techniques of a Raven Guard, avoiding detection was not difficult for him.
But why am I using a stealth skill for a prime-time urban romance drama like this?
With a helpless sigh, Duanmu Huai picked up the beer in his hand.
Whatever. It'll make a decent drinking snack.
The three of them clearly had no idea that Duanmu Huai was staring at them from across the room. They sat down, with Tachibana Hinata and the man together while Rui sat opposite them, her face cold and gloomy. Seeing her little sister like this, Tachibana Hinata had none of her usual warmth and openness from school. Instead, she looked extremely flustered and at a loss.
The man beside her, on the other hand, was much calmer. He gave a bitter laugh and spoke.
"The atmosphere is so tense that I don't even know where to begin... In any case, let's start with introductions."
As he spoke, the man looked toward Rui.
"My name is Ogiwara Shū. I'm thirty-two, married, and have no children. I began dating Haruna two years ago, and I currently work as a biology researcher in a university laboratory..."
The man named Ogiwara