Meanwhile, Leo was heading for the Service Club room. From the direction he had come, it was clear he hadn't been chatting with Utaha Kasumigaoka in the classroom, as Yukino Yukinoshita had guessed. He had come from the rooftop.
He really was a little late today, but that was because Sona Shitori had contacted him right after school. To avoid being seen, he'd gone up to the rooftop and talked with her for a while.
Thinking about what Sona had just told him, Leo mused to himself.
It's a bit of a hassle, but I might as well use this opportunity to give Yukino a proper practical lesson.
It had been a month since Yukino Yukinoshita became his servant. Though she'd been diligently studying books, learning about Devils, and training her abilities, she still hadn't seen any real combat.
Without firsthand combat experience, even someone powerful would have all sorts of problems.
So Leo had already decided: he would leave this matter to Yukino Yukinoshita, standing by to back her up. He wouldn't step in unless things became truly desperate.
There's no time like the present. We'll get started tonight.
With that in mind, Leo arrived at the Service Club room.
But when Leo pushed open the door and entered, the heavy atmosphere inside made him pause.
"You... you're here?"
The moment Yukino Yukinoshita saw Leo walk in, she stood up. It was quite a reaction.
The person sitting beside Yukino Yukinoshita, on the other hand, gazed at him with a smile. She showed no notable reaction, but fixed Leo with a sharp look.
At that, Leo raised an eyebrow. Ignoring Yukino Yukinoshita's reaction and the woman's sharp gaze, he walked in as calmly as ever.
"So we have a distinguished guest. That's a rare sight."
Leo sat down in the seat Yukino Yukinoshita had occupied. She instinctively moved aside and stood behind him.
The supposed "distinguished guest" frowned almost imperceptibly at the sight, surprise flashing in her eyes.
But she didn't show it outright. Instead, she greeted Leo with a sunny smile.
"Hello, Eligos-kun. I'm Yukino's older sister, Haruno Yukinoshita. It's nice to meet you."
She was warm, nothing like her ice-cold younger sister—and nothing like the owner of that overly sharp gaze, either. With her refined looks and pleasant voice, she made people want to let their guard down.
Unfortunately, Haruno Yukinoshita was warm, but Leo seemed even sunnier than she was.
"I know. You're the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita Family. You're famous at our school, too."
Leo smiled brightly, like an openhearted boy with nothing to hide. His beaming face left Haruno Yukinoshita momentarily dazed, and she couldn't help thinking:
Whatever else, he's got incredible looks. He's more handsome and polished than any of the so-called heirs to wealthy families I've ever met.
As for Leo calling her famous, Haruno Yukinoshita wasn't surprised in the least.
She was twenty years old and currently studying in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the local National University. But she had once attended Sobu High School and graduated from there.
During the three years before she graduated, Sobu High had never had more than four High Mountain Flowers.
Back in high school, Haruno Yukinoshita had been the one and only High Mountain Flower at Sobu High, a bona fide campus celebrity who had reigned over the entire school.
She had it all: beauty, family background, poise, excellent grades, and social skills so good they seemed almost unfair. She was worlds apart from the beautiful Yukino Yukinoshita, whose people skills left much to be desired.
While she was a student, she built good relationships with everyone, from students and teachers to the principal and school board members. She left such a deep impression on Sobu High that even a year or two after graduating, people were still talking about her.
That was especially true of the third-years, who still brought up Haruno Yukinoshita from time to time.
After all, when Haruno Yukinoshita was a third-year at Sobu High, they had just enrolled as first-years.
So many of the current third-years still remembered Haruno Yukinoshita vividly—including Leo.
When he was a first-year, he'd never interacted with Haruno Yukinoshita directly. But he'd seen her walking down the halls more than once, surrounded by a huge crowd.
Everyone had gathered around her, with her at the center. Yet she never neglected anyone and handled her relationships with effortless skill. She was a true Social Terrorist.
Many people called her a Perfect Superman, while many others saw her as a caring older sister and couldn't forget her.
That was what Haruno Yukinoshita had been like while attending Sobu High.
And even beyond Sobu High, Haruno Yukinoshita was a genuine celebrity.
She was the Eldest Daughter and Heir whom the Yukinoshita Family had devoted itself to raising. Though she hadn't even entered the workforce yet, she was already shouldering the family's social engagements and some of its political and business responsibilities. Her abilities far surpassed Yukino Yukinoshita's, and she'd already made a name for herself in Chiba Prefecture's political and business circles.
Because she was so perfect and so accomplished, Yukino Yukinoshita had always lived in her older sister's shadow and been deeply affected by her.
Yukino Yukinoshita's behavior now made that clear. She remained silent, utterly lacking her usual sharp tongue. She seemed nervous and, without realizing it, showed a good deal of vulnerability.
Yet she hadn't left or done anything else. She'd just stayed behind Leo, acting as though he were the one in charge.
That made Haruno Yukinoshita wonder whether her understanding of the relationship between the two of them had been quite wrong.
"Aren't you famous too, Eligos-kun?" Haruno Yukinoshita turned her gaze away from Yukino Yukinoshita and looked straight at Leo with a smile. "I remember you were already popular before I graduated. Even the older girls used to sneak off to watch you, didn't they?"
"I can't compare to you, senpai," Leo replied with an indifferent smile. "At least there are people who don't like me. But I doubt anyone dislikes you, senpai."
"Now you're giving me far too much credit." Haruno Yukinoshita's eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke with pointed meaning. "You can't judge everything by appearances. Some people seem very close but secretly resent each other deeply. Others seem to have a terrible relationship, yet still care about each other."
As she spoke, Haruno Yukinoshita's gaze moved back and forth between Leo and Yukino Yukinoshita, her expression growing more and more meaningful.
"Before I came here, I thought there was some kind of secret, improper relationship between the two of you. But now it seems your relationship is even more complicated than I imagined."
There was no doubt that Haruno Yukinoshita had come storming to Sobu High to demand answers after learning that Yukino Yukinoshita hadn't been returning to her apartment lately and had been getting close to a boy—perhaps even dating him.
Yukino Yukinoshita knew her older sister would misunderstand her relationship with Leo, but she hadn't tried to deny it. She'd chosen silence because she was afraid her sister might see through her.
Though she'd lived in Haruno Yukinoshita's shadow all her life, Yukino Yukinoshita had to admit that her older sister was an exceptionally capable person, completely different from a "flawed product" like her. Haruno Yukinoshita was a true Perfect Superman.
If Yukino Yukinoshita rushed to deny it or explain herself, she'd surely fall into her sister's verbal trap and reveal the truth without even realizing it.
To avoid that, Yukino Yukinoshita could only act completely out of character and remain silent. Even when Haruno Yukinoshita provoked her, she didn't argue or defend herself. She simply waited for Leo to arrive.
Leo, however, acted as if he had no intention of hiding anything. He was remarkably open about it.
"To some extent, Yukinoshita-senpai, you're right."
Looking at Haruno Yukinoshita's eyes, alive with curiosity, Leo smiled as he said this.
"Yukino and I do have a secret relationship, and it is improper."
At those words, Haruno Yukinoshita's gaze sharpened again.
She held Leo's gaze. Both of them wore smiles, but there wasn't the slightest trace of amusement in their eyes.
No—Leo's eyes were still full of playful amusement. It was only Haruno Yukinoshita's eyes that had lost all their mirth.
The air in the Service Club room grew heavy again, so charged that Yukino Yukinoshita felt a little sweat break out on her back.
"You're quite bold, Eligos-kun."
Only after a long pause did Haruno Yukinoshita speak again.
"You know we're daughters of the Yukinoshita Family, yet you dare admit in front of me that you have some improper, secret relationship with my hopeless little sister. If my mother found out, you might not even be able to stay at Sobu High."
It sounded less like a threat than a test.
Haruno Yukinoshita was trying to figure out what kind of person Leo was. That was one of her strengths.
She might seem sunny and cheerful, like a caring older sister, but that was just a mask.
Haruno Yukinoshita was a chameleon who adjusted her behavior and personality to suit the preferences of whoever she was dealing with, making herself their ideal type so she could achieve all sorts of goals. She was no Perfect Superman.
Now Haruno Yukinoshita was trying to figure out what Leo liked, hoping that would help her test him.
But it was pointless.
"Sooner or later, that person is going to hear that Yukino and I have been spending so much time together. So what does it matter?"
Leo remained completely at ease. There was no need to test him.
"...You mean that even with me here today, you have no intention of ending this relationship."
Haruno Yukinoshita's smile faded slightly.
Leo's smile, by contrast, grew even broader.
"I'd say it's more that you have no way to end this relationship."
Before you continue