My Classmate Yukino Definitely Has a Crush on Me

It was just that we had agreed before, the next time we meet, I will definitely not be ashamed, and I will definitely show Yukinoshita how amazing I am!

That's all!!

No wild guessing!!

Haruno Yukinoshita was arguing with her mother.

For Yukino Yukinoshita, this was indeed a high-difficulty operation, but for Haruno, it was a basic operation that was extremely common.

From childhood to adulthood, Haruno was a brave and confident child who said what she wanted. As she grew up, she questioned whatever she wanted and expressed it immediately.

If there was any change, it was probably that compared to when she was young, Haruno now expressed herself and questioned things more tactfully and with more consideration for the method.

She didn't know how long it had been since she had debated so fiercely with her mother like this.

"Haruno, let's discuss this again when you're sober."

The mother on the other end of the phone had a voice that was as clear and calm as always.

She was like a robot with a perfect program set, speaking and acting strictly according to a predetermined routine, her every word and action precise and orderly.

Not only did she demand this of herself with such a meticulous attitude towards life, but she had also turned the entire Yukinoshita Family into an extension of her strict will.

Haruno didn't mind being such a perfectly functioning tool, but Yukino couldn't become like this.

"I am very sober right now, Mother."

Haruno tried to make her voice sound more respectful. "But in reality, Yukino is only seventeen years old. She is too young, not even qualified to be a suitable fiancée for a prominent family."

When she tried to persuade others before, her voice was always gentle and slow, but now her speech was extremely rapid.

---She was anxious.

Facing Madam Yukinoshita, who had once led the precarious Yukinoshita Family out of its predicament and, together with Mr. Yukinoshita, rebuilt the current Yukinoshita Family, Haruno couldn't say her response was perfect.

No matter how smart or capable Haruno was, there was still a nearly twenty-year gap in life experience and wisdom between her and her mother, who was equally smart and capable back then.

"Arranging a marriage for Yukino so early at this time will not bring too much benefit to the Yukinoshita Family. You know, Mother, Yukino's potential is far beyond what it is now. You should give her some time to grow."

"And after these two years, our Yukinoshita Family can reach even greater heights. When that time comes, then for Yukino..."

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.

But upon hearing such a laugh, Haruno's heart tightened slightly.

"Haruno, is that how you see me in your heart? Someone who exchanges her own daughter for profit?"

Haruno was speechless for a moment. "...Apology, Mother."

Madam Yukinoshita showed no signs of anger; her tone was even calm.

"Haruno has recently reached a cooperation with Arakawa Corporation, successfully acquiring Japan's fifth-largest publisher at the lowest price. And just over a week ago, you successfully reached a cooperation with a media company under the Shinomiya Family."

She continued in a calm voice: "Arakawa's excellent sales channels, the Shinomiya Family's connections in the entertainment and media industry, the financial support from the Yukinoshita Family, coupled with my outstanding daughters—it seems that even this industry, which is not easy to navigate, has been paved with a path by you."

"Haruno is indeed a daughter I am very proud of."

Madam Yukinoshita rarely smiled, and even in front of her most admired Eldest Daughter, she seldom used such obvious words of praise.

"Haruno, are you trying to use such excellent achievements to convince me that even without the need for Yukino's marriage alliance, you can elevate the Yukinoshita Family to a higher level?"

Without waiting for Haruno to answer, she spoke to herself, "That's right, this has been Haruno's goal, her desperate effort since childhood... it hasn't changed at all."

Haruno fell silent. "Mother..."

"But Haruno, the marriage alliance is already the most suitable choice for Yukino among the countless options I have considered."

"Yukino has a reserved and restrained personality. No matter how much she changes, she is still a kind child with a high Bottom Line. She is not good at psychological games with others, nor is she good at handling the dirty, Filthy, and life-or-death struggles of the business world."

---Haruno had always been very clear about this point.

"Yukino needs someone to protect her, just as you used to protect her."

Haruno tightly gripped a pen on her desk, almost breaking it.

She tried to keep her voice calm.

"But there's no rush for a year or two, right?"

Madam Yukinoshita said, "Haruno, you are so smart, you must see the current situation in Japan."

The Shijo Family, once expelled from Japan by the Shinomiya Family, has now returned with a world-shattering momentum. Bloodshed is imminent, and the entire Japan is becoming a battlefield for their confrontation.

In this battlefield, some are eagerly rushing in, wanting to make a fortune, while others are trying to dodge, wishing they could escape Japan immediately, fearing that they would be implicated, vanish into thin air, and leave no trace behind.

However, once the war begins, it will not end easily. And the various family enterprises caught in the battlefield, from top to bottom, are no longer free, whether they survive or perish.

"Yukino is not as smart and capable as Haruno, so as a Mother, I must think of her ultimate fallback."

"The Second Young Master of the Spencer Family's main family in England, far from the domestic scene, is the retreat I have chosen for Yukino."

Haruno didn't know when her Mother on the other end of the phone had hung up.

She leaned back in her chair and let out a soft breath.

As expected, she couldn't convince her Mother. Haruno wasn't surprised by this.

But even her Mother wouldn't make her yield on this point.

She opened her phone and saw the message from Hayama.

Yukino in the photo was as clear and beautiful as she remembered, like a crystal taken from water.

Compared to before, the current Yukino seemed to have more of the earthy charm of the human world.

She tilted her head slightly, speaking to the pink-haired girl beside her, probably whispering some instructions. Her expression was like a calm lake, but the silent indulgence within it was like ripples on the surface of that lake.

Haruno Yukinoshita stared at the photo for a long time, then clicked into the photo editing page and cropped out the obtrusive pink hair, leaving only Yukino.

And so, Yukino, who looked back with silent indulgence, her younger sister, seemed to be looking at her through the photo.

Haruno had always known very clearly that her younger sister had always resented her perfect, all-powerful, superhuman self, but she also yearned for such a self, so she would never let her see her other side.

The side that was awful, filthy, and malicious towards others, and the side that was full of terrible, unusual, and possessive feelings towards her younger sister.

---Absolutely.

---Must not be seen by Yukino.

The current Yukino was indeed completely different from the Yukino of two months ago.

Not only her classmates, but many people at Sobu High School thought so too.

She was so good-looking, came from a superior family, had top grades, excelled at sports, and could play music so casually that teachers would point her out for special praise.

Except for appearing a bit unapproachable, this person had almost no major flaws.

She didn't seem angry or unable to accept her past dark history, appearing very magnanimous.

Of course, some people felt that since Yukino always had a poker face, she naturally appeared magnanimous about everything.

When people deliberately brought up Yukino's past dark history, either sarcastically or with malice, some people had even started to stand up for her.

[Who doesn't make mistakes? Yukino has already done better by correcting her mistakes.]

[It's not like nobody knew Yukino was a jerk before, but there's no need to bring it up every day, is there?]

[Besides the Early Romance Crusher incident, Yukino didn't do any other bad things, right? Is it worth calling her names with such malicious words every day?]

[Besides, your ex-boyfriend was so easily hooked by Yukino, isn't it just that your ex-boyfriend was unreliable? Yukino was helping you clear mines, hehe.]

Of course, there were still many people who disliked Yukino.

[If saying sorry worked, what would the police be for? Besides, Yukino never even said sorry!]

[The fact that she ruined countless relationships is enough to damn her to hell!]

[I think your values follow features, don't you!? You unconditionally forgive just because of her face, it's really too much!]

The arguments on the Campus Forum had even reached Yui Yuigahama, but Yukino was completely unfazed.

When Yui came with questions and to comfort her, Yukino instead looked puzzled.

"There's such a thing?"

However, Yukino wasn't a celebrity who relied on others' liking or disliking for a living, so she never bothered to pay much attention to such matters.

Moreover, she was accustomed to being disliked, and even more accustomed to being disliked than liked.

Yukino put the matter behind her in the blink of an eye, her pen marking a conspicuous spot on a question in Yui's mistake notebook.

"Don't think about unnecessary things. This Question Type is very versatile, Yui, your Solution Ideas need to be more flexible."

"...How flexible?" Yui had a bad feeling in her heart.

"Of course, by trying twenty problems of the same type first."

"Eh????"

Yui clutched her face, almost crying, "Spare my life, Little Xue..."

Yui's hair color was a gentle and refreshing peach-pink, and her eyes were a deeper shade than her pink, making them a more lively and vivid light red.

Her face was fair and beautiful, but beyond beauty, the biggest impression she gave was still cuteness.

A perfectly cute JK, brimming with feminine charm, who could effortlessly act cute and adorable.

She was the type of super cute, gentle, kind, considerate, and lovely girl that most Boy would want to marry.

If it were any other Boy being acted cute to like this, they would probably surrender immediately, but Yukino's expression remained unmoved.

She thought for a moment, "Yui."

Yui whimpered.

She was more like a puppy than a cat, a little puppy that would fuss and fuss, only looking at its owner and revolving around its owner, barking happily and whimpering unhappily...

Yukino suppressed the urge to pet her and turned her gaze away.

She was just wondering if she was being too strict with Yui when the pink-haired girl had already cheered herself up and become lively again on her own.

"It's just twenty math problems, I, I, I'll tackle them today!"

"Although the math problems are difficult!" Yui whispered beside Yukino, "I won't let Yukino Yukinoshita be Disappointed."

Her courage was quite impressive.

Yukino thought, Yui Yuigahama, this kind of cute child, is truly easy to understand.

Even though Yukino had lost over a year of time, her mental age was only sixteen, making her a year younger than Yui.

She opened her textbook and casually said, "Yui, you just need to not disappoint yourself."

"Don't say such heartless things, Yukino-san. You're actually a super gentle person~"

"That's disgusting, Yui!"

Junko Kamizawa thought to herself, anyone in the class could see that the relationship between Yukino and Yui was very harmonious.

Although it was possible that it was only harmonious from Yui's side, after all, Yui was someone who could get along well with anyone.

Yui was gentle, cute, and incredibly clingy, practically the natural enemy of an ice queen like Yukino.

Compared to Yumiko, who had zero initiative and was a tsundere with a sharp tongue, it was more likely that Yukino harbored a crush on someone like Yui...

This possibility that suddenly popped into Junko Kamizawa's mind made her freeze up.

Impossible, impossible. No matter what, Yukino's special attention towards Yumiko when she first transferred to Class 2-F was definitely not fake.

But...

Thinking about it carefully in reverse, could there be such a possibility?

Was the reason Yukino was special towards Miura because Yumiko was Yui's best friend?

Thinking that the relationship with her best friend could no longer be mended, perhaps out of a compensatory psychology, her attitude towards her good friend's good friend would inevitably be a little gentler?

---So.

Could it be that the person Yukino had a crush on was actually Yui???