"Shit, I really fot about this."

  Haruno sighed inwardly, realizing she had been reized. She was decisive, though. Since her identity was known, there was no point iending anymore.

  "That's right, I'm Yukino's sister, Yukinoshita Haruno."

  Ryuji, who was already seated in the passenger seat, nodded but didn't say much. His calm demeangested he was waiting for Haruno to tinue. After all, there had to be a reason for her sudden appearance.

  Seeing Ryuji's ess, Haruno was slightly impressed. He's good at keeping his cool, no wonder he could be such a scumbag, she thought.

  "Yukino is a very simple person. I don't wao be caught up with someone who has ulterior motives," Haruno said pointedly, staring at Ryuji with a gaze that clearly implied he was the oh ulterior motives.

  "And what exactly is Miss Haruno implying?" Ryuji suddenly chuckled. He found the situation amusing and wasn't in a rush to leave. Instead, he tihe versation, intrigued by what Haruno was trying to aplish.

  Haruno hadn't expected Ryuji to be this posed. She assumed that once she fronted him, he'd get flustered or defensive.

  Well, looks like I'll have to switch tactics, she thought, quickly adjusting her approach. Smiling slightly, Haruno leaned closer, her tone pyful but suggestive.

  "I just think Yukino is still too young. If you're into her, wouldn't I be a better choice?" She wi Ryuji seductively.

  Of course, Haruno wasn't serious. While she did attend various social events and bas due to her early takeover of the family business, she was still very muexperienced in actual retionships. This was just a calcuted move. In fact, she had pnted a small hidden camera in the car. If Ryuji made any questionable moves, Haruno was ready to show him how powerful the Yukinoshita family could be.

  "Fet it."

  But what Haruno didn't expect was how bluntly Ryuji rejected her.

  "..."

  Even Haruno was left speechless for a moment. Why? Why wasn't he reag the way she expected?

  "Am I not as pretty as Yukino?" She asked, half-joking but with a hint of genuine curiosity. After all, no woman likes being told they're sed to someone else.

  "Or do you think I'm not as attractive?"

  Ryuji raised two fingers with a smile. "Two reasons. First, your ag could use some work. It's a little obvious."

  "..."

  Haruno's smile froze. So, he had seen right through her act from the start.

  "Sed, I prefer Yukino because she's simple and straightforward."

  pared to Haruno, who was always calg, Yukino was much more transparent and ge was exhausting to be around someone whose words and as you stantly had to sed-guess. In this world, especially with the anime heroines he khere was no she of beauty. One more or less made little differeo Ryuji.

  Haruno fell silent. There was a time wheoo, had been a simple girl. But circumstances had forced her to wear a mask to protect herself. Her calcuted nature was her shield in a world that often demaoo much.

  "I don't like people like you," Ryuji said bluntly and moved to open the car door, ready to leave.

  Click!

  The door locked. When Ryuji looked over, he saw veins bulging on Haruno's forehead. Her voice was calm but ced with irritation as she said slowly, "You really dare say that?"

  Without waiting for a response, she started the engine, and the supercar roared to life, speeding away from the school.

  ---

  "This is the pce."

  Yumiko, along with Yui and Hina, arrived at Tobe Sho's house. As members of the same clique, they naturally knew where he lived.

  Yumiko knocked on the door but received no answer.

  "Is he not home?" Yui and Hina whispered behind her.

  "Maybe we should go back," Yui suggested. "I don't know why, but I've had a bad feeling ever since we got here."

  "Yeah, Yumiko, it feels off being here," Hina agreed, shivering slightly.

  Yumiko, however, was adamant. "I..."

  Click.

  Before she could finish, the door swung open on its own.

  "There! Someone's home after all. Let's go in!" Yumiko said excitedly, stepping inside.

  "Yumiko!" Yui and Hina called after her, but seeing no other option, they relutly followed.

  Ihe house felt strangely empty. It wasn't a rge home, so it didn't take long to explore. Yet, there was no sign of Tobe.

  "Is he really not here?" Yumiko muttered, fused.

  At that moment, Hina's voice trembled. "It's freezing in here. We should go outside."

  Yui nodded in agreement. It was odd—the temperature had felt fiside, but ihe house, it was unnaturally cold.

  "Yeah, let's get out of here," Yumiko finally agreed, rubbing her arms as she felt a chill run down her spine.

  But as she took a step, her foot brushed something. Looking down, she saw a CD lying on the floor.

  "What's this?" She bent doicked it up, flipping it over. Her face immediately turned beet red.

  "Yumiko?" Yui and Hina asked, rushing over to see what had flustered their friend.

  When they saw the cover of the CD, they both froze, their expressions equally mortified.

  "H-Hentai!" Yui stammered.

  "It's porn!" Hina squeaked.

  Disgusted, Yumiko threw the CD aside, and the girls bolted out of the house. While it wasn't shog for a teenage boy like Tobe to have something like that, the girls couldn't help feeling grossed out.

  However, none of them noticed the faint trace of dark energy that flickered on the discarded disc as it fell bato the floor. They were already halfway out the door, and without the ability to see spiritual energy, they were oblivious to the ominous presehey had narrowly escaped.