NABC Page 152
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She hesitated for a moment, then bowed slightly to them.
Eriri was taken aback by her action, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn't utter a single word of the "show of force" she had prepared. She could only nod haphazardly.
Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded slightly in response.
Her gaze fell back on Yuto, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
This man always manages to reveal a side of himself that you never expected, just when you thought you'd figure him out.
This unknown is both dangerous and deadly attractive.
Seeing her older sister completely relax and even begin to curiously look around this unfamiliar home, a bold idea surged in Yuzuru's mind.
She knew this request might be abrupt and could even cause trouble for Yuto, but for her sister's sake, she was willing to give it a try.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, looked directly into Yuto's eyes, and said earnestly:
"Yuto-nii".
"Hmm?" Yuto stopped talking to Shoko and turned to look at her.
"I...I have a request." Yuzuru's tone was unusually solemn.
"My sister... she hasn't really gone out to play in a long time. She always keeps herself locked up at home or only stays in one fixed place."
"I hope... I hope you can take her out to see the world, to let her be like a normal girl."
After Yuzuru finished speaking, the living room fell silent once again.
Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha's gazes instantly sharpened.
Should we take her out for a walk?
Isn't this... a date?!
The chaotic scene that had just subsided seemed to be reignited by this sudden request.
Yuto felt two piercing gazes coming from the direction of the sofa, and his scalp tingled.
The word "date," though unspoken, clearly surfaced in Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha's minds, highlighted in bold red, and accompanied by three huge exclamation marks.
Eriri almost instinctively sat up straight on the sofa, her golden twin tails seeming to stand up like antennas, full of vigilance.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Yuto and Shoko, her inner alarm bells ringing.
Are you kidding me?
Her sister is trying to take advantage of the situation and directly schedule a "date"? This is such a clever scheme!
Although Kasumigaoka Utaha maintained an elegant posture on the surface, her knuckles tightened imperceptibly as she held the teacup.
She looked at the clearly troubled expression on Yuto's face.
She wanted to see how her junior, who was good at smoothing things over, would deal with such an irresistible reason.
Even Yuzuriha Inori, who had been completely oblivious, seemed to sense the change in atmosphere.
She looked at this, then at that, and finally fixed her gaze on Yudou.
Yuto felt like he was being roasted over a fire.
He could clearly feel two burning gazes coming from behind him. He looked at Yuzuru for help, hoping she would understand how difficult his current situation was.
However, at this moment, Yuzuru's heart and eyes were filled with thoughts of his older sister.
She didn't understand what a chaotic situation was; all she knew was that this was a golden opportunity for her sister to step out of her closed-off world.
She looked back at Yuto with eyes full of expectation and pleading, a gaze so firm that Yuto couldn't bring himself to refuse.
As for Nishimiya Shoko, although she couldn't hear exactly what her sister said, she could guess the gist from Yuzuru's lip movements and the tense atmosphere around her.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she quickly reached out and gently tugged at her sister's clothes, then waved to Yuuto repeatedly.
No, no need, it's too much trouble for you.
She used sign language to express her fear and unease.
She didn't want to cause trouble for Yuto, and even less did she want to cause unpleasantness between him and his friends because of her.
Seeing Shoko's panicked state, Yuto's heart softened.
Kato Megumi's words were still ringing in his ears, but at this moment he couldn't connect Shoko's request with that selfish mentality of "enjoying being fought over".
This is different.
Just as Yuto was struggling internally and the tense atmosphere in the living room was about to reach a breaking point, an unexpected person broke the deadlock.
"that……"
It was Eriri who spoke.
Everyone's eyes were focused on her.
Eriri felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, her cheeks flushing even more. She cleared her throat and said somewhat awkwardly, "Well, I can understand... staying at home all the time can be really boring..."
Her words stunned everyone, especially Kasumigaoka Utaha, who even wondered if she had misheard.
This blonde loser actually spoke up for a potential enemy?
Ignoring the stares of others, Eriri seemed to have made up her mind. She stood up from the sofa, walked quickly to her bedroom door, and soon came out carrying a large sketchbook and a box of colored pencils.
She walked up to Shoko, squatted down, and spread her sketchbook out on the coffee table.
She didn't say anything, but simply picked up a pencil, lowered her head, and quickly began sketching on the white paper.
The pen tip scratched across the paper, and in just a few dozen seconds, a round, chubby, and adorable animal image leaped onto the paper.
It was a capybara wearing a small flower, comfortably soaking in the hot spring, its expression serene and soothing.
After finishing the drawing, Eriri pushed the sketchbook in front of Shoko, looked up at her with a look that was both proud and expectant.
This is her language, the way she best communicates with the world.
Shoko stared blankly at the ridiculously cute capybara on the drawing paper, her eyes instantly lighting up.
She carefully extended her finger and gently touched the little animals in the painting, then looked up at Eriri and gave her a bright smile.
That smile was like a ray of sunshine, instantly dispelling all the timidity and unease on her face.
Seeing that smile, Eriri felt as if something had gently bumped into her heart, and a warm feeling welled up inside her.
She felt like she didn't dislike the girl that much anymore.
"Hmph, childish art style."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice drifted over, breaking the moment of tranquility.
She stood up and walked over with elegant steps, a piece of white paper and a pen appearing in her hand at some point.
Ignoring Eriri's angry glare that seemed to say, "Are you looking for trouble?", she sat down next to Shoko and wrote a line of neat handwriting on a piece of paper.
Hello, I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha, your senior. Your name is Shoko, right? How is it written in kanji?
(ii) 〇i亻尔山玲爸兒 She handed the white paper to Glass.
Shoko was somewhat flattered. She took the pen, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully wrote her name on the other end.
【Nishinomiya Glass】
Her handwriting is small and neat, just like her, exuding a quiet and gentle aura.
“Shoku…a very nice name.” Shiyu looked at the two characters and murmured softly.
Yuto, standing to the side, took a deep breath and finally made a decision.
"Okay," he said.
"I promise you, Yuzuru, this weekend I'll take Shoko out for a walk."
He knew that this decision might ignite an even more intense battleground afterward.
But looking at the scene before him, he felt it was all worth it.
……
……
The weekend arrived as scheduled.
Instead of choosing a crowded commercial area, Yuto Itsuka set the location for this "special date" at the tranquil Kasai Rinkai Park.
There is not only a Ferris wheel and a vast lawn, but also a marine park that houses a wide variety of marine life.
For Shoko, who is sensitive and needs a quiet environment, this is the perfect choice.
When Yuto picked up the Nishimiya sisters at the agreed-upon station, he noticed that Shoko had clearly dressed up carefully.
She wore a light blue dress, her long flaxen hair was carefully combed, and she had replaced her ears with a pair of small and cute cherry blossom-shaped hearing aids.
Although her face still showed some shyness and nervousness, her clear eyes sparkled with undisguised anticipation and joy.
"Yuto-nii, I'm counting on you today!" Yuzuru was still dressed like a tomboy, but his tone was full of seriousness.
She placed her sister's hand next to Yuto, and then, like a loyal knight, followed half a step behind the two of them.
"Don't worry." Yuto nodded with a smile, then naturally turned to Shoko and gestured in sign language:
【Are you ready? 】
Shoko nodded vigorously, a bright smile spreading across her face, and responded in sign language: 【Yes!】
In the aquarium, the soft blue light casts a dreamlike glow over everything.
In the huge tank, colorful fish dart among the corals, elegant jellyfish stretch out their veil-like tentacles, and adorable penguins waddle by.
For Shoko, who rarely comes to places like this, everything before her eyes is full of novelty.
She was practically pressed against the glass, her eyes wide open, watching every aquatic creature with curiosity.
Yuto stood quietly beside her, explaining things to Shoko.
That's a clownfish; they like to hide inside sea anemones.
That big guy is a whale shark. Although its name includes "shark," it has a very gentle temperament.
Those are a school of tuna; they swim very fast.
Shoko watched intently, sometimes nodding in sudden understanding, sometimes breaking into a delighted smile because of an interesting detail.
Yuzuru followed behind, silently recording these scenes with his camera.
In the video, Yuto patiently explains to his older sister, who, like a curious child, has a pure and innocent light in her eyes.
The scene was so harmonious and beautiful that it brought tears to her eyes.
This is exactly the kind of sister she has always wanted to see.
Happy, relaxed, and full of curiosity about the world.
Yuto himself also felt a long-lost sense of peace.
Here, he doesn't need to rack his brains to balance anyone's emotions, doesn't need to find a way to survive in verbal battles, and doesn't need to face those emotional questions that give him a headache.
With glass, everything becomes simple and pure.
All he needs to do is offer the most sincere kindness to receive the purest smile in return.
This feeling was like a clear spring, washing away the fatigue and anxiety that had accumulated over the past few days.
He can let go of all pretense and pressure and just be his most authentic self.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 144: Moving
Kasumigaoka Utaha sat in the cafe with a laptop in front of her, but the screen displayed the club's group chat interface.
She absentmindedly typed on the keyboard while occasionally refreshing her phone.
She knew that, given Kato Megumi's personality, she would never miss such a good opportunity to "gather materials".
Sure enough, not long after, Kato Megumi's profile picture lit up in the group chat, and she sent a photo.
The background of the photo is the huge tank in the aquarium, and the foreground shows the backs of Yuto and Shoko.
Yuto was turned to the side, seemingly speaking in sign language, while Shoko looked up at him intently.