Chapter 361: His Own Choice |
"...Eh?"
Shimizu Yu was taken aback by Hoshino Rin's sudden words. Her hand froze mid-motion, and she stared at Hoshino Rin with wide, beautiful almond eyes. "...Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Because I am very curious." Hoshino Rin maintained eye contact with a smiling expression. "Besides, Yu-chan, your emotional reactions to my brother's actions are so intense. It is honestly too obvious."
"..." Shimizu Yu opened her mouth, her mind completely shutting down for a moment. She had absolutely no idea how to retort, only managing a dry, subconscious denial. "I do not..."
"Do you really not?" Hoshino Rin tilted her head slightly, staring intently into her eyes.
Shimizu Yu stopped talking. She puffed out her cheeks slightly and fell into silence.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Hoshino Rin pressed further. "Is the reason you refuse to admit it simply because you are shy, or is it because of... Sasaki-san?"
"..."
Shimizu Yu remained silent, but Hoshino Rin could tell the answer just by looking at her expression. She looked thoughtful. "It seems to be the latter."
"Yu-chan, who do you think holds more weight in my brother's heart? You, or Sasaki-senpai?"
"I do not know..." Shimizu Yu finally spoke, making no attempt to flatly deny Hoshino Rin's previous words. However, as soon as the words left her mouth, she corrected herself. "Sasaki-san is his recognized fiancée, so it should be her."
Hoshino Rin laughed. "But I think my brother actually has much more affection for you, Yu-chan."
"As for the status of 'fiancée', when Sasaki-san and my brother got engaged, they had hardly even spoken a few words to each other. That is just the kind of person my brother is. He is very passive when it comes to these matters, and he gives off a feeling of not really caring either way!"
"Even if the person who got engaged to my brother back then was not Sasaki-san but you, Yu-chan, he definitely would not have had any objections."
"Furthermore, if he had been allowed to choose his own fiancée back then, there is a very high probability that he would have chosen you, Yu-chan."
Shimizu Yu was actually well aware of this fact. After all, she still remembered that the day before Hoshino Gen and Sasaki Ayane got engaged, the two of them had chatted together at the school gate. She had asked Hoshino Gen if he knew Sasaki Ayane, a peer in the same social circle, and Hoshino Gen's answer at the time was that he did not know her.
As for the scenario where Hoshino Gen's fiancée was not Sasaki Ayane but herself... Shimizu Yu had secretly imagined it before. However, because it felt too embarrassing, she had discarded the thought almost as soon as it arose.
Yet now that Hoshino Rin, Hoshino Gen's own sister, was saying it out loud, Shimizu Yu could not help but feel her heart skip a beat.
Almost everyone has experienced wanting something they could never attain no matter what they did, so most people understand that this is not a pleasant feeling.
And if you were to magnify that feeling ten or a hundred times, that would perhaps be the taste of falling for someone while knowing that being together is utterly impossible.
Truly falling in love with someone is something you cannot hide, nor can you hold it back.
It is just like how, if you finally save up enough money to buy something you desperately want, it is incredibly difficult to resist making the purchase.
Hoshino Rin's words were essentially telling Shimizu Yu that if that engagement had not existed, she would have had a chance to be with Hoshino Gen. In fact, her odds were even higher than Sasaki Ayane's, who was now his actual fiancée...
As for Shimizu Yu's reaction to this... she had no reaction at all.
Whether she simply did not understand the underlying meaning behind Hoshino Rin's words or just did not have time to respond, her mobile phone rang at that exact moment. As soon as she answered the call, she heard her mother telling her it was time to come home.
So, she hurriedly stood up, saying goodbye to Hoshino Rin and Tamamo-no-Mae, who had been watching the good show with wide eyes for the latter half of the conversation.
The bedroom door was pulled shut from the outside by the departing Shimizu Yu. After a moment of quiet in Hoshino Rin's bedroom, Tamamo-no-Mae's voice rang out. "Rin-chan, do you want Yu-chan to replace A-Gen's current fiancée?"
Hoshino Rin withdrew her gaze from the bedroom door and let out a soft sigh. "No. If possible, I hope that position remains empty forever."
Tamamo-no-Mae blinked in innocent confusion. "Then why did you help Yu-chan, Rin-chan?"
"Because I know that position has to be filled." Hoshino Rin pulled Tamamo-no-Mae into her arms, taking over Shimizu Yu's previous task of braiding the little girl's hair. "Therefore, I would much rather the person in that position be my brother's own choice, rather than someone forced upon him by the will of others."
"Perhaps that way, it will be a little easier for me to accept..."
"...Oh, that is so complex." The little girl swung her feet, letting out an emotional sigh.
Hoshino Rin freed one hand to gently pinch her small cheek. "Life is just complex like that. You will understand when you grow up!"
...
The next day, Friday.
Because he had to take Sasaki Ayane to Minato Ward to deal with a supernatural incident after school, Hoshino Gen simply decided to drive to school that morning.
Just as the car started moving, Hoshino Gen spotted Shimizu Yu stepping out of her house. Stepping on the gas, he pulled up beside her, rolled down the window, and met the eyes of Shimizu Yu, who was also looking his way. "Need a ride?"
Shimizu Yu blinked, then pulled the car door open and got in.
"Why did you suddenly decide to drive to school today? It is such a short distance..." Yesterday's quiet did not carry over into today; as soon as she got in the car, Shimizu Yu started talking.
Hoshino Gen did not mind answering such a question. "I have something to do after school. This saves me the trouble of coming back."
"Oh—"
Shimizu Yu nodded in understanding and did not press any further.
Hoshino Gen glanced at her in mild surprise. "I thought you would definitely ask what I had to do."
Shimizu Yu pouted, her expression still showing a hint of displeasure. "If I kept asking, you would probably just find me annoying."
"Heh." Hoshino Gen could not help but chuckle. He shook his head gently but did not say anything in response to that, instead asking, "Were you with Rin yesterday?"
"...Yes." Hearing Hoshino Gen bring up Hoshino Rin, Shimizu Yu naturally recalled her conversation with his sister the day before, her expression inevitably becoming somewhat complex.
Hoshino Gen did not look at her, casually remarking, "Since when did you two become so close? You were even invited into her bedroom."
Shimizu Yu puffed out her cheeks. "Our relationship has never been bad. We even used to go shopping together to buy pet supplies for Shiro and Marshmallow."
Marshmallow was the name Shimizu Yu had given to her Samoyed dog. Hoshino Gen was aware of this fact. His voice was calm. "I saw Rin looking rather wistful this morning. What did you two talk about?"
"..."