Chapter 6: Yukino Sora’s Ambition

He took the Marunouchi Line to Shinjuku Gyoen Station.

From there, it was a five-minute walk to Shinjuku Gyoen.

They had originally agreed to meet in front of the station.

But the eager girl had gone ahead to the park and even sent Arisugawa Yuu a beautiful photo.

In the picture, cherry blossoms fluttered down like snow.
The petite girl smiled like a flower in the bright spring breeze, her cherry-pink hair blending with the pink petals, creating a scene of dreamlike beauty.

[Yuu-nii, hurry up. I’m waiting for you~]

While still on his way, Arisugawa Yuu received a message from the girl, urging him on.

[Got it. Give me a few more minutes.]

[Okay, Yuu-nii.]

[Cute_Cat_Sticking_Tongue_Out.jpg]

He paid the 500-yen entrance fee.
As soon as he entered the park, he saw the beautiful, doll-like girl waving at him from a distance.

“Yuu-nii! I’m here! Over here!”

Her voice was soft and sweet, a pleasant sound just to listen to.

Perhaps due to her excitement, a captivating blush appeared on her flawless, fair skin.

‘Compared to his unruly sister, the girl before him was almost unfairly cute.’

With that thought in mind, Arisugawa Yuu quickened his pace.

“I see you. I’m coming.”

It was only when he got closer that Arisugawa Yuu noticed her outfit.

Yukino Sora was wearing a pink French puff-sleeve top, her fair and delicate collarbones glistening in the sunlight.
For her lower half, she wore a light blue denim miniskirt.
Her slender, snow-white legs, accentuated by white thigh-high socks, had beautiful and captivating lines.

It was an outfit that suited her perfectly, making her look pure and sweet, filled with the lively spirit of spring.

Noticing Arisugawa Yuu’s gaze, Yukino Sora lifted her skirt hem slightly, blushing as she spun around in front of him.
She asked timidly, “Yuu-nii, do I look pretty?”

One thing had to be said—although Yukino Sora was petite, her legs didn’t look short.

In fact, her proportions were perfect.
If she were as tall as Kanzuki Kanon, her legs might have been even longer.

As for whether she looked pretty, of course she did.

Arisugawa Yuu praised her sincerely, “Pretty, very pretty.”

Saying the same thing twice can be for emphasis, but sometimes it just sounds perfunctory.

Hearing him, Yukino Sora wrinkled her cute brow and pouted, “Hmph, you’re just being half-hearted, Yuu-nii.”

Though she said she was angry, it sounded more like she was pouting, which was incredibly cute.

The girl’s charming demeanor at that moment made Arisugawa Yuu’s heart skip a beat.

He quickly suppressed the strange feeling and patted her head fondly.
“It’s just that you’re so pretty, Sora, that I couldn’t help but repeat myself. I wasn’t being half-hearted, I promise.”

Yukino Sora’s face grew even redder.
She lowered her head and said nervously, “R-Really? Does Yuu-nii really think I’m pretty?”

Seeing her adorable reaction, Arisugawa Yuu chuckled.
“Of course it’s true. When have I ever lied to you?”

Yukino Sora still didn’t lift her head, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
“But… my chest is small, and my legs are short…”

“It’s fine. You’re still young, Sora. You’ll grow more in the future.”

Yukino Sora suddenly looked up, her delicate, snow-white face filled with dissatisfaction.
She tugged on Arisugawa Yuu’s sleeve, protesting, “What do you mean? I’m already an adult! Does Yuu-nii still see me as a child?”

He had to admit she was right.
Compared to that vile woman Kanzuki Kanon who coveted his body, Yukino Sora was much closer to the image of a ‘sister’ in his mind.

Coupled with her petite frame, Arisugawa Yuu did often treat her like a child.

Gently holding her fidgeting hands, Arisugawa Yuu chuckled again.
“An adult wouldn’t try to prove their maturity like this.”

“Nn~”

With her small hands held by Arisugawa Yuu, the girl let out a soft murmur, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.
She blushed and fell silent, not struggling, just letting him hold her hands.

Seeing Yukino Sora’s shy, blushing appearance, Arisugawa Yuu teased her, “When did you become so shy?”

He said this because, according to his memories, he and Yukino Sora had known each other for a long time.

In his memory, they were so close they could share the same bed or drink from the same cup of milk tea.

In fact, they still did so until Arisugawa Yuu entered high school.

Unlike the intimacy between a couple, they felt nothing unusual when doing these things.
That’s what happens when you’re too close; you stop seeing the other person as a member of the opposite s*x—at least, that was the case for Arisugawa Yuu.

As the saying goes, it’s hard to make a move on someone you’re too familiar with.
The consequence of their close relationship was that although the girl had long since secretly given her heart to him, Arisugawa Yuu had always seen her as a little tag-along, never noticing anything unusual about her clinginess.

Perhaps realizing this, the girl had begun to consciously distance herself from him.
So, after he entered high school, they rarely did such intimate things anymore.

Arisugawa Yuu understood this.
After all, she was a girl and had to grow up someday.
Besides, being overly close to him all the time might not look good.

It would be terrible if she couldn’t find a boyfriend in the future because of it.

Despite telling himself this, Arisugawa Yuu felt a pang of bitterness, like a prize cabbage he’d carefully nurtured was about to be snatched by some pig.

‘If Sora gets a boyfriend, I’ll have to screen him carefully.’
‘If he’s not good enough in any way, I’ll tell him to get lost,’ Arisugawa Yuu thought fiercely.

Unaware of his thoughts, the girl sniffled cutely and huffed in dissatisfaction.
“Hmph, Yuu-nii is such a big dummy. Isn’t it normal for a girl to blush?”

Arisugawa Yuu nodded nonchalantly, agreeing with her.
“Yes, yes, I’m a big dummy.”

He was just teasing her because she was cute, not intending to press the issue.

His indifferent attitude made the girl even more dissatisfied.

Yukino Sora stomped her foot angrily, tilting her small face up to glare at him.
“Hmph! Dummy! Big dummy!”

Arisugawa Yuu felt a bit bewildered.
“Even if I am a dummy, you don’t have to say it so many times, do you?”

Yukino Sora continued in her delicate voice, “What do you mean ‘even if’? You just are, okay?”

“Alright, a dummy it is. But more importantly, aren’t we here to see the cherry blossoms? Why are we just standing here bickering?”

Hearing him say that, Yukino Sora finally remembered the ‘purpose’ for which she had asked him out.

Viewing the cherry blossoms was, of course, just an excuse.

The real mission was—she had to make Yuu-nii realize her charms as a cute member of the opposite s*x as soon as possible.

‘Yuu-nii, once we’ve done everything… things we should and things we shouldn’t… you’ll finally see my true charm, won’t you?’

As she thought this, the girl licked her moist lips, already growing impatient for the ‘fun’ that was about to happen.