Chapter 78: Weekend Date

After hastily finishing breakfast, Ephnel drove the car out of the garage.

Yukina made a phone call to Hanasou Kotone.

“Eh? Hanasou-san is already at school…?”

Yukina paused, then it dawned on her.

Usually, Yukina would always arrive at the classroom earlier than Hanasou Kotone, but today was different.

She and her sister had dallied at home for quite some time, so naturally, they were much later.

“Is your hand feeling better? Mmm… I’m sorry. Let me take care of you during lunch today. Okay… I’ll see you later then, bye-bye.”

After briefly asking about the recovery of Hanasou Kotone’s arm, Yukina hung up the phone.

“Is Hanasou-san doing okay?”

Ephnel asked softly, one hand on the steering wheel.

“She told me not to worry,” Yukina said, sighing as she spoke of her friend, Hanasou Kotone, her gaze drifting.

“Even so, I can’t help but feel sorry for her. She’s my best friend…”

Yukina truly had very few friends.

The classmates she had associated with in middle school fell out of contact as soon as they entered high school.

Yukina would occasionally see their updates on social media, but she never had the courage to click on them.

A long-lost friendship would probably only add a layer of awkwardness.

“Don’t worry, she’ll get better.”

Ephnel comforted her.

“Mmm!”

Although it wasn’t intentional, Hanasou Kotone was indeed injured by Yukina, and Yukina had always felt indebted to her.

The physical changes in Yukina were real, but from Ephnel’s observation, Yukina’s control over this unfamiliar power was relatively stable.

It was unlikely that something like hurting a classmate would happen again, so she hadn’t specifically requested a leave of absence for Yukina.

Ephnel suddenly recalled what Nishizaki Yuuki had told her yesterday.

It would be best for Yukina to go see her every day to check on her condition.

“Yukina, I’ll come pick you up after school today. We’ll go to Dr. Nishizaki’s place so she can check on you. We can also bring Hanasou-san along. It must be inconvenient for her to be at home alone, so let’s take care of her more when we have time.”

Ephnel said.

Since they were going to the hospital anyway, bringing Hanasou Kotone along wouldn’t be a problem.

“After that, while Mom and Dad are home, let’s go out for a big family dinner!”

“Okay,” Yukina nodded obediently, a complete contrast to the little devil she was at home.

“Oh, right! I just remembered something…”

“What is it?”

“Tomorrow afternoon, our grade is having another parent-teacher conference. I wonder if Aunt and Uncle will have time to go,” Yukina turned her head, her eyes shining as she looked at Ephnel with a smile.

“Besides, Miss Naoko, my dear older sister, you won’t run away again this time, will you?”

Ephnel pursed her lips slightly and muttered in a low voice, “I won’t run…”

“I’ll be stuck to you.”

Yukina giggled.

Soon, the car arrived in front of the school.

Ephnel unlocked the car doors electronically.

“Well… I’ll come pick you up from school in the afternoon.”

“Mmm…”

Yukina gently pushed the car door open, holding her commuter bag, but didn’t get out.

“What should I do…”

Yukina’s voice was low.

She turned back to look at Ephnel.

“Naoko, I suddenly don’t want to go to school at all… School is so boring, I want to be with you… Just thinking about not being able to see Naoko for a whole ten hours makes me feel so sad. And it’s ten hours today, and another ten hours tomorrow, the time we get to be together has suddenly decreased so much…”

Yukina ducked back into the car, clutching her commuter bag.

“No slacking off from school.”

Ephnel lightly tapped Yukina on the head.

Yukina stuck out her tongue in mock pain, but as she held her bag, she suddenly leaned towards Ephnel, blinking her eyes.

“We finally graduated from being sisters to being lovers, but now we have to be apart for so long every day… It’s so sad just thinking about it…”

“Alright, alright, we can still see each other when you get back, and there are still holidays.”

Ephnel unbuckled her seatbelt, turned sideways, and gently pulled Yukina into her arms.

“I promise you, I’ll spend all my time with you.”

“In that case… unless Onee-chan is willing to promise me one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

Yukina lifted her head, a smile appearing on her face.

“On the weekend, can you go on a date with me, Onee-chan?”

“A date?”

Ephnel met Yukina’s clear eyes, and a strange emotion suddenly surged in her heart.

“Yes, a date. Like other lovers, just the two of us, doing lots of interesting things together…”

Yukina said.

“Since we’re lovers, there shouldn’t be any problem with going on a date, right? Are you willing, Onee-chan?”

“If Yukina is willing too… it’s not impossible…”

“Of course I’m willing.”

Yukina said.

“Naoko, let’s make a promise.”

A date between lovers, with Yukina.

Just the thought of it immediately sparked a sense of anticipation in Ephnel’s heart.

Without much hesitation, she nodded and gave a lovely smile.

“Mmm…”

Ephnel had just extended her pinky finger when Yukina tilted her chin up.

“Only children make pinky promises. Adults have to kiss for it to count.”

“Eh? Here?”

The passenger side door was only lightly closed, and through the front windshield, they could see students coming and going on the roadside.

Conversely, those people could also see the two of them in the car.

Right now, some passersby were casting glances their way, and those gazes were like spotlights, placing Ephnel and Yukina at the center of a stage.

Ephnel was suddenly struck by the familiarity of this scene.

The countless gazes directed at her when she first stepped onto a stage were exactly the same as what she was facing now.

“Is it okay?”

Yukina’s clear eyes reflected a beautiful glimmer, and her cheeks were tinged with a lovely shade of pink.

Ephnel could almost feel the rapid heartbeat of the girl in her arms.

Their heartbeats were in sync.

The stares and gossip of others were things they would have to face sooner or later.

“Mmm…”

Ephnel nodded gently.

The girl before her gazed at her quietly, her clear and pure eyes filled with a moving affection.

The corners of her eyes were moist, and her long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, like crescent moons gently hooking the sparse morning dew.

The slanting morning light traced their slender, smooth lines as their figures slowly drew closer, intertwining.

Crimson lips unseen, strands of hair hanging low, pouring down from the moonlight, falling into a deep mountain pool.

Click—

Ephnel heard the sound of a camera shutter from somewhere, along with a clamor of conversation.

But even so, Yukina did not back away, nor did she let go.

They continued until both of them were red-faced from a lack of oxygen.

“Yukina, if you don’t go in now, you’ll really be late.”

Ephnel gently smoothed Yukina’s collar, panting softly.

“Then… I’m going…”

“I’ll be waiting for you after school, I’ll come pick you up.”

“Mmm, bye-bye…”

Yukina reluctantly got out of the car, her head bowed as she walked through the noisy students and into the school gate.

Ephnel gently touched her reddened lips until Yukina’s figure completely disappeared from sight, then drove away.

…