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Chiba Prefecture is connected to the Greater Tokyo Area, just like Kyoto. If traveling by public transport, it only takes just over an hour to get from Chiba to Tokyo.
Because of this, some working people who don't mind the commute time can choose to live in Chiba and travel to Tokyo daily.
Early on a weekend morning, Yukinoshita Yukino left the high-end apartment she rented. Carrying a ladies' shoulder bag, wearing small high heels, and dressed in her school uniform, she set off on the road to Tokyo.
Today, she was going to Tokyo to visit her older sister.
Regarding her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, her feelings were complex and unclear. She didn't know whether she liked or disliked her sister.
But there was one thing she didn't want to admit, which was that she actually felt fear and apprehension towards her sister, alongside an unspeakable longing and admiration.
"Tokyo."
Yukinoshita Yukino stood calmly inside the slightly crowded train carriage, holding onto the handrail with one hand, her gaze coolly watching the scenery flashing past the window.
Although Chiba Prefecture is right next to Tokyo, the difference between the two is immense.
In Chiba, outside the city center, it's often hard to see many people in many places. You can still often glimpse stretches of bungalows and fields.
But in Tokyo, it seems filled with skyscrapers. Everyone seems like a tightly wound clock spring, rushing hurriedly on the clean streets, without a single moment of leisure.
The Yukinoshita family could be considered a major family in the Chiba region. While not fabulously wealthy, their assets were considerable.
However, having grown accustomed to the relatively leisurely life in Chiba, when coming to Tokyo, Yukinoshita Yukino sometimes felt like a country girl coming to the city, feeling out of place amidst the bustling metropolis.
Arriving before an eighteen-story high-end apartment building in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, she contacted the resident upstairs via the camera at the entrance, and the apartment building's main door opened.
In Japan, due to limited land and large population, dormitories at most universities are often scarce, except for those in some remote areas.
One needs to apply in advance to live in a school dormitory.
Therefore, many people don't live in university-arranged dorms but rent their own places or, if local, commute from home.
Yukinoshita Haruno lived alone in a high-end apartment. It wasn't huge, just two bedrooms and one living room, but because it was located near the University of Tokyo and was luxurious, the monthly rent was also quite substantial.
Reaching the upper floor, just as Yukinoshita Yukino pressed the doorbell, the door opened.
The sister who always made Yukinoshita Yukino's heart race upon seeing her, whether in anger or adoration...
Yukinoshita Haruno had just finished showering and had already changed into clothes for going out. Her slightly damp short hair still carried a fragrant scent.
She wore beautiful, exquisite earrings, appearing much more mature than Yukino in terms of dress.
"Come in, Yukino. Wait for me a moment, we'll head out right away."
Seeing her younger sister at the door, Yukinoshita Haruno's tone was light and casual. She walked barefoot on the floor, leaving Yukino with a view of her elegant back as she passed the entryway and returned to the living room.
"Excuse my intrusion."
Yukinoshita Yukino said softly, then entered the entryway, bent down, took off her uniform loafers, and stepped onto the clean floor in her black pantyhose, her beautiful feet slightly arched, walking towards the living room.
The apartment Haruno lived in was slightly messy, especially the numerous empty wine bottles placed on the table. From this, one could tell that Yukinoshita Haruno's daily life was actually very casual.
Yukino, however, frowned at this. Her personality was sometimes very strict; at the very least, she would absolutely not allow her own living room to be this messy.
"Sister, you've been drinking?"
"Drank a few bottles yesterday evening. Had it with some food."
"You should still drink less alcohol."
Haruno, who was putting on socks, looked up at her younger sister, raising an eyebrow. "Yukino, sometimes you're too strict. I'm already an adult; what I do is not for you to dictate."
Although she wore a smile, Haruno's words carried the authority of an older sister. And it was precisely this Haruno that Yukino feared the most.
She didn't want to admit that this fear actually stemmed from reliance on her sister. Deep down, she wanted to surpass her sister, also because of her own self-esteem.
Haruno, whose expression was strict just a moment ago, instantly put on a charming smile. "Alright, we're going out shopping together today, let's not talk about these unpleasant topics."
Yukinoshita Yukino, as if wanting to show her own independence in front of her sister, resisted: "I didn't specifically come to go shopping with you. I need to go to the library."
"Going to the library on a rare weekend? Yukino, you really lack charm."
"I couldn't find that English original in the Chiba library. I wanted to check the Tokyo library." Yukinoshita Yukino said stubbornly.
"Can't you just buy a copy online? Why insist on borrowing from the library?"
"I don't know if I actually like that book. If I don't like it, it would be difficult to return after buying it. That's too wasteful."
"Ah, Yukino, sometimes you insist on things you shouldn't. But forget it, who asked me to be the older sister? I'll accompany you to the library then."
Yukinoshita Haruno showed a doting expression, walked up to Yukino like a gust of wind, and gently tapped her forehead.
Yukino took two steps back defiantly, her expression somewhat displeased. What she hated most was her sister's attitude of treating her like a child.
A playful look flashed in Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes. Contrary to Yukino, she most enjoyed teasing her younger sister like this.
This girl who always likes to act like an adult, but is actually a chuuni.
She looked at Yukino's twin-tail hairstyle and commented: "Although twin-tails are very cute, this hairstyle isn't quite suitable for you, Yukino."
Yukinoshita Yukino pouted, turned her head away, and said, "None of your business!"
Sure enough, my sister and I clash. Twin-tails are her favorite hairstyle!
If it weren't for not wanting to attract unnecessary attention at school, she would wear it like this at school too.
"Really now, big sister is teaching you how to show off your cuteness and beauty," Haruno chuckled. "Alright, let's hurry up and go. If we're any later, we'll be late. I can't keep people waiting long."
Saying this, Yukinoshita Haruno had already changed her clothes, put on her shoes, and was ready to leave.
Yukino, having also put on her shoes, paused: "You have plans with someone else?"
"Yeah, I made plans with a junior schoolmate. He's a super handsome guy! How about it, Yukino, tempted?"
Yukinoshita Yukino resisted again. Just hearing the word "handsome guy," she felt disinclined to go with Haruno.
She disliked interacting with strangers, unless it was a necessary activity like work.
Otherwise, she preferred sitting alone in a corner, like a cold, proud plum blossom, just doing her own thing, reading her own books.
However, her life's bane, Yukinoshita Haruno, grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the apartment. "Don't even think about not going! I already told him I'd introduce my beautiful younger sister to him!"
Yukinoshita Yukino panicked slightly.
I'm unfamiliar with Tokyo. Could sister be planning to prank me?
This is the kind of unscrupulous thing Yukinoshita Haruno is capable of doing!
Her tone, her expression – she's totally planning to set me up!
The Hachiko statue in front of Tokyo's Shibuya Station. This place could be called the meeting spot for many people in Tokyo, mainly because it's easy to find.
Fujiwara Toru stood not far from the statue, watching the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, renowned worldwide.
Whenever the pedestrian light turned green, people would clip-clop across the intersection. The massive flow of people was enough to intimidate anyone with an introverted personality.
Fujiwara today was dressed in Japanese style, wearing a light robe, looking tall and dashing. Many passing Shibuya girls couldn't help but glance at him a few times. Some bolder ones even approached, calling out "Handsome guy," wanting his LINE account.
After dealing with another gyaru-style flashy girl, Fujiwara Toru suddenly felt someone tap him on the back.
"Ah, Fujiwara-kun is really popular! My sister and I had quite the time getting through!" Haruno's bright laughter came from behind.
Fujiwara Toru turned around, and the sister flowers immediately entered his sight.
Haruno's attire, though casual, was quite sharp. A light yellow shirt revealed her bamboo-like collarbones, with a jacket draped over it. Below, she surprisingly wore long pants, slim-fitting, accentuating her straight, slender legs. Her flowing short hair and gentle smile warmed one's heart.
And beside Haruno stood a girl with a completely opposite temperament, looking slightly awkward.
Fujiwara Toru gave Yukinoshita Yukino an unsurprised glance. She wore a navy blue outerwear resembling a uniform. Below her plaid skirt were slender, beautiful legs wrapped in black pantyhose.
Her features were proper, her face delicate; her skin fair and translucent, possessing a kind of pitiful, fragile beauty.
However, her aura was overly icy, like a lonely flower blooming in a corner, appreciating its own fragrance, detached from the world.
This pair of sister flowers was certainly peculiar. One cold, one warm; one cheerful, one introverted.
Plus, although they weren't twins, their appearances were 70-80% similar. The sister flowers standing there together were like a scenic view in Shibuya, making people stop and linger.
"How about it? Isn't my little sister especially pretty? Stunned you, right?" Haruno patted Fujiwara Toru's shoulder.
"Mm, just as pretty as Yukinoshita-senpai."
"Heehee, Fujiwara-kun really knows how to talk. Yukino, let me introduce you. This is Fujiwara Toru, a junior schoolmate from my university. He was actually this year's freshman representative for Todai!"
This sentence made Yukinoshita Yukino inwardly startled.
This year's freshman representative for Todai? Then this man must be truly amazing. Even her sister, whom she had always strived to catch up to, wasn't qualified to be the freshman representative when she enrolled last year.
"Fujiwara-senpai, nice to meet you."
Whether due to his status as a top Todai student or the etiquette of a junior towards a senior, Yukinoshita Yukino's attitude towards Fujiwara Toru was very proper.
She had actually always been a sensible girl since childhood. Even if she didn't approve of these hypocritical formalities, she would still display appropriate politeness, so as not to let her mother criticize her, nor let her sister...
Yukinoshita Haruno at this moment wore a playful smile. "Yukino, you really need to work hard and learn from Fujiwara-kun. Although you study diligently and get excellent grades at school, grades like that alone won't get you into the University of Tokyo like your big sister."
Yukinoshita Yukino subconsciously clenched her fists.
Sister, you really look down on me, don't you? You think I'm just a stand-in?
Having just thrown a barb at her sister, Haruno quickly changed her expression again, turning to Fujiwara Toru. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Fujiwara-kun. After we go shopping for a bit, could you accompany me and Yukino to the library this afternoon?"
"Can I say no?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why did you even ask me?"
"Well, I needed to hear Fujiwara-kun's opinion!"
"You wouldn't listen even if I had an opinion."
Yukino listened to her sister and Fujiwara Toru's "flirting," watching them walk side-by-side ahead. She just silently followed behind them, like an abandoned child.
On a certain street in Tokyo, several elementary school students were gathered together.
One of them, a chubby elementary school student, said loudly: "Conan, let's go to the library later! We can read manga there for free!"
Conan, looking listless with a slumped face, said weakly.
Ah, being an elementary school student is so annoying! And I still have to shout things like 'Kamen Yaiba' every day!