Utase 1-chome, Mihama Ward. Kaihin International Luxury Apartments.
After a busy day, Master Shinra returned to his not-so-warm, but reasonably spacious, little home.
First, he placed the takeout he bought on the way onto the dining table in the living room. Then, Mori Shinra pattered over to the dryer and took out the clothes and bath towel from inside.
A point of clarification is needed here. The reason he had a dryer at home was not because he was a lazy dog who couldn't be bothered to hang his clothes on the balcony after washing them. It was because, freaking hell, he had been visited by the police and property management for hanging clothes before, saying a neighbor had complained that his laundry was affecting the city's appearance!
Affecting the city's appearance, my foot! Shinra felt that the brain of the neighbor who loved to complain was also affecting the city's appearance. He suggested they buy a dryer to dry out the water in their brain.
Left with no choice, Shinra had spent a small fortune on a dryer. Now, every time he finished washing his clothes, he just stuffed them inside.
Setting aside the annoyance of being reported by a stupid neighbor, the dryer had indeed brought convenience to Shinra's life.
After a refreshing shower, during which he also tossed his changed clothes into the washing machine, a towel-wrapped Mori Shinra returned to the living room, ready to enjoy today's dinner.
Just as he sat down and broke apart his disposable chopsticks, he heard a knock on the door.
Knock, knock.
The first thought that entered Shinra's mind was whether he had been reported again by his weirdo neighbor for some weirdo reason.
He put down his chopsticks and went to the door.
Through the peephole, a young girl in a pure white dress stood somewhat nervously at the door. She seemed to be carrying something, but due to the limited view of the peephole, he couldn't see it clearly.
Yukinoshita? Why is she here?
Although he and Yukinoshita were upstairs-downstairs neighbors, their interactions were usually limited to school. After school, they went back to their own lives, like two parallel lines.
A house visit like this was a first.
Shinra was a little puzzled, but his hands moved quickly to open the door.
"Yukinoshita-san?"
"G-good afternoon, Mori Shinra-san."
Yukinoshita was clearly nervous. This was her first time proactively visiting a classmate, and a male classmate at that. The timing was also a bit delicate. It was called afternoon, but it was already approaching evening, a time when most families would be starting to prepare dinner.
Logically speaking, visiting at this time was not a good choice, but the problem was that any later and it would be nighttime.
The meaning behind a visit in the afternoon versus a visit at night could be worlds apart.
Although Yukinoshita knew that Shinra probably wouldn't care about this and wouldn't misunderstand anything, she didn't want to cause him any trouble.
"Anyway, come on in," Shinra said, seeing the girl at the door who was clearly in a daze. He stepped aside to let her in.
"Okay, pardon the intrusion," Yukinoshita said politely.
"Hey, this time you're really a guest in my home," Shinra teased.
Yukinoshita was taken aback, then she remembered their first conversation after he had recovered and returned to the Service Club (Chapter 7). Her originally nervous mood eased, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, I am."
Entering the living room, Yukinoshita curiously looked around. She found it wasn't as messy as she had imagined. It wasn't that it was spotlessly clean, but rather that it looked like it hadn't been used much. Some areas clearly had a layer of dust, in stark contrast to the areas that were frequently used.
Yukinoshita's observation was purely out of politeness; she wasn't being overly inquisitive and didn't plan to stay long.
"Would you like something to drink? Coke or coffee? Or something else?"
Shinra's voice came from the kitchen area. Because it was an open-plan kitchen, Yukinoshita could see that the refrigerator he had opened was almost completely filled with all sorts of drinks.
"Please don't trouble yourself. I just came to drop something off," Yukinoshita said hurriedly.
"A gift?"
"Just some cookies I made."
"The ones from school?"
"I made them after I got home. I accidentally made too many, so..."
Yukinoshita did occasionally make snacks like cookies at home, but it was highly unlikely she would make too many. Especially with something like cookies, even if she made extra, she could simply seal them up to eat later.
So, even if she didn't say it outright, Shinra knew that she had made them specifically for him.
And the reason for doing so... was probably because today's performance by Yuigahama and Hikigaya at school had stimulated the sensitive girl. She wanted to make up for something in this way.
Although Shinra had already said many times that the responsibility was not hers, and she didn't need to compensate him for it.
"That's great. If I have your cookies, Yukinoshita-sama, I won't even want to eat dinner."
As he said this, Yukinoshita finally noticed the takeout box on the dining table.
Rice had probably gotten really expensive. The amount of rice in the box was clearly less than she remembered. Perhaps worried it wouldn't be enough, Shinra had also bought a pork floss bun.
While Yukinoshita was in a daze, a cup of steaming tea was placed in front of her.
An aroma similar to black tea but with subtle differences entered her nostrils. She subconsciously took the warm cup with both hands and saw that it was white tea floating inside.
"The cup is new, no one's used it."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. May I open this?" Shinra asked, pointing to the bag of cookies she had placed on the coffee table.
"Of course."
After getting her permission, Shinra quickly took the cookies to the kitchen area. When he came out again, he was holding a plate in one hand and a teacup identical to Yukinoshita's in the other. The only difference was that his was black, and hers was white.
"Cookies and tea, a classic combination."
Shinra placed the cookies on the coffee table and sat down on the single armchair next to the long sofa, not sitting with Yukinoshita, giving her ample sense of security.
It was only after all this was done that Shinra could finally properly appreciate Yukinoshita's girl-next-door appearance.
A poised posture, porcelain-like fair skin, jet-black hair tied up in a high ponytail, clear and bright eyes, a tall and elegant nose, and small, rosy lips. She was criminally cute from any angle. It was no wonder she was revered as Sobu High's number one beauty.
While Shinra was observing Yukinoshita, she was also observing him.
It had to be said that he had extremely good looks, with delicate skin and a high nose bridge. But what left the deepest impression on her were his deep and penetrating eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through the deepest emotions buried in a person's heart.
Sometimes, Yukinoshita wondered if it was because of those eyes that he had that almost cheat-like, keen perception of emotions.
At least, in the time they had spent together, she had never seen him do anything that made her feel unpleasant. Even his jokes were extremely well-measured. He could easily stir her emotions without actually annoying her.
And this effortless way of handling things couldn't help but remind her of the goal she had been chasing for many years, her older sister—Yukinoshita Haruno.
Wait, what am I comparing things for? Yukino, oh Yukino, don't forget the reason you came here.
Organizing her chaotic thoughts, Yukinoshita was just about to speak when she heard Shinra ask:
"How's the tea?"
"It's very good," Yukinoshita praised sincerely. Although she was used to drinking black tea, she could generally distinguish the quality of other types of tea.
The white tea he had prepared had plump buds, a bright yellow color, and a fresh, mellow taste. It could be said to be a rare, good tea. The only flaw was that the brewing skill was a bit lacking, but she could just consider it experiencing the tea's original flavor.
Low EQ: Your tea-brewing skill sucks.
High EQ: Experiencing the tea's true, original flavor.
Of course, she would not point this out.
"Haha, the cookies you made are also very good. They're just a little sweet, but they go perfectly with the tea," Shinra said. He wasn't used to eating overly sweet cookies.
Yukinoshita blinked her beautiful eyes. She had seen him with a can of MAX Coffee before and assumed he liked sweet things, which was why she had added extra sugar to the cookies. Now it seemed her guess was wrong?
"I'll add less sugar next time," she said, trying one herself and finding that it was indeed a bit too sweet.
"There's a next time? By the way, why are you being so polite all of a sudden? This isn't like you at school at all. Normally, shouldn't you have replied with something like 'Next time I'll bring you Yuigahama-san's cookies'?"
"Oh my, I didn't realize you had such a hobby, Mori Shinra-san. Tomorrow, I'll be sure to ask Yuigahama-san to make another batch of cookies just for you."
"Mmm, that's more like it. But please, spare me the cookies from Yuigahama. I'd like to live a few more years, if you don't mind."
"A masochist?"
A perfectly placed look of confusion appeared on Yukinoshita's delicate face.
"Hmph, I think someone else is the masochist here!"
Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it literally. Don't tell me the brilliant Yukinoshita-san wants to follow the example of that idiot Hikigaya and give me a 90-degree bow to ask for forgiveness?"
"..."
"Or do you want me to scold you a couple of times so you'll feel better, and the guilt in your heart will lessen? If that's the case, I can certainly oblige."
"..."
Looking at the girl who had been rendered speechless by his retorts, Shinra couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Even for a beautiful girl, such a twisted personality wouldn't be very likable.
"If you really feel that bad about it, then do me a favor."
"...What favor?"
"Open your heart to me..."
"!"
Yukinoshita's expression hardened. She suddenly hugged herself tightly, her eyes filled with vigilance.
Although she did owe him, if he thought he could use this to blackmail her, he was sorely mistaken.
"...and tell me your wish," Shinra finished his sentence.
"Eh?"
Yukinoshita found herself increasingly unable to understand the man before her. Her wish... what did he want to do?
"It's hard to explain, but this is really important to me," Shinra said seriously.
Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, a term couldn't help but pop into Yukinoshita's mind: 'people-pleaser personality.'
A people-pleaser personality, also known as a compliant personality, refers to a personality trait of liking to please others, always considering things from others' perspectives, and catering to others even at the cost of one's own feelings.
Without a doubt, Shinra's performance just now completely fit this description. Otherwise, there was no way to explain his behavior. Even if he had asked her for monetary compensation, she could understand. But he was asking for her wish.
"Are you serious?"
"If I'm lying, may I turn into a dead-fish-eyed person!" Shinra swore a solemn oath.
"Even if you say that, I can't answer you right now," Yukinoshita said, looking troubled. To suddenly be asked about a wish, she couldn't think of one on the spot.
After all, the first half of her life had been almost entirely arranged by her mother. Even in her free time, she was thinking about how to surpass her sister. She had never really thought carefully about what her wishes were.
Ever since he had asked her to tell him her wish, Shinra had been staring at the golden exclamation mark above her head. But unfortunately, it seemed Yukinoshita herself didn't know what her wish was. The final result was that the golden exclamation mark remained suspended above her head, within sight but out of reach.
I knew it wouldn't be that simple.
Shinra wasn't too discouraged. He had actually anticipated this.
Therefore, he smiled and said, "Let me know when you think of it. But there's one thing you must remember: it has to be your truest wish."
"That may be so, but even if I say it, how can you tell if it's true or not?" Yukinoshita said, implying that she might not even know what her own wish was.
People aren't machines, and wishes aren't pre-set programs; they can't remain unchanged forever.
"A wise man has his ways," Shinra replied mysteriously, then pointed to the last remaining cookies on the plate. "To prevent you from slacking off, until you give me an answer, you will provide me with your handmade snacks three times a week. How about it?"
Yukinoshita thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
After all, she made similar snacks for herself on a regular basis. It was just a matter of making an extra portion, which wasn't a bother for her.
Little did she know, Shinra had his own little plan. Since she was making an extra portion, it would definitely be for him, right? This way, they would have more opportunities to interact.
In the long run, Shinra didn't believe he couldn't find a way to make her open up her heart and willingly hand over the golden Wish Request.
Even if it really didn't work, he wouldn't be at a loss if he could eat snacks handmade by a beautiful girl.
"It's getting late, I should be going now," Yukinoshita said, noticing the time.
"I'll see you out," Shinra said, getting up as well.
Since it was only a one-floor distance, waiting for the elevator would be a waste of time, so they decided to take the stairs. With the intention of seeing the job through to the end, Shinra also followed her up the one flight, conveniently learning where her door was.
"Oh, Yukino? So you were home!"
A female voice echoed in the stairwell, and a look of astonishment appeared on Yukinoshita Yukino's face.
"Sister?"