Kawasaki Saki's footsteps were as fast as the wind, as if something was chasing her from behind. She quickly weaved through the crowd and soon arrived at the school's bicycle shed.
"Excuse me."
"Um..."
"Are you another lobbyist sent by that Young Master Mori?"
Kawasaki Saki sighed and looked up at the pink-haired girl in front of her. She looked a little familiar, probably also from her class.
"Young Master Mori? A-are you talking about Mori Shinra?" Yuigahama didn't understand how he was connected to the title 'Young Master,' but in any case, the fact that the other girl was willing to talk to her was a good thing.
But... her eyes are a little scary.
"Excuse me."
Yuigahama was a little intimidated by Kawasaki Saki's stare and subconsciously stepped aside. She looked at her phone, and after a moment, she plucked up her courage and said, "Um, I'm not a lobbyist sent by anyone. I just think..."
Clatter~
Kawasaki Saki didn't listen to what she was saying at all. She expertly unlocked her bike and pushed it around the spot where Yuigahama was standing.
As she passed by, Kawasaki Saki paused. Just as Yuigahama thought she had changed her mind and wanted to talk, she only heard her say one thing.
"Who else knows about my situation?"
"Eh? Um, me, Hikki, Yumiko, Yukino-chan, and Mori Shinra. That should be everyone... Ah! And Hikki's little sister, Komachi," Yuigahama answered honestly. At the same time, she felt her phone vibrate and instantly relaxed.
Kawasaki Saki rubbed her head, a headache coming on. She originally thought it was just Mori Shinra and his group, but it turned out to be so many people.
By the way, where did that Komachi person pop out from? To tell his own sister this kind of thing... was he using her as a negative example?
"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone else about you."
"Isn't it already practically public knowledge?"
"Eh?" Yuigahama was stunned. She wanted to refute it, but then she felt like... he had a point?
Leaving the dazed Yuigahama behind, Kawasaki Saki walked out of the bicycle shed with a dark expression.
She was immediately met with the sight of Yukinoshita standing in the shade of a tree at the school gate, a paperback book in her hands. Kawasaki Saki turned her face away and walked straight past.
However, to her surprise, the other girl didn't stop her. Had she given up?
The moment this thought arose, she heard a familiar shout.
"Onee-chan!"
"Taishi?"
So they were waiting for me here!
Yukinoshita snapped her book shut with a 'thwack', walked over to Kawasaki Saki, and said with a faint smile, "Let's go to a family restaurant to sit and chat. Your little brother ran all the way here as soon as school let out."
Kawasaki Saki looked at the beads of sweat on her brother's face and his heaving chest from the intense exercise. As if suddenly remembering something, she whipped her head around and, sure enough, saw Mori Shinra walking out of the school building at a leisurely pace. He even had the audacity to wave when he noticed her looking at him!
Despicable!
But what was even more unacceptable to her was that when Mori Shinra approached, her own little brother actually greeted him enthusiastically with a "Shinra-nii"!
"Let's go."
The smile on Mori Shinra's face made her feel an urge to punch someone.
...
"Hey, Onii-chan, why do you think Kawasaki-oneechan is doing this?" Komachi asked her brother as they sat in the family restaurant, waiting for the others to arrive.
"Who knows? Maybe she thinks studying is too hard and decided to get a job? You know, the type who thinks studying is too hard, gets a factory job, and then realizes studying was easier after all," Hikigaya replied casually to his sister's question.
To be honest, he had no interest in why she was working to earn money. The only reason he had agreed to help was because of his little sister and Mori Shinra's request.
Seeing her brother's absent-minded look, Komachi puffed her cheeks and said, "Onii-chan, I'm being serious."
Hearing her say this, Hikigaya also put down his book, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't know. But her bartending skills are very impressive. To go to such lengths for a part-time job... I can't think of any reason other than for her family."
"For her family?"
"Like if you, Komachi, were in urgent need of money, and our family couldn't come up with that much at the time, your Onii-chan would also work himself to the bone."
"Onii-chan..." Komachi looked deeply moved. Then, as if making a great vow like an ancient Buddha, she said, "Don't worry, Onii-chan. If no one wants you in the future, and you lose your job and are all alone and pitiful, Komachi will take on the responsibility of supporting you!"
"Hey, in your eyes, is your brother some kind of good-for-nothing whose future is destined to be bleak?"
"Ah, Yui-neechan and the others are here!"
Don't change the subject at a time like this!
"Yahallo~ Komachi-chan, Hikki."
"Yahallo~ Yui-neechan."
After the usual round of introductions, Kawasaki Saki saw the school uniform on Komachi and immediately understood how her brother had met Mori Shinra and sought his help.
So you were the culprit...
Hikigaya shivered. So scary. This woman is so scary. Huh? Why is she staring at me like that? Did I do something to offend her?
"Now that we're all here, don't you have anything you want to say to Taishi, Kawasaki-san?" Shinra was the first to break the ice.
"Onee-chan..." Taishi looked at his sister with concern.
Noticing her brother's gaze, Kawasaki Saki knew she had no room left to retreat. She let out a long sigh and said:
"Taishi, what did he tell you?"
"Everything. Including the fact that you're working at a bar. I don't understand. Why do you have to work there, even to the point of lying about your age?"
"That has nothing to do with you!" Kawasaki Saki didn't want to dwell on this issue. She glared at her brother, hoping to use her 'big sister' authority to make him back down.
However, after glancing at Mori Shinra, Taishi stiffened his neck and retorted, "How does it have nothing to do with me! We're family!"
"...Didn't I say that you don't need to know?"
Kawasaki Saki noticed her brother's small gesture. Although she was very angry, her tone softened, but she still had no intention of explaining.
Seeing this, Mori Shinra, who had been observing from the side for a long time, asked:
"Is it that he doesn't need to know, or that he can't know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Kawasaki-san, why don't you let me take a guess as to why you're working, and why you need the money?"
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to his words. Only Kawasaki Saki bit her lip, glaring at the annoying guy in front of her with a look that was both fierce and a little pitiful.