"..."
Yukiji Katsura, whose inner thoughts had just been exposed, opened her mouth wide but couldn't utter a word for a while.
Her past experiences were laid bare—along with the thoughts she had tried to suppress—including the fact that she loved her sister more than anything.
"Wait, wait... No, that's not right!"
Even someone as thick-skinned as Yukiji wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground after her private thoughts were made public.
Especially under the curious gazes of the surrounding students… and her beloved younger sister's surprised, awkward, yet slightly shy eyes.
Yukiji broke down on the spot.
Her face turned red as she raised her voice in exaggerated protest, trying to cover her embarrassment. She pointed directly at Ren.
"How do you know about June 20th?! That was forever ago!"
"That wasn't that long ago."
Ren smiled calmly at Yukiji, who was now completely flustered. The resurfacing of such raw emotions was clearly a powerful blow.
"Wasn't your original intention good? Aside from money, there are plenty of important things in this world."
"Though I agree with that sentiment... it only holds true if your basic needs are covered. If you can't even ensure a stable life, then yes, money becomes very important."
Yukiji's values weren't wrong. But they weren't values most people could afford to live by.
Some with a strong moral compass might understand, but even the most virtuous person still needs to eat.
When daily survival is in question, no matter how noble one's ideals are, reality takes precedence.
Of course I know that... Yukiji rolled her eyes.
"That was high school. Of course I had idealistic fantasies back then. I just said those things to comfort Hinagiku. I already learned my lesson when I had to sleep on the streets in winter because of that 80 million yen debt."
It's hard for high schoolers to grasp such painful truths. As she said, teenagers are often in a stage of chasing ideals, where they dream of a beautiful future.
But once a young student is crushed by the full weight of societal and familial pressure, even the most naive will be forced to wake up to the cruel reality of the world.
Back then, so-called relatives avoided them like the plague. Yukiji quickly realized she couldn't rely on them.
In the end, only one person helped—the teacher who took the two sisters in.
From that day forward, she swore she'd carry the name Katsura for the rest of her life.
"It was a powerful realization. One you'd remember forever. But still, Yukiji's decline since then isn't good. At the very least, she should work on her drinking habit. Excessive alcohol consumption severely impacts liver function."
Ren admired both Hinagiku and Yukiji for different reasons. In fact, he respected Yukiji even more—for her sense of responsibility.
"This kind of thing…"
Bang!
Just as Yukiji tried to retort, someone grabbed her shoulder.
She turned and saw her sister, Katsura Hinagiku, looking completely serious.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Nee-san, alcohol seriously damages liver function. It can cause irreversible damage to your nervous system and even lead to Alzheimer's over time."
"Eh? Wait, Hinagiku, we're at a birthday party, aren't we? Why are we suddenly talking about me quitting drinking?"
Hinagiku wasn't swayed. She kept her hands firmly on her sister's shoulders.
"A birthday party and quitting drinking are unrelated. But now is the perfect time to help you kick this bad habit."
Oh no... Yukiji felt the sky was falling.
She had come to this party just to eat and drink for free. How did it end up with her needing to quit alcohol?
Turning around, she glared at the culprit responsible for all this—Ren—who was still smiling as if he were watching a comedy.
"Hey! This is all your fault! Hinagiku's only forcing me to quit drinking because of you!"
Ren responded with a shrug, as if watching a show.
"That's your own issue, isn't it?"
"Alcohol is a Class 1 carcinogen. No matter how you spin it, it harms your body. And it does cause nerve damage. If you rely on anesthetics later, your tolerance will mess up treatment. That's going to be a serious problem."
"Exactly."
At this moment, Hinagiku's eyes sharpened.
In the past, she had been lenient toward her sister's drinking habits. But now, for Yukiji's health, she had to take it seriously.
"Everyone knows excessive drinking is bad. I know drinking is your hobby, and I'm not asking you to stop completely. But drinking too much is unacceptable."
Drinking and alcoholism were two very different things. Hinagiku understood that.
"Ha…"
Yukiji looked at her sister helplessly. But when she met those pleading eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say no.
If her sister had been yelling at her, she could've brushed it off with a joke. But with that soft, earnest look...
She just couldn't turn her down.
After all, she wasn't someone who didn't care. She was just thick-skinned.
Hinagiku was her only blood relative left in the world. As an older sister, she couldn't ignore her little sister's plea.
Yukiji remembered the last time Hinagiku had looked like that. It was the day their parents abandoned them.
"Fine, fine. As long as I don't overdo it, that's enough, right?"
Quitting drinking entirely wasn't realistic. But drinking less? That much she could accept.
Still... it probably meant Hinagiku would have to keep an eye on her every time she picked up a bottle.
Yukiji felt her future suddenly dim.
She glared again at the one responsible, who was still smiling like a fox.
"It's your turn now. We've all introduced ourselves. Time for you to do the same."
"Well, pardon me."
Ren smiled politely and nodded.
"Amamiya Ren. Just a completely normal high school student from Teitan High."
(To be continued.)
***
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