Rin felt a strange mix of amusement and mild alarm. He was slowly, perhaps inevitably, becoming one of those blissfully dense protagonists, his mind clouded by the overwhelming influx of adoration. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and activated his Mind Reader. Yukino's reason for visiting was clear—she missed him, a fact she'd never outwardly admit. Now, for Haruno.
Her thoughts were a chaotic, vibrant swirl. She was here for the same reason as Yukino, a deep-seated desire to see him. But unlike her sister, Haruno had already surrendered to her feelings. Rin checked her status: 'Love (Romantic): 90.' High, as expected. Yet, her thoughts held a profound conflict. She wouldn't pursue a relationship with him, not while Yukino remained his fiancée. Her sister complex was more formidable than he'd anticipated. She would sacrifice her own desires for Yukino's sake, content to merely offer affection until Rin and Yukino were officially married. It was a self-imposed restraint born from a fierce, protective love for her sibling.
This, of course, was Rin's subtle manipulation at play. He had ensured Haruno would never truly fall for anyone but him. He watched, amused, as Haruno continued to tease Yukino, her arm still hooked through his. Yukino, seeing the close proximity, became momentarily conscious of her own, less developed chest, but quickly dismissed the thought with a mental shake.
Rin considered intervening in their playful squabble, but before he could, Yukino reached her limit. With a frustrated sigh, she declared her goodbyes and left the mansion. Rin didn't stop her. He knew from her thoughts that she was already planning her next visit, a time when she could be alone with him.
"I win!" Haruno declared triumphantly, grinning up at Rin.
Rin chuckled. "This is only our second meeting, you know. Why are you so… touchy?" He wasn't complaining, not truly. He was just curious to gauge the perspective of those whose feelings he had, in part, orchestrated.
Instead of answering, Haruno's expression shifted, becoming surprisingly earnest. "Do you believe in love at first sight, Rin-kun?"
"I do," Rin replied, though he wisely omitted the fact that almost every woman under his subtle influence seemed to fall for him at first sight.
Haruno's gaze drifted, a thoughtful look on her face. "I never did," she admitted. "I always thought it was the most illogical, ridiculous notion. My life, my beliefs... 'love at first sight' was the last thing I'd ever imagine happening to me. And yet…" She looked back at him, a playful glimmer returning to her eyes. "Have I fallen in love with someone, you ask?" Her tone turned serious. "Yes." Then, with a mischievous wink, "But that's a story for another day. I really should be going now."
As she turned to leave, Rin reached out and gently took her hand. His Mind Reader hummed, confirming her thoughts: she was scared. Scared of confessing, scared of the intensity of her own feelings. She was trying desperately to stop this burgeoning emotion, to contain it for Yukino's sake.
But then Rin pulled her into a hug, a gentle, encompassing embrace.
Something snapped within Haruno. It wasn't a sudden, violent break, but a quiet, almost imperceptible shattering, like a forgotten shackle finally giving way. The restraint she had meticulously built, the barriers she had erected for her sister's sake, crumbled under the weight of Rin's warmth, his presence. Rin had no idea that pushing her romantic love to '95' would have such a profound, immediate effect. It was both good and bad: bad, in that it would inevitably hurt Yukino; good, in that once her heart truly opened, it erupted with the force of a long-dormant volcano.
Haruno leaned into him, her eyes closing. Her hands, which had been resting tentatively on his back, clutched at his shirt. Slowly, almost reverently, she tilted her head and pressed her lips against his. Her kiss was hesitant, amateur, a tentative exploration. Rin, sensing her inexperience, took over, guiding the kiss, deepening it with a gentle insistence.
Haruno didn't fight him; she simply melted into his embrace, her body molding to his, her lips responding to his lead. Her mind was a torrent of memories—all the times she had held herself back, stifled her desires, sacrificed her own happiness for the sake of others. This was wrong, she knew it intellectually, but in this moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was to give herself entirely to Rin, here and now.
From a discreet distance, the head maid watched the scene unfold, a faint, knowing smile gracing her lips. Without a sound, she turned and quietly left the living room, leaving them to their burgeoning passion.