Hearing those words, Hikari raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at Katsuragi Yuki. He saw the corners of her lips curve upward as she smiled lightly at him.

Hikari also smiled a little in return. He hadn't expected that despite her y*ung a*ge, Katsuragi Yuki would be so perceptive and sharp. It was a little surprising.

"Don't worry, Hikari-kun. No matter what, as long as it's about you, I can accept everything~"

"Not just Sister Sayaka, even Mom is fine with it too~", Katsuragi Yuki said in a rush, trying to win his favor.

"Oh, right! Actually, I have a really good girlfriend too, and she's very pretty. I can introduce her to you sometime, Hikari-kun~", Katsuragi Yuki added.

"Stop," Hikari suddenly spoke, "That's enough for today. I still have something to do, so I'll be heading home first."

The previously confident and self-assured Katsuragi Yuki was momentarily stunned as she watched Hikari's back fading into the distance.

Hikari, however, didn't even look back and walked straight out of the Katsuragi house.

Although the sharpness of that little girl's intuition had surprised him a bit, it wasn't enough for her to get the upper hand on him.

Hikari could tell that Katsuragi Yuki genuinely liked him. Everything she had just said, she really meant it.

Not only could she accept him being with both her and Sayaka at the same time, but she could even tolerate the idea of Katsuragi Shouko, Katsuragi Sayaka, herself, and Hikari being together.

She had even said she'd introduce her best friend to him.

He had to admit, this kind of girl was rare, maybe the kind of woman most men would dream of.

But she was still too forward, with a slightly aggressive, even predatory energy.

And Hikari preferred to keep control in his own hands.

So, even if everything she said sounded wonderful, he had no intention of just going along with her and developing things any further right away.

Besides, even if he really wanted things to be as Katsuragi Yuki described, Sayaka and Shouko would still need time to adjust.

So for now, he decided to temper the enthusiasm of this overly bold and aggressive young girl a little.

Sure enough, after Hikari left, Katsuragi Yuki immediately sent him an apology on LINE.

Katsuragi Yuki: [Hikari-kun, I was too impatient. I'm sorry!]

Hikari: [It's fine.]

Katsuragi Yuki: [I'll help Hikari-kun build a harmonious big family! Even if I might not be that capable, at least when it comes to my sister and my mom, I'll do my best to help Hikari-kun win them over!]

Reading her message, Hikari smiled and replied with just one word: [Okay.]

Even though it was only a single word, Katsuragi Yuki couldn't help but burst into joy, her heart sweet as honey.

After all, that single "okay" counted as Hikari's acknowledgment of her.

"Hikari-kun, you're amazing!"

Remembering the way Hikari had looked, that cold, expressionless face as he killed someone in the alley earlier, that combination of beauty and cruelty made Katsuragi Yuki's fingers lightly brush against her lips, her face full of infatuation. [T/N: She's a f*ckinh psycho]

———

[Night Fell]

Hikari left his place and went next door to the Katsuragi house.

Katsuragi Yuki and Katsuragi Sayaka came out to greet him right away.

Still wearing an apron, Katsuragi Shouko brought the dishes to the table and quickly said, "Hikari-kun, you're here! Perfect timing, dinner's just ready. Come eat with us!"

"Alright."

Hikari followed the two sisters to the dining table.

On his left sat Katsuragi Sayaka, on his right was Katsuragi Shouko, while Katsuragi Yuki deliberately chose the seat directly across from him.

"Hikari-kun, try this tempura! My mom's fried tempura is super tasty!", Katsuragi Sayaka couldn't resist picking up some food for him after he'd only eaten a few bites.

"Mm, it's really good," Hikari took a bite. It was perfectly crisp, and the flavor was excellent.

"This kombu soup's nice too, Hikari-kun. Have a sip," Katsuragi Shouko handed him a small bowl of soup.

"Okay."

"Hikari-kun, you should try this one too~", Katsuragi Yuki quickly followed suit, adding food to his bowl as well.

Out of gratitude, the three mother and daughters were all quite warm toward him, each eagerly serving him food.

But behind that warmth, there were subtle differences in what each of them was thinking.

As Hikari enjoyed the trio's enthusiastic hospitality, eating heartily, he suddenly felt something strange under the table.

A small foot was slowly sliding toward him.

When it brushed against his ankle, he thought it was just an accident.

When it reached his calf, he still didn't think much of it.

But when that small foot kept moving upward, Hikari immediately realized that something wasn't quite right.

He lifted his gaze and looked expressionlessly at the three women at the table.

Soon, his eyes locked onto the face of Katsuragi Yuki sitting directly opposite him.

She was calmly eating, her expression completely natural, even helping him with food from time to time.

But when Hikari's eyes met hers, she quickly blinked mischievously at him.

Clearly, the little "culprit" wasn't even trying to hide her "crime."

Feeling that nimble little foot pressing closer, moving in deliberate motions, Hikari finally understood why Katsuragi Yuki had insisted on sitting across from him.

'This girl really doss like to take the initiative, huh?'

But Hikari, he just happened to like counterattacks.

Looking at Katsuragi Yuki's slightly curled lips and her proud, teasing smile, Hikari slipped his own foot out of his slipper.

And slowly lifted it toward her side of the table.

———

Two minutes later—

Katsuragi Yuki suddenly let out a sharp yelp, "Ahh!"

Hearing the sound, Katsuragi Shouko and Katsuragi Sayaka both turned toward her, "Yuki?"

Facing their puzzled looks, Katsuragi Yuki's face flushed red as she shook her head hard, "N-nothing! I just accidentally swallowed a fishbone, it almost got stuck in my throat…"

"What? But I used boneless fish today," said Katsuragi Shouko, frowning and poking through the dish with her chopsticks, "How'd you manage to find a fishbone?"

"Uh… ah!", Katsuragi Yuki was about to come up with another excuse when the rising waves of sensation hit her again, stronger than before, and she couldn't help crying out a second time.

"Yuki? Are you sick?", Katsuragi Sayaka asked, worried, noticing her sister's reddening face.

"N-no, I'm fine!", Katsuragi Yuki covered her mouth, shaking her head frantically, "It's nothing! I just… accidentally… bit my tongue or something! I-I'll go to the washroom!"

With that, Katsuragi Yuki, having completely lost control, hurriedly stood up from her chair and stumbled toward the restroom.

Watching her staggering figure disappear down the hall, Katsuragi Shouko sighed helplessly and turned to apologize to Hikari, "Hikari-kun, I'm really sorry. Yuki's so poorly behaved. Getting up to use the bathroom right in the middle of a meal with a guest, it's my fault for not teaching her properly. I'm so sorry."

Hikari smiled, drawing his foot back as he nodded, "It's fine. I might have been at fault too."

"Eh?", Katsuragi Shouko blinked in confusion, then blushed slightly, perhaps misunderstanding what he meant.

———

A few minutes later, Katsuragi Yuki, now wearing a different pair of pants, returned to the table.

"Phew!"

Seeing Hikari's calm smile, she let out a quiet breath of relief, then obediently focused on eating her meal without further antics.

But as soon as dinner ended, Katsuragi Yuki mysteriously pulled Sayaka aside to their room, whispering about something.

Meanwhile, Katsuragi Shouko stayed behind with Hikari, having tea together.

As she poured tea, she spoke gently, "Hikari-kun, our house still needs some time before the renovations are finished. When we move, could I trouble you to help us handle this place? I'm afraid I might forget something and cause you trouble… especially after that incident with Kareki Tsunetaka…"

"It's fine. You can stay here without worry," Hikari said calmly, "Kareki Tsunetaka was a shut-in who never interacted with anyone. No one will find out."

"I also know the landlord of this building pretty well. I'll take care of everything when the time comes. You can just live here in peace."

"I see… Hikari-kun, you've already thought so far ahead… that's amazing. Thank you so much," Hearing his composed, well-planned response, Katsuragi Shouko couldn't help tearing up, deeply moved.

"It's fine. We're neighbors now, it's only natural to help each other," Hikari handed her a tissue.

Feeling embarrassed, Katsuragi Shouko wiped her eyes and quickly stood up to change the subject, "Ah, sorry, I didn't even notice your tea's almost gone. Let me refill it for you."

Saying that, she lifted the teapot and began to pour.

But perhaps because her emotions had been stirred, her hands were a bit unsteady. The spout tilted, and tea spilled over the edge of the cup, splashing onto the table, and a bit onto Hikari's shirt.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! I wasn't careful! I got your shirt wet, Hikari-kun, I'm really sorry!"

Seeing the damp patch on his shirt, the flustered Katsuragi Shouko quickly grabbed some tissues and stepped forward to dab at it.

"It's fine. Just an accident," Hikari didn't seem to mind much.

But Katsuragi Shouko was too embarrassed to stop. She earnestly dabbed at his chest, trying to dry the fabric.

Yet as she pressed more firmly, she couldn't help but feel through the tissue the hard contours of his chest muscles.

Feeling that solid, lean strength beneath her palm, the flustered widow's thoughts began to drift.

The sensation brought back vivid flashes. That day she'd been poisoned and stumbled into Hikari's home, the wild, feverish scenes that had played out across the tatami, the sofa, and the dining table.

The memory made her blush and her heartbeat race wildly.

Her trembling hands shook as she continued wiping.

Seeing her state, Hikari caught her hand and took the tissue himself, "Mrs. Shouko, it's fine. The tea's not even hot. I can handle it myself."

"Ah-ah! O-okay! Right…", Flustered and red-faced from her own thoughts, Katsuragi Shouko quickly withdrew her hand.

When she quietly looked up again at that gentle, composed, handsome, and reliable young man before her, her heart pounded uncontrollably.

She was no longer engaged, a widow now, single again.

Facing such an almost perfect young man, she couldn't help but feel a deep stirring inside.

Katsuragi Shouko knew it, she was falling for him.

After all, how many women could resist after getting close to someone like him?

She even felt the urge to confess right then and there.

But just before the words could leave her lips, she remembered who she was, a widow with two daughters.

How could someone like her ever deserve such a young man?

If she really confessed just because of that one night, out of foolish self-delusion, she'd only humiliate herself.

Even though her looks and figure were still well-maintained, she had two daughters, both nearly his age.

Thinking that, Katsuragi Shouko felt a deep wave of shame wash over her.

A widow dragging two children behind her, how could someone like her possibly be accepted, let alone loved, by him.

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