A Lonely S-Rank Explorer, Returning to His Student Days to Redo His Youth—It Seems the Strongest Loner Is Being Genuinely Loved by the Most Beautiful Girls in the School - Chapter 24: Opposite Effect

“U-um… Yuito-san…? What is this…”

Hakari forced a smile as she gazed at the romantic night view.

It’s obvious.

If they were suddenly taken to a restaurant on the top floor of a luxury hotel, anyone would be startled.

However, Yuito, the person who brought her, was tilting his head in confusion.

“Um, did you not like that…?”

“That’s not it… um, this hotel requires a reservation, right?”

“That’s right.”

As she asked about it, Yuito nodded lightly.

Eh, what does he mean? Why is he making a reservation at the restaurant like it’s no big deal?

Doubts swirl around in Hakari’s mind.

However, the answer suddenly descended upon her as if she had received divine inspiration.

(C-could it be… a confession…!?)

The only reason she can think of for going out of his way to make a reservation at an expensive restaurant to invite a woman to dinner is that.

Hakari’s heart beats wildly.

When she looked at Yuito’s expression, he seemed more serious than usual.

In reality, that’s not the case. As always, it’s just a slightly relaxed face.

It’s due to the influence of the love-struck girl filter.

(I-if… I say OK here, what will happen!? No way, is he going to ‘take me’ to the hotel downstairs right away…!?)

Hakari’s face turned bright red, and her mind turned pink.

If she had thought calmly, she would have realized, “It wouldn’t suddenly be like that between students,” but Hakari was not calm.

The imagination cultivated by shoujo manga explodes, and a vivid future scenario is drawn in her mind.

Yuito tilted his head at the clearly strange Hakari.

“Um, Hakari-san…?”

“Hyah, hyah!? I want three children!!”

“I-I see… um, your face is red, but are you feeling unwell?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that… I was just a bit surprised, you see… I haven’t really eaten at places like this before…”

“Oh, I see. Well, maybe a different kind of restaurant would have been better. My sister would have liked a place like this, so I ended up thinking the same way.”

“…Huh?”

What did Yuito just say?

‘My sister would have liked a place like this’?

What does it mean?

“Um, does that mean you frequently come to places like this with your younger sister?”

“Yeah. When my sister and I go out together, we have a meal and then come back. I thought Hakari-san might enjoy it just like we do.”

“…”

In other words, the reason Yuito made the reservation at the restaurant wasn’t for a confession or anything like that.

Just like when he goes out with his sister, he probably just made a reservation as a matter of course to escort Hakari.

The moment she realized, Hakari covered her face.

The pink fantasies that had been spreading in her mind until just now made her feel embarrassed.

“Um… Hakari-san?”

“Please don’t touch me right now… I’m cursing my own foolishness…”

“R-right…”

“Ugh… I can’t believe I was treated the same way as your sister—wait a minute. You have a sister, Yuito-san?”

“Oh, yeah. Technically, it’s by marriage. After my parents passed away, my mother’s older sister took me in. So, I guess by blood relation, we’re cousins?”

“Do you come to the store like this with your younger sister?”

A stepsister can often lead to a strained relationship, but it seems that Yuito and his stepsister get along well.

Not only are they on good terms, but they even come to eat together. They seem to be very close.

Her woman’s intuition kicked in at that moment.

Could it be that they were closer than the average siblings?

“Um, do you have any photos with your younger sister?”

“Yeah. Besides, the lock screen on my phone is a selfie with my sister… see?”

“――Tsu!?”

The moment Yuito showed his smartphone, Hakari’s eyes widened.

That is a famous amusement park. A girl with cat-like ears is clinging to the arm of a boy with dog-like ears.

Long silver hair that sparkled, a face as perfectly arranged as a doll. The eyes resembled Yuito’s.

This silver-haired girl must be Yuito’s stepsister.

A two-shot of the two that looks just like a couple.

However, his stepsister’s expression is not just that of a couple playing at an amusement park.

The moment she saw that expression, Hakari’s blood boiled to the point where she felt like her veins were about to burst.

Yuito’s stepsister squinted her eyes, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, and stared at Hakari.

That expression was telling a story.

“This person is mine ♡ I won’t give him to a cat like you ☆ Loser ♡”

Hakari raised her face, a twitching smile spreading across her lips.

Veins are bulging on her forehead.

Yuito gazes at the smartphone screen nostalgically and unaware. He must be reminiscing about his sister.

She’s glad she wasn’t seen. Right now, she doesn’t feel like she can hide her anger.

“U-um… Did you set the lock screen yourself, Yuito-san?”

“No, that’s not it. I think my sister told me to take this photo because it was like a ‘charm’ or something. She said it has the effect of warding off evil spirits? Isn’t that a strange thing to say?”

She completely understands.

This stepsister is using a selfie with herself as the lock screen to ward off women from Yuito.

Looking at Hakari with such an annoying face is a declaration of war, saying, “I won’t give you my brother.”

While feeling a sense of nausea and her insides boiling with anger, Hakari simultaneously sent a feeling of gratitude to his stepsister.

(…But thanks to that, I realized. After all, I don’t want to be apart from Yuito-san. I don’t want anyone to take his place by my side!!)

It’s not like she’s annoyed just because she’s his stepsister.

Even if Kirika is next to Yuito, Hakari will tremble with jealousy just the same.

She can’t accept being next to Yuito if it’s not herself.

However, in Hakari’s heart, the glasses-wearing Hakari is screaming with jealousy and guilt towards Yuito.

“Wait a minute!? Isn’t that selfish!! You direct ugly jealousy towards Yuito-san, yet you want to stay right next to him――”

“Shut up!!”

“Uphya!?”

A right straight to the glasses Hakari. The glasses shattered into pieces.

(I want to be with Yuito-san… For that, I’ll do it. I’ll become strong enough to be by Yuito-san’s side!!)

She don’t want to be someone who is just protected. She envy Yuito’s strength. She hate herself for feeling such jealousy.

Then, she just has to smash it all to pieces.

She would be good to become strong enough to stand next to Yuito.

Hakari clenches her fist tightly.

To express the firmness of her resolve, she grips tightly.

“Yuito-san… I have a favor to ask you.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

To become stronger, it is efficient to learn from the strong.

In any industry, those who can learn from their predecessors are strong.

And among those who Hakari knows, the strongest and most reliable one is――.

“Yuito-san. Would you go into the dungeon with me? I want to become stronger.”

“Ah, yeah. Sure.”

Yuito nodded easily.