Her consciousness slowly returned.
Long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly before she opened her eyes, revealing a deep navy blue gaze.
The hazy drowsiness from just waking up quickly faded.
As soon as she recalled her conversation with Hayashizaki-kun at her house, Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but let a small smile form at the corner of her lips.
"Please, wait for me."
"Okay."
He said he would wait for me to bring him home. With that in mind, do I still have any excuse to slack off?
A surge of determination filled the black-haired girl's heart, fueling her desire to carry out her mission and exorcise curses.
She turned over in her warm bed, only to be met with a pair of big, blinking eyes full of curiosity.
"…"
Yukinoshita Haruno tilted her head with interest. "Why is Yukino-chan smiling to herself? Did you think of something nice?"
"…"
The smile on Yukino's lips immediately disappeared.
Her mind flashed back to the scene she had just seen in her dream.
People say that those involved in a situation are often blinded, while outsiders see things more clearly. She didn't know exactly what her sister was thinking, but the Haruno from that other world undoubtedly had feelings for Hayashizaki-kun.
As for what would happen once everything settled and Hayashizaki-kun returned… Yukinoshita Yukino had no idea. The thought left her with a mix of emotions—complicated and heavy.
And of all people… it had to be her sister.
Ever since Hayashizaki-kun arrived in that world, Yukinoshita Yukino had been receiving glimpses of that place through her dreams, thanks to the connection between their souls.
She had seen it all before anyone else.
And she had long realized just how much her sister had taken on.
What's more, her sister had willingly taken on the role of "Yukinoshita family heir" just so Yukino could have the freedom to find her true self.
The Haruno in that world was lucky—she had Hayashizaki-kun's help. But the one here, the one right in front of her, didn't have him…
Noticing that her little sister had gone silent, the short-haired woman reached out from beneath the warm blanket, waving her fair and delicate hand in front of Yukino's face.
"Yukino-chan? What are you spacing out for?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Yukinoshita Yukino pressed her lips together and said softly, "It's nothing."
She should spend more time at home with her sister.
The black-haired girl, who had originally planned to cut her vacation short, suddenly decided to stay a little longer.
The bed was warm, and after turning over, Yukinoshita Yukino slowly closed her eyes, deciding to rest a bit more.
And without realizing it, she ignored the possibility that this version of her sister… might also have feelings for Hayashizaki.
…
"Sister."
"What?"
"How long have we been in the hot spring?"
"About thirty minutes."
In the open-air hot spring by the sea, the white-haired boy rested his head against the stone edge, a white towel covering his eyes.
"You're not getting out yet?"
"I'm fine," Suguru Geto replied calmly.
"It's probably about time to wrap up, right? Don't push yourself too hard."
"I think you're the one pushing yourself."
The black-haired boy, his hair let down, was sweating all over.
And the reason they ended up like this?
Because before they got into the hot spring, Gojo Satoru had said:
"Hey, Geto, let's see who can stay in the longest. Whoever passes out first has to listen to Yaga-sensei's lecture all the way through when we get back."
This open-air hot spring had a great location and atmosphere. A bamboo grove swayed gently in the spacious courtyard, and the fireworks in the night sky were perfectly visible.
Brilliant fireworks kept lighting up the sky, but the two of them weren't looking. They were too focused on enduring the heat. Even though their skin was turning red from the sulfur-infused water, neither was willing to be the first to stand up.
Just then, Geto's phone rang.
He grabbed the white towel off Gojo's face to dry his hands before picking up the phone and putting it on speaker.
"Hello? Haibara?"
"Oh, it's me, Geto-senpai!" A bright, cheerful voice came through the speaker. "Sorry for calling so late!"
"No worries, I'm in the hot spring with Gojo right now," Geto replied with a smile.
He was always gentle when talking to this junior who looked up to him.
"Ah! Nanami told me you guys went on vacation—so it's true!" Haibara Yuu chuckled. "Actually, I'm heading out for a mission tomorrow. Feeling a little nervous about it."
"What kind of mission?" Geto asked.
"It's a Grade 2 exorcism mission, in some remote mountain village. I'll be going with Nanami."
"A Grade 2 mission should be easy for you two. No need to be nervous," Geto said reassuringly. "Oh, and bring me back some souvenirs."
"Got it!" Haibara laughed. "Do you want something sweet or savory?"
"Sweet, of course!" Gojo immediately chimed in at the mention of souvenirs.
"Well, you heard him. Something sweet," Geto said.
"Alright, no problem! You know, talking to you for a bit really helped me relax."
"That's good. Stay safe out there."
The call ended.
Geto set his phone down, but then suddenly froze.
For some reason, a sentence from an old dream echoed in his mind.
The long marathon that is a sorcerer's life—at its finish line, all you'll find is a mountain of fallen comrades.
At the end of a dim, narrow corridor stood a tightly shut iron door. Dark red blood seeped from beneath it, spreading across the floor toward a black-haired boy standing at the crossroads.
Geto snapped out of it. The scene before him returned to the peaceful hot spring, the rustling bamboo leaves whispering in the night breeze.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then stood up and stepped out of the bath.
"Ah! That means you lost!"
The silver-haired boy, who had been drowsy just a moment ago, immediately flipped over and pointed at Suguru Geto, shouting loudly as soon as he stepped out of the bathhouse.
"Ah… yeah."
Seeing his friend looking so downcast, Gojo Satoru froze for a moment, staring blankly as he watched him leave.
…
The next day, they spent the morning trying out a diving experience in Hokkaido. In the afternoon, they visited the nearby tourist spots, and after dinner, they headed to the airport and returned to Tokyo.
At the airport, everyone went their separate ways. Yukinoshita Haruno and Hayashizaki returned to Chiba, Amanai Riko and Kuroi Misato went home, while the remaining two naturally returned to Jujutsu High.
Shortly after, Suguru Geto and Gojo Satoru received the news of Haibara Yu's death.
…
---
You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu