The school day ended, a cacophony of receding footsteps and locker doors slamming shut. Rin, leaving the North High gates behind, felt a profound sense of exhaustion, not from physical exertion, but from the sheer mental gymnastics required to navigate Haruhi Suzumiya's orbit. He decided then and there that he would return to the DXD world later tonight. He needed a break, a return to familiar chaos rather than this unpredictable, reality-bending one.
Once ready, he lay in his bed, the familiar system interface glowing faintly. He closed his eyes and selected the DXD world. He'd begun to call this 'Haruhi's World' internally, a fitting name given her near-omnipotent, reality-warping presence.
As he arrived, he woke up in his own mansion, alone. A message from Ai greeted him on his nightstand, a small, neatly folded note. Her friends were doing a group study for the upcoming exams next week. Rin remembered the exams, a distant thought he hadn't needed to dwell on. His intelligence and wisdom were so far beyond human comprehension that studying was a mere formality.
He sighed, recalling the earlier events of the day in Haruhi's World. He had rejected Haruhi's invitation, or rather, he had tried to. She had simply ignored his words, her relentless grip dragging him to the clubroom. He still couldn't quite believe the raw strength she possessed in those moments of focused desire. It was impossible, even for his Tier III maxed status, to break free. Only when her intense focus waned could he slip away. But in the end, her infectious excitement had sealed his fate, forcing him into her club.
What was even more absurd was his system's inexplicable failure. He had tried to use it to subtly decrease her curiosity, but a system message had popped up: 'System Upgrade Required.' He had no idea how to upgrade his system; increasing his status tiers was one thing, but this was entirely different. Still, he was back in the DXD world now, and it was a problem for another time.
Rin planned to visit Akeno at her shrine when a soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. His head maid, a dignified woman with an impeccably neat bun, entered. "Takakura-sama," she announced, her voice serene, "you have a visitor."
Intrigued, Rin descended to the living room. There, standing gracefully, was Yukino Yukinoshita. She bowed silently, her customary greeting. Rin was genuinely surprised by her unannounced visit.
They took their seats, the plush armchairs swallowing them slightly. Yukino, without preamble, spoke, her tone as cool and detached as ever. "I am only here because my mother insisted," she stated, her gaze unwavering. "She believes it's 'good to get to know each other more,' especially since I am your fiancée."
Rin, with his Mind Reader, saw past her cold facade. Her thoughts were a swirling vortex of uncertainty and a hesitant, almost imperceptible warmth. She wanted to see him again, despite her outward denial.
The head maid, sensing the awkward silence that stretched between them, personally served them tea and an assortment of delicate sweets. Yet, the silence persisted, punctuated only by the soft clinking of teacups. Yukino's mind was in turmoil, a flurry of unspoken questions and self-reprimands, but her cool demeanor remained flawless. She had no idea what to say, or even what she should say, in this situation. She knew she wasn't in love with Rin, not yet, but recently, his presence, his actions, had begun to occupy her thoughts with increasing frequency.
Just as the quiet stretched taut, the mansion's front door opened, and a cheerful voice cut through the stillness. "Yukino, as expected, you're still the same!"
Rin and Yukino both turned towards the voice. Haruno Yukinoshita sauntered in, her eyes glinting mischievously. Before anyone could react, she was behind Rin, wrapping her arms around him in a playful hug.
Yukino took a slow sip of her tea, her gaze unwavering. "Sis," she said, her voice laced with barely concealed irritation, "stop what you're doing."
Haruno merely tightened her embrace, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. "Oh? And what are you doing, little sister?"
A faint blush touched Yukino's cheeks, quickly suppressed. "Stop bothering Takakura-kun."
"He's not bothered at all!" Haruno countered, and then, with a dramatic flair, she squeezed Rin even tighter, pressing her ample chest firmly against his back. Rin could feel the undeniable heat of her body.
Seeing her sister's utter shamelessness, Yukino made to forcefully push Haruno away, but Haruno, surprisingly strong, didn't budge. Rin, caught in the middle, found himself rather enjoying the predicament, sandwiched between two chests. Although Yukino's lacked any significant development, Rin mused, he could certainly help her with that in the future, perhaps with some… massaging.
Yukino, realizing the absurdity of the situation, sighed. She released Haruno and returned to her seat, a flicker of exasperation in her eyes. Haruno, having had her fun, finally released Rin, a playful grin still on her face, and settled down on the armchair next to him.