Living in the Heart of Tokyo

Her feet lifted off the ground, and instinctively Yukinoshita tightened her grip on Hojou's arm.

But what she didn't expect was—even with her entire weight hanging on him—his movements were completely unaffected.

That arm still effortlessly held her high.

Wait a minute… When Miyamizu-san taught you, didn't you just go along with her movements? Why am I getting this treatment instead!?

Suspended like this, Yukinoshita's slender figure seemed even longer and more delicate.

Her small slippers slipped off naturally, revealing the smooth arches of her feet stretched taut.

Her skin seemed almost translucent now, the faint blue veins underneath clearly visible.

Since Kyousuke's right hand had swept a circle in front of him to lift her, his palm was now directly above her head.

Their faces were perfectly level with each other.

Still in a daze, Yukinoshita wiggled her cute little toes slightly, as if wondering where the ground had disappeared to.

Their eyes met.

Thankfully, Kyousuke's hand was stretched a bit forward—if not, their bodies wouldn't be the only thing pressed together.

Oh, god of romantic comedies… this is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Someone silently prayed to the heavens.

"Hehe" Kyousuke grinned, revealing eight perfectly neat white teeth—despite never visiting a dentist.

Feeling his warm breath gently brush across her face, Yukinoshita's wide eyes grew even wider.

Why... why is this happening!?

Their lips were barely two centimeters apart.

Yukinoshita first stared into Hojou's eyes, then quickly looked down—right at his mouth—terrified he might stick out his tongue to lick her lips or something.

Her face flushed so red it looked like it might start dripping blood, her pale blue eyes swimming with embarrassment and panic.

Her toes curled again.

Being lifted off the ground like this made her feel incredibly insecure.

"What the hell are you doing?! Put me down, now!" she snapped.

"Huh? I thought this was part of the lesson?" Kyousuke replied, genuinely confused.

"Are you stupid?! What kind of lesson involves hanging off someone like this? You think this is pole dancing or something?!" Yukinoshita barked angrily.

'Right? Who on earth teaches someone to dance by clinging to them like this?'

Yotsuba silently agreed, eyes still glued to the bizarre scene unfolding before her.

Yukinoshita's competitive spirit is way too strong... to think she'd go this far to teach Kyousuke.

Katou Megumi almost wanted to applaud.

In her mind, this was a brilliant "improvement" on Miyamizu Mitsuha's original teaching method—classic Yukinoshita genius.

"Aha! So this is what they call 'teaching by example' instead of mere words! Well, Kyousuke—can you feel Yukino-chan weight now?" Sakura exclaimed, her right fist pounding into her left palm like she'd just cracked some grand mystery.

As soon as Yamauchi Sakura spoke, her genius nature could no longer be hidden.

Ahhh, so that's it! Sakiko and Kayo, who had somehow wandered over, nodded in deep agreement.

As expected of the BOSS's lair—every single person here was a gem.

Surely these would all become valuable assets to be taken into space one day.

Katou Megumi's eyes widened as well—just like Mitsuha's—barely holding back her laughter.

"What the hell do you mean 'so that's it'!? That phrase doesn't mean this at all! It means 'setting an example by action,' not… not this nonsense!" Yukinoshita snapped furiously, but after two sentences, realization hit her like a truck:

"Wait—just how long do you plan to keep holding me up like this?!"

If there weren't so many people here, she'd have already thrown him with an aikido throw.

She was even holding his arm in the perfect grip!

All she needed to do was hook her legs around his waist, twist her hips and thighs, and—yank!

Yank…

Lost in her rising fury, Yukinoshita unconsciously squeezed Kyousuke's arm tighter.

Feeling the hard muscles beneath her fingers, she had to admit bitterly—even if she twisted as hard as she could, she probably couldn't bring Kyousuke to the ground.

Her only chance would be joint locks or attacking vital points.

Seeing her flushed, furious face, Kyousuke couldn't help but admit—even if her figure left a little to be desired, he'd happily keep holding Yukinoshita up like this forever.

Her flawless face aside, the gentle scent of white lotus that wafted from her was utterly intoxicating.

"Ah, ah—right, right. I'm going to put you down now," he finally nodded, pretending to suddenly understand, mimicking Sakura's voice perfectly.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, Yukinoshita immediately let go of his arm like she was dropping something filthy, slipped on her slippers, and returned to the sofa with an ice-cold expression.

Katou Megumi, who'd been lounging comfortably, instantly straightened her back, placed her hands properly on her thighs, and sat as if a teacher had just walked over to check her test paper.

Mitsuha simply smiled gently and walked past without a word.

"All right, let's begin~" she hummed softly.

This time, Yukinoshita understood why Hojou wasn't laughing.

Though Mitsuha's humming was the same tune and rhythm, it felt like the sound of a flute gently playing across an endless meadow—calming and beautiful.

'If only I'd practiced flute a little more back then… I could do that too!'

The genius girl who always mastered everything quickly—and abandoned things just as fast—silently thought to herself.

Come on, lift Mitsuha—sister—Mitsuha up too!

Three different titles in three people's minds. The last, of course, belonged to Yamauchi Sakura, her face openly excited.

As the humming neared the dancing rhythm, Yotsuba clenched both her small fists, eyes filled with anticipation.

"Lift her! Lift her! Lift high! Lift high!"

She swore—not even when chanting solemn prayers at the shrine had she ever been this devout.

Still humming, Mitsuha had kicked off her slippers at some point. Her bare, clean feet pressed against Kyousuke's, their big toes tightly touching.

But unlike Yukinoshita, Mitsuha's loose homewear couldn't hide her generous curves—her chest firmly pressing against Kyousuke as well.

"All right, step your right foot back and raise your right hand~"

Here it comes—Kyousuke's greatest challenge! Yukinoshita's pale blue eyes flashed sharply.

Would this clumsy dancer—who always flailed his arms and legs—manage to coordinate both movements at once?

Mitsuha smiled serenely, lifting her left foot to gently rest on the arch of Kyousuke's foot, softly pushing backward.

Her hands slid under his arms, guiding his movement in a graceful circular sweep.

Balancing on one leg, her other foot atop his, hands holding his arms—Mitsuha looked like a goddess from ancient murals, elegant and divine.

Under Mitsuha's guidance, Kyousuke resisted the overwhelming temptation to focus on the softness in front of him, letting his body follow her lead naturally and smoothly.

Excellent—multitasking really was an essential skill!

For the first time, he felt that wanting to clear the room earlier was pointless.

So long as Mitsuha was in his arms, he could focus purely on this blissful moment.

No! Wait! This isn't right at all! Sister—you should be smacking his legs and hands with bamboo sticks!

Hojou-nii, you should've lifted Big Sis high up, just like you did with Yukinoshita-san! How could you treat them differently? This is so unfair!

Yukinoshita's eyes widened too.

'W-Wait... are they seriously not doing pole dancing or something?'

She honestly didn't know—she'd never seen it in real life—but what they were doing in front of her pure, innocent eyes felt far too inappropriate to be watching.

She tore her gaze away from Hojou and Miyamizu, glancing toward Katou Megumi.

But to her shock, Katou was quietly swallowing hard, her cheeks slightly red, her eyes unfocused.

'Even Katou is getting all flustered because of you two?!'

Yukinoshita turned her head again toward Yamauchi Sakura.

She'd expected Sakura to be grinding her teeth in jealousy or muttering "This is unforgivable!" like some drama heroine.

But instead, Sakura looked even more excited than when Yukinoshita herself was lifted high earlier.

"Hey! My turn, my turn! I wanna try it too!" Sakura shouted, raising her right hand high.

What is this?! Weren't they supposed to be teaching Hojou how to dance? When did this turn into a boss battle? Are we researching a boss strategy now?

Using her limited gaming knowledge, Yukinoshita struggled to interpret the chaotic scene.

But the moment this thought surfaced, her inner perfectionist rejected it.

No no, that explanation's not good enough. Quickly, she came up with another theory:

If Hojou was a dish.

She herself hadn't figured out the right way to "taste" him yet, but Miyamizu Mitsuha was a gourmet, demonstrating the proper way to enjoy this delicacy.

And now Yamauchi Sakura couldn't wait to try a bite herself.

Yukinoshita glanced at Sakura's thrilled expression.

'Like that's even true!'

'Get a grip, Yukinoshita! Don't let Sakura's stupidity infect you!'

"Please go ahead," Miyamizu Mitsuha smiled kindly, just as she had when Yukinoshita said she wanted to try.

'Stop acting like a chef welcoming customers at an izakaya!' Yukinoshita grumbled internally.

But her flawless self soon admitted this wasn't Mitsuha's fault.

After all, she'd said the exact same words to her earlier.

It was just her mood that had changed—she had no right to project that onto Mitsuha.

Meanwhile, Sakura was flinging her slippers left and right like a sumo wrestler about to enter the ring—no, like a grand champion yokozuna preparing for his promotion ceremony at Meiji Shrine.

"Heh heh... Kyousuke, you'd better be ready!" Sakura declared dramatically.

Over in the kitchen, munching on a carrot, Naoka had somehow started filming this scene on her phone.

This is how a true voice actress should be, she thought, saying cringey lines as casually as "Nice weather today."

"Of course! I've been waiting for this!" Kyousuke eagerly broke free from Mitsuha's gentle spell and leapt into Sakura's chaotic fantasy world.

His sun—Sakura—could always pull at his heart so easily.

Even for someone as shy and awkward as him, he was always willing to play along with her silly games.

Good thing Yukinoshita hadn't mastered the art of mind-reading yet, or she'd have stomped over, shoved her foot in his face, and demanded to know why he hadn't been this excited when he was lifting her earlier!

Why didn't he feel embarrassed when their bodies were pressed together back then?!

She'd shouted so many times to let her down—why didn't he listen?!

Didn't he realize his hard muscles were poking and jabbing her the whole time?!

"Alright then! Here I come!"

Sakura yelled, grabbing Hojou Kyousuke's right hand with one hand and kicking toward his right foot with the other.

'Yes! Like that! A precise attack on his pressure points—take him down, make him collapse! Then it's ground combat! Armbar!'

Yukinoshita's eyes sparkled as she mentally guided Sakura like some hidden puppeteer.

But then she saw something that made her eyes grow even wider.

It wasn't perfectly smooth, and it didn't have Mitsuha's goddess-like grace, but Sakura and Hojou Kyousuke were dancing—really dancing—like a proper pair.

He stepped back, she stepped forward. Like a surprisingly harmonious ballroom dance.

What... What the hell?!

Why was she the only one who got lifted high like that!?

"Phew—"

Sakura exhaled deeply, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow.

"Looks like Mitsuha taught you well. I'm satisfied now."

Classic "Yamauchi Sakura-style nonsense," but somehow... when Yukinoshita and Mitsuha heard it this time, it sounded a little different.

Both girls glanced seriously toward Sakura, who was still playfully dancing with Hojou Kyousuke, trying out the moves Mitsuha had carefully demonstrated.

Then she began attempting the next steps on her own.

It all fell apart instantly.

The two of them tangled awkwardly like malfunctioning robots. In no time, Sakura lost her balance, her body tilting backward.

"Watch out!" Yukinoshita shouted, instinctively trying to move, but she was a step too slow.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Mitsuha—closer than her—still calmly sitting in place, not budging at all.

"Wahahaha~~ My head's gonna crack open~~"

Sakura, of course, was already safe—firmly caught in Kyousuke's arms.

"Why don't you just sit here quietly for a while," Kyousuke said, carrying Sakura bridal-style and gently setting her down on the sofa.

"Alright! My turn next!"

Out on the grassy patch by the living room, Yotsuba shot her hand up high, eager to make her presence known.

"Okay, for the next move, Kyousuke, put your right hand on my waist, focus and feel the muscle movement—your left hand holds my right hand."

"Pay attention to how your waist and hands should work together."

Mitsuha smoothly took Sakura's place, standing right in front of Kyousuke.

She grabbed his large hand and pressed it gently onto her slender waist—completely ignoring the little sister in the corner holding a bamboo stick.

As the proper "big sister," Kyousuke wanted to explain to Yotsuba that what he and Mitsuha were doing was serious practice...

But the moment his right hand rested on Mitsuha's soft, smooth waist, he couldn't spare the mental capacity for anything else.

All he could do was focus on the sensation, just like Mitsuha instructed.

'Stupid big sis! Where's your "Please go ahead"?! Why am I being treated like air when it's my turn?!' Yotsuba was grinding her teeth.

She'd sacrificed Kayo's tutoring session to make that troublemaker fetch a bamboo stick—so everyone could see what real teaching looked like.

No matter how fiercely she waved the bamboo stick, no one in the living room even glanced her way.

She shouted a few times, even tried to charge in, but her sharp brain always managed to stop her dumb body at the last moment.

Inside the room, two people danced so smoothly, it was as if they had no bones at all—their bodies twisted and entwined perfectly.

One of them was the two-time champion of the National High School Kendo Tournament; the other, the most notorious delinquent in Tokyo.

If she really barged in there… well, Hojou-nii would probably hold back—he was too soft to hit her.

But Mitsuha—that idiot sister—would definitely snatch away the bamboo stick she'd painstakingly made Kayo fetch and beat her without mercy, just like Grandma used to when they were kids.

Stay cool, Yotsuba. Stay cool.

I'll complain to Dad when we get home tonight! Unless Sister sincerely apologizes later, she can forget about going on a solo date with Hojou-nii again. Not happening!

Meanwhile, the dance they were practicing was actually quite simple.

Even if Kyousuke's hands were getting a little... adventurous, Mitsuha's teaching pace was surprisingly fast and efficient.

Sitting nearby, Katou Megumi wasn't bored at all. In fact, she felt like she was learning a lot of useful things.

If Hojou ever needed help again, maybe she could teach him like this, too.

Yukinoshita leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed, watching Hojou's sneaky little moves with an icy glare.

Upstairs, in the room marked with a lily nameplate, Eriri was—as she had promised—sound asleep.

Her pajamas were a complete mess, riding up to reveal her cute tummy and smooth, bare legs.

Suddenly, she rolled over and smacked her hand against the wall.

The peaceful smile on her face instantly twisted in pain.

"Ahhh! Ouch ouch ouch!"

Her loud yelp drove away the last traces of sleep.

Before the blonde young lady could unleash a string of creative insults at the clueless wall, her eyes caught the digital clock on her desk.

Crap! "The Chronicles of Gods and Demons" has already been on for twenty minutes!

Eriri shot upright in bed, not even bothering to fix her wild, messy hair.

Muttering "Crap crap crap!" under her breath, she dashed out of her room.

As she reached the stairs, she glanced down at the living room—and smiled in satisfaction.

"Ahh, so you guys are done already. Nice~!"

'Nice?' Katou Megumi blinked.

'Hmm... if I'm not wrong... if Eriri had seen what Mitsuha was doing with Hojou earlier...

She probably would've exploded.'

"'The Chronicles of Gods and Demons' has already been on for twenty minutes! Kyousuke, why didn't you come wake me up?!"

Eriri came running down the stairs, scolding her unreliable housekeeper while frantically searching for the remote control.

"Over here, over here," Kyousuke hurriedly handed her the remote.

"Sorry—I was focused on learning the dance. I forgot. Didn't you say I should listen carefully to Mitsuha's instructions?"

"Huh? Did I... actually say that?"

Eriri suddenly turned, frowning.

"Eh—whatever! Mitsuha, Megumi, hurry up and sit down! This is definitely the best anime of the year!"

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