Chapter 157: In the Spotlight

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Translator: Soafp

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Until it was time for the banquet to begin, Ginji and Sora waited together in the room that had been prepared for them.

“……”

“……”

Overwhelming silence.

The reason? Sora's demeanor.

It wasn't the same gloomy mood they had when the two first met—this expression carried much stronger emotions. A cold sweat trickled down Ginji's back. He knew he wasn't exactly the best at reading women's emotions, but even he could tell what Sora was feeling—he could feel it from the intense grip on his arm.

“…I should've gone all the way last night.”

Sora muttered under their breath and clung to Ginji like a koala, refusing to let go.

“Calm down, Sora. What's going on? Just ignore Shiki or whatever.”

The image of Aika even jokingly asking Ginji to escort her had sparked a fierce jealousy in Sora's heart. It didn't matter whether it was serious or just provocation—either way, it was something Sora absolutely, absolutely could not forgive. Sure, Sora had felt jealous before whenever girls (from their perspective) approached Ginji, but this was on a completely different level. The emotion burning inside was far more aggressive.

“I am calm. Super calm, in fact. For now, let's kiss.”

Spoken in a boyish tone—but with shocking content.

“That doesn't logically follow! Hold on—mmph!”

Ginji had no time to protest before Sora claimed his lips. When they finally parted, Sora wore an expression so alluring it sent a chill down his spine. It was a different kind of femininity than what he'd seen yesterday—something far more overpowering.

“You've got lipstick on you now. I'll have to fix my makeup… Don't worry, Ginji. I'll protect you. No matter who the other person is, I won't let it slide.”

Her eyes were cold and unblinking—clearly angry. Ginji was completely overwhelmed.

“R-right…”

He had no idea that a single offhand comment during that earlier exchange had triggered Sora into overdrive. Not understanding why things had gotten this way, he could only follow along as time moved on to the banquet.

This hotel, designed not to disrupt the local scenery, wasn't very tall. Its first floor housed a beautiful garden, and the party was set to take place overlooking that view. The illuminated garden, visible through the glass in the climate-controlled room, offered a refined, wabi-sabi aesthetic—undeniably elegant and comfortable.

About fifty guests were already mingling at the standing buffet. As the guests of honor, Masaomi and Leona were surrounded by clusters of attendees.

Then Aika entered.

Wearing a deep red dress and bold makeup that made her look far more mature than her age, she turned heads the moment she stepped in. A crowd gathered quickly. Many attendees seemed to be from Leona's professional circles—about a third were foreigners.

“Good evening, Aika-sama. A stunning dress, but you outshine it entirely.”

“Ara, how flattering. You're quite dashing yourself, sensei.”

Events like these were Aika's domain—her mother's beauty, inherited in full, and her social training from childhood allowed her to command attention, charming people of all ages and drawing them in effortlessly. It was her unshakable advantage.

While chatting with an older investor and scanning the room for more people to connect with, Aika suddenly noticed the attention in the room had shifted elsewhere.

She assumed her parents had entered, but they were still across the venue.

The focus of everyone's attention—was now Ginji and Sora.

They had arrived slightly after the party started, and their presence had sparked a clear reaction among the foreign guests. A man speaking with Aika followed her gaze and noticed Sora.

“Oh? I don't believe I've seen that young lady before.”

“…My cousin.” Aika replied.

Though she'd told them not to approach her, seeing them become the center of attention still irritated her. She glared at Sora sharply.

“!?”

The last time they'd met—just before the party—Sora had kept their eyes down. But now, they met Aika's gaze head-on. Not just that—they glared back, full of steely resolve.
It was just a moment—but it hit Aika like a bucket of ice water. She found herself biting her thumbnail.

“…What the hell…”

She was the one to break eye contact first.

“Aika-sama?”

“Oh, nothing. What were we talking about again?”

Meanwhile, Sora let out a quiet sigh of relief after confirming Aika wasn't coming any closer. They'd been radiating fierce hostility, silently declaring “Stay away from my Ginji,” but had no idea that they'd genuinely frightened Aika.

“You okay, Sora?”

“Yeah. Aika-chan's keeping her distance. Any other girls here…?”

“…Why are you acting like this is enemy territory?”

“So no one steals Ginji from me.”

Sora, who normally hid behind Ginji in unfamiliar places, was now standing in front of him, scanning the surroundings protectively. To Sora, this was their way of saying: He's mine.

“…So that's what's been bothering you.”

Ginji was finally starting to understand the reason behind Sora's odd behavior. The delicate blue earrings they wore swayed gently as they kept glancing around.

“I'm not going anywhere. Let's just go greet Shiki's parents and get it over with—that's why we came, right?”

“Right. Let's get it done and go home. I can't leave my Ginji in a place like this.”

“…You're misunderstanding a lot, so we'll talk later, okay?”

With their fingers hooked around Ginji's arm, Sora walked with him through the crowd.

Dressed in a cool-toned shirt dress with a leather-buckled belt, Sora gave off a completely different kind of charm than Aika. Their glossy, jet-black hair and large eyes made them look delicate and mysterious. Though they appeared youthful, their figure clearly communicated femininity. Ethereal, alluring, and somewhat aloof—they gave off an intimidating presence. Fueled by their tension toward Aika, Sora was unknowingly exuding an aura that screamed: “Touch my boyfriend and you're dead.”

Both Aika and Sora drew attention with their appearances—but their approaches were polar opposites.

One confidently approached influential guests, charming and social.

The other clung to their partner, turning a cold shoulder to everyone else.

In terms of proper decorum, Aika's behavior was undoubtedly the correct one for such a gathering.

Which was exactly why the one behaving “incorrectly”—Sora—and their quiet but imposing partner Ginji, began to draw curious gazes from the entire room.

As the attention slowly shifted from Aika to Sora, almost as if anticipating this moment, Leona—having finished her conversations—walked over with Masaomi.

“Good evening, Sora. It's been a while, hasn't it?”

“…Good evening, Aunt Leona. It has.”

As the two exchanged greetings, all eyes in the venue were now focused solely on Sora.