I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

“I’m a little sleepy… Let’s chat more tomorrow. Anyway, I’m not leaving for home until 8 a.m., so my sister and I will have plenty of time to chat after tomorrow.”

After saying that, Hikaru Okita got up and walked to the cabinet next to him, taking out his own set of bedding—during his temporary stay at Shieikan, Hikaru Okita had been living in Souji's bedroom.

Seeing that his older sister really looked like she was about to go to sleep, Souji quickly said in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Sister, wait, wait a minute!"

"What's wrong? Is there anything else you want to ask or say?"

Hikaru Okita, clutching the thick bedding, turned around and examined Souji's face with great interest.

"Uh... umm..."

The commander, his gaze wandering, repeatedly uttered onomatopoeic words that had no concrete meaning.

"If you don't say anything, I'm really going to sleep."

Hikaru Okita spread the bedding he was holding onto the tatami mat.

"?!"

Souji was like a mute who wanted to argue but couldn't speak properly; his mouth opened and closed violently, but he couldn't utter a single coherent sentence.

Finally—as if she had given up struggling, she silently gripped the edge of the quilt with her two small hands, pulled the quilt up to cover the area below her nose, leaving only her eyes exposed.

"Sister... what did Tachibana-kun say to you?"

Although Souji's voice was barely audible, it was more than enough for Okita Hikaru.

However, Hikaru Okita tilted his head to the side, pointing one ear toward Souji, and asked in a measured tone:

"Huh? Xiao Si, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."

Knowing what kind of trick Okita Hikaru was up to, Souji gritted her teeth resentfully. She was very prejudiced against Okita Hikaru's deliberate teasing, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Suppressing her immense shame, she repeated what she had just said in an even louder voice:

"Sister, what did Tachibana-kun say to you?"

After speaking, the commander closed his eyes tightly, gripping the edge of the blanket as if trying to suffocate himself, covering most of his face with the blanket.

The darkness could no longer conceal the blush on Souji's face. Even with the naked eye, it was clear that Souji's facial temperature was extremely high, like a shrimp that had been boiled continuously.

At this point, Okita Hikaru finally smiled and nodded with satisfaction.

"I was quite surprised by Tachibana-kun's reply."

Hikaru Okita blinked. A sly glint flashed in his eyes as he blinked.

"He told me that he likes you very much. If he weren't currently busy with his career and had no time to take care of family matters, it wouldn't be impossible for him to marry you."

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Happy Lantern Festival everyone! It may seem a bit late, but I'm still sending my best wishes!

Today is a long-awaited 7000+ word chapter, so asking for some monthly votes isn't too much to ask, right?

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

Thus, thanks to Hikaru Okita's instigation, a "seed" was planted in the hearts of both Aoto and Souji. From that moment on, Aoto could no longer see Souji as a "friend." Congratulations! Congratulations!

The more I write, the more I realize how charming Hikaru Okita is—a mature yet quirky older sister figure.

When you think of a charming older sister and a cute younger sister, you naturally think of a sister's rice bowl. Leopard's imagination can only leap so far in this regard.

Chapter 313 Qing Deng in Danger! Sanako's Reunion with Her Childhood Friend [6600]

Just as Okita Hikaru finished speaking, Souji seemed to be gasping for breath, gulping in the air around him.

"You're lying! Tachibana-kun would never say such a thing!"

Upon hearing this, Hikaru Okita shrugged while putting on an expression that said, "I'm telling the truth, believe it or not."

"I'm not lying to you. That's exactly what Tachibana-kun said. I'm just repeating his exact words."

Okita Hikaru's expression and eyes showed no sign of anything amiss; it was as if he were simply stating the truth.

Upon seeing this, the commander-in-chief's seven parts of doubt were reduced by four.

"No way!" Souji exclaimed with a look in his eyes, his expression clearly wavering even more, his gaze darting around frantically, as if he wanted to measure the entire bedroom he had long been accustomed to living in and seeing with his eyes.

At this moment, Hikaru Okita silently added more "oil" to the already burning "fire".

"Xiao Si, it's not surprising that Tachibana-kun would give such an answer, is it? Haven't you noticed that Tachibana-kun's attitude towards you is obviously different from that of others?"

"Does it...?"

Under the combined influence of alcohol and shock, Souji's brain was in a semi-shutdown state, and she was now asking questions purely on instinct.

"Of course."

Okita Hikaru nodded slightly, as if in a certain manner.

"This is probably what they call 'the onlooker sees more of the game than the player'."

"Although it's a bit of a pity that Mr. Tachibana is currently planning to focus all his energy on his career and has no intention of starting a family with someone in the short term, it's understandable."

“It’s better for a man like him to get married later. Starting a family later will free up more time and energy to focus on his career. It’s not too late to get married after he has established himself in his career.”

"Anyway, it's okay for men to get married a little later."

"Ju-kun has already confessed his feelings for you. Xiao Si, now it's your turn to express your opinion."

"State your position? What position?" The commander's tongue seemed to be tied in knots.

"Why are you pretending to be stupid too..."

Hikaru Okita sighed helplessly. Her expression and actions seemed to be saying to Souji: I just can't do anything with you.

"It's about time you faced your feelings for Tachibana-kun, isn't it? You've had unusual feelings for him for a long time, haven't you?"

"No matter how much you deceive yourself, no matter how many times you tell yourself 'this is not true,' your feelings for Tachibana-kun will not disappear because of your self-deceiving behavior."

Souji: "I..."

Normally, Souji would have spoken up in rebuttal immediately.

But now… Souji couldn’t utter a coherent sentence. After stammering out the word “I,” his throat felt like it was being choked by something.

She gripped the edge of the quilt tightly, as if she wanted to tear it apart, and her eyes, which were exposed outside the quilt, showed a deep contemplation.

During his conversation with Souji, Hikaru Okita kept a close eye on Souji's face in real time.

Seeing the deep thought on Souji's face, Hikaru Okita's left corner of his mouth curled up slightly, forming a knowing smile.

To prevent Souji from seeing her sister's "plan succeeded" expression, Okita Hikaru forcefully suppressed the barely perceptible curve of her lips as soon as it appeared.

"Okay... I really should go to sleep now... I'm so sleepy."

Okita Hikaru raised his arms high, stretched, and yawned loudly.

Only in front of her closest husband and sister would this sophisticated and charming woman refrain from covering her mouth with her hand when making an unseemly gesture like yawning.

Okita Hikaru turned around and neatly spread the bedding he was carrying on the tatami mat, placing it next to Souji's bed.

As he made the bed, Okita Hikaru, with his back to Souji, calmly spoke again to the air in front of him:

"Xiao Si, I've made up my mind. I agree to let you stay at the Examination Hall and continue your sword training."

"Eh?"

Souji conveyed a complex message—"Did I hear that right?"—with a simple, dumbfounded expression.

She had argued with her sister countless times in order to fight for the right to continue studying kendo, and each time it ended badly because neither of them was willing to give in.

Why did my sister suddenly change her mind? She suddenly agreed to let me continue practicing kendo at the Shieikan?

Before Souji could voice his doubts, he heard Okita Hikaru say calmly:

"Don't be too happy yet. My big concession comes with conditions."

As Okita Hikaru said this, she had just finished making the bedding and was able to free her hands. She turned to face Souji with her lower body still and only her upper body turned, and held up two fingers to Souji.

"I have two conditions. If you can meet either of these conditions, from now on, whether you learn swordsmanship or do something else, I will no longer care about you."

"First, learn a skill that can support yourself, such as tailoring or pottery."

"I suggest you learn Western languages, just English and French. You don't need to learn other languages."

"From my observation, the opening of the country is an irreversible decision. Faced with the powerful ships and cannons of the Western countries, this country can no longer 'close itself off' as before."

"No matter how fiercely those so-called patriots shouted their 'expelling the barbarians' slogans, they could not go against the overwhelming trend that was like a waterfall."

"From now on, the Edo Shogunate will definitely have more and more frequent exchanges with the outside world, and the demand for talents who are proficient in Western languages ​​will definitely continue to increase accordingly."

"So if you learn Western languages ​​well, you'll definitely never have to worry about food in the future."

"England is currently the strongest country in the West, and when dealing with overseas countries, it is absolutely impossible to bypass England."

"France is second only to England in strength, and France currently has a very close relationship with the Shogunate, with the two sides engaging in a great deal of cooperation."

"Therefore, learning English and French is enough. Being fluent in these two languages ​​will definitely be of great benefit to your future."

"To be honest, I'm currently teaching myself English."

"Although I don't know how to pronounce many words because I didn't have a teacher to teach me, I have already remembered the meanings of quite a few words."

"As for the second point..."

Okita Hikaru smiled enigmatically.

"That is to find a husband whom I can entrust you to with peace of mind."

“I don’t intend to force you to marry anyone unless absolutely necessary. I give you the greatest freedom in choosing a partner. But for now, I strongly recommend Tachibana-kun.”

"Although it's not exactly a reason... my intuition tells me that Tachibana-kun is the kind of person who can bring you happiness."

"I'll give you three years."

Hikaru Okita held up three fingers.

"Three years. Within three years, I will either learn a skill or craft that will allow me to support myself, or I will marry Tachibana-kun or a man like Tachibana-kun who makes me feel that 'he will definitely bring you happiness'."

"If you fail to meet either of these two conditions in three years... then I'm sorry, but even if you strip naked and kneel before me, I will never let you touch my sword again."