Who Can Resist Nakano Nino? [173]

Judging by the route the three Yukinoshitas were taking, Shirase realized Ichika was right—they were clearly heading straight toward him.

Well, to be precise, it was Mrs. Yukinoshita and a cheerfully smiling Haruno who had decided to come over.

As for Yukino trailing behind them, her expression couldn’t have been more sour.

“Shirase Haruto? And this young lady is…?”

Mrs. Yukinoshita stopped before them, her tone graceful, her smile perfectly kind—the very image of a friendly, well-mannered elder.

“Hello, my name is Nakano Ichika.” Ichika quickly introduced herself, a little stiff from nerves.

She couldn’t explain why, but her instincts whispered that the gentle aura surrounding this elegant woman was entirely fabricated.

If Shirase had known her thoughts, he’d have given her a silent thumbs-up: Incredible. You nailed it on the first try.

Sometimes, women’s intuition was downright terrifying.

“Yes, I’m Shirase Haruto,” he said politely. “Is there something you needed from us, Mrs. Yukinoshita?”

“Nothing serious. I just wanted a little chat. Haruno often brings you up at home,” Mrs. Yukinoshita said with her refined smile, before glancing curiously at Ichika. “Nakano… I once knew a hospital director by that name.”

“That’s my father,” Ichika replied, returning the smile.

“Oh my, what a coincidence.” The older woman’s expression didn’t waver. “By the way, Haruno mentioned you and Yukino seem quite close, Shirase-kun?”

Shirase’s eyes flicked briefly toward Yukino, who stood silently behind her mother. “We get along well enough. We argue sometimes, but she’s a good friend.”

Yukino stared at him flatly, her eyes saying loud and clear: If my mother weren’t standing right here, I’d absolutely correct you.

Having scored one silent victory, Shirase wisely pretended not to notice.

Mrs. Yukinoshita chuckled. “I see. As her mother, I’m glad to hear Yukino’s made friends her own age. Her personality makes that… challenging at times.”

Then, as if in passing, she added, “Oh right—I heard you’re planning to become a professional soccer player?”

Behind her, Yukino’s brows drew together, her pale fingers curling into a quiet fist.

Shirase replied evenly, “I haven’t really thought that far. Right now, I’m focused on helping our club president achieve his goal.”

“Oh? And what goal would that be?” Mrs. Yukinoshita asked, genuinely curious.

“After earning our ticket to nationals, we might as well go for the championship,” Shirase said simply.

“Hmm?”

Mrs. Yukinoshita’s eyebrows rose slightly. Was he serious?

Ichika nudged his arm and whispered, “Who says something like that? You’re still trying to qualify—how can you already be talking about the championship?”

Shirase smiled. “Out of thousands of teams, someone has to win. Why can’t we think that way?”

Mrs. Yukinoshita’s smile deepened. “That’s quite an interesting mindset—though perhaps a bit typical of youthful arrogance.”

Haruno blinked. Mother’s impression of him seems to be dropping fast, she thought, mildly amused.

“I wouldn’t call it arrogance,” Shirase said with a light shrug. “If the idea of winning nationals is too much of a luxury for us, then so is every honor that comes from it. The only thing that isn’t a luxury is time.”

“Oh?” Amusement flickered in Mrs. Yukinoshita’s eyes. “And what do you mean by that?”

“I mean we still have time—months, hundreds of days, tens of thousands of minutes—to grow stronger. What’s interesting is, none of us lacks the will to chase that goal.”

“When you enter a competition with that much desire, your passion can shatter if you fail—like frozen bubbles breaking apart. It’s beautiful for a moment, but afterward, there’s only cold and loneliness left in the wind.”

He looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t know why you’re testing me, Mrs. Yukinoshita, but competition always has winners and losers. I once read a line in a book: I may lose, I may lose myself, I may never reach anywhere. I may have already lost everything, grasping only ashes from ruins. Maybe no one believes in me. Maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t know. It doesn’t matter. At least I have something worth striving for.”

He paused, then smiled—reckless, unguarded. “And I believe what everyone in our soccer club is striving for won’t keep us waiting too long.”

He’d once joined the soccer club just to pass time. Somewhere along the way, he’d become part of it.

Yukino’s expression softened. She recognized the line—Murakami Haruki.

Ichika stared at Shirase’s profile, her fists clenched tight. Something inside her stirred, deep and restless.

“Shirase’s right,” said a familiar voice. Hayama Hayato, who’d been mingling nearby, stepped forward with an easy smile. “Everyone’s fired up about winning the championship now.”

He turned politely to Mrs. Yukinoshita. “Sorry for interrupting.” Then, looking back at Shirase, his tone grew firm. “The soccer club isn’t what it used to be. I actually want to achieve something real at nationals.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Mrs. Yukinoshita replied with a soft laugh. “The national tournament gets coverage from over forty broadcasters, including NHK. I’ll be sure to watch when the time comes. Now then—we’ll excuse ourselves.”

Turning to her daughter, she asked calmly, “Yukino, are you coming?”

A few seconds passed before the usually composed girl finally spoke, her tone low but steady. “Mother, I’d like to stay. I still have something to discuss with Shirase.”

Mrs. Yukinoshita’s expression didn’t change, but just as she was about to reply, Shirase cut in, “What a coincidence. I’ve got something important to discuss with her too—the short film project from the Service Club.”

“A short film?” Hayato asked, genuinely curious. “What’s that about? Need any help?”

Mrs. Yukinoshita’s eyes flickered. Did he just interrupt me on purpose?

And Hayato—his aura had shifted since she last observed him.

At length, Mrs. Yukinoshita turned and left with Haruno.

Before leaving, Haruno gave Shirase a teasing wink. He, of course, had no idea what she meant by it.

Once they were gone, Yukino let out a long breath.

Turning to Shirase, she smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

Shirase waved it off. “We’re close enough that thanks aren’t needed. Cash works better. Or maybe ten banquets to show your gratitude. Hey, what’s that look for? Fine, half a banquet.”

Yukino laughed softly. “Unfortunately, I won’t even give you a single yen.”

“Great. I’ll add ‘stingy’ to ‘mean Yukinoshita.’”

“‘Stingy,’ hm? That does sound like me. Thanks for the accurate observation. If you keep labeling me, someday I might suspect you have a crush on me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous—me, having a crush on you? Instead of nonsense, think about how you’re going to pay me back.”

“Oh? You deny it that firmly? Sounds like we’re getting there.”

They bickered like they always did, their rhythm natural—familiar.

Hayato watched them with mixed feelings. The president’s words echoed in his mind: “Shirase’s going to die horribly in a Shuraba someday.”

At this rate, that prophecy might not take long.

Beside Shirase, Ichika bit her lip in silence, eyes clouded with emotion.

That familiar sensation returned—only this time, it was unmistakably a sense of crisis.

—

This is a fan translation of 谁能拒绝中野二乃呢？by 六花吖六花. Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!