Ayanokoji looked up, quite surprised.
Who was this, and why were they looking for Meari?
This sudden voice also interrupted Kurume and Ririka's conversation.
Kurume Laiwei subconsciously looked at Ayanokoji.
"I'll go see." Ayanokoji stood up.
Could it be someone sent by the Zenshoukai today? Then why didn't she come for him, but for Meari?
Ayanokoji thought this and pushed open the door.
The uninvited guest shouting for Meari at the door was a blonde girl.
Her hair was very unique, with fluffy, drill-like princess curls at the ends, which made her look exceptionally imposing, like an arrogant princess from some unknown country.
She had an impressive figure, arms crossed, and looked at Meari, who was standing in front of the Chemistry Preparation Room door, with a disdainful gaze.
With an arrogant smile on her face, she confidently said to Meari, "Saotome, you can't run away after winning money, you know! I'm definitely going to win against you this time!"
"Meari, who is she?" Ayanokoji asked.
Meari rubbed her forehead, looking like she had a headache, "This girl is Ruribird Nadeshiko, Kurume Laiwei's friend.
Kurume introduced me to gamble at her casino before..."
"You won money from her before?" Ayanokoji understood; this student, Ruribird, had come for "revenge."
In other words, she should not be from the Zenshoukai.
"Eh? Ruribird, why are you here?" Kurume poked her head out from behind the door, looking surprised.
She felt the voice sounded a bit familiar, but she didn't expect it to really be Ruribird Nadeshiko... Why did she suddenly come here? She hadn't made an appointment with her?
The moment she saw Kurume, Ruribird Nadeshiko's arrogant expression instantly vanished, replaced by a brilliant smile as she lunged towards Kurume, "Kurume, I came to find you!"
Kurume Laiwei didn't fall for it at all.
She pursed her lips, pushed her hand away, and said coldly, "Is that so? How come I heard you came to get revenge on Meari?"
"I actually mainly came to find you; getting revenge on Saotome was just a side trip..." Ruribird chuckled awkwardly.
"What happened?" Ririka came out curiously.
She had been hesitant, wondering if she should intervene if someone came to trouble Ayanokoji.
But now, it seemed like they weren't here to cause trouble.
"Nothing big, this girl is Kurume's friend."
Ayanokoji felt that a group of people crowding at the room entrance wasn't good, and even the guests next door were looking curious.
He simply said, "Alright, don't stand here anymore.
Let's go inside and talk about whatever it is."
He paused, then added, "Meari, you come over too."
Hanatemari and Togakushi Yukimi were enough in the next room; Meari's presence there didn't really matter.
After all, this girl came for Meari, and Meari should be the one to deal with this mess.
Everyone filed into the Cooking Room.
It was Ruribird Nadeshiko's first time in the Cooking Room.
After curiously looking around, she nodded with satisfaction, "The atmosphere here is very nice; this kind of place suits my temperament..."
Inside the room, piano music flowed from the speakers.
After just two seconds of listening, Ruribird Nadeshiko recognized the piece, and her eyes lit up.
"Mendelssohn's 'Spring Song.' The person who chose the music has good taste..."
"Naturally." Meari hummed smugly.
She had randomly picked this song from a piano music playlist, so it wasn't wrong to say she chose it.
"You chose it, Meari?" Ruribird Nadeshiko was a bit surprised and clicked her tongue in annoyance, disdainfully finding fault with Meari, "Too bad, this speaker is too shoddy and affects the quality of this piano piece."
Ayanokoji pursed his lips.
Don't falsely accuse; this speaker is a "Harman Kardon" speaker, costing over a million Japanese Yen.
Although it's not the top-tier speaker, it's not just for making noise, right?
Although he really wanted to refute, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Ruribird Nadeshiko was picking a fight with Meari, not the speaker, so Ayanokoji didn't speak up.
Meari narrowed her eyes, "Since you don't like the speaker here, then you're not welcome here.
Please leave."
Meari issued an eviction order.
Ruribird Nadeshiko acted as if she hadn't heard, sat down at a table as if no one else was there, and waved at Meari, "The speaker issue is a minor thing.
Hurry up and gamble with me!
I'm going to win back the money I lost to you and then buy a steinway piano!"
Meari's face hardened, "I'm very busy right now and don't have time to gamble with you.
My casino here is not like yours; our casino has many customers."
Ruribird Nadeshiko said indignantly, "My casino doesn't win by quantity, but by quality.
As long as I win one game, I won't have to worry for half a year!"
Meari gave a cold laugh, "Oh, but didn't you lose several million to me? Did you lose three years' worth of business in one opening?"
"...Ugh!" This 'true damage' pierced Ruribird Nadeshiko's heart, startling her speechless.
"Is her casino business doing very poorly?" Ayanokoji asked.
Kurume spread her hands, helpless, and said, "It's not bad, it's just that there are no customers at all. If I didn't help her bring in some customers, she wouldn't even get a single business deal in a month."
Having her secrets exposed in front of a group of strangers, Ruribird Nadeshiko looked furious and ashamed: "Kurume, whose side are you on?!"
"I'm in the middle." Kurume very simply took a step back, indicating that she would not participate in this dispute.
"Since your casino isn't making money, why do you still keep it open?" Ayanokoji asked curiously.
Ruribird Nadeshiko was so concerned about losing a few million to Meari, her meticulousness didn't seem like Ikishima Midari, who was wealthy enough to open a casino casually.
"That's because of the steinway piano in the music classroom, of course!" Ruribird Nadeshiko blurted out, "If it weren't for that piano, I wouldn't be paying a large sum of money to the Student Council every month. I don't even like gambling!"
steinway piano is the founder of modern piano manufacturing. For over a century, whether on stage or played at home, top international pianists have chosen Steinway as their preferred instrument. Steinway can be considered synonymous with pianos, and Ayanokoji could understand her feelings.
"Looking at you, your family shouldn't be short of money, right? Since you don't like gambling, why not just buy a steinway piano and put it at home?"
"I have money, but all that money belongs to my father, not me."
Ruribird Nadeshiko pouted and said, "Although my family has a grand piano, it's just a domestic brand. I want to buy a Steinway grand piano, but my father said there's hardly any difference between the two and is unwilling to spend more money to buy it for me."
"Aren't pianos and pianos pretty much the same?"
Ruribird Nadeshiko got excited: "There's a world of difference! Besides being an excellent instrument, the steinway piano is also a symbol of ultimate expressiveness and creativity, connecting artists and listeners tightly, allowing the audience to enjoy an unparalleled musical experience…!"
"Stop, you don't need to say any more." Meari quickly stopped her from continuing, feeling that she would never finish once she started.
In short, Ruribird Nadeshiko hoped to achieve perfection in one go, pursuing the ultimate in pianos, while her father had a businessman's mindset, more focused on cost-effectiveness.
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