Night.
Kaguya, clutching her pillow in despair, glared at Ai Hayasaka as if it were her fault for not helping her draft a reply sooner.
"Ai-chan!"
"What now?" Hayasaka sighed. She was no longer Kaguya's maid, but she still lived with her and Kaguya still relied on her. Hayasaka just wasn't as indulgent as before.
"Yesterday he said he wanted to find a place for a studio. Did he find one?"
"Probably not yet." Hayasaka shook her head. She was in the "Baumkuchen" group chat and saw Rin's message asking for studio leads. She told Kaguya, who immediately had Hayasaka look for places nearby. The goal wasn't "suitability," it was "proximity" so Kaguya would have an excuse to visit!
It had been a month since the holidays ended, and Kaguya had barely messaged him, always overthinking what to say until the next day arrived.
"I asked friends and agents. There are suitable places nearby, but..." Hayasaka hesitated.
"But what? Too expensive? If it's the price, I'll pay for it secretly."
Excited to have a topic, Kaguya grabbed the phone Rin bought her and messaged him.
Kaguya: [I found a perfect place for your studio.]
Rin: [Where? Do you have the landlord's contact? I'll check it tomorrow.]
Kaguya: [Come to the school gate after classes tomorrow. I'll take you there.]
Rin: [Okay, I'll wait for you at your school.]
"Hee-hee~ He's coming to pick me up from school~" Kaguya rolled around on her bed, giggling like a fool. "Ehehehe~"
Watching her, Hayasaka hesitated... she hadn't mentioned where the place was yet!
The next afternoon, Kaguya spent the entire day in a state of bliss, smiling at everyone with uncharacteristic warmth. She was no longer the "Ice Queen," but this was next-level. Her classmates thought she had a brain tumor. Chika didn't even dare get close, fearing it was a contagious virus!
"Kaguya, your smile is a little disgusting," Chika remarked bluntly.
Kaguya didn't get angry; she simply forgave Chika with a beatific smile.
"He's picking her up after school," Hayasaka explained.
"Oh... that explains it. Let's push the Student Council work to tomorrow then. Let's go~" Chika puffed out her chest and walked out with them. Usually, Kaguya would curse Chika's breasts, but today she was in a great mood.
The three girls walked toward the Shuchi'in Academy gates. Since many students were from wealthy families, the gate was lined with luxury cars. They scanned the crowd for Rin.
"Over there," Hayasaka said.
Kaguya and Chika followed her gaze... Clatter.
Chika's bag hit the ground. Her blue eyes lost their light, and her lips trembled like a broken robot. The next second, she sprinted toward Rin.
Rin wasn't alone. Standing next to him was a very familiar figure.
"MOE-MOE-MOE-MOEHA!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!!??"
Chika skidded to a halt, grabbed Moeha's wrist, and yanked her away from Rin, glaring at him like a hawk.
"Onee-san?" Moeha tilted her head innocently. "What's wrong? Ah! Kaguya-chan, Ai-chan, good afternoon~"
"How... how do you know this man!?" Chika shielded Moeha. "This man is a pervert! You can't be near him!"
"Eh?" Moeha winked at Kaguya and Hayasaka before stepping between Chika and Rin. "This is my first time meeting him... I was walking home and saw this super handsome guy standing here, so I decided to hit on him. Do you know him, Onee-san?"
Moeha's acting was flawless; she lied without a hint of hesitation. Even Rin felt like it was their first meeting.
"He might be handsome, but don't be fooled! He's a pervert!"
"Eh? Why do you say that? Did he do something perverted to you, Onee-san?" Moeha asked, playing dumb. She had been at the hotel party pushing Rin's ass while he was with Chika, but now she acted like a total stranger.
"I..." Chika sputtered. How could she tell her little sister about that? Chika had been blindfolded during the party, so she didn't know Moeha was there helping Rin. She and Kaguya had even bitten Chika's ass!
Chika was determined to keep her sister away from Rin's clutches. "Anyway, he's a pervert! Stay away, Moeha!"
Watching her sister struggle for an excuse, Moeha giggled internally. The more nervous Chika got, the more Moeha wanted to tease her. She stepped past Chika and hugged Rin's arm.
"Hmph... are you jealous, Onee-san? He's exactly my type!"
"Moe-Moeha!!! Calm down!!!" Chika glared at Rin with murderous intent before grabbing Moeha's shoulders. "He might look cool, but he's not the reliable 'Big Brother' you think he is."
"Oh? Tell me the details then."
"Uh..." Chika bit her tongue. She couldn't mention his playboy nature without revealing how she knew. But... aside from being a playboy, he was reliable. He had single-handedly convinced Kaguya's father to let her be with him.
"See? You can't say anything. You're definitely jealous!"
"N-No! He... he's the guy who draws those slutty manga!"
"Slutty manga? So what? It's just a job. And... if he draws those, he must know a lot about... you know. Hey, Big Brother, will you teach me?~"
"Sure," Rin replied with a grin.
Chika panicked. "NO!!! I... I'll teach you!!!"