Teaching or not teaching was one thing.
Seeing the conversation veer into dangerous territory, Kaguya quickly intervened with a strained smile to shut it down.
"It's getting late, we have things to do, so we'll be heading out now."
If this topic continued, the rare opportunity she had fought for would be ruined by these two "sows"! This was supposed to be her special time, and yet these two pests were clinging to Rin like flies to honey!
"Eh? Are Big Brother and Kaguya-chan going on a date?"
"That's right." Kaguya nodded with a calm, triumphant smile. This caught Moeha off guard... she had expected Kaguya to act like a typical tsundere and deny it. She hadn't expected her to be so straightforward.
Then again, it made sense. Kaguya had already participated in a "party" with Rin; being too coy now would just be redundant.
Pity... tsunderes are so much fun to tease. Guess I'll have to find another chance later.
"Then Big Sis and I won't disturb your date... Ow! Sis, don't pull me so hard!"
"Bleeehhhhh~~~"
Moeha was dragged away by Chika. Halfway through, Chika turned back and stuck her tongue out at Rin... she absolutely did not want her little sister defiled by him!
After making the face, Chika looked at her sister, who was still looking back every three steps. She was curious how Rin had managed to pinpoint her sister in a crowd and successfully hit on her.
"How did he approach you?"
Moeha blinked innocently. Even if she couldn't tease Kaguya today, messing with her sister was a fine alternative.
"Actually, I was the one who hit on him~" Moeha wasn't lying about that part. The moment she stepped out of the school gates, she spotted Rin waiting and ran straight to him.
"???"
"Big Brother is exactly my type," Moeha said, twisting her body and putting on the act of a shy girl in the throes of her first crush. "Even though you've known him for a long time, Sis, you never introduced us. Sigh... Kaguya-chan beat me to the punch."
"You are NOT allowed to like him!"
"Ehhh? Why can't I? Are you in love with him too, but Kaguya-chan got there first?" Moeha teased Chika until her face was crimson, successfully leading her away from the trio.
"Phew..." Watching the Fujiwara sisters disappear, Kaguya let out a long breath of relief. Her precious time had nearly been sabotaged. "Let's go. Ai said it's not far; we can walk."
"Where exactly is it?" Rin asked.
Rin looked at Kaguya, and Kaguya looked at Hayasaka. Not just Rin—even Kaguya didn't know the specific location. She had been too excited yesterday to ask, and Hayasaka hadn't volunteered the info.
Under their gaze, Hayasaka's expression became... subtle.
"Um... just follow me."
Seeing Hayasaka's hesitant, awkward look, Rin felt something was off. Had they actually failed to find a place, and Kaguya just wanted an excuse to walk around and go on a "date" like the old days?
Well... a date was a date.
Rin walked along the streets with Kaguya, enjoying the pseudo-date. Every now and then, Kaguya would raise her camera and snap a few photos. Guided by Hayasaka, they arrived at a residential area not far from Kaguya's estate.
Though not as grand as Kaguya's manor, it was much more spacious than Rin's current house. If the price was right, it would be an excellent spot for a studio.
However, Rin noticed Kaguya's expression darkening as they walked. When Hayasaka finally stopped, Kaguya completely snapped.
"We're here. I got the keys from the agent last night..."
Before Hayasaka could finish, Kaguya gritted her teeth and grabbed Rin's wrist, trying to drag him away.
"Ai! We're finding another place!"
"What's wrong with—"
Rin's question was cut short by a pink silhouette appearing in the window next door. Now Rin understood why Hayasaka's expression had been so complicated.
This house was right next door to Chika's family home.
"Yoo-hoo~ Big Brother! What are you doing here?" Moeha waved from the window before turning around and screaming into the house, "Sis! Big Brother is here to play!"
"Go! We have to leave! This is a nest of flies! If we stay, we'll be covered in them! Ai, why didn't you tell me sooner!?"
"I tried to tell you last night, Kaguya, but you weren't listening," Hayasaka said tonelessly. It wasn't until the Fujiwara sisters came running out of the yard that a defeated Kaguya gave up on trying to drag Rin away.
"You... you... what are you doing here!? Are you really that obsessed with Moeha?" Chika demanded.
Facing Chika's interrogation, Rin suppressed a laugh and gave a simple explanation. He had finally pieced together what happened.
Hayasaka, who was in the group chat, had told Kaguya about Rin's search for a studio. Kaguya told her to find something "nearby" for convenience... and it just so happened that Chika's neighbor was renting out their villa.
In fairness to Hayasaka, a villa was perfect for a small studio—utilities and space were all ready to go. The wealthy area where Kaguya lived was full of villas; even if it wasn't Chika's direct neighbor, it would have been close by.
"Yay! Perfect!" Moeha clapped her hands happily. "Big Brother should just rent this place. We know the lady next door; we can help him negotiate a cheaper price. Oh, Big Brother, Kaguya-chan, let me show you around!"
Moeha grabbed Rin with her left hand and Kaguya with her right, excitedly dragging them inside for a tour. Kaguya glanced at the miserable Chika, and her mood improved slightly.
Moeha, whose keen eyes missed nothing, saw Kaguya's petty satisfaction. She let go of Rin's hand to let him explore on his own, then intimately leaned against Kaguya's arm, whispering coquettishly.
"Kaguya-chan hasn't stayed over at my house lately. Moeha feels so lonely~"
"Uh... sorry, lately I've been..." Kaguya stammered. She was terrible at dealing with girls like Moeha. If it were some "bad girl," she could use her cold heiress persona without hesitation, but Moeha... she wasn't "bad," yet she was incredibly troublesome.
"It's okay~" Moeha winked at Kaguya. "If Big Brother sets up his studio here, then whenever Kaguya-chan comes to play with him, she can stay the night with us too~"
"!!!!"
Moeha's words hit Kaguya like a bolt of lightning.
In the past, Kaguya and Chika frequently stayed at each other's houses. Since Chika had already been "eaten" by Rin, and Moeha had even helped push Rin's ass during the party, it was only a matter of time before Moeha was taken too. If he rented right next to Chika, Kaguya would have the perfect excuse to come over.
"And... Big Brother is so handsome. Surely there are other girls after him, right? If you don't reclaim him quickly, something irreversible might happen~"
"!!!!"
"Even though Kaede and Suzu are very pretty and cute, if I had to choose between them and Kaguya-chan, I'd definitely side with my favorite Kaguya-chan."
"!!!!"
Hayasaka looked at them with a sigh. Moeha might be "cute," but she was a master manipulator. In just three sentences, she had Kaguya completely under her thumb.
Convinced by Moeha's logic, Kaguya nodded.
"I... I suppose I have no choice. This really is the most suitable place. And... and since you know the landlord, we can get a discount..."
"Hooray!~~~~" Moeha stood on her tiptoes and kissed Kaguya's cheek. She then scampered over to Rin and grabbed his arm to continue the tour. "Big Brother, the layout here is the same as my house. Kaguya-chan visits all the time and says it's great. So? Decided? I can help you haggle with the landlord lady."
"Hmm... it really is nice. If the living room is cleared out, it could easily fit ten computer desks. There are plenty of rooms, and the soundproofing is good... playing guitar wouldn't disturb anyone."
"Oh, Big Brother, there's even a basement here."
"Yeah, a basement is great for storage and extra gear..."
Moeha quietly pulled Rin into a room and lowered her voice.
"Um, Big Brother, since there's so much space... my family's basement is packed with all sorts of weird stuff my eldest sister buys. If I help you haggle the price down, can I use the basement? You know... as a secret base."
"A secret base? No problem." Rin smiled. "Every boy and girl wants their own secret hideout. I get it. What are you planning to put there? Your family doesn't let you play games, right? You want to buy a console and keep it here? Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."
"It's not that," Moeha said, a flicker of perversion appearing on her innocent face. "Just some small things like a wooden horse, a bondage rack, a restraint chair, a dog cage... stuff like that~"
"..."