Chapter 272: Since When Were Beautiful Girls So Common?
Grinning, the President put the thrown cushion back and said, "Usami's strength seems to be increasing. Ah, sorry, sorry, I won't say anything more. Asakura, you mentioned you have more guests coming tomorrow?"
"That's right."
Kaede sat down and nodded with a smile: "Did you see the snacks Eriri is holding? It's from Homura, a wagashi shop near my house. I got to know the two daughters of the Homura family a while ago; they are two very cute kids. I hadn't seen them for a long time, so I went to visit today. Then I realized I hadn't invited them over since moving to the new place, so I extended the invitation."
The President immediately became interested: "Do you have pictures? Do you have pictures?"
Even Kitamura Yusaku leaned closer and asked curiously, "I'm curious too. Asakura, you've known them for so long, you must have photos. Since you mentioned it to Sawamura, it means she knows them too. Don't hide it; let everyone take a look."
"You two have issues."
Kaede looked at the two of them and said helplessly, "Since when were you interested in girls, President? I always thought you only liked sleeping."
The President scratched his head and said, "Ahaha, I'm a normal guy too, how could I not be interested? Besides, I'm just curious, I don't have any other intentions, trust me."
Seeing both of them staring at him, and noticing that others were also looking curious, Kaede exchanged a look with Eriri, shrugged, and reluctantly took out his phone.
"Fine, fine, I do have a few photos."
Of course, they weren't photos he took with Honoka and the others, but ones Kaede took for them after Eriri got to know them too.
Pulling up the pictures in the album, everyone saw the sisters Honoka and Yukiho, along with Umi and Kotori in the same frame.
Usami exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, they are so cute!"
Utaha also nodded in agreement: "Mhm, they are indeed very cute, and each one has her own distinct charm. Since when were beautiful girls so common?"
Kushieda Minori looked at the photos, then looked at the girls present, and nodded in surprise: "It really seems that way. Look, there are so many cute girls here, and Asakura-kun even managed to win over Eriri, and he knows so many other cute girls. Hmm... is this what they call a light novel protagonist?"
"No, no, light novel protagonists usually don't establish relationships with the heroines this quickly," Kaede said, waving his hand decisively. "Besides, light novel protagonists these days don't have it easy; they might get hit by a car and transported to another world any day now. I'm perfectly fine where I am."
Kaede's words made everyone laugh, but they gave unanimous affirmation to the attractiveness of the girls in the photo.
The President, true to his word, only looked and didn't ask anything further.
Uchimaki looked at Kaede and asked, "So, Asakura, your house will be hosting guests again tomorrow? That will certainly be lively."
"It's a day off, so a bit of excitement is nice. Usually, it's just Eriri and me at home—oh, and the three Cats. Having guests over makes things very cheerful, just like today."
Kaede put away his phone, opened the box of snacks on the coffee table, and took a bite of a wagashi himself: "Mhm, delicious as always. These were just made, everyone please eat."
As everyone started eating the snacks, the three Cats, who had been observing from the sidelines, all ran over.
Golza and Melba, the two kittens, had grown rapidly recently. They were running with impressive speed, pouncing directly onto Kaede's lap, their curious eyes fixed on the wagashi in his hand.
"No, you can't have this! This isn't for you to eat."
After eating the remaining half of the wagashi, Kaede placed the Cats on Eriri's lap, then got up to grab some Cat treats for the two little ones to satisfy their craving.
Cradling Camilla, Usami said with a face full of envy, "That's so nice. These two little ones won't let me hold them; they only stick to their people."
"That is true."
Eriri nodded with a smile: "These two little ones only warm up to Kaede-kun and me. Even when Mom and Aunt Reiko visit, they don't react; they just play and eat as usual."
Leaning back on the sofa, the President sighed: "He has Cats, a house, and financial freedom. Suddenly, I feel like there's nothing for me, his senior, to feel superior about, except for age."
Uchimaki Subaru looked at the President and said, "President, Asakura and Sawamura's situation is the exception. Most people their age are still studying in school; those who earn money are very few. Ah, I almost forgot, Kasumigaoka-senpai is one of them too."
"As for me, I still have a long way to go."
Utaha, who was writing something in a small notebook, looked up with a smile and addressed everyone: "Earning money is only one part of it. In my opinion, the key is recognizing what you want to do in the future. I plan to pursue a literary path, which is why I started learning to write and trying to write novels after entering high school. After debuting as a light novel author, I also plan to major in literature in university to further my studies. I think you should all start considering this too; the three years of high school fly by quickly."
Bringing this up suddenly seemed to make the atmosphere a bit heavy.
Aisaka Taiga, who disliked this kind of atmosphere, puffed out her cheeks and patted Uchimaki Subaru's shoulder: "Uchimaki, Monopoly isn't over yet. It's your turn to roll the dice."
"Ah, I almost forgot, we're already in the final stage."
Uchimaki Subaru realized, picked up the dice, and threw them out.
"Five spots, move five steps forward. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Huh?"
Aisaka Taiga looked and exclaimed excitedly, "Yay! I won!"
"Masaka! How did you roll exactly a five? Couldn't it have been a four? I still had a hundred thousand in savings, and now it's all gone!"
As luck would have it, Uchimaki Subaru landed directly on a property Aisaka Taiga had purchased and upgraded to the highest level. Moreover, three consecutive properties belonged to Aisaka Taiga. This chain of bonuses immediately wiped out Uchimaki Subaru's last remaining savings, achieving an astonishing third kill. She had previously used the same tactic to defeat Takasu Ryuji and Eriri, finally securing victory in today's Monopoly game.
Eriri gave a wry smile and looked at Kaede: "Taiga's luck was exceptionally good today. She got whatever she wanted. Even when a few of us teamed up against her, we couldn't win."
"Haha! Now you know how amazing I am!"
Aisaka Taiga stood up, placed her hands on her hips, and, like a small doll, stood perfectly straight, raising her head proudly: "I told you from the start not to underestimate me! Eriri, where is my prize for winning?"
"Huh? There's a prize?" Kaede asked curiously.
Eriri nodded: "That's right. I said whoever won Monopoly today could request one dish for dinner."
Well, everyone present was a foodie, so no one would refuse this prize for the winner.