"Meow....."
Looking at the fat cat's wise eyes, Misaki Saki finally let out a sigh, released the Roast Meat, her eyes filled with melancholy,
"Forget it, you look kind of dumb, so just be my little brother, General Haruka. You can't handle it."
???
"Meow???"
.....
The first floor of the villa,
Reiko Onodera returned to her bedroom to take a bath.
Only Haruka Yuzan and Chiba Shimizu remained in the living room.
One was playing with their phone, the other was reading a magazine.
With a delicate face, slender fingers, and a serene expression, even "Outdoor Wild Talk" seemed to be perused with sophistication.
A sense of cool elegance wafted through the air, compelling the guy lounging sloppily on the couch to sit up straight.
One wondered how beautiful the girl would look when she smiled.
Good news: Her smile was indeed beautiful.
Bad news: She had a poker face and never smiled.
After some thought, Haruka Yuzan sat up straight and opened the drawer under the coffee table.
What caught his eye was a thin book which he respectfully... slid aside to take out another book that was pressed beneath it—a thick one.
"Being and Nothingness"
"Hey, this is for you."
Looking at the book handed to her, Chiba Shimizu paused. This time, Haruka Yuzan saw clearly—her calm pupils... still remained unchanged...
At least show some reaction.
If not surprised, at least be shocked, right?
This makes me seem so dumb...
Haruka Yuzan just held the book, silently looking at the girl, trying hard not to appear too awkward.
"Hmm, thank you."
After a moment, Chiba Shimizu pursed her lips, took the book, and nodded in thanks.
[You have fulfilled Chiba Shimizu's wish list]
"Hey, hey, hey, don't ruin the market. How could a pretty boy like me only be worth three thousand yen?"
As he spoke, he lifted his head and came closer, allowing him to see clearly,
The slender, fair legs exposed, the long white nightgown wrapping her slender perfect figure, the pale neck, and the expressionless cute face.
At that moment, the boy seemed to have also caught a glimpse of the emotions flickering in the girl's eyes... embarrassment and disdain.
Adorably unfair...
"Do you act this vain in front of Otome too? Oiran boy?" Calming her heart, Chiba Shimizu began to explain, "This is the money for the book you bought for me."
Alright then, a new title unlocked.
"I was just talking about the going rate. Besides, don't be so formal. Didn't I explain the origin of the book to you?"
Haruka Yuzan said with a smile, locking eyes with the girl, calm, indifferent...
After a while, the boy started to feel a bit guilty under her gaze,
"Is that story really so unbelievable?"
"Yeah, it's terrible."
"Really?"
"Yep, particularly terrible!"
The girl delivered her most scathing critique, "Thinking you are the 6,666th customer in a bookstore and hence won the book in a raffle..."
Halting mid-sentence, Chiba Shimizu struggled to continue, "Next time, please come up with a more realistic story."
The earnestness in her made the boy feel hurt,
"Alright, alright." Haruka Yuzan picked up the money from the bed, "Even though I thought about it for a long time, it should've worked...."
Chiba Shimizu felt speechless,
Unbeknownst to her, the young lady's thought process and emotions were becoming richer by the day.
She hadn't even noticed it herself ...
"But really, to come over so late just to give money?"
"Yep, I came by twice before, but you weren't in your room."
At that time, Haruka Yuzan was soaking up in madam's room, who knew someone would look for him so late at night?
"Well... you could have brought it tomorrow... so, is there anything else?"
The boy was sitting on the bed, and the girl was standing beside it, with Roast Meat sleeping on the hanging bed.
Moonlight scattered through, lighting up the space between them.....