Though she said that, it wouldn't be right to show up empty-handed.
Kaito didn't press the matter. There was still a week left. No rush. He could prepare something heartfelt when the time came.
["Besides that, is there anything else important?"]
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then came a shy reply, "Th-there actually is one more thing"
["I'm listening."]
"Mm"
Brown hair spread messily on the bed, the girl gently bit her lip.
"Don't hang up the call yet"
Her slender white hand gradually moved downward, eventually stopping somewhere. The fire in her heart hadn't been extinguished, instead, because of the voice she had longed to hear, it ignited an even stronger rebound after a brief suppression.
Her sky-blue eyes slowly clouded over with mist.
"Please talk to me a little longer"
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Chapter 216: Funny, huh? I only saw a golden retriever shouting saki crawling all over the ground
[The Next Day, Early Morning]
Stepping to the crisp sound of the preparatory bell, Kaito stepped into the classroom.
It was still the familiar window-side seat, still the familiar desk.
And, the desk compartment filled to the brim with love letters.
Kaito had long since gotten used to this kind of scene, but there was one thing he couldn't quite understand.
Clearly, he had never opened a single love letter, always tidied them up and threw them into the trash can, yet the classmates around him never get tired of it.
It was as if they treated this matter like a punch-in task for skilled hands, thunderously unshakable, exuding a kind of grand demeanor like "you throw as you please, if I skip a day, I lose" and "sending you love letters, what does it have to do with you."
"Good morning, Kaito-kun~", A lively girl's voice interrupted his thoughts.
After two days of not seeing her, Chihaya-san was still so energetic.
Kaito gave a soft "hm" and nodded toward her, "Good morning."
At first glance his attitude seemed a bit distant, but Chihaya Anon knew his personality. Socially awkward, not that he had any problem with her, so she didn't mind at all. Instead, she excitedly raised her phone, "Hey hey, did you hear? This morning sumimi's official account suddenly posted an update! Announced they'll resume activities soon, and also strongly clarified the previous rumors, denying all talk of internal conflict and suppression. It's like a dream!"
Kaito was a bit surprised.
But it wasn't surprise at sumimi's miraculous return, it was surprise that Togawa Sadaharu moved so quickly.
From the moment he brought up sumimi yesterday until now, it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours.
No wonder the old man could keep control of the massive Togawa group for decades, just this level of efficiency spoke volumes.
He didn't care about Togawa Sadaharu's inner thoughts; as long as the other side handled things according to his request, it was enough. Sumimi wouldn't disband, that Miss Sumita could continue partnering with the "Uika" she spoke of, and Chihaya-san wouldn't have to be heartbroken over her favorite idol group retiring.
This was already the best ending he could give them.
'Could it be a passing deity really heard my prayer?'
Inside the spacious and bright office, Sumita Mana sat on the sofa, watching the endlessly chattering manager across from her, her cute, pure face still a bit dazed.
The turn of events had come very suddenly.
This morning she had planned to proactively find her manager and clearly express her stance to the company: no matter what, she would not give up on Uika's solo career.
To speak honestly, this was a risky move. Even though she was a currently popular girl idol, idols didn't hold high status in Japan to begin with, and her own rank wasn't nearly enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the agency. Doing this would most likely mean being shelved along with Uika.
But some things can't be left undone just because they're dangerous. Mana wasn't religious, but before leaving, she still instinctively prayed to an all-powerful deity, hoping to bring good luck for herself and Uika.
However even if gods really did exist in this world, they wouldn't bless someone like her, who only thought of burning incense when trouble came, right?
With this thought, Mana and Uika arrived at the company.
And then, a miracle really happened.
The manager, who had previously tried to persuade her again and again to cut ties with Uika due to pressure from the Togawa conglomerate, suddenly changed his attitude. Instead of nagging, he patted his chest and said that sumimi would soon resume normal activities, and didn't mention dropping Uika anymore. He just fawned over her and said strange things, basically summing up to "don't forget me when you get rich."
Sumita Mana: "???"
Clearly, every syllable the manager uttered was standard Japanese, but once strung together, Mana couldn't understand them anymore.
Instinctively, she looked toward the third person in the office. A blonde girl with shoulder-length hair, delicate features, and a kind of valiant aura.
Misumi Uika, the other member of sumimi, also served as the guitarist and songwriter.
Unlike Mana's sweet, soft, marshmallow-like personality, Uika was more mature and steady, the reliable one in the group.
But now, looking at her, she seemed a bit dazed.
No one knew better than Uika the reason sumimi was being suppressed, it was a warning from the Togawa family.
Actually, she had already prepared herself for this. In front of that old man, her every move was like a drop of ink on white paper, painfully conspicuous, impossible to hide.
Being able to stay in Tokyo this long, even establishing a career and realizing her childhood dream of becoming an idol, she was already very satisfied.
'Yes, she should be satisfied.'
'But why do I still feel so unwilling?'
'I haven't yet seen Sakiko'
Misumi Uika was born on a remote island, in a family that lived by fishing.
She had always been a lonely child, out of place with the other kids on the island.
Until one summer, a warm and cheerful girl like a little sun came to the island.
Later, Uika unintentionally became friends with her and learned her name: Togawa Sakiko.
They became very good friends, playing in the water, catching beetles, lying on the grass watching stars on summer nights.
It was truly a time so beautiful even the gods would envy it, carefree and joyful.
Perhaps it was because of those memories that Uika had never been able to forget Sakiko, never been able to let go.
In middle school, her father died at sea during a fishing trip. After the funeral, Uika accidentally overheard a shocking truth from her mother.
It turned out she was not her father's biological daughter, but the illegitimate child of her mother and a powerful, influential man.
And that man was Sakiko's grandfather.
Her childhood best friend suddenly became her niece.
Misumi Uika didn't feel joy, she couldn't accept the truth. She left the island and boarded a fishing boat to Tokyo by herself.
She wanted to see Sakiko one more time, even if it was just to say one more sentence.
But this small wish had never come true.
It wasn't that someone was stopping her; she simply didn't have the courage.
She was afraid that suddenly appearing would disturb Sakiko's life, make her unhappy, or even hate her.
She was like an abandoned golden retriever. No matter how much she wanted to rush into her master's arms, she only dared to squat in place and wag her tail, waiting for the master's call.
Uika waited and waited, but Sakiko's call never came. Instead, she was met with pressure from Togawa Sadaharu, her biological father.
She understood what the old man meant. She also understood that, by herself, she couldn't resist Togawa Sadaharu's decisions.
She was still able to remain in Tokyo not because she was strong, but because he hadn't used harsher means.
Perhaps this was the only kindness he had left for his illegitimate daughter.
'But now what made that old man change his mind and voluntarily lift the suppression on sumimi?'
Uika couldn't figure it out. But Mana, after recovering from the initial confusion, seemed to realize something. She picked up her phone and found a special starred contact pinned at the top.
[Kaito-kun]
The brown-haired girl's eyelashes trembled slightly. Her slender fingertips unconsciously rubbed the screen.
'The one who saved me and Uika'
'Is it you?'
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Chapter 217: Truly worth the price of admission even if I die!
Monday morning, first period was Hiratsuka Shizuka's Japanese class.
The female teacher, wearing a white lab coat, had just entered the classroom when she announced two big matters.
The first: the cooking class teacher who had previously taken a leave of absence due to hospitalization had recovered, so in the coming days, the cooking classroom would be reopened. The first class would be held this Friday, and thereafter, it would be held once every two weeks.
Most schools in Japan offered cooking classes, also known as home economics classes. The main content of the course was to teach students basic cooking skills, such as cutting vegetables and how to make curry.
Due to Japan's implementation of happy education, it was not easy for ordinary people to enter a good university, so a considerable number of students would not choose to pursue higher education after graduation, either directly entering the workforce or finding a good man to marry, transitioning seamlessly into the role of housewife.
The significance of the cooking class's existence was to ensure that this latter group of people wouldn't be completely clueless about housework after marriage.
This news did not cause much of a stir in the class. For most students, cooking class was nothing unfamiliar, basically just a chill class where you could slack off.
In contrast, the second piece of news announced by Teacher Hiratsuka was much more weighty.
There were less than two weeks left before Shuka's school festival.
This was a traditional event held in many Japanese schools, usually only once a year, lasting two to three days.
During the school festival, the school would lift access restrictions, allowing even outsiders to freely visit and enjoy the campus.
The activities during the school festival were simple: each class and club would showcase themselves. Students could rehearse performances, organize haunted houses, maid cafs, or food stalls, there was great freedom.
Most students were extremely enthusiastic about any on-campus activity unrelated to studying; as long as it wasn't class, it was a good event.
Let alone something as grand as the school festival, many people had already started discussing it excitedly.
"How about doing a haunted house? I still have ketchup bought back in middle school to fake blood! I can bring it tomorrow."
"Haunted houses are already out of fashion and would anyone really use ketchup to fake blood? The smell's way too obvious."
"What about a dessert shop? I have quite a bit of confidence in the cookies I bake, I bet they'll sell really well."
"But the competition's probably gonna be intense, right? If everyone's doing dessert shops, it'll be hard for us to stand out"
Amid the noisy chatter, someone whispered, "How about a maid caf? That way, maybe we could see Classmate Kaito's"
She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "But! Ler! Outfit!"
Time seemed to stand still, and the air fell silent in an instant.
Just a second ago, the girls had been chatting feverishly. Now they looked at each other, then one after another turned to look at the figure sitting by the window. In their multicolored pupils, an eye-blinding glow lit up like light bulbs.
Even though "maid" was in the name, according to tradition, the boys in the class were also expected to pitch in.
The handsome ones would dress up and go out to attract customers, the average-looking ones would handle logistics, making full use of each person's strengths.
The usual Kaito of Class 2 always wore Shuka's western-style uniform and was already so good-looking it was hard to look at him directly. Even now, so long after the school year started, people still occasionally zoned out while watching his side profile by the window.
If he could change into an elegant and mysterious black tailcoat, bow slightly in front of you, wearing a doting smile, and softly say, "Milady, your meal is served"
'AAAAAH! Truly worth the price of admission even if I die!'
"Support! Full support required!"
"Maid caf is the right choice, I'm not messing around, I swear!"
"Exactly! I've been studying the various types and applications of butler uniforms for ten years now, so leave the measuring to me! I'll obey every command with no second thoughts!"
Kaito: "..."
He wasn't interested in the classmates' discussions and didn't plan on voicing an opinion, but unexpectedly, the fire ended up burning all the way to him.
Even Anon from the back seat came to join the fun, her gray eyes sparkling, her whole face spelling out three big words, "Let me see!"
And that wasn't all.
Yumiko also secretly sent him a message, indirectly expressing that she wanted to see him in a new outfit on their next date. From the looks of it, she'd developed a new "cosplay" hobby.
As for little Bocchi in the corner, even though she hadn't messaged him or come over, judging from her hopeful gaze, she clearly had similar expectations.
"Ahem! Everyone quiet down."
At the critical moment, it was still Hiratsuka Shizuka on the podium who knocked on the blackboard to suppress the students' growing excitement.
She didn't beat around the bush. Since everyone had their own ideas, the fairest method was, of course, to decide by vote.
The final result was obvious.
The maid caf took an overwhelming lead with ninety-nine percent of the votes, and even the reserved and cute girl herself voted for it.
Although Kaito hadn't cast his vote yet, in the face of such overwhelming support, whether or not he voted no longer mattered.
He didn't have any bad feelings toward the maid caf. Although he might have to put on a butler uniform and go out to draw in customers, it was a rare school festival after all. Experiencing it could be fun. So after thinking it over, he voted for it as well.
