"Please, please!"
Anon was crying bitterly, still clutching his sleeve, like she was holding tightly to the last life-saving straw.
"As long as Kaito-kun willing to pretend to be my boyfriend, no matter what it is, I'm willing to do!"
This line sounded a bit familiar.
Seems like... when he first met Hitori, that little social-phobe also said similar words to him.
'Is this the underlying code engraved in your girls' DNA?'
Kaito thought for a moment, just as he was about to respond, the classroom door was knocked on.
The person who came had a face so exquisitely cute it could be considered foul play, long hair black as crow feathers reached her waist, black over-the-knee socks wrapped her slender legs, on her feet were matching small leather shoes, she stood there graceful and upright.
"Yukinoshita-san?", He was a little surprised.
Second Miss visiting uninvited, of course she didn't come just to chat idly.
"This is the thank-you gift you asked for, Kaito-san," The girl still wore that same serious appearance, solemnly handed him a delicately styled lunch box.
The lid of the lunch box was transparent in design, the capacity was large, the interlayer was divided into many separate spaces, all filled with desserts.
Egg tarts, red bean cakes, macarons, dorayaki... not only traditional Japanese desserts, there were even other Asian and Western ones mixed in. One could see the maker's care.
"I'm not too sure about your taste, so I made a variety of desserts."
Yukinoshita Yukino slightly lowered her eyes, long eyelashes trembling lightly, her tone still calm, "If you're not satisfied, please tell me the shortcomings, I will improve."
"Already very good."
Kaito opened the lid and glanced, the taste was not yet confirmed, but at least the appearance was indeed excellent.
'Just this quantity, isn't it a bit too much?'
He originally thought the lunch box had only one layer, but in fact, there was something hidden inside, space existed under the divider.
Kaito was not a crazy dessert lover, the reason for making this kind of request, was simply to let Yukinoshita-san easily repay the favor.
But the Second Miss's personality was a bit too serious, even a trivial post-meal dessert could be made with the momentum of a full-course imperial feast.
He thought for a bit, then simply issued an invitation, "If Yukinoshita-san doesn't mind, would you like to stay and eat a bit together?"
Desserts too sweet for one person, were just right for three.
Yukino hesitated for a moment.
Faced with such polite words, she originally should have refused.
But...
Her lake-blue eyes subtly glanced at the unfamiliar pink-haired girl nearby.
That person sat beside Kaito-san, the two seemed quite close.
After a moment of silence, Yukino slightly nodded, "Then I'll impose."
Although the rare two-person lunch was declared void due to the addition of a third wheel. Anon didn't feel disappointed.
She was a bit curious about this girl named "Yukinoshita", but only just that.
After a brief self-introduction, she put her attention back onto Kaito, continuing to act cute and plead pitifully.
"Let's do this."
Kaito was a little helpless from her pestering, simply stretched out a finger, and said lightly, "As long as you can answer one question of mine, I'll agree to your request."
"Isn't it won't it be one of those legendary unsolvable hard questions?"
Anon looked over warily, if he made her prove Goldbach's Conjecture, or answer how many stars are in the universe... how is that any different from a guaranteed death trap?
"Relax, not that complicated."
Kaito looked toward Yukino beside him, "How about letting Yukinoshita-san be the judge? Over-the-line questions won't count."
The young lady had gotten up very early today, but had been busy making desserts all morning, and instead forgot to prepare her own bento. At the moment she was nibbling on bread.
Suddenly being named, she was a bit surprised, but didn't refuse.
"I see... then that's fine."
With a third party overseeing, Anon clearly let out a sigh of relief, and regained confidence, "Hmph, bring it on!"
"Question: Sarah's mom has four children, the first three are Summer, Winter, and Autumn, what's the name of the last one?"
"Isn't this easy?"
The girl triumphantly put hands on her hips, laughed heartily, "Of course it's Spring!"
Yukino: "..."
The young lady was silent for two seconds, looked toward Chihaya-san with a gaze showing a bit of compassion.
As for Kaito, he had an expression like it was just as expected, and even picked a piece of salmon from his bento and gave it to her, "Eat more, nourish the brain."
"So does that mean I passed the test?"
Anon looked surprised and delighted, eyes full of expectation as she turned to the judge nearby.
Unfortunately, the iron truth does not sway according to anyone's will.
Yukino's heart was as cold as a fish that's been killed for ten years, and said lightly, "Very sorry, the correct answer is Sarah."
"Eh? eh? eh?"
The simple girl clearly hadn't expected this kind of ending.
She originally wanted to argue based on logic, but recalling the question in her mind seems she really did answer wrong?
Chihaya Anon, struck like thunder.
"Forget it."
Seeing the girl frozen in place, as if even her world view had been shaken, a certain kind-hearted Mr. Kaito thought for a moment, decided to give her another chance.
"Just take that one as a drill. I'll ask you another question. If you can get it right, the previous condition still stands."
As the saying goes, Heaven never bars one's way.
Anon regained her energy again, just that this time she treated it like facing a great enemy, "Bring it on again!"
"The school holds a sports meet, you sign up for the 100-meter dash, during the race, you just overtook the second place. Tell me, what place are you in now?"
Eat a loss, gain wisdom.
The girl, who had been completely defeated last time, didn't answer immediately this time. She mulled it over and over in her heart, then cautiously said, "First place?"
'Overtook second place, doesn't that mean I became first?'
'This time I can't possibly be wrong!'
"Congratulations."
Kaito gently applauded, and in Anon's gradually brightening gaze of joy, spread his hands, "Wrong answer."
Chihaya Anon: "..."
Anon was a bit frantic, "Why?"
The judge lady beside sighed, couldn't bear to watch anymore.
"Chihaya-san, suppose you overtook first place, what place would you be?"
Anon answered without thinking, "Of course first!"
Yukino calmly asked, "So, after you overtook second place, shouldn't you become second?"
Anon: "..."
The girl froze in place, suddenly felt that the world was so vast, yet there was no place for her to stand.
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Chapter 228: Poor Anon, Toyed Within the Palm
Although Anon usually always had a silly and goofy side, that was just a disguised illusion.
In essence, she was still a very clever beautiful girl.
So, after a brief moment of shock, Anon quickly reacted.
She finally realized that she had been toyed with.
Toyed with by the person she trusted the most, with a brain-teaser-like question, and ruthlessly played with.
The word "angry" alone could no longer summarize her feelings.
Anon took a deep breath, and suddenly felt very exhausted, very tired.
To be hurt by the person closest to her, from now on, her heart would be sealed off, love cut off.
For the rest of her life, she would never smile again.
In the girl's eyes, it was as if she saw a few years into the future.
She wore a blank expression, like an iceberg, while Kaito held her hand, kneeling on the ground, bitterly begging.
"Anon, you haven't smiled for three years already."
"Onegai, as long as you can smile again, no matter what I'll do it!"
But she, unmoved by his regret, merely said coldly, "This is the final ultimatum. Don't ever have anything to do with me again. You really are someone who only ever thinks about himself."
With that said, she flung her sleeves and left, leaving only the sorrowful Kaito to repent his sins for the rest of his life
Just thinking about the satisfying moment, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but curl up the corners of her lips.
"Hehehe~ Ehehehe~"
'Uh-oh.'
Looking at the Anon who had just been clenching her little fists in anger one second, and then the next second was grinning happily, without even the need for a transition, Kaito fell into deep thought, 'Am I being too much?'
'Anon is already silly, and yet I still teased her.'
'If the teasing goes too far and something happens, won't it be my responsibility?'
After thinking it over, he lightly coughed, then reached out and waved his hand in front of the girl.
"Are you mad?"
The girl, who was still immersed in the fantasy of a post-breakup regret story, was startled awake and finally realized something.
She quickly retracted the smile at the corner of her mouth, tightened her pretty face, and put on a cold and indifferent look.
One had to say, when Anon pulled a straight face and completely lost her smile, she did indeed have some of the temperament of an ice-cold beauty.
Especially since she was born with a pair of cool-toned gray eyes, usually warmed by her sunshine-like bright smile, they were dyed in warm hues.
At this moment, the sun had gone out, those dull pupils lifeless, making one think of a doll that had lost its shine, or embers left by a campfire, burned out of vitality and warmth, only pale ash remained.
Looks like she really was angry now.
Still not getting any response, Kaito sighed, and regretfully said, "Just now was only a joke, it doesn't count. Besides, as friends, it's natural to help each other. But since Chihaya-san is unwilling to talk to me, I suppose she feels our relationship hasn't reached that level. Sorry, I was being presumptuous"
"Eh eh eh eh eh!"
Seeing him stand up to leave, the girl who was trying hard to hold her ice queen image instantly broke character, and quickly grabbed his hand.
"Wait a minute! I'm not! I didn't! I've always been Kaito-kun's best friend!"
"Really?", Kaito furrowed his brows slightly and shook his head, "But you're not even willing to smile at me."
Anon immediately showed a big, bright, beaming smile, "Look look! I'm smiling now! This time you've got to believe me, right?"
Kaito glanced at her and still shook his head, "No emotion, too perfunctory."
"Ah? This this this this"
Seeing the poor Chihaya-san anxiously spinning in circles, being toyed with in the palm of Kaito's hand, the young lady beside them fell silent.
Putting aside her sympathy and care for Chihaya-san, Yukino looked at a certain someone with a subtle and strange expression appearing on her pretty face.
She had thought that only childish elementary school boys would do such mischievous things to tease girls in the same class.
'Never expected, even Kaito-kun had this kind of innocent side?'
But, this also indirectly revealed one thing.
The relationship between these two people was probably even closer than she imagined.
She gently let out a breath. For some reason, in her heart there arose a faint sense of envy.
In the end, Kaito still agreed to Anon's request.
Although he felt that pretending to be a boyfriend was unreliable and only treated the symptoms, not the root.
But this girl had already made the claim, and to back out now would only make the lie collapse faster.
After all, they knew each other, and were friends, it wasn't like he could really just ignore her.
Of course, to make this little sugar girl learn a lesson and not make the same mistake next time, he took the opportunity to list a bunch of unequal treaties.
For example: must come when called, be obedient, no talking back perhaps calling it a sl*ve contract would be more fitting?
The bullied Anon clenched her fists, her face flushed red, and in the end, still meekly nodded.
The evening sun slanted low.
The crisp sound of the school bell rang out, carried far by the wind.
"Nah nah, Kaito-kun, want to go to RiNG for afternoon tea?"
Finally making it to dismissal, the Anon-chan who never held a grudge became energetic again, "I still have some small details to discuss with you~"
Written as "discuss," read as "get their stories straight."
Since they were going to pretend to be a couple, necessary preparation was a must.
At the very least, they should fabricate some dating experiences. Otherwise, if someone asked how long they'd been together and the two of them gave different answers, wouldn't the scene become super awkward?
"Another day," Kaito shook his phone, "There's someone visiting at home today, I have to go back early to prepare dinner."
"I see", Anon looked a little disappointed, but since it was official business, she waved her hand cheerfully, "Alright then, I won't disturb you. See you tomorrow."
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
The two parted ways just like that.
Given that the little secretary had worked hard, and in light of the joy of reunion after a short parting wait, that idiom might not be appropriate.
Anyway, since it was a reunion after a small separation, Kaito still decided to make a proper meal to welcome Sakiko.
Taking the train back to Ikebukuro, he didn't go straight home but instead went to a nearby 24-hour supermarket to buy some fresh ingredients, three cuts of raw salmon, fresh beef sirloin, ribs...
Planning to, just like when they first met, stuff the little secretary's stomach to the max.
By the time Kaito arrived home carrying bags full of groceries, it was just past 4:30 PM.
He was about to set the things down and unlock the door, but suddenly heard footsteps from inside the house. Seemed like someone heard the sound and came to open the door for him.
Kaito didn't think much of it, simply stopped moving, calmed his mind, and guessed who it might be.
'If nothing goes wrong, the one opening the door should be Mutsumi, right?'
'Of course, it can also be Mortis?'
'Or maybe even the little secretary arriving early?'
'Surely it can't be Kirara, right?'
Next second, click.
The tightly closed door opened, and a dazzling smile appeared before his eyes.
"Kaito-san, welcome back."
