Chapter 268

Koto Satsuki looked surprised; she hadn't expected him to say that.

Although her last sentence, Ouka Mai's, was unpleasantly arrogant, she wasn't disliked.

"I think I understand now why True Wei likes you. You two are a bit alike."

"... Should I be happy? Is this a positive or negative thing?"

"Hehe~ Don't worry, it's a positive sign."

Koto Satsuki chuckled softly, her voice ringing out like silver bells. "Hmm... I don't really know either, but are all children from wealthy families like you and True Wei these days?"

"Isn't it like in the movies, where they yell, 'Hoo hoo hoo~ You poor, lowly commoner! Don't touch my shoes!'"

"Well... I wouldn't say the kind you're talking about doesn't exist, but rather that there are quite a few. But surprisingly, most of the ones I've encountered are quite kind and normal."

"Is that so? This is what they mean by 'birds of a feather flock together'?"

"That might be true. I generally don't say much to those guys who pretend to be humble and polite but are actually full of bad intentions."

We'll only use them occasionally; after all, it's difficult to conduct business without them.

"Alright, it's not good if the neighbors see us standing here. Let's go inside."

As she spoke, she swayed her ponytail and walked towards the main door in the middle of the first floor.

"Wait a moment."

Sakurakoji Talent stopped her.

"What's wrong? You still don't want to go in?"

"How could that be? What are you thinking?"

His eyes showed helplessness. "But we haven't eaten yet, have we? Let's go out and get something to eat first."

They left the apartment in the evening, and now it's pitch black; it's time for dinner.

"... If you don't mind, I can cook for you at home."

"It's on me, please choose whatever you like to eat."

"May I?!"

"After all, it was my request, so of course I should treat you."

"Cough cough,"

Koto Satsuki blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

"Let's go, you know this area better, take me to see it."

"Um."

"I didn't expect you to choose this..."

"What's wrong? Ramen is a great food. It's high in calories, delicious, and nutritious. Plus, you can enjoy the broth. Doesn't it sound wonderful for dinner?"

Inside the Ramen shop, the two men debated her choice.

"Or perhaps, Young Master doesn't usually eat Ramen?"

"No, it's not that. Lately, I've actually felt like I've been eating a bit too much Ramen... Come to think of it, your comment sounds exactly like you're talking about eating mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot)."

"Malatang?"

"It's a China food. I'll make it for you sometime when I have the chance."

He suddenly felt a little hungry when this was mentioned.

This is quite unusual, as I've never been interested in these things before. Could this be due to recent changes in my body?

It's a real shame, though. I did it twice with Hoshino Ai, but it didn't progress any further. It seems like only kissing can make it work.

Another reason he made up his mind last night was to test this idea, after all, it was a matter of whether the number of people could be reduced by half -- but the result still disappointed him somewhat.

"Ah, Senior Aoyama told me that your cooking skills are excellent, right?"

She remembered this.

"But does the Young Master really need to practice cooking? True Wei doesn't cook much herself."

"I didn't use my hands very often before. I just followed my father around, and without realizing it, I learned how to do it, and then I became even better than him."

He picked up the soup bowl and took a sip of soup.

"But you don't use honorifics with me when we're out together."

"After all, it's time to get off work. Or do you want me to call you 'Young Master' in public as well?"

"No, never mind, this is better, let's leave it like this."

The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the noodle shop. Sakurakoji Talent asked, "You said only your mother is at home, right? Is your aunt still home?"

"At this time, they should still be there. What's wrong?"

Koto Satsuki glanced at the time and asked in return.

"We can't just go back after we've eaten our fill; we should also bring something for your aunt."

"Oh? No need, she'll eat by herself when she goes to work."

"Since this is your first visit, you should bring a small gift. Please don't refuse."

"Well..."

Hearing him say that, Koto Satsuki didn't know what else to say.

They bought some Oden and takoyaki, along with some snacks and desserts, at a nearby convenience store, and then returned to their Small Apartment along the same route they had taken.

On the way, Sakurakoji Talent found a topic to talk about.

"What kind of person is your mother, Satsuki?"

"Yes, why don't you take a guess?"

"Hey~ You play this? Then I guess you're like Kazusa Satsuki- san, right?"

(II) "This can't be considered an answer, can it?"

Koto Satsuki lowered her eyes and sighed, "She looks similar to me, but seems like an idiot."

"Is it really okay to say that?"

"It's okay, it's the truth anyway."

"Your aunt will be sad if she hears this."

"Even though she's a fool, she's still my precious mother."

"That should make her happy!"

"..."

Not long after, the two returned to where they had been.

Koto Satsuki stepped forward and opened the door. With a slight creaking sound, she went inside first.

Sakurakoji Talent followed closely behind; the familiar darkness reminded him of the dilapidated apartment where Kawaragi Momoka used to live... How long ago was that?

"Sorry to bother you~"

She walked down a narrow corridor, entered a room, and turned on the light.

"Please come in, this is my room."

He looked inside; the room was as small as it appeared from the outside.

The room has Tatami floor and only contains a set of wooden table and chairs, a not-so-large bookcase, a low round table with four legs, and two cushions.

To put it simply, if you want to put on a blanket and sleep, you need to move the low table to one side.

In terms of total area, it's probably only five or six square meters; calling it cramped is no exaggeration.

Based on his visual estimation from outside, the size of this room was far smaller than his own room.

After all, it's an old apartment building. Compared to his room, or even to a regular apartment room at Aoyama Nanami Ten no Yashiro, it's hard to say which is bigger.

"How about it?"

Koto Satsuki spoke.

He didn't ask anything specific; he understood what she was asking.

"It's even smaller than I imagined."

He spoke his true feelings.

"Hehe,"

She wasn't angry at all; instead, she genuinely laughed, "You really have no tact whatsoever."

"What does it matter? You don't care anyway."

"Yes, if you say that this place has a unique charm and isn't actually that shabby... I might actually feel insulted and angry at such a statement."

She sat down on one of the cushions at the low table. "You sit down too."

"Well then, I'll be rude."

He placed the shopping bags on the Tatami next to him and sat down on the cushion. "It's quite soft."

"Of course, the one that wasn't soft before is gone."

"Oh, right..."

Zi--

Two of the four sides of this room are sliding paper doors; one side leads to the hallway you entered from, and the other side—is currently being opened.

Then, a face that bore a striking resemblance to Koto Satsuki, equally stunning, peeked out from within.

Her hair color was a light purple, unlike Koto Satsuki's black hair, and her eye color was also amber. She was wearing a charming purple nightgown, and her face was full of delighted surprise.

"Hwa~! Nani? Nani? Your friend?!"

She was filled with curiosity and surprise, "So Satsuki has friends besides True Wei!"

"There are some, but he..."

Koto Satsuki glanced at the person who was leaning close to her with complicated emotions.

Rather than dislike, it's more like a feeling of helplessness, a mixture of affection and resignation.

"That little Satsuki actually brought a friend home! How about we cook Red bean rice?"

"No, it's not to the point where we need to cook Red bean rice, is it?"

Sakurakoji Talent looked at the beautiful couple whose looks complemented each other, his eyes softening. They were truly a feast for the eyes.

"Nice to meet you, sister. I am Sakurakoji Talent, a friend of Satsuki. Please take care of me."

Ah~!

The other person's expression clearly brightened with joy. She moved closer to Koto Satsuki and hugged him, saying, "It's me here!"

"I've always been worried about whether Satsuki will get along with her classmates at school, after all, she's very honest and timid!"

So soft~ It feels so much softer than Hoshino Ai's... Is this the advantage of height?

Koto Satsuki is quite tall, and her direct blood relative is the same.

However, their personalities are completely opposite: one is Flower on High Mountain, and the other is a lively and cute girl next door—she's more like a high school student.

"You're so annoying."

Koto Satsuki closed her eyes and made a sarcastic remark.

"Eh~ I don't know how at all~"

The woman moved closer to her, "I love Satsuki the most!"

"It's my older sister! My older sister!"