My bad, I was down with a fever and haven't had any stock chapters yet yesterday.
enjoy
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After the woman sat down with her daughter, she began to chat warmly with Makoto and the other two.
Yukino and Ichika both sat up straight, looking serious and polite.
Only Makoto remained relaxed as usual.
Because he had experienced this scene before in the time loop.
When the woman mentioned that her greatest hobbies were petting cats and drawing, Ichika casually said, "Fushimi-kun is really good at drawing. Maybe you two can share ideas sometime."
The woman naturally turned to Makoto. He calmly replied, "I have studied it quite a bit."
Yukino couldn't help but glance at him.
So you're diving into that too?
Seriously, is there anything you haven't dabbled in?
After a brief chat, the woman took her daughter and politely said goodbye, not wanting to overstay.
But before she left, she exchanged contact information with Makoto and the others.
Once they were gone, both Yukino and Ichika fell into a synchronized silence.
And their eyes landed squarely on Makoto.
Makoto acted as if he noticed nothing, picking up a calico cat and hugging it.
"You approached her on purpose just now," Yukino said first.
It wasn't a question, but a firm statement.
Ichika tilted her head, a bit cutely. "So it was on purpose? I thought I was just imagining it."
Yukino kept her eyes fixed on Makoto. She wanted an answer.
Then...
Makoto gently stroked the calico cat, making it purr adorably.
Yukino's gaze unconsciously shifted to the cat.
Wait, no.
Stop looking at the cat!
She quickly refocused.
Before she could speak again, Makoto said, "Yes, I did it on purpose."
The two girls sitting across from him perked up, waiting for him to continue.
Makoto first explained to Ichika, "Yukinoshita's parents are currently negotiating a very important business deal. But for some reason, it hasn't been finalized yet."
Ichika looked confused. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
What she was really thinking was: So he knows her parents? How close are they?
Yukino, however, looked thoughtful. "That Ms. Fujiwara just now... Could it be?"
"Exactly. Her family is the one your mother wants to partner with," Makoto answered.
Yukino froze.
Ichika slowly began to understand. "So Fushimi-kun was helping Yukinoshita?"
Then she added, "But wait, just having a casual chat doesn't mean she'll agree to work with Yukinoshita's family."
Makoto smiled at her.
"That's the key point. As long as both you and Yukinoshita were present today, that lady will sing your praises when she gets home."
He added, "And she's no housewife—she has real influence in the family."
Ichika was about to ask how he knew that, but Yukino beat her to it. "Ichika-san, does your family have a special background?"
Makoto looked at the two beautiful girls before him and said slowly, "If Yukinoshita is a second daughter, then Ichika could be considered the eldest young lady."
Ichika gave a wry smile and waved her hand. "Don't call me weird names like that. No one's ever called me that growing up."
"I see." Yukino seemed to understand something.
When she looked at Makoto again, her feelings had already changed.
Makoto scratched the cat under its chin and casually said, "Tonight, Yukinoshita, your mother will probably call you. In a few days, I might meet with her too."
Yukino's face tightened.
Clearly, her mother still put a lot of pressure on her.
Ichika noticed and gently asked, "Yukinoshita, are you okay?"
Yukino shook her head. She didn't really want to talk about her mother.
Ichika took the hint and didn't press further. She turned to Makoto and smiled. "So basically, you used me and Yukinoshita as your 'prestige shields' today?"
Makoto replied, "That's one way to put it."
Ichika playfully blinked. "Then shouldn't you thank me?"
"If I'm thanking people, I should thank your four sisters too—you're a package deal."
"No problem! I'll accept the thanks on their behalf," Ichika said cheerfully.
Then she smiled even sweeter, as if remembering something. "Oh right, we're all friends now. You can just call me Ichika from now on."
"Sure," Makoto didn't refuse.
Ichika's eyes sparkled even more. "Then can I call you Makoto?"
Makoto replied, "If you don't mind, you can call me 'Makoto-nii.'"
"Eh? So you like being called 'big brother' by girls? I mean, it's not a dealbreaker," Ichika teased.
Yukino listened to their exchange and suddenly felt something strange.
That feeling was very clear—but she couldn't pinpoint what it meant at first.
Until Ichika asked Makoto for acting tips again, and he answered without holding anything back, openly and patiently.
She finally understood what that strange feeling was.
A sense of disparity!
The way he treated Ichika was different from how he treated her.
Just like how he called her "Yukino" before, but now it was "Yukinoshita."
If Yukino had seen A Chinese Odyssey, she might've recalled that famous line from Lady Iron Fan: "You used to call me your sweetie…"
She was certain she had absolutely no romantic feelings for Makoto.
So if she still minded this disparity, then the answer could only be one thing: she did, just as he said, care about him.
If they had only just met, she wouldn't have felt this way.
But things are different now.
She had learned about the time loop. She wanted to know the truth—or perhaps it was more accurate to say, she wanted to seek the truth of this world.
Even supernatural phenomena were real. If she didn't figure it out, she'd lose sleep over all the mysteries piling up.
And the key to the truth just so happened to lie with Makoto.
Yet right now, his attention was mostly on Ichika.
As he left the cat café, Makoto sent a message to Mayu, saying he had made plans with classmates and couldn't come home for dinner.
Mayu replied understandingly that it was no problem.
After dinner, Ichika also got ready to head home.
While Makoto was buying water at the convenience store, she noticed that Yukino didn't seem in a hurry to leave, so she asked, "Yukinoshita, did you notice? Makoto felt even more... 'approachable' today."
"'More approachable'? What do you mean?" Yukino asked, puzzled.
Ichika pressed a finger to her lips, thinking. "Hmm… how do I say it? Like, he felt warmer? Closer? I'm not sure if I'm saying it right."
Yukino froze.
Yes!
I felt that too.
No wonder I'm even more conscious of him than before.
"I agree," Yukino admitted.
Ichika looked at Makoto, who was checking out at the register, and murmured, "If only I'd met him earlier."
Yukino replied coolly, "Is that your genuine thought, or are you trying to test how I feel about him?"
Ichika smiled sweetly. "You're overthinking it. I was just reflecting."
Yukino recalled that Makoto was, by nature, a flirt.
But with her personality, she wasn't one to speak badly of others behind their backs.
So when the words came to her lips, she said in a flat tone, "Only a fool would fall in love with him."
Ichika was startled. "Why?"
Yukino gave a logical explanation. "Haven't you noticed? With the talents he's shown so far, he's bound to be very popular with girls."
"Doesn't that just prove I have great taste?" Ichika shot back.
Yukino was slightly taken aback.
She couldn't find a rebuttal.
Just then, she heard Ichika mumble softly, "Being a fool isn't so bad."
When she looked up, Ichika had already returned to her usual smiling self.
It seemed like she'd imagined it.
But Yukino knew it wasn't an illusion.
I won't be a fool.
She told herself firmly in her heart.
After the three of them parted ways and returned home, Makoto picked up two cups of milk tea on his way and went straight to Mayu's door.
He rang the doorbell, and within seconds, Mayu opened the door.
When she saw Makoto standing there holding something, her beautiful face instantly lit up with a joyful smile. "You're back?"
Then she realized how that sounded—like a wife waiting for her husband to return—and her cheeks instantly flushed.
She quickly added, "I mean, your gathering with friends is over?"
"Yeah. On my way back, I saw a long line at this milk tea shop and figured it must be good, so I got you a cup," Makoto said, lifting the bag in his hand.
"Thanks! Come on in," Mayu said cheerfully, stepping aside.
Her expression clearly sent a signal: she wanted company.
And in her heart, that person could only be Makoto.
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