Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 168, Section 9: "There will definitely be many more mornings like this in the future."

September 25th, Sunday, sunny.

After changing into her sportswear, Masumi stretched and took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air.

Before heading out, I checked today's weather: a high of 27 degrees Celsius, a low of 19 degrees Celsius, 75% humidity, and very weak winds—perfect weather for running.

Looking up at the clear, light blue sky above, with only the contrails of passenger planes flying by like birds, one can only imagine how early the passengers who check in early for such an early flight must have to get up.

The plane flew by; it was time for me to set off too.

Bathed in the morning light, her running shoes, rubber soles treading on the asphalt, Masumi began her morning run along the predetermined route.

He's been running in the residential area near the stars lately. In the courtyards of the houses on either side, quilts are already drying in the sun, and sparrows are perched on the telephone poles.

This place is very similar to Masumi's old apartment in Tokyo, but it looks much cleaner and newer because of the city's reconstruction after the Hanshin earthquake.

Walking from the apartment to Ogikubo Station, and taking the Chuo Line for 10 minutes past Yoyogi Station, you can often see professional athletes jogging in Jingu Gaien.

Masumi just looked at those people without any particular meaning, just like the sparrows on the telephone poles are staring at him now.

Unlike a band, running is a solitary sport. Runners cannot share speed and rhythm with others; everything belongs only to themselves—these random thoughts will surface when you run with your mind blank.

But Masumi sometimes wants to find someone to share this exhilarating feeling of breaking through the wind and galloping freely.

"Meow~"

The familiar meowing of a cat echoed in the early morning air.

A small, doe-colored cat crouched low as it passed in front of him, and Masumi stopped in his tracks.

As a human, it would be strange to use the word "familiar" to describe a cat's meow. Of course, he had never eaten the Whisper Fruit, so there was another reason for saying "familiar".

"Rinne?"

The girl crouching by the grass had long, glossy black hair and a slender back that was straight and upright. Even without support, her muscles did not tremble at all.

"Meow!"

Please don't misunderstand, that sound came from the cat in her arms.

Rinne, who was happily playing with the cat, felt as if she had been pushed from behind when she heard his voice. She barely managed to stay upright and turned around immediately.

"It suddenly jumped out and startled me, meow."

The "meow~" at the end of the sentence was indeed made by Rinne.

"Sorry, I just happened to see you."

Masumi looked at the cat that had jumped onto the girl's lap and curled up into a ball of fur, and inexplicably felt a little envious.

If I could, I'd like to be a cat in my next life that doesn't have to work, is lazy, and is still popular.

What's the deal with that "meow"?

"It just came out of my head."

Rinne said casually, but her ears were tinged with a faint blush.

"Hey, I thought you wouldn't do such childish things anymore."

The heiress's expression turned cold: "Does 'childish' mean respecting animals and communicating with them on equal terms in their language?"

"It's naive to even have such a thought."

Under the stern gaze of the girl with long, straight black hair, Masumi swallowed the retort she wanted to say and changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, do you know any friends who are from Nagoya?"

"No, what do you want to say?"

Rinne lowered her eyelashes, gently stroking the kitten and occasionally playing with its fur. Her lips trembled a few times, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Masumi guessed that she wanted to meow.

"In the Nagoya dialect, it's customary to add a sound like 'mya~' to the end of sentences, making it sound like 'meow~'."

"..."

Rinne suddenly let out a deep sigh.

"I've only teased the cat like this twice, including this time, and you caught me both times."

As she spoke, she gently stroked the cat's back.

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Masumi said.

"You didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

Rinne raised her head, revealing her beautifully shaped, snow-white ears through the gaps in her black hair, her blush still lingering.

"I'm not that scheming."

Masumi shook her head slightly, glancing at the plastic bag she had placed on the park bench. "Out shopping?"

The girl with long, straight black hair nodded slightly and gave a simple "hmm," but the next moment her shoulders suddenly trembled.

"Ah-"

She sneezed slightly.

The cat on my lap felt the vibration, shifted its position, but didn't leave.

"--Give."

Masumi pulled a tissue out of her pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Rinne pulled out a tissue. "For a guy, you're really considerate in this respect."

"That's an exaggeration. Just a tissue is enough to be considered considerate."

Could Kamishiro be the female protagonist in a light novel?
"Unlike handkerchiefs that need to be washed and returned, facial tissues are easier to share, and they carry a sense of 'I don't need you to repay me for feeling like you've caused me trouble,' don't they?"

"It sounds like a reading comprehension exercise for a Japanese language subject," Masumi blurted out.

The way Kamishiro looked at him at that moment was by no means gentle.

Masumi immediately shook her head like a toy cow from Aizu.

"I didn't think that much about it, but if you need it, I have as many tissues as you want."

At the same time, I handed over the tissue pack again.

“One is enough,” she said. “Each time.”

"Oh."

Masumi put the tissue in her pocket and looked at Rinne, who was sniffling, and asked, "Did you catch a cold?"

"Yes, the temperature has been fluctuating a lot lately."

“Indeed.” Masumi nodded in agreement. He, who insisted on going for a morning run every day, was probably the person in the coffee shop who was most sensitive to temperature changes.

"I just bought honey at the convenience store."

"Are you going to make new products like honey lemon soda?"

"Hey, you're getting more and more like the young master in terms of responsibility."

Rinne didn't answer, but instead teased him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Masumi saw that her expression was different from a business-like fake smile; it was undoubtedly from the heart, something that Kamishiro could never have imagined when they first met.

This is definitely proof that the heir has opened her heart.

Perhaps because Masumi had been staring at her, Rinne suddenly snapped out of her reverie, cleared her throat meaninglessly, and resumed her serious tone as she answered.

"I'm planning to make honey-preserved lemons, which are said to prevent colds."

"I see. But this is the first time I've heard of this. Does it really work?" Masumi asked instinctively.

"I don't know either," Rinne replied honestly.

"It was during the last New Year that I watched an interview with a Hakone Ekiden participant, I think it was... a member of Kansei University, who said that he eats every day."

"so."

Masumi nodded, saying that such opinions would be very helpful for participants in the Hakone Ekiden.

"So, you watch the Hakone Ekiden?"

The Hakone Ekiden is the most popular long-distance relay race in Japan. It is limited to university teams from the Kanto region and is held annually from January 2nd to 3rd. It has been held for 100 years.

For people in the island nation, watching the Hakone Ekiden on TV while eating rice cake soup during the New Year is a traditional activity for many families.

"Yes, I watched it at the orphanage with my mother-in-law and the children."

Rinne put the cat down from her arms and looked at Masumi's body.

"Speaking of which, I've noticed that long-distance runners are all tall and slender, you're quite different from them."

Although Masumi also has a slender figure with long legs, she is surrounded by strong muscles, so she does not look thin.

"Ah, that seems to be true, but with my level of exercise, I won't be able to get in shape that quickly, and I also do strength training regularly," Masumi explained.

"so."

"Speaking of which, does Rinne spend New Year's with everyone at the orphanage every year?"

"Yes." "Will Mami and Chia go with you?"

Rinne's eyes widened in surprise, and she said matter-of-factly, "Of course they're going home."

Masumi was dumbfounded by his own question. In the months since he returned to Kobe, he had been inseparable from these girls, to the point that he took it for granted that they should be together.

No, perhaps it was because this period of time was so enjoyable that I failed to face it squarely.

Would you like a drink?

Rinne's words pulled him back to reality.

"Hmm?" Masumi nodded. "I am a little thirsty."

After each morning run, it has become a habit for Masumi to buy a bottle of Pocari Sweat from the vending machine at the end of the route.

"The convenience store had a discount promotion, so I bought a lot."

Rinne stroked the cat one last time with lingering affection, made a silent meow with her lips to say goodbye to the kitten, then stood up and rummaged through the plastic bag next to her.

"Give."

Upon seeing the drink Rinne handed her, Masumi instinctively frowned; it was a cardboard box of Itoen vegetable juice.

"what happened?"

"nothing."

After hesitating for a moment, Masumi took the drink, inserted the straw, and took a small sip.

"Tsk——"

If the heiress hadn't been there, he would have vomited.

No matter how many times I tried, I still just couldn't accept the taste of vegetable juice.

"Is it really that bad?" Rinne tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

"Try it."

"Hmm." Rinne hesitated slightly before taking the vegetable juice, parting her lips slightly, and putting the straw in her mouth.

"so bitter."

The beautiful girl with long, straight black hair tied a knot between her eyebrows, and her troubled expression suited her perfectly. Is this the composure of a beautiful girl?
However, it still succumbed to the allure of wild vegetable juice.

"I bought it because I thought it was healthier, but I've been indulging myself a little too much lately." The heiress was unusually dejected.

"Hmm? Indulgence? What do you mean by that?"

The impression that Kamishiro left on him was always that of a serious, restrained, and meticulous person.

"You should know very well, right?" she said, for reasons unknown.

"How would I know..." Masumi thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "The thighs?"

"..."

A sigh escaped the lips of the heiress.

“This is nothing,” Masumi said, a smile playing on her lips. “Doesn’t this just show that your yoga practice is going very well? Your thighs are getting more and more fleshy.”

It's the perfect proportion; the leg lines before the Age of Gods were too slender.

Rinne instantly showed a look of disgust. "What is this? What a disgusting way to compliment someone."

Masumi quickly lowered her head. "Manager, I was too complacent."

"Is this an apology? It sounds so obsequious." She sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I want to say that this attitude is more sincere."

"Everything has its limits; this is what is meant by 'things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes.'" Rinne seemed to have transformed into a teacher explaining science.

"Is that right?"

"Ah."

"But the listener won't get tired of it." Masumi heard her murmur softly.

"What did you say?"

"It's nothing." She shook her head, which was covered by her soft black hair.

“Let’s go back together,” she said.

"Ah."

Masumi naturally took the plastic bag from her hand.

I remember when I first did this, Kamishiro clearly refused, but now I can accept it calmly.

Giving up self-doubt and being willing to rely on oneself in small matters is also proof of the changing relationship between Masumi and Rinne.

Back at the shop, Masumi took a shower and came out just in time to run into Asami, who was still sleepy and had a tuft of hair sticking up in her hair.

As always, she wore a sleeveless vest and shorts, revealing her delicate collarbone and long, shapely legs. She had five of these outfits in her wardrobe, making her look like an NPC from a game world.

"Oh, good morning, Masumi-kun."

She swallowed a yawn and greeted Masumi in a languid voice.

"Good morning," Masumi replied, suddenly feeling her steps grow heavy as she walked alone.

Upon closer inspection, a swaying figure was seen following behind.

"Good morning...Masumi..."

Haiyue greeted him in a daze, her eyelids drooping frantically ever since.

Good morning, why are you both so sleepy?

"Ah~ it's the mobile game that Xiaohaiyue has been playing lately." Mami embarrassedly picked up a strand of hair. "I just tried it out of curiosity, but I didn't expect to get hooked."

"Just like a little kid."

"Right? Xiao Haiyue's mental age is still that of a child."

“I’m talking about you,” Masumi said helplessly.

"What did I do wrong?" Mami looked exasperated. "Masumi-kun, explain yourself clearly, or I can't forgive you."

"Alright, alright, then I'll just put it on the tab." Masumi didn't care at all.

"You can buy this on credit?" Mami was dumbfounded.

"Masumi-kun is too cunning."

"Thank you for the compliment. Mio, are you up yet?"

"She's preparing breakfast with Rinne. She's been actively learning cooking from Rinne lately. Masumi-kun is so lucky."

Asami said this meaningfully, with only the corners of her lips slightly upturned.

"Let's go downstairs for dinner after we've washed up. Even though it's the weekend, it's still a business day."

"Of course I know that!"

The coffee shop was open as usual, even though it was the weekend.

For the service industry, the time when ordinary people rest is the time when they make money.

When he went down to the first floor, he saw that Kurokawa Mio and Rinne were already setting the table with plates, and he went up to help.

Salt-grilled saury, clam miso soup, pickles, tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), and white rice sprinkled with pickled plums.

Rinne ate slowly and deliberately, behaving like a refined young lady from a noble family. Mami and Kaigetsu were discussing the mobile game they played together last night, and Kaigetsu surprisingly spoke so much in one go.

Masumi, on the other hand, found it hardest to accept the favor from the beauty, refusing Kurokawa Mio's offer of food, even though everyone's dishes were exactly the same.

Ordinary daily routines like this take place in the coffee shop.

There will probably be many more mornings like this in the future—as Masumi thought this, he suddenly recalled what Rinne had said to him at the beach in the summer.

"Because fireworks have a season, it makes me feel anxious and uncertain. I like things that last forever, but no one or nothing lasts forever."

"—Masumi-kun, what are you standing there for?"

The sudden sound pulled Masumi back to reality.

Mami held the mop up to his feet, squinting as if to remind him, "It's almost business hours, so as the young master, you can't slack off."

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Holding a mop, he and Asami, who was on duty that day, did cleaning work together.

After cleaning and tidying up the dining area, the final preparations before opening for business were completed.

Masumi pushed open the glass door and flipped the sign that read "CLOSED" over to read "OPEN".

At the same time, he thought to himself:
"Welcome to Starlight Cafe!"

(End of this chapter)