Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 258, Section 33: "It worked again today!"

"excuse me."

As Masumi closed the apartment door, she subconsciously spoke into the room.

"I already said no one's home, what's wrong, Masumi-nii?"

Chiai neatly arranged the high-heeled boots and then took out slippers from the shoe cabinet for Masumi.

"No, this will make me feel more at ease."

Masumi said with utmost seriousness.

"Safe?"

Chiai tilted her head, completely bewildered. "I don't understand Masumi-nii's thoughts at all. Does being with me make you feel uneasy?"

She gave Masumi a reproachful look.

“That’s not how it is…” Masumi was speechless for a moment.

Well, anyway, a simple-minded childhood friend probably wouldn't have those kinds of thoughts.

Masumi changed into slippers, took off her coat and hung it on the wall, then walked confidently into the room.

He fumbled for the living room light, and just as he was about to sit down on the sofa, Qian Ai called out to him.

“Masumi-nii, come to my room.”

"Oh."

The last time I came to Chiai's room was when I was a sophomore in high school.

The room's furnishings remained largely unchanged, except for a few more plush toys on the bedside table, and the bookshelves had changed from high school reference books to university fashion design books.

Upon entering, the most eye-catching thing is a pair of man and woman mannequins against the wall, emphasizing the curves of their bodies.

The light green curtains, sheets, and blankets seemed to be a matching set with a very nice pattern.

The air was filled with the scent of sleep-inducing aromatherapy.

Masumi couldn't help but compare it to Asami's messy room and Rinne's sleek room that seemed like it could be left at any moment.

"It's been a long time since I've seen such an ordinary girls' room."

"ordinary?"

As if she had caught the key word, Qian Ai turned her head and looked at him with displeasure.

Masumi immediately changed her tune: "It's a girlish charm."

Senai nodded slightly with satisfaction, then snorted softly through her nose and looked at Masumi.

"Masumi-nii, take off your clothes."

"what?"

Why do I still have to take it off?
"What are you standing there for? Are you planning to wear your uniform over this outfit?"

"Oh, oh..."

Masumi crossed her arms and grabbed the hem of her knitted top—

"Speaking of which... isn't Qian'ai planning to avoid this?"

"What, can't I watch?"

Qian Ai stared intently at him.

“I don’t care,” Masumi said nonchalantly, “I’m just worried that Chia will be shy.”

"No way! It's not like I haven't seen Masumi-nii in swim trunks before."

"Ok."

Masumi nodded helplessly, not pointing out Aome's wavering eyes and her cheeks gradually blushing.

"...Upon closer inspection, Masumi-nii's body seems even more robust than it was back in Miyakojima."

"Because after that, I have been exercising every day."

Masumi said matter-of-factly.

"That's really self-disciplined. Is Masumi-nii sticking to exercising for his health?"

"Previously."

Masumi's voice suddenly became a little heavy as she answered.

"Was it like that before?"

“Right now, I want to train to become stronger,” Masumi replied with a firm voice. “For example, by adding more training in endurance and explosiveness.”

Qian Ai was dumbfounded; her expression looked like she was admiring a rare animal.

"Masumi-nii, you've been completely corrupted by Asami-nee."

She sighed helplessly, walked to the male mannequin, and took off the clothes from it.

"Please try it on, Masumi-nii."

"It's a butler's uniform."

Masumi first picked up the meticulously ironed white shirt.

"Does Masumi-nii not like this style?"

"It's alright, but I prefer the style of the previous one, which resembled that of a literary figure from the Taisho era."

"A gentle and considerate handsome butler is also one of the romantic fantasies of female students in Taisho." Chiai smiled slightly.

After changing into the complete outfit, Masumi followed Chiai's instructions, allowing her to examine and touch her carefully.

"Hmm... the previous size seems a bit outdated, the effect here is not very satisfactory."

Chiai frowned slightly, squatted down behind Masumi, and pinched the fabric of her butler's coat at the waist with both hands, applying a little force.

"Hmm, it looks much better now. It was a bit too narrow before."

Chiai nodded, then moved her feet and squatted down in front of Masumi.

"I guess I still don't have enough experience in making menswear. I wonder if Masumi-san will find it a bit tight when he wears it?"

"Hmm? I think it's okay."

Masumi suppressed the unnaturalness in her tone; from this angle, only Chiai's radiant hair could be seen on her head.

Although her figure is not as voluptuous as Rinne's, she has a youthful feel, with a well-proportioned and firm figure, like a taut tomato.

...Chiai is also a lovely and beautiful girl.

Masumi sighed, feeling uncomfortable, as she thought about something she herself found very rude.

He couldn't help but think of how, about half an hour earlier, the heiress had been squatting on the ground, busy, just like that.

"Waaaah! Something's wrong with my pants!"

Suddenly, Chiai's loud voice rang out, startling Masumi and making her heart leap into her throat.

"Did something happen?"

Qian Ai squatted down even lower, focusing her gaze on the trouser legs. "The trouser legs are the wrong length!"

"what is this."

Masumi's initial tension eased, and she thought she had been discovered. "Just pull your pants up a little bit."

"That won't do! It will ruin the overall effect!"

When it comes to clothing design, Chiai never does things half-heartedly. After hearing Masumi's words, she stood up in dissatisfaction.

"Huh? What is this?"

I encountered an obstacle while getting up.

Qian Ai looked up in confusion, then her eyes widened in disbelief. "Eh, eh, uh..." her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making strange, useless noises.

"Really, really, really, really Cheng-ge!?"

◇

A somber atmosphere lingered between Masumi and Chiai as they walked toward the living room and the entryway.

It wasn't because of an argument, nor was there any dispute.

I just felt very uncomfortable.

Chiai looked embarrassed. "Won't you rest for a bit before you leave, Masumi-nii?"

"Ok?"

"Ah! Please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it!"

Despite it being winter, Qian'ai was covered in sweat, waving her hands incessantly in front of her face.

I haven't asked anything yet. Masumi thought to herself with a strange expression.

"Thank you for your kindness, Qian'ai, but no need. If we're any later, we might miss the train."

"Yeah, that's right..."

"Then Qian'ai, get some rest. I'll head back now."

Masumi stood in the entryway and put on her shoes, while Chiai nodded, her face still flushed.

"Okay, be careful on the road, Masumi-nii."

"I see."

"And... goodnight."

The young girl awkwardly twisted her fingers together, trying to hide her inner embarrassment.

Goodnight, Qian'ai.

Pushing open the door, the cold wind made Masumi shiver, cooling her feverish body.

The door closed, and silence suddenly entered the room. After watching her childhood friend leave, Qian Ai let out a deep breath.

so awkward.

Just thinking about it makes my face burn.

Chiai touched her forehead, where Masumi's body temperature still seemed to linger.

She walked back to her room in a daze, then suddenly collapsed onto the bed and rolled around wildly.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Qian'ai buried her face in the pillow and kicked her legs wildly.

What should I do? I feel like I can't face Masumi-nii normally at all.

After all, it was an embarrassing and unexpected situation...

What would other girls in the coffee shop do if they encountered this situation?

◇

The milk is heated and frothed by a steam wand, then mixed with espresso, creating fine, foamy bubbles.

Late at night, on the first floor of Starry Night Cafe.

After skillfully brewing a cappuccino with the coffee machine, Rinne frowned as she looked at the finished product.

It failed. Cappuccinos usually have thick milk foam for a smooth texture, but this one was very weak and watery.

"Ugh."

With a soft sigh, Rinne picked up her coffee and took a small sip.

"As expected, it won't work."

Wind chimes are ringing.

Seeing the figure push open the glass door and walk in, Rinne looked up.

"The protector of the flower is back?"

"What's going on? Is Rinne jealous?"

Masumi's expression was a bitter smile without any real joy.

"After recovering his spirits with the help of a girl, he didn't hesitate to go and spend time alone with another girl... That's the picture I pictured."

She spoke with her usual indifference.

"Wow, hearing you say that makes me feel so bad."

Masumi sighed heavily, which elicited a slight smile from Rinne.

"It seems like Rinne has been smiling quite often lately."

"Have it?"

The heiress squinted, a thoughtful expression on her face. "My expression should still be quite indifferent."

“Although there weren’t any obvious smiles or laughter, judging from the mood and atmosphere, they were definitely laughing,” Masumi replied earnestly.

"It sounds a bit profound."

"It's rare to hear a top student from a prestigious university say something like that to someone with only a high school education," Masumi joked.

Her sharp gaze, and the originally sentimental beauty mark under her eye, became as sharp as a needle tip as the corner of her eye turned up.

Masumi, sensing something was amiss, explained, "To give you an analogy, it's like a cat."

"It is said that cats are aloof and unsociable animals, but in fact they have a rich range of emotions. Although they cannot speak, you can tell their mood by observing their body language and facial expressions, such as the position of their ears and the size of their pupils."

Although Masumi herself felt the explanation was far-fetched, Rinne closed her eyes in satisfaction and nodded vigorously.

I really like cats.

"Yes, I like it too," Masumi thought to herself.

Seeing that the heiress had calmed down and was no longer radiating an intimidating chill, Masumi breathed a sigh of relief.

This person is very easy to talk to when it comes to cats.

"Speaking of which, you really know a lot about cats. You don't seem like someone who only adopted stray cats when they were little," Rinne said.

Masumi thought for a moment, then replied with a smile:

"It's probably because I've been spending a lot of time with cats lately."

"Is that Xiaoyu?"

The calico cat that the fish shop owner keeps.

“No.” Masumi shook her head, her eyes full of laughter. “It’s an even cuter black cat.”

"Black cat?"

Rinne frowned, completely bewildered.

"I've never seen this around here before. You saw it on the road just now—huh?"

The heiress's eyes widened in surprise, a few strands of black hair sticking to her cheeks.

Masumi quietly reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from hers.

Rinne has hair that girls envy. It's smooth and straight, without any curls, and is naturally long and straight black.

"boring."

Realizing that the black cat was teasing her, the heiress, like a cat unwilling to be picked up, turned her head away nonchalantly, but her ears were tinged with a faint blush.

"Take your hand away, you've messed up my hair."

"No way, you still look great."

"Boys who can't understand the implied meaning are really bad."

Seeing Masumi's persistent and clingy attitude, Rinne sighed helplessly, gave up struggling, and closed her eyes in enjoyment.

Her personality too. Masumi felt that she really was like a cat, running her fingers through her soft, black hair.

Close your eyes, and in the bottomless darkness, the scene of first meeting Rinne in spring appears.

"Let me make it clear beforehand that I will never hand over the position of heir to a frivolous person who abandons the business and runs away, someone utterly irresponsible!"

Back then, the heiress's beautiful purple eyes flashed with a chilling coldness.

Even though only eight months have passed, it feels like it happened a long time ago.

Rinne's icy demeanor remained vividly etched in his eyes, a stark contrast to her current soft and gentle attitude towards him.

"Rinne".

"Ok?"

The girl responded with a slightly nasal tone, like the murmurs of lovers when they are slightly tipsy.

"Can you be as sarcastic and cynical towards me as you were when we first met?"

"what?"

Rinne suddenly opened her eyes, her face, which rarely showed emotion, revealing a look of astonishment.

"Are you a pervert?"

"Yes, just like this, but it's not enough."

Rinne remained expressionless, her small feet encased in white ankle socks leaving her slippers, and then she firmly stomped on Masumi's foot.

"What about this?"

Her fair and pinkish heels seemed to be grinding against Masumi's shallow desires, grinding back and forth.

"To be honest, since it's just your feet stepping on it, it doesn't hurt at all, it's even quite comfortable," Masumi said frankly.

He was met with a cold and contemptuous gaze.

"Pervert... hopeless! I've changed my mind."

"what?"

"You're so unreliable! We absolutely cannot let someone like you take over the coffee shop, and we absolutely cannot hand over the position of heir to someone like you!"

"Hmm, very good, getting better and better..."

Before he could finish speaking, Rinne punched his chest hard.

"Get this straight! I'm not complying with your demands, I'm genuinely insulting you! Do you understand?"

The heiress's cheeks were flushed red, almost dripping blood, as she spoke irritably.

Oh no, that sound was almost like she was about to grind her teeth to pieces; her expression was terrifying.

Realizing she had gone too far, Masumi couldn't help but shudder.

"Because you looked so listless last night, I thought I'd be gentler with you, and it seems like you're back to normal now?"

"Well, to give you an analogy, it's like loading a revolver with bullets..."

"First it was a cat, now it's a revolver. You really love making comparisons."

Under the cold, disdainful gaze, Masumi wanted to explain.

But as Rinne's long hair fell naturally, swaying and shaking, he suddenly found himself speechless.

◇

That woman is such a nuisance!

The thought of having to stay at the coffee shop until the New Year made Mio feel uneasy.

The beautiful woman with long, honey-gold hair walked down the stairs with a gloomy face.

The lights on the first floor were still on.

The figure at the coffee machine counter is...

"Masumi? Rinne?"

She called out their names.

"Oh, it's Mio. What are you doing here so late..."

"I should be asking you two questions."

With a scrutinizing sharpness in her narrowed eyes, Mio questioned him.

"What are you doing here so late?"

Her delicate nostrils twitched, and the strong aroma of coffee in the air was enough to mask everything else.

"We are practicing pour-over coffee."

Rinne said nonchalantly.

"Uh-huh……"

Masumi nodded in agreement.

There were indeed several finished products on the bar, all of them cappuccinos with a rich milk foam.

Mio doesn't really like milk coffee. Coffee is coffee; coffee with milk is a different drink altogether.

"Was this coffee made by Masumi?"

She immediately noticed the cup with the thickest milk foam.

"Hmm, how did Mio figure that out?" Masumi asked curiously.

"Hmph~" Mio confidently raised the corners of her lips, "Masumi especially likes latte art, so she has a very personal style when it comes to the thickness of the milk foam. As her girlfriend, of course I can notice these details."

After she finished speaking, she gave Rinne a provocative look. Unexpectedly, Rinne did not criticize the use of the word "girlfriend".

And apart from that explanation, she kept her lips tightly closed and remained silent.

fair enough.

Mio casually looked away from Rinne's face and began chatting enthusiastically with Masumi.

"Hey, Masumi, about the new song we talked about last time..."

After losing Mio's attention, Rinne gently picked up her coffee, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip.

The milk foam that slowly slides down the throat always feels strangely sticky, making people feel very uncomfortable.

Cappuccino coffee is truly amazing.

……

(End of this chapter)