Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 285, Section 2: "Miss Mami is unwilling to accept this"

Oops.

As the trial began, Masumi resignedly closed her eyes and heard Mami's somber murmur in her ear.

"Masumi-kun...don't you have anything to explain?"

"Well, because the evidence is overwhelming, I've decided to give up trying to argue."

"You're quite self-aware, Masumi-kun."

Asami narrowed her eyes into sharp slits, picking up a small object between her fingertips.

"My cassette tape is right here with you!"

"Huh? A cassette tape?"

Masumi opened her eyes in surprise.

"What? Is Masumi-kun trying to deny it again?"

Mami frowned unhappily.

"No, that..."

Masumi lowered her gaze, noticing that Mami had only slightly lifted a corner of the blanket.

"...Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Hmph~ If I hadn't insisted on my own opinion, I would have really been held back by Masumi-kun."

Mami proudly puffed out her chest.

“From now on, Masumi-kun has an obligation to me, and I will remember it well.”

"No, ultimately it's your own fault for leaving it lying around—"

"Ok?"

Mami took a step forward with displeasure, looking down at him condescendingly.

Masumi's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Even with a blanket over her, she would probably notice something amiss at such close range.

"Gudu."

Masumi nervously swallowed.

"Goooooooooo."

"...Aren't you swallowing a little too often, Masumi-kun? Are you thirsty?"

Mami tilted her head, completely bewildered.

"Uh, a little bit."

This is not an excuse; anyone under prolonged stress would likely experience a dry mouth and throat, and Masumi was no exception.

"Could you please bring me the water glass from the table?"

Masumi regretted her words the moment they left her mouth. Normally, at a moment like this, she should be hoping the other person would leave as soon as possible.

However, the more flustered you are, the easier it is to expose your mistakes. Perhaps doing this is the best solution?

At least Mami seems to be completely unaware of this at the moment.

"Okay, okay, Masumi-kun is treating me like a maid. Do you think I'm such an easy girl to order around?"

"Don't say such strange things."

"Hmph, it's not strange for a repressed pervert to want to put five girls together to create a harem."

"If you add the kind of qualifier you mentioned, I don't think it's surprising what kind of person this is."

"You really know how to flatter yourself, Masumi-kun."

Mami snorted through her nose and approached with her water glass.

"If you want to drink water, at least sit up. Do you expect me to feed you water?"

She looked at Masumi, who was still lying motionless on the bed, and said.

"No, just leave it aside. I'll drink it myself later."

If Haiyue sits up now, her throat will probably feel very uncomfortable.

Masumi looked haggard, and Mami glared at him fiercely.

Seeing Masumi-kun like this, I don't know why, but I feel so angry and want to vent!

Suddenly being glared at, Masumi couldn't help but shrink back.

"What's this?"

"Masumi-kun, are you trying to play dumb? I know! You've been secretly doing shady things with other girls behind my back!"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Masumi, who already knew what was going on, tensed up.

Why……?
No, it must just be a rhetorical question. Didn't this guy not notice it earlier?

If you show any signs of something being wrong, it'll be all over!
After making this judgment, Masumi suppressed her panic and pretended to be dumbfounded.

"What kind of stupid thing are you doing now?"

"Are you not answering my questions directly because you feel guilty and want to give me a perfunctory answer?"

"Saying you feel guilty is going too far."

It is especially important to remain calm in situations like these.

"What else could it be? I wouldn't make things up without evidence!"

Asami struck a pose like a famous detective.

She held a strand of flaxen hair between her thumb and forefinger, which shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains.

"Is this Xiao Haiyue's hair?"

Masumi was sweating profusely, her skin almost sticking to her pajamas.

No way! If she really found out, why would she only focus on her hair?

"You and Haiyue often rest on my bed, so what's so strange about two hairs appearing here?"

Masumi tried to remain calm as she spoke.

"Hmph, Masumi-kun's psychological defenses are really stubborn."

Asami listlessly loosened the strands of hair she was holding.

"It should be described as hard... solid."

"Whatever you like is fine."

After Mami finished speaking, she picked up her water glass and took a sip, then put another mouthful in her mouth.

Then, as Masumi opened her eyes wide, she brought her lips closer.

He simply passed the water from his mouth over to me.

Masumi couldn't spit it out and soil the sheets, so she had to move her throat and swallow it.

"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"

Masumi lightly wiped the corner of her lips and looked at her in surprise.

"Are you satisfied with the maid's water-feeding service, Masumi-kun?"

Asami laughed, her luscious lips emitting a soft giggle.

After laughing, she gently swayed her body as if she were embarrassed.

"It's about time I went back to catch up on my sleep, I'm off!"

"Ah."

"What a cold reaction! Are they just going to ignore me now that I've lost my usefulness?"

Don't make me sound so cold-blooded.

"Hehe, bye-bye then."

Mami waved her hand lightly, turned around and left the room.

Then… after closing the door, Mami leaned against it and murmured in a voice too soft for the two people in the room to hear:
"That idiot Masumi-kun... He thinks he's hiding it so well, but he actually... Has he lost his mind?! Does he really think he's the male protagonist of a harem manga?!"

She muttered to herself for a while, and after feeling a little better, she suddenly realized something.

Although she had a good rant, the person she was angry with had no idea how she felt! And she's probably still with Xiaohaiyue right now...

So mad!!
I really want to rush in again and launch a surprise attack, just to give them a fright!

but……

No way.

A sigh escaped from Asami's lips.

Never mind, I'll go back to my room and sleep.

"This is like burying your head in the sand," Mami thought to herself, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips.

Just as she was about to go downstairs to her room, she heard voices coming from inside.

"Mami...is gone?"

"Yes, they should have gone back."

"Asami... so stupid..."

Upon hearing this, Mami's forehead vein throbbed, and she restrained the urge to push open the door and rush in.

After hesitating for a moment, she held her breath, pressed her ear and cheek against the door, and eavesdropped on the sounds.

"Don't say that, she's just a little slow on the uptake."

The fist is hard.

Ms. Mami wanted to rush in right now and punch Masumi.

But now is not the time.

She patiently continued eavesdropping, finding it rather exciting, especially if they weren't talking about her. "It's about time to get up, everyone will be waking up soon."

You can hear the soft rustling sound of Masumi-kun lifting the blanket and the sound of his feet stepping on the ground as he stands up.

"It's...still morning..."

"No, I've already decided on the schedule from Monday to Friday. Today is Tuesday, not Haiyue's time."

Monday to Friday? Allocation plan? What is this?
Could it be that he's planning to use some kind of rotation system to make us his girlfriends?

Asami activated her otaku brain and deduced the correct answer in less than a second.

"Tuesday...it was Asami...but she's already gone..."

What?! Little Sea Moon is actually taking up my time?!
Mami clenched her teeth, her shoulders and body trembling with anger.

"Ugh."

After a sigh, she heard Masumi compromise:
"This is the last time."

unacceptable! !
Mami couldn't bear to listen to what happened next, so she went back to her room in a huff and leaned against the door as she closed it.

She leaned against the door, head bowed, maintaining this posture for a long time before finally letting out a melancholy sigh.

"Why can't I do it?"

◇

Throughout the morning's business, Mami was in a daze.

"Mami-nee? What happened?"

In the kitchen, Rinne shifted her gaze, her eyes showing concern for Mami, who stood absentmindedly beside her.

"No, it's okay."

"Really? You seem to have something on your mind."

"It's really nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."

"so."

Rinne nodded, her face maintaining its usual indifferent expression.

"Uh-huh."

Mami nodded rapidly.

Fortunately, given Rinne's personality, if she didn't want to speak up, Rinne would never be so tactless as to press for details.

During the lunch break, Mami still found the food tasteless and couldn't taste what the mackerel she was eating tasted like.

During her usual afternoon break, she would simply sit on a chair in the dining area and read comics on her phone to pass the time.

But today, during her free time, she used her phone to search for information that was not meant for outsiders, and she did so much more carefully than when she was looking for references to draw her doujinshi.

Ugh, I feel like my brain is a complete mess because of what happened this morning.

This continued until after closing time in the evening, when Rinne and Mio began preparing dinner.

Workdays that used to feel like an eternity now seem to flow by exceptionally quickly.

My time must have been stolen by Little Moon!

Asami made this judgment.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is my first time handling this kind of ingredient, so it took a little extra effort."

Rinne served up a dish that Mami had never seen before.

"What is this? A clam adductor? An oyster?"

Mami Nahan.

"Pufferfish milt is in season right now, so I bought some as a reward for everyone's hard work."

Rinne answered calmly.

Was it just my imagination? I felt that when Rinne said "thank you for your hard work," she glanced at Masumi without making a sound.

It must be an illusion.

That said, it's time for our weekly special meal again.

Wait, she just said this dish is—

"B-Bai Zi!"

Mami subconsciously repeated it in a high-pitched voice.

"What's wrong? Didn't you eat sea bream milt tempura before?"

Masumi asked in a nonchalant tone. However, to Mami, it sounded like there was something more to it.

"No, it's nothing."

Asami lowered her head listlessly, picked up a piece of grilled shirako with her chopsticks, and put it in her mouth.

The gelatinous fish roe has a smooth and rich texture, with a unique creamy taste.

"...No wonder Xiao Haiyue likes it so much."

Asami's muttering to herself was unexpectedly loud at the dining table.

"Well?"

Haiyue tilted her head curiously, revealing her snow-white skin that stretched down her neck to her collar.

"No, forget it."

◇

Seriously, it's all Masumi-kun and Umizuki's fault!
Asami smacked her lips, trying to clear her overheated mind with the help of the early March chill.

Sigh, Tuesday will be over soon.

No! I haven't even accepted Masumi-kun's ridiculous confession yet! It's hard for any girl to accept something like that.

I need to stand with the other girls too! But—

"Wow, Masumi actually confessed to everyone on Valentine's Day! That's much bolder than I expected."

"Don't I, Miss Rugu, find this absurd?!"

"That's true to some extent, but isn't this the real Masumi? Mio... cough cough! Asami-san likes Masumi just the way she is, doesn't she?"

"Hmm."

"Don't forget our agreement. If everyone else resists, and only Ms. Mami accepts, then it makes no difference, does it?"

Recalling her conversation with Miss Rugu, Mami's thoughts became even more tangled.

Judging from Xiaohaiyue's reaction, she has definitely accepted it, after all, she is the type who doesn't care about anything as long as Masumi-kun is around.

But if that's the case, then wouldn't I be—

She kicked the ground in the yard like a defiant child, sending dust flying.

Fine grains of sand drifted into the shaded areas and were swallowed by the darkness.

The shadow swayed slightly the next moment.

"Ok?"

Asami's narrowed eyes opened and closed like waves.

Looking along the end of the shadow, the destination is the warehouse in the corner.

According to building regulations, warehouses that are fixed on land are considered buildings and are therefore subject to relevant permits and tax burdens.

Therefore, the warehouse of Starry Night Cafe is installed on a base with casters, a square space with a small open space underneath.

From that distance, Mami saw Masumi's sneakers, a coat hanging on the ground, and jeans that were wrinkled from being squeezed against her thighs.

That outfit belongs to... Rinne!?
No way.

Mami swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest.

"These two people... they're incredibly audacious."

The night air was slightly cool. Mami gritted her teeth and moved a little closer. When she heard the sucking sound, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Why! ?

Isn't today Tuesday?! It should be her time today!

Because she hadn't accepted Masumi-kun's confession yet, Umi-zuki and Rinne-ne brazenly occupied her time.

Mami clenched her fists.

It is really--

Powerless.

The fist clenched tightly and then relaxed weakly.

"You are going too far!"

Mami could only wail inwardly at these words; it was something she wouldn't dare expose even if she discovered it.

What could she do? She couldn't just rush in and separate the two of them.

Mami regretted going to Masumi's room to look for the cassette tape this morning; she wished she had been as clueless as Mio and Chia.

After quietly returning to her room, Mami remained in a daze.

Thinking about that incident makes my mind instantly boil over, as if the seasons have been turned upside down.

She covered her mouth, which she couldn't help but open, with her hand, her shoulders trembling.

Although I gradually recovered from my dazed state, the tightness in my chest remained unchanged.

Mami's world is like a rebellion against the approaching night, a refusal to accept defeat!
I'm so unwilling to accept this! I'm so unwilling to accept it that I feel like I'm dying!
To fight against the emotions that were churning her heart, Mami decided to go all out.

She got out of bed, resolutely walked out of the room, and then took a shower in the bathroom.

Getting your body back to its best condition first is definitely the right thing to do.

Then, wearing only a bath towel, she gritted her teeth and slowly walked up to the third floor, knocking on Masumi's door.

(End of this chapter)