Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 295, Section 12: "I prefer them thinner."

At the Don Quijote supermarket, which is quite a distance from the Starry Night Cafe, Rinne looked around aimlessly.

Fortunately, it was in a large chain supermarket. If it had been a convenience store near a coffee shop, she probably would have been labeled a "suspected thief" by the staff and stared at closely.

After confirming that no one was paying attention to her suspicious behavior, Rinne looked at the goods on the shelf.

Boxes painted with white or blue medical masks, band-aids, and wet wipes... these are not what the heiress is looking for.

My gaze kept moving to the right, and I finally spotted it.

The brightly colored packaging looks a bit like a small box of cigarettes at first glance.

The wording above is very limited, only emphasizing numerical values ​​such as 0.01 or 0.02.

Only those who stand here with a specific purpose will perceive the meaning behind these numbers.

For example, Kamishiro Rinne.

Rinne's expression was calmer than ever before.

Discarding her pointless sense of shame, she began to think calmly from the perspective of an heir.

"..."

The boxes all look the same; the only differences are the numbers written on the packaging and the label indicating how many pieces are in a pack.

As a thrifty and hardworking woman, Rinne has always been meticulous in her calculations.

From an economic perspective, as long as the quality is guaranteed, the more the same price, the better. For example, a pack of 3 mackerel for 599 yen or 10 pieces of salmon for 1111 yen.

But is this criterion debatable for this type of product?

Using food as a standard, if the price is the same, the number of slices of Iberian Wagyu beef will definitely be less than that of domestic beef or imported American beef, because the former is of better quality.

Since we're going to use it anyway, wouldn't it be more considerate to choose a higher quality one?

But after only three pieces, it's already a bit...

According to Asami, Masumi isn't a guy who's easy to please.

The worst-case scenario is running out halfway through! I've heard that guys often lack normal judgment at that point...

"I'm sorry, Rinne..."

The thought sent chills down Rinne's spine.

If that happens, it could escalate into an irreversible situation.

If we want to avoid this risk, we also need to be considerate of him.

Therefore, there is only one option left.

Rinne reached for the small box labeled "Six Pieces"—
No no no!

At the critical moment, her hand froze in mid-air.

At least consider your own situation.

"..."

Otherwise, we should ask Asami-nee first.

◇

Ding--

My phone in my pocket suddenly beeped with the sound of a text message.

LINE? Who is that?

Masumi picked up her phone and glanced at it; it was Rinne who had sent an emoji.

The mascot-like cartoon cat frantically waved its paws... or rather, waved its claws.

Huh?
Neko: "Asami-nee, with so many options, which one should I buy? Thinner or thicker?"

Huh?

The message has been retracted.

Before sending a message, could you please make sure you know who it's for?

Masumi internally complained to herself while looking completely bewildered.

What could possibly make the heiress so conflicted? What is it that she should buy?
Masumi squinted and pondered carefully, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her.

Ah! I understand.

Since the coffee shop is planning to have barbecue tonight, Rinne is probably struggling with what kind of meat to buy.

The reason I asked Mami is because she's the glutton at the coffee shop.

Just then, the phone rang, and it was Rinne calling.

After the call was connected, the heiress got straight to the point.

"You...saw it?"

"Yeah, I saw it."

Masumi didn't think too much and readily admitted it. After all, it wasn't something that needed to be hidden, and LINE would show that it had been read, so even if she wanted to deny it, she couldn't.

"..."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Rinne?"

"Oh, sorry, I was a little distracted."

"Oh, it's alright. Where is Rinne now?"

"Don Quixote's...fresh produce section."

This is a lie.

"That's it."

Masumi nodded, realizing she had guessed correctly, and continued:

"I think a thinner one would be better."

"Eh?"

Since Asami is the type who doesn't mind if the beef is undercooked, it's better to choose thinly sliced ​​beef to avoid giving her an upset stomach.

"You... like that kind?"

"Yes, I really like it, I should say it's my favorite!"

Thinly sliced ​​beef, crumpled on the grill, drips with fat, and has a slightly charred texture when you put it in your mouth.

Masumi loves this kind of grilled meat the most!
Was it just my imagination? Rinne on the other end of the phone seemed to take a deep breath and then hold it.

"I see."

"Okay, please, Rinne."

They actually said something like "please"...

Rinne's face immediately turned even redder than the packaging of the small box.

"Then, how many tablets would be better per pack?"

Rinne tried hard to suppress her embarrassment and continued to ask.

A few slices of beef...

Masumi fell into deep thought.

"The more the better!"

"Hey, the more... the better..."

"Well, if it's about money, Rinne, don't worry. The coffee shop's cash flow has been quite healthy lately, hasn't it?"

The heiress who manages the accounts should know better than I do.

That said, it feels like a cohabiting couple or a newlywed couple, with the wife asking her husband for directions after he goes out to buy groceries.

"No, this amount of money is nothing, it's just..."

Rinne's voice seemed somewhat hesitant.

Are you worried about leaving any food? It's okay, I have a great appetite tonight, I can eat as much as I want!

Masumi made a boastful promise, expecting Rinne to tease her, but the other end of the phone fell silent once again.

"Rinne?"

"Oh, sorry, I zoned out again."

"Rinne, did you not get enough rest? Do you need me to pick you up?"

"No, no need. I didn't buy much."

"Oh, is that so? Should we buy some energy drinks to boost our spirits?"

"Tea or coffee is enough."

"Energy drinks generally contain many ingredients other than caffeine, so their effects are more diverse and significant."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. That's all for now."

"Ah."

Rinne silently hung up the phone, her bones groaning weakly. She felt as if she were being embraced by the air, and slowly squatted down in front of the shelf.

The more the better...

Rinne reached for the small box containing twelve pieces.

So much... can I handle it all...?
Anyway, let's buy it first and then talk about the rest.

As for Masumi's perspective, Rinne hadn't considered it at all. He was always very capable, and he himself said he had a good "appetite," so it was probably about the same.

After putting the items into the shopping basket, she breathed a sigh of relief.

After making the decision, I immediately felt much more relaxed.

Ding--

Just as I put my phone in my pocket, it suddenly beeped with the sound of a text message.

LINE? Who is that?

Rinne picked up her phone and glanced at it; it was an emoji sent by Asami.

A cartoon cat, almost like a mascot, is drooling over dried fish. So cute!

Rinne instinctively pressed the save button before starting to read the message text from Asami.

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Rinne is having trouble making a decision. I heard it from Masumi-kun. Oh my, I'm so happy to hear this after waking up."

Neko: "He actually told you about this so quickly? And why is Asami-nee so happy?"

What is this? Sharing or showing off? Rinne was incredulous.

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Of course I'm happy, because I'm one of the participants in tonight's party."

A barbecue party... Just imagining it makes Ms. Mami's mouth water.

Neko: "!"

Neko: "Asami-nee... you're participating too? What does that mean?"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Huh? Is what I'm saying that hard to understand? Or does Rinne not want me to join?"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Seriously, I've only been slacking off a little lately. Rinne, as the heir, is being too petty. Be more magnanimous!"

Neko: "No, I just..."

Is this a matter of capacity?
Ryujinin Michiyo: "Ah, Chiai wants to come too after she finds out. She seems to like thicker (beef)."

Neko: "Huh? Chiai?!"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it! A (grilled meat) party for seven people, it's going to be so satisfying!"

Neko: "A thousand loves? Seven?!"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Me, Rinne, Kaizuki, Chia, Mio, and Masumi, six of us, plus Mirai, make a total of seven."

Neko: "So many!? And in the future too..."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "About this, Mirai specifically told me that she recently learned (barbecue) techniques from Aimi in the band, so that Rinne won't have to work so hard by herself."

Neko: "Oh, okay."

By this point, Rinne had completely lost her ability to speak, and her mind had fallen into a dazed state, deeply shaken.

Why... has everyone suddenly become like this...?

Wait a minute! Maybe I've misunderstood!

Neko: "Mami-nee, let me just confirm, we're... talking about the same thing, right?"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Huh? Isn't it the same thing? What was Rinne talking about...?"

I want to be with Masumi... How can I just say something like that out loud!

I finally mustered up the courage to ask Asami for help, but I accidentally sent it to the wrong person...

No, judging from the final answer, it can't be said that we asked the wrong person.

But Rinne's courage and sense of shame had already been completely exhausted in the process, so...

Let's just summarize it using keywords.

Neko: "Tonight!", "Eat it!", "Although it's satisfying to eat, eating too much can be uncomfortable."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Huh? I don't know why Rinne would use such a spy-like code, but I think... it's about the same thing."

A barbecue party at night can be very satisfying with delicious grilled beef, but eating too much can also make your stomach feel uncomfortable.

really.

Rinne's last shred of hope was shattered by those words.

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Anyway, that's how it is. I'm really looking forward to tonight~ I can enjoy a 'delicious' meal with Rinne."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "(＾q＾)"

Conversation ends.

"..."

What is this?

How could things have turned out like this?!

At first, Rinne only took defensive action because she had spied on Masumi and Mio under the guidance of Kaigetsu and was driven by her unease.

Whether or not you will actually need it, you must be prepared.

This represents her determination and her responsibility.

But now...

Should she tell Asami and the others? At least for the first time, she didn't want to share it with anyone else.

Even those whom Rinne considered family.

"Honestly, Rinne is too petty for an heir. She should be more magnanimous."

Mami's words echoed in my ears once again.

That being said, this has nothing to do with magnanimity!
"..."

Rinne hunched her back like a withered flower.

"Let's go back."

Wait, there's also the energy drink that Masumi mentioned.

Having consumed so much coffee and black tea in my daily life, perhaps due to increased patience, the energizing effects of these drinks are no longer as noticeable.

At this moment, I really need something to cheer myself up.

Functional drinks, functional drinks...

Rinne arrived at the shelf where energy drinks were sold.

"Monster," "Ingenium," "Pretty Good"... there are surprisingly many kinds.

Which one should I buy?

Rinne's gaze lingered on the shelves, then her pupils suddenly contracted: "Emperor of the Night," "Speed ​​Attack," "Peerless Ultimate"...

"..."

Which energy drink is he referring to?

◇

"Wow, Rinne, you've worked so hard to buy so much meat."

Back in the store, Mami smiled broadly as she took the plastic bag from her hand.

"Good evening, Rinne. I'm here to bother you too."

Qian'ai also greeted her with a smile from her chair.

"Hmm, good evening."

Rinne looked slightly uneasy and guiltily looked away.

"Then, I'll go prepare the ingredients."

"I'm here to help too!"

Qian'ai volunteered.

"Yes, let's have Lady Mami lend a hand too."

"No, no need."

Rinne instinctively wanted to refuse, but that word suddenly surfaced in her mind again.

"tolerance".

"Rinne? Are you alright?"

Mami looked at her with concern.

"You seem listless and not in good spirits."

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."

"I see. Then Rinne should go and rest for a while."

"Eh."

“That’s right, that’s right. Leave the preparations to me and Mami-nee. Rinne, go back to your room and rest for a bit.”

Rinne should have felt warmed by their concern, but—

The thought that they might say later, "Ah, Rinne, you should rest for a bit. We'll leave Masumi-kun to me and Chiai," made me realize how precious the moment was.

A cold sweat broke out like a bursting dam.

"I, I know."

Rinne forced out an answer, then carried the energy drink in a black bag upstairs, but didn't go straight back to her room.

Instead, he continued up the stairs and knocked on the door of a room on the third floor.

"Masumi, are you there?"

"Ah, it's Rinne. Please wait a moment."

A slightly flustered voice came from behind the door.

About half a minute later, she saw Masumi slowly open the door, revealing her usual gentle smile.

"What's wrong?"

Rinne stood at the door and glanced into the room. Sure enough, she saw Haiyue sitting obediently on the carpet in front of the bed, with a few strands of black hair sticking to the corner of her lips.

Upon seeing Rinne suddenly appear, the jellyfish girl seemed to have something to say, but hesitated and closed her lips, her slender white throat trembling slightly.

The heiress's expression immediately turned cold.

“A drink,” she said.

"Well?"

Seeing Masumi's confusion, Rinne pushed the plastic bag she was carrying into his arms and explained.

"I didn't know which one was better, so I bought one of each."

"Oh, they're all pretty much the same, like Monster Energy or something...wait, what is it?"

Masumi's expression froze.

What kind of drink is this?
(End of this chapter)