Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 314 Epilogue: "Like puzzle pieces, connected to form the future."

"Cherry blossom season is almost here, Masumi-kun!"

"Hmm? Oh, is that so?"

Masumi shifted her gaze from Mami, who had rushed in front of her, to the view outside the coffee shop's floor-to-ceiling windows.

The flower buds on the branches are already showing signs of blooming, and they will be in full bloom in about a week.

The early cherry blossoms planted at the mouth of the Saigo River have long passed their viewing season, but the beautiful Kawazu cherry blossoms are still a sight to behold.

"Hey, Masumi-kun, you're so clueless! If you're not excited now, when are you going to get excited?!"

"Mami must be excited all year round."

Apart from that one time when she returned to Kusatsu last September, Masumi had never seen Mami in a low mood.

In the summer, she frequents the seaside, festivals, and fireworks displays; in the autumn, she travels to Miyako Island and Gunma; and in the winter, she lifts her spirits with Christmas.

Masumi only really got to know her after returning to Kobe in late spring last year, so she still doesn't know what she's like in spring.

But Mami probably relies on cherry blossoms and Golden Week to maintain her excitement.

Upon closer reflection, for naturally optimistic and sociable people, all four seasons are filled with activities that allow them to fully unleash their excess energy.

"Is it really okay for a homebody to be so enthusiastic about these activities like a social butterfly?"

"Masumi-kun, what you said is full of injustice to otaku. You know, a recent romantic comedy about popular people has already been criticized on 5ch because of this."

Ms. Mami's fingers were almost poking a hole in Masumi's cheek.

"That's not what I meant."

Masumi shrugged helplessly, opened her lips, and bit Mami's fingertip with a "whoosh".

"Eek! Masumi-kun was born in the Year of the Dog!"

Mami withdrew her finger with a look of disgust.

"In terms of the Chinese zodiac, I was born in the year of the snake."

Masumi replied casually, "It's because Ms. Asami was eating sweets earlier, and her delicate fingertips were sticky with sugar and cookie crumbs, which tasted sweet."

"Masumi-kun's cunning and cruel personality is indeed very similar to that of a viper."

"That's going too far."

"And I've heard that male short-tailed vipers will seek out five to eight females at a time during the breeding season."

"Wow, this guy has a lot of energy, and he's quite the womanizer."

It's comparable to myself.

"And also...it lasts a very long time...in that area..."

Mami's expression suddenly became ambiguous.

Is this a form of affirmation for me?

Masumi wore a gentle smile.

"It's an accusation against you! How annoying!"

Mami angrily punched his shoulder.

"That's not true at all...!"

"Speaking of which, compared to Masumi-kun, I'm the older one, right!?"

"That's right."

Masumi nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"But why is it always me who gets bullied?!"

Miss Mami protested with puffed-out cheeks.

"I've already said, there's no distinction between seniors and juniors in bed, only men and women."

As Masumi spoke, her eyes were filled with laughter, and she let out a barely perceptible "humph" from her nose, which was immediately noticed by Mami.

"Ah! Masumi-kun just laughed through his nose, right?!"

"It's because Mami is too weak."

Masumi wore a victorious expression and spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"Miscellaneous... miscellaneous fish!?"

Mami stared in disbelief, then her face flushed red with anger to an unbelievable degree.

"That's outrageous, Masumi-kun! How could you insult me ​​like that!"

"Your reaction to that statement is way too much."

Masumi sighed quietly.

There's a saying that goes, "Lies don't hurt, but the truth does."

This is probably why Mami is so angry.

"Masumi-kun must be thinking about something rude, right? I can tell."

"...It's so nice to have a lover who understands you."

"So there's such a response strategy?"

Mami was stunned by Masumi's answer, then suddenly shouted as if she had remembered something:
"No, wait, I was just talking about cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms (Sa~Ku~Ra~)!"

Are you planning a cherry blossom viewing party?

"There's really no reason not to do it!"

Mami clenched her fist and said excitedly.

"I certainly agree with holding a cherry blossom viewing party, but where do you want to hold it? Sumaura Park?"

That's the place with the most cherry blossoms in Kobe, and you can also see the Seto Inland Sea from there.

Asami shook her head and said in an exaggerated, theatrical tone:
“Sumaura is beautiful, but there are too many tourists and you have to climb mountains, so it’s not suitable for us.”

"That's the zoo? And there's a cherry blossom viewing event tonight."

"The cherry blossoms at night are beautiful, but a cherry blossom viewing party is bound to be accompanied by a picnic. How can you eat while smelling animals?"

"What about Arima River? You can also go to Zenpukuji Temple."

"The Arima River is beautiful, indeed..."

"I don't have time to play Romance of the Three Kingdoms with you."

Masumi emphasized her words slightly.

"Masumi-kun is too impatient."

Asami puffed out her cheeks like a child and pouted her lips angrily.

"I just wanted to find a less crowded place to enjoy the cherry blossoms with everyone. It's a very common wish."

"That's right, but finding a place like this during cherry blossom season..."

Masumi put her chin on her hand and thought.

"All the popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Kansai and Kanto will have to be skipped."

"What about Okinawa? You can meet with Miss Ruko there."

"Huh? You and my senior Rugu get along very well?"

"Of course!"

Mami proudly thrust out her ample breasts at him.

"And Miss Rugu will treat me to delicious Ryukyu awamori, and serve it with sea grapes as a snack, it's just too amazing~!"

As she said this, her eyes lit up, and she tugged at Masumi's sleeve.

"Hey, Masumi-kun, how about we go to Miyako Island? What do you think?"

"The cherry blossoms in Okinawa bloom even earlier than at the mouth of the Saigo River."

"Right."

Mami stopped tugging at her sleeve in a daze. Did she finally realize that she had originally planned to hold a cherry blossom viewing party?
"—Masumi wants to go cherry blossom viewing? That sounds really nice."

A sweet voice suddenly rang out behind her, and Masumi turned around to see Mio smiling sweetly at her.

"Being able to enjoy the cherry blossom blizzard in spring with my lover, Masumi, makes my life complete."

"Well, Mio, it's better not to be so easily satisfied."

"When it comes to off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom viewing spots, the Tohoku region is too far away, but the Seto Inland Sea coast should be considered one, right?"

Qian Ai interjected at this moment.

"The Seto Inland Sea coast, that is, places like Okayama, Kagawa, and Ehime."

Masumi was talking to herself.

"...Ehime".

Haiyue suddenly spoke, revealing her snow-white skin, which extended along her slender but beautifully contoured long neck to her collar.

Before she knew it, the previously empty space around Masumi was suddenly filled with girls. Huh? When did that happen?

"Does Kaigetsu want to go to Ehime Prefecture?" "There...are lots of...oranges there..."

"Eh."

Qian Ai was stunned.

“I understand, I understand.” Mami nodded in agreement: “The Melon Girl at the Melon Bookstore in Songshan is very cute.”

Ehime Prefecture, like Wakayama Prefecture (the hometown of Kaigetsu), is a well-known citrus-producing region, and its capital, Matsuyama City, is the most populous city on Shikoku Island.

"Let's go to Songshan then, what's everyone's opinion?"

Masumi made her decision.

"Huh? So fast!" Qian Ai exclaimed in surprise.

"As expected of Masumi, her decisive manner is captivating."

Mio clasped her hands together loudly in front of her chest, rubbed her thighs together, and said with a big smile.

"Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama is very famous. I really want to bathe with Masumi~"

"A hot spring inn."

"Hmm~ Is it still possible to book a hotel now? There must be a lot of guests booking hot spring hotels this season, right?" Asami asked.

"That depends on luck."

"I don't care," Mio shrugged. "As long as Masumi can enjoy herself tonight, that's enough for me."

"Eek! Is Mio-neechan planning to take the cherry blossom viewing party to bed?!"

Mio frowned slightly in disdain.

"Please, Chiai, don't speak in such a vulgar tone, okay?"

"Who's being vulgar?! It was clearly Mio-neechan who brought it up first!"

Qian Ai protested, her face flushed.

"Isn't this normal? Masumi and I are lovers!"

"I...I'm also Masumi-nii's lover! Why can't I be like Mio-neechan!"

Qian Ai blushed and said shyly.

Using their bickering as background noise, Masumi imagined what Rinne and Kaigetsu would look like dressed as cats.

The bells rang out crisply, and just like real cats grooming their companions, the beautiful girls cleaned the dirt off each other's delicate faces, then turned their gaze to the cat toys that had soiled them.

Such a beautiful scene unfolds before my eyes, making me look forward to the next time.

"Masumi-kun, what are you thinking about?"

Interrupting his reverie, Mami asked, squinting her eyes.

"Hmm, I'm wondering how to enjoy... cherry blossoms and hot springs at the same time!"

"Hmph, although I've already sensed something's wrong, in order to be a kind and understanding older sister, I'll just pretend I didn't understand anything."

Asami seemed quite excited as she spoke.

"You'll seem more considerate if you don't go out of your way to brag about yourself."

"Honestly, Masumi-kun is too impatient. We can save the fun for last. The cherry blossom viewing party is all about enjoying it to the fullest! After all, it only happens once a year, so we have to make the most of it!"

"Okay, I didn't say anything against you."

Masumi suddenly felt a strong urge to go on a cherry blossom viewing trip with the five of them.

My last hot spring trip was to Ikaho Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, but this time it will probably be completely different. In fact, it won't be at all.

Both his own enthusiasm and that of the girls were completely different from before.

"This is our first trip after we've officially started dating, so of course we'll put in extra effort!"

Asami said matter-of-factly.

Huh? So this guy can show such a feminine side outside of that.

"...I understand. Then, I'll go talk to Rinne."

"Uh-huh."

Mami nodded.

"It just so happens that we girls are also discussing organizing an event that everyone can enjoy, for ourselves and for everyone."

What exactly are we going to discuss?

As Masumi went up to the second floor, she saw Rinne with her usual indifferent expression. It was hard to believe that she had shown such a sentimental and cute expression when she was with Kaigetsu yesterday.

"Oh, a cherry blossom viewing trip? That sounds interesting."

When Rinne answered Masumi, her gaze didn't leave the screen.

"Huh? Rinne agreed so readily."

Masumi was slightly taken aback.

"I thought Rinne would make some excuses, like before, because she cares about running the coffee shop."

"After all, I am your lover now. Running the coffee shop is my responsibility as the heir, and making you feel satisfied and happy is also my responsibility as your lover."

"Rinne really takes responsibility from beginning to end."

Masumi chuckled softly and sighed.

"However... that kind of statement feels rather cold. I hope Rinne is doing this not just out of duty, but out of 'love.'"

"Why are you suddenly acting all grumpy?"

Rinne sighed, pressing her forehead.

"I've done so much for you...isn't that enough to show my love?"

As the heiress spoke, a faint blush crept onto her snow-white earlobes.

Although it was a day off, it seemed there was still work to be done, and she was still typing on her laptop screen.

No, to be precise, he was just typing on the keyboard—but now he's busy doing other things.

"not enough."

Masumi shook her head, looking down at the heiress.

"I want to hear Rinne say 'I love you' to me."

"Then don't always shut me up when I want to speak."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a cold expression that sent chills down Masumi's spine.

"Hiss~ Being coldly scorned at the same time, yet treated gently by Rinne, it feels really different..."

"This statement seems perverted, no, it is perverted."

The heiress cast a chilling glance at Masumi.

She didn't seem to be acting; she genuinely felt contempt and disdain for Masumi.

That cold gaze combined with such passionate actions was simply irresistible.

For Masumi, this is precisely Rinne's charm.

"I'm sorry, I will reflect on my actions."

"I think you're only verbally apologizing! What are you doing while you're apologizing?"

Rinne frowned, clearly annoyed, but even so.

"..."

After what seemed like a long period of hesitation, Rinne opened her alluring lips, her sweet, sticky voice melting deep into Masumi's eardrums:

"……I love you."

Having ingested an excessive amount of love potion, Rinne's breathing became disordered.

As she adjusted her breathing, she whispered words of love to Masumi.

"Me too, Rinne."

After the heiress got up, Masumi hugged her.

"Fool."

Rinne felt a sharp, rapid heartbeat in her chest.

"I like you the most."

The two gradually became one, as if they were inseparable.

Masumi thought that this must be a special time for him, her, and them.

The future ahead is full of unknowns, but we never stop moving forward, just slowly advancing towards where we are meant to go.

And so another year has passed, from the falling cherry blossoms to their full bloom, and now a new year is about to begin.

Until the future, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, is formed by connecting and combining.
-
Volume 10: The Puzzle: Complete

(End of this chapter)