Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 315, Section 1: "Arrival at Songshan"

"Haiyue, Mami-nee, it's time to get up."

"Uh-huh..."

The jellyfish girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyelids.

Haiyue, Mami, and Rinne were sitting in the back seat when Rinne woke them up.

"Hmm? Have we arrived yet?"

Asami wiped her mouth with the tissue that Rinne handed her.

"We're almost there, the ferry will be docking soon."

After Rinne answered in this way, she took a tissue and wiped away the drool from Haiyue's mouth.

In early April, the group from the Starry Night Cafe decided to travel to Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture.

The whole group went on a trip to strengthen relationships.

Their mode of transportation was the ferry, and every time they rode this shaky vehicle, Mami and Kaizuki would quickly fall into a deep sleep.

This time is no exception.

Six people, pulling their suitcases, prepared to disembark.

The sea, which was originally confined within the porthole, now stretches out vastly before my eyes.

The moment I stepped out of the cabin, I was immediately enveloped by the scent of the sea. Countless waves, whipped by the sea breeze, crashed against the shore, accompanied by the dazzling sunlight overhead.

Several people stood on the deck, gazing at the sea shimmering in the spring sunshine.

"Wow, the sea breeze feels so nice."

Asami sighed as she watched the spring seagulls swoop past her.

"It feels like the opening scene of the game 'Summer Pockets'."

"It's springtime now."

After Masumi gave him a casual reminder, he was glared at by Ms. Mami with an unfriendly look that seemed to say she wanted to kick him into the sea.

"Of course I know that, Masumi-kun, you're such a spoilsport."

"Sister Mami, just let him off the hook. After all, Masumi-nii is the kind of guy who doesn't understand romance."

Chiai chimed in from the side, and Mami, seeing that someone was agreeing with her, immediately nodded deeply.

"That's true, after all, he's Masumi-kun~"

"Qian'ai suddenly has a lot of opinions about me... Oh well, seeing how good you two are together is enough."

Masumi shrugged helplessly.

"Masumi-kun is quite good at finding joy even in hardship."

After making a joke, Mami immediately thought of:

"But speaking of which, the inspiration for Torishiro Island seems to be in Shikoku."

"It's called 'Otokojima,' right?"

Rinne interjected at this moment.

"Huh? Could it be that Rinne is also interested in pilgrimages to the holy sites of Galgames?"

Mami's eyes sparkled, her expression as if she were admiring some rare animal.

"Interested...no, I should say very interested."

The heiress made no attempt to hide her enthusiasm, which surprised Mami even more.

"Could it be that the coffee shop is finally going to have its fifth otaku!?"

"By the way, besides Mami, who are the other three people?"

This was the first time Masumi had ever heard of such a thing.

"That's of course Xiao Haiyue, a hardcore gacha game player; Ms. Mio, who likes adult-oriented yandere imprisonment and heavy-duty Galgames; and Ms. Mio, a light novel author who likes pure love and BDSM themes... mmm mmm mmm!"

"Okay, you don't need to continue."

Masumi covered her mouth tightly, causing Mami to make a "woo woo woo!" sound.

Rinne sighed, thoroughly annoyed by the two bickering, and then explained:

"...That's why."

She picked up the tourist brochure she had just taken from the ship and skillfully turned to the page about Ogijima amidst the complex content of the Setouchi Art Festival.

Despite it being a blind search, the speed, accuracy, and familiarity with which she searched were astonishing: just how many times had she secretly gone through it?

"...Cats and the Island of Slopes".

Mami reads the text aloud.

Ogijima, surrounded by the Seto Inland Sea, is an island with an area of ​​about 1.34 square kilometers, a circumference of 5 kilometers, and a population of about 160.

The island has little flat land, and most of the houses are built along the slopes. There are more cats than islanders, hence the name "Cat Island".

"Eh, Rinne really likes cats."

Qian Ai sighed from the bottom of her heart.

"I won't deny that."

Rinne carefully put away the tourist brochure.

"let's go."

The ferry docked at Matsuyama Tourist Port on the northwest coast of Matsuyama City. Posters featuring adorable cats were displayed on the wall at the port exit.

The phrase "travel like a cat" comes to mind.

Masumi glanced at Rinne on her left without making a sound, and sure enough, the heiress was happily squinting her eyes.

Could it be that this is why I agreed to the trip so readily beforehand?

"I'm really looking forward to my trip with Masumi."

To his right was another girl who was also looking forward to the trip.

As Masumi looked at the timetable to check the time of the next bus, Mio's arm wrapped around her right arm like a white snake.

"I'm really looking forward to it too..."

Masumi had originally intended to suggest that Mio should tone it down a bit in public, but looking around...

"There are so few people..."

Haiyue seemed half-asleep, murmuring softly.

"Although it's cherry blossom season, there are very few tourists coming here by ferry."

"Isn't this exactly what Mami-nee wanted?"

"Yes, you're right, we definitely have to enjoy this trip!"

Mami clenched her fists firmly.

The six people were to take a bus to the tram station, and then take the Iyo Railway Takahama Line to their destination, Dogo Onsen.

The tram traveled along the coast, with nothing obstructing the view as far as the eye could see, and not a single cloud in the sky. The sea was so vast, so different from the city itself.

As the tram gradually entered Songshan city, the number of passengers gradually increased.

Dogo Onsen is the oldest hot spring in the island nation, with a history of 3000 years.

The group got off at the Dogo Onsen shopping street, where souvenir shops, restaurants, and cafes lined the street.

However, the group didn't have time to go shopping yet; they needed to check into their hotel first and store their luggage.

"Ah, Masumi-kun, could we stop by the convenience store on the way? I'm a little hungry."

"If Mami-nee gets hungry, there are plenty of restaurants in the shopping street."

"No, no, no! We're having hot spring cuisine tonight, so let's just have something light to eat before then."

Masumi nodded.

"Perfect timing, I'm a little hungry too, let's go buy something."

Although they ate something on the ferry, the long journey had taken a toll on their energy.

At my current level of hunger, I probably won't last until dinner time.

"Okay, then Masumi-kun and I will take care of the shopping, and the luggage will be left to... Chia!"

Mami unceremoniously pushed her suitcase in front of her childhood friend.

“Why me?”

Qian Ai puffed out her cheeks.

"Of course, it's because I trust Chia very much."

A pleased smile appeared on Asami's lips as she spoke, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"That's settled then, Masumi-kun, let's go!"

She called to Masumi in the tone of summoning a Pokémon, and the latter followed reluctantly.

"Oh."

"welcome."

As soon as they entered the convenience store, the bespectacled male clerk greeted them in a lazy voice.

"Oh, this is Dogo Beer, it's very famous."

As soon as Ms. Asami entered, she rushed to the alcohol shelf, which was practically a routine for her, given her status as a voracious drinker. "Mami's obsession with alcohol is truly terrifying."

A mature and beautiful woman was squatting in front of the shelf, staring at the beer with such longing that it was hard to bear. Masumi pressed her forehead and sighed.

"Masumi-kun, you're criticizing me. Why don't you take a look at what you're staring at right now?"

With sharp eyes, Mami glared at him fiercely.

"I'm doing this... for your safety..."

Masumi looked away from her and picked up a small red box. The simple packaging only had words like 0.01 and six pieces written on it.

"Is that so? That sounds so high and mighty. Masumi-kun, don't you even look at who caused this security problem?"

Mami's tone was gentle yet sharp.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles... until her shopping basket was overflowing, she approached Masumi carrying a full load of Dogo beer.

Without saying a word, she took several boxes from the shelf and threw them into the top of the shopping basket, leaving Masumi dumbfounded.

"Wait a minute, isn't this a bit too much?"

"Is it a lot? If Masumi-kun smokes, he'll definitely become the kind of smoker who goes through a whole pack a day."

"No, even so, I still get tired."

Masumi sighed.

"Is that so...? I don't think so."

Mami pouted, clearly displeased.

"You're not like Masumi-kun, getting tired from just that much. You must have a lot of stamina, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have kept doing it."

"That was driven by desire rather than physical strength."

Masumi was able to keep up with the girls at the coffee shop because they were just too charming.

Seeing their endearing expressions makes him completely unwilling to stop, and he just keeps asking for more.

"Oh, really?"

Mami responded to him perfunctorily.

"I think I should add a bit more here. Lately, Masumi-kun has been consistently not using it at all, which is super~ super~ terrible!!"

As Mami spoke indignantly, her face flushing red.

Even if there wasn't that opportunity, Masumi wouldn't waste any chance. She was bullied quite a bit because of this, and was even ridiculed by Masumi as a nobody.

"Okay, then I'll listen to Mami."

Masumi readily agreed, which earned her even more disdainful looks from Mami.

"Seriously, this man... I was fooled by Masumi-kun's serious appearance back then."

"Shouldn't this be blamed on Mami for misjudging people? Besides, I'm not that bad at all, am I?"

"Yes, Masumi-kun should really reflect on himself."

"Then please bear with me, Mami."

"What responsibility are you taking?"

The two chatted as they bought beer, drinks, and snacks at the convenience store.

As soon as she stepped out of the convenience store, Mami started eating while it was still hot.

"Delicious, delicious! Being hungry really does stimulate your appetite."

She took a bite of a croquette in her left hand, a bite of fried chicken in her right, and now her mouth is stuffed full of pork buns.

Masumi was somewhat helpless:

"You just said you weren't planning to eat too much because of the hot spring meal tonight."

"Masumi-kun underestimates me. These are just appetizers for me."

Are you some kind of gluttonous female protagonist?

As Masumi made this comment, her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the part of Asami that showed a positive correlation with her increased appetite.

It's noticeably bigger than when I first saw it last spring. When will it ever end?

"Masumi-kun, you're not thinking anything lewd—or rather, you're thinking about my breasts, aren't you?"

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

"Don't take this as a universal answer!"

After wolfing down her food, Mami gave Masumi a sharp look.

The latter showed an expression of serious consideration.

"Thinking about it carefully, I realize I've never used this before."

"Don't, don't say 'use'! It's true that Masumi-kun will use it..."

"With such talent, Mami will definitely do a great job and clamp the food perfectly."

"I don't need Masumi-kun's encouragement—uh, why are we talking about this kind of thing in the shopping street!"

"Yes, yes, we need to hurry up and get Mami—no, we need to hurry up and meet up with Mio and the others."

Masumi also swallowed the last bite of the meat bun.

"Huh! Has Masumi-kun's head been reduced to nothing but desire?"

Despite Ms. Mami's constant verbal attacks, they walked back to the shopping street, met up with the other four, and then followed the navigation to the hotel.

Masumi didn't book a traditional Japanese hot spring inn this time; she just stayed at a regular hotel.

The advantage is that it is located very close to all three buildings of Dogo Onsen, right across from the main building of Dogo Onsen.

Upon entering the hotel, before they even had a chance to put down their luggage, a battle erupted among the girls over the rooms.

"Then I want this one—!"

Mio opened a door on the left.

"Wait a moment."

Rinne grabbed her wrist from behind.

"Mio can't live alone, you have to live with me."

Mio turned her head away unhappily, tying a knot between her brows.

"Rinne, don't meddle in other people's business."

"Does Mio have any objections?"

"Of course, how could I possibly be with Rinne..."

For the trip of six people, Masumi booked two single rooms and two double rooms.

Single rooms, which are convenient for sneaking out at night, naturally became highly sought-after locations.

"Why don't you let the philandering cat share a room with your jellyfish daughter?"

"Haiyue..."

Rinne's expression stiffened upon hearing this, and she slowly widened her eyes as if she were breathing through her pupils.

When she sleeps in the same bed with Haiyue, she unconsciously recalls the scene where she and Haiyue were completely messed up by Masumi, and then she blushes and can't say a word.

The "daughter" she trusted most turned around and helped the boy betray her.

"I want... my own room..."

Haiyue said expressionlessly.

"Don't even think about it! You cunning jellyfish."

"Does Chia want to share a room with me?"

"Ugh! I don't want to! Sharing a room with Asami-nee is such a hassle—"

Chiai is still haunted by the memory of being kicked off the bed by Mami last time.

"We're not sleeping in the same bed this time! Okay, okay, I promise I'll sleep peacefully this time."

"Sister Mami's promise..."

Qian Ai hesitated.

Mami noisily pushed the reluctant Chiai into a room.

On the other side, after a fierce struggle, Rinne, Mio, and Kaigetsu finally reached a compromise.

Mio, with a victorious expression, hummed a song as she walked into the private room, giving Masumi a meaningful look before entering.

"I'll be with Rinne again..."

"We won't go together."

Rinne wore an expression of extreme shame. Even though several days had passed since what happened that night, the heir seemed unable to let it go.

Only after seeing that all five girls had closed their doors did Masumi drag her luggage into the last single room.

He threw himself onto the soft bed, ready to rest quietly for a while.

This is also to conserve energy for the upcoming trip...

A three-day, two-night family trip with my lover in Shikoku.

It's easy to imagine that this will be a very pleasant time, perfect as the start of spring.

(End of this chapter)