Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 105 Secrets Between Girls
Looking at Shiina Maki, who seemed inexplicably shy, Akizuki Makoto said to her, "You should go too. Ask Fuyuko how to do some crafts. I'll go make lunch."

"oh oh……"

Shiina Maki nodded hurriedly and quickly walked into Akizuki Makoto's bedroom.

Although Akizuki Makoto's bedroom is spacious, it is somewhat messy and feels cramped because he now sleeps on a makeshift bed on the floor and also needs to make room for Touko to do crafts.

Wearing a bear-patterned pajama set, Dongzi sat on the ground, surrounded by pieces of uncarved wood, as well as carving knives and small hammers of various sizes.

"Sister~"

As soon as Shiina Maki entered, Fuyuko immediately looked up and greeted her with a bright smile, which immediately gave Shiina Maki a sweet shock, and she smiled foolishly.

"Heh...hehe...Dongzi..."

She chuckled as she approached Dongzi, crouched down, and whispered, "Dongzi, what are you doing?"

Although she knew that Dongzi was doing handicrafts, she didn't know the types, so she wanted to ask her first.

"A puppet."

Dongzi spoke softly, pointing to the desk where a row of finished wooden puppets and chibi-style dolls were placed.

Although it is entirely handmade, it does not appear simple; on the contrary, it is quite exquisite.

The puppets are brightly colored, sharply carved, and have a strong three-dimensional feel.

There are many types, such as rabbits, bears, all kinds of small animals, and anthropomorphic ones.

After careful observation, Shiina Maki discovered that the anthropomorphic puppets and chibi-style dolls all bore a resemblance to Makoto Akizuki.

She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Wow, that's amazing! Dongzi, can you teach me?"

"Good~"

Dongzi readily agreed and asked, "Then what does Sister want to do?"

"How about something simple? Just make a doll."

Shiina Maki looked at the wood that Fuyuko was carving and felt a little apprehensive.

Carving puppets is nothing like learning to bake cakes.

You probably can't learn to carve without some talent and time; it's a delicate craft.

So, on his way back, Akizuki Makoto told her that she could just ask Fuyuko for advice on making dolls.

Dolls are made by cutting out pieces of fabric and then sewing them together, which is much simpler than carving.

This is just like a tailor.

Even if she doesn't know how to cut and design the fabric, she can leave it to Dongzi, and she can just sew it.

"Hmm... a doll."

Dongzi murmured to herself as she gathered up the carving knives and wood scattered around her.

Shiina Maki also helped her pack, and then followed Fuyuko to the locker to take out a large bag of fabric and tools such as needles, thread and scissors.

After that, it was Dongzi's teaching time. She was quite good at teaching, demonstrating while explaining the doll-making process and details one by one.

Shiina Maki listened attentively to the lecture, took out her notebook from her bag, and wrote down everything Fuyuko said.

When Dongzi first learned to do handicrafts, she wasn't self-taught. Instead, she read many tutorial books and practiced making them herself before gradually mastering the skills.

It will take Shiina Maki some time to learn how to make dolls.

However, she was confident that she could do it well... or rather, she was determined to learn it and live up to Akizuki Makoto's expectations.

……

When Akizuki Makoto finished preparing lunch and opened the bedroom door, he was surprised to see two people sitting on the floor, carefully cutting and sewing fabric.

"Take a rest first, the food is ready."

After saying that, he went into the bathroom to wash his hands and then sat down in the living room.

After tidying up briefly in the bedroom, the two followed suit and went to wash their hands before sitting on the sofa.

Makoto Akizuki looked at Maki Shiina, who was sitting with Fuyuko, and asked with a smile, "How are you feeling?"

"It's okay, I feel like... I can learn it."

Shiina Maki answered softly, turned her head to look at Fuyuko, and said, "Fuyuko is very good, she teaches very meticulously."

"Of course, she is my proudest sister, and she is great at everything she does."

"Akizuki-kun, thank you for letting Fuyuko teach me."

"It's alright, don't be so polite with me."

Akizuki smiled indifferently. The reason he wanted Shiina Maki to learn handicrafts to earn money was because, after that, Shiina Maki would definitely have to leave her family of origin and live independently.

Without money, it's definitely not possible.

Even if he were willing to spend money to support Shiina Maki, Shiina Maki probably wouldn't agree.

She's not the kind of person who would feel comfortable spending other people's money.

During the meal, Dongzi suddenly looked up and asked hopefully, "Brother, can I have a pudding after I finish my meal?"

"Okay, but you can only have one serving of pudding today. If you eat it later, you won't be able to have any more tonight."

"Hmm...can't I have an extra serving?"

"No, you have to watch what you eat. Dongzi, you've really eaten too many sweets these past few days."

Seeing the two siblings arguing, Shiina Maki suddenly laughed, feeling a strange sensation in her heart.

I feel like the atmosphere right now is like that of a family of three.

Akizuki Makoto, the father, sternly reprimands his gluttonous daughter, while she, as the mother, stands by, smiling silently.

Then, when her father wasn't looking, she would secretly buy desserts for her daughter.

Shiina Maki thought to herself, if she secretly takes Fuyuko out for sweets later, she probably... won't make Akizuki Makoto angry, right?

If she angers him, then let her be punished alone. Ideally, Akizuki Makoto would teach her a severe lesson, making her kneel on the ground while mercilessly scolding her and spanking her.

"Hey...hehe..."

Thinking of that scene, Shiina Maki couldn't help but giggle, her heart filled with sweetness and happiness.

……

After lunch, Shiina Maki helped Akizuki Makoto clear the dishes, and then she and Akizuki Makoto went out to go home and face their mother.

"Dongzi, my sister and I are going out. You stay home and take good care of the house, okay?"

Before leaving, Akizuki Makoto squatted down, patted Touko's little head, and said the most heartless words in a gentle tone.

"When my brother comes back, he will check the refrigerator. If even a little bit of pudding or cake is missing, Dongzi will be punished by not being allowed to eat desserts for a week."

"Woo..."

Dongzi was immediately startled, and a look of guilt and regret flashed across her face.

Originally, she planned to sneak a bite while Akizuki Makoto was out.

Even if it gets discovered later, she can probably be forgiven by just sweet-talking Akizuki Makoto, since what's done is done.

Besides, the pudding and cake were right there, and she couldn't resist the temptation to eat them.

The desserts in Tokyo were so delicious that she couldn't stop eating them.

"good."

Akizuki Makoto patted Fuyuko's head one last time, then put on his shoes and left the house.

Shiina Maki was still a little reluctant to leave. After Akizuki Makoto left, she ran to Fuyuko's side and whispered in Fuyuko's ear, "Don't be afraid, Fuyuko. I'll secretly bring you some dessert later."

"real?!"

Dongzi's eyes lit up instantly, then she said with some worry, "This...this will make my brother angry."

"It's alright, Akizuki-kun will only blame me if he's angry."

Shiina Maki smiled; she actually wanted to be scolded and punished by Akizuki Makoto.

So, this can be described as killing two birds with one stone, winning Dongzi's favor and satisfying his own little quirk.

Perhaps it was her heartfelt confession that morning that emboldened her.

In the past, she wouldn't have dared to expose her dark inner self and twisted fantasies, but now she felt she could tell Akizuki Makoto without hesitation.

"Um... thank you, sister~"

In the end, Fuyuko couldn't resist the temptation of the cake. She hugged Shiina Maki's neck and kissed her on the cheek to show her her affection.

"Shiina-kun, let's go."

Standing on the corridor outside, Akizuki Makoto felt a sense of unease watching the two being so intimate, so he called out to urge them on.

"Okay, come right away!"

After responding, Shiina Maki smiled and said goodbye to Fuyuko, "I'm off then, Fuyuko, wait for me!"

After saying goodbye to Dongzi, she followed Akizuki Makoto and walked downstairs with him.

During the journey, Akizuki asked suspiciously, "What did you say to Fuyuko? I think she kissed you?"

There must be something fishy about making Fuyuko act so intimately. He suspected that Shiina Maki might have bribed Fuyuko in some way.

"It's a secret!"

Shiina Maki blushed slightly and turned her head away guiltily, not daring to look at Akizuki Makoto's face.

"...It would be best if you didn't promise to secretly buy a cake for Dongzi, or take her to eat it."

Makoto Akizuki didn't delve into the matter further, but after issuing a warning, he changed the subject and began discussing the upcoming arrangements with Maki Shiina.

Shiina Maki is almost an adult, and if she wants, she can separate from Shiina's mother.

Moreover, Shiina's mother had a history of domestic violence, was an alcoholic, and worked an improper job.

Given her condition, it is not appropriate for her to continue raising her children.

Even if they call the police or file a lawsuit, Shiina's mother has no grounds for complaint.

The only problem, and the most troublesome one, is that Shiina's mother will make unreasonable demands and prevent Shiina Maki from separating from her husband.

Therefore, Makoto Akizuki had to talk to Shiina's mother. Otherwise, if he let Shiina Maki move out without saying a word, it would be as if he had seduced a high school girl.

"My mother will definitely want the money."

Shiina Maki spoke softly, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes.

In the past, her value was simply to provide her mother with an outlet for her temper; later, she became a source of gold coins.

If Akizuki Makoto insists on taking her away, then Shiina's mother will definitely demand a large sum of money, just like last time.

Akizuki Makoto said softly, "Don't worry, I won't give her a single cent this time."

The situation was different before. Shiina Maki was hesitant and did not want to separate from her mother. At the same time, she did not quite trust him, so he agreed to the conditions proposed by Shiina's mother in order to save trouble.

Shiina Maki pursed her lips, asking with slight unease, "Then what should we do after we separate?"

"How much money do you have now?"

"should……"

After thinking for a moment, Shiina Maki replied uncertainly, "There's still about 800,000 yen left."

She received 900,000 yen in compensation after being bullied last time.

After that, she spent 100,000 yen on clothes and other living expenses.

However, this 800,000 yen did not include the 68,000 yen compensation paid by the cake shop owner.

Therefore, her current savings amount to nearly 900,000 yen, which is already a considerable sum.

(End of this chapter)