Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Then, with an even more natural demeanor, Takahashi reached out and took the drink cup that Kaguya handed him. After taking a sip, he handed over the blueberry juice cup he was holding.

There was absolutely no abnormal reaction.

Even though I drank from it and touched the area with my mouth, there was absolutely no reaction.

Isn't this guy being a bit too natural?!

Kaguya, stunned, accepted the blueberry juice and fell silent as she watched Takahashi's reaction.

But clearly, the situation was not just "unexpected" at this level. Gao Hai noticed Kaguya's unusual reaction almost immediately. After taking another sip of Kaguya's juice and noticing the direction of the girl's gaze, he understood what she was thinking.

"Speaking of which, does exchanging drinks like this count as an indirect kiss?"

So he smiled and asked, successfully making Kaguya's face turn bright red instantly, even though she had just been stunned.

He grasped Kaguya's slightly trembling hand once more.

Takahashi, who remained calm throughout, pulled Kaguya along as they continued forward.

"Alright, alright, don't worry about it. Let's go check out that fried chicken place you mentioned, Kaguya."

Takayuki felt a slight sense of pleasure after teasing Kaguya.

After taking several deep breaths, the girl's brows furrowed slightly as she looked at Gao Hai, and her cheeks puffed out.

Angry.

I'm really angry.

She had completely realized that Gao Hai was no longer the same level of the newbie she had met back in the Shirakawa Apartment. What she considered shameful behaviors and unacceptable intimate gestures were nothing to Gao Hai, who had been exposed to all kinds of girls.

Therefore, the methods she came up with to increase intimacy were probably no different from childish behavior in Gao Hai's eyes. That's why he didn't show any change in expression from beginning to end, while he kept losing his composure.

So Kaguya was very angry.

No way! As the current head of the Shinomiya family, how can I be completely crushed when it comes to matters of the heart? Even if it's unreasonable, I have to make Taka-kun blush!

Kaguya, driven by an excessive competitive spirit, began to stray from her train of thought at this moment.

So, after ordering at the fried chicken restaurant, the girl once again suggested that they try each other's food.

"Well, it tastes okay."

Gao Hai opened his mouth and bit into the chicken roll in Kaguya's hand, not caring at all about the bite mark left by the girl.

"..."

Kaguya hesitated for a long time before taking a bite of the chicken patty that Takami had already taken a bite of, her face flushed.

The attempt failed again.

Kaguya was still unconvinced, so she deliberately led Takami to a crowded place, and then, with the help of the shoving of the passersby, she leaned into Takami's arms.

Takahashi's expression remained unchanged as he calmly helped Kaguya squeeze through the crowd. As for Kaguya herself, her thoughts were interrupted the moment Takahashi reached out and held her in his arms; only her instinct to follow remained.

The attempt failed again... How could this happen...?

Kaguya, who only came to her senses after being released by Takahashi after walking out of the crowd, gritted her teeth, unable to accept the situation.

So, during the rest of the trip, she began to launch her offensive again and again.

I tried to pretend to lose my grip and fall during the rock climbing game, but I was pulled by the safety rope and landed in Gao Hai's arms.

Gao Hai's expression remained unchanged, and Kaguya once again experienced a mental explosion due to shyness.

I tried to get closer to Gao Hai on the whitewater rafting ride, and when the water splashed up, Gao Hai reached out to block it.

Gao Hai's expression remained unchanged, while Kaguya's mind went blank due to extreme shame.

I tried feeding Gao Hai some snacks, and he ate them very naturally. Then I started feeding him the snacks instead.

Takahashi's expression remained unchanged. As for Kaguya, although she tried her best, she ultimately lacked the courage to eat the food that Takahashi fed her.

Completely defeated.

All their efforts only made Kaguya more shy, and had no other effect.

Throughout, Gao Hai's expression remained completely calm; at most, he would smile.

How could this be... Does this man really not care about these things at all?

Despite her utter frustration, Kaguya refused to give up and wanted to try again.

As for Hayasaka Ai, who had witnessed all of this, she had already covered her face and given up on monitoring, collapsing helplessly on her hidden rooftop.

"Sigh, Miss, you weren't this idiotic before..."

Hayasaka Ai felt utterly exhausted, and even considered quitting the job altogether.

She used to be able to think things through and find the most effective solutions no matter what, so how did she become such a complete idiot now? Is it possible that love is something that requires a lot of restraint for this young lady?

However... well, at least the master really likes her. He tolerates whatever little tricks she plays, so it seems there shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's just that the young lady herself might be a little reserved.

Thinking this, Hayasaka withdrew from his hiding place and immediately saw Takami waiting to the side, watching him intently.

"Master, master?"

The unexpected situation made Hayasaka's eyes widen slightly.

"I've noticed you several times already. I told Kaguya I was going to the bathroom, so I should have had some time to come and check on you."

Takahashi smiled and took a step closer, gently patting Hayasaka's head.

Interlude 3-26: The Disappearance of the Supporter and the Two on the Ferris Wheel

I'm reminded once again of what happened last night.

Whether it was the act of intimacy that I took despite being warned by my owner, or the things the other party did in return, the scene and the feeling at that moment were all completely recalled at this moment, and I immediately began to feel short of breath.

Hayasaka lowered his head somewhat embarrassed.

She felt the clash between instinct and reason once again, and the urge to act recklessly surged within her. But unlike last night, she was now in public, and she had to restrain her impulse and avoid doing anything too shameful.

Calm down, calm down.

Hayasaka gently rubbed her feet on the ground, constantly reminding herself to suppress the urge to pounce on him.

"You've been staying nearby all this time. Kaguya sent you here to support her, right?"

Takahashi, however, had already spoken, looking at Hayasaka and asking a question.

"……Um."

Hayasaka nodded slightly and answered in a soft voice.

"Being a maid must be tough, but you should get some rest now, since you didn't get much sleep last night. With me here with Kaguya, everything will be fine. I know that girl's personality very well, so don't worry, there won't be any problems with this date."

As he said this, Takami reached out and stroked Hayasaka's head again, and the girl squinted her eyes, showing a comfortable expression as if she were a little puppy.

Touch touch~ Touch touch~

Gao Hai gently stroked the girl's smooth, long hair, looking at her blissful expression, as if he were really looking at a clingy puppy.

If I could, I really would... No, no, no, now is not the time to think about such things. I can't forget why I came to find Hayasaka.

"Alright, Kaguya is still waiting for me to go back, so I'll be going now. Don't overwork yourself, Ai."

He struggled to suppress the discordant thoughts in his heart and removed his hand from Hayasaka's head.

Before leaving, Gao Hai smiled and spoke, deliberately changing his form of address at the end, before turning and leaving under Hayasaka's watchful gaze.

After yesterday's game, Hayasaka, who left early this morning, definitely didn't sleep well. It was because she knew this that Takami made an excuse to leave Kaguya's side temporarily and came to Hayasaka's side to tell her to go and rest.

"..."

In silence, after Takami had been gone for a while, Hayasaka reached out and gently pressed his hand on his head, on the spot where Takami had touched earlier.

With my eyes closed, I can almost taste the sensation of that moment.

I'm in such a terrible state right now.

Hayasaka couldn't help but sigh softly, the blush on her cheeks lingering for a long time.

However, since the master said that I don't have to work so hard, it should be okay to slack off a little, right?

Thinking about this, Hayasaka vaguely felt a bit tired and realized that she hadn't slept at all last night and that her mental state wasn't very good.

Well, Kaguya-sama is currently under her master's protection, so she's unlikely to encounter any problems. Hehehe, and given her master's carnivorous nature, she might just get toyed with quite a bit, which wouldn't be so bad, would it?

So it's okay if you leave on your own.

Take off your headphones.

Hayasaka, who had been completely turned against Kaguya by a single sentence from Takahashi, stopped providing support. He only said to Kaguya through the communicator at the end, "You did a good job, Miss. I won't be providing support anymore." Then, ignoring Kaguya's panicked cries over the communication, he turned off the power and left.

Let's just consider it a small act of revenge, to get back at the young lady for ordering me around and causing me all sorts of trouble over the years.

Anyway, her owner will comfort her, hmph...

Hayasaka Ai, feeling a slight pang of jealousy, left.

Of course, it wasn't that she didn't care about Kaguya; rather, she was very clear that Takami would definitely take Kaguya home safely. Therefore, she could truly escape her past life as a nanny today, which was why she dared to disappear so confidently.

As for Kaguya, who found herself without the support of her maid, she didn't have time to panic for long before she saw Takami return to her side.

It's over, it's over, it's over...

Despite not having relied much on Hayasaka's support during their previous dates, Kaguya had instinctively taken her maid's constant availability for granted. Now, without that support, she was completely lost and bewildered.

"How about we ride the Ferris wheel next? I heard it's a must-go amusement park for couples."

Pretending not to notice Kaguya's flustered expression, Takahashi simply smiled and said...

"Ah, okay... okay."

The black-haired girl tried her best to maintain a normal expression, nodding several times like a chick pecking at rice.

"Let's go then. It's rare for the two of us to get out and have fun alone, so we must make sure we have a great time."

As they spoke, their hands were clasped together again.

After playing for an hour or two, now whenever Takami reaches out his hand, Kaguya will instinctively reach out her hand as well, and they will naturally hold hands.