I, the mastermind behind the scenes at Soubu High, refuse to be caught in a bloodbath.

"Here we go again, Kazusa, really. You've always loved snowy days since you were little."

After being exposed, Kazusa was a little embarrassed and angry and wanted to kick Himekoji, but he had already dodged it cleverly. Seeing this, Kazusa snorted and immediately made a snowball and threw it at Himekoji, saying, "Serves you right for being so talkative, Yukina. Let's fight side by side!"

"oh--!"

She happily agreed, while Himekoji exclaimed "Hey!" and dodged the snowballs that were being thrown at her, shouting, "Hey! Weren't we going to build a snowman?!"

"If I bury you in snow, that would be like building a snowman!"

Kazusa, never one to back down, threw another snowball at him. Caught off guard, Himekoji was hit squarely in the face, letting out a cry of "Ah—!" Just as he was cleaning the snowball off his face, one or two more snowballs came hurtling towards his head and body.

Hahahaha... Look at your embarrassing state!

Kazusa turned her back and laughed non-stop, while Himekoji launched her counterattack at this moment, since the two girls' hands were so cold that they could no longer make snowballs.

After a chase and some playful fighting, the three of them returned indoors, covered in snow.

Chapter 264 So, [Himekoji Haruto] is a pervert.

Just as Himekoji was about to say, "Let's change into the clothes the hotel provided," the two seemed to understand each other perfectly, exchanged a knowing glance, nodded in unison, and then suddenly Yukina grabbed Himekoji, while Kazusa abruptly slipped her icy little hand under Himekoji's clothes. The biting cold made him cry out, "Ahhhh!" and jump back, but Yukina held on tightly, and Kazusa wouldn't give up. Himekoji, feeling utterly hopeless, warmed Kazusa's hand with the warmth of his own body before finally stopping.

"What a portable hand warmer!" Kazusa took it out and showed it to Setsuna with a mischievous smile, then deliberately asked, "Setsuna, do you want one too?" She thought Setsuna would awkwardly refuse, but to her surprise, Setsuna looked at Himekoji curiously and asked, "Eh—? Can I have one too?"

"...You two, I'm a man, okay! Is it really okay for you to just put your hands on a man's body and grope him like that?!"

"Well, we're going to spend the night together anyway, so it's okay to borrow your body to warm my hands, right?"

Kazusa shrugged nonchalantly, indicating that there was no problem, while Setsuna blushed and whispered, "Kazusa, that sounds a little strange."

"Huh? Really? Haruto and I have slept in the same room and even the same bed more than once or twice, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. So I was a little surprised when you said the three of us would share a house." Himeko waved her equally cold hands, her gaze sweeping between Kazusa and Setsuna, and said with a mischievous smile, "Hey, my hands are just as cold. Can either of you warm them up for me?"

"No way, you pervert!"

Kazusa stuck out her tongue and made a face, while Setsuna was also very surprised. She didn't expect Himekoji to say such vulgar things, and she was even more surprised that Kazusa's reaction was so calm.

"Tsk tsk tsk, so stingy."

"Idiot, go pour yourself a glass of water and warm yourself up!" Kazusa pulled Yukina along, grabbed a loose yukata from the inn, and they went behind the screen together. Then she peeked out and warned Himekoji, "If you peep, I'll kill you!"

"Good~"

Ji Xiaolu poured herself a cup of tea, sat with her back to the screen, and obediently warmed her hands while observing the room. The room was large; it would feel spacious enough for five people, let alone three. There was a partitioned room separated by a sliding door and a sunny corridor. The partitioned room contained a separate bathroom and toilet. The corridor was decorated with floor-to-ceiling windows, and inside were tatami mats. Next to the windows was a set of antique tables and chairs. Opening the windows revealed a small courtyard with cherry blossoms and plum blossoms planted in the center, though only the plum blossoms were in bloom at this time.

Apart from the large screen in a secluded spot, the decorations in the middle section are not much different from those of a typical hot spring inn, with calligraphy and painting scrolls hanging on the walls and plum blossoms displayed on small cabinets, etc.

The room is bright and airy, with the north side having a similar style. Although there are floor-to-ceiling windows, there is no corridor. Instead, there are heavy blackout curtains. Pulling back the curtains reveals a private open-air hot spring that is enclosed by tall bamboo rafts. It is rectangular in shape, with a wooden platform about half a meter wide around it for people to sit and rest. Further out is a small open space, followed by various strange rocks, some man-made and some natural, clinging tightly to the sides of the bamboo rafts, as if to block any possibility of peeping.

As Himekoji observed the room, Setsuna was also observing him. She peeked out and looked at Himekoji, only to find that he showed no sign of sitting up and walking this way. While relieved, she was also a little disappointed and couldn't help but whisper to Kazusa, "Isn't Haruto-kun even a little bit curious?"

Kazusa shrugged and said in a tone that suggested she knew him very well, "That guy, even if you stood naked in front of him, he wouldn't stare at you like an idiot. Instead, he would give you a thumbs up, smile, and say, 'You have a great body.'"

"Eh? So Kazusa was seen naked by Haruto-kun before?"

"Well...we always bathed together when we were little. We've had some awkward moments since we grew up, but nothing unpleasant has happened. He said he wouldn't peek, so he absolutely won't."

She took off her suit jacket and draped it over the screen, then took off her knitted sweater and began unbuttoning her blouse one button at a time. Yukina, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed and hesitated for a while before starting to change her clothes.

When the two of them came out after changing their clothes, Himekoji had also changed his clothes. Anyway, he didn't have anything to see. If Setsuna and Kazusa really wanted to see, they could look all they wanted. He didn't care. The two of them weren't surprised that Himekoji had changed his clothes.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, and the waitress outside said softly, "Excuse me for disturbing you, your meal is here."

The food was ordered during the snowball fight. It wasn't anything that most people wouldn't dare to imagine, just a hot pot and sashimi with slightly better ingredients. It was a bit pricey, but most families could afford it. It included mushrooms, vegetables, Wagyu beef, fish and shrimp noodles, as well as caviar and various dipping sauces. The broth was a regular thick soup, not spicy but not tasteless either. If you like spicy food, you can add your own to the dipping sauce.

Would you like some wine?

They originally ordered soda, but Himekoji doesn't drink any soda except beer. It was Setsuna who ordered it, and he didn't say anything. Now that the food is being served, Himekoji feels that it would be proper to have some alcohol in this situation.

"Do you really want to drink it?"

Kazusa asked, resting her chin on her hand.

"Um... well, we're still..."

Yukina hesitated a bit. She was an extremely obedient girl who had never drunk a drop of alcohol, not even a chocolate liqueur. She was quite surprised that Himekoji suddenly wanted to drink and Kazusa didn't object.

"How about a bottle? Since it's already snowing, how about a bottle of Snow White? I also highly recommend Umenoyado Yuzu."

"You want sake? I thought you meant red wine."

"Drinking red wine at a hot spring inn would be such a downer; sake is definitely the best choice for this kind of occasion."

"Well, you're experienced, so you decide. Yukina, would you like some soda, or try some sake with us? Or perhaps some yuzu?"

"Ah...you two can decide for yourselves."

Setsuna realized she couldn't join the conversation about alcohol at all, while Kazusa, whom she thought was a teetotaler, was definitely not a complete novice even if she wasn't familiar with it. Seeing this, Setsuna suddenly became a little withdrawn.

Author's Note:

P.S.: I've given up on this world where all these perverts love moms...

Chapter 265 But, [Ogiso Setsuna] doesn't want to give up.

"Let's go with the grapefruit instead. Bai Xue's big bottle is too much, and it's stronger too. Don't let them get drunk."

"Well, pomelo is OK too."

So Kazusa gave the order to the shop assistant, who bowed and responded, quickly bringing back a bottle of chilled grapefruit. The bottle contained 720 ml, which was much less than a large bottle of Snow White.

"Will this be very spicy? Or very bitter?"

“Of course not,” Kazusa explained to Setsuna, “It only has an alcohol content of 8%, which is just a bit higher than regular beer, and it’s quite smooth, making it suitable for women.”

"Well... I'll try it secretly, since Mom and Dad won't know anyway."

When Kazusa opened the bottle, Setsuna held up the cup and brought it to Kazusa. Kazusa poured her a small half-cup so she could try it first. Then Kazusa poured some for Himekoji, and finally poured some for herself.

The hot pot was already bubbling away. After carefully taking a sip and finding the taste quite good, Xuecai's eyes lit up. She muttered, "It's actually quite delicious... no wonder minors aren't allowed to drink it."

After muttering her complaints, she immediately put on a radiant expression, raised her glass, and celebrated with a cheerful laugh: "Come on, cheers, Merry Christmas!"

Merry Christmas!

Himekoji and Kazusa also raised their glasses, but since they were a bit far apart, they didn't clink glasses. In addition, in Japan, the general meaning of "cheers" is that everyone drinks together, and it doesn't mean that you have to finish all the drinks in your glass. You can drink as much or as little as you like.

"Ah—, this looks delicious," Setsuna exclaimed, her gaze sweeping over the various ingredients on the table. "It feels like something out of a high-class hotel."

"That's because it's a high-end hotel..."

Kazusa replied listlessly, resting her chin on her hand. Compared to Setsuna's antics, she was much more composed. Of course, when Setsuna got going, she could be quite a handful.

"Thank you so much, Haruto-kun, for bringing us to such a wonderful place." Setsuna, sitting next to Himekoji, bowed to him in gratitude. Himekoji replied, "Don't mention it, it's nothing."

“Every year during New Year’s or Christmas, he, his mother, Reiko and I would go to hot spring hotels in various places. Thinking back, those were some memorable days.”

"I'm so envious. The two of you have been together since you were so young."

Hearing Setsuna's envious words, Himekoji and Kazusa exchanged a glance and smiled silently. Upon seeing this, Setsuna's face couldn't help but fall into a gloomy mood.

"Alright, the pot's boiling, let's eat! I'm digging in!"

Yukina clasped her hands together and was the first to take a bite, followed closely by Kazusa and Himekoji. Since they weren't worried about running out of ingredients or not being able to eat what they liked, everyone ate very casually. They all loved beef and quickly finished the plate, so they just ordered another one without any concern about the cost.

The three of them ate their fill. They were all quite familiar with each other and didn't pretend to be full or not eat anything. Everyone was very relaxed. Moreover, due to the alcohol, Setsuna, who was drinking for the first time, became more and more talkative. To prevent her from getting drunk, Himekoji quickly stopped Kazusa from pouring her more alcohol and only allowed her to drink soda. Setsuna protested vehemently, but to no avail.

"Ah—, this feels so good, this duck is so delicious."

Yukina rubbed her slightly protruding belly and smiled happily.

"I'm full too."

Kazusa put down her chopsticks, and soon Himekoji finished off the remaining beef and shrimp sashimi. He nodded to indicate that he was okay with it too, and Kazusa held out her hand to him, saying, "Give me the cup."

"Okay, thank you."

"Okay, here you go."

He poured another full glass, and the bottle of grapefruit was almost empty. Kazusa and Setsuna both had adorable blushes on their faces. Kazusa's alcohol tolerance was pretty good, probably because she inherited Yoko's genes. Yoko's genes were really strong. Himeko could hardly see any trace of that man's genes in Kazusa. Well, I guess her height was one of them.

“Um…” Yukina stood up, as if she had something to say. Himekoji and Kazusa both watched her. After a few seconds of hesitation, she said loudly, “Today, because of my willfulness, I gathered everyone here for this Christmas party/year-end party/graduation trip that's a bit early, and… oh, right, and also the Soubu High School Light Music Club reunion! I’m really very grateful!” After saying that, she bowed deeply and added, “And to Haruto-kun, who arranged such a wonderful place for us, thank you again.” She bowed to Himekoji, who simply waved his hand.

"Speaking of which, is it alright for the department head to not be here for a gathering like this? Well... Kitahara is an annoying guy, so it's probably better if he doesn't come."

"There's nothing I can do. Iizuka has to spend time with his girlfriend. I'll just bring him some local specialties when I get back."

Iizuka's reason for not coming was to accompany Iori, but he was also very sensible. Even if he wasn't accompanying Iori, he would say it was because he was accompanying Iori, and he would never interfere.

"Besides, what's this talk about a class reunion... We haven't even disbanded yet, have we? And Haruto is only a second-year high school student; he's graduating a year after us."

"Well then, let's consider today a warm-up for the class reunion~" Setsuna explained with a sweet smile, while Kazusa couldn't help but continue to complain, "I've never even heard of an event like this before..."

"Yes, there is!" Setsuna suddenly argued earnestly, adding, "This year's is just a warm-up; the official one is next Christmas!"

"next year?"

Kazusa couldn't help but look up at her. Next Christmas? She didn't know which country she would be wandering around in after graduation. Although she would probably have to stay at Himekoji's house for a while to improve her piano skills, she would probably end up traveling around France and Austria with her mother, Yoko.

If Himekoji knew what Kazusa was thinking, he would definitely think to himself: I'm so sorry, Yoko-nee probably can't take you running around... unless she can get a bone marrow match before then, but this is something that money can't necessarily get. Money can solve most things in this world, but there are also things that money can't solve no matter what. This is a lesson Himekoji has been taught since birth.

"Yes, and the second edition will be held the year after next, and the third edition the year after that, and it will continue like this."

Yukina seemed embarrassed by what she said; her cheeks were flushed when she sat down again. She continued, "I hope that on this day next year, we can all get together again, enjoy the snow, have a snowball fight, take a bath, and chat all night long..."

Chapter 266 However, [Touma Kazusa] chose to accept

"I can't guarantee those things, and besides, Haruto also—"

Kazusa looked at Himekoji, hesitating to speak.

Yukina seemed to have suffered a great blow. She mustered up the courage to say those words, only to have them negated in the next instant.

“The path I will take in the future is different from yours. As for Haruto, the path he will take is even more difficult than mine. In the business world, it is easy to take over your father’s business, but it is very different in the political world. That position is not something that can be easily climbed up with just the word ‘succession’... You and I cannot imagine how many shady things he will have to go through.” Kazusa said very seriously, but then her expression relaxed a little and she looked at Himekoji and said, “Of course, Haruto, you are still Haruto, that will not change.”

"There's no certainty about next year. We can't even know what will happen tomorrow. A major earthquake in Gunma Prefecture tonight could take the lives of the three of us."

"Hey, can you stop saying such unlucky things?"

Himekoji gestured to Kazusa with her eyes.

"I'm just telling the truth."