Tokyo Soft Rice King.

This left the girls overwhelmed with choices, so they decided to let Zhencheng, who has the best eye for fashion, help them choose the most suitable kimono for each of them.

But because there were too many people, it took several hours to finish. It was almost midnight, and the Red and White Song Festival was about to end, but they still hadn't come out of the room.

Girls really do spend a lot of time choosing clothes...

Kuroba Akira asked while shuffling the cards.

"By the way, Uncle Yong, how was Christmas? Your wife and daughter must have been very happy to see you, right?"

Hijikata Isamu rolled his eyes.

"Don't even mention it, I got slapped by my wife right there and then."

"Huh? Why?"

"Ah Long took me there on his motorcycle. His hair was blown around by the wind, and with that face of his..."

"Ah, I understand, my sister-in-law misunderstood, right?"

"Yeah, I'd forgotten that Ah Long has a woman's face."

"No wonder Nishimura-senpai suddenly cut his hair short... was it because he didn't want to be misunderstood anymore?"

Nishimura Ryu currently has a head of choppy hair that reaches his neck. Normally, a guy with hair like that would look sloppy, but because he's good-looking, he looks like... well, an effeminate pretty man or a strong-willed young lady.

Although she still lacks masculinity, at least she's no longer mistaken for a woman if she doesn't speak.

Nishimura scratched his head and said.

“I used to just find it too troublesome to cut my hair, but since growing it long will cause more trouble, I might as well cut it.”

But he immediately rolled his eyes and complained.

"However, I already regret my hasty decision."

"What?"

"Everyone in the company was startled, especially those annoying women, who all came over to feign concern about whether I had broken up with my boyfriend... Screw you! I'm not broken up with my ass! You women shouldn't bring up love in everything!"

"This isn't over yet," Nishimura Ryu continued, gritting his teeth as he complained.

"What's most infuriating is that a lot of guys have become less productive at work, and when I checked the surveillance footage, the reason was that they had broken up with their boyfriends... I mean... so all of them used to fawn over me because they thought I was a woman and wanted to date me!"

Nishimura Ryu was about to lose it. He had initially thought that the company was full of elites and there wouldn't be any personal problems, but it turned out that the driving force was still romantic relationships...

Why are humans so superficial?! When will we evolve to asexual reproduction?!

"puff……"

Kuroba Akira burst out laughing, and Kuroo also chuckled, making gurgling sounds.

Nishimura Ryūya's face darkened. If they continued talking about this topic, he might curse them, so Kuroba Akira steered the conversation back on track.

"Ahem... So, Uncle Yong, what happened after you got slapped?"

"She wouldn't listen to anything I said, she just kept crying. I thought our family was going to break up again, but thankfully... an angel came!"

What? An angel? The class monitor?

"Isamu Hijikata said excitedly."

“She’s my daughter! She not only comforted my mother, but also believed in my father, helped us reconcile, and saved our Christmas family gathering from going wrong. She even treats Ah Long like her older brother!”

Here it comes, he's really turned into a doting, silly daughter-obsessed guy; his eyes are practically melting.

"Hmm... She is indeed an angel, pure and uncorrupted. She is fundamentally different from those annoying women."

However, to Kuroba Akira's surprise, the usually sharp-tongued senior actually admitted to Uncle Yong's exaggerated statement.

This piqued Kuroba Akira's curiosity, and he wanted to meet this little angel.

"Really? Uncle Yong, what's your daughter's name? Let me meet her next time..."

Before Kuroba Akira could finish speaking, Hijikata Isamu refused with a serious expression.

"Don't even think about it! I will absolutely not let my daughter see you, Amin!"

"Why... Uncle Yong, I'm a little hurt by what you're saying."

"Mainly, I don't want you to call me Dad, Amin."

"Damn it! What are you thinking? How old is your daughter? How could I possibly have feelings for her? Do you think I'm that kind of person, Uncle Yong?"

"I'm not afraid that you have feelings for her, I'm afraid that she has feelings for you."

"what?"

"Of course, it's not that I'm dissatisfied with you, Uncle. I trust both you and Ah Long completely. If it were you two, I would be willing to entrust my daughter to you..."

Nishimura Ryu also extended his hand to express his gratitude.

"I admit that your daughter is cute, but mainly because she can recognize me as a man at a glance, and she has a pure heart... But I'm not into lolis. I'd be okay with her being my older brother, but not my husband. I'm only interested in AI."

Hijikata Isamu wasn't surprised, he just shrugged and spread his hands to express his regret.

But as for Kuroba Akira… Hijikata Isamu patted him on the shoulder and said.

“Amin, I’m truly grateful to you for sacrificing your looks to secure staff and funding for your startup. However, one thing is one thing, and another is another. I can’t let my daughter fight against those ‘female skeletons’... There’s no chance of winning no matter how I look at it. So it’s better to cut off any possibility between you and my daughter from the beginning. You understand, right?”

"..."

Kuroba Akira glanced back at Granny Kobayashi's room... then nodded silently.

Indeed, since they are little angels, we shouldn't let them corrupt us.

Wait, no, I mean, why is the premise that I'm guaranteed to be liked by your daughter? Am I some kind of male succubus?

"Calling us 'pink skeletons' is incredibly rude, old man!"

The sounds of the future drifted from the courtyard into the living room.

Then, they appeared one by one, dressed in gorgeous kimonos, like a flowing ukiyo-e painting.

Rouge glistened like dew, her snow-white neck was painted with ink, and the moonlight revealed her exquisite makeup and shadow.

A pink skull... Seeing this scene, it would be strange not to be moved.

Chapter 373 First Visit at Midnight

"Oh...that's pretty good."

The kimono is really gorgeous.

It looks very dignified, and it is indeed very symbolic.

Just as seeing high school girls in sailor-style short skirts tells you that summer has arrived, seeing girls in kimonos clearly tells you that the New Year has come. It's a unique sight in Japan.

To be honest, Kuroba Akira wasn't really interested in kimonos at first, because... they're not sexy at all!

In terms of sexiness, it's not as good as the cheongsam; in terms of elegance, it's not as good as the Hanfu. Moreover, the amount of skin exposed is too low, with the neck and collarbone being too niche and appealing to a small group of people.

The only thing worth mentioning is the rule that you can't wear underwear underneath, but that's an old rule. Nowadays, I doubt anyone would actually wear a kimono without a bra, right? If you're worried about marks, there are seamless underwear products available now.

Kuroba Akira unceremoniously admired the authentic Japanese JK (high school girl) attire, then suddenly noticed something interesting and said while rubbing his chin.

"Everyone's kimonos... seem a little different?"

At first glance, they all seem similar, but upon closer inspection, each person's kimono is actually different, not just in color and pattern, but also in the overall style, which is quite unique.

"As expected, Kuroba-kun, you noticed!"

Having found an opportunity to attack, Zhencheng immediately sidled up to him, saying excitedly.

"That's right! I specially selected kimonos that best suit their styles. For example, the one that Ziyin is wearing is based on a single color scheme to highlight a cool and elegant feel, with purple and gold as highlights to add a sense of nobility. It's a cool and aloof kimono outfit! And Xiaotong is wearing a more vibrant kimono that matches her hair color perfectly. The obi is embroidered with golden peonies, which gives it a graceful and luxurious feel!"

"I see. Now that you mention it, Ziyin does indeed appear more aloof, as if she's bathed in moonlight, possessing a pure and simple beauty... while the class monitor is more glamorous, her loosely dressed appearance makes her look quite alluring."

Ziyin slightly raised her chin, her lips curving upwards, and proudly showed off to the class monitor that she was the first person to receive praise. Anri Hitomi responded with a smile and the middle finger.

"Then look over here. Mirai is wearing light-colored clothing with lace, which brings out her gentle temperament. There are also many cute little accessories hanging on her belt. The kimono skirt has also been shortened. Isn't it cute? And Aunt Akiko is wearing a fluffy scarf with a rose patterned kimono and a leather belt as an embellishment. It's a mature woman's romantic style that isn't too sweet!"

"Oh! They're both kimonos, but the vibes they bring out are completely different!"

Even though it's the same outfit, looking at it this way, four different styles have emerged: cool and aloof, elegant and sophisticated, cute and cute, and mature and familiar.

Of course, everyone else has their own style.

For example, the kimono that Makoto herself is wearing is very similar to Makoto's, with the same concept and style, but with some differences in details. It seems to be called "twin outfit", which is really suitable for twin sisters.

With Shinichi's explanation, even Kuroba Akira, who didn't know much about kimonos, was able to discover their charm.

"That's right! Kimonos have evolved into many different styles now, such as British style, rock style, maid style, and even steampunk style!"

"Wow~ they even have steampunk-style kimonos! That's amazing!"

I initially thought it was just traditional clothing, but I was surprised to find that there were quite a few different styles.

This is probably because Japan was deeply influenced by foreign cultures during its modernization process.

If this were the timeline, there might even be Chinese kimonos?

"Actually, the patterns on a kimono can be used to depict all sorts of things. For example, round spots can be compared to snow, raindrops, or dumplings. And even if you don't wear a full kimono, adding a black haori to a modern minimalist outfit can also give you a Japanese style feel."

"I see, this is what it means to innovate on tradition."

"That's right! I learned a lot this time too!"

Kuroba Akira's excellent feedback gave Makoto the opportunity to express her ideas about other people's costumes and the atmosphere she wanted to convey, perfectly satisfying her need for expression. She was extremely pleased and felt quite elated.

The back-and-forth conversation between the two also included comments and praise on everyone's kimono outfits. Kuroba Akira's amazement already indicated that everyone's kimono outfits were a success and pleased him, so everyone was very happy.

Moreover, this indirect way of praising did not overlook anyone, nor did it show particular favoritism towards any one person, thus treating everyone fairly.

Hijikata Isamu and Nishimura Ryu exchanged bewildered glances, their thoughts synchronized: 'To be able to satisfy every girl, is this what a shameless scumbag is like?'

Bro, you really should be a kept man! Nothing could suit you better, really!

Grandma Lin, wearing round reading glasses, walked from her room into the living room and couldn't help but sigh.

"The young lady from the Saionji family has such discerning taste and vision. She's been a great help; I couldn't possibly choose all of them by myself."

Having enjoyed the sight, Kuroba Akira asked curiously.

"By the way, old woman, where did you get so many kimonos?"

According to Nishimura-senpai, the kimonos they brought in were all high-end, with each set costing 400,000 yen. Three sets would be equivalent to Kuroba Akira's monthly royalties.

Kuroba Akira thought that one million yen was a lot, but for the truly wealthy, it was just the cost of one or two sets of clothes.