They all have hidden attributes!

After a moment of silence, Hanakawa Kaori stood up under everyone's gaze, lowered her head, and said, "I still... want to form a band."

It was reckless of her to say such things, but no one blamed her.

Maya Uesugi gave Makoto Takahashi a look, signaling him to take responsibility.

"[What responsibility?]" Takahashi asked with his eyes.

[You're the one who brought her into the band]

[You just don't know what to do with her right now, right?]

[Stop nagging, hurry up] Uesugi Maya turned her face away to look out the window, where seagulls had landed on the balcony.

After a moment of contemplation, Takahashi Makoto pulled Hanakawa Kaori to sit on his lap and wiped away the tears that were sliding down his face: "Kaori, come to my class after school starts."

"Hey?"

Seeing her wide-eyed surprise and look up at him, Takahashi Makoto ignored the dropping temperature and her sharp gaze, and spoke in a gentle tone:

"That way, you won't feel lonely, right? Hina is in my class, or you could go to Group A and find Maya to hang out with?"

Feeling lonely is natural, but it's actually easy to solve.

Hanakawa Kaori pursed her lower lip, her gaze falling on Uesugi Maya, whose expression was gradually darkening and whose eyes were becoming terrifying because she was sitting on Takahashi Makoto's lap. She quickly shook her head.

"I understand, I'll go report to my brother."

“You can join Group A for 2 years. Miss has always wanted a younger sister.” Kashima Reiko said expressionlessly in a completely emotionless tone.

"Thank you, Sister Lengzi, but the second-year courses are too difficult for me."

Hanakawa Kaori noticed that Kashima Reiko's turquoise eyes were staring blankly at her "seat," and quickly stood up: "Anyway, Reiko-nee, please don't look at me with those dead-looking eyes."

"Oh."

Uesugi Maya sneered, emanating an aura like a blizzard. She parted her pink lips and condemned, word by word: "Scum, pervert, pest."

"I only consider Hanaori as my younger sister."

Makoto Takahashi raised his hands in surrender, his face full of innocence: "No matter what, I'll wait until next April, ugh—"

Maya Uesugi threw a water bottle at him, hitting him in the stomach. Makoto Takahashi quickly explained, "I was just kidding."

"Cheng, that's going too far."

Shiraishi Junko poked his abs in reproach, and Takahashi Makoto suspected that she was just trying to take advantage of him.

"Since no one has any objections, Hanaori will announce this news to everyone after tomorrow night's performance."

Maya Uesugi stood up from the sofa and, with a condescending air, said in a stern voice, "Take a one-hour break, and we'll start rehearsing the new song after dinner."

"Yes, Captain!"

Hanakawa Kaori clenched her fists, mustered her spirits, and answered in a powerful voice, "Although I'm not a music fanatic, nor was I saved by a band, I will do my best!"

"It's too heavy."

Makoto Takahashi lay lazily on the sofa, took out his phone, and chatted with the young lady on Line while saying, "I've decided to continue giving the audience the middle finger tomorrow night."

"You're hopeless." Uesugi Maya glanced at him with disdain.

"Well, nobody has any objections."

Hanakawa Kaori poked her chin with her fingertip, wondering if she should also leave a lasting impression on the audience before she stopped performing.

What should we do?

Compared to her, Shiraishi Junka's thoughts were much purer.

She lifted her denim skirt, revealing her delicate thighs, and asked Takahashi Makoto in a soft voice, "Makoto, would you like a pillow?"

Makoto Takahashi looked up and met the gaze of those hazy, wine-red eyes, feeling a flutter in his heart.

Turning his head, he saw Kashima Reiko silently raising her phone, preparing to take pictures of evidence, and immediately refused: "No stockings, I don't like it."

"Hmm." Shiraishi Junka silently kept it in mind.

In late August, at the end of summer, the afternoon sun was still bright at 4 pm, and the white gauze curtains fluttered in the moist sea breeze.

The girls had delicate, pretty faces and graceful figures. An ambiguous atmosphere filled the air, with a sweet and cloying scent.

Makoto Takahashi lay on the soft sofa, a warm feeling of happiness flowing into his heart.

August 27th, the second day of the music festival.

Awakened by the clear and melodious calls of seabirds, Makoto Takahashi opened his eyes, yawned, sat up in bed, and drew back the white linen curtains.

A hazy light emanated from the edge of the sky, and a huge flock of birds glided across the sea like waves.

I'll paint this for my next art exhibition.

As Takahashi Makoto put on his clothes, he pushed open the bedroom door and walked out, just in time to see Uesugi Maya sitting on the sofa, brewing coffee with a Belgian coffee maker he had brought.

She was wearing a long-sleeved tracksuit, and in the soft morning light, her delicate, fair face was unbelievably beautiful, while her caramel-colored eyes were empty and devoid of any intention.

"Shall we have breakfast first?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"Ah."

"Where?"

“The hotel restaurant.” Uesugi Maya stared intently at the flame of the alcohol lamp.

Based on Makoto Takahashi's experience, she wasn't being cold; rather, she wasn't fully awake yet, and Hakiyo was incredibly cute at this time.

Furthermore, the hotel had prepared two triple suites, and Hanakawa Kaori was sharing one with the two of them. She had a habit of staying up late, so it was impossible for her to get up at this time.

Should we do something?

Makoto Takahashi moved closer to Maya Uesugi and tried to reach out and stroke her cheek.

Her dull caramel-colored eyes closed gently, and because of an instinctive feeling of closeness, Uesugi Maya rubbed her delicate cheek against his palm.

It seems a bit bad for the heart.

Just as I was about to try pinching the back of her neck to see what her reaction would be, the temperature in the living room suddenly dropped, and the flame of the alcohol lamp flickered.

Makoto Takahashi immediately stood up, raised his hands in surrender, and stepped back, saying, "Good morning."

"I'm not feeling well right now."

Maya Uesugi mechanically turned her head to look at him, her terrifyingly wide eyes flashing: "There's a coffee shop downstairs, their specialty is lime cream puffs."

What time do you open for business?

"9 point."

"We guarantee you will enjoy the freshest cream puffs."

"Do you really like rubbing your face? Why do you always do such childish things?"

Seeing her expression turn puzzled, Takahashi Makoto pondered for a moment, then looked up and met Uesugi Maya's gaze with a serious look:

"It used to be because you were always very indifferent, but now it's because you've been making more expressions lately, and you're even cuter when you're not fully awake."

"Cute? Boring."

Maya Uesugi touched her burning earlobe, and with a cold face, changed the subject in a calm tone: "Want some coffee? New coffee beans."

"I don't drink it, it's all bitter." Makoto Takahashi only likes coffee with milk and sugar.

While she was making coffee, Makoto Takahashi went to the bathroom to wash up.

After Uesugi Maya poured the brewed coffee into a cup, the two left the room together and went to the hotel's scenic restaurant, where they sat down at the counter.

The waiter brought the menu, and Makoto Takahashi opened it and ordered the Takeoka Ramen, famous for its amazing amount of char siu, plus a side of fried chicken.

As he handed the menu to Maya Uesugi, he casually remarked, "I didn't expect you to ask for their permission yesterday."

"Ninety-nine miles of sesame sardines, three layers of seared seafood, thousand-layer ramen, and a small bowl of rice."

After ordering slowly and deliberately, Uesugi Maya turned her head to look at him and asked, "Are you surprised?"

"Why would you order rice with ramen?" Makoto Takahashi asked, puzzled.

Seeing his dazed expression, Uesugi Maya raised her face and said matter-of-factly, "Of course, you have to eat rice with ramen."

"This isn't right, is it?"

"It's your fault."

"Pair it with seafood?"

"No, I'll eat it with ramen."

"Last time when Ryoko cooked ramen, you clearly didn't serve it with rice."

“I don’t want to trouble her too much; it’s a matter of courtesy, she’s a guest.”

Maya Uesugi's reasoning was convincing, and Makoto Takahashi couldn't refute it. He was also a little curious about how she was going to eat rice later.

"Let's get back to the main topic."

Maya Uesugi tapped the countertop lightly with her fingers, then turned her face away to look at the sea outside the window, which resembled paint applied to the surface.

"This is the story I'm going to write in my new book: a girl who wants to commit suicide comes to Kirishima in search of a precious butterfly, and heals herself in the process."

"The Kirishima Travel Guide?" Takahashi asked.

"Yes."

Maya Uesugi rested her elbows on the countertop, her fingers rubbing her earlobes. The instant he asked, "Why Kirishima?", she replied:

"According to the information I received from Kashima, you were actually born in Kirishima City, Kyushu."

The air fell into an eerie silence for two seconds.

Uesugi Maya frowned slightly, feeling the warmth of her ear coming from her fingertips, and stomped hard on it with her foot: "Of course it's not a real Kirishima, I'm going to write about an isolated island."

“Since it was the right thing to do to help you fend off the Uesugi family, then I’ll look forward to your new book a little.” Takahashi Makoto smiled and took out his vibrating phone from his pocket.

As always, the young lady sent her today's schedule.

Wait, Tatsumi Yuki is coming to Chiba? She's not going back until this afternoon? She's almost there?

Chiba Prefecture is located within the Tokyo metropolitan area, and its highway transportation is very convenient.

After confirming that he hadn't misread the words and that he was fully awake, Makoto Takahashi chatted with Yuki Tachimi while asking Maya Uesugi, "Does the coffee shop downstairs sell chocolate?"