They all have hidden attributes!

Makoto Takahashi looked up from his phone's map and saw an old but well-maintained two-story detached house.

Why come to my house for a date?

With doubt in mind, I rang the doorbell, and Kashima Reiko's calm voice came through the intercom.

"Just a moment, please wait."

A dozen seconds later, Kashima Reiko ran out from behind the open front door, opened the courtyard gate, and pulled him into the house without saying a word.

"Reiko, didn't we agree to a date?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"Dating at home".

Kashima Reiko pulled his arm and led him to a Japanese-style room. She brought over a dark green cushion, placed it in front of a low table, and gently patted it twice: "Please sit down."

"Ah, okay, sorry to bother you." Takahashi Makoto sat down and began to observe his surroundings.

The Japanese-style room was incredibly simple; apart from a low table, there was no furniture, and the walls were bare, giving it a sense of tranquility.

The washi paper sliding door directly opposite was open, and the lawn in the courtyard was level with not a single weed in sight, with tiny white flowers slowly drifting down.

Is it osmanthus?

He looked up and saw the dazzling sunlight filtering through the dense foliage of the osmanthus tree. The falling blossoms swirled slowly in the sweet fragrance, as pure and warm as the first snow.

"Please have some tea."

Kashima Reiko brought over barley tea, her hips resting on his ankles, and sat down beside him. Roasted chestnuts were also on a wooden tray as a snack.

"Sorry for calling you over so suddenly."

"It's okay, I'm bored at home too."

Makoto Takahashi turned his gaze away from the courtyard, picked up his teacup and took a sip. After putting down the teacup, his gaze fell on Reiko Kashima.

She was wearing only a white tank top and light green shorts. Her short, distinctive wolf-tail hair was tied into a low ponytail, highlighting her delicate features. Her turquoise eyes sparkled with vibrant emotions.

Her snow-white skin exuded a pleasant scent, and her strong feminine charm was palpable up close. Although I was confident that I wouldn't be seduced, the atmosphere was still quite unsettling.

Makoto Takahashi swallowed another mouthful of barley tea, his Adam's apple bobbing: "So, what exactly do we do on a home-based date?"

"I don't have any particular thoughts."

Kashima Reiko tilted her head and gently leaned on his shoulder, hesitatingly saying, "After I got home, I saw that the osmanthus flowers were in bloom, and I wanted to ask you to come and see them with me."

The overly simple feeling was conveyed through the gradually increasing weight on his shoulder.

The atmosphere became somewhat delicate, filled with an air of affection that enveloped the Japanese-style room. After a moment of silence, Kashima Reiko quietly placed her hand on Takahashi Makoto's thigh.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? Or even overnight?"

"It won't be too much trouble, will it?"

"No, this is a house I bought myself."

In other words, this is her private space, and being invited to stay overnight in such a place, a lone man and woman having a date at home...

Makoto Takahashi put down the teacup he was holding tightly, picked up two roasted chestnuts and peeled them: "Perfect timing, I have something I want to confirm with Reiko."

Faced with his sudden topic, Kashima Reiko, as if she had anticipated it, adopted an uncooperative attitude, stood up and said in a stiff tone, "I'm going to the kitchen."

"Isn't it lunchtime yet?"

"Prepare early."

With that, she walked away. Makoto Takahashi sat alone in the Japanese-style room, popping a peeled chestnut into his mouth. Hearing the sound of chopping vegetables coming from the kitchen, his mood gradually calmed down.

Is Kashima Reiko trying to escape?

There's no need to force her to face it, but if she can't take full responsibility, she naturally shouldn't stay overnight.

Considering that Kashima Reiko might use delaying tactics, Takahashi Makoto took out his phone and sent a message to Uesugi Maya, telling her that he wouldn't be home for dinner tonight and that she could enjoy the flowers in peace.

The temperature inside the tatami room slowly rose over time. Once the chestnut shells had piled up into a small mountain, Kashima Reiko carried in lunch for two people and placed it on the low wooden table.

"What are we going to do after lunch?" Takahashi Makoto asked casually, picking up his chopsticks.

"Afternoon nap."

"In the afternoon."

"No plans."

Kashima Reiko sat down beside him, poked his shoulder with her finger, and looked at him with concern: "Are you bored?"

"No, not at all."

Hearing Takahashi Makoto say this, she nodded expressionlessly and silently began to eat her lunch.

In the afternoon, the two took a nap in the Japanese-style room.

After Takahashi Makoto woke up from his nap, Kashima Reiko showed him around the house that belonged to him.

"This is the bathroom, and I like the citrus scent in my shampoo and shower gel."

"The kitchen is rarely used; we usually eat at Lijian's kitchen."

"The wooden floor in the storage room was broken, but I fixed it myself, that one section."

She spoke earnestly, like a tour guide at a tourist attraction, carefully introducing her life and her private space, including her bedroom.

The first time I entered a girl's room, it was completely different from what I had imagined; it had a very Kashima Reiko-esque style.

Neat and simple, all items are organized in an orderly manner, even the bedding is neatly folded and put away in the closet.

Makoto Takahashi did not take any action on his own. He followed Reiko Kashima around for a while, and the two returned to the Japanese-style room, where they idly spent their time drinking tea.

Kashima Reiko maintained a blank expression throughout, as if she was content just to be together, and it didn't matter if she did nothing; occasional physical contact was enough to leave a memory of their time together.

As the sun set, Makoto Takahashi brought up the topic again.

"Lengzi, would you like me to stay the night?"

He turned to her with a gentle gaze, and a hint of panic flashed in Kashima Reiko's eyes before she nodded firmly without hesitation: "Go to my room."

Isn't that already an explicit statement?

Makoto Takahashi calmly raised his hand, grasped the back of her hand resting on his lap, and smiled helplessly: "This won't do, Reiko. I can't explain this to the young lady."

"Don't tell her." Kashima Reiko lowered her eyes.

"And then what?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

There will be no future.

Under his gaze, Kashima Reiko turned her hands over, interlocked her fingers, and said in a completely emotionless tone:

"Just once. As your maid, I will protect your relationship. In the band, we are family too."

That sounds great.

He could maintain the stability of the band, not affect his relationship with the young lady, and even have an affair with the maid. The only price was Kashima Reiko's voluntary sacrifice.

This is a one-time thing, it won't affect the current stable daily life, nor will it affect Kashima Reiko's loyalty to Tatemi Yuki in the future. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this affection "selfless".

That's why Masashi Takahashi likes Reiko Kashima.

“While it sounds very appealing, Reiko, I find it hard to accept something I can’t take full responsibility for,” Takahashi Makoto said earnestly with a serious expression.

Taking into account his potential concerns, Kashima Reiko added, "I will take responsibility for you and stay by your side as your attendant."

She learned a lot of information from Nekoya Hina and knew that Takahashi Makoto could not accept loss and abandonment.

"That's not the issue, Lengzi."

Makoto Takahashi stared intently into her turquoise eyes, pondered for a moment, and asked in a half-joking tone, "Is it okay if the feelings you suppress in your heart can never be acknowledged?"

Kashima Reiko felt a little scared by his serious gaze, and she guiltily looked away, unsure of what expression to make.

Up to now, all the anxiety, confusion, longing, yearning, hope... all the emotions related to love are beyond words.

Makoto Takahashi slowly raised his hand and stroked Reiko Kashima's cheek, adopting a conciliatory tone: "Give me some time to think of a solution."

"I understand."

Kashima Reiko took a deep breath, looked up and met his gaze with pleading eyes: "So, are you staying overnight tonight?"

"Staying overnight is possible, but it seems there are no guest rooms?"

"For now, you can share a room with me."

"This isn't right, is it?"

Just one hug.

Upon hearing such remarks, which sounded like those of a scumbag, Makoto Takahashi fell into a brief silence.

"Is it because Miss knows you're staying overnight that you're afraid?"

Kashima Reiko deliberately adopted a provocative tone, but still didn't show any dramatic emotional fluctuations, sounding rather like she was reading in a flat, monotone voice, which was kind of cute.

"If you know this, there's no problem, but you can't do anything unnecessary."

Makoto Takahashi reached out and pulled her soft body into his arms. Reiko Kashima stiffened for a moment, then took the opportunity to lean close to his ear and ask:

"As long as it doesn't exceed the young lady's pace, there won't be any problems?"

"..." Takahashi Makoto's lips twitched slightly as he raised his hand and gently tugged at Kashima Reiko's obedient face.

After a while, he asked suspiciously, "Lengzi, you don't actually have a really despicable personality, do you?"

“This is a safeguard to ensure you’re not just giving me the runaround,” Kashima Reiko said logically, her expression flawless.

Meanwhile, in Chiyoda Ward, the Ritsumei family.

In the quiet tea room, Tachibana Yuki, dressed in a black kimono with his family crest, sat at the tea table, silently gazing at the chessboard before him.

A hot evening breeze blew in, and the jewel-encrusted chess pieces shimmered slightly in the setting sun.

Despite the unchanged chess game, as darkness fell, Tachibana Yuki's face grew increasingly gloomy, and a suffocating atmosphere spread from her.

At that moment, slightly heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Tachibana Yuki took a deep breath, looked up and stared intently at the open wooden sliding door, his eyes revealing a sense of danger and a deathly stillness.

"Xiaoxing, are you alright?" Tachimi Kotoha asked hesitantly.

"I believe Chengjun will not betray me. He can't possibly go too far; he's just a little flustered."