They all have hidden attributes!

[Takahashi: I want to see you]

[Maya: Are you useless, or disabled?]

[Maya: Has she degenerated into a gorilla that can't even knock on doors?]

The message was replied to instantly, but it was full of insults.

Makoto Takahashi asked Hanakawa Kaori for the address of the board game cafe, sent it to Maya Uesugi, finished his black tea, and stood up to wait for her.

"Let's go."

"Will Maya-nee come?" Hanakawa Kaori snatched the paper bag from the dessert shop and hugged it to her arms.

"Probably," Takahashi Seiya said uncertainly.

The three left the dessert shop and took the train to the North Ward. On the way, Nekoya Haruna talked about the fact that students would have to choose between arts and sciences starting next school year.

"Acheng, I've decided to choose humanities with you."

"Was there any particular reason?" Makoto Takahashi remembered that she had chosen science for her midterm exams.

"My humanities grades are pretty good; at least I don't fail," said Hina Nekoya, offering a simple and straightforward reason.

As long as you pass the exam, you won't have to repeat a grade, it won't affect your club activities, and you'll still have the opportunity to continue being in the same class as him.

"If you achieve good results in the national competition, it will be quite easy for you to go to university."

Makoto Takahashi adopted a serious expression and slowed his speech, saying, "Choosing science will give you an advantage in both further education and employment."

“If you choose humanities, your future looks bleak, Haruna-nee.” Hanakawa Kaori nodded vigorously in agreement.

"I'm just not very smart. I'm more suited to becoming a professional athlete than to college."

Hina Nekoya revealed a determined expression, her chestnut-colored eyes filled with resolve: "I have decided to walk this path, and nothing can stop me from moving forward."

It sounds a bit ill-considered, but it's very powerful and full of enthusiasm.

Take the Yamanote Line from Ikebukuro for 10 minutes and get off at Nishi-Nippori Station. Arrive at a mixed-use building near Hanamiji Temple, where a board game cafe called [Chuuhai] will catch your eye.

Pushing open the somewhat old-fashioned door, the store was surprisingly clean and spacious, yet there wasn't a single customer in sight.

"Ah, welcome."

With a cheerful voice, a girl with pink hair came out from behind the counter to greet the three: "The three of you? Please have a seat here."

The staff member with the nameplate that read "[Takanashi]" led the three to a four-person table with a good view, handed them the menu, and did not mention anything about prohibiting outside food.

The menu only had coffee and non-alcoholic drinks. Makoto Takahashi ordered a caramel latte with almost no sour taste, while Hanakawa Kaori opted for fruit-flavored milk served in a large glass, and Nekoya Hina finally ordered sparkling water.

After writing down the three people's order on a piece of paper, Ms. Takanashi smiled and handed over another menu:

"Our shop operates on a similar system to regular coffee shops. We don't charge a separate seating fee. As long as you order food and drinks, you can play freely. These are the board games you can choose from right now. If you are a beginner, we also provide playmate and guidance services."

“Let’s play Monopoly!” Hanakawa Kaori suggested.

"We'll make a decision when Aya arrives."

Makoto Takahashi was engrossed in reading a light novel, while Hina Nekoya was aimlessly observing her surroundings.

The drink was served by another slender girl who seemed completely unaccustomed to human contact. Her gaze darted nervously around, and she avoided eye contact with the customer, appearing very unreliable.

About twenty minutes later, Maya Uesugi walked into the cafe amidst a blizzard-like atmosphere.

She wore a black chiffon blouse with long lantern sleeves, paired with black trousers that hugged her legs and accentuated their slender lines, creating a captivating blend of innocence and sexiness.

Upon seeing Makoto Takahashi, Maya Uesugi immediately gave him a blatant look of disdain and sneered coldly, "Taking your ex-girlfriend to a place like this on the weekend, what a scumbag."

Even so, with only the seat next to Makoto Takahashi remaining in the four-person seating area, she did not refuse Makoto Takahashi's denim jacket and sat down next to him.

"Sister Maya, this is something your brother bought especially for you."

Hanakawa Kaori picked up the paper bag from the dessert shop with both hands and placed it in front of Uesugi Maya, speaking sweetly on behalf of Takahashi Makoto: "Wherever you go, your brother will remember to bring you desserts home."

She looked exactly like a well-behaved child who was afraid of her parents' divorce.

Facing Hanakawa Kaori, Uesugi Maya couldn't keep a cold face, so her expression softened slightly:

"Heh, speaking of which, someone always carries chocolates with them but doesn't remember to wear a mask, making it easy for them to flirt with other women."

"Someone" doesn't necessarily mean someone who is immediately favored.

Makoto Takahashi took a sip of his coffee and turned to her with an innocent look: "I haven't been flirting around, have I?"

Before Uesugi Maya could even respond, a shop assistant named Takanashi, who had somehow appeared on Takahashi Makoto's other side, casually closed the distance and leaned in with an intrigued smile, asking:

"Are you two dating? Oh, here's the menu."

The menu passed by Makoto Takahashi and was handed to Maya Uesugi, and the temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees.

“I will file a complaint against you for harassing customers,” Makoto Takahashi stated clearly.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't expect Takahashi-kun to be so serious." Takanashi tapped his shoulder lightly with a bright and cheerful smile.

Hanakawa Kaori and Nekoya Hina's gazes towards them also became strange.

"Caramel Latte." Uesugi Maya's voice was icy cold.

"A caramel latte."

Takanashi repeated the order, then left with a mischievous smile.

Makoto Takahashi's gaze followed her retreating figure as he tried to recall where he had ever met the pink-haired girl.

"Brother, I don't think this is a good idea." Hanakawa Kaori looked suspicious.

"Acheng, I don't quite understand what you're doing either." Nekoya Hina frowned slightly.

"Did I do anything?" Takahashi Makoto raised his hands in surrender, looking exasperated.

His attitude towards such an enthusiastic girl could be described as quite impolite.

Should I say, "I'm planning to get back together with my ex-girlfriend"?

With a sense of doubt, his gaze fell on the kitchen area, where he saw two girls talking about something, and the atmosphere seemed quite cheerful.

Putting guests in an awkward situation while having fun themselves deserves a terrible review.

In the hopeless silence, the little bird swam away and then returned, bringing over a caramel latte, and then struck up a conversation with Makoto Takahashi as if they were old friends:

"Takahashi-kun, would you mind coming over there for a moment? I'll buy you coffee."

Not only did they know each other, but they were also invited in person. For the three girls present, this was humiliation, this was war.

Seeing the atmosphere plummet to freezing point, Hanakawa Kaori flipped open the board game menu, randomly pointed to a game called "The Forest of Lies," and flashed the same dangerous smile as Tachimi Yuki:

"Please give us this, thank you."

Under the intense pressure, Takanashi nervously touched his nose: "Do you need some guidance? This game is quite classic."

"Yes, I need it." Uesugi Maya picked up her coffee and brought it to her lips, a somewhat sinister smile playing on her lips.

Makoto Takahashi dared not speak.

The three girls all wanted to take the opportunity of playing board games to get to know this pink-haired woman named Takanashi, since even Nekoya Hina, who had known Makoto Takahashi the longest, had never heard of her before.

Unfortunately, the person responsible for explaining the rules and playing with the girls was another slender girl.

During the board game, Ms. Takanashi's attention remained fixed on her fingernails, and she looked utterly bored.

After playing for a while, the atmosphere still hadn't improved, so the four of them left the cafe and went to the restaurant they had decided on beforehand to eat curry.

In the afternoon, the four of them went to a nearby shopping center.

Hanakawa Kaori tried her best to ease the tension and improve the relationship between Takahashi Makoto and Uesugi Maya, while also urging him to clarify the Takanashi incident, but Takahashi Makoto was powerless to do so.

It seems that as long as he doesn't reveal his past romantic experiences, all his words are just weak and feeble excuses.

"Could it be a classmate from Yamanashi Prefecture who changed their identity after coming to Tokyo?"

After receiving this reply, Uesugi Maya coldly said, "What a waste of time," crossed her arms, and turned to leave decisively.

That's all for today. Remember to let me know when you get back.

Makoto Takahashi left a message for Hanakawa Kaori and Nekoya Hina before hurrying off to catch up with Uesugi Maya.

"Aya, I really haven't been fooling around with other women. You probably don't know the dark side of the Tachimi family. They won't tolerate me."

The darkness within the Tatsumi family certainly exists, but he doesn't really care about it.

Because Maya Uesugi had her arms crossed, Makoto Takahashi couldn't find an opportunity to hold her wrist.

Upon arriving at an outdoor fountain, Maya Uesugi pointed to a nearby bench and commanded, "Wait for me there."

"I will become a bronze statue." Makoto Takahashi didn't want to be left alone.

"I will come back before you become a bronze statue."

"Where are you going?"

"Girls don't want to be questioned when buying certain items."

Maya Uesugi gave a vague explanation, turned around and left. Makoto Takahashi watched her figure disappear in the direction of the curry shop, then sat anxiously on a bench and waited.

A passing woman was drawn to the scene. On an autumn day, she encountered a melancholy young man on a bench. It was a pity that it wasn't raining, otherwise it would have been the opening scene of a romance novel.

"Excuse me......"

A slightly loud, unfamiliar voice came from the side.

Makoto Takahashi looked over with a cold gaze, and saw two girls smiling at him.

They were dressed very fashionably and were probably college students.

Are you alone now? Do you have time?

“No, I’m waiting for someone,” Takahashi Makoto said impatiently.

"You can also invite your friends to have coffee together." They were not only proactive, but also persistent.

Just as he was thinking about how to get rid of her, a familiar long black hair appeared in the corner of his vision. Or rather, even from a great distance, Takahashi Makoto could feel Uesugi Maya's murderous aura.

He waited quietly for a few seconds before Uesugi Maya's cold voice drifted over first.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Her breathing was somewhat rapid, unlike what one would expect from someone who had walked over.

Makoto Takahashi pulled Maya Uesugi into his arms, placed his hand on her back, and said in a gentle tone, "Your two older sisters would like to invite you for coffee."