They all have hidden attributes!

Hina, the cat-house student and academic underachiever, walked over with an innocent look on her face: "But it doesn't sound delicious. I want chocolate too."

“…It’s quite delicious.” Kashima Reiko subconsciously retorted.

Upon hearing this, Hanakawa Kaori, who took out a hair tie from her pocket and tied her hair into pigtails, narrowed her eyes, a sly glint in them.

"Weren't we going to play badminton?"

Makoto Takahashi glanced at the expressionless Reiko Kashima with a troubled expression, and immediately stopped the unhealthy conversation: "Where do you want to go this afternoon? And what about lunch options?"

Chapter 159 Halloween

"Brother, can't we really have a Halloween party at your house tonight?"

Hanakawa Kaori gently shook Takahashi Makoto's arms with both hands, making a pitiful expression. Her swaying black twin tails, adorned with pumpkin-shaped hair accessories, gave her a very cute look.

It was past 5 p.m. when the sky over Tokyo was shimmering with an orange glow.

The skyscrapers throughout Hong Kong resembled burnt-out candles, emitting a powerful glow as the setting sun slowly sank, dyeing the upscale shopping streets of Omotesando red.

The cool air is filled with the atmosphere of Halloween.

The four of them spent the entire afternoon shopping in the port area, buying a few winter clothes and watching a movie. As dinner time approached, Hanakawa Kaori started getting restless again.

"I'll bring my own drinks, ah... I mean, beverages and snacks!" She stared at Makoto Takahashi with hopeful eyes.

"I have no plans to celebrate Halloween."

Makoto Takahashi tightened his scarf and refused without hesitation: "Besides, I might not have time, it would be too much trouble."

If you're really going to throw a party under the guise of Halloween, how could you not invite your girlfriend to come along?

Meeting between Tatsumi Yuki and Uesugi Maya at this sensitive time would not only make either of them happy, but also poses other high risks.

— Makoto Takahashi plans to visit the Shiraishi family tomorrow.

"Can I go ask Maya-nee for candy?"

Hanakawa Kaori's purple eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled slyly, saying, "How about I borrow a few light novels from my brother to read?"

"Lending you a light novel is no problem."

Seeing that Takahashi Makoto agreed, she immediately turned around and ran to Nekoya Hina and Kashima Reiko, who were chatting together behind her: "Hina-nee, I'll treat you to beef rice tonight, and come with me to get candy."

"Okay."

After Nekoya Hina agreed, Hanakawa Kaori glanced at Kashima Reiko before quickly looking away: "Go now, and come home early tonight."

As she spoke, she waved to Makoto Takahashi, who had turned around to look at her, and said, "Brother, we're leaving now."

Her petite figure in the setting sun looked surprisingly precocious.

Makoto Takahashi watched as Hanakawa Kaori and Nekoya Hina walked toward the train station, while he continued strolling along the shopping street with Kashima Reiko.

"I'm going to Shiraishi's house tomorrow, remember to prepare a gift for me," he said calmly.

"Okay, I'll go to the apartment to clean tomorrow."

Kashima Reiko, walking beside me, stared blankly at the Halloween-themed shop windows in the shopping street.

"Take a day off next week, let's spend the weekend together."

"It depends on what the young lady decides."

"I need you too, Lengzi."

“…Okay.” Kashima Reiko subtly closed the distance between them and reached out to hold his hand.

In the opposite direction from the two, Hanakawa Kaori dragged Nekoya Hina into a restaurant and they sat side by side at the counter.

"Beef rice set meal, one small bowl, one large bowl, plus two extra servings of beef."

Knowing Nekoya Haruna's habits well, after ordering for her, Hanakawa Kaori skillfully took the wet towel brought by the waiter and vigorously wiped her hands.

Hina Nekoya, who had just put down her paper bag and sports backpack, noticed that her expression was a little unpleasant and tilted her head in confusion, asking:

"Hanaori, weren't you in a good mood just now?"

"I'm thinking."

"Thinking? What is it?"

"I'm thinking...whether I should try confessing my feelings to my brother in a casual way."

Hanakawa Kaori turned her head and met her gaze with a serious and earnest look. Nekoya Hina, who was wiping her hands, froze instantly.

After a few seconds of reaction, her voice suddenly rose: "Huh?!?!?!"

Seeing Hanakawa Kaori's serious expression, Nekoya Hina slammed her hand on the counter and stood up: "What are you talking about? Can you just casually confess your feelings? Besides, Makoto has a girlfriend, how can you do this?"

The two's arguing attracted the attention of other customers in the store. Hanakawa Kaori pulled Nekoya Hina to sit down and carefully observed her expression, clearly seeing a hint of hesitation in her chestnut eyes.

hesitate?

Hanakawa Kaori became suspicious and told herself that there was no need to hesitate, because Nekoya Hina's statement was absolutely "correct" unless she knew some hidden information.

Hina is so straightforward that she can't hide her feelings, and she's also the one who's known her brother the longest...

"Yinna-nee, don't be so loud. I just wanted to send a Line message to my brother to tell him that I like him."

Hanakawa Kaori used a feigned retreat, smilingly brushing it off, which only made Nekoya Hina more uneasy, fearing that Hanakawa's attitude was too eager.

“Absolutely not! What if A-Cheng takes it seriously?” Nekoya Hina retorted.

"That depends on whether my brother agrees to date me."

Sensing that Nekoya Hina was hiding something, Hanakawa Kaori casually picked up her glass, swallowed a mouthful of water, and asked, "Is Hina-neechan nervous?"

"No! I'm not A-Cheng's girlfriend."

Under Hanakawa Kaori's scrutinizing gaze, Nekoya Hina guiltily averted her eyes and looked towards the kitchen through the glass window.

She didn't say it directly. Hanakawa Kaori's fingertips caressed the glass, gradually piecing together the truth from the atmosphere of the school trip, Shiraishi Junka's behavior, Kashima Reiko's words, and Nekoya Hina's hesitation.

Was my brother's love life not so pure after all?

She slammed the empty glass down on the counter, her youthful face puffed out in anger.

They actually kept this from me! That's outrageous!

......

As dusk fell, after dropping Kashima Reiko off at Tachimi's house, Takahashi Makoto bought a cream puff and a jar of candy at a dessert shop before returning to his apartment.

Take the elevator upstairs and arrive at the apartment door with the [Uesugi] sign hanging on it. Ring the doorbell and wait a moment. Uesugi Maya will appear from behind the open door.

She was wearing casual home clothes, without an apron, and her long black hair was loose. It seemed that she had already prepared dinner and was just busy with something else.

"You've come at the right time. I'll give you some work to do later."

What kind of job?

Makoto Takahashi went into the entryway to change into slippers and handed a paper bag to Maya Uesugi. She glanced at it, frowned in confusion, and asked, "A candy jar?"

"Today is Halloween, and Hanaori said she'll come to see you later."

"Boring, troublesome."

Maya Uesugi made a sarcastic comment, placed the candy jar in the entryway, and turned to walk towards the dining room with the paper bag containing only cream puffs:

“I bought furniture, but I don’t want outsiders to come into the house, so you can move in after it’s delivered.”

“Okay.” Makoto Takahashi glanced at the empty living room and followed her into the dining room.

After moving into the apartment, Maya Uesugi, due to her obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness, threw away all her original furniture. Since she had just bought the house, she didn't buy any new furniture and only brought a few pieces of old furniture with her.

Later, because of the band's commitments, there wasn't enough time, and the living room, apart from the tent and camping chairs on the balcony, was so clean it felt somewhat lonely.

Now that her school trip is over, she has plenty of money, and with the student council and band having a lot of free time for the foreseeable future, she finally has the energy to renovate her apartment.

“I’m not planning on Halloween,” Maya Uesugi said.

On the light wood rectangular dining table are stewed beef with tomatoes, spinach, creamed corn, broccoli, and tamagoyaki, Takahashi Makoto's favorite dish.

"I didn't plan to celebrate Halloween either; only Hanaori is interested."

After sitting down, Makoto Takahashi immediately said, "I'll start eating."

He reached for the tamagoyaki with his chopsticks, and the smooth texture filled his mouth. As he chewed, the flavorful broth seeped out, making him feel pleasantly happy.

After dinner, the furniture that Uesugi Maya had purchased was delivered.

The staff placed the cardboard box in the hallway, had her sign it, and then left. The box was larger than Makoto Takahashi had imagined and looked very bulky.

"What's this?" He easily picked up the cardboard box.

"A tool that makes you lazy and turn you into a useless person."

Where should I put it?

"Living room, throw the sofa out, the building manager will handle it."

Makoto Takahashi placed the cardboard box in the spot designated by Maya Uesugi, then put the old sofa in the hallway. When he returned to the living room, Maya Uesugi had already packed up the cardboard box.

Inside the cardboard box is a very space-consuming beanbag chair, a well-known product that has been a hot seller for several years and is frequently advertised on television and online.

The beanbag chair that Maya Uesugi bought was so big that you could tell at a glance that it wasn't for one person.

"Would you like to come and sit with us?"

Maya Uesugi sat down on the sofa, leaning back with her full weight, her eyes, filled with a calm and steady light, swept over Makoto Takahashi: "It is indeed very comfortable to sit on."

Do I look like someone who could be easily seduced by you?

Oscar Wilde said that the only way to get rid of temptation is to accept it.

“That makes sense.” Makoto Takahashi sat down next to her.

The sofa made a soft rustling sound, slowly sinking down and changing shape to envelop the two people, reducing the distance between them to zero.

The unique comfort of the beanbag chair, its ability to conform to the body and sink in, combined with the warmth and fragrance of Maya Uesugi beside me, all come together.

"You can come anytime you like."

Uesugi Maya raised her delicate face and whispered lazily in his ear, "Don't worry, I won't tell Tatsumi."

With her beauty, close companionship, and the [relaxation bonus] of the beanbag chair, she was confident that she could make Takahashi Makoto fall into depravity and forget about love.