They all have hidden attributes!

"It's more convenient to go straight back to the apartment after we're done shopping." Uesugi Maya turned around briskly, looking impatient.

Hina Nekoya smiled sheepishly and caught up with the slender figure: "Maya-kun, Makoto was right after all."

"Don't mention that awful man."

"What did Acheng do to make you angry again? Tell me."

“It’s not a big deal, no, he’s awful.” Uesugi Maya couldn’t explain it clearly.

Actually, I don't dislike him at all.

Pure white snowflakes drifted endlessly down from the clear sky, and the Christmas market was adorned with colorful lights, which, together with the snow, created a wonderful festive atmosphere.

When the two arrived at the square, which was usually deserted, the market was already bustling with activity and crowded with people.

"Alright, let's eat!" Nekoya Hina exclaimed excitedly, raising her hand with a look that said, "Appetite is everything."

Maya Uesugi followed her into the Christmas market, looking around at the rows of vendors: "There's a party tonight, don't forget."

"I know, that's why we need to eat something first, there are a lot of people here."

Nekoya Hina smiled sheepishly, her gaze sweeping over the stall selling French sausages and takoyaki, her chestnut eyes instantly sparkling with excitement:

"Ah, takoyaki, let's start the attack from here today."

Eating in this atmosphere makes it more enjoyable, so Uesugi Maya casually strolled around with her, thinking about what Christmas gift to buy in return.

Uesugi Maya was completely unprepared, which was the main reason she invited Nekoya Hina along.

We can't just send the gift tomorrow.

Then, the shooting range, a common sight during holidays, came into view.

What caught Uesugi Maya's eye was not the prize, but the people playing the game.

For some reason, Kashima Reiko, dressed in a gorgeous kimono, was holding a toy gun and nestled in Takahashi Makoto's arms, the two of them playing a target shooting game hand in hand.

Since the cork bullet might not fall even if it hits the prize, the shooting itself isn't actually difficult; the two of them are just showing off their affection.

Moreover, Kashima Reiko is a professional maid, and her training from a young age must have included shooting.

"Tsk."

Maya Uesugi clicked her tongue slightly, feeling inexplicably annoyed. Hina Nekoya, who was taking a big bite of takoyaki, noticed the coldness beside her and turned her head to look over, puzzled.

Following her icy gaze, the image of Makoto Takahashi and Reiko Kashima intimately came to mind.

"Um, should we go over and say hello?" Nekoya Hina asked vaguely.

"Let me think about it and I'll get back to you in a bit."

Where Uesugi Maya's gaze fell, Takahashi Makoto had already noticed the all-too-familiar sharp look.

Chapter 172 A Corner of the Christmas Market

Kashima Reiko always has a blank expression.

That being said, she neither wore a stern face nor was she as indifferent as Uesugi Maya; she was simply expressionless.

Unyielding and unwavering, in Makoto Takahashi's view, the word "neutral" is more appropriate to describe him.

Beneath her seemingly emotionless surface, Kashima Reiko is actually a very thoughtful person. Uesugi Maya sees this as hypocrisy, but in reality, she is simply not good at using facial expressions.

Regarding the emotional aspects, the person I know the most about is Makoto Takahashi.

Therefore, when he encounters behavior he cannot understand, and knows that Kashima Reiko must have a motive for such actions, his curiosity and desire to explore inevitably intensify.

pat-

After a soft click, the cork flew out of the toy gun and hit the bottom of the plastic box on the wooden frame.

The box shook, but ultimately did not fall over.

"pity."

Kashima Reiko's tone didn't convey any regret, but since she said it, it must have been what she truly felt.

Makoto Takahashi paid the shopkeeper to buy five more cork bullets and loaded them into the toy gun: "Judging from the feel, this gun should at least hit the prize. I'll get a feel for it and aim for the top."

These kinds of booths often fail to win prizes due to the limitations of the toy guns themselves.

The boss's smile seemed to twitch as he was exposed for his trick without any politeness. He then took out some snacks as a participation prize for the previous event.

After loading the bullets, Makoto Takahashi grabbed Reiko Kashima's hands from behind, the back of her snow-white neck emanating an exciting citrus scent.

Pulling the trigger, the bullet struck the plastic box slightly above the center, shifting the center of gravity and causing the box to wobble and fall over.

The surrounding guests watching the target practice were somewhat taken aback; this kind of game is actually quite difficult.

Makoto Takahashi used his remaining bullets to shoot down several bags of almost weightless snacks. Kashima Reiko, who was nestled in his arms, trembled all over, and her cheeks visibly flushed red.

What should we do now?

Uesugi Maya's gaze from a short distance away felt like a thorn in her back. If she told Takahashi Makoto the truth now, he definitely wouldn't be able to hold back, and tonight might be very embarrassing...

"for you."

A calm voice came to my ear, and the waist tie I wanted was handed to me. The purple glass bead decorations matched the kimono perfectly.

"Now can you tell me why I'm wearing a kimono?" Makoto Takahashi asked in a low voice.

This was the condition for their exchange, because she was unwilling to say it no matter what.

"......Um."

Kashima Reiko glanced in Uesugi Maya's direction, abandoned the snacks, and pulled him into the crowded throng: "Let's go somewhere else."

The vendors were neatly arranged, making it difficult to avoid being watched. Fortunately, the square where the Christmas market was located was large, and after circling around a few times, the feeling of being stared at from behind disappeared.

Taking advantage of the situation, Kashima Reiko pulled Takahashi Makoto around to the back of the vendors' shops, followed the shadows to the parking lot, and got into the familiar white car before she calmed down.

Have we really calmed down?

Makoto Takahashi expressed his doubts, saying that Reiko Kashima was acting strangely today.

"Get out," she said to the female driver.

After the driver left, the parking lot was deserted.

Kashima Reiko sat in Takahashi Makoto's lap, her voice devoid of intonation: "Let me rub your belly."

"Reiko, you wouldn't..." Makoto Takahashi sensed her nervousness and whispered close to her ear from behind.

Sitting side by side is a common form of intimate contact between two people, but this was the first time it had happened in a car.

As Kashima Reiko loosened the sash, Takahashi Makoto slipped his hand inside the kimono, slowly warming her smooth belly, feeling the ribbon-like touch of his palm.

It must be a ribbon, right?

According to Japanese tradition, one does not need to wear underwear under a kimono. It was precisely because she wasn't wearing one today that Kashima Reiko changed into a kimono, as she felt more comfortable doing so.

“I’m not the kind of woman who has little self-esteem; it was Junko’s idea.” Kashima Reiko grabbed his hand and pressed hard on her stomach to hide her rising body temperature.

His expressionless explanation was unexpectedly alluring, and Makoto Takahashi subconsciously looked down to find her pink lips.

Their lips met, and Kashima Reiko's eyelashes trembled slightly. She had other thoughts on her mind and hurriedly stopped his hand from messing up her kimono.

Consciousness began to blur, and her turquoise eyes quickly became misty with tears.

"No, Miss will laugh at me." Kashima Reiko pushed Takahashi Makoto away and said very seriously.

She was always a little sober afterwards. Everyone was there tonight, and she had to save face. She had to wait until the party ended.

"Isn't this my Christmas present?" Takahashi Makoto persisted.

"......Well."

With her hands held captive, Kashima Reiko could only negotiate: "Tonight, I'll help you catch the young lady and stack them high together."

Anyway, by then she'll be completely disoriented, and the one who will be most embarrassed and ashamed will definitely not be herself.

"The seller seeks personal gain?"

"I'm helping you. That's how Chunke and I became friends."

"So what do we do now?"

Makoto Takahashi released her, and Reiko Kashima squatted silently between the seats, a single strand of her wolf-tail hair sticking up from their recent intimacy.

......

"It's probably because of the atmosphere; the snacks here taste completely different." Nekoya Hina said with a satisfied smile as she ate the grilled squid with gusto.

She had just finished eating fried chicken and still looked like she had more than enough, making her companion, Uesugi Maya, wonder what was wrong with her stomach.

"The matcha pudding over there has red bean filling, do you want some?"

Hina Nekoya quickly found her next target, while Maya Uesugi looked a little gloomy because she had lost her target.

Just as they were waiting for Nekoya Hina to buy the chocolate bananas, the person disappeared.

"You eat it yourself," Uesugi Maya shook her head.

"If you want to find Acheng, just call him directly."

Seeing that she seemed a little down, Hina Nekoya went to buy matcha pudding by herself, saying in a light tone, "Besides, you could have gone to say hello just now, it's really incomprehensible."

"You wouldn't understand." Uesugi Maya exhaled a puff of white mist.

When I'm feeling lonely, I think of him as soon as I wake up in the morning. My first thought is to have breakfast together, and I want to do anything with him.

The results of it?

I only remembered when I entered the kitchen this morning that Tachibana Yuki had stayed overnight, and on Christmas Day I ran into Takahashi Makoto showing affection in public.

No one would be happy if something like this happened.

Maya Uesugi's sole purpose in following him was to let Makoto Takahashi know that she was feeling uncomfortable.

"Anyway, let's find him first."

"It's not like I don't understand at all. Seeing this kind of scene makes me a little sad." Nekoya Hina reached out and handed over a matcha pudding, her smile losing some of its color.

She was the first one. She used to spend her weekends playing around Tokyo with Makoto Takahashi, but now she can only go shopping with Maya Uesugi.

I was too embarrassed to ask Makoto Takahashi to go out with me during winter break, not only because I had to participate in a competition, but also because I was afraid he wouldn't have time and I might cause him trouble.