They all have hidden attributes!

Maya Uesugi stared into Hina Nekoya's eyes, her icy expression softening slightly.

Even today, she is not entirely devoid of empathy; at least she won't resort to harsh words when her friends are feeling down.

Taking the matcha pudding, Uesugi Maya pondered for a moment, unable to think of a way to comfort her, so she simply offered advice: "Personally, I think it would be better if you found an opportunity to express your feelings to him."

"No, Acheng already has a girlfriend."

Nekoya Hina's sense of morality wouldn't allow her to poach someone else's boyfriend, and besides, she didn't think she could do it: "Besides, what if Makoto agrees? Should I join him? No way."

Seeing her flustered expression, Uesugi Maya pinched the bridge of her nose with a headache and let out a helpless sigh.

She just wanted to ensure that Nekoya Hina would have no regrets, but the latter's first reaction was that she couldn't give up.

Well, of all my rivals, Nekoya Hina is the least threatening. She's easier to deal with than Hanakawa Kaori. Let her be.

After taking a bite of matcha pudding with a disposable spoon, Maya Uesugi turned around and inadvertently caught sight of the woman in front of the yakisoba stall.

Takahashi Makoto's driver?

The driver should wait in the car. Since she's here, it means she needs to be left out. There's a parking lot in this square.

After finding Makoto Takahashi, what should you say to him?

He's in a bad mood today. No, he has no obligation to cheer himself up; he wants his Christmas present first.

Throwing a tantrum because you're not happy with your Christmas present shouldn't wear down his patience.

"Hina, let's go." Uesugi Maya's face turned cold as she walked straight towards the parking lot.

Hina Nekoya blinked and quickly caught up with her: "Where are you going? I still want to eat yakisoba."

"Go find him."

"Have you decided what you want to do with Acheng?"

"No."

Maya Uesugi couldn't explain it clearly, but if Makoto Takahashi saw her expression, he would know from experience that the cat was about to hiss.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, the two found the white sedan that was usually parked downstairs at the apartment building, using the light from the streetlights.

Maya Uesugi walked over with her arms crossed. She couldn't see inside through the tinted windows. Just as she was about to reach for the back door, the door opened from the inside.

Makoto Takahashi saw Maya Uesugi approaching from afar and got out of the car, leaving Reiko Kashima in the warm car to fix her kimono that had been accidentally soiled.

"Aye, what are you doing here?"

He feigned surprise, pretending not to have noticed them, and turned his gaze to Hina Nekoya, who was lagging behind: "Are you out playing with Hina? I didn't expect you two to be so close now."

"A Christmas present." Uesugi Maya extended her palm upwards.

"Now? You're too impatient."

Makoto Takahashi saw the cold, unapproachable glint in her eyes, and smiled gently, saying, "It's in the apartment. I'll give it to you when we get back."

"Go back now."

Maya Uesugi reached for the car door, but Makoto Takahashi stopped her, giving Reiko Kashima time: "There's a dessert shop nearby, I'll treat you to cream puffs, and Hina can come too."

His suspicious behavior caused Uesugi Maya's gaze to grow cold, casting a shadow over her delicate, fair face.

"You are ridiculous!" she rebuked coldly.

“We didn’t dirty your seat,” Makoto Takahashi explained.

Because of Uesugi Maya's psychological fastidiousness, he specifically asked Tachimi Yuki for a private car, and in the car he and Kashima Reiko were being affectionate, which did indeed have a similar feel to what Haki Maya had done before.

"Don't I need to breathe?" Uesugi Maya gritted her teeth, having finally found a reasonable opportunity to exhale, how could she let it go so easily?

She calmly didn't take a compass out of her pocket, but instead raised her foot and stepped on Takahashi Makoto's instep, grinding it hard: "If you don't like my Christmas present, you're dead."

Noticing that Uesugi Maya was in a particularly bad mood today, Takahashi Makoto reached out and put his arms around her shoulders, saying, "I'll make sure you're satisfied."

"Don't touch me."

Uesugi Maya struggled for a moment, but still let him pull her into his arms, though she still crossed her arms to show her attitude: "Go buy me cream puffs."

"it is good."

"Let's go now."

His clear, pleasant voice wasn't as harsh as usual. Takahashi Makoto gently patted her back and asked in her ear, "Were you upset by Sachi yesterday?"

Maya Uesugi's breath hitched briefly as she finally understood why she had been restless ever since she woke up that morning.

No matter how much she hoped, what Tachikami said was the truth.

The burden she added to Makoto Takahashi was not just for one person, and she couldn't be as willing to compromise as Junka Shiraishi and Reiko Kashima.

Maya Uesugi struggled to control the storm raging within her and let out a soft breath.

He always understands emotions that even he himself cannot articulate, and that is why he is someone you can rely on.

She said, "You can't be my friend, my lover, and—"

Her voice trailed off as Uesugi Maya found it hard to speak, her nose stung, and her expression turned bitter.

Seeing her reveal a vulnerable expression, a rare sight as she tried to suppress her emotions, Makoto Takahashi instinctively stroked Maya Uesugi's head to comfort her: "I'll teach her a lesson for you."

"No need, I can manage on my own."

As always, Maya Uesugi remained stubborn. Makoto Takahashi ran his hand through her long black hair and pinched the back of her neck: "Tell me what's wrong with you later, and I'll help you figure something out."

“…” Uesugi Maya nodded gently.

Behind the two, Nekoya Hina watched in stunned silence as Uesugi Maya executed her extremely skillful combo of coquettishness.

No wonder I lost, the Tokyoites are too cunning!

When he arrived, he had a tense face and a cold attitude as if he were collecting a debt, but when he saw Makoto Takahashi, he didn't resist at all and immediately became obedient.

"I'll go buy you some cream puffs. Go wait in the car and let it air out a bit."

Makoto Takahashi helped Maya Uesugi straighten her coat and strode toward the Christmas market. Hina Nekoya thought for a moment, then ran after him, saying, "Makoto, I'll go with you."

It's just being clingy, right? Anyone can be that way.

Uesugi Maya watched the two figures disappear into the snow, took several deep breaths to compose herself, and then opened the car door, casting a calm gaze at them.

In the air filled with an unfamiliar scent, Kashima Reiko, who had just straightened her kimono, sat upright in the back seat, wiping her face with disinfectant wipes, her luscious lips still damp.

Thinking of the knowledge she had specifically studied, Uesugi Maya put on a blatant expression of disgust and asked coldly, "Isn't it disgusting?"

"will not."

“No animal would do that.”

"..." Kashima Reiko was too lazy to explain to her, and stuck out her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth.

Maya Uesugi slammed the car door shut, walked around to the other side, sat in her usual spot, crossed her arms, and asked, "What's it like doing this kind of thing?"

"Feelings that don't belong to you."

Kashima Reiko paused for a moment, then patiently explained, "Because he makes me happy, I feel at ease. This feeling doesn't belong to me. It's like when I'm shopping with him, I feel strange walking, like I'm moving my arms and legs in unison."

Seeing that Uesugi Maya still looked completely clueless, Kashima Reiko looked at her with a hint of pity: "Do you find kissing disgusting?"

"will not."

"It's the same principle."

"Is that so? Tsk."

Maya Uesugi frowned, still unable to understand: "Open the car window, let in some ventilation."

"You were Makoto's first kiss," he said. Kashima Reiko lowered the car window, and the cold wind dispersed the lingering scent.

"Yes."

"Did you stick out your tongues?"

"No, why do you ask that?" Uesugi Maya turned her head and saw Kashima Reiko casting a sympathetic look at her, and her mood suddenly turned sour.

Chapter 173 The War Reaches its Peak

A light snow was falling from the sky. Away from the bustling atmosphere of the Christmas market, Makoto Takahashi and Haruna Nekoya walked side by side on the sidewalk, their pace unhurried.

A biting wind blew, causing her chestnut-colored ponytail to sway.

The damp smell in the air reminded Nekoya Hina of the rainy season, when she was walking beside Takahashi Makoto in the same way, with the same wet pavement under her feet.

You should have acted sooner!

She let out a frustrated cry in her heart, stretched out her hand in front of Takahashi Makoto, and snapped her fingers coolly: "Makoto, why are you so gloomy? Can your worries be transferred?"

"It is indeed a bit worrying."

Takahashi Sei let out a long breath and nodded in agreement: "I was wondering why Aya went to my room this morning, even though she always cleaned the apartment separately. But it turns out that Miss knows her best."

One sentence made Hagiwara uneasy all day. As expected of you, Angel.

"What? What? I don't quite understand." Nekoya Hina adopted a gossipy attitude, but in her heart, she was thinking about learning.

The innocent Hokkaido girl was no match for the cunning Tokyoites and had to study hard.

“We are best friends, good brothers. Hanaori is my sister, so I act from her brother’s perspective.”

Makoto Takahashi had nothing to hide from her, after all, they were good brothers, and there were some things he could only tell Hina Nekoya: "Yo, she can't find her place, so she feels particularly insecure."

It's not entirely untrue; Shiraishi Junka has always believed that Uesugi Maya and Takahashi Makoto have a cat-and-owner relationship.

Seiya Takahashi has always believed that Maya Uesugi has great potential as a cat, and she has already learned to destroy things around the house.

But this can't be said out loud, otherwise no one, including Uesugi Maya, would agree.

Without a clear position or clear boundaries, it's perfectly normal for her to feel psychological pressure when facing Yuki Tachimi.

"I see!" Hina Nekoya exclaimed in realization.

She has never done anything out of line as a close friend, no wonder she is no match for the Tokyoites!

But how exactly do I do it?

I don't understand.

Never mind, let's deal with Acheng's troubles first.