They all have hidden attributes!

“Corn doesn’t taste good when it’s burnt. Cutting the beef ribs will make them cook faster.” Uesugi Maya picked up the scissors and had Kashima Reiko hold the beef ribs upright and cut them into small pieces.

The air grew lively as dinner proceeded in a warm and harmonious atmosphere. For everyone present, the scene was one of pure bliss.

Amidst the lively laughter, Kashima Reiko was the first to get up and leave her seat.

"Sister Lengzi, is there something you need?" Hanakawa Kaori asked, her mouth full of beef, her words muffled.

"Run the bathwater."

Kashima Reiko gave Takahashi Makoto a look, signaling him to find an opportunity: "Would the young lady like to take a shower first?"

"I'll join you," Takahashi Makoto suggested.

"Can I?" Shiraishi Junko asked timidly.

"No way, Chun Ke, tonight we have to be completely wholesome!!!"

Hanakawa Kaori screamed in frustration, her purple eyes glaring at Takahashi Makoto: "Brother, you have to come out and play board games with us right now!"

"Alright." Makoto Takahashi had no choice but to find another opportunity.

Chapter 175 Christmas Eve

"Brother, what are your plans for winter break?"

Hanakawa Kaori's voice came from outside the bathroom door. Takahashi Makoto stood in front of the mirror, wiping his hair with a towel in his hands.

"Winter break seems to be quite busy."

He thought for a moment, put down the towel, picked up the short-sleeved shirt hanging to the side and put it on: "I have to accompany A-Ye to learn Latin dance, paint an oil painting, and also learn the piano from scratch."

The essence of the song "LADY" lies in the harmonies and rhythmic framework of the piano.

If you're only learning this one song, there's no need to specifically find a teacher. As long as the tuition is sufficient, Junko Shiraishi should be able to complete the teaching task.

"I see."

Hanakawa Kaori leaned against the bathroom door, looking down at her toes, her lips moist: "The main tournament, I think, is the final on the 30th, but I might meet an opponent before then."

Which day?

Makoto Takahashi got dressed and, to make it easier to chat, didn't use the hairdryer he'd received that day to dry his hair.

He pushed open the bathroom door, and Hanakawa Kaori, who was serving as the "Christmas Health Committee Member," stepped aside and called out to the kitchen, "Junka-nee, you can come and take a shower now."

As Shiraishi Junko walked out of the kitchen, Hanakawa Kaori immediately abandoned her duty as the "Christmas Health Committee Member," stopped guarding the bathroom door, and followed Takahashi Makoto to the living room.

"We will meet in the semifinals on the 28th. We are in the same half of the bracket. I can only play in the finals on the 30th if I beat them."

She looked at Makoto Takahashi's physique with admiration, especially his thigh muscles exposed outside his loose shorts, and her expression seemed very satisfied.

Although I don't know what I'm satisfied with, perhaps keeping an eye on myself is the responsibility of the "Christmas Wellness Committee Member"?

Makoto Takahashi entered the living room and sat down on the cushion next to Yuki Tachimi. The coffee table had been cleaned up, leaving only fruit, drinks, and snacks.

Hina Nekoya, Reiko Kashima, and Yuki Tachimi chatted around the coffee table in a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

Makoto Takahashi opened a can of cola and casually asked, "Where's Yoru?"

"I'm going home to take a shower."

Nekoya Hina held the instruction manual for "The Liar's Tavern" up to her eyes, studying it with a puzzled expression: "I don't understand any of the board games that Hanaori brought tonight. They're too difficult."

"How about we play the King's Game?" Hanakawa Kaori snatched the cushion next to Takahashi Makoto.

Because she was sitting in a duck-like position, while Makoto Takahashi was sitting cross-legged, one of her delicate little feet naturally rested against the outside of his thigh.

"This game sounds completely unsound." Makoto Takahashi glanced at Hanakawa Kaori speechlessly.

She pulled out a brand-new deck of cards from the pile of snacks, unfolded them, and said in a nonchalant tone, "What does it matter? I'll keep an eye on my brother."

Supervision, or torture?

Makoto Takahashi had other plans for tonight and was resistant: "How about we play ghost hunting, or—"

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of a door opening came from behind him. He and Hanakawa Kaori turned around and saw Uesugi Maya walking into the entrance hall, wearing a long down jacket.

Bathing is troublesome for both girls and cats, except for Hakiya, probably because two negatives make a positive?

Maya Uesugi unzipped her long down jacket, took it off, and walked over with a cold face. Underneath, she wore a white short-sleeved shirt and loose black shorts.

Her snow-white nape, her firm chest, and her fair thighs were all on full display, and the warm air from the air conditioner carried a moist scent of cedarwood.

After she sat down across from him at the coffee table, Makoto Takahashi looked away and continued, "Something as simple as ghost hunting or Texas Hold'em would be better."

"Is Texas Hold'em simpler than the Liar's Tavern?" Hanakawa Kaori raised her hand to ask.

"Texas Hold'em, Acheng taught me before."

Hina Nekoya put down the instruction manual and looked at Yuki Tachimi and Reiko Kashima: "Have you played this before, Senpai? It's quite fun."

“No problem.” Kashima Reiko’s eyes instantly went into “serious mode.”

"In that case, we can't just play games."

Yuki Tachibana put down her black tea, narrowed her beautiful eyes and looked at Maya Uesugi, asking meaningfully, "What does Maya think?"

"..." Uesugi Maya raised her caramel-colored eyes and stared directly at her, her attitude firm.

A faint smell of gunpowder spread through the air without warning.

Hanakawa Kaori placed her hands on the coffee table, leaned forward, and immediately interrupted the two: "Then let's drink. Haruna-nee brought a lot of beer."

"Let's play a ghost-catching game then, but don't drink too much," Makoto Takahashi said.

If they were playing Texas Hold'em, Maya Uesugi and Yuki Tatsumi might get drunk due to their rivalry, and his stacking plan would fall through.

The ghost-catching game offers a lot of room for skillful maneuvering.

Kashima Reiko silently got up, went to the kitchen to get glasses, and placed them in front of the group one by one. Nekoya Hina enthusiastically filled each glass with beer.

Hanakawa Kaori opened another deck of cards, mixed the two decks together, shuffled them, took out the top card and placed it in the center of the coffee table, and then distributed the remaining cards equally.

The game of catching ghosts is very simple. Each person takes turns passing a card they don't want to the next player. The person who has a single card left is the "ghost".

“There are six of us. The last ghost has to drink three cups, and the number decreases with each subsequent ghost,” Hanakawa Kaori suggested.

Makoto Takahashi looked around, and since no one else objected, the game officially began.

At the beginning of the game, everyone seemed very relaxed.

Makoto Takahashi calmly memorized the cards in his hand, activated his mental card memorization device, and while chatting with Hanakawa Kaori, speculated on the possible jokers.

"Brother, I'll be facing Mom's new disciple in the semifinals."

Hanakawa Kaori frowned, unsure whether it was because her hand was too bad or because she found it difficult to remember the cards: "They seem to be from Kyoto."

"Will we win?" Takahashi Makoto took the cards handed to him by Tachimi Yuki and tossed them directly to Hanakawa Kaori.

"Of course we'll win!"

Before losing, Nekoya Hina tilted her head back and drank a glass of beer to quench her thirst: "Acheng, I will definitely make it to the finals to show you."

The ambiguous statement drew criticism. Yuki Tatsumi glanced at him with a smile, while Maya Uesugi shot him a calm yet sadistic look, and a silent pressure fell on Makoto Takahashi's shoulder.

"You're not playing badminton just for me, are you?"

Moreover, Nekoya Hina and Hanakawa Kaori have completely different goals.

To dodge the question, he turned to look at Hanakawa Kaori, recalling her focused yet vacant appearance on the field, a stark contrast to the lively and energetic girl before him.

“I will go,” Makoto Takahashi said earnestly.

"Huh? Brother..."

Sensing the decisiveness in his tone, Hanakawa Kaori turned to meet his gaze, a touch of emotion appearing in her bright purple eyes: "Um, actually, I—"

"I won't leave you to face this alone, but I won't make decisions for you either. This is your own life."

Makoto Takahashi turned back to continue memorizing the cards, while taking the cards handed to him by Yuki Tachimi: "If you haven't figured out how to face your mother, you can tell everyone now."

"Weren't we talking about the tournament?" Hina Nekoya asked blankly.

“She drank a lot of beer at dinner,” Kashima Reiko explained.

"I think this is a good time."

Hanakawa Kaori pursed her lower lip, her mind completely detached from the game: "Maya-nee once told me that it would be better to deal with this when I can take responsibility for myself and be financially independent, and I think I can now."

Four months later, she will be promoted to Tsurumizawa, and the band's earnings will be enough to live in Tokyo for three years.

"Is there anything else you need to hesitate about?" Tachimi Yuki asked softly.

"Mom, you got me a place in school."

Hanakawa Kaori raised the back of her hand to wipe the moisture from the corner of her eyes: "I want to ask her, what does she really think of me?"

In Makoto Takahashi's memory, this was the only thing Coach Shirakawa did for her.

He reached out and patted Hanakawa Kaori's head, comforting her, "There's still time. Whatever decision you make, we will support you."

"Makoto, do you need my help?" Tachimi Yuki asked casually.

The emphasis on "help" carries a subtle tone.

"Oh."

Uesugi Maya sneered disdainfully, glancing away the contemptuous gaze, and asked Takahashi Makoto, "Why would you associate with someone like that? It would be better to break up with him as soon as possible. Aunt Tatsumi would prefer to adopt you as her godson."

"Creating something out of nothing?" Ritsuko asked.

“Aunt Tatsumi gave me a bearskin blanket as a Christmas gift in return.” Uesugi Maya used this to prove that she was not making things up.

"Sachi, have a strawberry." Makoto Takahashi picked up a strawberry and put it into Sachi's mouth.

He was afraid that the two of them would start arguing, and that the family would be in chaos.

The first round of the game ended with Makoto Takahashi's defeat, thanks to the help of Reiko Kashima. He successfully dragged down Hanakawa Kaori and Nekoya Hina, who ended up drinking beer with him.

The same thing happened in the second and third rounds. Hanakawa Kaori, who started to feel dizzy, realized something was wrong and looked up at Takahashi Makoto with a suspicious look.

"Brother, did you deliberately keep the Joker in your hand?"

Why do you think I want to lose?

Makoto Takahashi downed a whole glass of beer in one gulp, then pretended to rub his temples, feigning a headache, and changed the subject: "Has Junko not finished showering yet?"