They all have hidden attributes!

She picked up the hot tea and handed it to Takahashi Makoto: "How does it taste?"

“I don’t like hot tea.” Makoto Takahashi put the tea back on the table.

Seeing that the atmosphere between the two had eased, Kotohachi chuckled happily and said, "I won't interfere in the affairs between you young people. Sachi, go and get some things that Takahashi-kun likes."

"Let Reiko go." Tachikami frowned unhappily.

"That child, really."

Kotoha looked at Makoto Takahashi, who was still somewhat uncomfortable, with a gentle gaze and complained, "Sachi is actually a bit willful at heart, so please bear with her."

After a moment's hesitation, Makoto Takahashi said frankly, "To be honest, I don't really want to."

"Oh dear, Xiaoxing is being disliked."

Kotoha narrowed her eyes as if watching a joke, her tone very soft: "Perhaps it's because my husband died young that Koyuki has become somewhat arrogant and cold-hearted. Over the years..."

She spoke of her family matters in a calm and unhurried manner, her expression natural and without the slightest affectation.

When the topic of "[a special string-sounding ceremony was held when Sachi was born]" came up, Tachimi Sachi chimed in with a few words, and Takahashi Makoto then completely relaxed, as if he were really visiting an ordinary friend's house.

Thinking about it carefully, even if he were to visit Haruna Nekoya's hometown, he wouldn't be as natural as he is now.

After a while, a sudden knock on the door broke the peaceful atmosphere.

The three looked at the open wooden sliding door, and Kashima Reiko walked in and said, "Miss, Miss Uesugi has arrived."

"Please ask her to come over."

Kotoha gave the order, and after Kashima Reiko left, she looked at Takahashi Makoto with a loving gaze: "Takahashi-kun, you're welcome to come for tea anytime. I'd also like to talk to you about art."

"Mother, let's go quickly," Tachimi Yuki urged, as she wanted to spend some time alone with Takahashi Makoto before Uesugi Maya arrived.

"Honestly, Xiaoxing wasn't like this when she begged her mother to make time for her last night."

While grumbling, Tachibana Kotoyo slowly got up, the hem of her kimono trailing on the ground, and walked behind the screen with the crane painting.

After she left, Tachibana Yuki picked up the hot tea that Takahashi Makoto wasn't drinking, took a sip, and said to him, "Makoto-kun, from now on, no matter who you face, you just need to treat them with the utmost sincerity."

"I understand the logic, but reading the air is also—"

"You wouldn't do it anyway, would you?"

The sound of Tachibana Yuki putting down her teacup interrupted his words, her expression suddenly turning cold: "Besides, you don't even need to read the air when facing the most powerful woman in all of Japan. Do you think anyone else is more noble than my mother and me?"

Seeing the arrogant expression on her face, Makoto Takahashi smiled.

"Thank you."

“She’s right. Adler said that you can only attract people who truly like you when you are yourself.”

A cold voice drifted over, and even the dazzling summer sunlight seemed to lose its warmth.

Uesugi Maya walked into the tatami room with a cold expression, her quiver and bow case hanging on her thin shoulders, and a black backpack in her hand.

"He also said that people's troubles all stem from interpersonal relationships. Takahashi, I suggest you learn from me."

"Learning from your ruthless disregard for family ties?"

Tachibana Yuki narrowed her eyes with a mocking smile, while Takahashi Makoto, sitting beside her, could clearly feel the air temperature drop and a dangerous atmosphere permeating the surroundings.

He coughed lightly, dispelling the tense atmosphere: "I have no family."

Maya Uesugi and Yuki Tachimi both fell silent, averting their clashing gazes and pondering how to skip this inappropriate topic.

Having successfully extinguished the fuse of the powder keg, Makoto Takahashi mentally applauded his own ingenuity.

He stood up from the tea table, stretched his limbs, and steered the conversation: "Aren't we going to have a competition? We can talk about the trash talk later. I feel like this tea room isn't as cool as the archery dojo."

"If you like, Mr. Cheng, you are welcome to come and play anytime."

Tachikami Yuki stood up and instructed, "Reiko, take Makoto and her to the archery dojo."

After saying that, she stepped behind the screen.

Kashima Reiko took out her phone and called the shuttle bus that was common in the scenic area. She and the two of them rode together to the archery dojo that Takahashi Makoto had visited before.

A cool breeze blew from the bamboo grove on both sides of the arrow path, and the bright green, slender leaves rustled softly.

Takahashi Makoto walked to the front of the shooting range, looked up at the dazzling, bright sky, and casually asked, "Why didn't you answer my call?"

"I was taking a shower at the time."

Maya Uesugi took out a bamboo bow from her long, narrow bag and examined the bowstring: "Besides, I don't like making phone calls."

"I thought we'd gotten a little closer since we met," Takahashi Makoto said, feigning melancholy and with a sigh in his voice.

He turned around and saw Uesugi Maya staring straight at him, her face cold and silent.

Upon closer inspection, her thin, cherry-red lips seemed to tremble slightly, and her cheeks were flushed, a subtle difference from her usual aloof expression.

Makoto Takahashi blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating, when Maya Uesugi brushed aside a strand of long black hair that fell across her face and calmly said:

Even if we get closer, I won't answer your calls.

"why?"

"I don't like listening to people talk nonsense. Compared to endless chatter, texting can convey information more efficiently."

The atmosphere became somewhat subtle. Just as Takahashi Makoto was about to ask, "How close are you?", Uesugi Maya, as if she could read minds, drew back her quiver and took out a black-feathered arrow.

"If you say anything more boring, I'll shoot you through."

Her threatening tone didn't sound like she was joking, and Makoto Takahashi immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Calm down, I didn't mean to make fun of you."

"Keep an eye on my bow and arrows, and don't let the Tatsumi family get their hands on them."

"Where are you going?"

"Change your clothes."

Maya Uesugi picked up her backpack to show him, and as she turned to walk out of the shooting range, her caramel-colored eyes cast a meaningful glance from the shadows.

Have we become a little closer?

Makoto Takahashi watched her tall, slender back as he took out a chocolate from his pocket, happily unwrapped it, and began to eat it.

Today was a wonderful day.

Chapter 61 The Defeat of Hell Girl

When building rapport, avoid rushing things. Start with ordinary topics that he might be interested in, and gradually create a more intimate atmosphere.

In the shadows of Kashima Reiko's corridor, she took a slow, deep breath, mentally reciting the plan she had prepared the night before, and then pushed open the door to the archery dojo.

"..."

Kashima Reiko looked at Takahashi Makoto, who was sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, opened her lips, but no sound came out.

What's the best way to address him now?

If we rule out calling him by his name, we're left with three options: junior, young master, and Takahashi-kun. There's no time to mentally rehearse these options now; we need to decide as soon as possible.

"Takahashi-kun".

She lowered her head expressionlessly, carried the tray in her hand, and walked over: "I peeled some pears, would you like some?"

Makoto Takahashi was examining the black-feathered arrows of Maya Uesugi in his hand when he heard Reiko Kashima's voice and looked up.

"Okay, thank you, senior."

"Please use it."

Kashima Reiko sat opposite him with her knees bent, placed the tray on the wooden floor between them, and introduced, "These are Komizu pears from Chiba."

"okay."

Makoto Takahashi picked up a bamboo skewer, stuck a small piece of pear in it, and popped it into his mouth: "Delicious."

After saying that, he lowered his head and began to examine the arrows in his hand.

The expected topic about [Chiba] and [Riko] did not come up, and Kashima Reiko fell silent.

She stared blankly at Makoto Takahashi, and after a long period of awkward silence, she decided to give up, since she couldn't find any decent topics to talk about anyway.

Just as Kashima Reiko was about to get up, Takahashi Makoto noticed her movement and looked up at her in confusion: "Aren't you going to eat, Senpai?"

Kashima Reiko calmed down again, picked up a bamboo skewer, forked a piece of pear and put it in her mouth, the sweet juice comforting her clumsy tongue.

She mustered her courage again and chose a topic that wouldn't go wrong: "The weather forecast says it will be even hotter in the afternoon, but the sky is getting clearer and clearer."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Kashima Reiko began to think about running away again.

It's okay not to respond to weather-related topics. She was just talking to herself. Wouldn't it be even more awkward if Makoto Takahashi wasn't interested?

The sound of the door opening saved Kashima Reiko.

After changing into hakama, Tachimi Yuki walked into the shooting range, and Kashima Reiko immediately stood up and adopted a proper posture.

Yuki Tachibana glanced at the pears on the tray, gave her a look, walked to Makoto Takahashi's side, and slowly sat down: "Reiko, you should rest today."

"Yes." Kashima Reiko hurried away as if fleeing.

The wooden door closed, and Tachibana Yuki picked up a piece of pear with a bamboo skewer, held it to Takahashi Makoto's lips, and asked with a smile:

"What did Lengzi talk to you about?"

"The weather is getting clearer and clearer."

"anything else?"

"It seems like it's gone."

Makoto Takahashi's mind was entirely on the arrows. He handed the feather to Yuki Tatsumi and asked curiously, "What kind of feather is this? I've never seen it before. The texture is amazing."

Due to limited funds, the best arrows the archery club could use were made from turkey feathers.

“Eagle tail feathers, or possibly eagle tail feathers.”

Yuki Tachimi pushed away the arrow blocking her and Makoto Takahashi with two fingers, tilted her head and leaned closer with an uninterested expression: "It's about 50,000 yen each at retail."

"The archery club's monthly activity fund is only 3 yen."

"Hmm~ If you want more funds, I suggest you try to curry favor with the student council president now."

"I am an upright person and would never do something as despicable as bribing the student council president to swindle funds."