I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

My annual pass is about to expire, so I might as well use it.

Tianyin made up her mind and headed towards the bakery. As soon as she arrived at the door, she noticed a steady stream of people coming out of the bakery, and it seemed to be doing very well.

Ms. Fujiwara must be very happy that her bread is selling so well, right?

In order to make her bread popular, Amane knew that Ms. Fujiwara used only the finest ingredients to make bread, and that the price would immediately increase tenfold or more if placed elsewhere.

I wonder if these students will still be able to enjoy such delicious food after they leave campus.

"Miyahara-san, what flavor is your rice ball? It looks so delicious!"

"Actually, no... well, this rice ball does taste pretty good. I think it's called Mapo Tofu Rice Ball, what a strange name."

……

Hearing the conversation around her, Tianyin was stunned for a moment.

Rice ball?

Mapo tofu.

What are you talking about?

Looking at the rice ball with bright red filling in the boy's hand, Tianyin felt an urge to turn back the way she came.

However, before she could take more than a few steps back, Tianyin turned around and rushed into the store.

"Miss Fujiwara!!! Mapo tofu rice balls are absolutely heretical! Heretical!! -- Pfft!"

Before Tianyin could finish speaking, she bumped into something soft.

The highly elastic object completely enveloped Tianyin's face before forcefully propelling her away.

"Oh dear?! Are you alright, student?"

Tianyin, who staggered several steps and almost fell, finally managed to steady herself before she couldn't help but take a look at who she had just impersonated.

Upon seeing Tianyin, one immediately felt a sense of...

Friendly? Yes, it should be a very friendly feeling.

"Um... I'm here to see Ms. Fujiwara..."

Tianyin scratched her cheek somewhat awkwardly.

She glanced around the shop and saw no sign of Ms. Fujiwara except for a few students who were still paying their bills. Could it be that Ms. Fujiwara was in the kitchen?

"Fujiwara... Oh, you mean Mayumi, that little girl? I kicked her out... She said she wants to work hard as the principal of the high school, so she put me in charge of this bakery. However, since my pastry skills still need improvement, we'll mainly be selling simple snacks and drinks here until I'm more familiar with them."

The other party's introduction was surprisingly detailed.

Tianyin looked at the other person's face and felt like she had seen it somewhere before, but she just couldn't remember where.

"May I ask your name...?"

Subconsciously, Amane dropped all pretense. At this moment, she was neither the monster who could take on a hundred men at the sports festival, nor the optimistic fool who thought about eating and having fun all day long.

At this moment, she revealed a rare side of herself.

That was her as Miyako Amane.

“My name… call me Kiryuin Makoto… Kiryuin Nanami, um, that’s it.”

"So you're Manager Kiryuin. I look forward to your guidance in the future. By the way, may I ask if you know Kiryuin Fuuka?"

Judging from the other party's strange behavior, it seems that there is something wrong with the second half of the name, but Tianyin doesn't care about that. After all, everyone has their own little secrets, and it would be very impolite to pry into the secrets of someone you've just met.

"So you know Fenghua too? I'm an elder in her clan. After all, I watched her grow up since she was a child."

When the other person mentioned Maple Flower, their eyes were full of affection, but their gaze seemed to be directed at Tianyin.

"I suppose I can be considered a friend of Maple Flower, and I will be grateful for your help in the future."

"That's easy to arrange. It's rare to meet a friend like Fenghua. Feel free to come to the shop more often when you have time. Food and drinks are free!"

"That's great! I'll definitely come back next time. I have something to do today, so I'll have to go now... I just need to get some food for my classmate, so I'll just buy a rice ball."

Amane originally wanted to leave directly, but suddenly remembered that she still needed to bring some food for Horikita. She should have carefully considered her options before making a decision, but for some reason, Amane felt more agitated than ever before.

While unable to concentrate, Tianyin also felt a tightness in her chest. Realizing that something was wrong with her, she was eager to leave and looked at the rice balls on the shelf closest to her.

"Of course, no problem. What flavor of rice ball do you want? It would be even better if you knew what flavor your classmate likes."

The other person's tone was extremely gentle, the kind of gentleness that could penetrate the body and reach deep into the bones. Tianyin had completely lost the ability to think.

Even though she tried to suppress her emotions, it was no use. With her mind a complete mess, Tianyin blurted out the name of the rice ball she had heard before.

"Then I'll have a Mapo Tofu Rice Ball."

After receiving the rice ball and paying the points, Tianyin hurriedly ran towards the school's back playground.

She desperately needed to find a secluded place to vent her emotions, which had suddenly erupted for no apparent reason.

In the bakery, Nanami Koenji gazed longingly at Amane's retreating figure, knowing she would never see her again.

"Here, wipe your tears. Ms. Marina, really, why didn't you just be honest with her? Amane would definitely accept it..."

Kiryuin Fuka came out of the kitchen, handing the other person a tissue while also asking the question that had been bothering her.

"I can neither protect her past nor accompany her in her future. There is no place in her life that I can interfere with in the slightest. So why should we acknowledge each other?"

Chapter 189: As expected of mother and daughter (6K)

Kiryuin Kaede looked up in the direction Amane had left, but that idiot was long gone.

Although she didn't recognize it at first, it was Tianyin after all. She would eventually discover the secret after a few more encounters. In order to prevent her mother from leaving, Tianyin would most likely choose to remain silent in the face of this situation.

after all……

If Marina and Amane are discovered to be in contact, the Miyako family will undoubtedly take forceful measures to separate them.

It's possible that this worst-case scenario was caused by some kind of agreement, but even Kiryuin Fuka doesn't know the specific details.

Not every girl born into a prominent family has the power to be as unrestrained and willful as Tianyin. Even if such a girl exists, she will become a qualified young lady of a respectable family after the age of twenty, awaiting her own destiny.

Perhaps twenty years old is too late. Most people are engaged around the age of fourteen, and the two are given time to get to know each other. If nothing unexpected happens, they can fulfill the agreement after they come of age.

Kiryuin Kaede was treated this way. If it weren't for her good relationship with Amane, and her parents' hope that Amane would gain more power in the future so that she could help their branch of the Kiryuin family, they would have been more lenient with her.

As for the other women in the family, apart from some unimportant collateral branches, they may not even have the freedom that ordinary people enjoy.

The daughters of wealthy families, on the other hand, can live more freely.

Family and such, what a disgusting thing.

Kiryuin Kaede's expression darkened slightly.

Despite her reluctance, fate is something she cannot change. At most, she can wait until she graduates from university. If she fails to gain the trust of Amane by then, a fate even more tragic than that of Miss Marina will befall her.

She has to pay the price for her recklessness over the past decade or so.

Clearly, she couldn't afford such a price, but she didn't want to approach Amane with ulterior motives, which is why she and Amane weren't as close as Sakayanagi, who was also her playmate.

After all, Sakayanagi was the kind of girl who could say things like, "My future depends on Amane." "I want a better life more than freedom, so isn't it normal to use some means to make myself live a better life?" Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu, who could openly say that she wanted to use Amane to live a better life, Kiryuin Fuka, who always put freedom first, could only choose to keep her mouth shut.

She disliked Sakayanagi's lifestyle, feeling that as a genius among geniuses, Sakayanagi shouldn't be like those ordinary girls, but she couldn't deny a person's dream of living a better life.

Even if she had experienced something like what Sakayanagi had, she would probably still prioritize a better life.

Although the Sakayanagi family is a long-established family in the education field, Sakayanagi's father was a moderate and was unable to inherit the power of his grandfather. As a result, by the time of Sakayanagi Arisu's father, the power of the Sakayanagi family had been transferred to a branch of the family. Sakayanagi Arisu also had a congenital heart disease and was unable to move like a normal person.

This means that while Sakayanagi will become a burden to her partner, she will also find it difficult to accompany him to high-end social venues. Her 'genius' advantage will vanish at this moment, and she will become a vase-like woman. A perfect vase can still be taken out for people to admire and receive praise, but a flawed vase will be destined to be buried in obscurity.

Even a flawed vase possesses a certain beauty, a beauty called imperfection, while a flawed person will only be met with strange looks.

She will eventually become a burden to others. Rather than suffer in the future, it is better to seek a place to stand through Tianyin. In a way, this is a rather smart move.

Kiryuin Fuka isn't a fool, so she can understand Sakayanagi Arisu's choice.

But that doesn't mean she understands Sakayanagi Arisu's choice and should do the same; at least... she should try harder...

Kiryuin Fuka glanced at Marina, who had composed herself but was still looking towards the sparsely populated street, and couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her heart.

What will become of her?

"Don't be sad or upset for me, I'm used to being apart."

……

"You might as well not have said that. I wasn't too upset before, but now that you've said that, I probably won't be able to sleep tonight."

Kiryuin Fuka covered her chest and complained to Marina.

Marina playfully stuck out her tongue.

"I'm so sorry, Maple Flower Sauce~"

"Ugh—!! Please don't say things in such a disgusting tone. I'd prefer you to be a little stricter with me."

Kiryuin Fuka quickly retreated with a look of disgust, while simultaneously trying to soothe the goosebumps that had been aroused on her arms.

The maternal love emanating from Marina before her eyes was almost palpable, making it impossible for Kiryuin Fuuka to reconcile the image of the expressionless swordsman who had taught her swordsmanship with a single hand back then.

"What's the use of striking a cool pose? A sword is for killing, it's all about speed. Zen? The more you draw your sword, the colder your heart becomes, and you'll naturally grasp the essence of Zen."

This isn't even one person, okay?

However, besides being shocked, Kiryuin Fuka felt more heartbroken. No one knew better than her that this person, who was like a teacher and a mother to her, had been suffering from severe depression ever since leaving that disgusting place.

Her condition has been worsening over the years, making it impossible for her to smile so happily. All of this is just a social mask she has been practicing for several years, because she is afraid that Tianyin will be frightened by her expressionless face after meeting her and will not dare to contact her again.

Even so, Kiryuin Kaede still kept the changes in Tenon from her. She dared not think about what would happen when she learned that her daughter, whom she had only met a few times since birth and whom she had secretly visited, had been tortured into a monster.

Just thinking about it sent chills down Kiryuin Kaede's spine.

"Is that expression disgusting? No wonder that child left so quickly... Did I... mess up?"

"No, no! How could I possibly mess it up! Didn't you see how stunned Tianyin was when she first saw you? Maybe she was embarrassed by her own disappointment and wanted to leave as soon as possible... right?"

Kiryuin Fuka looked nervously at Marina, who was staring blankly at her hands. Several minutes passed before Marina finally looked away from her hands, muttering something to herself.

"That's right, that must be it. It seems I need to hurry up and practice making desserts. That child seems to really like sweets. If I had known, I should have practiced more beforehand..."

While talking to herself, Marina quickly went into the kitchen, seemingly intending to continue practicing making pastries.

Kiryuin Kaede finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was genuinely afraid of the consequences if Marina went berserk here.

Luckily, she was quick-witted, otherwise...

However, in Kaede's mind, Marina is definitely a more monstrous existence.

Just a few days ago, she was a complete idiot who needed to call her to ask about the details of cooking rice. In just a few days, she has developed an extremely high level of cooking skills. Marina learns everything very quickly, and with just a little learning, she can reach a level that ordinary people can hardly achieve in a lifetime.

This once caused Kiryuin Fuka, who was hailed as a genius by her family, to feel a deep sense of frustration.

But when she thought of the even more monstrous existence of Amane, Kiryuin Kaede could accept it. After all, she was Amane's mother, so it was only natural that she was more powerful, right?

Yeah, right!

These mother and daughter are not normal people!!!

……

Tianyin, who had rushed out of the bakery in a panic, originally headed towards the back of the teaching building, but there happened to be some kind of club meeting there. Although she could have driven them all away, Tianyin considered herself a good girl and thought that it was okay to break school rules and regulations only occasionally.

So, while running, she was forced to change her destination and ran towards a multi-functional teaching building that was not yet completed.

It was a quiet and secluded place, and there was absolutely no way anyone would come there.

Speaking of which...

According to Horikita, this multi-functional teaching building under construction was like this when he enrolled, and it's still the same after several years. He doesn't know what the school is planning. They just casually put up a cordon and left it here without even installing a single surveillance camera. You should know that there is seawater not far behind this building, and it is only about a kilometer away from the shore. If a swimming expert comes along, it would be very easy for him to escape from here.

Although there are guardrails on the other side, wouldn't people who can swim there be able to climb over the guardrails?

Sooner or later, someone will have to teach the school a lesson.

Contrary to Tianyin's assumption, the abandoned multi-functional teaching building was not deserted.

In fact, at noon, not only is the cafeteria overcrowded, but the rooftop is also packed with people. If you don't want to go back to the dormitory for lunch, you have to find another place.

While students can eat in the classroom, the classroom is always incredibly noisy, so many people choose to eat alone in secluded spots before returning to the classroom.

The quietness of the abandoned multi-functional teaching building perfectly meets the needs of these students. Even during holidays, few people come near this place, let alone during the short lunch break. So, those who choose to eat here can enjoy a peaceful lunch time by themselves if they choose the right time.

It was just a little noisy today.