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As I was preparing to ensure the success of Christmas Eve and contacting various people for my January plan, the day of the proposal came in no time. I also checked my savings, but my expenses are seriously much higher than I first anticipated.

“Let’s eat something good as a change of pace.”
“You seemed really busy. I have no idea who you were calling though.”

While I told her the details of the plan, I haven’t told her who I’m contacting for what. She might get dragged into it, after all. Frankly, there’s a risk of Kaori getting in danger if she gets dragged into my plan.

“There were some who were against it, but I managed to convince them. I should be all set.”

There are some that happily welcome it and some who even want me to stop. Whether by brute force or negotiation, I managed to get everyone’s agreement, but I’m completely exhausted. Still, thanks to this, as long as I can power through the first day, everything else should fit into place.

“So, is the car picking us up there yet?”
“It’ll probably take a while. Still, seeing you in that outfit is refreshing, Kaori.”
“Same goes for you, Kotone.”

Both of us are wearing Mizuki’s most recommended outfits. Both our clothes give off a mature but casual feel. There were other good outfits, but we’ll just ruin things if we stand out more than the main leads.

“I’m sure neither of us could’ve imagined something like this happening when we first met.”
“True, I thought we’d just be normal school friends at most.”
“Our first meeting wasn’t normal, though.”
“After all, you were eating at our home when we weren’t even friends. I thought it was a new part-timer, I never would have expected it to be someone my age, much less the infamous Kisaragi.”

Wait, so did Kaori think I was older than her during our first encounter? If that’s the case, then basically no one was able to guess my age right when they first met me. Still, Kaori was pretty withdrawn all around during our first meeting.

“Are you actually shy with strangers, Kaori?”
“I might have been. But all thanks to you, Kotone, it’s no longer the case.”
“Why?”
“After seeing how confidently you could talk to people even older than you, I thought I needed to be like that in the future.”

It is a necessary skill for a working adult. Working with people of higher ranking than you is a normal occurrence. My ability to communicate is just an extension of that. There were many cases where I was the superior people found difficult to talk to, but I personally don’t like those positions.

“Kaori, I heard that you plan to inherit the cafe business…”
“It’s fine, it’s not like I’m keeping it a secret. I just don’t feel like finding anything else to do.”
“Which role are you taking over?”

The owner has the management know-how and knowledge of beverages. Saori has confectionery and culinary knowledge and skills to make them. Learning to take over both of their roles would take a lot of time and, more importantly, operating the whole cafe alone is nearly impossible.

“My mom’s. After graduation, I plan on going to a technical school.”
“I see. So we’re going separate ways after graduation, huh. Harumi and Miyako probably have their own plans too.”
“Our second year is about to end, after all. Frankly, it’s way too late to still be conflicted about getting a job or going to college at this point.”
“I still haven’t thought about that, though.”
“That’s surprising. I was sure that you’ve already planned your future.”

I can no longer succeed the Kisaragi house. However, I have more paths to choose from than expected. Several of them I honestly find unlikely, but they are still possible choices. However, one of them is influenced by the twelve families, so they might end up trying to railroad me.

“I’m not thinking about the future until the matter in January gets settled.”
“I mean, not thinking about the future until you punch your dad is pretty weird.”
“I know that. But I can’t help it, that’s just how I am.”

I’ve had family problems ever since I was Souji, after all. Particularly with the mother who abandoned me and the father who left us. They’re probably the reason why I can’t help but feel angry. That’s why I won’t be satisfied until I sock him hard.

“But you are going to think about the future after that, right?”
“If I stay as myself, that is. When the time comes, I just have to prepare for the worst and do what’s needed.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“That’s a secret.”

There’s no telling what can happen in the future. I never even imagined this would happen when I was still Souji. That’s why my future is undecided. Will I vanish, or will I live out the rest of this life? Whichever the case, I’ll come to a decision when the time comes.

“Our escort is here.”
“I don’t get why it has to be a limousine like that’s just the norm.”

I’d prefer a normal car too. Not being considerate enough to think about the situation is part of being one of the twelve families, I guess. Why transport students who clearly look like they’re trying to be mature in a limousine? It’s completely inappropriate.

“Rich people’s sensibilities are really different from ours.”
“You’re one of them, though. Still, I don’t know why but I can’t really imagine you looking like a rich person.”
“Can’t be helped. It’s me, after all.”

While I have appeared acting like a rich girl in the past, her usual impression of me is already burned into her mind. After all, I don’t have an excess of usable money and I only use my earnings to support daily necessities. The family does continuously send me an allowance, but I save it as much as possible.

“The restaurant we’re going to is that two-star place¹, right?”
“It’s a pretty popular place. I’m impressed they managed to get reservations.”

To the point that I’m suspecting that they used some forceful means. I searched on the internet, but it clearly says that they can only accept reservations taken three months in advance. It’s unbelievable that they got reservations a few weeks before and for two groups too.

“The food there seems worth researching.”
“As long as you can tell what they’re using.”

1. Huh, two star seems pretty low for a high end restaurant… Maybe it’s 2 Michelin star?