Does Yoko Iino like bald guys?
When Kitahara heard this, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He also realized that his question had probably aroused Yoko Iino's suspicion, otherwise, no matter how much she liked bald guys, she would never have said it directly to a guy she wasn't close to.
From this, it was clear.
In Iino Yako's heart, he was insignificant, or rather, she was deliberately trying to prevent him from harboring any improper thoughts.
Kitahara Fuyu felt even more despair and self-doubt.
Indeed, for an ordinary person without a protagonist's aura, trying to get close to the dazzling female leads was incredibly difficult. Even someone like Yako, who seemed like an easy target, was actually far from simple!
He dared not delve deeper into the topic, fearing he might arouse Iino Yako's dislike.
Kitahara Kaede said goodbye to Iino Yako and headed straight to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for lunch.
Watching Kitahara Kaede leave in a hurry.
Iino Yako regretted it deeply. Running for student council president was like this, and trying to build a good relationship with Kitahara Feng was like this too. She always messed up important things... Why did she say such thoughtless words just now?
A guy who likes bald heads must have scared her older brother.
Would her older brother hate her now?
Iino Yako felt like crying.
...
After Kitahara Kaede entered the kitchen, Kitahara Chisato happened to come out of the bathroom.
She saw Iino Yako eating pudding in small bites, looking a little unhappy, and thought it was because she had slept in and left her waiting here for half a day. She jokingly shouted, "Yako-chan, you're so sneaky! You secretly enjoyed the pudding while I was away."
"I left some for you too."
Yiko pointed to another box of pudding on the table.
Chisato quickly picked up the pudding and opened it, eating while muttering under her breath, "Even though Kaede is my older brother, Yiko was the one who called him 'older brother' first."
She ate a couple of bites of pudding.
Kitahara Chisato finally said, "Let's go upstairs to study. It's almost time for lunch."
"It's all because you slept in, Chisako-chan," Iino Yuko said angrily.
"It's because I slept in, isn't it..."
Kitahara Chisato threw up her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Don't be angry. Let's go study anyway."
"Chisato, go upstairs first. I'll go to the bathroom."
Saying that, Yoko Iino placed the half-eaten pudding on the table and went to the bathroom. Kitahara Chisato didn't wait for Yoko Iino either, saying, "I'll go upstairs first," and hurried upstairs.
...
The living room fell silent once more.
Kitahara Kaede withdrew his envious gaze. When would he be able to play and joke around with Yuko as freely as Chisato did? Judging by the distance between them, it seemed like a world apart.
He smiled bitterly.
Kitahara Kaede continued preparing the ingredients. He had to cook a delicious meal this afternoon to win over Iino Yako's heart.
But before he could start, the doorbell rang suddenly.
Who could it be at this hour?
Kitahara Kaede opened the door and saw Eiriri standing there.
"Please, come in."
Kitahara Kaede paused for a moment before stepping aside.
Although Eiriri had mentioned yesterday that she would come over to pick up the novel, he hadn't expected her to actually show up, especially without even sending a message beforehand.
"I'm sorry to bother you."
Eiriri walked into the entranceway, quietly surveying Kitahara Kaede's home, a satisfied expression flashing in her eyes.
Although she had known where Kitahara Kaede lived since early on, they always discussed manga at a nearby café, which made her want to visit his home but also fear that an abrupt visit might upset him.
After agreeing yesterday to come today to pick up the novel, she had been looking forward to it.
Now that she finally saw Kitahara Kaede's home, she felt deeply satisfied.
"I thought Kitahara's house would be a mess, but it's actually pretty tidy."
Eriri knew that Kitahara's parents only came home a few times a month, and that he lived with his younger sister, Chisato, so she tried to steer the conversation toward her sister: "It must be your sister who keeps it tidy, right?"
"That's not entirely wrong."
Household chores are divided between him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Chisato on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Correspondingly, he is responsible for cooking all year round. Originally, Chisato wanted to take on all the household chores, but her skills were limited, so he couldn't bear to watch and refused.
Eriri took the opportunity to ask, "Where is your younger sister?"
"She's upstairs having a study session with her classmates."
"Oh..."
Eiriri's eyes flickered with disappointment. She had wanted to meet Kitahara Kaede's younger sister, build a good relationship with her first, and if they could become friends, then she could visit anytime in the future.
Unfortunately, she couldn't meet her, so she couldn't build a good relationship.
This made her feel a bit down, and her expression turned unpleasant.
Seeing Eiriri like this, Kitahara Kaede thought she was getting impatient, so he hurriedly invited her to sit down, served her some tea, and said, "You're here to pick up the novel, right? I'll go upstairs and get it for you. Have a cup of black tea while you wait. I'm quite confident in my tea-making skills."
Saying that, Kitahara Kaede went upstairs.
Eriri opened her mouth to tell him she wasn't in a hurry, but the words stuck in her throat.
In a fit of self-pity, Eriri picked up the tea and drank it in one gulp.
"Cough cough cough..."
She drank too quickly, and the warm tea made her cough repeatedly.
Now Eiriri felt even more frustrated. She decided stubbornly that she would find an excuse to stay longer, preferably until lunchtime, so she could see her younger sister Chisato.
The plan was perfect; all she had to do was wait for the right moment to act.
While waiting for Kitahara Kaede to come downstairs, Yuriri took another look around the entire Kitahara household.
"Huh, pudding?"
Yuriri noticed a half-eaten pudding on the coffee table. The pudding had been eaten halfway, and there was no one else in the living room besides Kitahara Kaede, so it must have been left by Kitahara Kaede.
This reminded her of yesterday's indirect kiss...
Eri Eri's gaze fixed on the pudding: "Why not try another indirect kiss operation? If we have enough indirect kisses, Kitahara will gradually get used to it, and this will definitely be the turning point for us to become closer!"
Eri Eri's eyes lit up.
In less than a few seconds, she devised the "Multiple Indirect Kissing Challenge," then picked up the remaining half of the pudding without hesitation and began eating it in small bites. When there was only a third left, she deliberately slowed down, hoping to be "caught red-handed" by Kitahara Kaede when he came downstairs later, so he would gradually get used to the idea of indirect kissing.
Unfortunately, she didn't wait for Kitahara Kaede; instead, she waited for Komi.
As she opened the bathroom door and turned the corner, Iino Komi's expression froze on her face—
Her favorite pudding had been eaten!