T/N: As always, it wouldn't be very like me if I didn't promote other story that I'm working on. So, check out the new Pokemon story under Zexxy1, or add it to your collection through the author's note.
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"LINE?"
Kaguya Shinomiya blinked, watching Fujiwara Chika with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.
She had always known Chika was... unpredictable. But being this eager with a guy she'd just met? What kind of carefree mindset made her so fearless?
Chika grinned as she pulled her phone from her bag and thrust it toward Ryuu with a cheerful shake.
"Come on, come on~"
Ryuu took her phone, added his contact, and handed it back.
"Nice!" Chika chirped, immediately scrolling through Ryuu's profile.
"Oh! You're a high schooler too?"
Her eyes lit up as she scrolled further.
"Wait, you won a prize at your school sports festival?"
"And... wow! Looks like you're pretty popular with girls!"
Chika's steady stream of commentary started to wear on Kaguya's nerves.
"Would you please keep your voice down?" Kaguya cut in coldly. "You're still at my birthday dinner."
"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Chika grinned sheepishly before turning back to Ryuu.
"By the way, you don't have Kaguya's contact yet, right? I'll send it to you on LINE later."
Kaguya's composure faltered for a split second.
Her phone — the same one she'd been using for nearly a decade — barely had anyone's number saved aside from her family and Chika.
As if reading her mind, Chika smirked.
"Unless... Kaguya doesn't want to share her contact info?"
"...That's not it," Kaguya muttered.
"Great! Then leave it to me!" Chika beamed, then turned back to Ryuu.
"But just so you know, Kaguya's old-school when it comes to phones — she doesn't use LINE. You'll have to stick to email or texts."
Kaguya silently noted the reminder.
Sensing her gaze, Ryuu glanced at Chika and chuckled.
"You're sharper than you look."
"I don't get what you mean," Chika said, blinking innocently.
Ryuu smiled but said nothing more.
Despite her carefree nature, Chika wasn't as simple as she seemed. Ever since she'd broken free from the suffocating pressure of her piano career, she'd adopted an air of innocence — but someone from a powerful political family like hers didn't survive without sharp instincts.
Ryuu's thoughts drifted to the Nakiri family — prominent figures in the culinary world — and remembered his earlier encounter with them.
"This seems like a good time to introduce myself properly to the nakiri family," Ryuu said.
Hearing this, Kaguya quickly recalled her father's request.
"Then let me take you there," she offered.
"I'm coming too!" Chika declared, abandoning her earlier plan to return to her parents.
Ryuu sighed. Somehow, this didn't surprise him.
Chika was a well-known foodie — her curiosity about the Nakiri family was inevitable.
---
Guided by Kaguya, Ryuu followed her toward the front yard.
As they passed through the crowd, the lively chatter gradually quieted.
"Happy birthday, Miss Kaguya."
Several guests paused to offer their well wishes, their tones polite yet reserved.
Kaguya merely nodded in response — her usual cold demeanor keeping most at arm's length.
Despite her aloofness, greetings continued — part of it was just respect for the Shinomiya Zaibatsu's power and the other part was a desperate ambition to curry favor with one of Japan's most influential families.
Meanwhile, Ryuu's presence hadn't gone unnoticed either.
Rumors swirled about his identity — after all, being greeted personally by both Shinomiya Kaguya and her father suggested he held considerable influence himself.
Unable to place him, some guests had no choice but to watch the trio leave with regret — unsure if they'd just missed their chance to connect with someone important.
Among them was Mrs. Yukinoshita.
Glancing at her eldest daughter, she said sternly, "Haruno, find out everything you can about that young man."
Recognizing her mother's serious tone, Haruno Yukinoshita knew her earlier attempts to downplay Ryuu had failed.
"...I don't know much," Haruno admitted. "I only heard bits from my acquaintances."
It wasn't a lie — she'd only warned Hiratsuka Shizuka to keep Ryuu away from her younger sister, Yukino. She hadn't expected him to be this influential.
"Shizuka Hiratsuka?" Mrs. Yukinoshita muttered.
"Yeah."
Haruno didn't elaborate — her mother would no doubt press Hiratsuka for details later.
---
After weaving through several flower-lined pathways, they arrived at Nakiri Senzaemon's gathering.
Spotting the approaching trio, the nearby guests quietly excused themselves, giving the group some space.
"Grandpa Nakiri! Erina!"
Chika called out enthusiastically as they approached.
"I brought some friends to see you!"
"Ah, Chika-chan."
Nakiri Senzaemon smiled warmly before turning to Kaguya.
"Happy birthday to the Shinomiya family's eldest daughter."
"Thank you for your kind words, Master Nakiri."
Kaguya's voice carried a rare note of respect — a sign of her regard for the man before her.
Nakiri Senzaemon wasn't just wealthy; he was a titan in Japan's culinary world, a national figure in his own right.
"This is Ryuu," Kaguya introduced. "He's interested in meeting you, so I brought him along."
"Is that so?"
Nakiri Senzaemon's gaze sharpened slightly as he studied Ryuu.
He had expected to meet this young man — someone important enough to earn the Shinomiya family's personal attention was worth noting.
"I see," Senzaemon said with a smile. "It's an honor to meet someone of your stature."
"Erina," he called out, turning toward the blonde girl nearby.
"Pour me a drink to toast this guest."
"Eh?!"
Erina Nakiri — who had been silently observing the exchange — glanced at her grandfather in surprise.