"I get the feeling Kasumigaoka-san is kind of guilty, is that just my imagination?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri turned toward the voice and saw that, without them noticing, Kato Megumi had already arrived and was sitting on the sofa beside them, calmly reading the café menu.
'When did she get here? This ability is too ridiculous, right? It's not just low presence anymore, it's like hiding her aura altogether!'
"The plot had to be drastically changed at the editor's request, so it might be very different from the draft I showed you guys."
Kasumigaoka Utaha was indeed feeling a little guilty. 'This kind of thing… it's better for Eriri to discover on her own.'
"I see, well, it can't be helped then."
Eriri nodded understandingly, completely unaware of the storm ahead.
'Love strategist, huh? Accidentally overheard that. It really did catch her attention.'
'Does Eriri like Shin-chan that much? What kind of story happened between them?' For the first time, Kato Megumi felt that having low presence was actually a good thing, she could quietly collect all sorts of valuable intel.
It has appeared. Ultimate form, Intel-Gathering Kato Megumi!
Kato Megumi finally discovered the true purpose of her presence-less existence.
Yukino and Shin-chan arrived fashionably late. When Eriri saw Shin-chan, she immediately forgot about the character design stuff.
She rushed to Shin-chan's side, and if she had a tail, it'd definitely be wagging.
"Shin-chan! I know a really good restaurant,after we're done shopping, let's go eat there, okay?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze toward Eriri turned sharp.
Wasn't she supposed to be treating today? She hadn't even gotten her royalties yet! And knowing Eriri, that restaurant was definitely going to be fancy,Utaha's savings probably weren't going to cover it.
"Sure."
Shin-chan didn't have to worry about money anymore. Ever since getting those company shares, there hadn't been any huge change,except for Shiro's lifestyle, which had skyrocketed. Premium dog food and canned treats were stocked up at home. Shiro was even diligently learning how to open cans.
"Hehehe."
Just seeing Shin-chan reminded Eriri of the manga she'd drawn yesterday. Unfortunately, some of the details were still off. If only Shin-chan could model for her… Or better yet, if they could rehearse it…
Yukino saw Eriri's expression and instantly knew she was thinking about nonsense again. After being rejected and mocked by Eriri yesterday, Yukino's temper was already boiling.
'That rebellious, evil dog!'
Eriri also saw Yukino and remembered their conversation from yesterday. She scoffed with disdain.
That Snow Queen club president had no idea how terrifying that woman was. Eriri figured all she had to do was sneak away and bide her time,then swoop in and reap the rewards.
The only thing Eriri feared was that Ai-chan also had memories from another world,so the Ai Suotome of this world definitely wouldn't sit around doing nothing.
The fact that Ai-chan was still interacting with Shin-chan was proof enough. That terrifying woman must be planning something.
While Eriri and Yukino were locked in their silent cat-dog rivalry, Ai-chan herself was enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
In an incredibly luxurious bedroom, Ai-chan sat in front of a computer desk. Several large screens were tiled together.
If one looked closely, one of the screens showed the café's surveillance feed. Every interaction among the group was clearly visible to Ai Suotome .
Another screen was displaying the manga Eriri had drawn yesterday. Ai-chan stared intently at the scenes featuring Shin-chan.
After giving it a quick review, Ai-chan shook her head. Eriri's imagination was as flat as her chest,Shin-chan was way more impressive than she made him out to be.
"Little Shin-chan…"
The clothes Shin-chan had changed out of the other day were draped over the back of Ai-chan's chair. She raised a sleeve to her nose and inhaled,her expression utterly blissful.
'Just wait! Very soon, Ai Suotome would come and live with Shin-chan!'
Kaguya Shinomiya and Hayasaka Ai also arrived. This time, there were no obvious bodyguards around,just a few hiding nearby, silently watching in case of emergencies.
For Kaguya, participating in club activities on the weekend and going shopping with classmates was an entirely new and magical experience.
"You guys came so early?"
In front of the group, Hayasaka Ai had to maintain her gyaru persona. Even though she and Kaguya had arrived ten minutes early, they were still later than everyone else.
"Of course. Came early to chat a bit."
Yukino's expression changed slightly when she looked at Kaguya. She took club requests seriously.
Currently, the Service Club only had two requests: help Kato Megumi solve her lack of presence, and help Kaguya Shinomiya make some friends.
Of course, Yukino had already sensed that both Kato and Kaguya were hiding deeper motives,but those weren't the Service Club's concern.
Wanting to improve presence and make friends were perfectly legitimate requests, and the Service Club would treat them seriously.
Kaguya and Hayasaka sat down as well, making the sofa area feel a bit crowded.
Kaguya picked up the café menu, clearly troubled,she had no idea what to order.
This might've been her first time ordering at a place outside. As a daughter of the Shinomiya family, even her daily meals followed a strictly customized diet plan,balanced nutrition only, no concern for taste.
Hayasaka ordered a juice and a brownie for her, helping her lady escape the dilemma.
"Have you picked the brand you want? Though with smartphones, there's not a lot of choice anyway."
Eriri thought for a moment. Kaguya didn't seem picky,just get her a phone from that famous fruit brand. Its closed system was perfect for tech-illiterate users like her.
"Mm. I've already decided,just get the latest model. The family will take care of the SIM and everything."
"After we buy the phone, want to stroll around the mall a bit?"
"Of course! It's rare for Kaguya to get the chance to go shopping."
Listening to the girls chirp and chatter, Shin-chan's expression grew bitter. Getting that limited edition Action Kamen figure was proving way too difficult.
Shopping… was just plain torture.
"Eriri, tone it down a little. You should let Kato-san interact with the student council president more."
Yukino cleared her throat. Eriri was way too hyper. The more Yukino looked at her, the more she resembled an overexcited puppy with nowhere to burn off energy.
As someone who could turn into a cat at any moment, Yukino really had no fondness for Eriri. Why couldn't she be more like Shiro,calm and well-behaved?
"Oof, I accidentally ignored Kato-san again."
Eriri scratched her cheek awkwardly. The real stars of today's club event should've been Kato Megumi and Kaguya Shinomiya.
Seeing everyone's attention shift to her, Kato Megumi looked a bit troubled.
At this point, she didn't really care about increasing her presence anymore.
Over the past two days, she'd figured it out,she'd wanted more presence so Shin-chan would notice her.
But in reality, even if she stayed the way she was now, Shin-chan already noticed her instantly.
If she became more noticeable, she'd actually lose her unique trait,and that meant losing many of her current advantages.
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