Rin Ito's push for education only lasted one day. Although it could make Mashiro take it seriously, Rin Ito didn't want to turn into a cream puff.
The only thing Rin Ito was grateful for was that Mashiro became serious and studied hard once he mentioned the possibility of remedial classes preventing her from attending parties. After all, drawing and sex had become two indispensable parts of Mashiro's life.
The weekend was followed by the exam week. Rin Ito didn't disturb them and let them concentrate on their exams... except for Sagiri and Elf, who didn't attend school. Rin Ito still went every other day to swap out their plugs for a slightly larger size. Watching their embarrassed expressions each time was incredibly amusing.
After the exam week, Kaede and Suzu's classmates invited them out. It was the same for Eri Sawamura and Megumi Jinno; they had many friends at school. And Mashiro, who was longing for a party, avoided the fate of attending the school's remedial classes during the holidays but was still dragged out by Kaede, Suzu, and Nanami... She either had parties or drew all the time; she needed to interact with more friends. Hinata and Saya were going to attend their last club activity. They had already chosen the people to succeed them as the Girls' Archery Club captains. Although it wasn't difficult for them to get into university based on their previous results in various competitions, they still had to focus on their exams during the remaining months of the last semester and would only visit the dojo during their free time to maintain their touch.
Rin Ito: [How were your exams?]
Left alone at home, Rin Ito curiously asked in the GALGAME group chat.
Nijika: [So-so. At least I don't have to take a make-up exam like Ryo. If she fails the make-up exam, Ryo will have to attend remedial classes, and she'll lose her part-time work and band practice time! How about Bocchi?]
Ryo: [....]
Bocchi and Nijika were not at the same school as Ryo, so they didn't know Bocchi's grades, but Bocchi's reaction was similar to Ryo's.
Bocchi: [Barely... barely avoiding remedial classes.]
Ryo: [Don't worry, President. Even if I skip the remedial classes, I'll finish the part we're responsible for!]
Rin Ito: [No rush. You should focus on the remedial classes.]
Ryo: [No pay deduction?]
Rin Ito: [....Don't worry, I won't deduct your pay, and the work you're responsible for hasn't started yet.]
Ryo: [That's good.]
Rin Ito's words relieved Ryo. If her pay was deducted... wouldn't she have attended the parties for nothing!?
Rin Ito then inquired about Eri Sawamura and Utaha Kasumigaoka's progress. Although Utaha and Eri had excellent grades and didn't need to revise, Rin Ito hadn't rushed their progress before because they were still attending school. And now their answers were...
Eri: [I have to wait for her script to be finished before I can draw the character designs based on the script.]
Utaha: [I've been tutoring Hinata and Saya during my free time recently, so I just started writing.]
Rin Ito: [A-l-r-i-g-h-t....]
Just as Rin Ito was inquiring about their progress, Karen's call came in. Although Karen's grades wouldn't give her the worry of needing remedial classes, Karen was the young mistress of the Onjouji family, and even without remedial classes, various other lessons took up a lot of her time.
"Master, how are things going with Kaguya Shinomiya? Did Master turn her into a little slut?"
"....A little slut? Do you think everyone is like you? Don't assume others are perverts just because you are." Rin Ito said somewhat helplessly. Although there were many girls around him with perverted tastes, most of them had these desires themselves. Karen talked as if they were all trained into being perverts!
"The Shinomiya family should be similar to the Onjouji family. Kaguya Shinomiya is also under a lot of pressure, so she definitely has an interest in becoming a little slut!"
Although the young mistress being a masochist was a classic trope in the underworld, Kaguya was a character from the main world, and she didn't have Eri's interest in drawing degradation comics. It was impossible to think that way.
Speaking of Kaguya Shinomiya, Rin Ito hadn't continued his plan earlier because the semester was ending, but now that the holidays had begun, it was the perfect time... However, Rin Ito wasn't planning to train her into a little slut. Rin Ito was just... well, helping her reconcile with Hayasaka and her mother.
...
On the first day of the holidays, Rin Ito visited Kaguya Shinomiya's small estate. The estate employees had been notified and knew that Gan'an Shinomiya had entrusted the young mistress to this man's care. Coupled with Rin Ito's previous visit, he entered the estate easily and found Kaguya Shinomiya fiddling with a camera under a sun umbrella in the courtyard.
Kaguya Shinomiya aimed the camera at Rin Ito, watching the unfamiliar man approach in the viewfinder. When Rin Ito walked up to her, Kaguya pressed the shutter, then placed the camera on the table and looked at Rin Ito expressionlessly.
"Is there something you need?" Kaguya asked in a cold voice.
"Nothing in particular. Your father entrusted you to me, so I just came to check on you." Rin Ito smiled. "How do you feel about leaving the Shinomiya main residence?"
Kaguya didn't answer Rin Ito's question but stared directly into his eyes. "What did you give him for him to entrust me to you?"
"I gave him nothing. He simply entrusted you to me because he didn't want your brothers to sell you off."
Kaguya slightly frowned. Nothing? Impossible. Kaguya had received this kind of education since childhood, and she was well aware that her future would be to be used by the Shinomiya family for business interests. Furthermore... given the Shinomiya family's motto of self-interest above all else, which her father left behind, protecting her? He would want to sell her for a good price.
"The Shinomiya family prioritizes self-interest. I just want to know the price I was sold for. I have no other thoughts." Kaguya cautiously probed. Although she was prepared to be used as a bargaining chip, she wasn't a girl who would passively accept her fate. First, she would probe his attitude and purpose, and then strive for the greatest benefit.
Listening to Kaguya discuss herself as if she were a piece of merchandise, Rin Ito also slightly frowned. "He did offer me a marriage registration form at first, but I refused it. Let's not talk about that. It's the holidays today... didn't you go out with friends?"
Rin Ito was asking the obvious. Hearing Rin Ito's words, Kaguya unhappily looked away. Is he asking the obvious!? With Kaguya's current personality, how could she have friends? Or rather... after being betrayed by friends, she chose to stay away from everyone except Ai Hayasaka. And now that Ai Hayasaka had also betrayed her, she was alone.
"No friends, huh." Rin Ito secretly smiled. "Since you don't have any friends... how about I take you out to have some fun?"
"No need to ask for my opinion. You decide."