At that time, Meari was about to clarify Ruricho Nadeshiko and Ayanokoji's relationship to the manager.
If Ayanokoji hadn't spoken up in time, stopping Meari with an intimate tone, Ruricho Nadeshiko's lie would have been exposed long ago, and everyone in the piano world would know that she couldn't even afford a steinway piano...
But just a moment before, Ayanokoji had righteously rejected her confession, seemingly wanting to draw a clear line with her, yet the next second, he stood on her side and spoke up for her.
This left Ruricho Nadeshiko very confused, and she really wanted to know what Ayanokoji was thinking.
Meari was also very concerned about this point.
If Ayanokoji hadn't helped out, and she held the truth, how could she have been at a disadvantage when bickering with Ruricho Nadeshiko?
Both of them stared intently at Ayanokoji, wanting to see what he would say.
Ayanokoji said as a matter of course, "Our friends can mess around and joke around.
But since you already told that manager that we are 'boyfriend and girlfriend,' then let's just keep playing along, we can't let you lose face in front of an outsider, can we?"
"... You mean, we were just messing around before?" Meari suddenly pressed.
"Otherwise, what? Could it be flirting?" Ayanokoji shrugged and joked with a smile.
Ruricho Nadeshiko and Meari were both stunned by Ayanokoji's answer.
So... Ayanokoji knew she cared about her reputation, and he spoke up to help because he didn't want her to lose face in front of outsiders?
At least for Ayanokoji's consideration, she would temporarily stop bothering Meari.
So... in Ayanokoji's view, her argument with Ruribird just now was just playful banter between friends, and he didn't care at all?
Even for Ayanokoji, she would temporarily cease hostilities with Ruricho Nadeshiko.
Meari and Ruricho Nadeshiko exchanged glances, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.
"... Ruribird."
"... Saotome."
Although neither of them spoke further, everything was unsaid.
Since Ayanokoji thought their previous argument was just playful, then they would treat it as playing a game of "house."
Bringing emotions outside the game was not something a good sport would do.
Ayanokoji's single sentence dispelled the anger that had arisen between the two during their bickering.
"See you at school on the weekend." Ruricho Nadeshiko left a sentence and departed, leaving only Meari behind.
"Meari, you stayed behind, do you want to go to dinner with me?"
Now that only Meari was left, Ayanokoji became expectant.
Dining with multiple girls sounds enviable, but it can only be dinner; however, dining alone with one girl is a great opportunity to significantly increase favorability.
Meari's expression was uncharacteristically bashful: "Ayanokoji, you... haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Forgotten what?"
Seeing Ayanokoji's confused expression, Meari hastily said, "Did you forget? You promised me before that you would come to my house this Saturday. My parents really want to meet you!"
This was something she had been looking forward to all week, Ayanokoji couldn't have forgotten, could he!?
... Ayanokoji had indeed forgotten.
Now, at Meari's reminder, he remembered.
Meari had indeed said she wanted to invite him over on Saturday, and at the time, Ayanokoji thought she was just casually mentioning it, so he casually agreed, not expecting her to care so much...
"Alright, where is your house? I'll come visit tomorrow morning." Ayanokoji readily responded.
Since Meari had invited him, of course, he had to accept.
Anyway, he had nothing else planned for the weekend besides Ikishima Midari's "invitation."
Seeing Ayanokoji agree, Meari immediately brightened up: "Alright then, it's settled, you absolutely can't go back on your word!"
"Why would I go back on my word?" Ayanokoji smiled and casually asked, "Am I the only one invited tomorrow?"
Of course, only you are invited!
Meari really wanted to say that, but worried Ayanokoji would misunderstand, she quickly added, "Besides you, I also invited Hanatemari!"
"Hanatemari is coming too."
"Yes, I invited her too, but she might have something come up last minute and can't make it." Meari added a pre-emptive disclaimer.
Sorry, Hanatemari, using you as a wingman now... Meari apologized to Hanatemari in her heart.
"That's it, see you tomorrow!" Meari felt guilty and didn't dare to stay long in front of Ayanokoji. After saying a few words, she quickly ran off.
Although she really wanted to have dinner alone with Ayanokoji, she hadn't informed her family yet, so she had to go back and tell her parents that a friend was coming tomorrow.
Moreover, she still had to contact Hanatemari, and the two of them had to coordinate their stories, so she didn't have time to have dinner with Ayanokoji.
Looking at Meari's retreating figure, Ayanokoji sighed softly.
"It seems I'll have to eat alone..."
He had spent the afternoon with four girls, but by evening, he was left all alone. Even if he offered to treat, no one was willing to dine with him.
However, tomorrow someone was inviting him over to meet their parents, which was something to look forward to.
Ayanokoji chuckled, recalling Meari's flustered expression just now, which felt a bit off. He lowered his head, found a girl's number on his phone, and dialed it.
"Hello, is this Hanatemari? I have something to ask you..."
...
Saturday morning, at Meari's house.
"Meari, when is that friend of yours coming?"
A middle-aged man in a black suit stood in front of the mirror, constantly adjusting his tie, seemingly unable to get it into the right position.
"I don't know the exact time, but it should be in the morning, right?" Meari lay on the sofa, munching on apple slices, watching TV, and replied casually.
Although she was watching a morning drama, like her father, her attention wasn't focused.
A woman in an apron walked out of the kitchen, holding a spatula. She inquired with a very gossipy expression, "Meari, is this friend of yours really as rich as you say?"
"You can trust me on this, he's very rich, even Hanatemari's family isn't as rich as him."
"Then is he handsome?"
"Very handsome, many girls at school like him!"
"Then is he smart? He's not mentally challenged, is he?"
"How could that be? He's much smarter than me, he's a genius!"
Seeing her daughter praising this boy named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka without reservation, the mother became a little disbelieving instead.
"Since he's as excellent as you're making him out to be, then why would he be interested in you? There are so many girls prettier and with better personalities than you. I think Hanatemari Kazura is better than you, if a boy likes someone, he'd like her first."
As expected of a biological mother, she showed no mercy to her own daughter.
Meari rolled her eyes and said somewhat shyly, "He hasn't confessed to me yet... This is just a visit between friends."
The mother clicked her tongue: "No wonder, so he doesn't like you yet, you're just overthinking things on your own."
"If he didn't have a good impression of me, he wouldn't come!" Meari protested, "Mom, your daughter is excellent too, okay!"
Meari's efforts had always been seen by her mother, and she had always been proud of her daughter, but... if this boy was truly as outstanding as Meari said, she felt that no matter how excellent her daughter was, she couldn't reach his level.
The disparity in background couldn't be erased by effort.
She thought for a moment, still deciding not to dampen Meari's self-confidence, and sighed slightly, returning to the kitchen to cook.
Around ten o'clock, the doorbell at the main entrance rang.
Before her father, who was closest, could even stand up, Meari leaped off the sofa and eagerly ran to the door to open it.
Standing at the door was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, smiling, carrying two bags.
"Meari, good morning, I've come to visit."
"Come in quickly!" Meari quickly took the items from Ayanokoji's hands and placed the indoor slippers she had already prepared in front of him.
"Meari, where is Hanatemari? Has she not arrived yet?" Ayanokoji asked while changing his shoes.
"Hanatemari suddenly said she wasn't feeling well this morning, so she didn't come!" Meari said, without changing her expression, the excuse she had discussed with Hanatemari.
As if fearing Ayanokoji wouldn't believe her, she specifically took out her phone and opened a voice message from Hanatemari.
The message was sent at seven in the morning, and the voice message was over ten seconds long. Hanatemari Kazura sounded a bit hoarse and very weak, constantly breathing heavily while speaking, intermittently telling Meari that she was unwell and couldn't come.
She seemed to be in pain, as she groaned a few times during the voice call.
"Hanatemari seems quite seriously ill, should we go see her?" Ayanokoji said with a concerned expression.
"No need! Hanatemari said she's already taken medicine, and she'll be fine if she just sleeps it off today!" Meari quickly explained.
Meari felt smug.
Hanatemari Kazura was certainly not sick!
This was something Hanatemari had conspired with her, deliberately feigning illness to create time for Meari to be alone with Ayanokoji.
Meari had asked Hanatemari last night to find an excuse to decline and to send her a voice message this morning as proof.
What Meari didn't expect was that Hanatemari acted so convincingly, it was simply lifelike!
If they hadn't conspired beforehand, even she would have thought Hanatemari Kazura was truly sick.
While Meari was feeling smug, Ayanokoji was secretly laughing.
In fact, last night, after Hanatemari finished dinner at home, she didn't stay long and returned to school—Ayanokoji personally escorted her.
Yesterday, after Meari asked Hanatemari for help, Hanatemari immediately told Ayanokoji about Meari's request—it was truly "immediately."
This morning, when Hanatemari Kazura sent the voice message to Meari according to their agreed-upon script, Ayanokoji was also behind her—and even participated in the entire process, "fanning the flames."
Poor Meari thought she was on the second floor and Ayanokoji was on the first, but unfortunately... Ayanokoji was on the fifth floor all along.
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