Kaguya was eating a simple sashimi meal with Hayasaka at the dining room in her home.
Sashimi was considered the simplest dish because the only real concern was the thickness of the slices. Everything else depended entirely on the freshness of the ingredients.
Naturally, what they were eating was frozen Sea King meat.
Even though it was frozen, Sea King meat remained fresher than even most freshly caught seafood. Its quality was extraordinary.
"Mmm, Sea King meat really is something else. The texture is firmer than ordinary fish, and the freshness is unbelievable."
After tasting it, Kaguya couldn't help but praise it.
"That's true. It's not just the quality of the meat, but the nutrients it contains are also off the charts. According to the tests from the Hayasaka family's secret lab, even a single kilogram of this fish has the energy equivalent of an entire cow."
Hearing Hayasaka's report, Kaguya nodded slightly and dabbed her lips with a napkin.
"There's no need to continue researching this. Some things aren't meant to be studied further, especially at this stage."
"Don't worry. I already told my mother."
Hayasaka had considered that point in advance. After completing the testing, she had already suspended all further research into the Sea King meat.
"Send some to Aunt Nao and Uncle Masato. While it won't give them supernatural abilities, long-term consumption will improve their physical health."
Kaguya had never forgotten Aunt Nao and Uncle Masato. To her, they were her closest family. Her mother had passed away early, and she regarded the two of them as real relatives.
In contrast, she treated those who were related to her by blood as mere strangers.
She had no intention of visiting her elderly, terminally ill father.
Even now, despite acquiring the Sea King meat, the reason was simple: she didn't trust them.
Hayasaka was genuinely pleased to hear Kaguya's decision and quickly expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss Kaguya."
"You don't need to thank me. Aunt Nao and Uncle Masato work for me now, and they deal with a lot every day. I don't want them suffering any health issues."
"Also—"
Ring, ring, ring!
The sudden ringtone cut Kaguya off mid-sentence. She frowned slightly and picked up the phone from the table. Seeing that the caller was Ran made her expression soften a bit before answering.
"Mouri-san, what is it?"
"Shinomiya, here's the thing. I just found out my dad's going to Tochigi Prefecture for a class reunion this weekend. So I was thinking... maybe we could plan a hot spring trip for the weekend?"
"A hot spring trip, huh..."
"Oh, I also just talked to Ren. He thinks it's a good idea to relax this weekend."
Hearing that Ren had already approved of the hot spring trip, Kaguya immediately shifted her tone.
"In that case, I'll arrange accommodations at a hot spring inn in Tochigi Prefecture."
Since Ren agreed to the plan, there was no hesitation in moving forward with it.
"Also, Shinomiya, I just mentioned to Ren that many of the hot spring inns in Tochigi Prefecture have open-air mixed baths."
"Open-air... mixed bath..."
Those words caused a brief system crash in Kaguya's mind. But unlike before, where she would've frozen for minutes, this time she managed to recover relatively quickly.
"Ahem, open-air mixed baths... Well, they're fairly common in hot spring resorts. The more high-end the inn, the more likely they'll have those kinds of baths."
"Exactly. That's what I said too. Since you're the one making the reservation, and it'll only be us staying there, even if it's mixed bathing, it's fine. Plus, we'll be wearing swimsuits anyway, so it's not a big deal."
Kaguya's bashful expression suddenly froze. She slowly lowered her head to look at her thin frame.
Her slim body was one of her very few insecurities.
She was exceptional in both academics and athletics, but when it came to her figure, she didn't meet the usual standards of a "typical girl." Swimsuits were the one thing she least wanted to wear, because there simply weren't any that flattered her body.
Her proportions were technically perfect, with no extra fat anywhere. But at this moment, Kaguya despised her own body. She genuinely wished she had a bit more fat in the right places.
"Shinomiya-san, just so you know, Ren actually likes looking at swimsuits."
Ran's voice from the other end of the line made Kaguya's body stiffen. That was the last thing she wanted to hear.
"But Ren didn't think it was appropriate to wear anything too revealing. He just suggested I go with a more conservative swimsuit. I don't think he realizes that at public beaches, most girls do wear more conservative styles. Only some girls deliberately dress more provocatively at public baths."
"I see."
Kaguya finally processed what Ran was saying. Mouri-san had just given her a critical piece of intel.
"Wearing revealing clothing in public spaces isn't something a proper lady should do. A good girl should know the difference between public and private. Ren... really hasn't interacted much with girls, has he?"
"Anyway, I get the full picture now about the hot spring trip. I'll take care of the arrangements. Let's talk more at school, Mouri-san."
"Alright, then. Good night, Shinomiya-san."
"Good night, Mouri-san."
After hanging up, Kaguya took a deep breath to calm her emotions. Then, she looked down at her slender frame again and let out a long sigh.
"Hayasaka, do you know how to quickly gain fat in... certain places?"
Hayasaka coldly shattered Kaguya's fantasy with zero hesitation.
"Please don't entertain such unrealistic ideas, Kaguya-san. Also, since Amamiya-san has already chosen to date you, it means he doesn't care about your body type."
Kaguya replied with a blank expression.
"No. I just don't like Ren's eyes wandering to other people."
(To be continued.)
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