Ruribird Nadeshiko confessed her feelings to Ayanokoji in front of everyone.
Ririka and Meari's expressions turned sour, and so did Ayanokoji's.
Although he was confessed to, Ayanokoji wasn't happy at all.
Ayanokoji didn't believe that Ruribird Nadeshiko's sudden confession was because she liked him. It was more likely due to her unwillingness to concede to Meari and her desire to win, wanting to get the upper hand over Meari in their verbal spat.
Perhaps she even had a hidden agenda, thinking that if he accepted her confession, that steinway piano would truly belong to her.
He had known that Ruribird Nadeshiko was prone to getting carried away, but it had only been a few minutes, and she was already showing her true colors… Ayanokoji even doubted if letting her work at the casino was the right choice.
Leaving aside Ruribird Nadeshiko's little schemes, even if she didn't have these messy thoughts and truly had "love at first sight" for Ayanokoji, he still wouldn't agree.
If she had confessed in private, that would have been one thing. Ayanokoji might have been able to stall with a vague excuse like "I'll think about it."
But now she was confessing to him in front of Meari. If he were to agree now, all the effort he had put into Meari before would be for naught, and all the fish he had painstakingly raised in his pond would scatter.
Ayanokoji was not so foolish as to abandon his own fish pond for a wild fish.
Originally, Ayanokoji had wanted to save her some face and subtly ask her to let go, but since she refused to take the hint and even tried to take advantage, he wouldn't be polite anymore.
Now everyone was waiting for Ayanokoji's answer.
Ayanokoji cleared his throat and, in front of everyone, said with a serious expression, "Ruribird, I'm sorry, but I don't like you right now, and I can't accept you.
I didn't refute what the manager said about 'couple' earlier because I didn't want to embarrass you in public, not because I had any other intentions. Please don't misunderstand."
As Ayanokoji spoke, he pulled Ruribird Nadeshiko's arm away from him, paused, and then continued, "Also, that piano wasn't bought for you. I bought it to put in the casino, and I still own it. You are only temporarily using it.
It's not a gift for you, but my private property. Please understand this clearly."
Ruribird Nadeshiko was stunned.
When she confessed, she had guessed that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka might refuse her, but she was more confident that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would show delight and accept her confession without hesitation.
Ruribird Nadeshiko was very confident in her charm. Since childhood, many people had confessed to her.
Although her confession just now was spoken out of triumph and intended to provoke Meari, she wasn't lying.
If Ayanokoji had agreed, she would have truly tried to treat Ayanokoji as a boyfriend, and even if Ayanokoji wanted to do something, after their relationship progressed, she might not have refused…
But what she hadn't expected was that Ayanokoji had flatly refused, without even a hint of hesitation.
Before, she had always been the one rejecting others. She never thought that she, who always rejected others, would now experience the taste of being rejected.
It really didn't feel good…
Ruribird Nadeshiko was dejected, while Meari, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief.
When Ruribird Nadeshiko confessed, she was truly startled, clenching her hands and watching him nervously, afraid that Ayanokoji would agree.
Although Ruribird Nadeshiko's personality was a bit bad, she was, after all, from a prominent family and a great beauty, graceful and charming, her appearance in the blooming Private Hyakkaou Academy was not inferior to anyone…
Especially since she could play the piano so well, this made Meari, who had no artistic talents, feel defeated.
The other party was a young lady with refined hobbies, and Ayanokoji was also a wealthy young master. One could say that she and Ayanokoji could be considered a good match, so it wouldn't be strange if Ayanokoji agreed.
However, Ayanokoji had very seriously rejected her and clarified their relationship!
Meari was overjoyed for a moment and didn't forget to press her advantage: "Ruribird Nadeshiko, did you hear that? Ayanokoji said he has nothing to do with you, and that piano wasn't given to you either!"
Meari's confidence soared for a moment. See? That steinway piano wasn't given to you. The Luck Rabbit Foot Ayanokoji gave her wasn't cheap either; it was a unique gift in the world!
Ruribird Nadeshiko, however, was quite uninhibited. After her initial shock, she quickly calmed down, tossed her golden curly hair, and chuckled softly.
"You're right. After all, we just met. It's natural for you to be shy and not want to accept my confession. If you had accepted it on the spot, I might even suspect you had ulterior motives."
Ruribird Nadeshiko showed no sign of dejection after her failed confession. She even deliberately interpreted Ayanokoji's rejection as "shyness," finding herself a way out.
Who's shy? If you suddenly confess when we're alone, just see how I'll deal with you!
Ayanokoji rolled his eyes, but after thinking about it, he decided not to contradict her.
What if he ended up "eating his words" one day?
Ruribird Nadeshiko barely got through the "crisis" and didn't forget to pick a fight with Meari.
She walked over to Meari, chuckled deliberately into her ear, and whispered, "Meari, Ayanokoji rejected me, but do you think he'll accept you? Don't think I can't see what you're thinking."
Ruribird Nadeshiko's words hit Meari's thoughts precisely.
In fact, besides her joy, Meari was also worried about this very question.
Why did Ayanokoji reject Ruribird Nadeshiko? Did he already have someone he liked, or was his taste too high to be interested in her?
Then… what about her? Would he like her?
Although her heart suddenly skipped a beat, Meari certainly couldn't admit it. Her eyes flustered for a moment, and she quickly found herself a righteous excuse.
"I don't understand what you're saying! Ayanokoji and I are just ordinary friends. I'm just afraid he'll be deceived by a bad woman like you!"
"Bad woman…? Who are you calling a bad woman?!" Ruribird Nadeshiko's eyes widened: "How dare you slander me out of thin air!?"
Meari retorted without showing weakness: "You just met Ayanokoji today and you confessed, and you cheated when you gambled with me. If that's not being a bad woman, then what is?!"
Now it was Ruribird Nadeshiko's turn to be speechless.
Indeed, although cheating was not strictly regulated at Private Hyakkaou Academy, cheating was still cheating, and she was clearly in the wrong on this point.
Ruribird Nadeshiko's face flushed red as she argued, "This isn't cheating! I'm using a legitimate tactic, and I just had bad luck being discovered by you! Can things on a gambling table be considered cheating?"
Then, Ruribird Nadeshiko spouted a string of flimsy excuses like "It doesn't count as cheating if you don't get caught" and "Cheating is normal in this school," which made everyone burst into laughter, filling the reception room with a joyful atmosphere.
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