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Chapter 66: Trust? Night Attack?
Sitting at the dining table, Suyan glanced around the room.
Busujima Saeko, Miyamoto Rei, Takagi Saya, Takagi Yuriko, and Marikawa Shizuka.
Everyone was present. Even Minami Rika, who had been thoroughly exhausted by him that morning, had been dragged out of bed by Shizuka.
Perhaps because they weren't all familiar with each other, the atmosphere felt a bit restrained. A quiet awkwardness hung over the breakfast table.
Saya kept stealing glances at Yuriko and Rei, who were seated on either side of her. Shizuka, meanwhile, was staring blankly at the delicious spread in front of them, completely captivated. Saeko looked curiously at the other women; aside from Rika, whom she had perfectly missed the night before, she had at least briefly met Yuriko when Suyan brought her back.
But for Saeko, Rika was just like Suyan had been not too long ago—a name she had only heard from Shizuka's lips. This was their first time actually meeting.
Seeing the stiff dynamic, Suyan, acting as the nexus connecting all six women, chuckled softly. "There's no need to be so polite. Everyone, dig in."
"Yay!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shizuka—whose appetite had been entirely thoroughly provoked—was the first to grab her chopsticks.
Sitting right next to her, however, Rika was staring at Suyan with a deeply peculiar expression. Every other woman at the table had a bowl of plain white rice. She was the only one who had been served sekihan—red bean rice.
In this context, almost everyone at the table understood exactly what that meant.
Well, everyone except maybe Saya.
Rei gently bit the tip of her chopsticks, a sour feeling welling up in her chest.
I was here first, she thought.
She had known Suyan for over half a month, yet she had somehow been cut in line by this Minami Rika—a woman who had aggressively made a move on him the very first time they met.
It was frustrating.
But Rei quickly reined in her emotions. Reaching out with her chopsticks, she picked up a piece of meat and placed it directly into Suyan's bowl. "I sneaked a taste of this Todai Cuisine when it first came out of the pan. It's absolutely delicious. You should have some too, Suyan."
"Alright." Suyan gave her a surprised look before replying, "If you like it, make sure you eat plenty yourself."
"Suyan, here."
Seeing Rei make a move, Saya—prompted by a secret nudge from Yuriko—also picked up a dish and placed it in his bowl. However, as soon as Suyan's gaze shifted to her, her natural disposition flared up. She stiffened her neck and stubbornly declared, "Don't get the wrong idea! I just happen to dislike this particular dish, that's all."
Yuriko felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.
It seemed the precious daughter she had raised was growing a little crooked. She had already told her that the tsundere trope was completely out of fashion, yet here she was, still acting like one.
Left with no other choice, Yuriko propped her chin on her left hand, leaning her elbow on the table. She tilted her head, looked at Suyan, and playfully teased, "You certainly are a lucky man, little brother Suyan. While everyone else out there is agonizing over their next meal, you're sitting here surrounded by beautiful women."
"I just wonder… will you be able to handle it all when night falls?"
Saya stared at her mother in sheer astonishment.
So bold! she thought. If only I could be that straightforward… But after a moment of careful consideration, the pink-haired girl realized there was no way she could ever say something like that out loud.
Suyan simply shot Yuriko a sidelong glance, his tone laced with a hint of disdain. "Why don't you try it for yourself and find out?"
"I… I just might take you up on that."
Yuriko faltered. She had assumed that, with so many people watching, Suyan would show at least a fraction of the shyness typical of a teenage boy, allowing her to enjoy the thrill of teasing him. She hadn't expected him to turn the tables on her so bluntly.
Takagi Yuriko: defeated once again.
With Yuriko's disruptive teasing neutralized, a peaceful quiet returned to the table. Everyone quietly finished their meal.
After lunch…
Saeko proactively took over the cleanup duties. "Suyan, you likely have other matters to discuss with them, right? Leave the dishes to me."
"Alright."
Since the house had a dishwasher, tidying up wasn't a particularly difficult chore. Suyan didn't refuse her offer. Besides, he really did have something to discuss with Yuriko—he wanted her to perform the Water Divination test.
Even though he strongly suspected her personality pointed toward being a Transmutation Type Nen user, a guess was still just a guess. He needed the test results to be absolutely certain.
"Miss Takagi, please come here for a moment."
Suyan first stopped Yuriko, who had been planning to leave with Saya. Then, shifting his gaze to Rei, he added, "Rei, you too. Don't leave just yet."
"Miss Takagi?" Yuriko paused, a teasing smile touching her lips. "What an unfamiliar form of address. I've been calling you 'little brother Suyan' this whole time, yet you won't even call me 'big sister' once?"
Suyan simply rolled his eyes at her.
Ignoring her complaints, he began explaining the Six Nen Types and the corresponding testing methods to her.
Realizing that Suyan was talking about Nen, Yuriko immediately dropped her playful attitude. Understanding the sheer importance of this power, she listened intently to his explanation.
"So, you want me to perform this 'Water Divination' test right now to determine my Nen affinity?" Yuriko quickly deduced after he finished speaking.
"Exactly," Suyan replied.
"Understood." Yuriko didn't hesitate. She nodded and took the initiative to find a glass and a suitable leaf for the test.
Next, Suyan turned his attention to Rei, who had been listening silently by his side.
Rei looked completely lost. She had no idea why Suyan had asked her to stay. After all, unlike Yuriko, she hadn't mastered any martial arts techniques that would make her primed to learn Nen. The most she knew was the brief overview Shizuka had given her and Saya the night before, while Suyan and Saeko were out fighting at Fujimi Academy.
Suyan stepped in front of her.
With a pulse of aura, he conjured a Contract Parchment.
He presented Rei with the exact same three choices he had given Rika that morning.
Although she had exhibited some flaws in the original anime storyline, after spending the better part of a month with her, Suyan felt he understood the girl standing before him perfectly. If they ever faced true danger, this girl would not hesitate to display the beautiful, defining traits of a true heroine. She would gladly risk her life—even die—for him.
"Um…" Rei hesitated, looking at the floating document. "Can I read what it says first?"
"Of course."
Without a second thought, Suyan handed the conjured parchment over to the girl.
Rei took it carefully. She clearly remembered what Shizuka had told her in the infirmary last night: the fastest way to become a Nen user was for Suyan to share a portion of his aura with her.
This parchment was likely the key to that process.
Because of that, she read it incredibly carefully, examining every single word, terrified of missing a crucial detail.
"What are you looking at, little Rei? Mind if I take a look too?"
Yuriko walked back into the room, holding a glass filled with water and a leaf she had plucked from the balcony. Seeing Rei's solemn expression as she stared at the parchment naturally sparked her curiosity.
"Suyan?" Rei couldn't make the decision herself, so she looked to him for permission.
"It's fine. Let her read it." Suyan didn't object. Since Yuriko was already brought into the fold, her signing a contract was only a matter of time. The only reason he hadn't offered it to her yet was that their mutual trust hadn't quite reached that threshold.
"I haven't finished reading it anyway. Let's read it together," Rei suggested, nodding to Yuriko.
Yuriko set her glass down and leaned in close to Rei, scanning the text on the Contract Parchment.
The further she read, the heavier her expression became.
It didn't take her long to realize exactly what this small piece of parchment represented. It was absolute proof of being completely accepted into Suyan's heart, a symbol of his ultimate recognition.
Yuriko couldn't help but feel a pang of helplessness regarding her own situation. Because of her personality, she knew it would be incredibly difficult for Suyan to ever truly trust and accept her.
But it couldn't be helped. She had once navigated the cutthroat, predatory world of Wall Street. In a place like that, sheer competence wasn't enough; you had to be manipulative, ruthless, and capable of wearing a dozen different masks. Otherwise, you would be devoured alive by wolves in human clothing.
To earn Suyan's trust, she had been intentionally showing off her capabilities in front of him. Unfortunately, the results had been thoroughly underwhelming.
Perhaps, in this particular regard, her loud, easily readable, tsundere daughter had the advantage.
Yuriko looked up, meeting Suyan's mesmerizing purple eyes. Suddenly, a wild, unprecedented thought crossed her mind.
Should I just sneak into his room and night-attack him tonight?!
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