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Chapter 53: Congratulations
"Suyan, you're not going to turn me into that too, are you?"
Was Takagi Yuriko stupid?
Far from it—she was an extremely clever woman. Even the genius everyone at Fujimi Academy praised—her own daughter Saya—was little more than a cute little dummy she had casually raised.
So Yuriko quickly guessed the true meaning behind Rika's words.
Still, looking at Suyan's awkward expression, she sensed something was off. Yet instead of helping him out, the corners of her eyes curved with amusement as she teased, "What about me?"
Suyan saw the playful glint and shot her a hard glare.
Right now he felt like a boatman who had rowed to the middle of the lake only for his oar to snap—leaving him surrounded by nothing but useless junk—oranges, hemp, wheat, and dried tangerine peels. None of it made a decent oar.
Who was it that said big sisters are gentle and caring?
Stand up and say it!
Gentle? This is clearly a troublemaking devil who loves stirring the pot!
Between Shizuka's stunt and Yuriko fanning the flames, the bad news was he now looked like a pervert.
The good news? It seemed Shizuka might not mind sharing a blanket with everyone in the future.
Just as Suyan was at a loss, the culprit herself finally appeared.
"Suyan~ you're back!"
Marikawa Shizuka's pajamas were rumpled, one pale shoulder exposed, her golden hair a sleepy mess. She shuffled over in fluffy slippers, rubbing her bleary eyes, looking utterly languid.
She walked straight up to him, eyes half-closed, arms spread wide like a spoiled child. "Hug~"
But she didn't get one.
"Hm?"
Her empty arms made Shizuka open her eyes. She found Suyan's palm pressed against her forehead, blocking her advance. She tilted her head in confusion.
"Shizuka-nee, care to explain why Saeko-senpai has my scent on her?" Suyan asked through gritted teeth.
"Eh? That?"
Still half-asleep, Shizuka tapped her chin with one finger, thinking. Soon her eyes lit up with sudden realization. She struck a proud pose and asked expectantly, "You already heard from Rika-chan? Well? Aren't I smart?"
"Smart?" Everyone stared blankly.
Shizuka blinked. "Suyan should have already claimed Rika-chan by now, right?"
"Claimed?" More blank stares.
"Of course!" Shizuka nodded matter-of-factly. "Didn't I tell you before?"
She tapped her chin again, then continued with a sleepy smile. "Rika-chan has always been strong-willed. She loves doing dangerous, exciting things. Even when choosing a man, she wants someone who can completely overpower her with absolute strength."
"So when I saw her come home tonight, I deliberately told her that. I knew she'd come looking for trouble with you afterward."
"With your ability, Suyan, you'd handle her in three moves. Then if you take the initiative, claiming Rika-chan would be easy, right?"
"I even made up excuses for her and shared my own Suyan. I really worked so hard~ But who told me she's my best friend?"
"Afterward I'll definitely make her thank—"
A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder from behind.
Shizuka's body trembled; the rest of her sentence died in her throat.
The hand on her shoulder had veins bulging, trembling faintly. Its owner was clearly not in a good mood.
"Oh? Then I really must thank you."
Minami Rika ground out each word through clenched teeth. She didn't even use her usual nickname. "Marikawa. Shizuka."
Everything Shizuka said was true, but… but how could she blurt out her secret in front of everyone?!
Earlier, when Rika had tried to defend her best friend and carefully hinted at the problem, she had been protecting Shizuka's dignity.
And this idiot had immediately sold her out in the most innocent, watery-eyed way possible.
What a wonderful best friend~
"Rika-chan?"
Shizuka turned, finally noticing not only Rika but everyone else crowded around her. She tilted her head. "Miyamoto-san? Saya-chan? It's so late—why is everyone still awake?"
"So many people… are we having a midnight snack?"
She paused, then puffed her cheeks and complained to Suyan, "Seriously, you guys are having a snack without me?"
"Never mind. Just go back to sleep and pretend nothing happened."
Rika pinched the bridge of her nose, helpless.
She knew her best friend was airheaded; getting angry at her was pointless. Looking at that silly face, all her rage melted away anyway. After all, she had chosen this idiot herself.
Clap!
Yuriko suddenly stepped forward and clapped her hands to draw attention.
"Looks like the misunderstanding is cleared up~ Congratulations, congratulations indeed."
Suyan glared at her.
You were the one fanning the flames earlier, and now you're the one congratulating everyone? You played both villain and hero—think you can just walk away? Not that easy.
Sooner or later I'll get you back.
Yuriko's purple eyes blinked innocently: I'll be waiting.
"And you!" Suyan turned to Shizuka, pinching the blonde beauty's cheek. "I'll deal with you later!"
"Really?!"
Shizuka's eyes sparkled. She didn't even care that her face was being pinched; she reached out to hug him.
Suyan sighed, pressing her head back while looking at Rika. "Misunderstanding cleared. Everything's fine now, right?"
"No!"
Rika's eyes burned as she stared at Suyan. "You're going to finish the fight we started!"
"Why? The misunderstanding is resolved," Rei protested.
Rika glanced at her, then licked her lips while looking back at Suyan. "That was personal. This is me, Minami Rika, officially challenging you."
"Shizuka was right—I love thrills, I love danger, and I especially love challenging strong opponents."
"So let me test whether the man Shizuka chose for me truly has the power to conquer me."
"If you can, I won't mind sharing you with Shizuka~"
"Or… are you looking down on me?"
With that, Rika shrugged off her jacket and stretched languidly in front of him, proudly displaying the wild, alluring figure that would make any normal man's blood boil.
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