Today was the weekend. After Aiden finished lunch at Mai's place, he rested for a while, then drove back.
As for Mai and Yuri, the two of them weren't idle either. After tidying up a clean bedroom, they went out shopping together, since Yuri still needed to buy some personal items.
Speaking of which, although the two of them argued noisily for a long time while eating lunch, it was really just joking around. In fact, they could be considered as hitting it off right away… probably.
Anyway, before Aiden left, the two were still getting along fine.
On the drive back to the shrine, Aiden spotted a jewelry shop on the roadside. It wasn't particularly high-end, but it reminded him of something.
Although he had already thanked Maki for giving him a phone, after all, it had only been words of thanks. He still needed to show some sincerity.
Thinking of this, Aiden immediately pulled over by the roadside. After getting out, he walked straight into the jewelry shop.
Ignoring the clerk's warm but slightly fake greetings, Aiden circled once along the glass display cases and quickly picked out several pieces of jewelry.
"Pack these." Aiden said as he pulled out cash.
Of course, these weren't just for Maki. They included Chizuru and Mai, and even Yuri's share wasn't left out. Anyway… he had already accepted his role as a playboy.
Afterward, Aiden carried the jewelry, wrapped in exquisite gift boxes, back to the car. But he didn't drive off immediately; instead, he carefully separated and arranged the gifts.
Each of the girls had different personalities. Naturally, the jewelry he gave them had to be different, each matching their character.
"The bracelet for Yuri, with the silver diamond-inlaid lily flower, really suits her."
"The hair ornament for Mai, she really looks beautiful in a kimono, though she looks even better without one…"
"Maki's crystal earrings, cheap as they are, really suit her…"
"Chizuru… forget it. Seeing how hard you work to cook for me, I'll give you this necklace."
———
After placing the gift boxes with jewelry separately, Aiden memorized their positions to avoid mixing them up later.
Then, he finally drove back to the shrine.
It was still around three or four in the afternoon when he returned. On normal days, the Kagura sisters wouldn't be home yet, but since it was the weekend, they didn't go to work. Aiden found Maki and Chizuru sitting under a small pavilion beside the shrine path.
The sisters were drinking tea, the stone table before them full of tea and all kinds of snacks. Seeing Aiden approach, Maki thoughtfully poured him a fresh cup of tea.
"Huh, you two didn't go to work?"
Without holding back, Aiden sat across from Maki, picked up a snack, and asked as he ate.
"Today's the weekend, how could we go to work? We need rest too, you know?" Chizuru was the one who spoke.
In fact, as heads of the family, at the company they usually just attended meetings or read documents. It was only because of recent busy matters that they had been going to the office often. Normally, they worked from home.
"Aiden came back quite early today!"
Maki's tone was much warmer than her sister's. Her gaze fell on Aiden, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
"I went to the dojo to see my teacher, chatted with her for a while…" Aiden explained briefly, then pulled a gift box out of his pocket.
The box holding the jewelry wasn't large, but its exquisite wrapping was enough to catch the sisters' interest.
"Speaking of which, Maki, I never properly thanked you for the phone you gave me last time…"
"Aiden already said thank you. That's enough."
"That was only words of thanks."
As expected, Aiden first handed over the gift box meant for Maki.
"Maki, this is for you. Take a look…"
Handing the box to her, the shrine maiden's face immediately lit up with joy.
"It's nothing very expensive, just..."
"Wow, it's so pretty…"
Before Aiden could even finish speaking, Maki exclaimed in delight.
In fact, she had just opened the box and hadn't even clearly seen what the gift was, but she couldn't contain her excitement.
"At least look at it first!" Aiden covered his face. The shrine maiden's excitement made him feel embarrassed.
"It's really just a pair of ordinary earrings…"
"But they're really beautiful."
Maki already held the earrings in her hand, the crystal drops glittering brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Aiden, thank you."
Though the earrings were the cheapest jewelry she had ever seen, Maki immediately put them on.
In truth, she rarely wore jewelry. At the company, she had to maintain the dignity of a leader, so she generally never wore such things.
Even at home, she basically didn't wear jewelry, at most, occasionally a necklace. That was precisely why Aiden had bought earrings for her, because whenever he saw her, he always felt she was missing just a little something.
She gently shook her head, and the crystal earrings shimmered brightly. With the movement, they swayed lightly beneath her delicate, beautiful ears.
Even with her sister beside her, Maki happily asked, "Aiden, do they look good?"
Of course, she wasn't only asking about the earrings.
Anyone could tell what she really meant. But Chizuru, beside her, looked rather sulky.
"They look good."
Those two words Aiden said with genuine sincerity. It was hard for him to imagine that with just a little adornment, the shrine maiden's charm could rise a whole level.
"You really look beautiful, Maki." He repeated once more.
When complimenting a woman, no matter how expensive the jewelry, nothing worked better than praising her directly.
Sure enough, Maki pressed her lips together in a smile, struggling to suppress the upward curve. As a shrine maiden who had received strict etiquette training, she couldn't allow herself to appear too smug.
"Hmph!"
Seeing her sister's unconcealed joy, Chizuru gave a heavy snort. She seemed unable to accept the tender warmth shared between Aiden and her sister.
That snort pulled Maki back from her happiness. She looked at Aiden, then turned to her sister, a hesitant expression on her face.
How could she be the only one with a gift, while her sister had none?
But she didn't know how to bring it up. After all, who would openly ask someone for a gift, and for their sister at that?
Instead, she fixed her eyes firmly on Aiden. She didn't need to say a word, her gaze already said everything.
But Aiden wanted to tease her, maybe tease Chizuru too. After finishing the tea in his cup, he stood and said, "Maki, Chizuru, if there's nothing else, I'll go back and rest."
"Hey, stop right there."
A cold, hurt voice rang out. But it wasn't Maki, it was Chizuru.
"Why does my sister get a gift, but I don't?" she shouted.
"Maki gave me a phone and has looked after me these past days. Giving her a gift is only right." Aiden turned toward her, speaking his prepared excuse.
"Haven't I looked after you too?"
"I've been the one cooking for you this whole time."
"My sister only gave you a phone. Everything else was me, washing your clothes too."
"Uh…" Aiden froze at those words, his gaze turning immediately to Maki.
Maki lowered her head in embarrassment, too guilty to meet his eyes. After all, she had been the one to ask her sister to do all those things.
"Why should it be like this!"
Chizuru's voice rang out again, her eyes shimmering with tears. She felt utterly wronged.
True, she hadn't treated him kindly, had never given him a good face, and even cooking had been only because of her sister's request.
But she had still given a lot, hadn't she?
Coming home from work every day, pouring her heart into cooking, even learning many new dishes, which she was worst at.
Why should she be left without anything?
And also…
"And besides, you even saw me… eh!"
Chizuru's shy yet angry voice cut off abruptly.
At her side, Maki's expression also shifted, from tense and guilty at first, to finally relaxing.
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