Bonus from review!
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"Well then, Uchiha-kun, please."
Shinomiya Kaguya offered a smile befitting a professional in social etiquette as she handed the distinguished guest of the Shinomiya family a cup of tea.
"Oh, thanks."
Watching Uchiha Ryo take the tea and a piece of pastry and begin to eat at the banquet, Shinomiya Kaguya still couldn't figure it out. However, she or Hayasaka Ai had no way of investigating matters concerning Shinomiya Un'yo...
"You were already one of Brother Un'yo's people? He's the one who sent you to Shuchiin!"
Shinomiya Kaguya voiced her speculation. She believed her guess was pretty close to the mark. This Uchiha Ryo had to have been one of Shinomiya Un'yo's men long ago. As for his purpose in coming to the school, that was hard to say.
"You're overthinking it. Today was the first time I've met him."
Shinomiya Kaguya's face was full of disbelief.
Uchiha Ryo, however, turned his head to look at Hayasaka Ai, who was trying to sneak away.
"Where are you going, Hayasaka-san? Didn't we agree you were going to tutor me today..."
Hayasaka Ai instinctively hid behind Fujiwara Chika. "Um... well, I wanted to, but I was suddenly dragged to this banquet by my family today~"
Uchiha Ryo nodded. "I see. Then why didn't you tell me on Line today? What if I had actually gone? Wouldn't you have stood me up?"
Hayasaka Ai put on a very wronged expression. "I wanted to let you know, but my family confiscated my phone..."
"Is that so? I thought you were intentionally trying to stand me up, Hayasaka-san. My feelings are very hurt. So... isn't the person who was supposed to entertain me well going to continue? Where is the Shinomiya family's hospitality!"
Shinomiya Kaguya truly felt wronged! What had she done? But just as Shinomiya Un'yo had said, she absolutely could not lose face for the Shinomiya family, so the task of entertaining must be done well.
Yukinoshita Yukino was in disbelief. As for Yukinoshita Haruno, she had long since retreated from this small circle in shock.
She didn't dare to joke with this Ryo-kohai anymore. She had heard of Shinomiya Un'yo's methods. If Uchiha Ryo was really one of Shinomiya Un'yo's men, she was even prepared to have Yukino stay away from him.
No, intentionally making Yukino stay away from him might have the opposite effect. And this kid lives just upstairs and downstairs from Yukino...
Faced with the behemoth that was the Shinomiya family, it would be a lie for Yukinoshita Haruno to say she wasn't worried. For now, she could only hope that Shinomiya Un'yo had no designs on the Yukinoshita family.
"Shinomiya, is pouring tea all your so-called hospitality entails?"
Shinomiya Kaguya stared coldly at Uchiha Ryo. "What else do you want?"
"For example... serving tea and water, fetching takeout, massaging shoulders, walking on my back, and kneading my knees."
Shinomiya Kaguya was speechless. Do you think I'm a maid! But then again, maids could do so many things... she could have Hayasaka try them in the future.
"By the way everyone, since the banquet won't be over for a while, why don't we play a game!"
The one who spoke was Fujiwara Chika, and she actually pulled out a small box from behind her.
"Play a game... I'm not really interested."
Uchiha Ryo was genuinely not very interested in Fujiwara Chika's games. He preferred video games over playing board games with this little girl.
Chitanda also liked games, but she turned to Shinomiya Kaguya and asked.
"Can we play at the banquet?"
Shinomiya Kaguya, however, noticed that Uchiha Ryo didn't seem to want to play. Hmph! Then she insisted on playing!
"It's fine. This is my banquet, after all. It's just a simple game with everyone."
Hearing her good friend Shinomiya Kaguya support her, Fujiwara Chika became even more energetic and pulled over Yukinoshita, Chitanda, Hayasaka Ai, and Shijo Maki.
"Uchiha-kun, you join in too! Let's play... the NG Word Game!"
Shinomiya Kaguya nodded. She had heard of the NG Word Game. Don't think it's just a simple trap game. Inducement, prediction, and an understanding of your surroundings and the people around you will increase your chances of winning!
"Isn't it a bit boring with just a simple little game? How about we add some stakes? For example... the winner can order one person to do one thing that isn't too unreasonable."
She had to win this. That way, she could order Uchiha Ryo to answer what his relationship with Brother Un'yo was!
Yukinoshita Yukino raised an eyebrow. "I don't mind either way. But 'NG Word Game'... I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with it."
Ta-da! Fujiwara Chika's explanation time~
"The rules of the game are very simple~ If you say a specific word during the conversation, then you lose the game."
Fujiwara Chika took out small cards, small stickers, and a black marker from her little box.
"For example, if someone writes the word 'Thank you' on this card and then sticks it on my forehead with a sticker. I don't know what's written on this paper, but if I say the words 'Thank you,' I'm out!"
Yukinoshita Yukino nodded. "Okay, I understand the rules now."
Fujiwara Chika handed out cards and pens to the seven people. "We'll sit in a circle, and each person will write a word for the person on their right. There's a special rule that you're not allowed to write names~"
Not allowed to write names, huh. Uchiha Ryo looked at Kaguya on his right. Seeing her full of fighting spirit, he just simply wrote 'Victory'.
But the problem now was... what would Hayasaka Ai on his left write for him?
Scanning the circle, Uchiha Ryo's right was Shinomiya Kaguya, followed by Shijo Maki, Fujiwara Chika, Chitanda Eru, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Hayasaka Ai, then back to himself.
"Stick the card you wrote on the forehead of the person to your right!"
Fujiwara Chika was full of confidence, then stuck the card on Chitanda.
After Hayasaka Ai finished writing, she winked at Uchiha Ryo and then stuck the card on him.
But what's with that look, Hayasaka Ai? You're the one who wanted to stand me up, so why are you so full of fighting spirit towards me?
Uchiha Ryo had originally planned to play casually, but it seemed this master-servant pair of Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai was targeting him. Alright then, I'll have to use my cheat.
Uchiha Ryo — [Okay]
Shinomiya Kaguya — [Victory]
Shijo Maki — [Great-aunt]
Fujiwara Chika — [Ehehe]
Chitanda Eru — [Why]
Yukinoshita Yukino — [Cat]
Hayasaka Ai — [Classmate]
After everyone had put on their cards, they first looked around at everyone else's NG words. After seeing the word "Classmate" on Hayasaka Ai's head, he suddenly felt that Yukinoshita was ruthless....
Because in this kind of game, you couldn't be sure if someone would have the same NG word, so a word with such massive potential for collateral damage like "classmate" was something Shinomiya Kaguya would never risk herself on.
Fujiwara Chika looked at the suddenly silent group. "This won't do! Let's just pretend we're not playing a game and chat normally. If you're silent for too long, you're out too!"
Uchiha Ryo casually glanced at Fujiwara Chika. The other girl was momentarily dazed, then immediately returned to normal.
An ordinary person couldn't possibly detect the instantaneous genjutsu of a three-tomoe Sharingan. Just now, Uchiha Ryo had successfully seen the word 'Okay' on his head through Fujiwara Chika's perspective.
Hayasaka Ai really wants to win. An answer-type common word like 'Okay' is something a normal person might say casually. But Uchiha Ryo, who already knows the answer, is fearless!