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"Then, did someone also give you a cup of free cocoa like this at that time?"

"No."

Slightly stunned by the girl's sudden question, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head and responded honestly.

In fact, if we really talk about it, he was asked by the customer to play the role of Santa Claus's messenger walking all the way through the snow. In the end, he only got a cup of cold cocoa mixed with snow.

"Um."

As if not surprised by his answer, Ichinose Honami nodded gently. She pushed away the half-cup of cocoa with her hand, quietly reached Kitagawa Ryo's ear, and used a softer tone than before when handing out leaflets. A gentle and sweet voice said softly:

"Hey...it's getting cold. Would you like some hot cocoa?"

Coupled with this sweet temptation, even the ever-changing smile on the rabbit skin seems to be a little more friendly.

"Eh?"

"Didn't you just say that you would give me the whole cup? Then it would be reasonable for me to give you my half cup in return."

The rabbit suddenly became cunning, she jumped away for a while:

"How about just pretending that you were handed half a cup of cocoa when you were handing out flyers before?"

"If we hug together and share warmth, both of us will be warm."

Looking at the half cup of cocoa left in his hand and the slightly moist mouth of the straw, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but chuckle.

Although I don't know who it is, the other person's sensitive character is so cautious that even his good intentions do make him kind of friendly.

And the other person always gave him a familiar feeling.

Kitagawa Ryo was thinking about it as he walked back to the store. He didn't intend to actually drink the remaining half. He just told the clerk at the front desk a few words, put the cocoa there, and returned to his seat with the remaining warmth in his palms. superior.

"Where did my brother go? He disappeared for so long."

The younger sister, who was lazily lying on the table with her arm resting on her head and only a pair of fluorescent eyes exposed, was making a small complaint.

On the other side, Ichinose Maki also looked nervously at Kitagawa Ryo.

Although Hotaru didn't pay much attention, she, who was paying close attention to Kitagawa Ryo's actions, saw what the other party said to her sister.

It's not that Ichinose Maki can't understand her sister's part-time job behavior, nor does she think it is a shameful thing.

but...

Her hands hidden under the table were twisted into balls, and there was a thin layer of sweat on her palms.

Ichinose Maki really doesn't want her friends to know about this, which is an idea that shouldn't be blamed.

Sensing something strange about Ichinose Maki, Kitagawa Ryo did not ask immediately, but answered his sister's question casually:

"I just gave a cup of cocoa to the little rabbit outside handing out flyers."

"Oh, Sister Rabbit is very cute and a nice person."

"There have been many discussions in the class these days. It feels like this store has suddenly become popular because of this."

Firefly also nodded in agreement:

"So Sister Rabbit accepts it?"

Looking at his sister who suddenly sat upright because of this topic, Kitagawa Ryo wiped the corners of Hotaru's mouth with a tissue on the table and complained:

"So you were lying down just now because you were stealing dessert."

"Well, I should have wiped it off, right?"

"Maki Maki? Didn't you say you couldn't tell?"

With a frightened look on her face, Firefly quickly turned sideways and asked her friend.

"Uh, that."

Ichinose Maki weakly raised her hand:

"It's possible that your brother is simply deceiving you, maybe?"

"Brother is too much!"

Seeing Hotaru's pitiful expression of tears for a moment, Kitagawa Ryoudo doubted whether his sister was born with acting talent.

"Okay, so did the other party accept the cocoa that my brother gave me personally?"

After snapping her fingers, Yingying came up and asked nervously. Her personality was just like a cat, changing every moment and completely unpredictable.

"I drank half the glass and left the rest at the front desk."

Because he was thinking of cats, Kitagawa Ryo took advantage of the situation and stroked Yingying's hair, just as the other party took the initiative to come closer.

"Hotaro's brother is really a gentle person."

After confirming that her sister's identity had not been revealed, Ichinose Maki breathed a sigh of relief and said with a sweet voice.

"A brother who doesn't listen to his sister is not gentle at all."

Hotaru was still complaining a little while enjoying her brother's head touch:

"I have already said that I also want to live outside with my brother, but my brother insists on letting me."

"I live outside because I have to participate in the daily training of the troupe. Hotaru has no such reason, and there are people taking care of me at home."

"oh..."

She was extremely disappointed, but in just a moment, Hotaru returned to her former vitality:

"What do you do every day, brother? Is it just training?"

"Cooking, playing chess, running, etc. It's all very common things."

After chatting casually, Yingying became a little sleepy and yawned widely.

"Don't wait for me any longer, it's getting dark."

Seizing this opportunity, Ichinose Maki quickly spoke again to persuade.

"No, I promised Maki."

Yingying quickly rubbed her eyes and said:

"And it's just because it's getting later and later that I have to accompany you. If Maki's sister can't come because of something, Maki won't be able to go home alone. It will be safer if we send you together then."

Being easily defeated again by her friend's impeccable reasons, Ichinose Maki could only pray that her sister would notice the situation here and never come over to talk to her wearing a rabbit holster, let alone hold the half-cup in her hand. of cocoa.

After all, from her perspective, her sister Ichinose Honami would leave the half cup of cocoa for herself, and it had always been this way.

She dared to come here today because Yingying said she could help pay for her share of the bill, and she just saw her sister being given a cup of cocoa by Yingying's brother. This double gift made her feel a little ashamed. Well, if my sister really...

Just when Ichinose Maki's heart was racing, Kitagawa Ryoya, who had noticed that the other party was peeking at the rabbit at the door from time to time, probably guessed the truth of the matter.

He knew very well what Ichinose Maki was thinking. It was not because he was his best friend that he could confess his family situation to her, but it was precisely because he was his best friend that he didn't want the other party to see him. The unbearable side, retaining the last bit of pitiful self-esteem.

And if his guess is correct, the rabbit girl who gave him a familiar feeling while handing out leaflets at the door should be the sister Ichinose Maki has been waiting for——

Honami Ichinose.

"I'm going to the bathroom first."

After realizing the current situation, Kitagawa Ryo decided to leave for a while.

Although it was unclear why Ichinose Honami would work here, based on his understanding of Ichinose Honami in several simulations, he probably didn't want to embarrass his sister in front of his sister's classmates and friends, so he never showed up. This is also very consistent with Ichinose Honami's style.

After all, for her, the status of her family will always be placed infinitely high.

Even higher than myself.

After casually washing his face in front of the sink in the bathroom, Kitagawa Ryo looked at himself in the mirror.

For a long time in the past, Kitagawa Ryo was afraid of looking in the mirror. Because he had just been reborn, whenever he looked in the mirror, he seemed to see another world in the mirror, as if the person in the mirror was not himself. generally.

His back is always straight, the corners of his mouth are always upturned, and his eyes are always bright, instead of being like a sick puppy soaked in the rain or like an old pottery that breaks at the touch of a touch. .

But now, he can calmly look at himself in the mirror, accept and appreciate his growth.

This is the real self that he desires and is getting closer to.

The cell phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. Kitagawa Ryo glanced at it and saw that it was the troupe director's call.

"Hi, I'm Ryo."

"Well, do you still have an impression of the two children who are about the same age as you today?"

Without exchanging pleasantries, the troupe leader asked straight to the point.

"Remember."

Strictly speaking, it cannot be counted as remembering, and one of them even dated for a while.

"Both of these children are interested in drama. One was approached by his mother, and the other has been pestering me since the performance."

"Although I don't think these two have any talent in this area, it's hard to refuse. Let them try it first?"

Sensing the subtle atmosphere, Kitagawa Ryo twitched his lips:

"What do you mean by trying this?"

"To put it simply, let them try to act."

"so?"

"Ahem, after all, the other party is also two children."

The troupe leader's voice suddenly contained a hint of smile, and it felt like a hole had been dug for Ryo Kitagawa to jump into:

"So there are many choices among the group. It would be better for you to take care of only those who are about the same age."

"The script has been sent to your mobile phone, and the performance time is in a week."

Without giving Ryo Kitagawa any time to react, the troupe leader finished the whole thing quickly and hung up the phone neatly.

"...Life is hard."

When Kitagawa Ryo left the bathroom and returned to his seat with a sigh, Hotaru was left alone, playing with the ends of her hair out of boredom.

"It's so slow - Maki was picked up by her sister."

Seeing Kitagawa Ryo coming back, Hotaru immediately ran to her brother's side and shook his arm:

"Maki's sister is a super pretty girl."

As if she had seen some extraordinary gossip, Ying stood on tiptoes and spoke into Liang's ear, her hot breath tickling her earlobe.

"And, I heard her voice is exactly the same as Sister Rabbit outside."

"Ichinose-nee also thanked me for taking care of Maki at school."

"Hey, I remember that Maki was always taking care of you in school."

Kitagawa Ryo held Hotaru's hand and prepared to leave the coffee shop.

"Um?"

When passing by the front desk, Kitagawa Ryo caught a glimpse of the cup of cocoa still there.

"Didn't she take it?"

Kitagawa Liang stood on tiptoe and asked the clerk at the front desk, who also smiled and replied:

"She said this is for you, and she asked us to heat it up again. If you don't take it away, it seems that you will have no choice but to throw it away."

"..."

Just when Kitagawa Ryo was still thinking about Ichinose Honami's intention in doing this, Hotaru on the side accepted Cocoa generously.

"Ichinose-nee is really a good fit for our family."

"?"

Slowly typing a question mark, Kitagawa Ryo turned his head to look at Hotaru who was completely unaware of what he said.

"Hmm."

Because she didn't expect to be burned just after heating, Hotaru quickly stuck out her tongue and fanned it with her hands.

Noticing the strange look in her brother's eyes, Yingying also tilted her head and explained:

"What's wrong, brother?"

"No, I'm just curious about what you meant by your last sentence."