"Senpai Miharu Taki, I don't want to lie to you. I told Senior Juraku and Meari that I was the inventor of this game, and I didn't mention my brother."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka made a nervous and uneasy expression, looked back at Meari a few times, then turned his head and whispered to Miharu Taki: "Senpai, I haven't told anyone about this matter. I only told you. You must keep it a secret for me."
Ayanokoji's uneasy appearance made Miharu Taki Sakura smile. She also saw Ayanokoji's glance back, and a guess quickly formed in her mind.
Ayanokoji wanted to show off in front of the girl he liked, which is why he specifically attributed the achievement of inventing the game entirely to himself.
But when he faced her, he seemed not to want to lie to her, and despite his embarrassment, he still told the truth.
Since this was a game invented by their brothers, it was understandable for him to take all the credit, but he told her about it... Did he trust her that much?
Miharu Taki Sakura felt a strange sense of emotion. She suddenly felt... Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was like her younger brother, making her feel very close. This feeling of being trusted made her feel warm.
A smile played on her lips: "Since you've asked your senpai like this, of course I'll keep it a secret for you."
"You won't tell anyone?" Ayanokoji, "anxiously," raised his head.
"No, I won't tell anyone," Miharu Taki Sakura nodded with a smile.
"Just as I thought, Senpai is indeed a very kind person!"
The "anxious" expression on Ayanokoji's face disappeared, replaced by a brilliant smile. He pretended to look at Miharu Taki Sakura with admiration, making her feel somewhat flattered.
Her mood hadn't been very good these past few days, but in front of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, she felt a long-lost sense of ease.
If only he were truly under her command… Miharu Taki Sakura almost opened her mouth to recruit Ayanokoji again.
No, I should be talking about business.
Miharu Taki Sakura hid her joy and said seriously, "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, since you are the operator of this casino, you should know that my subordinates came to see you a few days ago, right?"
Ayanokoji nodded: "Yes, they did come to see us, but I wasn't here those days."
—He was indeed not in this Chemistry Preparation Room, but rather in the Cooking Room across the hall, so this wasn't a lie.
"Since you want to hold a competition, you need to consider in advance whether this casino has enough space to hold the competition, whether there are enough staff to maintain order, and you also need to consider the rules and regulations of the competition, fire exits, and so on…"
While Miharu Taki Sakura was "lecturing," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka listened "attentively," nodding in agreement from time to time.
"In short, our Beautification Committee needs to record all these matters. Can you tell me?"
When Miharu Taki Sakura heard her subordinates report that the other party was very uncooperative and didn't listen to them, not putting the Beautification Committee in their eyes, she thought the person in charge here was a troublemaker like Ikishima Midari, so she came in person.
She didn't expect the manager here to be Ayanokoji.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was such an easy person to talk to, yet they couldn't communicate well. How did they usually work?
Did they do nothing all day, just flaunt their Beautification Committee status, and then a few days later dump all the work on her, making her handle the entire committee's workload alone?
They enjoyed the privileges of being members of the Student Council, not needing to pay any tribute, yet they were deadwood, flaunting their Student Council identity all day long.
The more Miharu Taki Sakura thought about it, the more disgusted she felt with her subordinates. If she could, she truly wanted to fire all of them.
However, she couldn't do that.
Because... all of her subordinates were members of Zenshoukai, they were Mibuomi Aoi's people.
Most Zenshoukai members were initially livestock. Some people's card skills were truly too poor, and their family conditions were not good. If they relied on gambling, they might never escape their livestock status in their entire lives.
However, these people were extremely loyal to Mibuomi Aoi. Even if he gave them money, it would quickly be squandered. So, Mibuomi Aoi set his sights on his fiancée, placing these "die-hards" in the Beautification Committee, exempting them from tribute.
This was Mibuomi Aoi's reward to them, and these people naturally became even more loyal to Mibuomi Aoi, which created a very awkward situation.
—Although Miharu Taki Sakura was the Beautification Committee Chairman, all of her subordinates were Mibuomi Aoi's die-hards. They didn't listen to her at all, secretly using their Beautification Committee identity to do who knows how many things for Mibuomi Aoi, while neglecting their actual duties.
Miharu Taki Sakura was angry, but she was, after all, Mibuomi Aoi's fiancée, and she was also considered a cadre of Zenshoukai, contributing to the internal organization. Plus, her family had always looked forward to this marriage alliance, so she turned a blind eye to these matters.
Now she had met Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Ayanokoji was not only intelligent and decisive in his actions, but also very gentle to those around him, willing to take risks, and very respectful and caring towards her, concerned about her emotional problems... he was simply a perfect subordinate.
This made her competitive thoughts grow stronger and stronger.
Compared to Ayanokoji, her subordinates were all useless good-for-nothings!
No, she couldn't tolerate it any longer. She had to tell Mibuomi Aoi—if these people couldn't even do their basic jobs, they should just get out!
Miharu Taki Sakura made up her mind.
After Ayanokoji Kiyotaka told Miharu Taki Sakura the general information, she hurriedly bid Ayanokoji farewell and left, not knowing what she went to do.
But looking at her determined back, Ayanokoji's lips curved slightly.
It was truly not difficult to act like a good child in front of Miharu Taki Sakura.
Originally, Ayanokoji didn't want Miharu Taki Sakura to know about his identity as a casino owner and competition organizer, as her knowing would also mean Mibuomi Aoi knowing.
But Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had a change of heart. Miharu Taki Sakura already knew that he had a good relationship with Meari and Hanatemari, so it couldn't be hidden for long. It was better to just expose it directly.
Ayanokoji deliberately used a half-truth, half-false lie and asked her to keep it a secret for him.
Ayanokoji proactively exposed his own weakness, telling her that he had only told her this secret. Miharu Taki Sakura valued promises, and Ayanokoji saying this could instead stir up her sense of responsibility, making her agree to keep it a secret for Ayanokoji.
When Mibuomi Aoi inquired with Miharu Taki Sakura and got no results, he would definitely actively seek out the identity of the Landlord organizer and inventor.
Mibuomi Aoi's information network was very powerful, and he also had a cooperative relationship with Sachiko Juraku. Ayanokoji knew that this identity definitely couldn't be hidden from him for long.
This way, a rift would form between Mibuomi Aoi and Miharu Taki Sakura.
At that time, it would be his turn to truly poach her...
Ayanokoji truly didn't hold grudges.
Truly.
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