"Stare————"
Eriri fixed Luo Shu with an unblinking gaze.
Meanwhile, Utaha sat nearby, smiling as she jiggled her leg.
After Luo Shu's bold statement, the two had become like this, relentlessly demanding an explanation from him.
"Luo-kun, you know my mum, right?" Eriri said in a suspicious tone, staring at Luo Shu. "And I mean really know her."
Eriri hesitated to say 'secret admirer' or such, since she couldn't understand what there was to like about that eternally childishly lively woman.
It wasn't like she was just slightly better in figure, slightly better in personality, more capable, more... wait, now that she thought about it carefully, didn't that mean she was completely outclassed by Sayuri Sawamura in every aspect except age?
'Why is my mum so much better than me?'
'Why does she suddenly look so dejected? I haven't even answered yet~'
Luo Shu gave Eriri a strange look but couldn't quite figure out what was going on.
Only Utaha Kasumigaoka was curious enough to use her Mind Reading ability briefly. Upon seeing the strikingly beautiful woman from Eriri's memories, she suddenly felt tense.
'Why do I feel this auntie is extremely dangerous to me?'
Distracted by Eriri's inexplicable dejection and having already obtained information from her, Utaha's urge to interrogate Luo Shu diminished considerably.
"Ouch ouch ouch!!" Eriri suddenly clutched her head and cried out in pain, turning to Utaha. "Did you just read my mind again?"
"Indeed!" Though surprised Eriri had noticed, Utaha nodded in admission. "I never imagined Sawamura-kun would have such an outstanding mother."
Utaha smiled while twisting the knife in Eriri's heart: "If I were Luo Shu, I'd probably fall for her too."
"Hey now, I said I was just curious..." Luo Shu attempted to defend himself.
Yet Eriri, still flustered by Utaha's teasing, turned red-faced towards Luo Shu:
"I won't support my mum having an affair, so give up on that idea!"
After saying this, she remembered Luo Shu's relationship with her and quietly added:
"Not even if you order me to. I won't agree."
"...Have you misunderstood something?" Luo Shu gave Eriri an odd look. "Actually, it's not your mother I want to see, but you... transformed into your mother."
Hearing this, Eriri froze momentarily before exclaiming:
"Eh? That's what you meant?"
But the next second, the veteran doujinshi artist immediately realised the implication, her face burning crimson as she shrieked:
"—That's even more perverted!!"
"You actually want me to dress as Mum and then... mmph!!"
Noticing the hand suddenly covering her mouth, Eriri turned to see Utaha making a shushing gesture beside her. Gradually calming down, she finally realised what she'd just blurted out to Luo Shu.
Watching the red-faced Eriri - head bowed so low her ability control faltered, cheeks glowing like overheated steam engine pistons, practically steaming at the ears - Luo Shu couldn't help but remark:
"Should I expect nothing less from Eri Kashiwagi? You've even imagined the roleplay scenario for me. Truly impressive."
"Alright, that's enough from you, too." Utaha shot Luo Shu a glare, certain he'd just visualised Eriri's described scenario.
'Tch. This man definitely had ideas now, even if he hadn't before.'
Her ability made her perceptive to human nature. Utaha clearly detected Luo Shu's interest. While irritated, she couldn't help admiring Eriri's imaginative prowess.
She strongly suspected that if Eri Kashiwagi ever drew milf doujinshi in future, the self-insert character might just be... No, even imagining it created too vivid a mental image. Better stop there.
Utaha took a deep breath before addressing Luo Shu:
"Didn't Teacher Natsuki assign you letter delivery duty? Aren't you going?"
Luo Shu pointed at Eriri and replied, "You think I'd care about delivering letters at a time like this?"
"Actually, this is exactly when you should care." Utaha Kasumigaoka emphasised her words before sighing at Luo Shu: "At least consider Sawamura-kun's feelings a little."
"Fine."
Luo Shu shrugged, picked up the empty lunchbox from the bench, stuffed it into a bag and said calmly:
"I'll take my leave for a few days then."
With that, he turned and walked towards the stairwell.
Only when Luo Shu's footsteps faded did Eriri finally calm down enough to spit out:
"Damn lecherous spirit! I won't let you have your way. No, I need to keep Mum away from him... no, better yet, they shouldn't even meet."
'I think you're more obsessed than Luo Shu...' Utaha side-eyed the self-motivating Eriri, silently adding in her mind.
She suddenly realised that if Sawamura-kun ever became troublesome and competed with her, perhaps letting Luo Shu meet Sayuri Sawamura might effectively deter her?
'In Three Kingdoms terms, this would be "using Sayuri to control Eriri"? ...I really am a wicked woman.'
Utaha unconsciously stuck out her tongue.
...
"Eh? Natsuki-chan has work to entrust to Big Sister?"
Back kitchen of Café LycoReco.
Chisato Nishikigi, standing by the sink, looked shocked upon hearing Luo Shu's request:
"No way! That Natsuki-chan would actually assign work to Big Sister? Is the world ending?"
Still talking, Chisato abandoned the dishes she was washing and dashed into the backyard:
"This is huge, Takina! Natsuki-chan actually gave Big Sister a job!!"
CRASH!
The sound of a sliding door being thrown open echoed.
Having followed Chisato out of curiosity, Luo Shu saw through the open door - a curvaceous figure with fair, rounded contours.
Takina Inoue froze mid-motion, the obi belt in her hands stopping halfway.
The next second.
An ear-piercing shriek split the air.
"KYAAAAAA——!!!"
"Pervert, die already!"