Approaching 9 o'clock.
Eriri, now fully made up, examined her reflection—her face still bearing traces of exhaustion and helplessness yet radiating unusual vitality—and finally sighed in relief, thanking Kato Megumi, who was still evaluating the makeup technique:
"Thank you for your hard work, Megumi."
"No need for thanks. After all, I only made minor adjustments to what Senior Kasumigaoka had already done."
Megumi didn't claim credit, instead placing herself behind Utaha Kasumigaoka:
"Would you like to stand up and check the results, Senior Sawamura?"
"No need for that. It's definitely much better than what a certain someone did earlier."
As if she couldn't resist taking a jab at Utaha Kasumigaoka, Eriri let out a light hum before turning her head to glance at Utaha, who was sitting on the sofa reading a book:
"Speaking of which, Kasumigaoka, your usual makeup always looks quite nice, doesn't it? Why does it feel so difficult when you're doing mine today?"
"You already know I'm skilled at making people look good. Now you're asking why I can't make you look bad?"
Utaha's fingers moved, closing the book as she glanced at Eriri with a mocking laugh.
Meeting with resistance, Eriri pouted and clicked her tongue before scanning the room and asking in confusion:
"That's strange. Where are Luo Shu and Kisara? Where did they go?"
Hearing this, Megumi Kato also looked around before saying uncertainly:
"They seemed to have gone to find Aunt Sayuri... Huh? It's been a while, haven't they come back yet?"
At this, Utaha immediately realised something and frowned:
"Megumi, how long have they been gone?"
"Well..." Megumi lifted her sleeve to check her watch before tilting her head. "Almost an hour, I think?"
"Tch." Utaha made a clearly displeased sound upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Eriri couldn't help but say exasperatedly: "Hey, gloomy girl, they just stepped out for a bit. Is it really worth getting so upset about?"
Utaha merely gave Eriri a faint glance before replying with disdain:
"Of course, for a child like Sawamura, it would just be 'stepping out for a bit'."
"Hah?" Eriri immediately fired back: "What's that supposed to mean? A personal attack? Even at a time like this, you still want to pick a fight with me?"
"With your single-celled brain, you'd naturally interpret this as picking a fight."
Utaha sighed as if looking at some uncivilised monkey, waving her hand dismissively before crossing her arms:
"Megumi, contact Kisara through the internal comms and ask where she and Luo Shu are."
"Honestly, causing trouble even at a time like today... How very like him."
Megumi nodded and immediately used the internal comms to contact Kisara.
Not long after the inquiry was sent, the door suddenly opened, and Luo Shu strode in looking refreshed:
"Ah, everyone's here. Finished with the makeup already?"
Luo Shu glanced around at everyone, one hand in his pocket as he asked with a smile:
"Rurukawa's prepared breakfast too. Shall we all go eat together?"
Utaha stared at Luo Shu, her gaze lingering until he began to look slightly uncomfortable before speaking:
"Where's Kisara?"
At that moment, Kisara's timid voice sounded faintly from behind Luo Shu: "I'm here."
Utaha glanced at the nervous-looking Kisara by the door, taking in her unnatural posture, and thought 'as expected' before saying calmly:
"I believe the encoffining ceremony starts at 10:30, correct?"
"According to the schedule, that should be the case."
Somehow, Megumi now held a list in her hands - likely today's funeral arrangements:
"The funeral home staff should arrive around 9:40. Calculating the time, we should have about 30 minutes for breakfast."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Utaha Kasumigaoka stood up, glanced at Luo Shu, then looked at Kisara's lips with an indifferent expression:
"After all, unlike some people who've already had breakfast, if we delay any longer without something to tide us over, we'll feel awful all day."
Hearing this, Kisara's face turned crimson as she lowered her head without a word.
Luo Shu maintained his smile, though it seemed slightly strained:
"Utaha, you seem to have misunderstood. Kisara and I haven't had breakfast yet."
He added, "Even if we were going to eat, we'd definitely take you along."
Utaha Kasumigaoka immediately lost her composure, blushing as she glared at Luo Shu before retorting irritably:
"Let's just forget it. The occasion isn't right, is it?"
She gave Luo Shu a meaningful look before turning and striding out of the living room.
"'Occasion isn't right'... so if the occasion were right, it'd be fine?" Luo Shu smirked oddly. "Alright then, it's a date!"
Utaha Kasumigaoka hurriedly quickened her pace to escape.
Watching this, Eriri rose from her vanity chair with a puzzled expression:
"What's going on? Everyone's suddenly acting so weird."
Megumi Kato seemed surprised: "Eh? Was Senior Utaha acting weird just now?"
"Wasn't she?" Eriri stared at Megumi in confusion.
Megumi smiled, glancing at Eriri before saying:
"Come to think of it, I'm feeling a bit hungry too. Why don't we join Senior for breakfast?"
She then invited Kisara:
"Senior Kisara, will you come too?"
"I..." Kisara hesitated...
"Don't worry, Senior Kisara. Senior Utaha isn't actually angry with you."
Megumi smiled gently. Hearing this, the guilty Kisara relaxed and nodded:
"Let's go together then."
"Huh?" Eriri watched them leave together, thoroughly bewildered. "What's wrong with them? Everyone's being so strange."
When questioned, Luo Shu played dumb: "Who knows?"
"How odd..." Unable to get answers from Luo Shu, Eriri scratched her head in confusion.
Just then, a familiar female voice rang out:
"My, my? Eriri, why are you still here? Didn't Kochiyo call you for breakfast?"
"Mum?" Eriri was pleasantly surprised to see Sayuri Sawamura, but grew puzzled upon noticing her attire: "Eh? Why are you wearing that kimono? Aren't you supposed to be in mourning clothes today?"
Seeing Sayuri Sawamura in a violet kimono embroidered with cherry blossoms, faint steam still rising from her body as if she'd just bathed, Eriri was completely lost.
From behind Luo Shu, Sayuri covered part of her face with her sleeve and giggled:
"Because I thought wearing this would irritate Robert more, so I put it on~"
"Eh?" Eriri rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Seriously? That's just childish. How would some clothes annoy that horrible woman?"
After muttering to herself, Eriri's stomach let out a loud growl.
Her face flushed red at the sound. She glanced at Luo Shu, noticed he'd turned his head away to avoid looking at her, and quickly strode out of the living room in embarrassment:
"Well, I'm going for breakfast too. You two should hurry up and come soon!"
Watching Eriri's rapidly retreating figure, the previously smiling Sayuri Sawamura heaved a great sigh of relief, then turned and kicked Luo Shu.
Luo Shu could have dodged, but chose not to, taking the completely harmless attack head-on before curling his lips into a smile:
"See? It's really nothing. Eriri didn't notice anything at all."
Sayuri rolled her beautiful eyes and snorted in annoyance:
"Before saying that, you'd better comfort little Utaha first."
"You wicked thing!"
With that, Sayuri spat out the words and ignored him, walking straight past Luo Shu.
Left alone in the living room, the so-called "wicked thing" scratched his cheek and shrugged:
"Wonder who made me wicked in the first place."
"Killing the donkey after it's done grinding the wheat... how ruthlessly efficient."
Shaking his head, Luo Shu checked the time on his phone, glanced at Sayuri's retreating back, and quickly followed after her.