Seeing the four extra people almost filling up the pavilion, with five more leaning against the railings, Luo Shu couldn't help but complain:
"What's going on? Why have you all come here?"
Toyomi Fujiwara, dressed in a black quasi-funeral outfit with a black ribbon tied to her side ponytail, looked puzzled as she said:
"Ah, didn't we come here to attend the funeral of Mr. Robert?"
"I brought playing cards. Want to play?" Chika Fujiwara suddenly produced two playing cards from somewhere, looking eager.
Luo Shu raised his hand to push away the cards Chika offered and turned to Toyomi to ask:
"Hold on with the cards. Funeral? Now I remember—were you invited here along with Mr. Daichi?"
Toyomi nodded, her expression regretful:
"Yes. After all, it's Eriri's father who passed away."
"You're close?" Utaha Kasumigaoka, leaning against a pillar, glanced at Eriri beside her.
"No, we just met a few times at social events... Well, barely acquaintances. Our parents introduced us and said we should get to know each other."
Eriri's face twitched before she retorted:
"Other than that, there's no connection. How could I possibly have ties with the granddaughter of a former prime minister?!"
"Eh? Shouldn't you have some connection?" Kisara looked slightly surprised at Eriri. "Aren't you and them from the same social circle?"
Utaha sneered coldly beside her:
"After knowing her for so long, haven't you figured out her otaku nature yet?"
Megumi Kato then murmured softly: "Um, Senior Utaha, calling her an otaku to her face seems to be making Senior Eriri tear up."
"I'm not crying!" Eriri sniffled, then scanned the women surrounding her before blurting out: "And more importantly, who are all these women anyway?"
Hearing this, Chika, still holding the playing cards, froze. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes:
"Does Eriri-san not remember me...?"
"No way...? Eriri-san, I came all the way here for the funeral because of you~"
"No way...? I even woke up at 6 a.m. to prepare, thinking about how to comfort you when I got here... How could this happen...?"
"No, I do know you..." Seeing Chika on the verge of tears, Eriri panicked.
Who was this girl from the Fujiwara family again? Damn it, she really couldn't remember her name—this was bad!!
"Made her cry, huh?" Utaha remarked calmly.
"Clumsy like a boy?" Megumi tilted her head in assessment.
"But isn't Eriri a girl?" Kisara said, confused.
Listening to the women's accusations, Eriri's face paled further. Flustered, she was about to apologise when she suddenly caught Luo Shu's subtly mocking gaze.
Instantly, Eriri realised something was off:
"Wait a minute!!"
"We're not that close, are we? I don't even have your LINE ID, do I?"
"No, I don't even know your name... Wait, which daughter of the Fujiwara family are you again?"
"Huh? You don't remember?" Chika Fujiwara blinked in surprise before exclaiming with shock: "No way! You really don't remember?"
"Nope, don't remember at all." Eriri nodded, then eyed Chika suspiciously: "Who exactly are you anyway?"
"She genuinely doesn't remember..."
Chika's eyes widened, her expression a mix of delight and exasperation:
"Remembering people's names is basic social etiquette, you know."
Eriri immediately froze up, too embarrassed to respond.
At that moment, Toyomi Fujiwara chimed in helpfully:
"Oh? Eriri doesn't remember Chika?"
"Didn't you two stay up all night playing old maid during your first year of middle school?"
Hearing "old maid", Eriri suddenly jolted upright, pointing at Chika:
"Ah! Now I remember! You're that cheating scoundrel who rigged the game 32 times in one night!!"
"Uh..." Chika's expression instantly faltered as she broke out in cold sweat: "Did that really happen?"
"It did! Absolutely did!" Eriri's temper began rising as she recalled: "I remember now - we played over 30 rounds that night, and every single time I ended up with doodles on my face! Only after you'd left the next morning did I learn from my mum that you'd marked all the old maid cards!"
"You wretched woman! How dare you show your face here again??"
"...Did that really happen? I don't recall." Chika blinked innocently.
"Eh? But Chika, you remembered Eriri's name?" Toyomi touched her cheek in confusion: "If you remember her name, surely you remember what happened?"
Chika immediately fell silent, guiltily moving the deck of cards behind her back:
"Well... we don't have to play cards..."
"You wretch... that deck's rigged too, isn't it?" Eriri rolled up her sleeves and blocked Chika's path: "Planning to cheat again, you fraud..."
"I've got things to do, I'll be going now..."
"Wait! Stop right there! Don't you dare run!!"
Watching Eriri chase after Chika, Utaha Kasumigaoka mused:
"It seems Eriri really suffered back in middle school..."
Kisara's mouth twitched as she glanced at Megumi Kato, who wore a faint smile, before they shared a knowing look.
After observing the chase between Eriri and Chika, Utaha turned to survey Maya Natsume and the flaxen-haired girl in her arms, then addressed Luo Shu:
"So, who might these two be?"
Luo Shu glanced at Maya and scoffed at her awkward smile:
"Who else could it be?"
"None other than the legendary Natsume heiress who's never shown up to our department - not even for registration~"
"What? Finally decided to grace your Director with your presence?"
Hearing this, Maya shrank back guiltily under everyone's scrutiny before taking a deep breath and pointing at Aya Natsume in her arms:
"Not my fault! Aya absolutely wouldn't let me register!"
At this moment, the flaxen-haired girl Aya Natsume, who appeared to be only about 8 years old, clasped her tiny hands together and blinked her eyes with childlike innocence, speaking in a sweet voice:
"Yes, I did it all!"
"If punishment is needed, then punish me!"
As she spoke, Aya Natsume fearfully closed her eyes.
The group fell silent for a moment as they observed the little animal-like girl with antenna-like ahoge, before ultimately casting disdainful glances towards Maya Natsume.
Using a child as a shield? How despicable! xN
Understanding their gazes, Maya Natsume froze, gritting her teeth with visible regret:
"I knew it would come to this..."
"Damn it...."