"You're awake. Any plans for today?"
Hayasaka Ai sat on the bed. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled and said.
"Can Ryo-kun answer a few questions for me? Although I can probably guess, I still hope to hear the truth from your mouth."
Uchiha Ryo nodded, then pulled a chair over and sat by the bed.
"Go ahead, what do you want to ask?"
Hayasaka Ai looked up. "Ryo-kun... is an onmyoji, right?"
As expected, it was this. Uchiha Ryo wasn't surprised at all that Hayasaka Ai could guess it. After all, if even Mrs. Yukinoshita could guess it, it was impossible for the huge Shinomiya conglomerate not to.
It is rumored that onmyoji are not allowed to be involved in politics, which is why Uchiha Ryo wasn't placed in the open by Shinomiya Un'yo. But now, whether it's Hayasaka Ai or the Yukinoshita family, they can guess something.
Why would someone like Uchiha Ryo, from an "ordinary family," gain the attention of Shinomiya Un'yo? Unless he is an illegitimate child of the Shinomiya family head, otherwise... only being an onmyoji can explain it.
Given the transcendent status of onmyoji in Sakura Country, this facilitated the cooperation between Uchiha Ryo and Shinomiya Un'yo.
It wasn't hard for Hayasaka Ai to guess this, but her next sentence....
"Ryo-kun, what number am I? Or rather, how many have you set your sights on in total?"
Uchiha Ryo: "Cough cough.... well. Listen to me explain in detail...."
Since Hayasaka Ai could guess this far, there was no need to hide too much. Although Uchiha Ryo was prepared to be a scumbag, he wouldn't be a sneaky piece of trash.
If he was going to do it, he would do it boldly!
Hayasaka Ai's face grew darker as she listened. "Ryo-kun.... so Yukino and Eru are confirmed, and the others are temporarily—uncertain, right?"
Uchiha Ryo nodded, then waited for Hayasaka Ai to speak. If she could accept it, all would be well. If she really couldn't accept it.... then Uchiha Ryo could only slowly wear her down until she accepted.
"Although I really want to complain, the maid mentality I've developed since childhood makes it hard for me to say anything."
Hayasaka Ai rolled her eyes at Uchiha Ryo, then asked her third question, which surprised Uchiha Ryo the most.
"When are you going to capture Kaguya-sama and Bocchi? I can help."
Uchiha Ryo: "!!!"
Truly touching. Uchiha Ryo immediately stepped forward and kissed Hayasaka Ai on her small cheek.
If only Yukinoshita and Chitanda could have this kind of awareness sooner!
"Are you serious? You're not calling me a scumbag in a roundabout way, are you...."
Hayasaka Ai, held by Uchiha Ryo, snorted lightly. "What? If I said you couldn't touch those two, would you really not touch them?"
Saying this, Hayasaka Ai sighed.
"Ryo-kun, you have to know that women are creatures afraid of loneliness. Because of your greed, no single person can accompany you every day, so a group that can help you manage things needs to appear at this time."
Chitanda Eru and Yukinoshita Yukino have a good relationship, so Hayasaka Ai already considers them a group by default. She can't command them alone, so she'll find a way to drag Kaguya-sama into the water, and also call over that obedient little maid (Bocchi) she trained herself.
Now it's 3:2, Hayasaka Ai's side has a higher winning rate!
Uchiha Ryo: "Wait wait wait! You can't think like that. Everyone get along peacefully! Wouldn't it be better if you all merged into one group?"
Hayasaka Ai reached out and poked Uchiha Ryo's head. "You're overthinking it, right? Do you really think of yourself as an emperor? A bunch of concubines forming factions to compete for favor?"
"Is that.... not it?"
"Of course not!"
Although Hayasaka Ai hadn't seen how many people would be in the future group, she habitually took on the role of a butler.
For a faction or a family, the most important thing is management. If everyone just gathers together to play with you every day, how can that work?
They can't be disconnected from society, right? It's not like marrying an onmyoji means living in seclusion!
So this future family.... this modern Uchiha clan, needs to develop itself!
Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai, Yukinoshita and Chitanda, all four have the ability to manage a family. So to avoid unnecessary conflicts in management, dividing into different departments is inevitable.
Unless Uchiha Ryo says right now that the Uchiha clan doesn't need to develop and just needs to play with him every day, then Hayasaka Ai can't be bothered to manage it either.
Uchiha Ryo put away the smile on his face. Developing the Uchiha clan in this modern Country... he originally thought of it as a joke, but unexpectedly.... there really is hope?
Hayasaka Ai is right. She isn't some love-struck girl. As someone educated as an all-around butler maid since childhood, her thoughts are far more profound.
For example, Yukino is the second daughter, Kaguya is the youngest child in the family. Hayasaka is a servant of the Shinomiya family anyway, so it doesn't matter. But Chitanda Eru is the only daughter of the Chitanda family.
If Uchiha Ryo wants to capture Chitanda, he must go to her home to get the approval of Chitanda's parents, and he also has to find a way to solve the issue of the Chitanda family's next heir.
After hearing Hayasaka Ai say this, Uchiha Ryo indeed realized that he had thought everything too perfectly. Crushing everything with power is indeed possible, but managing a family and such.... let's leave it to them.
Uchiha Ryo: "I understand. I will revive the Uchiha in my own way! But for the others, let's take it slowly. Let's handle the matters at hand first."
Hayasaka Ai: "What matters? Do you need help from the Shinomiya family?"
Uchiha Ryo smiled. "It has nothing to do with you guys; it's on the onmyoji side. I'm going to visit the Keikain clan in a while, and by the way, visit the King of Tokyo's Underworld (Nura Clan)."
Hayasaka Ai: "Is this matter urgent? If not, I want to call everyone to go out together. How about going to the beach?"
Going to the beach.... Uchiha Ryo naturally had no objections.
"I'm not in a hurry. Anyway, just taking two days off during this summer vacation to go is fine. By the way! Does anyone else besides you know that I'm an onmyoji?"
Hayasaka Ai: "About this, I asked my mom to help me check. If I can guess it, Mom definitely can too, but I didn't tell Kaguya-sama."
Uchiha Ryo: "Mhm, then don't tell anyone for now. Let's go out for breakfast first. If there's nothing today, I'll go back to the apartment tonight."
Hayasaka Ai: "Okay. I will discuss the beach trip with Kaguya-sama, and then prepare a private beach for the trip."
Uchiha Ryo waved his hand. "You guys arrange this; I'll be there whenever called."
Hayasaka Ai thought for a moment, but still asked.
"Um, Ryo-kun.... I'll ask just in case. For this beach trip, are we only inviting 'our people', or inviting everyone we know?"
Uchiha Ryo stopped. "Well, let's call everyone."
Although if Hayasaka Ai only called Chitanda and Yukinoshita, Uchiha Ryo could "play" to his heart's content.
But the others would definitely notice something, so it's better to invite everyone.... Yes, not only everyone from Shuchiin, but he also wants to invite Hana and Rumi, and call Bocchi along by the way.