Chapter 435: The Night Owl's Deduction
Once the dishes were safely in her possession, Pepper Potts bid them farewell and departed. From the side, Aoandon observed the entire exchange with an unnerving intensity, her focus so absolute it was as if she were studying a nature documentary.
Meanwhile, Cerberus and the others continued their lively conversation. Shiina Mashiro's gaze drifted between Cerberus and Kasugano Sora, her expression a placid mask as she simply watched, not uttering a single word.
Soryuin Akemi suddenly broke in, her tone brimming with passionate concern. "Sora! You can't just coop yourself up at home playing games all the time! You have to come out and exercise!"
Kasugano Sora let out a long, weary sigh. "That's easy for you to say, Akemi. Tomorrow is Saturday. Isn't the proper way to celebrate it by sleeping until noon, waking up to have breakfast for dinner, and then gaming straight through until the actual dinner?"
Sister Lanterby nodded vigorously, her eyes lighting up. "Mhm! Sora, you've spoken the truth! I couldn't agree more!"
Sora shot Sister Lanterby a look of deep gratitude, as if she'd just found her savior. In that instant, a beautiful bond of shared indolence was forged between them.
Akemi, however, was having none of it. "No! No! Absolutely not!" she protested, her voice rising. "How can you waste your precious youth like that! We must live healthy, well-rounded lives! We must strive for complete development!"
The corner of Sora's mouth twitched. She and Sakura Hibiki were likely the only two people on the planet immune to Akemi's infectious enthusiasm.
Sister Lanterby, caught in the crossfire, blinked. "Wha... Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the wrong here?"
Shiina Mashiro turned her gaze to Akemi, tilting her head slightly. "Akemi..." she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
"Hm? What is it, Mashiro?" Akemi asked, her tone softening instantly.
"Drawing?" Mashiro inquired.
Akemi's face lit up. "Of course! Drawing is an exceptionally healthy activity! It cultivates both the body and the mind!"
Mashiro gave a small, satisfied nod before turning away, her part in the conversation apparently concluded.
Sora's mouth twitched again. "Um... Akemi, I think..."
But Akemi was already back on her soapbox, clenching a fist for emphasis. "Sora! You should take a page out of Hibiki's book! Getting out for some exercise puts you in a good mood for the entire day! You should be like me and Sister Courage! Make healthy living and physical fitness your lifelong goals!"
Sister Lanterby stared into the middle distance, a dazed look on her face. "Why do I suddenly have the urge to go to the gym...?"
Cerberus nodded along blankly, the force of Akemi's conviction sweeping her up. The silly dog seemed to have forgotten that her divine form was entirely immune to the effects of a workout.
"Ah... I get it, I get it," Sora said with a hint of resignation. Changing the subject, she mused aloud, "I wonder where Ren-nii will be tomorrow. He seems to have a lot going on lately."
"Ren has a lot to do?" Sister Lanterby asked, tilting her head.
"Mmm... Probably," Sora replied. "After all, Ren-nii doesn't just stay in the restaurant all day. If nothing comes up, he probably won't even be here tomorrow..." She trailed off, her brow furrowing slightly. "Eh? Wait... why does that feel... off?"
"What's wrong?" Lanterby asked, her curiosity piqued. "Is something not right?"
Cerberus nodded, her ears perking up.
Sora paused, her mind clearly working. A moment later, her eyes widened and she slapped her palm with her fist. "Ah! I know what it is! Sister Courage and the others... they never asked me to go downstairs and help get drinks!"
Lanterby waved a dismissive hand. "What's so strange about that? It seems perfectly normal to me. Before, we were always swamped with work and didn't have time to go down ourselves. But today, most of the work is already finished."
Sora tilted her head, a knowing look in her eyes. "That's exactly the problem."
"Eh?" came the synchronized response from Lanterby, Akemi, and Cerberus.
Leaning back in her chair, Sora fixed Lanterby with a thoughtful gaze. "If all the work is done, and there's nothing left on the schedule for today... Sister Lanterby, let me ask you something. Would you be going to bed at this hour?"
Lanterby scoffed. "Rest? Are you kidding me? For us, this time of night is basically noon!"
Sora nodded sagely. "Just as I'd expect from you, Sister Lanterby!"
"See!" Lanterby preened.
Mashiro tilted her head again. "Noon?"
"That's right, that's right," Sora confirmed, turning to her with a smile. "Sister Mashiro, you..."
A faint tremor ran through Shiina Mashiro's small frame at the address. Just as Sora was about to continue, Mashiro spoke again, her voice soft but clear. "You can continue."
Sora nodded, picking up her train of thought. "For people like Sister Lanterby and me, the night—especially after dinner—is when the day truly begins. That's when we start to have our fun."
"Mhm! Spoken like a true night owl!" Lanterby added with a proud nod.
Mashiro tilted her head. "Cat?"
Sora crossed her arms and puffed out her chest, nodding as if being a nocturnal creature was a badge of honor.
Akemi sighed, exasperated. "You two just enjoy staying up all night, don't you?"
Sora and Lanterby clicked their tongues in unison.
Cerberus tilted her head, trying to follow the logic. "So... if now is like noon, then when is night?"
"The morning, of course," Sora said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why else would I sleep until noon?"
Akemi shook her head, turning to the impressionable hellhound. "Sister Cerberus, please don't learn from their bad habits."
"Oh, oh! Right! Got it!" Cerberus replied, nodding obediently.
Sora quickly shook her head, waving her hands to get them back on track. "No! That's not the point right now! The point is Sister Courage and the others!"
Lanterby looked confused. "I still don't understand what the problem is."
Sora's expression turned serious. "Think about it. They wouldn't be going to bed this early. So if they wanted drinks, why wouldn't they go get them? And if they were going to get them, they would have definitely stopped by to ask if we wanted anything."
Lanterby's eyes went wide with realization. She snapped her fingers. "I know what that means! The four of them are definitely up to something right now! Something they need to keep secret from us!"
Sora nodded, a sly smile spreading across her face as she subtly gestured with her head toward the door. Lanterby caught her meaning instantly, her own expression twisting into a mischievous grin. Cerberus's tail began to wag with anticipation; as long as something fun was about to happen, she was all for it.
Akemi leaned in, whispering nervously, "You're not... planning to ambush them, are you? That sounds... dangerous."
Sora placed her hands on her hips, projecting an air of complete confidence. "Don't worry. They wouldn't dare make a big deal out of it. Besides," she added, her eyes gleaming, "aren't you even a little bit curious, Akemi?"
Akemi swallowed hard, her resolve crumbling. Finally, she gave a hesitant nod.
Sora's smile widened. "Sister Mashiro, you're part of this too, so you have to keep it a secret, okay?"
Shiina Mashiro nodded several times. She had no idea what was going on, but hearing Sora call her "Sister Mashiro" again filled her with a pleasant warmth that assured her everything was fine. And besides, she didn't know what was happening anyway.
"Alright then," Sora declared, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let's sneak out and see what they're up to. Remember, we have to be quiet. Sister Cerberus, don't give us away."
Cerberus gave a solemn nod. A hush fell over the group, and the air suddenly crackled with the thrill of their impending covert operation.
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