Chapter 65: Kato-san's Affinity is MAX
"A girl I don't know, but she's very pretty!"
From the very first moment she saw Kato Megumi, Shiina Kaede felt a sense of vigilance; the girl before her was definitely not simple!
"Eh? Is Moeha asleep? And who is this?"
"This is Shiina Kaede. Um... she's the younger sister of a friend of mine. She asked me to help look after her today."
Hearing Kato Megumi's question, Aragaki Takiya spoke up to explain.
"A friend? Her?"
After catching those two keywords in the boy's words, Kato Megumi couldn't help but feel a bit of self-reproach. She had only let her guard down for a few days, so how had another female friend she didn't know suddenly appeared by Aragaki Takiya's side?
Kato Megumi's feelings toward Aragaki Takiya were very complex. On one hand, there was the beautiful impression left from their first meeting; on the other, there was the affection that had gradually grown day by day.
Adding the two together, Kato Megumi herself couldn't quite say what kind of feelings she held for the boy. If she had to describe it... Kato Megumi thought back to the scene when she saw Aragaki Takiya just now.
"It's probably just that I feel happy whenever I see him."
Thinking this to herself, Kato Megumi's gaze couldn't help but fall upon Shiina Kaede's face.
"Hello there. My name is Kato Megumi, I'm Aragaki's friend."
Looking at the girl showing her kindness, Shiina Kaede, who had inherited a good upbringing, naturally couldn't remain unresponsive. She stood up slightly, moved a step inward to give up the seat she had been sitting in, and then revealed a sweet smile.
"Hello, Big Sister. My name is Shiina Kaede, and I'm Aragaki-nii's good friend."
Not knowing if it was an auditory hallucination, Aragaki Takiya, sitting nearby, felt that Shiina Kaede had placed extra emphasis on the words "good friend."
"This girl Kaede... she couldn't possibly have a black-bellied trait, could she..."
Aragaki Takiya pondered in his mind, but while he was somewhat uncertain, he also remembered that aura she had earlier that made people instinctively feel close to her.
"What am I thinking? Kaede can only be a Little Angel; being black-bellied is simply impossible..."
As it turned out, when some people have a favorable impression of someone, they will only fantasize about their good qualities even if that person displays other traits—and Aragaki Takiya happened to belong to that group of "some people."
Back to the scene in the cafe, Shiina Kaede had gradually become acquainted with Kato Megumi, and her recently aroused vigilance was slowly fading. For no other reason than Kato Megumi's Affinity Aura being simply too terrifying; even Shiina Kaede couldn't help but develop a slight liking for her.
"This friend of Dad's is actually quite nice..."
As their brief chat came to an end, Shiina Kaede also gave her own evaluation of Kato Megumi. Well, she felt the other girl was very easy to get along with, and there wouldn't be much of a problem with her dad being friends with her.
It was proven once again that like father, like daughter. After Shiina Kaede developed a bit of goodwill toward Kato Megumi, she let down her guard, and even began to consider Kato Megumi a friend herself.
"Man, Kato's affinity with Children is truly terrifying..."
Inside the cafe, Aragaki Takiya was currently watching with some surprise as Kato Megumi chatted happily with Shiina Kaede. How to put it... he had come to understand a bit of Shiina Kaede's personality through their contact today.
Although she was polite to everyone, that smile just now wasn't one of those formal, polite smiles. Shiina Kaede only showed that kind of smile to people she was familiar with, which was exactly why Aragaki Takiya was surprised.
After all, they had only been together for a mere ten minutes or so.
"By the way, Kato, why are you here today? Are you out by yourself?"
Only after the two of them finished chatting did Aragaki Takiya finally ask out of curiosity.
"Mm, I guess so. Since it's pretty boring being home alone, I wanted to come out for a stroll, and then I ran into you guys, Aragaki..."
The short-haired girl spoke, and when she said the name "Aragaki," a beautiful smile couldn't help but appear on the corners of her mouth. Unlike Shiina Kaede's smile that made people feel close, the smile Kato Megumi showed was like faint pink flower petals.
Even Aragaki Takiya, who had known Kato Megumi for a long time, was slightly dazed upon seeing this smile. He had seen the smiles of many beautiful girls—Eriri, Kasumigaoka Utaha, Shiina Mahiru... but so far, none could compare to the girl before him.
Thump... Thump...
"What's wrong with me?"
Feeling his heartbeat gradually accelerate, Aragaki Takiya quickly looked away. He didn't know why, but how could a mere smile cause such a huge reaction?
"Mmm~"
While Aragaki Takiya was lost in thought, Aragaki Moeha, who was resting on his lap, also had a reaction. Her previously closed eyes twitched slightly before slowly opening, revealing deep blue pupils.
"Brother, I'm awake..."
The Little one looked at the familiar face in her sight, feeling nothing but endless contentment in her heart. But when she sat up and saw Kato Megumi sitting opposite her, she finally couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Why is Big Sister Kato here too?"
"I just got here too, Moeha~"
Looking at the slightly dazed, just-awakened Aragaki Moeha, Kato Megumi blinked and said.
"Eh? I didn't even know."
Looking at Kato Megumi sitting opposite her, Aragaki Moeha also couldn't help but chat a bit with her. One must know that Aragaki Moeha was a rather introverted child, yet even so, she could get along well with Kato Megumi. From this, it was clear that Kato-san's affinity was truly a bit terrifying.
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