At that mont, i i had a general understanding of the situation.
Her imagined one-on-one date with Ryuji wasn't happening. Instead, this hot spring trip would involve a crowd of other people—and all of them were beautiful girls.
To be honest, she wasn't angry.
When it ca to charm and confidence, i i knew she was second to none. How could a group of little girls possibly compare to her?
"What, don't want to co?"
Noticing the silence on her end, Ryuji teased her with a smile.
"Of course not!"
As expected, i i's voice ca through the phone almost imdiately.
Not go? What a joke.
After all, chances to et up like this were rare, and i i wasn't about to let this one pass.
Besides, she had already co to terms with how Ryuji operated.
"Anyway, I already know what kind of person you are!" i i said, her tone playful but laced with confidence.
She had been prepared for this sort of thing for a long ti. It wasn't shocking to her in the slightest.
"As long as you're not worried that your little girlfriends will feel inferior or jealous when they see !"
Her words were bold, spoken with a mix of teasing and pride.
As expected of i i, her confidence was unmatched.
"Hahaha!"
Ryuji couldn't help but laugh at her response. It had been a while since they'd spoken like this. He had to admit, he missed her a little.
"Do you need to co pick you up?" he asked.
"Sure!" i i agreed without hesitation.
After chatting for a bit longer, Ryuji hung up the phone.
---
At that mont, i i was attending a dinner party hosted by the Suzuki family.
Since the existence of sorcerers had beco public knowledge, many powerful families had been trying to recruit sorcerers to strengthen their influence.
As a first-grade sorcerer with considerable strength, i i had naturally attracted attention. She had cooperated with the Suzuki family in the past, so their relationship was already quite friendly.
Recently, the Suzuki family had been inviting her to their gatherings in an effort to build a stronger bond.
For i i, these invitations weren't sothing to turn down.
After all, if soone was practically offering her money and connections, why refuse?
Sitting beside her, Sonoko watched i i curiously.
"Was that a call from Mr. Ryuji?"
She hadn't heard much of the conversation, but judging by i i's bright expression and the occasional laughter, it wasn't hard to guess.
"That's right," i i replied without denying it.
Aside from Sonoko, her parents, Suzuki Tomoko and Suzuki Shiro, were also present at the dinner.
As for Sonoko's older sister, Ayako, she had already married and rarely returned for family events.
Upon hearing i i's response, Tomoko smiled warmly and comnted, "Miss i i, you're so beautiful, and Mr. Ryuji is so handso. The two of you truly make a perfect match."
"Yes, yes! I agree completely!" Shiro nodded with a grin.
The Suzuki family, as a top-tier conglorate, was aware of so of the rumors surrounding Ryuji. While they knew he had a reputation for having many girlfriends, they naturally wouldn't bring that up in front of i i.
Instead, they made sure to say things that would make her feel good.
"What does Mr. Ryuji want to see you for?" Sonoko asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"He invited to join him for a hot spring trip," i i replied, her tone light and nonchalant.
"A hot spring trip?"
Sonoko's eyes lit up with excitent.
"Can I co too? It sounds so fun!"
Taking a hot spring trip together was sothing Sonoko clearly found appealing.
The Suzuki family also saw this as a potential opportunity. If they could strengthen their relationship with Ryuji through this, they wouldn't want to miss the chance.
"Not this ti," i i said, shaking her head with a small smile.
She was well aware of the Suzuki family's intentions but didn't pay them much mind.
Her cooperation with the Suzukis was mainly because they were wealthy and generous with their resources.
More importantly, she genuinely found them to be decent people.
Despite being a prominent chaebol family, the Suzukis were polite and cultured, never overstepping their bounds or acting arrogantly.
Otherwise, no matter how rich they were, i i would have kept their relationship strictly professional.
"Why not?" Sonoko asked, visibly disappointed but not wanting to push too hard.
"Well…" i i paused before offering an explanation. "The main reason is that Ryuji isn't just inviting . Since there will be a lot of other people coming along, it might be a bit awkward for you to join."
"...???"
Sonoko blinked, her expression shifting to confusion.
Not just i i? Awkward?
Though Sonoko often acted carefree, as the future heir to the Suzuki family, she wasn't stupid. She quickly pieced things together.
Wait a second. A group trip? A bunch of girls?
Sonoko had seen her share of scumbags before. But soone as bold as Ryuji? That was new.
He wasn't even trying to hide it!
Still, when she glanced at i i and saw her calm, unbothered expression, Sonoko realized sothing important.
Sotis, when you reached a certain level of power, you really could do whatever you wanted.
"Mr. Ryuji sure is… confident," Sonoko muttered, choosing her words carefully.
Suzuki Shiro, who had also caught on, couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head in admiration. "That's a man who knows what he wants."
But no sooner had those words left his mouth than he felt the sharp gaze of Tomoko on him.
Though she didn't say a word, the ssage in her eyes was crystal clear: Are you envious?
"Ahem!"
Clearing his throat nervously, Shiro straightened up. It wasn't that he wasn't envious—he definitely was.
But at his age, even if he entertained the idea, his body wouldn't be able to keep up.
"I'm just making an observation," Shiro said with an awkward laugh, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Hmph," Tomoko snorted before turning away, clearly unimpressed.
Her reaction made both i i and Sonoko laugh quietly.
No matter what else could be said about the Suzuki family, their dynamic was genuinely good.
***
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