Chapter 518

After hearing the doorbell.

The relaxed atmosphere of playing in the room came to an abrupt end.

Several people were stunned, exchanging suspicious glances with each other.

Natsume Ruri looked toward the door in confusion, guessing:

"Who is it? Could it be that Reisa-chan is coming over?"

Natsume Chikage was also a bit unclear, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Maybe... I'll go open the door and see."

Saying that.

He stood up and went to the door.

He leaned over and looked through the peephole.

The scene outside the door made his expression instantly become extremely strange, and a trace of surprise flashed by.

Natsume Chikage opened the door.

What came into view was Konoe Hitomi, who was standing quietly in the hallway.

Today, she rarely wore that meticulous maid outfit during her break, but instead wore simple and elegant private clothes.

A light-colored knit sweater paired with a plaid skirt that went past her knees, and an outer beige trench coat of excellent texture, made her look intellectual and fresh.

This outfit made Natsume Chikage's eyes light up as well.

A trace of surprise flashed through his heart.

He only felt that although Konoe Hitomi had no expression on her face, and although she said a lot of teasing things in private, when she stood quietly without speaking, she was really like a quiet painting, exuding a unique, cold, and clear beauty.

"Hitomi... why are you here?"

Konoe Hitomi gently raised one hand, slightly making a playful gesture similar to the character "Ya," but there was still no expression on her face, and she said in a flat tone:

"Just like what I said last night, I'm here to pick you up."

And after the three girls from the Collection Department in the room witnessed this scene, they immediately had an indescribable sense of familiarity, and the vigilance that followed.

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui asked urgently:

"What... what do you mean by coming to pick up Natsume-kun, what's going on?"

Yukimura Suzune narrowed her eyes, her gaze cast sharply toward Konoe Hitomi at the door:

"Konoe-senpai... how did you know Natsume-kun lives here?"

Sister Xiyuan Si Xiyuanji Qilai blinked her lively eyes, seemingly not having fully understood the situation, and asked naturally:

"Is Konoe-senpai also coming over to play together?"

Natsume Ruri looked at this strange beautiful girl who appeared suddenly, even more confused, and turned to look at her brother:

"Big brother... who is this?"

Natsume Chikage explained with a strange expression, his tone somewhat helpless:

"This is... a senior of mine at school, Konoe Hitomi."

Konoe Hitomi tilted her body, her gaze passing over Natsume Chikage's shoulder, directly ignoring the three girls from the Collection Department who had different expressions, and fell on the cute and confused little face behind him.

She reached out and gently pushed Natsume Chikage, who was blocking the door, her movements as natural as if this were her own home.

She took off her polished little leather shoes, placed them neatly in the entryway, and went straight into the room.

Then, she took out a purple cute doll about the size of a palm, which had recently become popular among junior high school girls, from the small and exquisite bag she was carrying.

She handed it to Natsume Ruri.

"Ruri-imouto, nice to meet you for the first time, I am a senior of your brother at school."

Her voice was steady and waveless.

"Take this as a gift for you."

Natsume Ruri looked at the exquisitely crafted doll in front of her, and her eyes lit up slightly.

She knew that this doll was not cheap in boutique stores, but she really liked it, so she hesitated and asked tentatively:

"This... is a bit expensive, right? Can I really accept it?"

Konoe Hitomi gave a thumbs up with an expressionless face and affirmed:

"No problem, please accept it."

Only then did Natsume Ruri happily take it, a smile blooming on her face:

"Great, thank you, Konoe-sister!"

After Konoe Hitomi gave the doll, she went straight to the point and said:

"So—I'll take your brother away first."

The smile on Natsume Ruri's face was instantly replaced by astonishment:

"Konoe-sister... where are you taking big brother?"

The three girls from the Collection Department also stared tightly at Konoe Hitomi, all wanting to know the answer.

Konoe Hitomi explained concisely:

"Your brother promised to go practice swordsmanship, and I'm taking him out now."

Yukimura Suzune narrowed her eyes and looked at Natsume Chikage, her tone revealing a trace of obvious unhappiness.

"Natsume-kun, is that so?"

The cause and effect of the matter were too complicated, and Natsume Chikage couldn't explain it in detail for a while, so he could only laugh it off:

"... That's how it is."

Konoe Hitomi didn't give more time for questioning and announced directly:

"That's how it is, we're leaving."

Saying that.

She continued to ignore the complex expressions of the three girls, which were a mixture of cold annoyance, confusion, and huffiness.

She turned around neatly, put on her shoes in the entryway, and then said to Natsume Chikage:

"Put on your shoes quickly, it's time to go."

Hearing this, Natsume Chikage had no choice but to sigh helplessly and bent down to put on his shoes.

He turned his head and apologized to the girls in the room:

"Ruri... big brother will go out for a while, I'll be back soon."

He looked at the other three again.

"Sister Xiyuan Si-san, Yukimura-san, and Fujiwara-san... I will make up for the club work later. I'll leave my sister in your care for now."

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui felt a sense of suffocation in her heart, just like last time, as if she had been intercepted halfway.

She had clearly been looking forward to playing at home with Natsume-kun until the evening, but now she was suddenly interrupted by Konoe Hitomi... she didn't want that kind of thing to happen...

But she was helpless and could only say weakly:

"Mm... Natsume-kun, take care."

Yukimura Suzune, who was holding the cat, turned her face away and said coldly:

"Hmph!"

Sister Xiyuan Si Xiyuanji Qilai still hadn't fully figured out the situation and smiled naturally:

"Will you be back soon? I understand, I will look after Ruri-chan, Natsume-kun, take care."

Although Natsume Ruri didn't understand the specific situation, she also understood that her brother seemed to be going out with this senior.

"Big brother, take care..."

Natsume Chikage nodded, gave her a "don't worry" look, and then left with Konoe Hitomi.

The door closed gently.