Maggie from Phoenix Academy was very busy.
But she did not forget to prepare a strategy for Nomura's pursuit, for the celebration banquet on August 20th.
Choosing the location was very important.
Staying at the Nomura Residence was naturally impossible since it lacked the right atmosphere.
They also couldn't go to a too high-end restaurant.
Considering Kyoichiro Furusawa's personality, going to such a fancy place wouldn't be suitable.
The best choice was a mid-range restaurant bustling with people.
After much thought, she decided on a barbecue place next to Shinjuku Gyoen.
The time wasn't set for noon, but rather in the evening after dinner.
When night fell, the group would not return home, but head to Shinjuku Gyoen, slowing their pace to allow the couple some alone time.
Then, at the right moment, Nomura would confess her feelings.
The hundreds of boxes of fireworks she had prepared would be ignited immediately, guaranteeing a romantic atmosphere.
The related expenses and the nighttime admission to Shinjuku Gyoen would naturally be handled by Maggie from Phoenix Academy.
Besides, before the confession, Maggie thought it was necessary to make Kyoichiro feel anxious by making him think Nomura had someone she liked.
Finally, when Nomura confessed, he would discover that the person she liked was him.
The contrast would surely make Kyoichiro pleasantly surprised and prompt him to agree to the relationship, sealing it with a deep kiss of love.
If he didn't agree in such a situation, it could only mean that Maggie had misjudged the relationship between Kyoichiro Furusawa and Nomura.
As long as there was a hint of affection.
In such a situation, refusal would be impossible.
Maggie took a sip of her invigorating coffee, her fingers tapping on the phone screen before sending the plan over.
"Makoto, see if there's anything that needs adding?"
Nomura, almost asleep, was awakened by the sound of a message notification on her phone, which revealed a message sent from Maggie from Phoenix Academy.
She blinked, quickly typing: "Maggie, do you really think this will work?"
"Rest assured, it's 100% effective."
Maggie's answer was reassuringly confident.
Nomura was relieved.
Since it was Maggie's ideal plan, it should also be applicable to Maggie herself.
"Alright, let's go with this plan."
She hit confirm and opened her chat with Aozawa, quickly typing to discuss the day's details.
They chatted late into the night before sleeping.
...
August 20th.
Morning.
Nomura woke up naturally, glancing at her phone to see it was seven-thirty in the morning.
But she didn't feel like getting up.
The air conditioner was blowing out cold air.
She tossed her phone on the bed and continued staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Tonight was the celebration banquet. Would Aozawa and Maggie from Phoenix Academy end up together?
She pondered for a moment before switching her thoughts to Kyoichiro Furusawa.
If she suddenly confessed, how would he respond?
Would he smile and say, stop joking?
Or say, I only like elementary school students?
The latter response was a bit perverted.
But in everyone else's eyes, Kyoichiro Furusawa wasn't exactly seen as a normal person, pretty much a weirdo.
"Ahhhh!"
The more Nomura thought about it, the more frustrated she became, scratching her head, flipping over on the bed.
Her mother's voice yelled from outside the door, "It's so late, why aren't you up yet? Breakfast's getting cold!"
Love had disappeared.
Nomura sighed.
Before the holiday started, her mother was happy to have her around, with no chores needed to be done by her.
But it wasn't long before she found herself being nagged about everything she did at home.
Silently, Nomura shed tears in her heart.
She got out of bed and took off her clothes.
Thinking about tonight's celebration, she still believed it was necessary to do her makeup early, no, two hours before departure was enough.
No rush for now.
She scratched her head, casually putting on a white T-shirt and shorts, heading out with messy hair.
As she reached the living room on the first floor, she noticed Kyoichiro Furusawa sitting at the table.
Her mother was smiling, serving him tea.
"Whoa!"
Nomura startled, stepping back, "W-what are you doing here?"
Kyoichiro, finding her reaction baffling, pointed to some boxes beside him, explaining: "Grandfather sent some local specialties from home."
"Is such a big reaction necessary when you see me?"
"Haha, not at all."
Nomura suddenly felt at a loss, embarrassed that Kyoichiro Furusawa saw her in such a messy state.
Though not the first time he'd seen her looking disheveled, being seen on the very day she planned to confess was embarrassing for Nomura.
If not for her ego, she'd have rushed back to her room and buried her head under the covers.
Her mother, noticing her awkward demeanor, lit up with a sweet smile that softened even the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes.
She clearly understood that her daughter behaving unusually bashful meant she was having realizations.
Unlike the two who never seemed to catch on.
Both families had long assumed each other as in-laws.
With well-matched backgrounds, they were a perfect fit.
In her heart, Kyoichiro was already her son-in-law.
So every time they met, she treated Kyoichiro with affection, almost like her own son.
Even Nomura sometimes felt she was the adopted one.
Kyoichiro seemed more like her mother's real son.
Nomura looked at her mother's smile and gaze, which seemed to convey an unspoken narrative.
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