It might seem strange as to why their retionship appeared so close, but while it was quite weird, especially with how shy and pin Erika Kose thought she was to be, Ishigami bought her family's pany.

  Yes, while Ishigami was busy with many things, he didn't fet his iion to create a food glomerate, and it just happehat he bought Erika's family's miso pany.

  Miso.

  This might sound unfamiliar to some, but it was the staple seasoning for the people of this try.

  "I want to eat your miso soup every day."

  A fession by using such a sentence was created to show how the people in this try couldn't live without this seasoning.

  Then, why did he buy Erika's pany?

  It was because her family's pany was good, so he thought of buying one. After all, under a normal situation, it was impossible to get her family's pany, but as he could get it, he wouldn't hesitate.

  So, why did all of this happen?

  If Ishigami had to say, it was all due to her family's bad decision, which led to a lot of debt to the bank, so their only option was either to sell their pany et a loan from someoo pay the debt and i on the bank.

  Still, a business was a business, after all, so even if he knew about Erika's family's problem, instead of lending her family money, he directly bought the pany as it was a good pany.

  Even if Erika was Karen's best friend, the mohat he used for this acquisition wasn't low, and for a business, while it was cold, he had to put his i first, then his feelings.

  Regardless, even if he had acquired her family's pany, she didn't bme him. Instead, she was gd that her family's pany was okay. More importantly, her family also didn't ck money as they gained a profit from selling the pany to him, which was why she thought that her family had done something bad to him despite him winning a lot.

  "Where are you going, Ishigami-kun?"

  While Erika tried to hide it well, Ishigami felt like he watched a cute puppy that wagged its tail as it saw its master, which made him speechless. "I am going to see Karen-senpai."

  "Your retionship is so close." Erika sighed, feeling a bit jealous of her best friend's retionship with Ishigami. "But is yirlfriend okay? Won't she be jealous that you visit anirl's house?"

  "...." Ishigami.

  How does he expin this?

  Such a question emerged in his mind, but at the same time, Ishigami was surprised that Karen didn't say anything about their retionship. Still, this also showed how trustworthy Erika was since even Erika, her best friend, knew nothing about their retionship.

  Unfortunately, Maki knew about the reality of their retionship.

  However, fortunately, Maki was also his woman.

  heless, among the four best friends, only Erika and Nagisa weren't his women, but Masa felt that it was okay.

  Nagisa aside as she had a boyfriend, Erika ure ale girl, so it was better to leave such a girl to a good boy as Ishigami knew well that many good boys fell in love with her.

  However, what he didn't know was that Erika's parents khat she knew him well. They thought of matg them together, but she quickly refused them since she khat he had a girlfriend and his girlfriend had a good status.

  More importantly, if she came to him after what had happened between them, wouldn't it make their retionship impure?

  After all that, her family might have a ce to ehe pany once again, but sidering they might have a child if they were together... it wasn't bad at all, she thought.

  'No, no! He has a girlfriend, and...'

  Watg her refle as they passed the window of the car, Erika showed a helpless smile sinpared to him, who was bright, she was so pin, so... Was it even possible for him to show an ioward her?

  Yet, there was no doubt that it was fun to be by his side.

  Whether it was Ishigami or Erika, the two had an i in foods, and Erika even thought of entering a ary school after she graduated, which showed her serious attitude and love toward this sector of industry.

  Or rather, when she was stressed about something, she would make her own miso with her own mortar ale inside her room.

  So, having someone who could talk freely about food, including her hobby of miso, Erika... couldn't help but have her own fantasy despite knowing that it was impossible.

  'What is it again?'

  Yes, pretending, by pretending that she just cared about him as a senior, she could get close to him, having fun casually despite knowing how deep her feelings were toward him. It ainful, but as long as she could be by his side, she was fine, she thought.

  "Should we buy something before we visit her?"

  "Sure." Erika hen asked, "But what should we buy?"

  "Let's get fruits. Eating somethihy might be good."

  "That's a great idea!"

  "Okay."

  'Ah...'

  Erika wished for time to stop, or the road would be endless, so that way, she could be with him for a little longer, yet she khat their time was limited, and this time couldn't tinue.

  It was just—

  "Eh? Did you seduce Erika too, Yuu?"

  Whewo visited, Karen couldn't help but say that she was more than happy if Ishigami could seduce Erika, too.

  "....."

  Under Erika's bnk gaze, Ishigami could only remain silent.

  heless, Erika wasn't the only one who retending since Ishigami knew well that he also preteo bee a good junior and repay Shirogane for what Shirogane had doo the previous Ishigami, he had beeending to be a good junior who would support Shirogane's love toward that certain someone who he thought recious.

  Even if Ishigami knew his feelings and he also knew her feelings, the two of them shouldn't be together.

  Yes, someone might say that love could quer everything, but if the price of that love was to hurt someone who they cared about the most, was such love worth it?

  While it might be something that Ishigami kept repeating again and again, he knew well that he wasn't worthy of her as he was simply the worst type of a man, so until now, he had beeending, trying to support the two, yet closed his eyes to the fact before him.

  However, he thought that time would do something about this problem, yet it couldn't. Instead, it worsened like how one didn't drink medie and tio work until, in the end, they were sent to the hospital, fired, and then died from overwork.

  So when the first term ended, and everyone was about to wele the summer break, Ishigami, who repared to go on a trip with his girlfriend, thought to help his mother at her flower shop first, but as the shop was about to close, he never expected that—

  "Sorry, is the store still open?"

  Kaguya was there, smiling mischievously as she looked at him.