When the hairpin was finally inserted into her neatly styled hair, Ikeba Shizuka's face was already as red as the evening glow.

Is it pretty?

She asked softly, her voice tinged with a rare shyness.

As soon as she said it, Ikeba Shizuka realized that there were other girls in the living room, and their intimate behavior had gone beyond the proper boundaries between master and disciple.

Just now, when I thought of that crystal gold and silver hairpin, those beautiful memories flooded my mind, and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, forgetting even to hide my emotions.

Before Yuzuru could answer, Sonoko suddenly jumped up: "It's so beautiful! Aunt Shizuka looks ten years younger!"

Her exaggerated praise instantly broke the subtle atmosphere in the living room, and the other girls echoed her sentiments.

"Like a noblewoman from the Heian period"

"Nan has excellent taste!"

"It suits you very well."

Chibo Jinghua was a little embarrassed by the praise. She raised her hand to touch the hairpin and suddenly realized that the living room was unusually quiet. The mark from earlier had been hidden by Xiaolan and the others using snake talismans.

"Kazuha, have you chosen your signature hand?"

"Not yet, but we've got a clue!" Kazuha stepped forward, reached for the karuta card on the tatami mat, and said with a beaming smile, "It was my senior's idea."

However, her movements were too large, and something slipped out of her sleeve—this time a black eye mask covered in lace.

Ikenami Shizuka: "..."

Young people, they're really showing off their skills...

The air froze again.

The smiles on Xiaolan and the others' faces instantly froze.

You did this on purpose, didn't you? You must have done it on purpose!

Everyone was thinking the same thing, looking at Kazuha with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Kazuha looked at the blindfold on the ground, feeling like crying but having no tears, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

She just happened to like this eye mask and thought she could wear it to sleep, so she secretly put it in her sleeve. She really didn't mean anything by it.

Yu Sheng Nan acted decisively, grabbing Ikeba Shizuka's shoulder and turning her around: "Master, look how round the moon is tonight."

He pointed to the starry night sky outside the window.

When I turned around again, the blindfold on the ground was gone.

Yingying blinked her dark, grape-like eyes in confusion: "Buyi? (Where's the moon? I can't see it.)"

Ai calmly ruffled Eevee's fluffy fur.

According to science, when the moon is bright, the stars are few.

"I'm sleepy," Ikeba Shizuka suddenly announced, rubbing her temples. "Kazuha, you can rest once you find your winning hand. The competition is tomorrow, so it's most important to conserve your energy tonight."

As she reached the top of the stairs, she suddenly turned around and called out, "Xiao Nan."

"Here!" Yu Shengnan exclaimed in surprise.

Chibo Jinghua's gaze swept over her clumsy apprentice and the girls, and she said meaningfully, "Don't stay out too late, and be mindful of moderation."

After saying that, she turned and went upstairs, leaving the crowd looking at each other in bewilderment.

As soon as the person disappeared, He Ye's face fell instantly. She covered her head with her hands and said dejectedly, "It's over, Master found out, I'm so embarrassed..."

Xiaolan also wanted to cry: "What should I do? It seems like my aunt misunderstood me."

Even Ayako, who had been a director for so long, and the great musician Reiko Akiba couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Exposing such private matters to one's elders was indeed quite shy.

"Aunt Jinghua is right!"

Sonoko suddenly clapped her hands, looking as if she had just realized something.

? ? ?

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Sonoko, who felt she had never been so clever before, chuckled and said confidently, "Didn't Aunt Jinghua say that we should 'recharge' tonight?"

She emphasized the phrase "reserve energy and build up strength".

To conserve energy, one must first nourish the essence before conserving energy, as a young girl's body craves boundless energy.

As she spoke, Sonoko winked and made faces at everyone.

Yuzuru: "..."

After a brief silence, he silently gave Sonoko a thumbs up.

How come I never noticed how clever you were before?

If he doesn't make Sonoko cry her heart out tonight, he'll consider himself a loser!

Yuzuru still remembers the arrogant remarks made by that young lady in the kitchen this morning.

…

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

Most of the lights at the Ikenami Mansion have been turned off.

Only the Japanese-style room on the first floor was still lit by a warm orange glow.

Soft light shone through the thin paper sliding door, casting overlapping shadows that shifted constantly with the movements of the people inside. From time to time, the faint, ambiguous sound of karuta playing cards tapping on the tatami mat could be heard.

"Clap clap clap!"

"No...that's all...I...I haven't lost yet..."

"etc--"

"One more round... I was careless just now..."

In the bedroom on the second floor, the beautiful woman lying on the bed slowly opened her eyes. Her arm, which had been outside the covers, had quietly slipped under the covers at some point, and her body was slightly curled up.

The sounds of "karuta practice" coming from downstairs were clearly audible. The panting, screams, and laughter were like little insects, crawling into her ears and tickling her heart, making her toss and turn and unable to sleep.