Chapter 56

It will soon be my brother's coming-of-age ceremony.

I plan to give him cufflinks as a gift for the occasion.

Actually, I wanted to give him a tie to use for the ceremony, but my brother had his entire suit tailored by a British tailor, so I didn't have the chance to suggest anything.

And I don't really have a good sense of style when it comes to ties...

I don't really understand what kind of patterns are considered fashionable for ties, and I tend to be drawn to unusual designs.

Wearing a beautifully tailored suit but having a tacky tie would make my brother a laughingstock. That wouldn't do!

Especially since, as the heir of the Kishigino family, my brother will be making rounds to greet people and attending celebratory events where he will be in the public eye. It would be disastrous if he became a laughingstock at all these events!

So, I decided on cufflinks, which could hide my somewhat questionable taste. My brother agreed with this choice.

When we went to the store to pick out the cufflinks together, there were so many interesting designs that I had no idea which ones would be good!

From simple designs with ordinary stones to motifs of vehicles, animals, and characters.

Vehicles might be nice, but I'm not interested. Oh, stars and snowflakes are cute. A broken heart would be inauspicious! Maybe animals would be best. Oh, reptiles are a bit too much...

In the end, I chose a polar bear to remind him of the zoo we visited in the fall, and a dolphin for summer use. Oh, and I bought a penguin too.

This is also a message that I want him to take me there again.

I thought it might be a bit childish, but my brother said it was fine, and cufflinks aren't that noticeable, so it should be okay.

And since cufflinks can be custom-made, I might have some made with the image of Taro the Yamaimo for my brother to wear. ...He probably won't use them.

After the coming-of-age ceremony, my brother will start to get involved in the Kishigino family business alongside his studies. He will learn various things by working under my father's secretary.

My brother is a serious and excellent person. If my father were doing something wrong, he would surely notice.

As a child, all I can do is try to subtly brainwash my father to stay on the right path. My brother is my only hope.

"Brother, you will be helping Father with his work from now on, right? If Father is doing something wrong, please correct him. But don't expose him publicly. Keep it as smooth and discreet as possible, okay?"

I asked my brother this in a café after our shopping trip. He looked a bit confused and said, "Huh?"

"You've been saying things like this since we were young. You sound so certain that Father is doing something wrong. I feel a bit sorry for him. To be completely distrusted by his own daughter..."

"But..."

That's how it was in the manga.

While Father has ambitions for the Tachibana family and some problematic traits, I think he is basically a family-oriented person. He doesn't have a mistress, which is common among the wealthy.

However, just because someone is a good father and husband doesn't mean they are a good person.

There are many criminals who commit wrongdoings for the sake of their families.

"Right, stocks! Brother, we need to make sure no one buys up all the stocks and takes over the company!"

"...What influence is affecting you this time, Rika?"

"Influence? ...More like a premonition?"

"That's impressive. Really."

Mm, he doesn't believe me at all. But it's true!

Even if the Tachibana family were to become our enemies, as long as Father isn't doing anything wrong, our family would be safe.

"Anyway, Brother, please do it for me! Handle any wrongdoings smoothly and discreetly."

"Alright, I got it."

I'm counting on you, Brother. I need to strengthen my brainwashing of Father too.

The third term is about to start, and the third-year students will soon graduate. My first love, Tomegashima-senpai, will also graduate. Although he will just move up to the higher school, we won't be in the same building anymore.

While thinking about this, I was invited by Sakura to learn how to make Valentine's Day chocolates.

I usually only give chocolates to my brother and Father, so I didn't really want to learn. I don't plan to give chocolates to Tomegashima-senpai anymore.

But I ended up going to a chocolate brownie class hosted by a famous patissier due to Sakura's persistent persuasion.

"Hey! Measure the ingredients accurately!"

"What? I did measure them!"

If you don't measure the ingredients accurately with a scale or measuring spoons, Sakura will scold you. She's a bit too strict.

Cooking is about intuition, right? My mother from my previous life never used measuring spoons when cooking. She just added salt and sugar with a quick flick. It's fine, really.

Oops, I spilled a little cocoa powder. Oh well.

"Heyyy!"

"What? This much is fine!"

Sakura, your eyes are so intense and scary...

The chocolate brownies we made tasted really good when we tried them. As expected, the patissier's instruction made a difference! It was the best batch I've ever made.

But Sakura seemed unsatisfied.

"I was a fool to invite Rika. I didn't expect it to be this bad..."

"What do you mean?"

Sakura is comparing the brownies we made with the sample made by the teacher and sighing.

Of course, the professional's version would taste better. Isn't Sakura's standard a bit too high?

"You know, baking is all about precise measurements. You need to measure accurately. Have you been making homemade chocolates this way all along?"

"I do measure accurately."

"But you don't level off the teaspoon, do you? You just scoop and add it, right?"

"Well, that's..."

But it's fine. The amounts are roughly correct.

"Rika, I'm not saying this to be mean, but you should take cooking classes for your future."

"Ugh..."

When I gave the chocolate brownies to my brother and Father at home, they praised them more than ever before.

See, Sakura is just too picky.

But with so much praise, I'm starting to think about taking a class.

Kohime also said, "It was really delicious! I was surprised!" when I gave her some at the cram school.

My brother and Father also recommend that I take classes, so I might consider it.

I want to go with Sakura, but I don't want to be scolded every time...

Sakura should try to be a bit more relaxed.