Chapter 39

With a slap, Nariaki Yamawaki slapped the table and glared fiercely at Aoba.

However, because she was a rare beauty, her angry appearance could not be associated with ferocity.

"Wasn't it you who drank my black tea the other day at noon?" Nariaki said in a definitive tone.

"I didn't steal it; I drank it openly! Since no one wanted it, and I found it, it naturally became mine," Aoba explained.

Perhaps provoked by Aoba's matter-of-fact attitude, Nariaki, who was still trying to maintain her dignity while being angry, was instantly stimulated.

"How could no one want it? I just went to get my bento, and you even used my cup, you pervert," Nariaki shouted, completely forgetting her ladylike manners.

"How did I become a pervert?" Aoba looked at her in confusion.

"Drinking tea from a girl's cup, what else could it be?" Nariaki slapped the table again.

But then she took a deep breath, silently repeating to herself to calm down, and gradually calmed down, sitting down in the chair opposite Aoba.

"Alright, since the tea has already been drunk by you, let's just drop it! As you said, if the black tea was just left there, it's natural for someone to drink it. But I have a question for you," Nariaki, now calm, resumed her usual elegant demeanor and looked at Aoba with a wise gaze.

Clearly, she was much harder to deal with now compared to when she had lost her composure.

"Please ask," Aoba said calmly.

"You said, if a cake is left on the street, it's natural for someone to eat it, thinking it's discarded. But if a cake is left at home and someone comes in and eats it, wouldn't that person be a thief?" Nariaki explained.

"Of course," Aoba nodded.

"Then, even if something left at home is unattended, it still has an owner, don't you agree?" Nariaki's eyes sparkled with a devilish light.

"Of course, I agree," Aoba nodded.

"Exactly! Seikawa Private High School is my family's property, meaning the entire school belongs to my family. So, if my black tea, left in my home, was drunk, isn't that the act of a thief?" Nariaki said, squinting her eyes.

"Indeed, by that logic, I did steal your black tea!" Aoba nodded in agreement, then looked seriously at the blonde beauty in front of him. "I'm really sorry for drinking your black tea! I truly apologize."

Although Aoba knew that Nariaki's argument was somewhat unreasonable, he didn't need to argue with a girl over this, so he admitted it straightforwardly. Besides, the black tea he drank was indeed hers, and his previous claim that unattended items were ownerless was, in a sense, also somewhat unreasonable.

However, hearing Aoba's straightforward admission, Nariaki was taken aback.

She hadn't expected this perverted thief to admit it so readily, and for a moment, she didn't know what to do. The script she had prepared in case the other party denied it was now useless.

This made her feel frustrated, as if she had punched the air.

But since the other party had admitted it, what should she do next? To be honest, Nariaki hadn't really thought about it.

Her initial insistence on catching the other party was merely because they had used her cup to drink her black tea, which made her angry. She hadn't really thought about what to do after catching them.

Otherwise, with her family's influence, why would she argue with an ordinary student like Aoba? A single glance would have countless people rushing to solve any trouble for her.

For example, if she pressed a hidden button on her body, countless bodyguards would rush into the school, and she could do whatever she wanted to Aoba, without having to argue with him.

So, when Aoba admitted his mistake straightforwardly, and since he wasn't a bad person and didn't think that stealing black tea was a big deal, Nariaki didn't know what to do.

"Hmph, it's good that you know you were wrong," the blonde beauty turned her head away from Aoba, pouting, but her mind was still racing, thinking about what to say next.

"Let's do this: to make you feel better, I'll treat you to some tea," Aoba, noticing Nariaki's embarrassment, offered to help her out.

"Eh? Treat me to tea?" Nariaki looked at Aoba in surprise.

"You must be a wealthy young lady, right? I can tell from your black tea. From the teacup and teapot to the tea leaves, everything is of the highest quality, and the taste is naturally exquisite! But, don't you want to try what ordinary people drink? I know someone who, although she doesn't have top-tier tea sets or tea leaves, can brew tea that is just as good as your black tea. So, would you like to come with me and try it?" Aoba was referring to Kōko Kitagawa, the apartment manager, and invited Nariaki.

If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have the courage to invite a wealthy young lady to drink ordinary tea, but Aoba wasn't just anyone, so he naturally extended the invitation.

Nariaki was clearly intrigued. As someone who loved tea and could brew it well herself, Aoba's invitation was hard to resist.

"Are you saying someone can brew black tea as good as mine with ordinary tea leaves and tea sets?" Nariaki asked, disbelieving.

"It's not black tea. I don't know if she can brew black tea, but the last time she treated me to green tea, it was very good," Aoba confirmed.

"Alright, I'll go with you!" Nariaki stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait a moment, let me finish these tea snacks, or they'll go to waste," Aoba said, reaching for the tea snacks Nariaki had just brought.

After finishing the tea snacks and the last sip of black tea, he got up leisurely and led Nariaki out of the teaching building.

As soon as they stepped out of the school gate, a high-end limousine stopped in front of Nariaki.

A beautiful female driver in a suit got out and opened the door for Nariaki, respectfully inviting her to get in. Aoba followed Nariaki into the car without hesitation.

The beautiful female driver looked at Aoba several times but couldn't say anything because of her young mistress's order.

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