After Chika and Moeha showed Sakiko around their home, they took her to the Baumkuchen studio. Initially, Sakiko suspected Rin and Karen brought her here for an orgy.
But the more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.
The chance of the Okiura heiress acting like a dog for him was already slim. Throw in the two Fujiwara daughters and the Shinomiya heiress...? What were the odds they all happened to be masochists with a dog fetish!?
Plus, there were so many other girls in the studio. How could they have a party there?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Even if they had a party, he should have invited Mutsumi. While the last party was... intense, a party without Mutsumi had no meaning to her!
Maybe they really are just introducing me to friends? Sakiko couldn't ask directly, but she slowly began to relax... until Kaguya and Hayasaka arrived at the studio.
"Kaguya!"
"Kaguya-san!"
Chika and Moeha greeted her enthusiastically. Kaguya gave Moeha a fond pat on the head before turning her gaze to Sakiko.
"Miss Toyokawa, Gokigenyo."
Kaguya's expression, which had been warm for Moeha, turned instantly frigid. Kaguya had accepted Rin's harem and had attended parties, but she didn't actually like them.
She only enjoyed being with Ai... and maybe Ai's mother, Nao. She wasn't particularly fond of Chika or Moeha being involved.
She especially didn't like seeing Chika's massive, swinging "depravities"!
However, if she got to bully Chika ruthlessly, Kaguya was on board. Rin had spent a lot of effort convincing Kaguya to attend this party.
The deal included a private date, unlimited photography, and the right to tie Chika up and discipline her however she pleased.
"G-Gokigenyo." Sakiko was slightly intimidated by Kaguya, but she also felt a sense of relief. With an attitude like that, there's no way she's here for a party.
"I am Kaguya Shinomiya. Although I still carry the name, I have severed ties with the main house. Just call me Kaguya."
"Miss... Miss Kaguya. Are you his girlfriend?" Sakiko asked cautiously, trying to maintain her composure. Back at the hotel, Karen had mentioned Rin had a girlfriend.
Looking at Kaguya's jealous aura... Is she the one?
If so, it all made sense. A girlfriend from the Shinomiya family would naturally know an Okiura. And he certainly wouldn't have a wild party with other girls right in front of her.
Sakiko felt she was safe.
No matter how much a high-society girl tolerated her boyfriend's "adventures" elsewhere, she would never tolerate him doing it in her presence.
"Do I look like his girlfriend?"
"Yes, very much so."
"Oh my, oh my~ Ai, did you hear? She thinks I'm his girlfriend~" The ice on Kaguya's face melted instantly. She shot Rin a bashful, delighted look. Anyone who thinks I'm his primary girlfriend is a good child.
Hayasaka let out a long, weary sigh. Kaguya had been fuming on the way over, screaming about how she'd "never forgive him" until Hayasaka had a headache. Now, one compliment from a stranger and she was completely pacified.
Kaguya is just too easy to manipulate.
"I heard the Toyokawa family only has one heir left—you, correct?" Kaguya began chatting warmly with Sakiko. Having never seen Kaguya act so friendly, Sakiko was overwhelmed and could only respond with polite smiles.
"Kaguya-san," Moeha said, tugging on Kaguya's sleeve. "Sakiko-san hasn't seen my collection yet."
Before Sakiko could even respond, Moeha was already pulling her along. They had seen the Fujiwara house and most of the studio; only one place remained. The basement where she kept her "treasures"!
"My apologies for being rude. Let's go see Moeha's collection then."
"O-Okay."
Looking at the smile on Kaguya's face, Sakiko felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach. There's something hidden in that smile!
Why did we have to wait for Kaguya to arrive before seeing the collection?
Despite her growing suspicion, she couldn't refuse. She followed them to the stairs leading into the darkness of the basement.
The cold air wafting up from below made Sakiko swallow hard. This feels very wrong!
They descended the stairs, and Sakiko slowly pushed open the heavy basement door.
There were no windows. It was pitch black inside. The only sound was the low hum of an industrial exhaust fan.
Feeling the others behind her, Sakiko instinctively stepped forward.
"The switch is... here!"
Moeha fumbled along the wall, and then... CLICK!
"Uu..."
The basement lights flared on. Sakiko squinted, her eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden glare.
Once the spots faded from her vision, she finally saw the "collection."
The most prominent feature was a massive bed in the center of the room. Against the walls were various iron frames and racks. There was a chair that looked like a gynecological exam table and a large triangular wooden box. The rest of the room was filled with closed cabinets whose contents remained hidden.
The frames, the chair, the box—these were old pieces. The cabinets were new.
As for the bed, it hadn't been there the last time Rin visited. Moeha must have installed it in the last two weeks. It was the only item Sakiko recognized.
As for the rest... she didn't know what they were, but she knew they weren't for anything "wholesome."
THUD!
The sound of the door slamming shut and the lock clicking made Sakiko jump.
She spun around to see that Shion had sealed the exit. Sakiko looked at Rin, trying to remain calm.
"Why did you lock the door?"
"Besides seeing the collection, you're here for a special training session. Of course, if you want the other girls in the studio to watch, we can open it up," Rin said with a dark, satisfied smirk. He knew Sakiko would never agree to a simple party, so he had prepared a reason she couldn't ignore.
Rin, Chika, and the others were all wearing the same knowing smile. Hayasaka was covering her mouth to hide a giggle.
"Training?" Sakiko bit her lip. She didn't see how these items could be for training. If it were for sex, wouldn't the bed be enough? What were the iron racks for? Why couldn't they "train" at the hotel?
"Last time at the hotel, you leaked and passed out just from a bit of fingering. Mutsumi wasn't even satisfied. If we do this for real, and you just faint again, it'll be a waste of time. So, we're here for endurance training... unless you want to let Mutsumi down?"
"..."
Sakiko's lips trembled, but she couldn't form a word. If it's for Mutsumi's sake... I literally can't say no!