[Eri’s P.O.V]

The limo ride continued with a soothing hum, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched Hina sleep soundly on my shoulder. Her peaceful expression was a testament to the day's excitement that had worn her out. I turned to Sakura and Sayori, offering an apologetic glance.

"Sakura, Sayori, sorry for Hina falling asleep," I whispered, trying not to disturb her slumber. "She must be tired from all the excitement today."

Sakura and Sayori exchanged warm, understanding smiles. Sayori responded in her usual cheerful tone, "No need to apologize, Eri. With her cat nap, I'm sure she'll have lots of energy when we get to your place."

I chuckled softly, patting Hina's head as she continued to purr in her sleep. "Oh, she will," I assured them. "I'm sure she was really excited about getting to cook for everyone today. If you two don't mind, can we let Hina handle the cooking? I know part of this was to develop a menu for class." I intentionally avoided mentioning the other reason for her exhaustion—the late-night brainstorming session for recipes and ideas.

Sakura responded with wonderment in her eyes, "That's fine. She did seem excited when we were talking about it during lunch. Though it seemed she already knew our tastes."

Yami-nee and I shared a brief, amused glance before she chimed in, "You both are in for a treat. Hina was taught by a 5-star chef master chef, after all. Ohh, I can't wait! I'm starting to drool just thinking about it."

We all laughed together, and Yami-nee even had to wipe her face with a handkerchief, her excitement so infectious that it had us all giggling. Sayori, with her sparkling eyes, took a moment to look around the pink interior of the limo before asking a curious question.

"This limo is cute," Sayori said, "but why is the inside pink, and why are there so many pillows, a blanket, and animal plushies in here?"

Sebas, who had the privacy window down, was quick to provide an explanation. "Sayori-sama, this is the Ojou-sama's personal limo," he said. "The Mistress had the inside designed to fit Princess's taste and ensure maximum comfort during long rides. Although we haven't updated anything since she was 7 years old, knowing the Princess, it would likely stay the same even if we did ask.

Sayori and Sakura shared a good-natured laugh, and Sakura commented, "You might be right. This does seem to fit Hina perfectly."

"Right~," Sayori chimed in agreement with a giggle.

The mention of "Princess" caught our attention. Surprised by Sebas addressing Hina in such a manner in front of Sakura and Sayori, Yami-nee and I exchanged glances, our curiosity piqued. Sebas, ever calm and collected, showed a small smile and nodded in acknowledgment.

Sakura, however, was the first to voice her realization. She turned to me with a questioning expression. "Princess," she began, "I know we were told during the first day of school that she was like a princess, but is she really one?"

Just as the conversation took an interesting turn, the limo came to a stop. Sebas, seemingly unfazed by the question, spoke again, "Sakura-sama, I apologize for the secrecy for now, but the Mistress wanted to reveal it to you and Sayori-sama during dinner. We have arrived at the crepe place. Would you like me to place the order for all of you, or would you prefer to order yourselves?"

Sakura and Sayori exchanged surprised looks, their curiosity clearly piqued by Sebas's words. Sakura hesitated before asking, "Have we been too informal with Hina?"

Sensing that the situation might become awkward, I flashed them a reassuring smile and said, "Please don't worry about it. Hina would be sad if you treated her differently now."

Sakura and Sayori both smiled warmly, their worry transforming into a sense of camaraderie. Sayori spoke with sincerity, "You're right. No matter what she is or what title she holds, she will always be our cutest and sweetest friend."

Yami-nee and I exchanged bright smiles in response to their heartfelt words. I turned to Sebas and nodded, indicating our decision. "We will order the food, Sebas. Hina mentioned the flavor she wanted on the way to school. Yami-nee, will you stay with Hina?"

Yami-nee's smile was warm as she answered, "Of course. And please get me the second flavor that Hina wanted. I'll share some with her after she wakes up."

"Will do," I replied, gently shifting Hina onto Yami-nee's shoulder. Yami-nee wrapped her arm around her, gently petting Hina's ears, eliciting a soft purr from her as she snuggled closer.

As Sakura, Sayori, and I exited the limo, I heard Sayori asking Sakura, "What flavor are you getting, maybe we can share with eachother?" I couldn't help but steal a glance back at Yami-nee and Hina. There was something about the loving way Yami-nee looked at Hina that didn't make me feel jealous. Instead, it filled me with happiness, and I thought to myself, 'You know, Yami-nee, I did feel a little bit of apprehension about sharing Hina, but if it's with you, I would be more than fine with it.

As Sakura, Sayori, and I returned to the limo with our crepe-laden hands, the gentle hum of the engine welcomed us back. Instead of distributing them immediately, we placed the crepes in a specially designed box to keep them warm, including Hina's favorite Choco cream banana, and Yami's Strawberry and Wild Berry cream. Hina was still peacefully dozing on Yami-nee's arm, her soft breathing the only sound in the quiet interior.

Suddenly, we noticed Hina's nose twitching, her ears giving little wiggles as if the smell of the crepes had reached her in her dreams. Her face scrunched up adorably, causing us to stifle our giggles.

Then, to our surprise and amusement, Hina's mouth opened slightly, and she made a small nibble motion in her sleep, her lips then accidentally found Yami-nee's arm, as she chomped down.

"Ouch, Hina!" Yami-nee whispered with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Seems like she's really dreaming of those crepes."

We all burst into quiet laughter, the scene too endearing and comical. Sakura shook her head with a smile, "Even in her sleep, she's thinking about food."

Sayori, giggling, added, "That's our Hina, always one with her stomach!"

As we watched Hina with warm eyes, two of her tails moved to my lap wrapping around my waist, and the third tail found it's way to Yami-nee wrapping itself around her as well. While Yami-nee and I gently rubbed Hina's tails causing her to let out a soft relaxed purr in her sleep. I introduced a game of 'Truth or Dare' to pass the time. When it was Sayori's turn, I dared her, "Tell us about your ideal date, Sayori."

She blushed slightly, then dreamily described, "My perfect date would be under a blanket of stars, on a hill or a quiet beach. Just me and my date, a picnic basket full of treats, and endless stories to share until we fall asleep watching the stars."

Sakura, who had been quietly listening, smiled softly, "That sounds lovely, Sayori. Very romantic."

The limo soon pulled up to the house, and as we stepped out, we were greeted by the graceful figure of Kyoko, Hina's mother, standing at the door.

Sakura and Sayori were the first to speak, a little awestruck. "Good evening, Tachibana-sama. It's an honor to meet you," Sakura said, bowing respectfully.

Sayori followed, "Thank you for having us, Tachibana-sama."

Kyoko's smile was gentle, "Please, call me Kyoko. You're both very dear to Hina and Eri, after all."

As I carried Hina inside, Kyoko's eyes followed us with a warm gaze. Inside my room, I carefully placed Hina on the bed before turning to the array of clothing that sprawled across the room.

Sakura's eyes widened at the sight. "Eri, did you make all these?" she asked, picking up a handmade dress.

I nodded, a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, I've been working on them for Hina. Sewing helps me relax."

Sayori chuckled, holding up a particularly frilly outfit. "These are amazing, Eri. Hina's going to love them!"

The playful banter was cut short when Hina stirred, her eyes slowly opening. "What's happening?" she mumbled, still half-awake.

"You fell asleep, silly. But look, we got crepes and are just chatting, don't worry about falling asleep Sakura and Sayori understood."

"She's right don't worry about it. We're just admiring Eri's handiwork. Look at these outfits she made for you!" Sayori said, showing her the dress.

Her eyes slowly became fully open as she saw the cute dress Sayori was holding, and her the shifted to the room filled with dresses and outfits. Her eyes sparkled with love and excitement, and her tails began to sway happily as she examined each piece, her excitement palpable. "Everything is so beautiful, Eri! I love them!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with sheer joy as she clapped her hands together in delight.

Eagerly, she asked, "Are there any more in the closet?" Before I could respond, she bounded over and swung the door open, revealing a the walk-in closet walls adorned with cute pictures of her, and unfinished clothes i was working on. Her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and delight. "Eri, you've been collecting pictures of me?" Her voice was a mix of surprise and affection.

As she laughed and teased me about my 'secret gallery,' her gaze landed on a particular book that had a heart and a romantic title on the cover and some sets of clothes that were decidedly more adult in nature. Her laughter slowly became smaller, as she picked up the book and started reading where i left a bookmark, her eyes widened as she quickly flipped through more of the pages. "E...Eri, what is this?" She asked, as her face turned scarlet red, her tails swishing with agitation.

I rushed over, stammering out an explanation, "It's... it's research material, Hina. Kyoko gave it to me, for... for the future."

Without a word, Hina silently walked up to me, her face a deep shade of red. She then bit down on my arm, her teeth clenching for a tense thirty seconds. After releasing me, she ran out of the room yelling, "Mommy, you baka!" A chomp sound followed by Kyoko crying "Owie!" filled the house as all the girls erupted in laughter, hearing it from my room.

After Hina came back up to the room, while Yami-nee, Sakura, and Sayori all teased me. I begged Hina to forgive me and talk to me, and to my pleasant surprise, she forgave me rather quickly while looking at all the clothes with happy eyes, and in the end I was asked to share my crepe with her, give her a hug, and make more clothes all of which I was going to do anyways. Then we all continued laughing and having fun, until it was time for Hina to start making dinner. 

As we made our way to the kitchen which had a seating area, Hina ran and grabbed the recipe book she made last night, and after she returned, Yami-nee had already started drooling again, I watched Hina start preparing to cook dinner, with a warm smile. 'This dinner is going to be great.' I thought to myself.

To be continued...

Author's Note: Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for the story! I wanted to focus on Hina cooking in Eri's perspective and the dinner in Hina's perspective so it will be a split pov chapter. Thus, I decided to split this chapter into two parts, making this the first bonus chapter with a part one and part two. Stay tuned for more fluff, food, and friendship in the next installment!

Bye-bye!

Cute chibi images of Hina and Eri: