"Now we just need to wait for them to cook," Monika watched in eager anticipation as Natsuki closed her oven. After starting up the timer, her guest looked up at her and smiled. She was clearly excited for the next step. "Once they're done, then we can get to the really fun stuff."

"Right," Monika nodded her head. She was excited for the next step too.

A brief, but notable silence ensued.

"Hey…" Suddenly, Natsuki shot a serious expression at her host, her eyes filled with determination.

Curiosity and interest welled up in Monika as she answered with a simple, "Yes?"

"Since we're waiting, let's play The Game of Life."

"The Game of Life? I don't think we have the time to play the whole thing."

"That's fine, I just want a chance to do better than I did last time." Natsuki planted her fists into her waists, a smug smile on her face as she stared down her host. "…Unless you're worried that I'll beat you this time."

15 minutes later…

"Um, Natsuki…" A weak chuckle slipped through Monika's lips as she stared at Natsuki's back. Her guest tightly cradled her knees as she dejectedly rocked back and forth. "Natsuki?"

The pink-haired girl remained silent as she continued to sway back and forth. Monika was sure that she heard her mumbling something under her breath. She wanted to find something to cheer her friend up, but as her gaming opponent, she knew whatever she said in regards to the game wouldn't really have much of a positive effect. That sentiment was especially true considering how Natsuki fell into so much debt that she lost the game not too long after graduating from college.

"Just not fair…" the disgruntled guest mumbled under her breath.

"Natsuki…" Monika glanced down and noticed her phone sitting on the edge of the board. It was at that moment when she got an idea. "Hey, Natsuki, do you want to hear Yoki's latest single?"

She watched as her friend stop rocking and slowly turn towards her. After constantly going back and forth between locking eyes and looking away, Natsuki slowly crawled towards her. "…I kinda hate singles."

"Huh? But I thought you like Yoki?"

"I do, it's just that I don't like the whole single thing. A singer makes a new song and the companies quickly send it out to make a quick buck, because they know that the fans can't wait to get it and listen to it. Then they release another and another until they release a full album."

Natsuki chuckled and crossed her arms. "Good thing the internet pretty much ruined their scheme."

"Also a good thing since the physical copies always sell out quickly," Monika giggled as she started the song.

"You ever think we'll ever find out who Yoki is?"

"I think we will. Eventually the whole mystery aspect will get tired."

"You think?" a quizzical look dropped on Natsuki's face. "Seems to be one of her main selling points."

"Mm-hmm. But like a mystery, if you keep it going to long without any clues, or just make it too long in general, then people will get bored. I'm willing to bet when sales start to dip, there will be a big and probably complicated reveal process."

"Probably some fake news leak."

"And once there's a face to go with the songs, interest will shoot right back up. But the reveal probably won't happen for a while."

"Ugh… For all I know, I probably passed her by… Wait…" Natsuki paused as she was greeted by a sudden idea. "Wait, you think she's a secret vocaloid, do you?"

"I don't know, Natsuki, she's sounds pretty realistic."

The pink-hired guest crossed her arms. The possibility the idea she just thought of being true sounded very plausible; though that train of thought was brought to a sudden stop by a constant beeping sound. A thick smell of baked bread wafted through the air.

"And they're ready," Natsuki grinned as she jumped on her feet.

At that very moment, the front door swung open."I'm home, ma chérie!"

Natsuki's eyes were immediately drawn to a young woman strutting into the house like she was the main attraction of a fashion show. She elegantly brushed her blonde hair like an actor in a commercial before her light green eyes landed on Natsuki. "Oh, you have a guest."

She sashayed towards Natsuki, each hip movement causing her generous breasts to jiggle ever so slightly.

She's beautiful. That single thought was the only thing on her mind as Claudette's eyes scanned her from head to toe.

A knowing smile formed on the woman's lips and she daintily tapped her right cheek."…You must be Natsuki."

"You know who I am?"

Monika stood up and dramatically cleared her throat. "Natsuki, allow me to introduce you to my cousin: Claudette."

Cousin? Her eyes widened with surprise. The revelation was almost as shocking as when Shujinkou introduced her and the others to his grandmother.

"A pleasure," Claudette leaned forward and kissed both Natsuki's cheeks, washing away any thoughts the guest possessed.

"…What just happened?"

"Just my way of saying hello."

Rendered speechless, Natsuki meticulously examined the figure before her. "You must be really popular with guys."

"Naturally."

"And humble," Natsuki then turned her attention to Monika, trying her best not to pout. "Cousin, huh? Bet, I'm the last one to know."

"Not really. I mentioned her name to Shujinkou but he doesn't know the relation and you're the first one to actually meet her," Monika explained.

"Really?" it took everything in her to avoid sounding as surprised as she actually was. But not only was she surprised, she also felt a sense of accomplishment. For once, she wasn't the last one learn something.

"By the way, who's using the oven?" Claudette asked.

"Oh crap!" Natsuki frantically ran back into the kitchen, swiftly slipped on a pair of oven mitts and pulled the cupcakes out of the oven. Painstakingly examining each and everyone, she breathed a sigh of relief once she confirmed they were fine. "Close one."

Monika soon walked in and was greeted with the smell of freshly baked bread. "Just in time if you ask me."

"Yeah, well, now we can get to the fun part." Natsuki gently placed the cupcakes on the nearby stove and eagerly reached for two pastry bags. "Time to decorate."

"Decorate what?" The moment Claudette stepped into the kitchen; her eyes were immediately drawn to the pasty bags. "Ooh, frosting."

She reached for one of the bags and squeezed a bit of frosting on one of her fingers. She then stuck her finger in mouth and squeed. "Mm! Thick and frosty, just like I like it."

Rendered speechless, Natsuki glanced at Monika. Nodding her head in agreement, Monika swiped the pastry bag from her cousin and took aim. Without blank expressions, they fired enough frosting to cover Claudette's entire face.

A single tongue broke through the pink and blue barrier around her mouth while two fingers wiped it away from her eyes. "What was that for?"

"We didn't have a hose," Natsuki flatly answered.

"And that joke was kinda a stretch," Monika added.

"Touché on both counts," Claudette wiped a small glob frosting off her cheek and lightly brushed it against her tongue. A playful grin seeped through the frosty prison. "Jokes on you through, I got away with more frosting."

Claudette chortled as she walked out of the kitchen.

"So there's two people who that wouldn't work on…" Natsuki sighed. "Though she giggles like you."

"No she doesn't…" Monika slyly giggled.

"Right…" Natsuki chuckled as she rolled her eyes. But though she was laughing on the outside, there was one burning question in her head. How many of my friends have attractive relatives. First Shujinkou's grandma, which is still hard to call her that… Then his mother and now Monika's cousin?

She shrugged then readied her pastry bag. "Anyway, back to the fun stuff."

"What kind of designs should we go for?"

"Anything you want, that what's makes it fun."

"Okay," Monika squeezed the pastry bag and got to work.

By the time they were finished, half the cupcakes had cat shaped frostings and the other half had hearts.

"They look great," Natsuki said with a proud smile.

"They taste great too," Monika noted after taking a bite.

"Did I just hear glowing reviews," Claudette sauntered into the kitchen and spotted the trey of cupcakes. "Ooh, just in time."

She swiftly approached the sweets and picked up two cupcakes.

"Two?" Natsuki questioned.

"I can't choose between my cousin and her friend's hard work," she said.

"…You sure you're not Sayori's cousin?"

"Just trying to be fair," Claudette took a bite out of both. A dreamy look fell on her face as her taste buds experienced the greatest treat she ever had. "…Monika was not exaggerating. Your sweets are the best."

A proud smile crossed Natsuki's lips. "Naturally."

"You're a quick learner. By the way, were you two playing Life earlier?"

"Yeah. You want to play?"

"Nah, too linear for my tastes right now. I need something more… serendipitous."

Claudette suddenly heard a brief giggle and turned towards her cousin. "What's so funny?"

"You say that like you're luck is going to afford that," Monika chirped.

"Ooh! Wanna try my luck, cuz?"

"In what?"

"Um… Trouble."

"There's nothing serendipitous about that game…" Natsuki groaned, recalling the last time she played that game in this house.

"Monopoly it is then. Game on, ladies" Claudette smiled as she casually strolled out of the kitchen.

"What just happened?" Natsuki wondered aloud, awestruck by what just happened.

"We were just led along," Monika grinned as followed her cousin's lead.

"She's both their cousins… I don't know how but she's related to both Monika and Sayori," the pink-haired girl murmured under her breath. With a tired sigh, she walked out of the kitchen.

She was immediately afflicted with shock as she found the game already set up.

"Alright, ladies, you both know the deal; first round is a race for Boardwalk," Claudette announced.

Who is this person? Trying her best not to let her mouth drop wide open from the surprise, Natsuki sat in front of one of the piles of fake money.

"Who gets the first roll?" Monika asked.

"Guest first," Claudette dropped a pair of dice in Natsuki's hands.

"Alright," she violently shook her right fist and tossed the dice at the board.

The blacked dotted cubes bounced off the board, nearly grazing Monika and Claudette's cheeks as it flew past them.

Natsuki blankly stared at the tow before suddenly scratching her right cheek. "…I get another roll, right?"

Claudette then turned to her younger cousin and grinned. "I told you the game's serendipitous."

After an hour of intense gaming, Natsuki happily threw her large winnings in the air.

"I was wrong, it wasn't serendipitous," Claudette shot an amused smile at the winner.

"It was serendipitous for me!" Natsuki exulted, throwing another wad of cash in the air. "Boardwalk… The railways… The entire board is mine to control!"

She pumped her fists and the air and let out a hearty laugh.

"Anyone up for The Game of Life?" Monika happily suggested.

"Don't take this moment from me," Natsuki bluntly replied.

The three burst laughter as more money rained down on them.