Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 407: Funeral as Wedding 1
"What have you been doing, grinning like an idiot, all this time?"

A typical day in the Matsue family: Matsue Toshiyuki goes out to visit friends, while Mrs. Matsue goes upstairs for a short rest.

Longchuan Che and Songzhi Muzi hid under the eaves, drinking ice-cold orange soda, while soft white clouds drifted in the sky.

"Me?"

Long Chuanche put down his pen and glanced at his girlfriend who had spoken to him.

"Ah."

Mu Zi took small sips of orange soda, her eyes constantly glancing towards Long Chuan Che.

This person went to the kitchen and has been grinning like an idiot ever since he came out. He was just lying there fiddling with something again.

On the white paper were neat little words, and Songzhi Muzi saw words such as "The Devotion of Suspect X", "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store", and "Journey Under the Midnight Sun".

“Your mother said she plans to marry you to me, and I’m going to earn more money as a dowry.”

Is Longchuan Che considered rich now?
Overall, it's not bad.

Snow Country, the Youth Trilogy, the Overseas Trilogy, plus the ongoing series I Am a Cat.

The publication of seven or eight literary novels, plus the prize money from the Frank Fiction Prize.

"I currently have about 50 million yen in savings, but it seems like I'm still a bit far from living a wealthy life."

Longchuan Che was grinning foolishly, while Songzhi Muzi gave her a suspicious look.

Why tell such an easily exposed lie?

Her mother wouldn't marry her off just because he went to the kitchen, and she had no intention of forgiving him.

The words 'liar' were written all over the girl's face.

"Alright alright."

Longchuan Che put down a large number of pages with the titles of popular novels written on them.

"Actually, there's still a slight gap."

The boy made a slight gesture with his index finger and thumb, and then told her that Matsueda Yoyuki had just agreed to their relationship in the kitchen.

Why is your mother telling you all this?

The girl felt a flush rise to her face. She never expected that her casual reply to her mother would be the key to leaving a good impression on Tatsuki Ryukawa.

After a breakup, a mother's thoughts tend to become more delicate.

"Do you guys... have that?"

That's what her mother asked her, and the girl told the truth.

"More than that, I'm curious why you lied in the first place?"

Long Chuanche rested his chin on his hand. If Mu Zi said he had cheated on his girlfriend, he would definitely not be allowed to enter this house. But the girl was just giving him a title that was still somewhat acceptable.

Songzhi Muzi blushed slightly and gulped down a refreshing soda to cool off.

"Do you want me to say something as shameful as my boyfriend finding a prettier girl and me being cheated on?"

Indeed, a boy cheating and breaking up can be attributed to two factors: "boys are lustful" and "girls lack charm." Long Chuanche smiled as he looked at the girl who snorted coldly.

"Mu Zi is quite concerned about saving face."

Longchuan Che said it somewhat jokingly, and then, before the girl got angry:

"But this brings us one step closer to our goal of getting married."

Long Chuanche wrote the word 'marriage' on the paper, and the two words stood out among a batch of mystery and suspense novels.

"I never agreed to that kind of thing!"

The girl's cute and pretty face flushed slightly. One reason was that her family didn't object, but she wasn't like Long Chuanche, a frivolous guy who would casually mention marriage.

"Good good."

Long Chuanche seemed somewhat helpless, glancing towards the quiet staircase.

"How about going to the festival this afternoon? I heard there's a small fireworks display tonight."

Summer festivals in Japan are also called fireworks festivals.

There are food stalls, performances, and the grand finale, a fireworks display, is a scene that often appears in anime.

"The east wind blows thousands of flowers into bloom at night"

"A dazzling display of lights, like trees blazing with silver flowers."

Long Chuanche casually wrote two short sentences on a piece of paper, which sketched out a scene of fireworks on the ground and red in the sky.

The girl seemed somewhat interested, and then raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I do things that only couples do with you?" Going to a summer festival is clearly something that only young couples do. The girl made an X in front of her chest and made a 'meow' gesture.

"Huh? Aren't you going?"

Long Chuanche was somewhat surprised.

"I'm an expert at catching goldfish."

Some people, despite fishing, seem to lack self-awareness about their own skills.

The girl propped her chin on her hand, making a refusal expression.

"Archer".

The girl with amber eyes poked at the bright red fruit in the white porcelain plate with a bamboo skewer.

"I'm not the kind of girl you can win back with a few sweet words."

Longchuan Che was comforting himself, and Songzhi Muzi knew it.

They patiently do some silly things, and even break out in a cold sweat for fear that their parents will discover their true identities.

"You may genuinely intend to stay with me now, but how long can you hold on?"

The biggest difference between the girl and the wife and the executive is that she is a gentle yet firm woman.

She was persistent when she liked him, but decisive and clean when she decided to leave.

The girl dipped her finger in some soda and drew a dividing line between the two of them.

The dividing line was straight and long, and the bright water stains made Long Chuanche raise an eyebrow.

"I'll hold on until the day you reject me."

Compared to his dazed and hesitant state a few days ago, Long Chuanche was now frighteningly resolute.

Songzhi Muzi saw him wipe away the water stains on the table.

“I’m refusing right now.”

The girl frowned; she had been refusing ever since Long Chuanche entered the house.

She refused any intimate contact and wouldn't let him mention any strange marriage plans.

"Is it?"

The girl's small face was certain, but Longchuan Che was somewhat dismissive.

“If you tell your parents that we broke up because I cheated on you, I will believe you have no intention of marrying me.”

Her parents knew that Long Chuanche would never forgive her for cheating, and the girl stared wide-eyed, speechless.

"You see?"

Long Chuanche was smug.

Even if you keep saying no, there's definitely a tiny fraction of your mind that's preventing you from telling your parents the truth.

There would be no turning back if she confessed to her parents; Matsue Moko realized that she might actually be somewhat like what Tatsukawa Tetsu had said.
"You still have some expectations for marriage, right?"

Long Chuanche whispered these words in the girl's ear, which startled her so much that she stumbled backward.

"No, no, no."

Miss Muzi looked flustered, as if Long Chuanche were some kind of monster.

"I'm just afraid of losing face, that's right, afraid of losing face."

The girl insisted on not saying anything because she was ashamed, and Long Chuanche smiled as he watched her flustered appearance.

“We have a long time ahead of us, and I will handle any difficulties that may arise during the wedding.”

It seems that nothing can stop him as long as his parents don't object.

The girl stared blankly at Long Chuanche.

"You are sophistry!"

There are many reasons why she doesn't want to talk about it, and Miss Muzi intends to expose Longchuan Che's lies.

But before he could say anything, the doorbell rang at Songzhi's house.

The young lady, dressed in a nine-striped vine pattern, was as beautiful as a bride. (Natsuko Imamura)

"It's time to go, Tatsukawa Tetsu."

The girl stood at the door of Songzhi's house, her expression faint yet somewhat helpless.

(End of this chapter)