I, who tortured the readers, was knocked to the ground by them!

Shibuya's shopping district remains as prosperous as ever.

Hasegawa Shion drank the milk tea that had once made her so sick of it that she could hardly swallow it.

She has gradually gotten used to this drink, which she once felt was an insult to the tea ceremony.

Today, she was still wearing an affordable bright-colored dress and drinking milk tea, becoming less and less like the aloof young lady she once was.

At the iconic crossroads, she reached out and grabbed Sakurai Itsuki's hand again.

"It is said that 3000 people cross this intersection every minute, and 230 million people cross it every day, so it would be very troublesome if you got lost."

The same reason Sakurai Itsuki gave when he first grabbed her wrist.

However, compared to a year and a half ago, she is now directly holding Sakurai Itsuki's hand.

Sakurai Itsuki didn't say much, but gently took her soft and slender hand and led her through the crowd.

Thinking about the stark contrast between her and her former self, Sakurai Itsuki found her irresistibly adorable.

"Let's go!" Hasegawa Shion smiled gently, her lips pursed.

The two held hands as they walked through the crowd, then stopped at a traffic light.

Hasegawa Shion gently raised her chin and first glanced at Sakurai Itsuki's face.

Suddenly, the two accidentally made eye contact.

Hasegawa Shion quickly pretended not to be looking at her and glanced away.

We've been through this kind of scenario countless times since we met in high school.

But Hasegawa Shion squeezed the hand that was holding her tightly, took a slight breath, and then raised her head.

Openly and honestly, without any pretense, I looked him straight in the eye.

They've already reached the point where they're always holding hands, so why would they need to hide anymore?
Looking into those rather brazen eyes staring at him, Sakurai Itsuki felt a slight jolt, as if struck by lightning.

When did those beautiful eyes, which used to always express coldness and annoyance towards him, change into this look?

She couldn't help but think to herself, "Is this what you call being arrogant? Is this still the same Hanase Shion?"
Sakurai Itsuki glanced away and reminded him, "Walk carefully, or you'll fall flat on your face."

Hasegawa Shion chuckled softly: "Aren't you holding my hand? If we fall, we'll both fall flat on our faces."

It's unbelievable that one day he was the one to look away first. He actually gets shy? Because he's shy?!
Ah, I'm so happy.

Sakurai Itsuki said, "Aren't you afraid I won't be able to hold you back?"

Hasegawa Shion replied, "But I'll hold you back!"

She uttered a blunt line that seemed completely out of character for her.

But after saying that, she still blushed, lowered her head shyly, and chuckled softly.

This semester, her relationship with Sakurai Itsuki has been rapidly growing closer.

She never imagined that her initial request, which was merely a form of revenge, would lead him to abandon Ruoye and accompany her to her elective course.

Unexpectedly, this decision, which she regretted the next day, seemed to cause their relationship to progress rapidly.

Does being in love mean you have to be a little despicable?
No wonder there are always scenes of female characters stealing from other people's homes in romance comics.
Hasegawa Shion clutched her chest, feeling somewhat sorry for Wakaba.

But sometimes, it really does take a surprise attack!
Speaking of which, that most despicable vixen has been rarely seen lately.
And then there's Wakaba, who seems to be constantly giving in to herself lately.

Thinking back on it, Mingming realized that although she had been very good to her before, she would always scheme against her when it came to Ashu's affairs.

How come I feel like I'm always at a disadvantage, but suddenly I've won?

They won so easily, unbelievably easily.

It felt like a dream.

She gently lifted the fingers holding the milk tea cup and pinched her soft cheek.

pain!
It must be because I'm a very good artist, and I was willing to leave Kyoto to come and paint with him!

I am the only one who can be considered a match made in heaven with him, like Togashi and Naoko!

Anyway, I'm the winner!
But what should I do? On the day I actually get married, will I break up with Wakaba?

Sakurai Itsuki asked, "What are you thinking about? You look so strange."

He watched as Hase Shion pinched herself first, then grinned foolishly. But after a couple of seconds, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.

So I became curious about the changes in her thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Hasegawa Shion shook her head slightly: "It's nothing."

In any case, you'll be the winner in the end!
Winning is always good, no matter what!

It's already 9 p.m.

Sakurai Itsuki pushed open the door and arrived home.

Sato Wakaba glanced at the man, who still smelled of Shion's perfume, and said, "The food is in the refrigerator."

Sakurai Itsuki said, "I've already eaten."

He had sent a text message to Sato Wakaba before.

Sato Wakaba said, "I know, I'm just letting you know as your assistant."

Her voice sounded normal, but she was just holding the TV remote in the living room, constantly changing channels.

Sakurai Itsuki paused for a moment, then went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

The food was still neatly sealed in the plate with plastic wrap.

On the sticky note next to the plate, the precautions for heating each dish were still carefully written.

And it has cartoon smiley faces drawn on it.

It looks the same as before.

Can.
Ever since that time she went to the elective class with Hase Shion without telling her.

Sakurai Itsuki could clearly sense that as Hase Shion began to resemble her former self, Sato Wakaba also began to resemble her former self.

Turning around, I looked at the blonde girl who was still constantly switching channels.

You don't need to go through all that trouble; you can just send me a message directly from your phone!

He couldn't possibly say those words out loud.

At the very least, you shouldn't say it when she clearly can't even watch TV anymore.

Sakurai Itsuki said, "Wow, this is quite a feast today."

Sato Wakaba: "Yeah, I originally prepared enough for three people, but you and she sent your message too late."

Her voice was calm, and she didn't seem to be sulking at all.

This, in turn, prevented Sakurai Itsuki from calming down.

Sakurai Itsuki took a can of barley tea from the refrigerator and went to the sofa: "Aren't you going to ask me what Shion and I talked about? This isn't like you!"

Sato Wakaba doesn't seem like someone who has such a strong sense of boundaries.

Sato Wakaba glanced at Sakurai Itsuki and said, "Work, I guess."

She knew Sakurai Itsuki's answer without him saying it.

"Yes, work. We talked for a while about Haruki Nagayama's upcoming new work."

Sakurai Itsuki nodded, then sipped his barley tea and explained to him.

"Since there's still some time before his identity is revealed, I suggested that Shion be the key animator for Haruki Nagayama's next work, while I handle the original artwork. That way, we can free up a lot of time."

"Really? That's great."

Sato Wakaba gave a perfunctory smile.

Of course, I wasn't happy.

That would mean that he would spend more and more time with Shion Hase, and less time doing things alone with himself.

This means that every work Sakurai Itsuki creates in this world inevitably bears the mark of Hase Shion.

As Sakurai Itsuki asked, he observed her attitude: "Aren't you sad because you can't see me drawing?"

Sato Wakaba shook her head, becoming the one who said one thing but meant another: "No, it's good that you're relaxed. Besides, didn't you praise Shion last time, saying that her drawing skills are clearly better than yours?"

"Yes, she is indeed very talented in drawing, but she is also incredibly hardworking," Sakurai Itsuki praised Hase Shion, and then added.

"Sorry I got back too late today. All the matcha cakes around here are sold out. Can I get some for you tomorrow?"

"No need, I'm not unhappy, I don't need the cake as compensation."

Upon hearing this, Sato Wakaba waved her hand dismissively, but her heart was in turmoil.

She could clearly sense that his relationship with Shion was getting closer and closer.

When Mingming returned from England, it seemed like there was only a thin line separating them, as if all she had to do was take that one step.

Everything can come to an end now.

but.
She was frightened when she saw Shion's red and swollen eyes the next day after crying.

She fears the status quo being disrupted, but at the same time, she's now afraid of even more things.

She was afraid that the status quo she had been painstakingly maintaining would be disrupted by someone else.

She was afraid that he would really leave her.

Sakurai Itsuki put down his barley tea and said solemnly, "Besides that, there's something else. The reason she and I got home so late was because she didn't want to tell you."

"What do you mean? You've decided to officially start dating, just like the rumors have been?"

When Sato Wakaba heard his words, her heart seemed to stop beating, but she could only ask him tentatively in a joking tone.

Sakurai Itsuki countered with, "Do you want me to date her?"

Sato Wakaba's heart sank to the bottom. "That's not my business."

He neither admitted nor denied it.

Sato Wakaba isn't a fool; she won't deceive herself by keeping herself in the dark.

Sometimes, not denying something already says a lot.

Two years ago, when I made this kind of joke, he would immediately refute it.

I could never like a troublesome girl like Hase Shion.

This liar.

Sakurai Itsuki said, "It's about you. It was July 5th. She said you love surprises the most."

Sato Wakaba was taken aback. July 5th.

"Oh, so you guys were picking out a birthday present for me?"

Sakurai Itsuki nodded: "Ah, after all, you care a lot about your birthday, and you always celebrate it the most."

Actually, everyone in the club celebrates their birthdays together.

However, Hasegawa Shion doesn't care about her birthday at all, Sakurai Itsuki finds her birthday troublesome, and Mizuno Yuki hides her real birthday.

Of all these people, only Sato Wakaba takes her birthday very seriously and repeatedly hints to others that her birthday is coming soon! She hopes to receive everyone's blessings.

Therefore, everyone always treats Sato Wakaba's birthday with the utmost solemnity and excitement.

Sakurai Itsuki finally revealed the reason why the two went to Shibuya.

It was something Hanase Shion didn't want her to know.

But Sakurai Itsuki still spoke up, because he couldn't make a decision either.

Deep down, he still didn't want this girl to really give up on him and let go of him.

Of course, he also knew that he was a scumbag.

"Haze Shion is such a troublesome person. She practically searched the entire Shibuya just to pick out a gift for you."

Sato Wakaba complained, "Honestly, saying it like that makes it less surprising!"

Sakurai Itsuki said, "They haven't said what the gift is specifically, so we can still look forward to it!"

Sato Wakaba looked up at Sakurai Itsuki, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I thought you and her were just on a date."

Sakurai Itsuki simply shook his head: "No."

The air fell silent.

Sensing Sakurai Itsuki's attitude, Sato Wakaba suddenly cursed, "You beast."

This guy still can't make a decision and is still trying to mediate based on everyone's favoritism.

What's disgusting is that I feel fortunate about his scumbag behavior.

Because she knew that the reason he was sitting in front of her now, explaining his behavior today, was because he didn't want to lose her.

"Isn't this something you already knew the moment you met me? I'm the third of the three great beasts."

Sakurai Itsuki chuckled.

Sato Wakaba didn't press the matter further, instead grumbling, "Come to think of it, I've really suffered a lot from you, you beast! No one's a better reader than you!"

Sakurai Itsuki said, "Didn't I already give you so many cakes as compensation?"

"It's always cake, but not this time! You ruined my birthday surprise, and I want you to make it up to me with a proper birthday celebration!"

After realizing that he was unwilling to let go, Sato Wakaba decided to go along with his wishes.

She couldn't, and didn't want to, let Hase Shion continue developing this relationship with him.

Sakurai Itsuki asked, "Make up for my birthday? How?"

Sato Wakaba said, "You have to spend another birthday with me alone right after my birthday."

Sakurai Itsuki understood her purpose perfectly, but still asked, "After the birthday, is it still a birthday? And celebrating alone, don't you like it more lively with lots of people?"

Sato Wakaba finally reverted to her familiar domineering demeanor: "Because no one else ruined my birthday surprise! Why should they be held responsible along with you?"

Sakurai Itsuki finally agreed: "Okay, okay, I give up."

"Then I think we should go for July 7th, which is the Qixi Festival. There's a fireworks display there this year!"

Both of them were fully aware of the true nature of this "birthday party," so Sato Wakaba made no further attempt to conceal it.

It specified such a rather ambiguous date.

This is the third summer the two have spent together, but they have never really celebrated Qixi Festival alone.

In the past, they celebrated this festival together with everyone as the Qixi Festival.

Instead of treating it as a traditional Valentine's Day.

But now, with the request that Sato Wakaba has made, her meaning couldn't be clearer.

This time, she wanted to experience Qixi Festival with a different meaning.

Even though he knew what she meant, Sakurai Itsuki nodded anyway: "Mm."

"Then it's settled. However, we need to order a new yukata, as the old one is a bit too tight."

Sato Wakaba puffed out her even fuller breasts, causing Sakurai Itsuki's gaze to freeze on a certain spot.

It seems that spending so much money on desserts and cakes over the past two years hasn't been a waste.

Calories and fat can be quite useful sometimes.

"You scoundrel, you pervert."

Noticing Sakurai Itsuki's gaze, Sato Wakaba gently covered her prominent chest and softly scolded him.

Faced with such criticism, Sakurai Itsuki could only accept it calmly: "It's instinct. Besides, I should also have some credit!"

"You beast, I'm ignoring you."

Sato Wakaba cursed, then went upstairs.

He kept condemning Sakurai Itsuki in his heart, calling him a terrible guy.

But even though he's in such a terrible state, she can't let go of him anymore.

If the status quo cannot be maintained in the end, then on Qixi Festival...
I need to try and see if I can take it a step further.

If I take that step.
Then don't blame me for raiding your base! (End of Chapter)