I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

"Kato-kun is surprisingly gossipy."

Anki replied calmly.

It's understandable that an ordinary female high school student would have such curiosity, but how do other people perceive the relationship between the three of them?

"I'm sorry, Anki-kun."

Kato Megumi probably felt she had asked a question she shouldn't have, since they were just ordinary classmates, and it wasn't appropriate to ask such a question directly.

I asked that question out of curiosity, but now it seems I wasn't paying attention to the atmosphere.

"You don't need to apologize, Kato-kun. I didn't mean to blame you."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Aki Tomoya's face; he was simply surprised and didn't mean anything else.

"Besides, I have no reason to lie to you."

Aki Tomoya has actually already answered Kato Megumi's question once.

After receiving this explanation, Kato Megumi nodded. Although she still had doubts, she understood that she was not qualified to know more details.

I'm not familiar with any of them, whether it's Eriri, Kasumigaoka Utaha from next door, or Aki Tomoya from across the street.

Although Kato Megumi was in the middle of the three, she didn't really participate; at this point, she only needed to be an observer.

Moreover, apart from Aki Tomoya, neither of the two female classmates and upperclassmen who were extremely popular at school had noticed her.

Kato Megumi thought to herself, "Let's just treat what's going to happen as a youthful romance story that's playing out in an evening TV drama."

Kato Megumi has already clearly found her place in the world right now.

With a faint presence and no direct connection to these three people, she was merely someone who happened to be closest to the center of the incident, and as an observer, all she had to do was fulfill her duty as an observer.

The three famous figures of the academy appear to be unrelated and have no connection, but the truth is surprising: they have long since established an unusual connection.

In Kato Megumi's view, this kind of rapid development seems to have become somewhat of a convention.

In Kato Megumi's eyes, the most special one should be Aki Tomoya.

Take the present moment, for example. He remains calm and composed even in the eye of the storm, content to immerse himself in his own affairs. He appears passive on the surface, but he always maintains the initiative, which is truly remarkable.

Megumi Kato and Tomoya Aki first met on spring break. Like other girls, she also paid attention to fashion magazines and tried to dress herself up that day.

The opportunity to meet Aki Tomoya came amidst the drifting cherry blossoms. Her hat was blown by the cherry blossoms and landed right on a boy of similar age. Would you call such an encounter romantic?

It certainly had a touch of fantasy and romance, but Kato Megumi didn't react at all to such an event.

But in reality, it was just a very accidental encounter.

The other person was a boy that everyone in the school knew, while she was the inconspicuous one.

Kato Megumi, who was used to being forgotten, was amazed by the coincidence at the time, but she didn't think Aki Tomo would remember her.

However, when she went to find Aki Tomoya to help her teacher last time, she discovered that Aki Tomoya still remembered her, and Kato Megumi gained a new understanding of this boy.

After spring break, Aki Tomoya, who seemed somewhat out of place here, must have experienced something quite unexpected.

Just like the ghost stories published in magazines, at first Kato Megumi felt that it was a paranormal event.

"Keeping people at arm's length is just an illusion. Rather than saying that Aki is deliberately putting on that aloof act, it's more accurate to say that the need and the inclination no longer exist..."

Kato Megumi seems to have found one of the reasons why Aki Tomoya seems out of place.

What kind of place is Tokyo University? As an ordinary female high school student, Kato Megumi's first impression was that people who planned to go there must be incredibly boring.

Last year's Tomoya Aki didn't seem like the kind of person who would have such goals, which is why the sense of incongruity arose.

"So, are Sawamura-kun and Kasumigaoka-senpai also part of the reason?"

Kato Megumi glanced at Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha again, her eyes thoughtful.

"...It's probably for a deeper reason."

After comparing Aki Tomoya's current situation with the other two, Kato Megumi does not believe that the other two were among the reasons that prompted Aki Tomoya to make such a radical change.

Unbeknownst to her, Kato Megumi suddenly woke up. In this subtle atmosphere, she did not find the truth about the love triangle she was looking for. Instead, she noticed that Aki Tomoya was different from the others.

In this place that values ​​atmosphere and air quality, Aki Tomoya, who was assigned to the same class after spring break, has completely ignored all external factors and is heading towards the place he yearns for—no, it should be said that he chose it himself.

See you tomorrow, Aki-kun.

Kato Megumi closed the red book from Shinazugawa University, then stood up and politely said goodbye to Aki Tomoya.

It's already this late, she needs to go home.

"take care."

=

Thank you [Kasumigaoka-senpai] for the monthly pass.

Thank you [Windbird Inner Demon] for the monthly pass.

Thank you [Yang Hua] for the monthly pass.

Thank you [Fantasy317] for the monthly pass and 2 razor blades.

Thank you [Abigail in the Abyss] for the monthly ticket, 2 blades, and a salted fish thrust.

A 4-word chapter! Anyone want to send me some recommendation votes? If no one sends any, I'll ask again tomorrow.

Chapter 16 She and Her

See you tomorrow, Kato-kun.

Kato Megumi's departure didn't bother Aki Tomoya too much; like an ordinary student, he would have been home long ago.

However, that girl was indeed quite interesting. Although she was just an ordinary girl, her lack of presence made her seem extraordinary.

In fact, to be honest, girls like Kato Megumi are more special than ordinary female high school students.

It's unclear whether she herself has realized this characteristic of hers.

Before they knew it, it was closing time. Aki Tomoya, who had timed it perfectly, looked up and saw that apart from Kasumigaoka Utaha from the next room, there were no other students left in the library.

After packing his things, Aki Tomoya stood up and politely nodded to Kasumigaoka Utaha beside him, saying, "Goodbye, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

Aki Tomoya carried his schoolbag toward the library entrance, pretending not to see Eriri, who was hiding there with aching legs.

He glanced cautiously at Eriri, who looked flustered, out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

After hiding outside for so long, Eriri still couldn't get rid of that knot in her heart. Perhaps she had figured out the key point, but unfortunately she lacked that little bit of courage.

He subconsciously stopped and looked Eriri up and down. Even though he pretended not to notice him, Aki Tomoya's actions had a self-deceiving quality.

Realizing this, Aki Tomoya didn't want to continue this meaningless pretense and turned to Eriri, saying, "Eriri, is this something that needs to be agonized over for a long time?"

Leaving behind those words, he ignored Eriri's bewildered expression and walked straight downstairs.

Eriri looked at Aki Tomoya's retreating figure with a mix of panic and confusion, pondering what he had just said.

"What?! That guy..."

Were we just making fun of him?

If that's really the case, how arrogant and conceited must Aki Tomoya be right now...

But that's definitely not what I meant. Aki Tomoya's tone just now sounded more like he was teasing me.

"Sawamura-kun, no, Kashiwagi Eri-sensei, you really look like this..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha appeared at the doorway at some point, scrutinizing Eriri with a subtle gaze.

Although she didn't say those two words, Eriri could still sense the mockery that Kasumigaoka Utaha was showing her.

Because of Aki Tomoya, they learned about each other's hidden identities around the summer semester of last year.

One is a rising star in the light novel world, and the other is a well-known illustrator in the doujinshi industry. With Aki Tomoya as their link, they got to know each other.

To be honest, they don't have many secrets between them. Apart from things hidden deep in their hearts, as "enemies," they also share a mutual respect and a deep understanding of each other.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha... Kasumigaoka Utaha! What do you mean by suddenly standing behind someone?!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Eriri accidentally bit her tongue. She covered her mouth and instinctively took a step back, then made no attempt to hide her wariness of Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood gracefully at the library entrance, maintaining her elegant demeanor, a stark contrast to Eriri's flustered appearance.

"Isn't it because some blonde tsundere young lady was so focused on a certain boy that she didn't notice anyone coming? Sawamura-kun, you're really something!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha wore a faint smile on her beautiful face as she teased Eriri.

It wasn't that she appeared here like a ghost, but rather that Eriri's attention was entirely focused on Aki Tomoya, which prevented her from noticing Kasumigaoka Utaha's arrival. Please don't get it wrong.

After being hit on the head with facts by Kasumigaoka Utaha, the blonde, gorgeous mixed-race young lady chose to avoid eye contact.

She was already pitiful enough and really didn't want to deal with Kasumigaoka Utaha's mockery anymore.

However, this doesn't mean Eriri couldn't think of a rebuttal.

"Hmph, that woman who writes romance novels, hasn't she been abandoned by her loyal fans now? Kasumi Shiko!"

The air was instantly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Eriri seemed to have found the weakness of the elegant woman, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and a confrontational smile appeared on her face.

The pot calling the kettle black; knowing his childhood friend's recent departure from his otaku lifestyle, this light novel author he admires now also needs a prefix—