Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"convenient……"

After clumsily cleaning Chang Rong's wound, Xiao Xue looked at the overturned lunchbox on the ground and showed a somewhat annoyed expression. However, Xiao Xue's angry face always looked like that of a nobody.

"It's okay, it's okay, my lunchbox is still here, let's share it, Xiaoxue. If it's not enough, I'll go buy you some bread later, but I feel like you could fill up on just some grass, Xiaoxue, lol!?"

Chang Rong smiled and took out his lunchbox, placing it between the two of them. Then, because his joke failed to make the Ice Queen laugh, he was kicked and let out a fairy-like yelp.

"Rong, when I saw the food you prepared for me being overturned by them, even if it was only for a moment—I really thought about just destroying humanity. It's clearly not the right time yet, there are still some humans who haven't been fully infected, especially in Greenland… Damn Greenland, why is there absolutely no progress…!"

Xiaoxue looked at the food scattered on the ground and said in a low voice, but for some reason she got angry again as she spoke, and showed a very sullen and resentful expression.

"Haha, then on behalf of humanity, I'll thank Xiaoxue for sparing my life!"

Chang Rong was already used to Xiao Xue's intermittent seizures and hysteria. He just laughed it off and didn't think much of it, continuing to use this method to brush it off as always.

"It's all your fault... Rong. If my plan to destroy humanity fails, it's your fault..."

"Okay, okay, it's all my fault, alright? Open your mouth now~~~"

Chang Rong smiled and said that it was my fault for playing badly this time, then picked up a piece of sausage with his chopsticks and handed it to Xiao Xue.

Although Xiaoxue said that all humans should die, her body obediently reacted after smelling the aroma. She opened her small mouth and swallowed the food that was offered to her, chewing it while keeping her mouth flat.

After finishing their meal, Chang Rong cleaned up the spilled food, and the two sat on the edge of the rooftop, looking at the unchanging town street scene.

"This can't go on, right? Xiaoxue, do you really not need to ask the teacher for help? I've talked to the homeroom teacher many times. He's a very responsible teacher and will definitely find a way to help Xiaoxue resolve these bullying incidents."

Chang Rong looked at the girl beside her, and wondered how many times she had offered her suggestion.

Chang Rong has always hoped that Xiao Xue can take the initiative to fight back against these bullies, whether by using her own strength or with the help of others. The key is to make Xiao Xue subjectively develop the will to resist, rather than always being submissive.

However, Xiaoxue always seemed indifferent, which frightened Chang Rong. She feared that Xiaoxue might have long been despairing of this kind of life and even taken it for granted, thinking that this was her daily routine.

After all, when it comes to bullying, no matter how much you want to help, it can only be temporary. Ultimately, it depends on the person involved's own awareness and courage.

"...You really care about me, Rong. Seeing me treated like this makes you unhappy, doesn't it?"

Xiaoxue snapped out of her reverie of counting leaves to pass the time and turned to look at the white-haired boy beside her.

"Of course, no one can stand by and do nothing when they see someone being bullied, especially someone they care about."

"Do you care...? In other words, does my being bullied make you feel bad, Rong?" Xiaoxue tilted her head and asked.

"Yes, after all, Xiaoxue, you didn't do anything wrong! There's no reason for you to suffer that malice! Seeing you being bullied by them, I... I'm very angry, and I also feel useless, unable to help solve this problem at its root—"

"Is that so? Okay then."

"Uh, okay? What do you mean by okay...?" Chang Rong was stunned for a moment. Xiao Xue's words still sounded incoherent and illogical.

"Although this may gradually dull my senses about humanity's original sin, consider it my response to you. I will no longer be bullied."

"Xiaoxue, you're finally going to take the initiative to rebel! That's great, I'll help you too! We also need to talk to the homeroom teacher first—"

"No need. Besides, if we tell the teacher, they might ask us to come to their parents, right?" Xiaoxue interrupted Chang Rong.

"Well...it depends on the situation. In serious cases, we might communicate with the parents to understand the situation."

"I have no parents."

"Varied--"

Hearing Xiaoxue's overly bland words, which sounded like casual remarks, Chang Rong was instantly stunned.

"I am... the last one. My former kin have all vanished—ooh!?"

Xiaoxue was suddenly hugged by Chang Rong. Normally, Chang Rong would be very careful about the 'distance' when he was with Xiaoxue, but at this moment he threw those so-called distances to the back of his mind and directly hugged the girl in front of him who was too thin and seemed like a snowflake that might dissipate at any time.

"Let go...uh...um..."

Xiaoxue was utterly surprised when she was hugged. She instinctively wanted to stop Chang Rong, but seemingly sensing the warmth emanating from the boy's embrace, she didn't struggle or resist. Instead, she let Chang Rong hold her as she struggled between her left and right brains.

“No wonder Xiaoxue, your usual lifestyle is like this… I understand, living alone must be very difficult, right? I understand that feeling too—” Chang Rong hugged Xiaoxue tightly, wishing he could give her a home right there and then.

"Rong...you don't have parents?"

"No, that's not true!"

Xiaoxue hesitated for a moment before asking a very direct question, which instantly made Chang Rong, who had just been feeling guilty and compassionate, explode. He immediately stretched out his fists and smashed the Great Witch's skull.

"Waaaaah...!? Ouch, that hurts so much—stop! You foolish human, I... I'm really going to destroy humanity—!"

"Even if it means destroying the world, I'll still correct your overly abstract language skills!!"

Chang Rong, a terrifying man, almost single-handedly killed the Great Witch, a man who saved the world, transcended vulgar interests, a true Sigma man.

Volume 1: Chapter 181. The Zoo at My Doorstep

"Let me go to Xiaoxue's house and see if I can help."

After learning that Xiaoxue was all alone and had no relatives or friends, Chang Rong suddenly made this rather audacious request.

"...Why did you suddenly make this request?" Xiaoxue frowned and tilted her head.

"Hmm...why? How about we just say it was a whim of mine?"

—We can't exactly say that because you used to smell weird and attract bugs, we suspect your living conditions are terrible, or that you even live in a garbage dump...

"...Whatever you want."

Xiaoxue responded softly, and then the two left the campus and went to the apartment where Xiaoxue lived.

This apartment building has the kind of cheap look that's perfect for a guy who owes 168 billion to live in and drink all day long.

When Chang Rong followed Xiao Xue to the apartment room, it was just as she had expected.

The already dilapidated apartment was even worse. Before arriving at Xiaoxue's room, Chang Rong had never imagined that the words "dirty, empty, and messy" could all be used together.

Xiaoxue's room was inexplicably empty. Many essential pieces of furniture, such as tables, televisions, and wardrobes, were nowhere to be seen. It was as if it were a prison cell specifically used to hold criminals.

However, the lack of furniture did not bring a sense of cleanliness and tidiness to the room. Instead, there were piles of packaging bags and clothes scattered everywhere, and stationery and notebooks used in campus life were scattered all over the place like loot dropped from an equipment store.

The kitchen was less 'clean' and more 'almost unused', with grease and ash visibly piled up everywhere.

"Compared to Zhongdeng, the unemployed beer man, the only thing you're missing is beer cans and takeout containers, Xiaoxue..."

Looking at the hellish scene before him, Chang Rong could only keep comforting herself that at least there were no rats or cockroaches.

"...I don't need to integrate into human society."

Xiaoxue turned her head away and retorted softly, but her voice didn't sound very confident.

"Alright, I'll tidy up a bit for you anyway—where's the broom?"

"...?"

"Then, what about the mop?"

"—?"

"Surely we have some dishcloths and towels by now...!!"

"Is this okay?" "Isn't this a dead potted plant!?"

Chang Rong was completely devastated. Although he knew that Xiao Xue's self-care ability might not be ideal, such an outrageous scene still exceeded his expectations.

"If Meruru were here... well, it seems like Meruru wouldn't be of much use even if she were here."

—What exactly can your Meruru do? I'm asking you.

Xiaoxue reluctantly stated that Chang Rong was merely an ordinary person living in an era without Meruru, but she quickly realized that if Meruru were also here, apart from the chaos being doubled, it seemed that nothing fundamentally changed.

The great witch, who devoted all aspects of her life to magic and familiars, truly regressed and degenerated into a wriggling creature after having these abilities stripped away.

"We don't even have any cleaning tools. Should we borrow some from the neighbors? Or should we just go to the nearby grocery store and buy a set... Damn it, my head hurts."

Chang Rong felt the veins on her forehead throbbing, and the long bar called "rationality value" was about to overflow, so she put a beautiful black crown on her head.

Sato Yuki's lifestyle was simply reinforcing her long-held life principles. Just being in this room made Chang Rong feel powerless, as if she were being constantly kissed.

"How about you move in with me, Xiaoxue? My parents both work in another city, and I'm currently living alone. This way, it'll be easier for me to take care of you—ooh!"

Chang Rong blurted it out in a moment of exhaustion, but he immediately realized that he had made a very inappropriate invitation to Shrimp Head.

However, before she could retract her statement, Xiaoxue unexpectedly and decisively responded first:

"That's also acceptable."

"Huh?" Chang Rong blinked, not even understanding the meaning behind Xiao Xue's words.

"Compared to dealing with the surrounding neighbors and administrators, or spending more effort to find a family that can easily take over your identity... living in Rongni Home should be much more convenient."

"^q^ Eh!? Is it, really true? Then, should we go over there now?"

Chang Rong didn't notice the somewhat intriguing part of Xiao Xue's words, after all, to Chang Rong, these words were just Xiao Xue's usual chuunibyou (delusional) behavior.

At this moment, all he could think about was the immense joy of inviting the girl he admired to live together, and her immediate acceptance.

Ah... Niko, the ancient Greek god of consent... Thank you for your great power and blessings! I promise to cook two pounds of prawns for you every year from now on!!

Chang Rong prayed devoutly three times while leading Sato Yuki away from the terrible room that would give anyone a heart attack just by looking at it, and arrived at their own house.

Unlike Xiaoxue, who rented an apartment from who-knows-where, Changrong lived in a bungalow on the side of the street, just like the kind of house Nobita Nobi lived in.

Although the house itself is quite old and looks worn out in various places, Chang Rong's cleaning and tidying up has given it a sense of peace and tranquility.

"This house is where my parents used to live. Although it's a bit old and the location isn't very bustling, there's a zoo nearby that's quite interesting. For a while, I would go there to work and earn some living expenses."

Chang Rong handed Xiao Xue, who was sitting at the tea table, a cup of hot milk. At the same time, he started rambling on and on, trying to avoid the awkwardness of being caught up by her after the silence.

"Aren't you going now?"

"Yes, Dad made money in the stock market, so my living expenses aren't so tight anymore."

"Ha, humans. Creatures that even need to use dirty deals to raise their young—mmm, this tastes good..."

Xiaoxue's haughty snort was interrupted by the hot chocolate milk in her cup.

"Since school is closed tomorrow, Xiaoxue, do you want to go check it out? If you go before it ends, you can get a 40% discount on tickets!"

—Waaaaah, don't push your luck, Chang Rong! Today we've already achieved two milestones in one go: 'going to Xiao Xue's house' and 'inviting Xiao Xue to my house.' If you keep sending out these date-like invitations like this, you'll definitely get what's coming to you...!!

Chang Rong appeared calm and collected, but in reality, after casually making the invitation, she was internally pounding her drums and breaking into a frenzy, even wishing she could just kill herself and go back to five minutes ago.

"Animals? Boring, what's so interesting about those things?"

As expected, Sato Yuki let out a disdainful snort, as cold as ice, and rejected Chang Rong's overly childish and radical date request without reservation.