My anime/manga fandom can't be that lazy.

The moment Dongfang Bai thought of the term "normie," he couldn't help but think of a certain mischievous girl. That girl hadn't contacted him for a while since he recommended some light novels to her, and he wondered how she was doing.

"It really is Kirino."

Ayase Shintsune, that's the girl's name. She's Kirino Kousaka's friend in real life and also a 'model' who works with her, often shooting photoshoots for trendy clothes.

She was a goddess-level figure at school, very popular, and the object of many boys' secret crushes. She also had many friends. This was the 'real-life girl' in the eyes of Black Cat and the others.

"Normal people" and "otaku" are mutually exclusive and it is basically impossible for them to reconcile, unless they are like Kirino Kousaka or Eriri, who appear to be normal people but are actually otaku.

"Ayase, what are you doing here?"

Kirino Kousaka's tone was clearly not good, and her face turned pale, but she still maintained a very stiff smile, showing that her mind was definitely a mess.

If an acquaintance spots you at a comic convention, and that person is someone who strongly dislikes otaku, then you're definitely not going to be friends anymore.

"What a coincidence! To run into Kirino here!"

Ayase Shinji showed a surprised smile. She seemed to have a very good relationship with Kirino Kousaka, while Saori and Kuroneko and the others watched silently from a distance.

"I heard you skipped your club activities and didn't come to work either. What's keeping you so busy?"

"Judging from Gao Ban's appearance, the other party is likely to have a prejudice against otaku, and she doesn't want the other party to know that she is an otaku."

Dongfang Bai analyzed the current situation, and Yamada Yo 603 was stunned. He was about to go up and try to smooth things over, but Dongfang Bai stopped him.

"What are you planning to say up there? And..."

Dongfang Bai pointed to the clothes Yamada Elf was wearing. It was a little skirt with an anime feel, which would probably be considered strange by someone as trendy as her.

"What should we do then?"

Yamada Elf saw that Kousaka Kirino seemed to be on the verge of tears. She was obviously extremely anxious because she never expected to run into Aragaki Ayase in a place like this.

"I'll go first, and I'll signal you later."

As Dongfang Bai spoke, he stepped forward. His clothes were fairly normal, while those behind him, whether it was Saori or Kuroneko, were wearing strange clothes in the eyes of 'normies,' so they were not very suitable.

He had no choice but to go up himself, even though he didn't want to get involved in such troublesome matters.

"Are you Gao Ban's friend? I came out with her, so I'm also her friend."

Dongfang Bai walked away with a smile. He clearly felt that Kousaka Kirino next to him stiffen, while the girl in front of him was stunned.

"Eh...?! Are you Kirino's boyfriend?"

[PS: Ayase is considering whether or not to accept this...]

图：http://img.faloo.com/NovelNode/0x0/1/1664/1664715.gif

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Darkened Girl [Please Subscribe Automatically]

"No, I just came out with her to buy something, and there were other friends with us too."

Dongfang Bai waved his hand, signaling Yamada Fairy to come over. Yamada Fairy nodded and walked over. Although she was wearing a dress, she didn't have much of the so-called 'otaku vibe'.

"I thought Kirino had a boyfriend..."

Ayase Shinji was genuinely surprised. Kirino had been contacting other people lately, and Ayase had wondered if Kirino had gotten a boyfriend, which made her feel something was off.

Actually, Kirino Kousaka is only in contact with Kuroneko and Saori...

"Hello, my name is Dongfang Bai, and I am a student of Toyosaki."

"My name is Ayase Shinjiro, and I'm currently a third-year junior high school student. I'm Kirino's friend, nice to meet you! I came here for work, and it just so happened that I ran into Kirino during my break. What a coincidence!"

Ayase Shinji was very polite, clearly showing excellent upbringing, but Higashikata was finding it increasingly difficult to handle the situation. If she was well-mannered, her prejudice against otaku might be even greater.

"I was a little worried about it before. Kirino, are you feeling unwell?"

Ayase Shinji frowned slightly, clearly worried that Kirino might be sick, and wanted to get closer to see if Kirino was feeling unwell.

As a result, Kirino Kousaka unconsciously took a step back. Dongfang Bai noticed the subtle change in Ayase Shin's expression and inwardly cried out that something was wrong.

"I'm feeling a little unwell, so I plan to go home and rest early."

Kirino Kousaka tried to use the excuse of feeling unwell to make a quick getaway, but Ayase Shinji carefully observed her. Kirino was indeed acting strangely today; she had even taken a step back just now…

Why don't you want to get close to them?

Yamada Elf nudged Dongfang Bai lightly with her elbow, clearly asking him what to do. Kousaka Kirino had obviously panicked too much, and things had become complicated.

Dongfang Bai was at a loss and could only try his best to smooth things over, since he and Shinichi Ayase were not close at all...

"Kirino, if you're not feeling well, I'll take you home. I'll help you with your things..."

“We’ll take care of it. Xinheng, you still have work to do, right? We’ll take Gaoban home.”

“That’s right, we live on the same route as her house.”

Dongfang Bai suddenly stood up and spoke, which made Kousaka Kirino breathe a slight sigh of relief. To be honest, she really didn't know what to do just now. If Aragaki Ayase saw the bag in her hand, she would definitely be discovered!

"But……"

Ayase Shinji frowned again, and Dongfang Bai guessed from her expression that it was Kousaka Kirino's subtle movement at the beginning that aroused her suspicion.

When Ayase Shinji approached her just now, Dongfang Bai clearly felt Kirino Kousaka take a slight step back, and when Ayase Shinji tried to help her with something, she subconsciously put the bag behind her back.

This is a sign of extreme insecurity, and those with keen observation skills are more likely to notice it.

Ayase Shinji received excellent family education. Her father was a professional arrester, which gave her a unique ability to observe things and detect even the slightest changes.

Even if Dongfang Bai wanted to help, he was completely powerless. Kousaka Kirino's actions were too obvious, and the other party's observation skills were exceptional, accurately noticing Kousaka Kirino's abnormality.

She was so panicked that this is what caused the problem.

"Anyway, I'm going back to Ayase now. See you at school later!"

With a stiff smile on her face, Kirino Kousaka waved to Ayase Shinonome and prepared to leave. When Dongfang Bai saw that Ayase Shinonome's expression had clearly darkened, he knew that things had most likely failed.

"Wait a moment!"

Ayase Shin's gloomy tone reached Kirino Kousaka's ears, causing her to stop reflexively. Ayase Shin's brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that her emotions had become somewhat abnormal.

"Kirino, are you hiding something?"

Shinji Ayase's tone gradually shifted from questioning to 'interrogation,' and her emotional change made Dongfang Bai's head start to ache. This child was probably one of those special kinds.

The more gentle and cute a girl appears on the outside, the more her emotions will change drastically when she is touched by something special, which is usually called 'darkening'.

"She's just not feeling well..."

"Please don't speak. It's Kirino and me talking now!"

As soon as Yamada Elf uttered those words, Ayase Shinji retorted with a single sentence, startling Elf so much that she took two steps back and almost fell, her face turning pale.

Even the fearless Yamada Elf was so frightened that she turned into this state, which shows just how terrifying Ayase Shintsune is now.

"~No, Ayase, I have nothing to hide..."

"Lying, lying, lying, lying... Kirino, you know that! I hate liars the most!"

Dongfang Bai was stunned. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Now, he and Yamada Fairy were both outsiders and could not offer any help.

We're doomed...

Yamada Fairy murmured to herself, and Dongfang Bai had similar thoughts, because the situation was now impossible to resolve.

Ayase Shinji only has Kirino Kousaka in her eyes now and won't listen to anything Rei says.

"What's in there? Why are you backing away? Why are you running away? Why won't you look me in the eye?!"

Kirino Kousaka's actions once again stirred up Ayase Aragaki's emotions. Kirino Kousaka was too concerned about the contents of her bag, and the other party could sense it clearly.

Yamada Elf anxiously looked at Dongfang Bai beside her, but Dongfang Bai just shook his head. There was no way to save the situation now. Kousaka Kirino was too flustered and made too many mistakes. He couldn't help her anymore.

In times like these, it's crucial not to panic, but Kirino Kousaka is just a middle school girl, and obviously she doesn't have the composure to remain calm in the face of anything.

"Please let me see it!"

Ayase Shinji reached out to see what was inside the bag, but Kirino Kousaka wouldn't let her. Kirino stepped back sharply, causing Ayase to tear the bag open.

A large number of doujinshi fell out. Ayase Shinji's pupils contracted slightly. She picked up one and flipped through it for a while, her expression growing increasingly cold.

图：http://img.faloo.com/NovelNode/0x0/1/1664/1664998.gif

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Fairy Stepping Out of a Book [Please Subscribe Automatically]

The weather was somewhat gloomy, and a light drizzle was falling from the sky. Kirino Kousaka left alone, her expression quite poor, almost deathly pale.

"They've left."

Yamada Elf watched as Kousaka Kirino and Aragaki Ayase walked in different directions, and could only sigh slightly in the end. She really couldn't help them anymore.

"..."

The black cat didn't say a word, just stood there watching the direction where Kirino Kousaka had left, its wine-red eyes flickering slightly, as if it were thinking about something.

"Xiao Tongtong's friends are probably quite hostile to ACG culture."

Saori's usual smile vanished. As friends, all they could do was offer some comfort to Kirino Kousaka; there was nothing they could do to help her.

Dongfang Bai shrugged; he had done his best. Yamada Elf beside him didn't look too good either; she had genuinely been frightened. Ayase Shin'uga was glaring at her…

"Indeed, and it's not just ordinary hostility, but I don't think it's entirely due to ACG culture. It might be because Takasaka has been hiding something, which caused her to explode."

Dongfang Bai felt it wasn't simply because of these things. Didn't Ayase Shinji just say that in 603? She hates liars, and Kirino Kousaka has been hiding things all along...

"You two are closer to Gao Ban, so see if you can comfort her later..."

Dongfang Bai didn't have any good ideas either, since he and Kousaka Kirino weren't close; they were just acquaintances.

"Okay, I'll call her later. How about we call it a day? Everyone, go home now."

Saori nodded. She really hadn't expected this to happen, and there was no way to solve it. This was all she could do for now.

"I understand. I'm going the same way as the fairy. What about you?"