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

"Correct."

Dongfang Bai's sudden question startled Kato Megumi, who then smiled and replied, "Yes, I'm very happy. I've never had this before."

"That's good. I was afraid you were forced to agree because you couldn't bear to refuse when I brought you in before..."

"Pfft."

Kato Megumi chuckled softly. It was surprising that he still remembered something after almost a year. It was quite captivating in such a special place.

"Where's Bai Jun? Didn't he always say he wanted to just laze around and wait to die? Now he has so much work, is that alright?"

"……well enough."

Dongfang Bai sighed upon hearing this. He had to admit that his philosophy was the same a year ago: why work hard when he could just coast along? But now, his reason for working had changed from 'making money' to something else.

He writes light novels out of interest, and also to create light novels with Sagiri. He makes games to enjoy the time he spends with Eriri and the others. Even becoming a voice actor is something he does because he finds it interesting.

"Hey, does Bai-kun have someone he likes?"

what? !

That question was way too direct. Given Kato Megumi's personality, she would never ask something so blunt. She's the kind of person who's understanding and wouldn't pry into people's private matters.

But now that they've actually asked, what does that mean...?

Dongfang Bai looked at Kato Megumi's face. She still had that smile on her face and didn't make any other movements. She tilted her head slightly as if she was asking a question, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

It's probably just curiosity. They're quite close, so there's nothing wrong with asking that kind of question.

"Well, of course there are some."

"Eh~ that's unexpected."

Kato Megumi's tone showed no surprise whatsoever; on the contrary, it gave Dongfang Bai the feeling that she had already expected him to answer that way. This question was more like a test.

"So, Bai Jun, aren't you going to confess your feelings?"

"Confess your feelings..."

Dongfang Bai's lips twitched. How the hell was he supposed to confess? He liked more than just one or two people. If he confessed to each of them, he'd be stabbed to death by a yandere girl the next day.

He doesn't want to become the next legendary figure.

Seeing Dongfang Bai's expression, Kato Megumi seemed to understand something. She didn't ask any further questions, but immediately turned her attention to the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, carefully washing them, and changed the subject.

"Bai Jun is very popular. Whether at school or online, he is always the center of attention, unlike me, who has never been noticed by anyone."

This statement sounded somewhat melancholic, but the tone was quite indifferent. Kato Megumi didn't care at all about being an invisible person, because as long as her friends noticed her, she didn't care about anyone else.

"No way, I envy Hui. If only she could live a carefree life without being noticed by anyone..."

"That's not right. It's troublesome to always be ignored."

Kato Megumi slowly furrowed her brows, looking coquettish. Dongfang Bai immediately apologized, "Sorry, sorry, but if Megumi were willing to change her hairstyle, she would definitely become the center of attention, right?"

"Huh?"

"Look, you tried changing to a ponytail before, and it helped a lot, didn't it? How about trying long hair this time?"

"Long hair..."

Kato Megumi placed one finger on her cheek, seemingly imagining what she would look like with long hair, then nodded slightly and asked, "Do you think long hair would look better, Shiro-kun?"

After considering the opportunity, Dongfang Bai spoke decisively without hesitation: "Well, I think it's enough if a girl is cute!"

"That's a classic scumbag's statement."

puff.

The two exchanged a glance and laughed simultaneously. At that moment, Kato Megumi asked, "In that case, I'll give it a try and grow my hair long..."

"Ah."

A man and a woman were washing dishes and chatting at a leisurely pace, while the other five people were completely unaware that their home had been robbed and were still in a daze.

By the time they realize it, it will probably be too late.

……

"Honestly, brother is so slow..."

"~ You were just too hasty. Your brother said he would contact you at eight o'clock, but you were here at seven."

Sagiri's complaints were met with an eye roll from Umaru, and the two sat together in Sagiri's room, facing the laptop in front of them. According to Dongfang Bai, they were supposed to have a video call at 8 p.m., but it was 8:05 p.m. now and he still hadn't called.

"Five minutes have passed already! There's still no news from my brother. Could something have happened to him?! Or was he attacked by the fairies...?"

"what are you thinking?"

Doma Umaru really wanted to open Sagiri's little head to see what was inside. Although this girl was younger than him, she was known as 'Eromanga'; Epson, an artist with the same popularity as 'Kashiwagi Eri', the ultimate 18x doujinshi artist.

Especially since he likes to livestream drawing erotic girls, this guy is already seen by many otaku as a 'perverted old man who only draws pretty girls'. (Zhao Zhao Zhao)

Click.

Just as the two were discussing, the black screen of the computer suddenly lit up, showing a video call from Dongfang Bai. Their eyes lit up and they immediately answered.

"Sorry, I had some things to do tonight, so I'm a little late."

As soon as the call connected, Dongfang Bai saw Sagiri and Umaru on the other side of the screen. They were both wearing loose and cute pajamas, staring at him with their big eyes open.

"You've caused a little trouble...?" Sagiri frowned slightly, wondering what this meant. She seemed to have sensed something unusual.

"Well, I just went to clean up the mess after dinner. How are you two doing today? Did you eat?"

Dongfang Bai couldn't possibly say that he lost track of time because he was chatting with Kato Megumi, because that would definitely make Sagiri and Umaru jealous.

图：http://img.faloo.com/NovelNode/0x0/1/1699/1699197.gif

Chapter 87 Your curry rice uses tomatoes? [Please subscribe automatically]

"No problem at all, brother, you don't need to worry about the two of us."

Doma Umaru spoke with a grin. The two of them sat on either side of the computer, leaning their heads close to the screen. This was the first time they had ever video-chatted from so far away.

"Hey, did you order takeout?"

Dongfang Bai wasn't fooled by Doma's smile. He squinted and said casually, and he could clearly feel the expressions of the two people on the other side of the screen freeze at the same time.

He was right after all...

"How could that be?! Of course we ate a proper meal, and I even cooked a curry rice myself!"

"Yes, brother, don't worry about us."

The smiles on the two people's faces were a bit forced, like they were smiling insincerely. Seeing this, even Dongfang Bai could guess that they had ordered takeout, and surprisingly, he guessed it right on a whim.

What are the ingredients for curry rice?

"Huh? There are... carrots, potatoes, and..."

"And tomatoes, right?"

Dongfang Bai spoke up to remind them, and Doma Umaru on the other side immediately echoed 777, "Yes, yes, and tomatoes too!"

"What kind of tomato is that? Do you use tomatoes in your curry rice?!"

Dongfang Bai rolled his eyes and muttered softly. On the other side of the screen, Doma was stunned for a moment and instantly realized that he had been tricked by Dongfang Bai. He was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, Umaru, you've actually learned to lie to your brother? And Sagiri, you're even an accomplice?"

Dongfang Bai pretended to be angry and said in a light voice. He usually had a smile on his face, but this time his expression was calm, which made the two girls opposite him think that he was angry, and their faces turned pale.

"Brother, I'm so sorry!!!"

The two girls exchanged a glance, and without any hesitation, they both lowered their heads and admitted their mistakes in unison. They knew their brother's temper well; although he loved them both very much, he wouldn't let them off easily in certain matters.

"Really..."

Dongfang Bai sighed softly, one hand supporting his head. Sure enough, the two of them started to slack off as soon as he was gone. It was really a bit of a hassle.

He had told them long ago not to eat takeout, but considering they didn't have much to eat at home, he forgave them. After all, while Umaru's cooking skills were said to be pretty good, they were really just edible.

I might as well just order takeout.

"Let's try to eat less takeout, I'll try to come back as early as possible..."

Then the two obediently listened to Dongfang Bai's lecture. In a sense, he was now their guardian, and as their guardian, he naturally had the right to discipline them.

"By the way, how was your trip to the training camp, brother?"

"It's alright. Fairy's deserted island is quite big. She comes to play anytime, and when she gets tired, she just sleeps. Overall, she's quite enjoying herself."

Dongfang Bai turned to the side, letting the two people behind the screen see the room behind him. It had only a very large double bed, a private bathroom, and various amenities, and looked like a high-end hotel room.

"Oh, I really want to go play too!"

Doma Umaru looked enviously in the direction of Dongfang Bai. If it weren't for the fact that she had to stay at home with Sagiri to take care of each other, she probably would have gone along too. It seemed like it would be a lot of fun.

"Does your brother live alone?"

Sagiri's observation point was rather peculiar. She kept cautiously watching the corner of the room, afraid that someone might be hiding there. She knew that there were six girls who had come with her this time. Could it be that he was the only one living in such a big room?

“I used to live with another male editor, but he was forced to leave... so now I live alone.”

Dongfang Bai was somewhat amused and exasperated. He had originally planned to share a room with Yamada Chris, but the girls became alarmed when they discovered that the room only had one double bed and made them stay alone for various reasons.

There was nothing they could do. They had been wondering why Dongfang Bai didn't have a girlfriend yet, and why he didn't react to so many beautiful girls. They even suspected that he might have some kind of unusual preference.

The thought that the room only had a double bed made them very wary.

It's perfectly fine for girls to sleep together, but it feels a bit strange for boys to sleep together, especially when it's just the two of them.

"Wow, you live in such a big room all by yourself."

Sagiri swayed her body unconsciously, her blue eyes narrowed as if she were quite happy, and continued to ask, "So, how's your research going, brother? How was it on the southern island?"

"Well, how should I put it, it's really a bit hot here, but there's no problem finding materials; I still have quite a few inspirations."

Dongfang Bai forced a smile. He didn't need any material at all. All the plots were in his head. If he wanted to, he could write from here to the end in one go without any problem.

"Moreover, there are open-air hot springs and swimming pools here, and the sea and beach are right next to it, so the environment is quite nice."