A reversal of fortune and victory in a world hated by all girls!

"I didn't think much of it before, but now I realize it's quite delicious."

“Hmm.” Natsuki Aoi nodded, then added, “Could it be because before, you could have whatever you wanted with a snap of your fingers, but now, you can’t get what you want immediately, so some things have gradually become more precious?”

"This..." Maoye bit the wooden spoon, tilting his head back slightly as he thought.

"Isn't it often said that those who have everything are often the emptier people? A fulfilling material life can lead to a lack of spiritual fulfillment? Listening to you, you've been like this for hundreds of years. Don't you ever get bored? Living this kind of life for so long." Aoi Natsuki was starting to get curious about what the lives of gods were like.

"Everyone's like this, so I didn't feel bored. But since I came here, I've realized that what I experienced before was really incredibly boring. I really couldn't stay in that kind of life for even a year longer," Kayano said, shaking his head.

"So there are gods who have existed for thousands of years, right?"

"Yes, it is Senior. He is a very old god, probably over two thousand... no, more than three thousand years old. He has been doing the same things all along. If it were me, I probably would have given up long ago."

"What if you can't keep going?" Aoi Natsuki asked.

"What else can happen? Many gods who can no longer persevere, especially those who are over two thousand years old, cannot endure such a long period of time. They will destroy the world they created and then lock themselves in an independent space for thousands of years until one day their thoughts completely cease."

"Does that mean the gods are dead?" Just thinking about that scene made Aoi Natsuki frown.

Kayano Karin raised her right eyebrow, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then slowly moved closer to Aoi Natsuki. Her voice lowered as she said, "No, the cessation of thought does not mean death. They will continue to live on forever, until eternity."

"..." Aoi Natsuki felt a chill run down her spine. An eternal lifespan might seem like a good thing at first glance, but upon closer examination, it felt like the cruelest punishment imaginable. Hoshimi had already lived for so long...

Aoi Natsuki recalled the scene when she met Hoshimi in the past, and was a little touched. She was really quite amazing.

"So, I want to stay here, whether I'm an ordinary person or a god, it's fine. Senior also promised me that as long as I'm moved, he won't make things difficult for me anymore. So, Aoi, do your best!" Kayano said earnestly, his hands clenched tightly.

Aoi Natsuki was amused by her straightforwardness; this girl's personality wasn't so bad after all.

"It's rare to have never been moved by something in hundreds of years," said Natsuki Aoi, taking a sip of tea.

"Then we'll have to go and retrieve the senior's heart. But there will definitely be many traps. When you go, if you are seriously injured and die, I will fully restore you the moment I inherit the godhood. You can rest assured about that."

"You're dying repeatedly, aren't you? You're really something..."

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

“I wasn’t praising you.” Aoi Natsuki rolled her eyes, then opened the plan sheet again, looked at it, and said, “The next arrangement is to go see a movie. The movie starts at 14:10 PM…”

Kayano Karin turned her gaze to Aoi Natsuki, who also pursed her lips and turned to look at Kayano. The two stared at each other for a while before Aoi suddenly said, "How about we go to the arcade and play some games?"

"Okay!" Kayano nodded enthusiastically.

These kinds of activities aren't really suitable for meeting up between introverted guys and girls, especially gamers. Going to an arcade or console game store to look at new discs and chat for a bit is much more interesting than watching a movie or taking a walk.

However, although the two of them were happy all afternoon, Kayano still didn't react at all. Aoi Natsuki thought about it and wondered if she had done something wrong. No way.

……

In the following days, Natsuki Aoi and Kayano met at an all-time high. The other girls offered suggestions, but none of them worked. Seeing this, Natsuki Aoi even wondered if Kayano's heart was made of stone.

Of course, he also wondered if it was because they liked different types of people. So, Aoi Natsuki took Kayano to watch a lot of movies starring various male stars at home, but she was unmoved. The few days of vacation ended quickly, and they had to go back to school.

This trip home could only end in failure.

However, it wasn't all for naught. At least Aoi Natsuki had a few meals with his family and several girlfriends he hadn't seen in a long time, which made him quite happy. But when he thought about the increasingly tight timeframe, his smile couldn't help but freeze.

A week later, Natsuki Aoi set off to return to university. It wasn't good to keep taking leave, as he had fallen behind on many design courses. Although they were all basic, he still wanted to attend as many classes as possible.

On his way back, he received a message on his phone from the class group chat about a fashion design assignment. The message said that a mysterious teacher would come to give feedback and hoped that they would put their best effort into the design.

As soon as the assignment was received, numerous design students replied "received" like broken record machines. Ten minutes later, the entire group was already chattering about the design assignment and the mysterious teacher.

Many students guessed that it would be an editor from a magazine. After all, Keio University is a top-tier university, and it is common for them to receive guidance from well-known figures in society. Rather than guidance, it was more like poaching talent, identifying outstanding individuals in advance. Whenever they had free time, they could go to the magazine to learn about the situation beforehand, so that they could be assigned work directly during their internship. From her phone, Aoi Natsuki saw that her classmates were quite enthusiastic, eagerly hoping that she would be the most unique candidate.

Aoi Natsuki naturally needed to complete a work, but the most urgent task was to shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the world from destruction. So he had no choice but to take on the absurd responsibility of protecting all mankind. As soon as he arrived at school, he went to Building 1 to see Hoshimi and explain his disastrous experience over the past few days.

As time went by, the news about him gradually lost its popularity among the students. He no longer attracted as much attention when walking on the main road. He walked straight toward the No. 1 teaching building, but before he had taken a few steps, he met an acquaintance, Saijo Mayumi, who was walking towards him and immediately went up to greet him.

"It's been a while since I've seen you. Have you recovered?" Saijo asked, looking at him.

"Yeah, much better." Since she had asked the school for sick leave to get a few more days off, this was the only answer she could give. Aoi Natsuki maintained a faint smile and added, "Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to, so I'll have to talk to you later."

As she spoke, she was about to step aside to pass by Saijo when Saijo Mayumi exclaimed in surprise, then quickly said, "Did you see the design assignment the teacher posted today? Are you confident you can complete it? There are quite a few knowledge points covered in the professional courses this week, so I suggest you review them more. They said there will be a mystery teacher for this assignment, so this might be an opportunity."

"Yes, thank you for reminding me, but I really should go now." Aoi Natsuki turned around and said politely as she slowly backed away.

Saijo Mayumi was stunned; she had never seen anyone so anxious. She had only wanted to ask him if he wanted her to tutor him. Beginners learning design often become completely lost after missing just one or two lessons. She had, after all, worked for a major women's fashion magazine for a summer, so she had accumulated some experience. Therefore, after becoming more and more curious about Aoi Natsuki, she also wanted to get to know him better.

However, the boy in front of her continued to retreat further and further away.

"Then, then, then the subsequent agreement, the agreement..." Before Saijo Mayumi could finish speaking, Aoi Natsuki turned and ran away in a flash. She was stunned for four or five seconds, then her right hand fell heavily into the air, feeling somewhat annoyed.

On the other side, Natsuki Aoi arrived at the familiar second floor of Teaching Building No. 1, took out his access card, swiped it to enter the conference room, but as soon as he opened the conference room, the scene in front of him greatly surprised him. The conference room, which was originally quite spacious, was now a small area of ​​less than four square meters, filled with six large speakers, and Hoshimi was sitting on one of the large speakers on the left, drinking her coffee very comfortably.

The joke from back then really came true; this time, I'm really going to climb onto the speakers to chat with Hoshimi.

"Oh, Aoi, you're here." Hoshimi noticed the doorway, then put down her coffee cup and said with a faint smile.

"I'm here, but... how do I get in?"

“Start from here, step on the first speaker to come up,” Hoshimi said, pointing to the right-hand speaker closest to the door.

Aoi Natsuki narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious, and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Of course it's true, hurry up and come up." Hoshimi urged him to come up.

This is really quite unusual. The once spacious lounge is now cramped, and the two of them are sitting on top of a large speaker. The curved shape of the speaker looks like it would be uncomfortable for their butts.

Ok……

Aoi Natsuki hesitated for a second, then had no choice but to hold onto the door frame, step onto the speaker, and sit down cross-legged. Once she was fully settled, she leaned to the left and reached out to close the door.

The moment the door closed, the entire space became quiet.

A long, white LED light shone overhead. Natsuki Aoi looked around and asked, "Where's the window? Where did the window go?"

After hearing this, Hoshino pointed to the bottom of the far left edge and said, "Just press it down there. Isn't there a light here?"

"..." Aoi Natsuki raised her right hand, hesitating to speak. After a few rounds, she let out a long sigh, her back hunched, and said in a low voice, "That's why I told you to move these stereos out as soon as possible..."

"Isn't it quite comfortable to sit here?"

"No, it really hurts my butt," Natsuki Aoi retorted.

Every time I meet Hoshimi, I encounter or hear some strange things. Sigh... let's get back to business.

Aoi Natsuki then briefly recounted the events of the week to Hoshimi. This crushing defeat was unexpected. Although the two were quite happy together, it did not lead to romantic feelings between them. As the other-dimensional space shrank smaller and smaller, Aoi Natsuki became increasingly anxious.

In contrast, Hoshimi Hitomi seemed completely unconcerned. Aoi Natsuki had almost forgotten that it was Hitomi who had come to her with a frantic expression, explaining that the world was in danger. Why was Hitomi now acting so relaxed? It was really strange…

Hoshimi finished the last sip of her coffee, abruptly stopping her writing in her notebook. She tapped the black pen heavily, then tilted her head back, resting her right hand on her right cheek, her index finger lightly tapping, and looked at Aoi Natsuki, saying, "How about choosing me instead?"

Side Story 28. Natsuki Aoi, this man is terrifying!

Aoi Natsuki remained expressionless upon hearing this, slowly raised her hands, made an X gesture, and calmly said, "Dame."

"How could this be..." Hoshino suddenly deflated, leaning forward and getting very close to Aoi Natsuki. He immediately backed away; a space of four or five square meters was still manageable with simple movement, but what if one day it only had enough space for two speakers...?

"Can't I even try to pursue you? Aoi-kun." Hoshimi's body was exceptionally supple, her upper body resting on her lap, her long, smooth hair cascading down, her mouth full of a girlish murmur.

"Please, stop teasing me. Can we talk about something serious now? There's been no progress with Kayano, and I'm getting anxious. Is there anything else you can do to help me?"

"Hmm... that's all for now. You've successfully pursued seven girlfriends, so you should have more dating experience than me," Hoshimi said, straightening up with a faint smile.

"Hey, don't try to fool me on this point. I heard Kayano mention that as her senior, you've arranged more dating games in terms of both duration and frequency. When it comes to experience, my experience is just a drop in the ocean compared to yours." Aoi Natsuki bluntly pointed out, but Hoshimi didn't seem surprised. After being exposed, she just shrugged, looking indifferent.

Aoi Natsuki stared at her, then let out a long sigh and said, "Sometimes I really don't know what's going on in your head. Since you're not willing to help, I'll take my leave first. Come find me again when you want to help me."

After saying that, Aoi Natsuki moved slowly until she reached the door, opened it, and jumped out. Just as she was about to close the door, Hoshimi Hitomi suddenly said from behind, "Aoi, do you want me to continue being a god, or to become an ordinary person?"

Aoi Natsuki turned around, thought for a moment, and said, "That depends more on your own decision. What are you thinking?"

Hoshino lowered her gaze, remained silent for a while, and then slowly said, "If it were my true feelings, I would probably still want to continue being a god. This time, the world I created was accidentally invaded by other gods, and this matter will definitely be discovered by other gods as well. Punishment is unavoidable, and there is a whole mess that I need to clean up. Ah, I have a bit of a headache."

Hoshimi rested her chin on her right hand, looking utterly helpless.

This answer was actually unexpected by Aoi Natsuki, because in his opinion, given Hoshimi's personality, she might even say that she would willingly become an ordinary person for him. It wasn't narcissism, but rather a cognitive instinct that had lasted for four years. Hearing her say that she wanted to continue to be a god, Aoi Natsuki felt that something was very strange about her.

Hoshimi immediately noticed this reaction. Her helpless expression turned into a look of delight. She leaned forward, narrowed her eyes slightly, pointed at him with her right index finger, and drew a small circle in the air, saying, "Could it be that, Aoi-kun, you want me to stay by your side? No, you should be more direct with me. I don't have telepathy right now, so I don't know what you're thinking~"

"Can you stop being so self-righteous?" Seeing that Hoshino had returned to her original state, Aoi Natsuki's doubts were slightly dispelled. She then pursed her lips and said, "What you want to do is your business and your freedom. I won't interfere with your decision. If there is any punishment, it doesn't seem too severe from your tone. You'll be back soon, right?"

"Yes, that's true. There used to be a system that said offenders would be imprisoned in an independent space for a hundred years, but the lives of gods are eternal, so time-based punishments are nothing. Later, it gradually turned into verbal punishments, and then..."

"In short, it's a punishment that can be endured, right?" Natsuki Aoi said calmly.

"Hmm, it really isn't much of a punishment."

Upon hearing this, Aoi Natsuki suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, straightened her back, and continued, "Okay, that's the best outcome. I promised you before that I would allow you to come over for a meal every now and then, and that promise still stands, but not too often. Just remember that. I'm going to class now, talk to you next time."

"and many more!"

"What's wrong now?"

"When is the next time you mentioned?" Hoshimi Hitomi stared at him with her large, watery eyes. Aoi Natsuki couldn't resist her sudden innocent gaze. Knowing his personality, he was more responsive to gentle persuasion than force, and this hit his weak spot. He then closed his eyes, sighed, and slowly said, "Tomorrow..."

She was just saying that because she wouldn't help her, she wouldn't contact her again and that if they wanted to meet, she should come to her. But she had only turned around and said a few words when Aoi Natsuki fell into her trap again. Sigh, knowing her is truly the biggest misfortune of my life.

Watching Hoshimi smile and nod emphatically at him, Aoi Natsuki closed the door in slight frustration. He returned to reality, glanced at the time, and realized it was almost time to head to his next major class.

Rushing to the classroom, Aoi Natsuki sensed a commotion as soon as she arrived at the design department area. As she went up the stairs, she found the place crowded with students, many of whom were from different departments who had come to join the fun. As Aoi Natsuki squeezed in, she heard them repeatedly mentioning an English name.

"reco"

Isn't this the women's fashion magazine/newspaper where Natsuki Aoi has been doing part-time design work?

Is that an editor from the magazine? This mysterious teacher was exposed way too quickly.

Natsuki Aoi struggled to walk, wondering which editor it might be. Although he often had contact with this magazine, he didn't know all the editors. He only knew two editors: the editor-in-chief and the deputy editor-in-chief.

He quickly moved to the doorway, and the first thing he saw was a mature woman surrounded by students in the center of the podium. The students were packed in layers, and those who weren't tall enough stood on tiptoe to ask questions. The students behind them also stood on tiptoe because of the people in front. Back and forth, the students at the back simply brought their stools over and stood on them, just to attract the attention of the woman in the middle.

Her striking figure allowed Aoi Natsuki to recognize her at a glance. Not only did he recognize her, but the two were also acquaintances; she was the current editor-in-chief of Reco, Ms. Poison Fang.

She was a retired supermodel who had worked in the fashion industry for many years and owned her own brand. Later, the investors invited her to serve as the editor-in-chief of Reco women's fashion magazine. Because of her, the magazine quickly became a top-tier women's fashion magazine in just one year.

To be precise, she is also one of Aoi Natsuki's mentors; I never expected that she would come to Keio.

Aoi Natsuki pulled his neck back. He had no intention of meeting Ms. Poison Fang here, so he simply slipped away to the back row by himself. Yusuke was waiting for him there, carrying a bag of steaming hot buns and two eggs. When he saw Aoi, he immediately handed them over.

Would you like something to eat?

"Hmm, I'm a little hungry, thank you." Aoi Natsuki and Yusuke were very close, and the fact that Yusuke would bring him breakfast had long become a habit. During the holidays before university started, he often forgot to eat breakfast because Yusuke didn't bring him any.

Aoi Natsuki picked up a steamed bun and started eating it, the chaotic scene in front of him forming a stark contrast with his own.