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

Aoi Natsuki had no choice but to do this for the time being. He wasn't one to seek the limelight. Although being with a pretty girl would attract attention and satisfy a little male perverse urge, he didn't really like such occasions.

Dating a goddess girl was something he could never have imagined.

As they entered the store together, the gazes around them intensified, but Aoi Natsuki ignored them.

A refreshing breeze blew down from above, and Aoi Natsuki led Hoshimi up to the second floor, following the agreed-upon classroom number.

"Can you let go now?" Natsuki Aoi asked, glancing sideways.

"No way!" Hoshimi didn't let go; instead, she leaned closer, causing Aoi Natsuki to gasp in surprise.

Ten minutes later, in the cooking classroom, Aoi Natsuki and Hoshimi changed into special aprons, hats, and gloves. Since most of the people there were couples and families, the two of them attracted the attention of many group members. They whispered among themselves. Since they were in the same classroom, their voices could be faintly heard. They were mostly praising Hoshimi's beauty, and also wondering if the person next to them was a hidden millionaire.

Aoi Natsuki sighed and slapped his face with one hand, while Hoshimi, unconcerned, leaned closer and offered him a few words of comfort.

Not long after, the cooking class teacher came in and started today's class. This class was booked by Hoshimi. Before Aoi Natsuki entered the class, she noticed that it was a class for beginners. The class taught simple dishes such as omelet rice and omelets. It was more about making the relationship between the two parties more harmonious. Some members were families of three, which could further promote harmonious parent-child interaction.

The teacher began demonstrating how to make an egg roll, and many members craned their necks to look ahead. When an ordinary egg was transformed into a layered egg roll, many members who didn't know anything about cooking exclaimed in surprise.

After the demonstration, everyone will need to get hands-on experience, and the teacher will provide one-on-one instruction.

Having just witnessed a perfectly plated omelet, the members were naturally brimming with confidence. Those who had been watching Aoi Natsuki's side just moments before now focused intently on their own cooking.

A fragrant aroma wafted into Aoi Natsuki's nostrils. Just moments before, he had been tense, but now, seeing the people around him chatting and laughing, he inexplicably relaxed. He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, then opened them, turned to Hoshimi, and asked, "Hoshimi, how's your cooking?"

Hoshimi patted her apron and replied with a smile, "I don't understand at all."

"Oh, I see. So you've been ordering takeout for the past two years?"

"About half a year ago, gods didn't need to eat, but after their bodies became more and more like humans, they had to go to the cafeteria every day."

“I see. Actually, if you become an ordinary person in the future, you still need to know basic cooking. It seems that coming today was really worthwhile. Then I will teach you.” Aoi Natsuki said calmly. The main reason was that Hoshimi Makoto became an ordinary person again after retrieving her heart, and she had guided her in doing so. In the future, she would have to help her in some way. Aoi Natsuki had thought about this very clearly in the past two nights. If she encountered any troublesome things after becoming human, she would definitely take care of her.

Aoi Natsuki skillfully picked up the frying pan, poured in the oil, and prepared a simple bento box like an omelet. He had made it at least five hundred times in the past few years, mostly as Rina's bento. He had a very precise grasp of the saltiness. Even though he hadn't made it for a month or two and might be a little rusty, he could still perfectly make a golden-brown omelet.

While whispering to Hoshino, Aoi Natsuki tossed the wok in a pan, the rhythmic sound drawing the attention of many other members nearby.

Hoshimi simply hadn't tried it before, but her learning ability was extremely strong. She understood as soon as Aoi Natsuki explained it, which was much easier for her than when he taught Takahashi. At first, Takahashi would genuinely scare her even with something as simple as lighting a fire...

“This way of flipping is my habit. After you try it a few times, you’ll develop your own method.” As Aoi Natsuki was speaking, a menacing-looking guy suddenly appeared beside her. Aoi Natsuki immediately noticed the black tattoo on his arm. Could he be here to warn her…?

But to everyone's surprise, the next second, an embarrassed smile appeared on that fierce face, and he said, "Dude, your technique is pretty amazing! Teach me, please! My baby was just born, and as a father, I really hope to be able to cook some delicious meals for my child in the future. Please!"

Without giving Aoi Natsuki a chance to interrupt, the man immediately bowed deeply to him after finishing. This was the kind of respectful gesture he only saw on TV as a henchman in a yakuza family. With the man's attitude like that, Aoi Natsuki naturally just nodded blankly. This nod triggered a chain reaction. Many men who had just been looking at him with envy came over to ask him for tips on making egg rolls. After chatting, he learned that most of the people present were young couples who wanted to make some bento boxes for their families.

It was only then that Aoi Natsuki realized that she had taken her date with Hoshimi too seriously. Most people would be curious to see a pretty girl with an average-looking guy, but that would only be curiosity. In real life, there is no malicious provocation, and people who show off and get slapped in the face only exist in novels. In this reality, everyone has their own real life. Seeing a pretty girl is just taking a second look, and no one will take any extreme actions. They will return to their own personal lives, and everyone will have their own happiness.

Aoi Natsuki noticed the close interaction between the groups of men and women, and the initial sense of urgency vanished, replaced by a genuine atmosphere of a cooking class. Aoi Natsuki nodded in agreement, and then he and the teacher began teaching separately. Seeing his enthusiasm, the teacher didn't feel that he was overstepping his bounds, but instead thanked him with a smile.

During these two hours, I learned how to make omelet rice and omelets. Aoi Natsuki's steady technique always allowed the egg on the omelet rice to land steadily on the rice. With a gentle cut with a knife, the oval shape would open up from the middle, leaving the semi-cooked egg liquid inside, which would just cover the rice underneath. Every time she did this, Aoi Natsuki would receive applause.

This time, it was actually him, who was otherwise unremarkable, who became the focus of the cooking class.

Hoshimi Hitomi was neglected, standing far to the side, but a smile remained on her lips. Watching his cheerful appearance, she felt a warmth in her heart. If she could feel this way even without a heart, wouldn't she be hopelessly in love with him after getting her heart back? Aoi-kun.

After Natsuki Aoi finished teaching the last group of members who came to ask questions, he suddenly remembered Hoshimi. The two looked at each other, and Hoshimi waved to him. Natsuki Aoi looked embarrassed for a moment.

"Sorry, I was just not paying attention... There's still some time, I'll teach you more..."

"So you're saying it wasn't intentional?" Hoshimi's voice was gentle and lingering.

“Of course not, it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Let’s start over now,” said Natsuki Aoi.

Just as he was about to heat the pan, Hoshimi suddenly leaned over and, at the same time, held a tissue in her right hand and extended it towards his cheek. Before he could react, Hoshimi had already begun wiping the sweat from his head. The heat of the hot oil, even with the air conditioning on in the classroom, had caused sweat to bead on his neck and forehead.

Aoi Natsuki was a little confused because this was the first time Hoshimi had wiped his sweat. The two figures of the goddess girl, Hoshimi Hitomi, could no longer overlap. The longer he spent communicating with her, the more he understood what she was thinking. He used to think she was just a very unreliable goddess, but now... she didn't seem so bad after all.

"Alright." Hoshino wiped the sweat from his forehead, checked him over, and after finishing, tossed the crumpled paper into the wastebasket beside him, a smile playing on her lips. "Let's continue."

“Hmm…” Aoi Natsuki nodded. It seemed that Hoshimi’s date today wasn’t about doing anything to him. Instead, it was just like a normal date, which was quite unexpected.

He then began to teach Hoshimi how to make omelet rice again. However, despite helping her, Aoi Natsuki would not have any physical contact with her. Let's get this straight, she's a goddess girl! Even if she acts like a gentle woman, he still won't like her.

This is what Aoi Natsuki thought to herself.

As the cooking class draws to a close, all that's left is to chop some scallions and sprinkle them on top.

As Aoi Natsuki began tidying his desk, he suddenly heard Hoshimi's low moan. The next second, he turned his head and saw that Hoshimi's left index finger had been cut open by a knife, and bright red blood was seeping from the wound.

"Let me see." Aoi Natsuki quickly stepped forward, pressed a towel against the wound, looked down at Hoshimi, frowned, and whispered, "Aren't you a god?"

“That won’t be the case for long, will it?” Hoshimi said with a faint smile.

After hearing this, Aoi Natsuki sighed, then raised her hand to signal to the teacher, and said to Hoshimi in a serious tone, "Come on, I'll take you to get it sorted out."

After saying that, he pressed the pressure on her wound tightly again. This time, physical contact was inevitable. He grabbed Xingjian's arm and pressed the wound with his other hand. Under the teacher's guidance, they went to the small infirmary.

……

Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep and didn't even require stitches. Aoi Natsuki was making a big fuss over it. The above words were what Hoshimi said when she pointed at him and teased him.

Aoi Natsuki stared blankly at the wound that she had bandaged with a band-aid, then clicked her tongue and ignored her.

"Oh dear, weren't you very worried about me just now?" Hoshimi Hitomi rested her face in her palms, propped her elbows against the wall, and stared at him with a smile.

"Stop being silly. I'm just really surprised that a god could be injured and bleed. This, this..."

"Just like a normal human being, right? Hmm, see? My physique is becoming more and more like a human's. So, even if you really want to find a place to push me down tonight, you could very well succeed, Aoi." Hoshimi continued to say those shameless things.

Aoi Natsuki instinctively ignored these words and continued to disregard them.

However, when I actually saw Hoshimi injured, I still subconsciously tensed up. I don't know if it was out of shock or concern for my friend. Now, I've given Hoshimi something to talk about and he keeps teasing him. What an ungrateful guy!

Hoshimi smoothed her dark green hair, and in her joy, she tied it up again. When her hair was down, it carried a faint fragrance. When Aoi Natsuki smelled it, her gaze, which had been fixed on the front, turned to look in the other direction.

"Aoi, what are you thinking about?"

"No."

"Oh, well, may I ask you a question?"

“…Okay, go ahead and ask.” After a few seconds of silence, Aoi Natsuki nodded gently.

Do you think it's possible for humans to fall in love with gods?

The question slipped out, and Aoi Natsuki instantly brought it into his own mind. The answer itself had no answer; it was all about how he saw it.

"It's probably possible. If gods can create humans, then there must be something in common between them. However, it's impossible for the two of us."

"You've never been attracted to me?"

"There's goodwill between friends, but when it comes to romance... that's a bit of a stretch, involving humans and gods..."

“Didn’t you just say it was possible?” Hoshimi quickly said.

"I'm only talking about a possibility. I don't think that one in ten thousand chance will fall on me. I've never been very lucky."

“I see.” Hoshimi Hitomi took a deep breath, straightened her back, and her smile deepened as she looked at him and said, “Alright, it’s about time. Today is the day to go back to school, and it’s time for you to retrieve my heart. Everything should be settled now.”

"That's it?" Natsuki Aoi asked tentatively.

“Okay, let’s go then.” Hoshimi took his arm, and this time Aoi Natsuki didn’t refuse. It was only the afternoon, was it really going to end so soon? The two came down from the second floor and walked out of the store.

Hoshimi was going back to university, while Aoi Natsuki was going to the supermarket first to buy some ingredients for dinner.

The two were heading in different directions.

So that's how it ends?

"Then I'm leaving," said Natsuki Aoi.

"it is good."

Aoi Natsuki walked towards the street on the left, but after a few steps she stopped, turned to look at Hoshimi, her heart filled with complicated emotions, and couldn't help but ask, "You're not angry, are you?"

"No, you idiot, go back now." There wasn't a trace of negative emotion on Hoshimi Hitomi's face.

Aoi Natsuki continued walking forward, but this time he only took two steps before turning back again. Hoshimi still had the same expression and casually raised her hand to say goodbye to him.

On this journey, Natsuki Aoi turned around a total of three times.

As the noise from the surrounding streets gradually subsided, Aoi Natsuki's attention became increasingly focused on Hoshimi Hitomi behind him. His intuition was always very accurate, and Hoshimi seemed to be feeling somewhat forlorn at the moment.

Ahh.

Why not just leave like that?

Aoi Natsuki tilted her head back, closed her eyes, let out a long sigh, put her hands on her hips for a couple of seconds to calm herself down, and then turned around and walked quickly toward Hoshimi.

When Hoshimi Hitomi saw Aoi Natsuki approaching again, her eyes were filled with deep surprise. Aoi's current behavior was just as unpredictable as his choice to choose Hayakawa back then. As she watched him walk up to her, a subtle awkwardness remained between them. Aoi Natsuki pursed his lips and then said, "Never mind, let's buy the things near the university. I'll take you home first."

Hoshimi Hitomi's expression of shock deepened, and she froze. Why were those three words filling her mind? But then she thought about it again. This unexpected Aoi Natsuki was the Aoi Natsuki she had always longed for. Her eyes slowly softened, her cheeks flushed, and she looked him up and down. Then she hummed in agreement and nodded heavily.

She reached out again and put her arm around him. This time the action was much more intimate than the first time. Aoi Natsuki was still a little uncomfortable, but this time Hoshimi didn't give him a chance to escape. She grabbed his arm and then walked towards the bus stop back to the university.

Side Story 32. Hoshimi's Confession

……

The air was filled with the chirping of birds and insects. The weather was extremely hot today. Aoi Natsuki had miscalculated before going out and had to stand in the shade of the clock tower. Now, the next day, after receiving Hoshimi's confirmation, Aoi Natsuki and Kayano Karin arrived at the clock tower at the edge of the playground. This was the place where Hoshimi's heart was hidden.

It looked very old; the outer walls of the clock tower were covered with green moss, spiraling upwards in layers. The two of them circled around before finding a small wooden door, which was locked.

He had also asked his teacher about the clock tower at Keio University. The teacher replied that the clock tower had been there since the school was founded, so it must have been at least a hundred years old. Because it had fallen into disrepair over the years, it had been sealed off decades ago. As a teacher with forty years of teaching experience at Keio, he had never heard the clock tower make any sound.

When Aoi Natsuki stepped forward, he saw that the lock was rusty from being exposed to the wind and sun. In fact, he had come prepared today. He took a bag from his side, pulled out a brand new shovel, gripped the handle with both hands, and then smashed it down hard on the lock.

With a crisp click, the rusty lock opened. Aoi Natsuki reached out and removed the iron chain wrapped around it, threw it on the ground, then placed both hands on the door and gently pushed it open, making the small wooden door open very easily.

The first thing that catches the eye is a spiral stone staircase leading upwards; the rest of the space is extremely small and cluttered with miscellaneous items.

Each floor of the clock tower actually has two small openings, so the air isn't unpleasant to smell. However, some birds fly in and nest inside. When Aoi Natsuki stepped over the steps, the pigeons that had already settled there merely glanced at him with a keen eye, without making a sound, only cooing in their throats.

Aoi Natsuki didn't want to disturb their home, so he turned and exchanged a glance with Kayano. Just in case something bad happened, he went up alone, while Kayano watched from the doorway.

Kayano Karin nodded at him.

Strangely enough, Kayano today no longer dressed in that underground rock style; instead, she was dressed much more conservatively.

After staring at her for two seconds, Aoi Natsuki didn't think much of it and turned back to continue upstairs.

The spiraling clock tower gave him a truly unique feeling. There was a small opening at the top of the stairs through which he could see, and this special feeling of being high up gave him a strange sense of fantasy. His initial tension gradually eased as he looked at the ordinary scene before him.

Third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor.

The clock tower goes all the way up to the sixth floor. Aoi Natsuki quickly reached the top floor and immediately saw a large bronze clock, about two people tall and covered in gold paint, come into view.