My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Kashiwagi Eri, you, you really are—" Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Eriri in shock. She naturally knew Kashiwagi Eri, the doujinshi artist. In her impression, she thought Kashiwagi Eri should be the kind of person who stayed in the house all day, with the door tightly closed, never opening the windows, and keeping the curtains drawn every day, making the whole room pitch black, without even turning on the lights, with the only light source coming from the computer monitor.

A particularly greasy, even slovenly, middle-aged, obese man sits in front of a computer, occasionally letting out a chuckle. That kind of eerie, terrifying, and disgusting image should be the image of Kashiwagi Eri.

Looking at Eriri, who is petite and cute, Kasumigaoka Utaha found it hard to accept this character design.

"You promised to keep it a secret."

"Absolutely, absolutely, I'll keep it a secret for you." Kasumigaoka Utaha made this promise with utmost seriousness, but a playful smile appeared on her lips.

Initially, Kasumigaoka Utaha approached Eriri mainly because Eriri and Hasegawa had a good relationship. However, she didn't expect Eriri herself to be so interesting. Now, Kasumigaoka Utaha is also starting to become interested in Eriri.

How did such an adorable girl become a famous doujinshi artist? Do her parents know Eriri's true identity? Is her usual behavior just a facade? What is she really like?

Eriri breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha's assurance. She felt that Kasumigaoka Utaha was truly a good person, an exceptionally good person.

Knowing her true identity, not only would she keep it a secret, but she wouldn't even reject her; she would continue to be her friend. Eriri felt that she had made Kasumigaoka Utaha her friend; from this day forward, Kasumigaoka Utaha would be Eriri's best friend.

Chapter Ten Accompanying Mrs. Yuihama

"Hasegawa-kun, Ai-chan is so brave!" Mrs. Yuihama said to Hasegawa while watching the female lead in the TV series.

"Mm." Hasegawa nodded somewhat blankly.

"But Ai-chan's experience is just too pitiful. They clearly loved each other so much, but they couldn't be together." Mrs. Yuihama said, her eyes reddening, and she held a box of tissues in her hand, as if she could pull them out to wipe her tears at any moment.

"Yes, she really is so pitiful." Hasegawa nodded. Putting everything else aside, Hasegawa absolutely agreed with Mrs. Yuihama's point about how pitiful the female protagonist, Ai-chan, was.

As a child, she lost her sight in a car accident. After a difficult time and a corneal transplant, she finally regained her sight. However, her childhood friend, who had always cared for her, was also in a car accident and became a vegetable. She worked tirelessly to earn money, even selling her family's house, finally having enough to help her childhood friend regain consciousness. Then, Ai-chan was in another car accident; the driver fled the scene, leaving her confined to a wheelchair. But a misunderstanding caused problems between her and her childhood friend. They finally resolved the issue and were able to be together. However, her childhood friend's father then claimed they were half-siblings. Unable to accept this, Ai-chan ran away and was hit by a car again. This time, the impact wasn't as severe, but Ai-chan was diagnosed with cancer…

To be honest, Hasegawa never imagined that a TV series could be this melodramatic.

People used to say TV dramas were melodramatic because they usually crammed together plots like car accidents, amnesia, and cancer. But this one is different; they've repeated car accidents and cancer multiple times. And according to Mrs. Yuihama, Ai-chan might even suffer from amnesia later on…

That is, Mrs. Yuihama watches it every night. Every time Hasegawa sees this kind of plot, he feels like his head is going to explode. Compared to this, "Temptation of Going Home" is just too much.

“This time, Ai-chan has met such an outstanding Mr. Uemura. Ai-chan will definitely find happiness, right, Hasegawa-kun?” Mrs. Yuigahama said, staring intently at Hasegawa.

"Yes, she will definitely be happy." Hasegawa nodded quickly.

"Although there's a misunderstanding between Ai-chan and Mr. Uemura, Ai-chan has mustered up the courage to go see Mr. Uemura. They'll definitely be able to clear up the misunderstanding and make up. Right, Hasegawa-kun?"

"Yes, yes, they will definitely make up." Hasegawa nodded heavily.

"As expected, Hasegawa-kun thought the same thing as me."

"Yes, that's what Mrs. Yuihama thought."

Mrs. Yuihama then turned her attention to the television.

Ai-chan, that strong girl, stood downstairs at Mr. Uemura's house, head held high, hands cupped like megaphones, shouting upwards: "Mr. Uemura, I like—bang!"

A chair fell from a great height and hit Ai-chan, causing her to collapse to the ground, blood flowing from her body.

"Ah!" Mrs. Yuigahama cried out nervously, clutching the tissue tightly in her hands, "Ai-chan—"

In the TV drama, Ai-chan struggled, pushing away the chair she was sitting on, and then stood up unsteadily. Even though blood was streaming from her head, staining her face red, she still seemed unwilling to give up, placing her hands on either side of her cheeks again: "Mr. Uemura, I like it—"

"bump!"

This time it was a table. A table landed directly on Ai-chan, knocking her to the ground once again.

"Ai-chan—" Mrs. Yuihama looked distressed.

In the TV series, the table that was pressing down on Ai-chan moved, and then a hand reached out from underneath. Ai-chan's body, which was almost entirely broken, crawled out from under the table, then wobbled and tried to get up again.

"Ai-chan, Ai-chan, do your best! Go, Ai-chan!" Mrs. Yuihama cheered for Ai-chan.

Finally, encouraged by Mrs. Yuihama, Ai-chan stood up, swaying slightly, and once again tried to shout, "Mr. Uemura, I love it—"

"puff!"

It was another falling object from a height. This time it wasn't a big thing, but a small one—a kitchen knife that fell directly from the sky and stuck in Ai-chan's forehead.

*Thud!* Ai-chan fell to the ground again, but this time she didn't struggle to get up.

Seeing this, Hasegawa breathed a sigh of relief. Ai-chan would finally stop getting hit.

The seemingly gentle and refined Mr. Uemura finally appeared. Seeing Ai-chan lying in a pool of blood, he roared, "Ai-chan!" and rushed downstairs, clutching Ai-chan's body and weeping bitterly. No, not a corpse; at least she wasn't dead yet, because Ai-chan's fingers twitched, and she opened her eyes, looking at Mr. Uemura holding her, a happy smile on her face: "Mr. Uemura, I like—"

puff!

A potted cactus fell from the sky and hit Ai-chan directly in the face.

"Ai-chan!!!"

……

Hasegawa couldn't bear to watch anymore; the plot was so bad he didn't even know how to complain.

"Waaah, Hasegawa-kun, don't you think Ai-chan is so pitiful?" Mrs. Yuihama cried like a baby.

"Yes, yes, it's so, so pitiful." Hasegawa nodded vigorously; he absolutely could not refute this point.

"But Ai-chan is very strong. Even after going through so many terrible things, she is still so brave. That's why I like Ai-chan," Mrs. Yuihama added.

"Yes, yes, she's too strong." Hasegawa nodded heavily. In this kind of plot, if you weren't strong, you definitely wouldn't have the courage to live. You might have committed suicide before the third episode was even over.

Finally, this episode of "Brave Ai-chan" ended, and Hasegawa couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. This wasn't a romance drama; it was more like "The Clash Between Immortality and Final Destination"!

Back in his room, Hasegawa sat in front of his computer, wanting to write his novel. However, he couldn't type a single word because his mind was filled with the immortal Ai-chan. It was so captivating that even if he forced himself to write, the content would inevitably veer towards Ai-chan.

Shaking her head violently, she thought, "Brave Ai-chan's screenwriter is simply a devil!"

Finally, in an attempt to dispel the shadow cast by Ai-chan, Hasegawa even went online and watched the horror movie he was most afraid of, trying to use the horror movie to dispel the shadow that Ai-chan had cast in his heart.

However, despite being terrified of and desperately wanting to avoid watching horror movies, he found himself completely unable to immerse himself in them, unable to feel any fear whatsoever. He even found himself wanting to criticize the female lead who summoned ghosts: "This female lead is terrible, not even a fraction as good as Ai-chan. If it were Ai-chan—"

*Slap!* Hasegawa couldn't help but cover his face with his hands; the shadow of Ai-chan was simply impossible to dispel.

……

"Hasegawa-kun, even though you've already broken through to the Sword Saint realm, you still can't give up the way of the sword. How long has it been since you came to the kendo dojo?" Saeko Busujima looked at Hasegawa with a hint of resentment.

"Um, sorry, Pokjima-senpai, I've been busy writing my novel lately, so I haven't had much free time."

“I know Hasegawa is writing a novel, but with such outstanding talent in swordsmanship, it would be such a waste to give it up now. He has already reached the highest level,” Saeko Busujima said regretfully.

"Don't worry, Senior Busujima, I won't give up kendo. However, once I reach the level of a sword saint, I no longer need to practice every day like before. Meditating and practicing sword Zen once a day is enough," Hasegawa explained.

"Huh? Is that so? I misunderstood Hasegawa-kun."

"It's alright, after all, you don't know my situation. How about you, Busujima-senpai? How are you feeling now?"

"Me? I feel really bad," Saeko Busujima said quietly.

"Huh? Busujima-senpai, are you alright?" Hasegawa asked with some concern.

"Hasegawa-kun, I, I—never mind, it's nothing." Saeko Busujima hesitated, then shook her head.

"Are you really alright? There's absolutely no need for Busujima-senpai to hide anything from me. If you need any help, you can just ask directly." Hasegawa asked with some concern, looking at Busujima Saeko's condition.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little envious of Hasegawa-kun. I wonder when I'll be able to break through to the Sword Saint level like Hasegawa-kun." Saeko Busujima shook her head and said wistfully.

"With Busujima-senpai's talent, she should be able to break through to the Sword Saint realm in no time, so Busujima-senpai has nothing to worry about," Hasegawa comforted her with a smile.

“Is that so? I hope so, but unfortunately, I—” Saeko Busujima shook her head again.

Seeing Saeko Busujima like this, Hasegawa couldn't help but worry. Saeko Busujima wasn't like this before. This hesitant, even melancholic, demeanor was something he wouldn't normally see on her. Now, Saeko Busujima was sighing repeatedly, and Hasegawa was very worried that something might be wrong with her.

“Senior Busujima, you don’t seem to be alright. Although I’m an outsider and have no right to know some things, you’re still my kendo teacher. I absolutely cannot ignore your question. So, Senior Busujima, please tell me what happened?” Hasegawa said earnestly to Saeko Busujima.

"Hasegawa-kun, you...you're so kind. In that case, let's have a proper sparring session so I can fully express my swordsmanship." Saeko Busujima smiled, like a rose blooming instantly.

"Senior Busujima—"

"Come on, Hasegawa-kun. Being able to give it my all is a huge help to me." Saeko Busujima smiled happily.

Chapter Eleven: Prodigy

Yui Yuigahama, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, practiced singing and dancing in front of the mirror. She stopped when she was almost exhausted, walked to the side, picked up a water glass, and gulped down two mouthfuls.

Since joining Nogizaka46, Yui Yuigahama has been practicing non-stop. Although she practiced often at home before, the intensity of the training here is worlds apart.

This was the first time Yui Yuigahama had left home, and she had to practice so hard. In the first few days after she arrived, she couldn't help but cry every night in bed. But the next day she would be completely refreshed and continue practicing, with no intention of giving up. This was her choice, and she was determined to keep going.

Whenever she was so tired that she wanted to give up, Hasegawa's face would appear in her mind, and then Yui Yuigahama would become more determined.

clap clap-

"Ah, President!" Yui Yuigahama turned around instinctively upon hearing the voice, and saw Ken Akimoto standing at the door, smiling at her. She quickly stood up, bowed, and greeted him.

"Yes, Yui, you did a good job. You've been practicing non-stop since joining Nogizaka46, and you never seem to give up. Most importantly, your singing is excellent. However, your dancing is still a bit lacking. Focus more on your dancing, and just make sure your singing doesn't regress. Once your dancing improves, you'll be fully qualified for debut." Kenji Akimoto nodded in approval, his eyes showing satisfaction.

"President, you flatter me. My singing skills are far from sufficient," Yui Yuigahama quickly said modestly. Of course, this was also Yui Yuigahama's true opinion, because Hasegawa had told her more than once that while dancing is a bonus for a singer, singing skills are the most important part. Yui Yuigahama's dancing doesn't need to be great, but her singing skills are absolutely indispensable.

So after arriving at Nogizaka46, Yui Yuigahama diligently studied dance, but she never relaxed her singing practice.

As for Ken Akimoto, his statement that Yui Yuigahama should focus on dance practice and only need to maintain her singing skills was based on his own perspective.

Ken Akimoto wanted to create a girl group. With more members in a girl group, the requirements for singing skills are naturally not as high as for solo singers. Moreover, for girl groups composed of young girls, the requirements for dancing are even higher.

For fans of girl groups, dancing well might even be more important than singing well.

Of course, it's not to say that singing ability isn't important; it is certainly very important. However, since it's a girl group, the requirements aren't that high. Yui Yuigahama's singing ability is already quite good, and in fact, it's considered quite high among girl groups.

That's how it works if you follow the girl group route.

Kenjiro Akimoto frowned slightly as he looked at Yui Yuigahama's humility, which was tinged with seriousness.

"Yuhihama, you really like singing?" Ken Akimoto couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, I really like it. After all, I have absolutely no talent in other areas, except for singing, which I'm not bad at." Yui Yuigahama nodded quickly and said.

"You're such a modest child. Actually, you're quite good in many ways. But your talent in singing is truly outstanding. For someone your age, to have this level of singing ability is already very impressive. Although I've seen many talented people, at this age, their singing ability is at best only similar to yours." Ken Akimoto praised Yui Yuigahama, but he still seemed a little hesitant.

Kenjiro Akimoto felt that it was a bit of a waste for someone with Yui Yuigahama's singing skills to debut in a girl group.

It's worth noting that Japanese girl groups, generally speaking, tend to have a large number of members. For example, the girl group that Ken Akimoto is planning to form this time is expected to have over forty members. A forty-member girl group, a group of young and beautiful girls, is a major draw. However, it's a bit of a shame to include a girl with such excellent singing skills as Yui Yuigahama. Debuting as a singer? She seems a bit too young, and her singing skills aren't particularly outstanding for a singer. It would be more suitable to wait two years, until her singing skills improve further and she's a little older, before debuting. But Yui Yuigahama herself wants to become famous within two and a half years. So, Yui Yuigahama is currently in a precarious position, not quite at her peak, but not quite at her lowest point either.

"Yuihama, your singing skills are really excellent for your age," Ken Akimoto couldn't help but exclaim again.

"No, President, I'm still far from good enough. The person who teaches me to sing is so much better than me. Compared to him, I'm like an ugly duckling." Yui Yuigahama shook her head. She thought of the songs Hasegawa sang when he taught her. Hasegawa's voice, Hasegawa's singing, was truly excellent.

"The person who taught you to sing? You mean your teacher? Someone who can be your teacher must be much older than you, so it's normal that they have excellent singing skills." Ken Akimoto waved his hand with a smile.