Tokyo: Oreimo

Ryosuke got up very early, or rather, he didn't sleep much at all.

There was some noise in the next room around eight o'clock in the morning: the sound of a door opening, footsteps, water running in the bathroom, and then the sound of footsteps fading away on the stairs.

He walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked down.

Ling Nai was wearing a white coat and the same red scarf, wrapped up high, and her golden ponytail shimmered softly in the sunlight.

She stood at the door, glanced down at her phone, and then walked towards Chiba Station at a moderate pace, her back straight.

Ryosuke watched her disappear around the corner, then picked up his phone and opened the chat window with Hououin Saori.

"She went out."

The message was sent and received a reply in less than ten seconds.

"I know, she just messaged me."

Ryosuke stared at the message, his finger hovering over the screen for a few seconds before finally typing out a few words:

Where did you meet?

"In the Akihabara café, right next to the restaurant where I first met my sister."

Phoenix Inu Saori had no intention of hiding anything.

"What, you want to come along?"

"I've already said it, boys are not allowed to enter when girls are talking."

"If you dare to come with me, I'll break up with you."

The last message was followed by a tongue-out emoji, which seemed like a joke, but Ryosuke knew she was serious.

That guy always liked to say things in a joking tone, making it hard to tell if he was telling the truth. Even after you started dating, he still couldn't completely guess what the other person was thinking.

He sighed, threw his phone on the table, leaned back in his chair, and slumped into the chair.

At this point, even if I'm worried, there's absolutely no way I can get involved.

......

In the coffee shop.

Phoenix Inu Saori put down her phone, picked up her latte, took a sip, and looked past the rim of the glass at the blonde girl across from her.

Ling Nai remained tilted to look out the window, holding the coffee cup in her hand. Steam rose from the rim of the cup, condensing into a cloud of white mist before quickly dissipating in front of her.

From Saori's perspective, the girl's profile was beautiful, with a high nose bridge, long eyelashes, and skin that looked very white under the warm yellow lights of the coffee shop, almost glowing.

But what's most noticeable is the bluish ring under her eyes.

The dark circles under his eyes, so thick they were almost bluish, were clearly a result of not getting enough sleep for a long time.

"Ling Nai."

Saori put down her coffee cup and called out.

"I hope you don't mind if I call you by your first name?"

Chapter 191 If you like it, come and grab it!

"up to you."

Ling Nai finally turned her head and glanced at her, her eyes filled with an indescribable wariness.

"Anyway, you've been calling me that for a while now."

“Indeed.” Saori smiled, not denying it. “When I run into you at the company, that’s what I call you, but you rarely respond.”

"Because I can't handle you."

Ling Nai honestly admitted her opinion about Saori.

She turned her gaze back to the window; the other person's straightforward way of expressing their feelings made her very shy.

She would often say things that made her blush in front of many people at the company. Later, she learned her lesson and would simply pretend not to hear when someone called her name.

Saori put down her coffee cup, cut a small piece of cheesecake with her fork, put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly, her gaze never leaving Ling Nai.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight,” she suddenly said.

Ling Nai's fingers twitched slightly.

"Is there?"

"Yes." Saori rested her chin on her hand, tilted her head, and looked at her, holding a fork to measure her face. "Your face is smaller, your chin is sharper, and the dark circles under your eyes are very heavy."

"...What exactly are you trying to say?"

Ling Nai finally turned her gaze away from the window and looked directly at Saori, her eyes filled with impatience and a hint of hostility.

"It's nothing, I just feel a little sorry for you." Saori smiled.

"what?"

Takashiro Ryouno showed a look of disgust on her face.

"What? That's disgusting."

What cheesy stuff is this guy saying again? It's all ambiguous.

The girl had no idea why the other person wanted to meet her today. She hadn't planned to pay any attention to it, but the other person threatened her by saying that if she didn't come out, he would come to visit her at her door.

This guy really knows how to hit your weak spot. It's fine outside, but if you're at home and he corners you in your room...

"If you keep saying things like that, I'm leaving."

To be honest, Ling Nai felt like she couldn't stay a moment longer. The thought of the other party having that additional identity made her feel restless.

It was as if I had been 'caught'.

"Is that so? Then I'll be more direct."

Phoenix Institute put down the fork in its hand.

"I asked you out because Shi Yuze has been very unhappy lately."

As she spoke, she reached for her coffee cup and gently touched the almost untouched latte in front of Ling Nai with the rim of the cup.

Ling Nai looked at her coffee cup that had been touched, remained silent for two seconds, then picked up the cup and took a sip.

The coffee had gone cold, and the bitter taste spread on her tongue. She frowned and put the cup back.

"What? What happens to that guy has nothing to do with me, right?"

"Really?" Saori tilted her head, her long black hair slipping off her shoulders and hanging down her side.

"Then why did you ignore him?"

"...Mind your own business, I just find him annoying."

"You're lying, Ling Nai."

".....I don't."

"You have."

Saori's tone was resolute.

"Ling Nai, do you know? You have a very interesting habit."

"...What habits?"

“When you lie, you pause for a moment first,” Ling Nai said.

Ling Nai's expression froze for a moment, and her eyes widened slightly.

“Shi Yuze said the same thing, didn’t he?” Saori saw her reaction and a smile curved her lips. “He told me.”

“When he says you’re lying, he always pauses unconsciously first, which makes it easy to tell.”

"That guy..."

Ling Nai bit her lip, her fingers unconsciously rubbing against the inside of the coffee cup.

"What? He even tells you things like this?"

“Yes, tell me everything.” Saori nodded, “including things like you’ve been ignoring him for the past month.”

Saori sighed softly as she finished speaking.

"I was so worried about you, it broke my heart to see how thin you'd gotten, I wanted to rush into your room, drag you out of bed, and ask you everything..."

"But he did nothing."

"Because he thinks that doing that would only cause you more trouble."

Ling Nai lowered her head, her golden bangs falling down to cover her eyes, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she was desperately enduring something.

"That's just the kind of person he is."

Saori's voice lowered, carrying a complex emotion, like admiration, yet also like helplessness.

"I'm gentle to everyone and maintain just the right distance from everyone, but when it comes to the people I truly care about, I don't even know how to maintain that distance."

"So he just stands there, waiting for you to come closer."

"Just like it was for me back then."

Ling Nai suddenly raised her head, her eyes already red, but she still pretended to be nonchalant.

"What? That doesn't make sense. I don't understand what you're saying."

Saori shook her head, her smile fading and replaced by a serious, almost solemn expression.

"Actually, I'm here today to confirm something, Ling Nai."

"what's up?"

"You like Shi Yuze, right?"

The jazz music in the coffee shop changed, from a soothing tune to a lively saxophone solo, and sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the table between the two girls.

“…”

Ling Nai remained silent.