Tokyo: Oreimo

Page 209

She turned her head away, her voice muffled.

"understood."

Ryosuke responded and continued drinking his porridge.

The dining table fell silent again.

After a short while, Ling Nai's voice rang out again, much softer than before.

"However... that forum is quite well done."

"The mood tag feature is especially interesting."

"The Touma Kazusa section is full of 'collapse,' it's hilarious."

As she spoke, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upwards.

“Someone even wrote an analysis post of more than two thousand words, saying something like ‘It’s precisely because no one is wrong that it’s even more despairing,’ which makes a lot of sense.”

Ryosuke looked up at her.

Morning light streamed in through the kitchen window, falling on the girl's profile and casting a soft glow on her golden hair.

She was looking down, poking at the empty strawberry daifuku box with a fork, a faint smile playing on her lips.

That was the expression of satisfaction mixed with a touch of disappointment after finishing a favorite game.

Ryosuke has met him many times.

She always makes this face whenever she completes a route in Clannad or finishes watching the last episode of a certain anime.

Like a traveler who has just finished a long journey, standing at the end looking back on the road they have traveled, there is reluctance, but more than anything, there is satisfaction.

"Ling Nai."

"Ok?"

What do you think of White Album 2?

Ling Nai stopped fiddling with the box.

She was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at him with a serious expression that Ryosuke rarely showed.

"...It's a good story."

Her voice was soft, but every word was spoken clearly.

"Although my stomach hurt while playing, although I wanted to jump into the screen and beat Haruki up several times, and although the ending made me cry buckets..."

"But it's a good story."

She paused for a moment, her gaze meeting Ryosuke's.

"You wrote very well."

Ryosuke looked into her eyes and saw no feigned impatience, only pure and clear recognition of a good work.

"I'm glad you like it."

He chuckled softly.

Ling Nai looked away, lowered her head again, and used her fingers to fidget with the creases on the edge of the empty box.

"...However, I still prefer Clannad."

She muttered something.

"Ok?"

"Because Clannad doesn't give you a stomachache, you idiot."

She looked up and glared at him, her face returning to that "I'm very unhappy" expression.

"If you ever write another story like this that makes my stomach hurt, I'll bite you to death."

"Did you remember?"

Ryosuke chuckled.

"remember."

"Humph."

Ling Nai stood up from the chair, carrying the empty carton and milk cup to the sink.

Halfway there, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Ryosuke.

"Oh, right."

"Are you going on a date with the giantess on Christmas Eve?"

Ryosuke paused slightly in the hand holding the bowl of porridge.

"...She even told you this?"

Ling Nai nodded.

"But it didn't say where to go?"

"They said they wanted to go to the beach."

"Going to the beach in December? Are you crazy?"

Ling Nai's tone was filled with undisguised disdain, but her facial expression was not so sharp.

"Well, it's because she seems to really like the sea."

What's wrong with this guy? He has no opinions of his own at all.

Ling Nai glared at him and gave a soft snort.

"I wouldn't say 'Have a nice date,' but I also wouldn't curse you to have rain."

"In short, wear more clothes and come back early."

She threw down those words, turned around, strode quickly to the sink, put the box and cup in, and then ran upstairs without looking back.

Chapter 196 Dare to say you're here and you're dead

The atmosphere in Aniplex's offices was more relaxed on Saturday than usual.

Several club members were chatting in the break room, and the topic of conversation was naturally "White Album 2," which was released last week.

"Where have you fought to?"

"We just finished the prologue, and we haven't dared to start the final chapter yet."

"Me too. When that song at the end of the prologue started playing, I felt terrible."

"Touma supporter or Setsuna supporter?"

"Don't ask that kind of question, or it'll lead to a fight."

As Ryosuke passed by the tea room, he heard laughter coming from inside.

He pushed open the office door, and Phoenix Inu Saori was already there.

She sat in the chair behind the desk, her legs crossed under the desk, still wearing black stockings and red-soled high heels, holding a document in her hand, looking down at something.

Hearing the door open, she looked up, her long black hair slipping down her shoulders to reveal her delicate face.

"You're here?"

"Ah."

Ryosuke put his backpack on the sofa, walked over, and sat down in the chair opposite her.

"What are you looking at?"

“Sales report.” Saori turned the file around and pushed it in front of him. “The first week’s sales are out. They’re 23 percent higher than Clannad’s sales in the same period.”

Ryosuke glanced at the numbers and nodded.

"As expected."

"Yes, yes, Professor Shiyuze is incredibly insightful." Saori smiled, put down the documents in her hand, rested her chin on her hands, and tilted her head to look at him. "But to be honest, I'm very curious."

"what?"

"Regarding the script for 'White Album 2,' have you really never been in a relationship?"

Ryosuke was taken aback by her question.

"Ask this again?"

“Because it’s unreasonable.” Saori stood up, walked around the desk, stood in front of him, and sat on the edge of the desk. “You’ve never been in a relationship, but the love stories you write have made tens of thousands of people cry their eyes out in front of their screens.”

"This is not contradictory."

"How can it not be contradictory?"

"Writers who write about murderers have not necessarily killed anyone."

Saori was taken aback by his words, then laughed and tapped his forehead with her finger.

"Soliciting nonsense."

Ryosuke grabbed her fingers and held them in his hand.

"I was serious."

Saori looked down at her hand, which he was holding, and smiled slightly. She didn't pull her hand away, but just let him hold it.

"How is my sister?" she suddenly asked.

"Much better," Ryosuke said. "He said he wouldn't curse us to have rain when we go to the beach."

Phoenix Inu Saori couldn't help but chuckle after hearing this.

"See? I told you to leave it to me."