Tokyo: Oreimo

"Hey, speaking of which," Shota Okubo said, already reaching for the second plate of meat, "have you guys ever wondered why our doujinshi are selling so well? Yesterday I thought it was just good luck, but today's sales are just too incredible."

"The forum's recommendation post was a huge help." Yosuke Kobayashi put the grilled beef tongue on a plate. "That post called 'The Lost Child of Akihabara' has already reached over 400 posts this morning, and it's not just him; there are three or four other people who bought it and are also posting."

“Online reputation is one aspect, but the prerequisite is that the quality of the work itself must be excellent.” Ayumi put down her chopsticks. “If it’s not well written, even if someone praises it to the skies online, no one will line up to buy it.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Tian Zhongxue nodded vigorously. “Gao Cheng wrote it so well, especially the line ‘As long as it’s alive, I’ll kill even a god.’ I heard several people in the queue reciting that line today.”

As the group chatted, the topic gradually veered off course.

"Speaking of which, our club is really full of talented people."

Shota Okubo leaned back in his chair, his tone tinged with emotion, "Takashiro is so good at writing novels, and his sister is even better at drawing. The vice president is also very capable. Only the president and I are the most useless."

"Don't take me with you!" Tian Zhongxue protested.

"President, could you please explain why you didn't say a word when you were voted Takashiro in the last election?"

"...Don't even mention it!"

Tian Zhongxue's face turned bright red, while Bu Mei chuckled softly beside him.

After several rounds of discussion, the topic returned to the Gao siblings.

"Speaking of which, Takashiro's sister is from Chiba First High School, just like Takashiro, right?" Shota Okubo asked casually as he placed the grilled pork belly on a plate.

"Ah."

"What's your deviation score? Which university are you planning to apply to?"

Upon hearing Okubo's question, Ling Nai pouted.

So she sometimes feels uncomfortable eating with older people, as they always like to ask her questions about her studies.

"It's alright. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be going to the same university as this guy."

Ling Nai glanced at Ryosuke beside her.

"Huh? Are we going to apply to Waseda University too?"

Tian Zhongxue's face lit up with surprise. "Then you must join our manga club! With Takashiro-chan, we'll definitely be stronger!"

"Is there even a question? If Takashiro were here, my sister would definitely join, right?"

Shota Okubo chuckled. "After all, you're going to be in the same university as your brother, and you can draw, so joining a club would be perfect, wouldn't it?"

"Ah."

Ling Nai responded softly.

This was a plan she had made long ago, so that even in university, she would have plenty of time to spend with Ryosuke.

"But speaking of which, your relationship as siblings is even better than I imagined. The fact that the sister followed in her brother's footsteps and got into the same prestigious university... usually, sisters would hate their brothers, right?"

Yosuke Kobayashi pushed up his glasses.

"Huh? Is that so?"

Tian Zhongxue was very curious. He was from an only child family and didn't know much about this.

But he knew that Kobayashi also had a younger sister, and their relationship seemed to be very bad.

"Of course, ever since I entered junior high school and went through my rebellious phase, my sister and I have been at odds and can't stand each other. So when I see Gao Cheng and his sister, I'm very envious."

Xiaolin explained, "My friends with similar family situations are the same."

The meat sizzled on the grill, oil splattered to the edges, and wisps of smoke rose.

Misaki Asakura put down her chopsticks, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at the Takashiro siblings sitting together across from her, her tone filled with undisguised envy.

"To be honest, I'm also very envious of Gao Cheng and his sister."

"Ok?"

“I also have an older brother, but he is five years older than me and works in Osaka. We only see each other a few times a year. We used to argue a lot when we were young, but now we can’t even argue anymore.”

Asakura said, he picked up his drink and took a sip.

"Seeing how close you two are makes me feel so warm. It's like a scene from a comic book that the siblings can understand each other, create together, and participate in club activities together."

“Right, right!” Tian Zhongxue immediately chimed in, “That’s what I think too! Takashiro, he has such a cute little sister, yet he can still write those ‘warrior of love’ level plots without batting an eye. It’s such a waste of his ‘normie’ attributes!”

"President, what you said is contradictory." Ayumi sighed helplessly.

Yosuke Kobayashi pushed up his glasses, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

"But speaking of which, Gao Cheng, you're a senior in high school now, right?"

"Mm." Ling Nai nodded.

"Then it's the same size as my sister."

Xiaolin flipped the grilled beef tongue over. "My younger sister has never called me 'brother' since she started junior high school. Every time I come home, she says 'Hey,' 'Hey you,' or 'the creature in the room.' The worst time was when she said, 'Mom, the guy with glasses at home is looking for you.'"

"Pfft—" Asakura Misaki almost spat out her drink.

"I was standing right in front of her," Kobayashi added expressionlessly.

The table erupted in laughter.

“That’s why I say Takashiro is really enviable.” Kobayashi looked at Ryosuke. “For a sister to be willing to take the entrance exam for the same university and participate in club activities together, this kind of sibling relationship is practically a rare species. What’s the secret?”

Ryosuke was putting grilled pork belly on Lingna's plate when he heard this and paused for a moment.

"The secret?"

"It's like, how you get along with each other, and stuff like that."

"Nothing special." Ryosuke put the meat into Ayano's bowl. "Just do what you're supposed to do."

"Do what you're supposed to do?"

"Tutoring each other, working on manuscripts together, arguing occasionally, and then making up." Ryosuke thought for a moment, "That's roughly it."

In fact, his initial way of getting along with Ling Nai was just like what Kobayashi Yosuke said, and he couldn't remember when his relationship with Ling Nai started to improve.

Xiaolin stared at him for a few seconds, then shook her head. "Your answer is as good as saying nothing."

“But I think,” Shota Okubo said, sticking his chopsticks into his rice bowl and striking a thoughtful pose, “that Takashiro’s good relationship with him right now might be related to the fact that they haven’t started dating yet.”

"What do you mean?"

“Think about it,” Okubo said, counting on his fingers. “Kobayashi just said that his sister started ignoring him in middle school. What is middle school? Puberty! What is puberty? Romance! Once a sister has someone she likes, her mind is no longer at home, and she dislikes her brother even more.”

“That makes sense.” Xiaolin nodded solemnly. “My sister’s attitude towards me did indeed change completely after she made some friends.”

“Right!” Shota Okubo got an agreement and became even more enthusiastic. “Once my sister starts dating, she’ll feel that her brother is too controlling and annoying. At that time, my sister and brother will keep their distance. Club activities and working on manuscripts together will not be as important as her boyfriend.”

He turned to look at Ling Nai and asked with a grin, "Right, Gao Cheng? So you're on good terms with Gao Cheng now, probably because you haven't met someone you like yet?"

Ling Nai's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

"...Who said I haven't encountered it?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it.

Chapter 257 Could it be Takashiro?

Shota Okubo's smile froze on his face.

"Huh?"

"Huh?!"

Tian Zhongxue's reaction was stronger than everyone else's. The chopsticks flew out of his hand, bounced twice on the table, and rolled into the barbecue sauce dish. The sauce splattered onto Ayumi's sleeve. The vice president looked down at his sleeve, took a deep breath, but didn't say anything.

"Takashiro's sister has someone she likes?!"

Tian Zhongxue completely failed to notice Ayumi's change in expression, and jumped up from his chair with his eyes wide open.

"Wait, wait, wait! When did this happen? Who is the other person? A classmate? Or a senior from school?"

“President,” Ayumi interrupted him, her voice calm, “Your voice is too loud; the whole store can hear you.”

Tian Zhongxue then realized the volume of his voice and quickly covered his mouth as he sat back down in his chair, but his eyes were still full of curiosity as he looked at Ling Nai.

Ling Nai put down her chopsticks, picked up her orange juice, took a sip, and said nothing.

"Um..." Misaki Asakura cautiously raised her hand, "When Ayano was chatting with Ayumi-senpai in the club room earlier, I did overhear something about it, saying, 'older people from outside the school,' right?"

"Older people!" Tian Zhongxue counted on his fingers. "People outside the school! Aren't those college students or people who are already working?!"

"President, can you please be quiet for a moment?" Ayumi sighed again, but her gaze did not leave Ling Nai.

Last time in the club activity room, Ling Nai admitted that she had someone she liked, but she didn't say who it was.

At the time, Ayumi was just a little surprised and didn't think about it too deeply, but now that she thinks about it, there seem to be quite a few older people outside the school who fit this description.

Ayumi picked up her beer and took a sip, her gaze shifting back and forth between Ryouno and Ryosuke under the cover of her glass.

“But then again,” Shota Okubo scratched his head, “someone who can be liked by Takashiro must be really amazing, right? After all, Takashiro herself is so amazing, she draws so well, and she’s a student at Chiba High School, so her standards must be high.”

"Yeah, yeah, what does the other person do? Is he a fellow enthusiast, or a handsome guy? Could he be a sports student who has already gone on to higher education?" Tian Zhongxue kept asking questions, his fingers tapping loudly on the table.

"neither."

Ling Nai turned her head away, her ears turning slightly red, and interrupted Tian Zhongxue, "Don't ask anymore."

Tian Zhongxue, however, showed no intention of stopping.

"Why keep it a secret? We're so close! Besides, you're Gao Cheng's sister, so of course your brother should approve the person you like..."

“But speaking of which,” Shota Okubo suddenly interjected, “Takagi’s sister often spends time with him.”

"After all, they are siblings."

"Yeah, that's why I said Gao Cheng must know something, right? Gao Cheng, you must have met that person, right? Who is it?"

Ryosuke put down his chopsticks.

His expression remained calm as always, but those who knew him well could probably sense a subtle stiffness mixed in with that calmness.

A subtle silence fell over the room.

Ryosuke's eyebrows twitched.

As Ayumi watched the changes in the expressions of the Takashiro siblings, a series of images suddenly flashed through her mind.