Tokyo: Oreimo

Your lips are twitching.

The two hid behind the ginkgo tree, watching Saori stand up, still holding Ryosuke's arm, and the two walked side by side toward the activity room.

As the wind blew, Saori's long hair fluttered slightly. Ryosuke turned his head and said something to her. The scene was as harmonious as a romance special poster on the cover of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Okubo clutched his chest and let out a low sigh.

"I only learned today that the term 'real life' has different levels."

“Hmm.” Tian Zhongxue, unusually, did not refute him.

"Those at Takagi's level are probably called 'reincarnated beings from another world,' while we're just NPCs in the starting village who haven't even received all our initial equipment."

"...Your analogy is really hurtful."

"Because this is how I feel right now, Chairman!" Okubo was on the verge of tears.

"Alright, alright, let's go back to the activity room." Tian Zhongxue tugged at his sleeve and started to walk back, but her own steps were unsteady. "No wonder Gao Cheng didn't arrive at the activity room on time..."

"Of course! Look how stuck together they are!"

The two walked back one after the other, their shadows stretching long in the setting sun. Coupled with Tanaka's crooked glasses and Okubo's dejected shoulders, the whole scene exuded an indescribable sense of tragic grandeur.

Chapter 275 Shura Field

By the time Ling Nai and Aragaki Ruri finished strolling around the campus, it was already close to evening.

Liuli walked beside her, holding two bottles of water she had just bought at the Student Union, and handed one of them to Ling Nai.

"The campus is bigger than I imagined." Liuli pulled the tab on her can and took a sip. "It takes ten minutes to walk from the Faculty of Social Sciences to your faculty, Ling Nai."

"So why don't you just join the manga club too?" Ling Nai took the coffee and pulled the tab with one hand. "We can do activities together after school, so we don't have to run around."

"But I know absolutely nothing about comic book creation."

"You don't need to be able to draw. You can help organize the materials. Ayumi-senpai is a very nice person. Although the president is a bit noisy, he is not a bad person."

Liuli didn't reply. She turned her head to look at Ling Nai, who was drinking coffee with her head tilted back. Her Adam's apple bobbed gently, and the setting sun fell on her golden ponytail, breaking into countless tiny points of light at the ends of her hair.

"Where is my elder brother?" Liuli suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"Is he in that club too?"

"Yeah, that's exactly why I'm considering joining..."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to make it easier to go home together..."

Seeing Ling Nai's slightly embarrassed appearance, Aragaki Ruri felt a little disappointed.

I'm completely hooked now. Oh well, as long as Ling Nai is happy.

"Heh, it sounds quite interesting to you. Let's go take a look together."

"Really?"

Ling Nai happily put down the coffee can, rubbing her fingers along the rim. "That guy should be in the manga club room too. He texted me saying he'd wait for me there."

"Let's go then." Liuli crushed the coffee can and threw it into the recycling bin by the roadside. "I'll also go and see what that club you've been talking about is like."

......

When the two arrived at the entrance of the manga club activity room, the door was ajar, and Tian Zhongxue's signature loud voice came from inside.

"Ayumi, you don't understand! She's not just pretty! She's a mysterious beauty who gets dragged into the forum discussions every year! She appeared once at last year's entrance ceremony and then disappeared, but now she's reappeared! And she was just in our school's courtyard..."

The moment the door was pushed open, Tian Zhongxue's voice came to an abrupt halt.

The scene in the activity room froze for a moment.

Tanaka and Okubo stood in front of the table, both wearing indescribable complex expressions.

Ayumi stood by the window holding a folder, Kobayashi sat in the corner with a teacup in his hand, and Makoto Takeda sat behind his laptop, pushing up his glasses.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw the person standing at the door.

Ling Nai stood at the door, her blonde ponytail glowing warmly in the setting sun, followed by an equally eye-catching girl.

Ruri Aragaki stood half a step behind Ling Nai, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, her features so delicate they looked like they'd been cut from a magazine cover.

She was wearing a Waseda suit uniform, with the hem of the skirt just above her knees. The collar of her shirt was tied with the same dark red ribbon as Ling Nai. Her temperament was clean and aloof, completely different from Ling Nai, yet equally captivating.

Okubo was the first to react. He nudged Takayuki with his elbow, his voice trembling as he tried to lower it, "President, what's the occasion? Beautiful girls are coming to our activity room one after another?"

"How would I know?" Tian Zhongxue's glasses were askew again.

"Welcome, Ling Nai." Ayumi stepped forward first, nodded to Ling Nai, and then her gaze naturally fell on Ruri. "Is this your friend?"

"Ruri Aragaki, my classmate from Chiba First High School, is also enrolling at Waseda University today, in the Faculty of Social Sciences." Ling Nai stepped aside to introduce Ruri to everyone.

Liuli bowed slightly, "I apologize for disturbing you."

Her voice was soft and steady, with just the right amount of politeness. Her gaze swept over everyone in the activity room, lingering for only a short time, but enough to make everyone feel that they were being looked at seriously by her.

Misaki Asakura carefully arranged the flyers and placed them on the table, giving Ruri a somewhat reserved but friendly smile.

Yosuke Kobayashi glanced at Ruri, then lowered his head to continue drinking his tea, using the cup lid to conceal his expression.

"As expected, the friends of beautiful girls are also beautiful girls. Galgames really do live up to their reputation."

Okubo sighed.

Tianzhong Middle School was like a radar that had been triggered.

"Aragaki-kun, are you interested in learning about the Manga Research Club? We not only create fan fiction, but we're also about to produce an original visual novel. Joining now requires no experience, just a love for ACGN culture..."

"President!" Ayumi immediately interrupted, glaring at him fiercely.

When will this bad habit of trying to recruit every newcomer into the club change?

Even if you want to recruit, being so direct will scare people away, right?

When Ayumi snapped at him, Tian Zhongxue immediately shrank back.

"I see."

Ayumi turned to Ling Nai, "Didn't Takashiro come with you today?"

“He should have arrived by now.” Ling Nai took two steps into the activity room and looked around. “The text message said he was waiting in the activity room.”

"Takashiro just went out, saying he was going to pick someone up." Ayumi suddenly paused, as if she remembered something.

Tanaka and Okubo exchanged a glance.

“Pick someone up.” Okubo repeated the word, his voice dry.

"Who are you picking up?" Ling Nai keenly noticed this subtle change in the atmosphere.

......

Just as Tian Zhongxue was about to speak, the door to the activity room was pushed open again.

Ryosuke stood at the door.

Beside him, Saori held his arm, her long black hair cascading down to her waist, the silver hairpin in her hair casting a cool light under the fluorescent lamp.

Her light makeup accentuated her already striking features, and a composed smile graced her lips.

Saori's gaze swept around the activity room before settling naturally on Ryouno.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Ling Nai's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the coffee can. Ruri stood beside her, her gaze shifting from Saori to Ryosuke, her brow furrowing slightly.

Tian Zhongxue opened his mouth, only then remembering that he had just been about to talk about this with the other members of the comic club.

I didn't expect the person in question to arrive so quickly.

"Gaocheng...."

He was just about to say something when Ayumi grabbed his wrist tightly.

"What's wrong, Ayumi?"

Tian Zhongxue looked at the vice president beside him with a puzzled expression. No matter what, it was a matter of courtesy to greet new friends when they came to the activity room.

Ayumi stood beside him, her gaze quickly sweeping over Ryosuke, Saori, and Ayano before she slowly pressed her hand to her forehead.

"Even if the president is slow-witted, there should be a limit..."

Haven't you noticed? Something's not quite right.

Saori released Ryosuke's hand and took half a step forward. She was almost a head taller than Ryounai. She looked down slightly at the blonde girl in front of her, her smile still calm.

"Ling Nai, long time no see." Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the activity room could hear her clearly. "Today is the entrance ceremony, right? Congratulations on getting into Waseda University."

"Thank you." Ling Nai's expression was not good. "I didn't expect you to come today."

"Because I made a promise with Ryosuke that I would have him spend these three days of my vacation with me."

Saori glanced at Ryosuke, her eyes filled with a kind of intimacy that only a specific person could understand. "I came to see his club. He's mentioned it several times, and I've always been curious about it."

"Really? He didn't tell me you were coming today."

"It was a last-minute decision; I wanted to surprise him."

"Tsk."

Ling Nai pursed her lips, found a seat and sat down, completely ignoring Ryosuke.

Ruri Aragaki nodded to Saori as a greeting; it was their first meeting, so politeness was expected. As for Ryosuke, he was completely ignored by the two girls.

She's angry.

Ryosuke twitched his lips.

Saori's appearance in the activity room, as he expected, angered Ling Nai, and even caused Aragaki Ruri to develop a grudge against him.

Their taking their seats finally gave Tian Zhongxue an opportunity to interject.

"Takashiro! This is the girlfriend you mentioned before, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Tanaka, the president of the manga club! Please take care of me!"

To be able to break the ice in this atmosphere, that's what makes the president.

Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief.