I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

Yes...I already knew at that time that the so-called youth was just a lie told by people who were ignorant of the world, and this lie was not exposed until high school.

The name of that junior high school that was almost disappearing from my memory, why... did she know it?

"I graduated from that school too, so there's nothing strange about that." Her tone gradually relaxed. "By the way, are you still painting now?"

"draw?"

Why do you ask this? I've never told anyone I used to paint, because back then, I didn't really paint. And after that, I haven't touched it in years... Eh? Wait, could it be...

"Have you ever seen my paintings?"

If that was the case, was it possible that she would know... about her?

"Ah... well, I happened to see it before. It was a mecha in an anime, right?"

"That's right..."

At least it is consistent with what I remember. It seems that she still remembers it, but why does she remember it?

"Then... then, you..."

"Well, it was because of your drawings that I learned about comics. Since then, I've focused on drawing. As you can see, I'm an illustrator now."

"...I see..."

This was such an unexpected development... Although I am really happy that my unintentional act could help someone succeed, it's just... after mentioning that school, all I could think about was her.

"So... do you know..."

No... that's not true. Because she was gone by then, and I should have known that, but I still subconsciously thought... that she was still with me in junior high school.

Phew...what the hell is going on...

"Huh? What? I didn't know many people in junior high school... If you want to find out about someone, I don't think it will be of much help to you."

“…I see…”

But if I didn't tell her, it would seem like I didn't trust her, so I decided to ask, "So,... have you ever heard of someone named Li Ruoming?"

"I'm sorry... I haven't heard of this person."

Is that really the case...

"It's okay, and you don't have to apologize."

"No, the apology is not about what happened just now." She smiled brightly at me.

"Is he an important person? To you?"

“Of course it’s important.”

This will always be the answer.

"Really..." After hearing my answer, she looked at me, not knowing what she was thinking... Was it because what I just said was too straightforward?

"Then I wish you all a happy meeting soon." She glanced at the stage and then said to me, "Well, see you later."

"OK, all right."

I also saw that Kurimoya, who had changed into a dress, had already stepped onto the stage.

Is it finally starting...

Chapter 7: Beginning and Reality

"...I think...but...excellent work..."

Although I was determined to overcome it...I still subconsciously left the speech shortly after it started.

Although I feel a little sorry for Teacher Alia who is giving a speech on the stage... and for those who will be on stage next.

I don’t want to hear other people’s experiences or stories...and I don’t want to make any companions.

"Just wait here until the speech is over..."

I was sitting in the hotel lobby, on the sofa for guests to rest temporarily, with my phone in my hand, but I didn't know what to do.

Come to think of it, I'm really good at doing inappropriate things like this.

"Found it... You're really running around."

...If Xiaoye hadn't gone back early and stayed at school, would he have been able to stop me from leaving school early?

"I'm not running around. I'm just sitting here."

"To me, anything other than being there is considered running around. Speaking of which, what are you doing here? I told you to study hard..."

"Please spare me..."

I have not yet learned all the things I need to learn in school, so please don’t bother me with these things.

“It’s a truth that you should never stop learning.”

"But the reason why mediocre people are mediocre is because their heads are full of useless things."

Is this some kind of debate?... They refuted each other word by word, but in fact no one could convince anyone else.

"How can you say it's useless? These are all other people's experiences..." She seemed to want to refute me, but I interrupted her. For some reason, she had a lot to say now. "This may be a little sudden, but can you sit down and listen to me for a few words?"

"...Are you stalling for time? Actually, the speech isn't that long."

"It's not what you think..."

...It should be said that this was not the original intention...it just had the effect of delaying time.

"Well, I can..." She looked back, "but the party..."

"Don't worry, I'll be there right after I finish talking."

Although I don’t know when it will end.

"Oh... if that's the case..." She was a little skeptical, but still sat next to me. "What are you going to say?"

This tone is a bit anxious...

"Well, actually, I just met an artist... He used to be my classmate at school, and he's still my classmate now, but I only found out he's my classmate a few days ago... Anyway, it's a bit complicated to explain."

"Ah...so?" She didn't seem to care much about what I said.

"After talking to her, I found out that she actually first discovered comics after seeing a drawing I made in junior high school... It always seems incredible. I clearly didn't take that kind of thing seriously, but I inadvertently had... such an influence on others."

Come to think of it...there must be people who have been influenced by me.

"There's nothing weird about this... Everyone changes because of someone, right? I think it's normal."

"No...it's hard to change a person."

Otherwise, there would be a lot fewer troublesome people in the world.

“Well, that’s true…”

"So... I find it incredible that I inadvertently influenced other people's decisions... Is this a good thing or a bad thing? If they hadn't met me..."

Yes, if you hadn't met me.

She...he, she, and...maybe they will have a better life.

"No matter what would have happened if I hadn't met you, the reality is... we all met you, so there are no ifs in life."

"I know this...but I still can't help but think about it..."

My imagination is so open that I can't stop myself.

"Stop imagining it. Mushrooms will grow on your head sooner or later!" Unexpectedly, my forehead was flicked by someone other than Brother Nan.

Wow... I wonder what Brother Nan would think when he knew about this.

"What? Someone flicked your forehead? Don't let this happen again. I'm the only one who can flick your forehead..."

Wait, that's not supposed to be the case.

"Huh? What's the point of telling me this? You deserve it, don't you? Now, get to class."

That's right, that's what we should say...

"What...what happened?"

In response to my question, Xiaoye looked even angrier... although his expression wasn't scary at all, but rather cute.

"It's because you're saying those useless things! I've already said there's no such thing as ifs. And I think it's not just me, Miss Lin and Ye Hui as well. We don't think... we don't think meeting you is bad... On the contrary, we're very happy. And you haven't done anything bad... at least that's how I think of you. So, in my opinion, you being so depressed is just an excuse to avoid the party."

"No...actually, I didn't think that much about it." Why did you have to bring up the matter of avoiding the party?

"No matter what you say, I definitely won't agree with you being depressed without a reason. Do you really want mushrooms to grow on your head?"

"Oh... this..."

I feel a bit nostalgic. This statement seems to have come up when Xiaoye first enlightened me. Almost a year later, I heard it again...

Speaking of which, time flies by really fast.

"Okay, if you have nothing to do, follow me in."

"..."

Why should we try to get to know positive and optimistic people? Perhaps it’s because when we’re feeling down, these people can help us dispel our worries.

Although... it just dispels the troubles, and they are not fundamentally solved... It feels like taking painkillers to relieve pain. It can temporarily last for a while, but you still have to face it.

And I need to face it alone.

"...Hey, Xiaoye."

"Um?"

I know it was too sudden for me to initiate the conversation... but I felt it was necessary to say these words to her... no, if there was a chance, I needed to say these words to everyone close to me... because I had a vague premonition in my heart.

"If...even though you don't seem to like this word...I'm still going to say it."

This time, she didn't rush me, but looked at me quietly, waiting for me to speak.

"If one day, I do something that doesn't quite match your impression. At that time, at that time... please..."

What should I ask her to do? I don't know. I don't know what will happen next; it's just a hunch. I hope it's inaccurate, but...

"...How about treating me...?"

Worried tone...is it because my tone is serious?

"I don't know...but...I think it would be good to do something that can make me feel at ease..."

Because this is a question that has no answer without experience.

Know.Rain.Time

"Well, that's all I have to say. Lastly, as before, I hope everyone has fun and that the work becomes even more popular."

After Li Moya finished her speech, there was warm applause from the audience, although she felt that those guys actually didn't hear anything at all.

"Teacher Alia, can we talk for a moment?"

"Teacher Ailiya, I'm also your fan~"

"Please sign an autograph for me. My classmates like your..."

As soon as she stepped down from the stage, a lot of people gathered around her. They were basically writers whose works were mediocre, and she couldn't even name them.

"Okay, but I have things to do right now, and there are speeches from other teachers. If you have anything to say, let's talk about it when the party officially starts, okay?"

As he spoke, he gave a smile that was irresistible.

"Ah... okay." "Um..." "Oops, excuse me..."

The people who gathered around also tactfully made way.

So, Kurimasa first went to Yisheji, but did not see him.

"...Where is the person who was sitting here just now?"

She asked the person sitting next to her.

"Ah...it seems like he went out. Maybe something happened..." In fact, the people next to him didn't notice it either.