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

...At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any mystery.

Well, let's rely on luck at this time.

"Excuse me, I'll put it back where it belonged later." Because if you don't put it back where it belonged, your words will be seen through.

As I said that, I started to open the books...If I followed my habit, I would definitely put important things between the books.

...Although this is just my personal opinion based on my own situation,...some things are not done by only one person.

With the high-frequency shaking, the things sandwiched in the book finally fell onto the table due to gravity, making a slight collision sound.

"It really...works."

I reached out and picked up the object that had fallen from the book. It looked very vintage, and the stamps and dates on it proved that it was a recent product.

It's a bit unbelievable that some people still communicate via letters...

Is it really okay to read other people's letters without permission?

..................

"Hey, Sheji, have you finished it?"

The senior's question came from the phone. Hmm...didn't he hang up before?

"...Almost done," I replied calmly, then looked at the envelope in my hand. It was just a small note, but the handwriting on the cover looked so beautiful.

Actually...I'm already quite confident.

I put down the envelope in my hand and put it back in its place. I didn't read the contents of the letter.

There's no need to look at it...

"Then let's leave quickly. We're about to go back... Senior Su said he has something else to do and will be home soon."

"Well, I see."

After hanging up the phone, he went downstairs to say goodbye to his senior's parents.

"How's it going? Do you have any clues?"

"Hmm... I've roughly figured out what's going on."

"Then I'll leave it to you. You just said you were Su Xun's junior... I'm really sorry to trouble you with this matter."

"It's okay... When I was feeling down, my senior helped me a lot, so if I can help him, I will do my best."

It’s not about making everyone around you happy.

It's about letting them see...the happiness that they can touch for themselves.

...............

Not far from Senior Su's house, my cell phone rang... and based on the caller ID, I could completely ignore it or hang up.

But after hesitating for a while, I finally answered the call.

"Wow, who on earth were you talking to on the phone for so long... Just now, no matter how I called, it was always busy. Are you really that busy normally?"

The first thing he said was such an offensive statement...it seems like it would have been better not to respond in the first place.

"You're just unlucky... I just happened to have something to do today, so I'm a bit busy."

That's right, the person who is talking to me right now is Rin Hanekawa, the eldest daughter of the Student Council President and the Rin family, who got my phone number a few days ago.

And although it was our first phone call, I had no intention of commemorating it at all.

"Are you done now? I think you're done, right?"

"...Well, that's true."

"Then come see me." She made this request easily. "You're free now anyway, and it's almost noon. If you arrive on time, I can treat you to a meal."

"...Huh? Where are you now?"

Don't want to face the reality

I thought following my senior to Suxun's house was trouble enough. I didn't expect that after resolving this issue, I would still be ordered around by Rinyukawa... Well, considering she's treating me to dinner, I should give her some face.

After asking for the location, I started walking towards the mall, which happened to be the opposite direction of the seniors, so I could avoid meeting them on the road.

Speaking of which, Senior just mentioned that Senior Su was going to go home... Could it be that he saw through our plan? Or is he simply out of interest and coming back? Either scenario is terrible... let alone both scenarios.

Anyway, the time I was away was relatively short, so if I opened the letter, I might not be able to finish it. Besides... it's wrong to read other people's letters.

"What..."

In the end, I still can't easily touch the bottom line, whether it's my own or someone else's.

Maybe doing this can help me avoid regrets.

It doesn't matter if I don't know the content, because the information I got is enough. The rest can be gathered from the conversation.

The grief of the elders isn't just about the passing of their loved ones... there are even more frustrating things. These things are called frustrating not because they're incomprehensible, but because even if we understand them, they're still difficult to resolve.

Those things used to bother me too.

However, because I have had this experience, I feel that I can understand a little bit the current state of mind of my seniors.

Well, I won’t think about it too much now.

Anyone who knows Rin Hanekawa a little will know that she usually doesn't invite others out to play, so she must have something to say this time.

...I'm used to it. Anyway, don't get used to it, isn't it about energy conservation?

Ah, never mind... Now let me concentrate on responding to Rin Hanekawa's "kind invitation".

Chapter 12: The Reality I Don't Want to Face

"Oh, this is the first time I see you taking such an active role. Could it really be because of the dinner treat?"

When I came rushing over, the first words he said were not a greeting but a teasing...

Speaking of which, Rin Hanekawa's casual wear is really rare. Unlike her last beach outfit, this time she's wearing a white dress that looks like it was specially designed, with a lot of patterns embellished on the neckline alone.

It's obviously just a dress, but... I always feel that she has a sense of aristocratic solemnity.

Thinking back to Rinsenkawa's style...Rinsenkawa is more approachable. I mean in terms of style.

"No, I was just doing some work nearby and happened to receive your call." As he spoke, he adjusted his breathing... and then used his hand to lift his hair that was messed up by the wind.

I won't tell her that I came here on the run.

"That's really hard work... Oh, I see. So you're working part-time? Courier or food delivery? Do you want to increase your workload?"

It's so hypocritical and there's no sincerity at all.

"Neither. I was just doing something for my friend... Tsk, why should I tell you that!" He pretended to be angry and drank the water in the cup in front of him. He was still very tired after running all the way.

"Ah, that glass of water is not for drinking, it's for washing hands."

"Um--?!"

For a moment, I really hesitated whether to spit out the half-drunk water.

"Of course I lied to you." Then he stuck out his tongue at me, "Oh, you're so easy to fool."

"...You're bullying an honest person." I retorted after swallowing the water, "If you do this again, I'll excuse myself."

"Sorry, sorry~ It's my day off, so I seem to have relaxed a bit too much... Just a joke, don't mind." She then made a head-banging gesture. Honestly, this gesture doesn't suit her at all. However, given her beauty, it still worked.

No matter what, trying to get away with it by being cute is shameful.

"okay."

I blushed for no reason but still forgave her verbally.

Although cuteness is shameful, it is useful.

"You wouldn't treat me for no reason, right? So you guessed something happened." I said as I opened the menu in front of me and took a quick look at it. It looked very expensive, but the food didn't look very tasty looking at the pictures.

This kind of restaurant is definitely not suitable for me. If possible, I would rather eat at a ramen restaurant.

"...I haven't encountered any problems, why are you asking?" She responded calmly, "Can't I ask you out if I'm bored?"

"Please watch your words."

"Can't I go on a date with you?"

"That's even more outrageous!"

"Hey~"

This guy seems to be too excited!

"Okay, okay, if you want to discuss something related to Rinsen River, I don't think there's any need to go through all this trouble. Just stop me at school."

"...I wasn't planning on asking about this again."

"...Are you serious?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"You already have a plan, so it shouldn't matter if I don't care."

She smiled.

But that smile looked forced... I felt like something had happened. There was even a hint of fatigue... Could it be that she had also encountered something difficult to deal with?

"No... I'm worried about you. You asked me to gather intelligence earlier, and now you're saying you don't want to be involved..."

"So what? Was the intelligence really collected?" she asked me.

“Ah, that’s not the case…”

"In that case, there's no need to force it."

Don't force it! Such words actually came from Rin Hanekawa's mouth. What on earth is going on... Oh, I know. It turns out I'm crazy.

"If this is a joke, then it's too bad. Please just get back to normal."

"Normal... What do you think is normal about me?" She directly asked a counter-question in response to my request.

"...for example..."

His eyes wandered as he tried to organize his words, but he felt that no matter what he said, he would be touching a minefield... Who knows if this guy is acting.

"Like what?"

"Mature and steady... speaking with confidence and all that... you seem to lack a bit of energy now."

"Ah, is that so?"

"...Um."

Now it seems that I didn't say anything wrong.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." She reported the dishes she had ordered, then turned to look at me, "Can you tell me a little bit about the trouble your friend is in?"

"...Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"Curious...just curious."

Since the sentence is repeated twice, it means there is more to it than that. What happened to her?

"Well, it's probably okay to tell you."

..............

"Oh, so you just went to that friend's house to gather information?"

"Well... generally speaking, yes."

Why don't I want to admit it after hearing it from her mouth?

"Um...did you talk to his parents? And they actually agreed?"

"If it's trust, it has indeed been achieved."

I feel like the words she switched are so subtle.

"That's impressive, isn't it? But generally speaking, aren't parents wary of strangers? And you were allowed into your child's room so easily..."

"How should I put it..." If I were to explain...