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

"...That's also great..."

It's a good thing to have your own ideas, unlike me who has no idea about the future.

"Let me put it aside for now. Do you have any dreams for Sheji?"

"No... I don't have a long-term vision."

It's not that I don't have it, but it's simply impossible to achieve, so in my opinion, it can't even be called a dream. Plus, I gave up on it a long time ago, so it's best not to bring it up again.

"It's not that you can't see far, but that there's no place to look at, right?"

It was a bit surprising why Ye Hui suddenly said such a thing.

Feeling a little unbelievable, I looked at her beside me. At this moment, she also stared at me blankly, as if waiting for my response.

It seemed like I hadn't stared into someone's eyes for a long time, so when I did so again after such a long time, I felt a little strangely shy.

"Well..." I turned my head away, realizing my cheeks were burning. "Maybe that's the case."

"In that case, please look towards the distance I see for a moment. Is that okay?"

"...Yeah..." I nodded, not realizing at the time what I had agreed to.

It wasn't until a second later that I realized it.

"Hmm? Ah?"

What exactly did that sentence just now mean...

Chapter 22: The Feelings I Want to Show

Later, I realized that the distant place Ye Hui was talking about wasn't the future, but her own dream... well, after all, leaving her future to me was definitely not going to happen. However, this dream wasn't particularly far-reaching; it just meant that she wanted me to help her complete the competition entry.

As expected of Yehui... the wording is so precise. The word "temporarily" is really just right.

"So, Ye Hui, you actually don't have any long-term plans, right?" I only thought of this after I came back to my senses from the shock.

The reason I was shocked was probably because I was thinking too much. I don't need to recall the contents of my imagination anymore, otherwise I might never be able to face Ye Hui again in this life.

At this moment, she seemed to have realized what I said. The hand holding the pen began to tremble slightly, and then she looked up and argued:

"Didn't I tell you I wanted to study art? It's a dream after all. After all, learning never ends... isn't it?"

Ye Hui was really cute when he explained with a blushing face.

"Yeah, that's right, it's a direction after all... because there's no specific location." It seemed interesting, so I wanted to tease her a little further, "It's just like having a goal to learn something, but not knowing what to learn specifically."

"Well... although what you said is true, I really can't accept it when Shaji says that."

Wow...I was actually criticized.

"...Even though I'm not good at it myself, I'm quite experienced in guiding others." I pointed out the flaws in the comic draft she showed me. "And offering advice to those who are struggling or have no goals doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in trouble."

"Yes, yes~" Ye Hui nodded in response, "Anyway, Sheji will always twist the facts to their side. I'm no longer surprised by this."

"..." It seems that he has been seen through very clearly.

"But..." She looked at me seriously, showing me the gentle smile she always gave me, "As long as you can help me, I don't have any objections."

"ha..."

"So, wanna take a break? I baked cookies last night." She said, already standing up and heading to the kitchen.

That's right, because there is nothing to do on Saturdays, Ye Hui invited me after school yesterday... "Take a moment to look at the distance that I see"... Well, I only found out that this was the case when I asked later.

"Well." Anyway, the lines and style have improved a lot compared to before, and my story and character design will definitely stand out.

"However, I didn't expect Ye Hui to be able to draw my ideal character..." As I said this, I accurately found the character design of the heroine from the many drafts.

"What's wrong? Did you find anything wrong with the painting?"

Ye Hui had already brought cookies from the kitchen. When he noticed that I was looking at the character design drawing, he sat next to me and looked at the painting.

"No, no... Actually, I brought this painting to look at because I really like it. After all, seeing the character I envisioned appear on paper is a really great feeling... I feel like I've become a creator."

"You are already the creator. I will indicate that you are the screenwriter when the time comes."

"This shouldn't be called screenwriting..." But I don't know what to call this job.

"Anyway, I really like this story. It feels like something that happened to someone... It's very plain, but the settings of the hero and heroine make it less boring."

"That's what I'm saying..."

"But..." She rummaged through the table and pulled out the character design of the male protagonist. "I always feel that this guy with dull eyes, short stature, and a love for meddling in other people's affairs is very familiar."

"Ah... don't worry about that."

"Hey~ Why are you turning your face away?"

"No...it's okay."

I can't honestly say that it's based on myself.

"As for the setting of this heroine... I don't have any impression of it." Ye Hui looked carefully at the description I wrote on the side, "Is it someone I haven't seen before..."

"Yeah... Of course."

He's much taller than the hero, has great athletic skills, and is kind-hearted, but often gets into trouble due to his simple personality... Although this guy is familiar, he's not anyone I've ever met.

"Is he someone you knew before?"

"...No, it's just a hypothesis."

Although it does contain the character of the person I want to meet.

"It's a collection of the personalities of all the girls I've liked so far...ah..." Realizing I might have misunderstood something, I quickly corrected myself, "I'm just talking about personality, not about a specific person..."

"You're lying. What you just said was the truth, right? There are many girls I like who say things like that."

"No... I'm just talking about the creative method..."

"Oh, I understand." Ye Hui suddenly showed a look of understanding.

"That's good..." Ye Hui was indeed reasonable.

"Sheji, you made yourself the male protagonist, and then... gathered all the girls you liked into one person... Aren't you just trying to have multiple relationships?"

"..."

Why do I think so? I don’t even dare to think so.

"Isn't this just being fickle? That's terrible, Sheji." Ye Hui said as he took the plate of cookies from the table. "I'm very angry. If you don't explain this clearly, don't even think about eating."

"...So...things are not what you think..."

And why do I have this feeling of "If you don't explain it well, you won't be allowed to go home tonight"... Isn't it nice to think about it this way?

"Then explain it well."

"..."

A very serious look... Well, in that case, it's okay to talk about it.

"Well, before you say anything... you have to promise me that you won't be angry or anything."

"It depends on the situation. If I really want to be angry but can't, wouldn't that be a bit cunning?"

"Ah... okay..." I sighed, "I don't know if you still remember that time before, Yehui... I said I saw a diary and recalled my childhood sweetheart."

"Yeah, I still remember...or rather, I'm still very concerned about it." She nodded, and her attitude softened. Actually, she wasn't really angry in the first place.

"Did...something happen?"

"I remembered something about her... It's been a long time, but I shouldn't have forgotten it. She helped me get out of the shadow of loneliness, so she is... someone I care about. So I've been looking forward to meeting her again."

"...So that's how it is..."

"Well, my straightforward personality comes from a senior who cheered me on before I figured out that thing. She loves sports. And the troublemaker is a person I met online, and that's her specialty... Anyway, everyone I've met has helped me, and while I can't repay them all, expressing a small amount of respect and gratitude in this way... shouldn't be too much, right?"

"Oh...ah, I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding just now." Ye Hui quickly placed the plate in front of me, "Just now I was just willful...well, maybe it was just curiosity... Anyway, I didn't know there were so many reasons behind it...well..."

"It's okay, it's okay. I feel much better inside because I can take this opportunity to talk it out..."

It is probably because seeing this painting reminds me of the people who have influenced me that I like it so much.

“I like this story.”

“I like this story, too.”

“So I have to let others see it…”

If only she could see it too.

Well, now is not the time to be sad...

"Okay, we've had enough rest." I said, picking up a cookie and stuffing it into my mouth. It tasted as delicious as always. "Keep working hard."

Just for... some weird reason.

Things don't always go as planned

Many people have been fighting for the so-called "equality of creation".

They seem unaware that it is precisely because the world is inherently unequal that some advocate for equality. But what exactly does equality mean? Does it mean that everyone should have the same assets and resources, eat the same quality and taste of food, and live the same life?

However this is impossible.

People are born unequal, because even in ancient times, the gap between people was already huge. The weak will be eliminated, while the strong will naturally survive.

Yet, this injustice is precisely what is fair. Reality doesn't favor the weak, and even the strong have to sacrifice a great deal to survive. No one has an easy life in this less-than-perfect world... If you put in the effort, you'll get something in return, and the extent of that reward is often related to your own strength.

Hard work is acquired, while strength is innate. Strength, in addition to one's own slight advantages, also includes family influence and connections.

According to the principle of survival of the fittest, it's understandable that families that have survived through many hardships possess superior conditions. However, many people don't care about those things, simply wanting to level the playing field with those who are more advanced than them...or even surpass them.

I have to admit, sometimes what drives others isn't so-called justice, but rather inexplicable hatred. The source of that hatred is nothing more than "money" and "power"... and what I love most is probably watching those who are stronger than me suffer.

This is not a disgusting mentality, it is normal for most people. However, getting used to these things is not something that most people can do.

Therefore, tolerating certain people is not because of being broad-minded, but because you have to ignore them. If you argue with those who are not worth arguing with, you may not only gain nothing, but also damage your reputation.

When interacting with people of the same level, one should also try to remain calm, observe their expressions, and then... analyze the target?

In short, it's impossible for someone like me to live a carefree, relaxed, and ordinary life. As much as I want to live an ordinary life, without worrying about complicated interpersonal relationships... I've tried, but I've found it's simply impossible. The responsibilities imposed on me constantly influence my choices.

"You're not like her. You're the only one who's suitable and capable of doing those things. So... I don't think I need to explain further what needs to be given up."

Yes, I've always been smart, smart enough to always understand what my parents meant. So smart that it's hard to pretend to be stupid...

So, I can only envy her silently.

Although she was born with no special qualities, she was able to obtain the happiness of being an ordinary person.

"Enjoy it for me."

Because I may never be able to experience such a life in my entire life.

Chapter 23: Things Don't Always Go As We Want

The alarm clock rang at an inopportune time.

Even though I had clearly remembered to turn off the alarm last night, the ringing of my phone just now made me unable to ignore it. It wasn't until I opened my sleepy eyes and took out my phone that I realized the ringtone was completely different from the alarm.

The person who called was "Rin Hanekawa", whose name I had already written down...When I saw the date, I suddenly remembered what day it was.

And she would definitely say something like "Why are you still sleeping?"

"Hey, it's already this late, are you still in bed?"

I'm pretty good at guessing what the other party is going to say based on the incoming call notification.

"Um...no, actually I'm already up."

Even though I just got up.

"My sister is already up and seems to be choosing clothes to wear out."

"Why do you know that?"

Actually, I don't need this kind of unnecessary information.

"Because her room is next to mine, I can hear the alarm clock very clearly."