Why wasn't I the one who got the male lead's script?

strange.

This feeling of being cared for by others, and even having a place in other people's hearts, made him feel a little strange.

----

I didn't realize it's so late.

Then let’s open the bounty again tomorrow morning (funny). How about giving all the bosses a 20% discount this time?

Hoshimi Haru can't be alone again: Chapter 3: Hayasaka Ai's determination (Part 4)

It’s not that he hates it, it’s just that this discovery makes Xingjian feel a little novel and at a loss.

After all, he has never been important to others.

If he was alone from beginning to end, then no matter how recklessly he rushed around and got beaten to a bloody pulp, it would be his own business.

However, in a sense, he is no longer the same person as the passerby and light bulb Xing Jianqing who was ignored by everyone.

Because my shoulders seem to be carrying concerns and even expectations that do not belong to me.

Now, the young man, having sensed this somewhat heavy bond, can no longer frankly and calmly choose to ignore his own feelings for the sake of the "bigger picture."

——Because some people will be sad about his choice, and some people will point at his nose indignantly and say, "Don't be so self-righteous."

These are all proof that they care about themselves.

So, for the sake of those who care about her, Xingjian can no longer pretend to be blind to the harm she has suffered.

Also, what attitude will Ishigami and Shirogane show towards me after they know the truth?

While savoring the aroma of black tea, he cautiously raised his head and looked at Baiyin standing in front of him with a hidden gaze.

But she happened to meet his gaze.

It turned out that he had been looking at himself.

Although Xingjian quickly looked away out of guilt, Baiyin, who noticed this, did not feel anything strange. He just narrowed his eyes slightly and raised a bright smile on his face.

"What? I haven't seen you for a few days. Why do you seem to have become so distant?"

He patted Hoshimi's shoulder nonchalantly, then sat down next to Ishigami, looking at Hoshimi with his usual frank eyes, who seemed a little different from usual.

"It's okay, it's okay. Just tell me what's bothering you. After all, I've been doing counseling for a while—I have some experience in counseling people."

Baiyin Yuxing folded his hands in front of him, smiled confidently, and nodded.

"Tell me—which girl do you like? Or is there a girl who likes you? Don't worry, just tell me everything. I will try my best to give you the most objective and efficient analysis."

"No, why does everything we have to discuss have to be about love?"

Ishigami Yu on the side frowned and complained mercilessly.

"After all, it's quite unreasonable for the president to think that someone like Haru-senpai, who is almost completely indifferent to women like me, would be troubled by love..."

Wait, this sentence is even more rude, Ishigami.

Baiyin didn't expect that his confident promise would be questioned so quickly, and the smile on his face became a little stiff.

"Ah, well... Mainly because I just took on someone else's dating negotiation a while ago... so this is the only thing I have to offer. By the way, Ishigami, don't just sit there and listen, give us some advice."

No, at least refute what Ishigami said, Shirogane. That's only making things more hurtful.

Xingjian could only show an awkward but polite smile on his face as he watched the two people bickering with each other. Although he felt a little helpless, he did feel a little comforted in his heart because of the interaction between the two.

It was that long-lost feeling of daily peace that made him feel a little bit dizzy, but also a little bit at ease.

“…Well, actually, it’s a pretty complicated matter.”

He spoke in a voice that was very soft but not enough to be drowned out by the argument between Ishigami and Shirogane, then cleared his throat and resumed his serious demeanor.

"Well?"

Shirogane and Ishigami stopped arguing almost at the same time, and turned around to wait patiently for Hoshimi's next words.

"I...something bad happened to me recently."

Xingjian organized his words and thought about where to start.

After thinking it over for a long time, he decided to tell the story from the beginning in as serious a tone as possible, even though it was too disjointed and might not sound convincing.

Then, the one-sided narration, which Xingjian was not very good at, began.

He paused briefly in the middle of his speech because he touched on topics such as "adolescence syndrome" and "paranormal phenomena" that were slightly unfamiliar to Shirogane and Ishigami - but then he quickly brushed them off in more understandable terms.

The expressions of Baiyin and Ishigami also gradually changed from relaxed and happy to solemn. In the end, even the fierce look in Baiyin's eyes, which he had tried his best to restrain, became bright again.

"Xingjian, you mean... that you were framed?"

After listening carefully to the whole story, Baiyin asked this question in a deep voice, and at the same time glanced at Ishigami beside him with an unintentional look.

As expected, he seemed to be particularly empathetic to this kind of thing, and his expression became a little gloomy, as if he was worried about something.

Hoshimi told the whole story, from how he plagiarized Kasumi Shiko's work with a pseudonym account to how the person who later revealed his real identity was probably Aki Tomoyuki, without any concealment.

"...That's what I think, but I don't have any solid evidence to prove that the person who set me up was that guy."

Having said that, Xingjian was a little speechless and opened his hands and checked his fingers - it is more than a little difficult to expect others to believe what you say without any evidence, based purely on speculation and personal feelings.

No one can trust himself without reason, and he is very self-aware of this, not to mention that plagiarism is a fact that is despicable enough.

"So, this is purely my opinion... I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to not trust me or think I did something wrong."

Xingjian took a deep breath and met Baiyin's somewhat complicated eyes.

He had already prepared himself mentally to be reprimanded by Shirogane Miyuki - after all, based on Xingjian's understanding of Shirogane, this person was even more upright and righteous than he had imagined.

He shouldn't be able to tolerate this kind of behavior... That's how it should be.

Ishigami probably guessed this, so when he looked up at Shirogane beside him, there was something interesting in his gaze.

However, after listening to Xingjian's entire description, he did not show any serious expression. He just raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then his expression became a little melancholy.

Moreover, Xingjian could vaguely feel that Ishigami had no doubt about what he said, nor did he have any malice towards him - he must be sad about something else.

----

Everyone is asking if there should be a bounty for Shuke's fifth anniversary, so I'll follow the trend and do one too~

Every 200 monthly tickets/300 blades/10,000 rewards will add one more chapter! 5th Anniversary Limited Pool!! (Funny)

Come on, let me owe you until the next book (狗头)

Hoshimi Haru can't be alone again: Chapter 3: Hayasaka Ai's determination (V)

There was even a hint of worry in his eyes when he looked at Baiyin, as if he was worried that Baiyin would say something to blame Xingjian.

Xingjian just smiled softly at Ishigami to show that everything was fine, then remained quiet, silently waiting for the next words from Baiyin, who had a serious expression on his face.

“………I’m telling you, Xingjian.”

After the atmosphere remained awkward for several minutes, Baiyin raised his eyebrows and spoke in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

Although Ishigami's heart was in his throat, he still held his breath and focused on Shirogane, who might say something terrible in the next second.

"Assuming that the plagiarism you committed is true, and that the so-called Aki Tomoya is using this to frame you..."

He did mention it after all.

Although Xingjian's expression didn't change much, he had already unconsciously scratched his pants lightly.

Baiyin also took a deep breath and silently looked at Xingjian's facial expression for a long time, and finally slightly pulled the corners of his mouth.

"...You must have some unspeakable hidden reasons for doing this, right?"

"—"

This somewhat unexpected response made the black-haired boy's expression freeze.

He had already thought of a weak defense to refute himself, but Baiyin's words completely disrupted his rhythm.

"What?...don't act like that."

Seeing this, Baiyin Yuxing showed a helpless smile on his face, and his originally sharp and fierce eyes softened unconsciously.

"After all, we've been together for so long. You don't think I don't understand you, Xingjian, at all, do you?"

Shirogane Yuxing raised his finger and spun it in circles in a serious manner, then began to speak confidently.

"You might be a little reserved and inconspicuous at times, but you're definitely not a bad person with bad intentions, and you never harbor malicious intent toward others—this is something I've determined through observation over time."

He raised a confident smile at the corner of his mouth, showing an emotion of trust to Xingjian.

"I don't care about those so-called public opinions and false rumors at all. After all, I know what kind of person you are before the rumors."

Baiyin said these words, which were quite significant to Xingjian, in a very normal tone.

"President..."

Ishigami, who was standing by, was also moved by Baiyin's heartfelt words, and the look he gave him was no longer filled with doubt.

Ishigami Yu turned to look at Hoshimi and gave him a smile that meant "It's okay."

"U-Um, Haru-senpai. I can't say anything to comfort you... but I also believe that you absolutely had no choice but to do that. It doesn't matter if you can't tell us now."

Ishigami awkwardly stretched out his hand, wanting to say something, but in the end he just retracted it wordlessly. He sorted out his thoughts for a long time, and finally looked up and smiled at Xingjian, who was still a little stunned.

"I understand... Everyone has secrets they can't share. If revealing these unspeakable secrets would cause harm to those around you, it's okay for you to not speak up, Senior."

"That's right, that's right."

Baiyin nodded, and the gloomy aura that was a little tangled just now had long since disappeared.

"Our main goal right now is to solve your problem, Xingjian. Although I still have questions about the rest, it's not too late to discuss it once you're willing to tell us. Anyway, I believe you're not the kind of person who would plagiarize others' work for your own benefit."

Shirogane smiled and raised his eyebrows, and Ishigami Yuu beside him nodded gently with the same expression.

"Well, I also believe in you, Senior... enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens will obviously cause the greatest harm to you."

Xingjian was a little surprised by their statements, but after careful consideration, they seemed reasonable.

"...Don't you feel weird?"

Xingjian stared blankly back and forth between Baiyin and Ishigami, and gently pinched the flesh on his thigh - he wanted to use this to confirm whether this was just his beautiful fantasy.

"I don't have any evidence to prove my innocence. If you get to the bottom of this plagiarism, you'll find out it was definitely me... Why..."

When he said this, his voice stopped abruptly.

Because the looks that Shirogane and Ishigami gave him were still gentle yet firm.

"As for the reason, I've mentioned it more than once."

Baiyin smiled and shook his head. Ishigami beside him also pursed his lips slightly and continued Baiyin's words.

"...Because we're friends with our seniors. Why should we believe the rumors of strangers instead of the explanations of our friends who are right next to us?"

"........."

Xingjian, who originally just wanted to confirm the attitudes of the two people alone, was speechless for the first time. He wanted to say something but something was stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands resting on his thighs.

"……what."

In the end, Xingjian could only squeeze out this little sound in a dry voice.

"Just because of such an unconvincing reason...that's too lame."

His long black bangs covered his eyes, making it impossible for Shirogane and Ishigami, who were sitting opposite him, to see the expression on his face.

However, Baiyin didn't seem to care about this. He smiled and waved his hand indifferently.

"You're just too insincere. It's not like you'll get hurt if you accept other people's kindness."

"President, this isn't the way to comfort someone."

"Who made this guy look like he was about to cry? Well, Xingjian, no matter what happens, we're here. If you really feel bad and want to cry, it's okay - Ishigami and I will pretend we didn't see anything."

The conversation of the three boys filled the entire office, and their voices were so loud that they didn't even notice Miss Fujiwara Chika who pushed open the office door and walked in with cheerful little steps.

"Good afternoon~ President-san and Ishigami-kun! Hmm, Haru-san is here too? What a rare visitor—eh?"

But soon, the joy of "discovering a rare partner" on the pink-haired girl's face disappeared as the red eyes of the star-seeing boy raised his head.

"Wait wait wait wait—Qing-san finally came to visit us once, why did you make me cry, President?"

"Huh? Fujiwara?"