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

Xingjian, who had already witnessed Kato silently tidying up his desk, became a little restless. He stood up and intended to let Kato sit back at the desk.

After all, Kato is also a guest, and it always feels strange to ask a guest to clean the room for him.

"That's Hoshimi-kun, just sit there."

However, this time, Kato's attitude was a little unexpectedly tough.

She tidied up the messy bookshelf in the boy's room with familiar movements. Her tone was still gentle and delicate, but there seemed to be an unquestionable firmness mixed in it.

"I understand. I'm different from Sawamura-kun and Kasumigaoka-senpai..."

The girl paused slightly with her fingers pressing on the book.

"In the end, this is all I can do."

"—"

Kato's words made Hoshimi, who was about to reach out to persuade Kato to sit down again, pause.

"So, at least let me do something that I can do."

When the short black-haired girl turned her face slightly, the sincerity in her eyes showed no sign of lying.

——Sometimes, only by accepting other people’s kindness frankly can both parties feel happy.

Kato's eyes made Xingjian's mind flash with this sentence for no reason. He hesitated for a moment, and finally waved his hand silently and turned away, which was equivalent to tacitly agreeing to Kato's approach.

The girl's eyes were filled with a smile again after receiving this answer. She turned around and tidied the bookshelf with even more brisk movements, seeming to be satisfied with it.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Kato. And I also need you to clean my room and stuff..."

"Don't apologize at a time like this. Saying 'thank you' will make others feel happier, Hoshimi-kun."

"...Thank you, Kato."

"Well, I accept this thank you."

"Eh, shouldn't Ms. Kato say you're welcome, given her personality?"

"Does Hoshimi-kun have enough food at home? If not, I'll ask you to go out and buy some ingredients for cooking later."

"Wait! Kato, are you still planning on cooking at my house??"

Kato did not respond to this sentence. He just smiled and turned his back to the boy, continuing to clean up the room for him attentively, gradually transforming the messy room into a clean and tidy one.

Hoshimi, who had originally wanted to strongly refute this plan, was urged by Kato, "If you don't go buy ingredients now, you will have nothing to eat soon." Although she had complicated thoughts in her mind, she finally gritted her teeth and followed Kato's advice.

While Hoshimi was changing his shoes, Ms. Kato checked Hoshimi's refrigerator and gave him a shopping list.

The division of labor between the two was simple. Hoshimi went out shopping, and Kato stayed at home to prepare the basic steps of cooking.

After completing the simple shopping instructions, Hoshimi said, "I'll be back soon," and walked out the door. Kato just watched the boy leave the house and said to him, "Be careful on your way," with a smile.

The moment the security door was closed, it meant that Kato Megumi was the only one left in Hoshimi's house.

"........."

The short-haired girl stood at the entrance for a long time before slowly walking into the kitchen, putting on an apron and beginning to concentrate on preparing dinner for two.

In fact, she came to visit with the intention of having dinner at Hoshimi's house before going home - how could she say such a thing?

The girl used extremely skilled techniques to prepare the vegetables and staple foods one after another, and her movements of washing and cutting the vegetables were smooth and seamless.

It only took her half an hour to prepare the entire dinner. Now she just had to wait for Xingjian to bring back the remaining ingredients before she could continue cooking.

After working in the kitchen for a while, Kato Megumi, who now had a chance to rest, stretched slightly, put the apron on the hanger on the side, walked out of the kitchen and into the one-bedroom room.

Miss Kato leaned against the corner, looking at the room that she had just tidied up spotlessly and without a trace of mess. She couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment - her usually calm face seemed to show a hint of interest.

"what."

But at this moment, something that looked like a cardboard box under the bed caught her attention.

“…Really?”

After taking a closer look at what was in the cardboard box, Ms. Kato sighed helplessly.

"This kind of thing needs to be hidden a little deeper, Hoshimi-kun."

She slowly walked forward, squatted down, stretched out her little hand and pushed the cardboard box inside.

During this period, she inevitably leaned part of her body against the bed, feeling the strange scent of another person on the sheets.

However, Kato did not show any sign of being upset or nervous. She just froze for a moment, then stuffed the cardboard box in normally, and then stepped back normally.

Just as she clapped her hands and retreated, she glanced at the bed belonging to a certain young man with a somewhat subtle look.

Ding-dong-

The doorbell rang from the entrance.

----

Finished it on time! As expected of me! (Funny)

Everyone can guess who is coming (eh)

Hoshimi Haru can't be alone again: Chapter 6: What the girl wants to convey & What the girl wants to hide (Part 3)

Meanwhile, in the science laboratory of Toyosaki Academy.

"Okay, let's end today's discussion here - thank you both for your willingness to participate."

Hayasaka Ai, who seemed to have just finished some important discussion, coughed lightly and nodded to the two girls standing in front of her.

"Let's take a long-term view of the next steps and implement them practically. I'll contact you when there's further progress. By the way, Kasumigaoka-san—didn't you just say you'd bring someone else?"

"Well, forcing someone with a weak will into the team might just become a burden to us. So, seeing how hesitant she seemed, I decided to wait until she made her own choice. For now, the three of us are enough, right?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha moved her legs which were inevitably a little sore from standing for a long time, lifted her soft hair, turned around and walked out the door.

"That's it for now. Please contact me as soon as there are any changes, Miss Hayasaka."

She nodded to Futaba Rio who remained in the laboratory, then waved to the blonde girl standing beside her, and finally pushed open the door and walked out of the laboratory.

During this hour or so, the entire countermeasure proposal was gradually pieced together through the mutual complementation and expansion of thinking of Shiyu and Hayasaka, which also made Shiyu, who had been doing mental exercises almost all day, feel a little tired.

She yawned lazily, said goodbye to the two of them, and then walked towards home from school as if she was eager to go home.

"By the way... this Hayasaka-san looks familiar. I feel like I've seen her somewhere before...?"

Although this somewhat subtle question suddenly emerged in her mind, the exhausted Shiyu decided to go home first.

"........."

Hayasaka Ai, who had maintained a gentle appearance throughout, gradually withdrew her gaze from Wenger after watching Shiyu's figure disappear from the window, and changed to a more comfortable posture and sat back in the first row of the laboratory table.

She had no intention of leaving here now.

"Hey, Futaba-san. I noticed during our conversation just now—"

The blonde girl, with a gentle smile on her face and the look of a caring older sister, tilted her head and stared at Futaba's back.

"Your eyes always pause when you look at me. Is there something you want to say to me?"

"…It's already been a long time since school was over. People outside the school should leave as soon as possible, Hoshimi's sister."

Futaba Rio, who had picked up the chalk beside her and was writing furiously on the blackboard, spoke slowly without directly answering Hayasaka's question, and her hands did not pause at all.

"What about you, Futaba-san?"

"I have my own things to do, so I'll stay in the lab for a while."

"Hey - Futaba-san is just like my Xiaoqing, always alone in school."

“…What’s wrong with being alone?”

Futaba frowned when she noticed that Hayasaka Ai had something else to say. Although she didn't turn around to meet Hayasaka's thoughtful gaze, she paused for a moment in writing the formula.

"Besides, when two lonely people get together, they won't feel lonely anymore, right?"

Futaba Rio's tone was lazy and casual throughout, but only when she said this sentence did a hint of warmth appear between the lines.

"Besides, Hoshimi's sister—"

"Just call me Hayasaka. Or you can call me Ai-nee~"

"...Hoshimi's sister, this shouldn't just be the second time we've met."

Futaba ignored Hayasaka's bright smile, and didn't care about her interference and suggestions, and expressed her doubts in detail.

Futaba Rio casually threw the chalk back into the chalk box, clapped her hands, turned around and stared at Hayasaka Ai with a sharp gaze.

"No, or rather—Is it more appropriate for me to call you Miss Hasaka, who attends a girls' school?"

"Ah, Futaba-san, your observation and logical thinking abilities seem to be sharper than I thought."

The smiling Hayasaka Ai seemed to be still adhering to the character of a "gentle and caring big sister". She just tilted her little head and expressed her doubts in a gentle tone.

"So, when did you discover that Hasaka and Hayasaka Ai were the same person?"

"Although I have some face blindness and have trouble remembering strangers' facial features, I can still remember people with obvious blond hair and blue eyes."

Futaba explained calmly, gazing down at Hayasaka, whose expression was subtle.

"Besides, I know. Hoshimi's attitude towards his so-called sister was initially distant and distant, but after befriending Hasaka, who bore a striking resemblance to Hayasaka Ai, he suddenly became close to her. Regardless, I knew there was something fishy going on."

She paused here, and her originally rational and cold tone seemed to become a little lonely unconsciously, and her eyes that were originally shining with brilliance gradually dimmed.

"After all, no one understood better than me how that guy treated others at that time."

As for the current situation, there is no need for her to add any further details.

"Well, now I'm here to help Xiaoqing, so you two won't be left alone and helpless anymore."

Hayasaka tapped her face lightly with the tip of her little finger to continue the somewhat awkward topic, her smile still sweet.

"So, Futaba-san, you are no longer Xiaoqing's only friend - and there is no need to bear the responsibility of taking care of him alone anymore."

It's impossible to tell whether Hayasaka Ai's gentle tone is sarcastic or sincere.

"Hey, please don't mind me gossiping a little, Futaba-san."

Although Futaba remained silent with an unhappy look on her face, Hayasaka still insisted with a smile and wanted to ask what was going on. I don't know if she really had low emotional intelligence or if she did it on purpose.

"Even if it's just a little bit. After noticing that Xiaoqing suddenly has so many friends around her, do you feel a little unwilling and wronged? Well, it's like the feeling of a treasure that belongs only to you being suddenly discovered and divided up by many people -"

Hayasaka rolled her eyes slyly and said the most offensive words in the most intriguing tone.

And just as she thought, Futaba's expression changed from initial surprise and hesitation to gloomy displeasure.

"...It's such an obvious yet inexplicable provocation."

Futaba took a deep breath as if to calm herself down, then she extinguished the burning alcohol lamp beside her, and it seemed that she had completely lost interest in making coffee.

----

The saddest thing is that I was ready to spend the whole afternoon coding at Starbucks, but my roommate dragged me out to the mall, which took up the whole day. And tomorrow is the weekend, and I have to make up for the National Day holiday classes.

Plans can never keep up with changes (but the basic update of two updates a day will never change)

Hoshimi Haru can't be alone again: Chapter 6: What the girl wants to convey & What the girl wants to hide (Part 4)

"But if you're asking this sincerely, then I have no way to refute it."

——Rio Futaba did not choose to lie.

Even though she felt unhappy about it, even though the question was offensive and unnecessary to answer, she still chose to tell the truth.

"Hey... Futaba-san, you're even more interesting than I thought. Do you ever occasionally think of monopolizing Xiaoqing?"

Hayasaka Ai was a little surprised by Futaba's frankness and straightforwardness, but she quickly came to her senses and the smile on her face became more playful.

"Let me give you an analogy—if Xiaoqing doesn't seek help from others, she'll be rejected and abandoned by everyone, but she'll completely become the property of those who are still willing to stay by her side."

This choice is actually a happy ending - for someone who wants to monopolize the boy.

"People are greedy, hypocritical, and self-centered. No matter how they try to whitewash their behavior or justify it, it all comes down to maximizing their own profits and satisfaction."

But for those who are monopolized, this ending may be a bit too cruel.

Hayasaka was considerate enough not to say this out loud, otherwise the two of them would probably have had a complete showdown.

Futaba also knew very well that any subtle movements she made unintentionally in her words, actions, and gestures would be visible under Hayasaka's eyes.

"...To be honest, I did think so at first."

So she just remained silent and weighed whether she should speak or not. Finally, she smiled bitterly and stated the facts in a tone that was no longer cold.