You say this is a love game?

There is a strong sense of unease and fear.

It was the fear of "loneliness"... the feeling of being abandoned by the world and left alone in the darkness. It was as if a hand was tightly grasping her heart, making it almost suffocating for her to breathe.

Why are you so scared?

She couldn't explain why... She just felt like she had some horrible memories that even she refused to recall.

and so--

The moment Mizutani Makoto reappeared, her world seemed to light up again.

It was 5:23, early morning.

The morning light streamed through the old blinds, pinning the two figures against the moldy wallpaper.

Zashiki was leaning against the windowsill, with the tip of his nose resting on the glass.

Mizutani Makoto followed her gaze and saw a calico cat gnawing on expired rice balls in a pile of discarded cardboard boxes in the convenience store alley opposite the apartment.

"Do you like cats very much?" he asked.

Zashiki shook his head. "I don't know... but it looks so pitiful."

Are stray cats pitiful?

Mizutani Makoto's eyes immediately became subtle. If this topic were to be discussed in detail, it would easily turn into a big melee with both sides holding different opinions.

There are countless examples of heated arguments on the Internet about this issue.

But he could also guess that Zashiki would feel pity for the cat, most likely out of empathy.

Imagine Zashiki wandering in the city, curled up in a corner at night and spending the night alone... Mizutani Makoto peeled the egg in his hand. He bought breakfast for two people today.

"Come over and have some breakfast."

You can eat on Zashiki, as I verified last night.

Monster? Ghost? It seems that there are not so many restrictions. She can still do many things after death.

"Big brother, do you get up so early every day?" asked Zashiki.

She now had an idea about Mizutani Makoto's early disappearance today.

"I have a part-time job delivering newspapers, so I get up much earlier than the average person... but that's all for now. Once I get the scholarship, I should quit this part-time job."

"So, I still have to get up very early for a while?"

"That's it."

What is she thinking when she asks this?

Zashiki was quite straightforward. She covered her red skirt and said seriously, "Next time I'll get up earlier, I should be able to help... I can cook, and I can also help you get things, big brother."

Mizutani Makoto's expression was even more subtle.

Come on, where did you get this young wife from?

It's not a question of whether you can do it or not, but if you do it, it will make me feel like I'm really playing GalGame...

That is really stirring up trouble at the bottom line of morality and law.

He coughed lightly, then changed the subject by asking, "Didn't you sleep on the tatami last night? How did you wake up on the floor?"

This question almost left Zashiki silent.

"W-a warm feeling."

"what?"

"Big brother has a very pleasant smell, and if you get close to him, you will feel warm and comfortable..."

Mizutani Makoto didn't ask any further questions.

As we were talking, we were almost living in a three-bedroom, one-living-room house.

He chatted with Zashiki for a few more sentences, and after the conversation, he found that Zashiki was indeed a good boy, but definitely not a shy and taciturn person.

She was very cautious around strangers, but she was very natural around Mizutani Makoto, who she was already familiar with. She expressed her curiosity, enthusiasm, and kindness in just the right way. She was not afraid to take the initiative in socializing without annoying others, and she could smile and express gratitude without hesitation. She was a very likable child.

Not dull, not introverted either, a sweet and well-behaved girl next door... This should be her image.

After chatting for a while, Mizutani Makoto had to prepare for the next itinerary.

He still had to go to school, and Zashiki couldn't go with him.

There are so many people in school and he can't always take care of Zashiki's mood or interact with her all the time.

Instead of letting Zashiki go to an unfamiliar school and get involved in things that have nothing to do with her, it is better to let her stay at home to look after the house... In a sense, this is also the correct employment path for returning to Zashiki-warashi, that is, to play the role of a god of fortune and guardian deity at home.

"Then I'll ask you to help look after the house."

Actually, there is nothing to look after in this shabby little apartment.

But Mizutani Makoto's casual remark before he left obviously lifted Zashiki's spirits. The sense of mission and responsibility on his face made Mizutani Makoto swallow the inappropriate words silently.

Well, his shabby little apartment is very dangerous now. It is in danger of being stolen or robbed at any minute. He urgently needs the protection of Mr. Zashiki.

--above.

Seeing Zashiki nod slightly and say "Have a safe journey!" with great skill, Mizutani Makoto suddenly had an extremely strange feeling.

Why is he becoming more and more like a criminal?

Yes, those perverts who randomly take in elementary school, middle school, and high school students, and then keep them at home to do evil things...

"nonsense."

Mizutani Makoto shook his head viciously to dispel the strange associations in his mind.

This is the aftereffect of playing with wood too much in Gala.

It is these days that I feel more and more hopeful.

Mizutani Makoto yawned as he walked down the apartment building.

Fresh air is hard to come by near this cheap apartment building.

Mizutani Makoto walked towards the bus stop carrying his schoolbag.

At this moment, a hasty shout suddenly came from the front:

"Makotan!"

Huh? Is he hallucinating?

That’s right, how could Mai Yajima appear in such a place at this time?

In front of him, a beautiful girl in school uniform was jogging towards him, waving as she ran, and her invincible aura of youth was overwhelming.

Am I still dreaming?

Mizutani Makoto pinched his eyebrows.

"Can anyone tell me why she would respawn in a place like a cheap low-rise apartment?"

Chapter 035 Shinji: Sister, are you also on guard against me?

Yajima.

The old aristocrats who made their fortunes in the Kamakura period have weathered the vicissitudes of life and are not only powerful but also have a seat in the Japanese Diet.

The first time he heard the name Yajima Mai, Mizutani Makoto thought of the Yajima family.

It’s not that he really wants to know about the life of the Celestial Dragons, but the regional governance of Japan is relatively abstract. Apart from a few big cities like Tokyo, the big families in other places have a "lord" style, and their lifestyle is not much more restrained than that of the nobles.

Living in Japan, one is destined to be unable to escape these large families that have been passed down for hundreds of years.

The only ones who can compete with them are generally the few large conglomerates created in the new era, but they may all be in the same group, joining hands to exploit the common people. It is unrealistic to expect them to fight among themselves.

And Yajima is the local tyrant of Night Light City.

Even among the many rich boys and girls in Yejian High School, she is definitely at the top of the pyramid, and is the center of attention.

As for whether it might be a farce like "My last name is also Ma".

The clues given by the system have silently refuted this point:

[Clue 1: A wealthy lady who works part-time as a cashier.]

Mai Yajima is a "rich lady".

Mizutani Makoto looked at the messy commercial street again, and then glanced at the cheap apartment where Yajima Mai ran down.

too weird.

It is impossible to find Mai Yajima in a convenience store. How could the children of the Yajima family work in a convenience store?

Now something even more ridiculous has been discovered. How could the daughter of the Yajima family appear in such a place where the common people refresh?

"Good morning, Yajima."

Mizutani Makoto greeted politely.

He suddenly realized keenly, is this a "secret"?

Mai Yajima followed with a happy look on her face, but the task system did not pop up a corresponding prompt, so Makoto Mizutani had to give up and responded seriously to Mai Yajima's enthusiasm.

"I've already said that before!"

Yajima Mai clenched her fists and said excitedly, "We live very close to each other, it's a matter of fate. Just spend some time waiting for me, it won't take long every day, and you can get a beautiful girl to accompany you to school, aren't you happy?"

"Did you just move in recently?" Mizutani Makoto was a little scared.

I remember when I was still in my hometown, I watched some heavy female bands every day.

But to be honest, if he really meets a heavy girl or a bad girl, he will run faster than anyone else.

Yajima Mai rolled her eyes. "What are you thinking? If you moved here on purpose, how could I possibly say it was fate?"

The girl wiggled her fingers proudly. "It was before—I moved here in early May! We didn't have much interaction back then."

"You don't think I'm a perverted nympho, do you?"

"What's that thing... it's called 'heavy girl', right?"

"Women with heavy emotions will keep staring at the people they care about, spying on them, following them... It sounds scary and dark. Maybe they are some gloomy, perverted, psychologically twisted criminals!"

Mai Yajima had her own opinions, and since she was talking to Makoto Mizutani, she was in high spirits.

Since it was on their way, Mizutani Makoto couldn't refuse her request to take the bus together.

A window away,

Under the watchful eye of Sora-no-Zashiki, Mizutani Makoto and Yajima Mai walked together.

The bus doors opened.

The air conditioner was still delivering cool air, but the cabin was inevitably a bit stuffy.

Mizutani Makoto found a seat in the back row and sat down. Yajima Mai patted the chair to signal him to stand up, and then squeezed into the corner seat inside.

"Is this why Makotan is up so early?"

“There are so few people, so many empty seats.”

In order to get on the same page with Mizutani Makoto, Yajima Mai put in a lot of effort!

Normally, at this point in time, she should be curled up in the warm bed...

Mizutani Makoto was no longer surprised by Yajima Mai's familiarity. He made room for her and casually asked her about her situation: "Yajima, are you living alone out there?"

"Yeah." Yajima Mai didn't hide anything, she said frankly: "It feels so uncomfortable living at home, so depressing, I might as well move out!"

"Being self-reliant is a bit tiring, but I feel especially happy when I get my salary. It feels like I'm finally no longer dependent on others..."

The young lady who ran away from home?

Mizutani Makoto seemed to be thinking about something.

Working at a convenience store and living in a low-rise apartment, these two pieces of information were finally connected.

While Mizutani Makoto was thinking, Yajima Mai suddenly came forward, and the sweet fragrance mixed with the air flow from the air conditioner startled Mizutani Makoto so much that he subconsciously leaned back.

Back, back, back!

Before Mizutani Makoto could retreat to a safe distance, Yajima Mai said with a smile, "Listen, does my experience resemble that of the protagonist in a novel?"