All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

In the suffocating atmosphere, she suddenly heard a clear and gentle voice.

"She's my sister, please help me with the accounts."

She suddenly looked up, and Qingye walked to her side, winked at her, and put his things on the counter.

Looking at his gentle expression, which didn't seem to look down on her, Xiao Ju bit her lip. The boy's actions made her both happy and embarrassed, but in this situation, she couldn't refuse the boy's kindness.

After paying the bill in silence, the girl, carrying the plastic bag, grabbed his sleeve.

"That, that..."

She raised her head, her eyes sparkling, countless thoughts churning within them.

Kiyono wanted to say not to worry about it, but he kept his mouth shut. It was precisely because he knew Komari's personality that he knew how to maintain the girl's self-esteem.

"I will pay this money back," Xiao Ju said firmly, taking a light breath, without stuttering this time.

"Well... how about you treat me to dinner sometime?" Kiyono pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, trying his best to find something that the girl could also enjoy.

Actually, when he saw the accident that Xiaoju had just encountered, his first thought was of Banami back then, and he felt a little nostalgic. But soon, he realized the difference between the two - Banami had really forgotten to bring money, while Xiaoju was probably genuinely short of money. Their mentality was completely different.

"Um--"

Xiao Ju took a light breath and smiled.

"You, you can splurge a little!" She puffed out her chest, revealing a rare display of extravagance.

The girl knew there was a huge gap between her and Qingye, roughly the distance between the Earth and the Moon. She also knew that Qingye wasn't short of money. However, she didn't want to owe the boy anything or take advantage of him. Even with such an insurmountable distance, she wanted to carefully make them more equal, to make him treat her as an independent girl.

009. My name is... Toyokawa Shoko [Two-in-One]

On Saturday noon, Xiaoju couldn't wait to take her creditor, Qingye, out for lunch—it was a sukiyaki restaurant, but not one of those old-fashioned, century-old establishments. With a budget of less than 10,000 yen, the two of them couldn't afford it, so she chose a small, down-to-earth restaurant in an alley.

The shop is small, with only six tables crammed together. The decor is simple to the point of being austere, bearing the marks of time. The old air conditioner is struggling to combat the last trace of summer heat, making it pleasantly cool.

"This is where our family occasionally gathers for meals. The beef... is delicious."

Xiao Ju said that she looked like she had dressed up a little today, and her red hair clip had been changed to a cuter strawberry style. However, how should I put it, the overall effect gave off a kind of "forced" feeling that made people laugh, like a junior high school boy wearing what he thought was the trendiest skull T-shirt and ripped jeans.

Fortunately, her natural cuteness is very strong, so even if she wore a burlap sack, she probably wouldn't look bad.

This can't be blamed on her. Dressing and makeup require long-term practice. Most Japanese girls start paying attention to their hairstyles, makeup, and skincare from junior high school onwards. However, she spent most of her youth taking care of her younger siblings and didn't have the time or energy to worry about dressing herself up.

Kiyono sat down opposite the girl, waiting for the pot to heat up, and started the conversation with a smile: "By the way, you said yesterday that you were revising the new manuscript for the second volume, how's the progress?"

"Well……"

Xiaoju twisted her body slightly, her cheeks flushed slightly. Being reminded of her work made her feel shy, but because it was Kiyono, she was still able to express herself earnestly.

"Several plot points have been changed..."

"for example?"

Qingye pressed further, revealing that he quite enjoyed reading Xiaoju's stories. They were youthful, innocent, and filled with longing for a better future, always reminding him of diligently writing in front of the computer, expressing his own aspirations.

At this moment, the pot was heated up and bubbling away. Beef and vegetables were also served, along with some oden. Xiao Ju took a sip of her drink and thoughtfully put the beef in.

"Originally, the school festival, which was going smoothly, encountered some setbacks for the female protagonist." She looked at the soup and said softly, "She mustered up the courage to participate in the school festival's cooking competition, hoping to impress the judges and the male protagonist with her best dish, which was actually quite ordinary curry rice... In the end, the result..."

"And then?" Kiyono picked up a piece of beef and ate it with rice.

"The male lead didn't even show up. He was the executive committee member in charge of the school festival, and he was so busy he was dizzy," Xiaoju continued. "Then the curry rice she carefully prepared, because she was too nervous, put in the wrong seasoning... and it became, um... a bit strange... and she only got a consolation prize for participation."

Although I've had this feeling before, isn't this girl writing a bit too many 'loser' plots lately? Kiyono couldn't help but complain. Xiao Ju's writing is supposed to be pure love novels, but there's a third female lead just to create conflict in the story. Now, the female lead actually has the air of a loser—of course, the story itself has become more exciting.

"So how do you plan to make the female lead turn the tables?"

Kiyono said:

"What the female lead doesn't know is that the male lead actually secretly tasted her failed attempt, and then, in the empty classroom after school, he felt a strange flutter in his heart?"

—Is this what they call telepathy?!

Xiao Ju's eyes widened, a surge of joy welling up inside her as she realized they had found common ground.

"I...I'm still thinking about it." She put the tofu into the bowl and gently poked it open.

"However, a comeback is never that easy... Isn't it the same in real life?" Xiao Ju lowered her head slightly. "Failure, failure after failure... But the female protagonist didn't give up. At the bakery where she worked, she secretly started researching how to make bread taste better... Although she wasted ingredients, the shop manager was very supportive of her..."

Xiao Ju's gaze fell on her "carefully matched" yet strangely effective outfit, then she silently looked up at the handsome boy.

"Those girls in magazines, and those glamorous, damn popular girls in school... they seem to know by nature how to dress well, how to talk in a way that's popular, and how to be liked..."

The girl's voice grew softer and softer, carrying a hint of barely perceptible envy and self-doubt.

She thought of Yukinoshita Haruno, who was as gorgeous and dazzling as a princess. She also thought of Hachimi, Lemon... Compared to the girls around him, she was as innocent as a kindergarten girl.

"I... I always seem to be a step behind, or rather, I've never even caught that train?"

Kiyono ate another piece of beef before looking up at the girl:

“These abilities are developed gradually. In my opinion, Xiao Ju is also special. As long as you affirm yourself, you can also do what you want to do.”

She must have only seen what she wanted to see, thus ignoring herself.

Objectively speaking, the girl didn't have the means to do these things carefree like other girls, so she had to put in more effort in her novel.

I... I'm special!?

A chaotic storm raged through Xiao Ju's mind. She had even unlocked the wedding dress CG. To cover something up, she coughed twice, and her fair ears and cheeks flushed a bright red at an astonishing speed.

She didn't dare look at the boy and silently ate the tofu.

It seems this topic will have to be put on hold for now.

Kiyono also began to eat meat with gusto, the cooked beef with rice, plus a sip of ice-cold beer, his eyes squinting with enjoyment—although he was not yet an adult, he had already gotten used to having a drink in another world.

But as he was eating, he suddenly put down his chopsticks.

"Don't you like eating meat?" Kiyono asked.

He ate most of the beef in the pot, while the girl only ate one or two slices occasionally. She mostly ate oden and vegetables, but had already eaten most of the rice.

"Today, the fortune teller said that I'm not suited to eating beef." She looked away.

Qingye said "Oh," picked up another piece of meat from the pot, dipped it in egg liquid in his bowl, and just as Xiaoju secretly breathed a sigh of relief, she blinked and saw a piece of tender and succulent beef in front of her, which she picked up with chopsticks.

The boy let out a big sigh.

"I can't believe it! So much meat! Are you worried I won't have enough to eat?"

Her thoughts had been seen through, and her face turned even redder.

"Eat quickly, or I won't eat either," Kiyono urged.

This...this...this is the feeding during teleportation? I really want to eat it! But it's so embarrassing! But I still really want to eat it!

After a few seconds of internal struggle, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes with trembling hands, and bit down hard in a predatory manner.

Wow, this is so delicious!

So the second half turned into feeding the clear field.

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

When it was time to pay, Xiaoju took out a small wallet with wear and tear, and took out a few bills and coins from it, which came to exactly 7900 yen. After paying, she only had three hundred-yen coins left in her wallet.

Kiyono gazed at her from the side and sighed softly.

This idiot.

The relationship between the creditor and creditor ended there, and Xiao Ju had no reason to stay by his side. The two strolled around for a while, and when the atmosphere became a little awkward, the girl stopped and said goodbye with her usual stiffness.

Kiyono didn't try to stop him. He watched the vibrant red hair disappear from sight, then slowly strolled to a park, sat on a bench, took out his phone, and opened his Twitter account.

[Shocking! A strange encounter today! I met a mysterious and beautiful girl! After talking to her, I discovered that she's also a light novel author, just like me! It turns out that beautiful girl authors aren't just an urban legend, but real people...!?]

[But! Here's the important part! Driven by intense curiosity and admiration for her creative talent, I finally found out about her work! This mysterious and adorable junior-type character is currently serializing her masterpiece in a [beep] light novel—]

He made up a nice little story on the spot, but the ending took a sudden turn... That's right! This is an unavoidable piece of promotional information!

This can be considered a small help to Xiao Ju.

Kiyono smiled, edited, and sent.

*

As dusk gradually set in the west.

Instead of rushing home, Kiyono found a scenic path and wandered aimlessly.

This is a habit he has developed, the purpose of which is to gather inspiration and find that spark of amazing divine inspiration.

His first literary novel is about to be released, and there are a few days left for final revisions. With his current ability and vision, his past works all have some flaws, and he wants to improve them to be more perfect. However, this is obviously not a simple matter.

He gazed at the scene before him, lost in thought. Reality and the illusory world in his mind seemed to be slowly blurring and overlapping...

Watch the street performance of the girl band and give them a round of applause.

No inspiration.

Watching stray cats fight.

No inspiration.

Watch the magnificent golden light of the setting sun spilling across the sea before sunset.

No inspiration.

Kiyono turned a corner and walked onto a small stone bridge.

Are there any more stunning scenes featuring the female lead...?

Ideally, it should carry a poignant beauty, a sense of impending decay yet a proud bloom...

Like a springtime illusion...

It was dusk.

The empty bridge surface was covered with a desolate amber color. Underfoot, the regular "knock-knock" of the tram broke the silence. Below the bridge was a bustling street, but the bridge seemed to have been forgotten by the city. Only the quiet sunset enveloped the bridge, the railings, and even every inch of air.

Kiyono stopped and subconsciously squinted, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her cheeks.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and fallen leaves danced in the air.

Sigh, decay.

A beautiful sky blue color came into view.

That was a young girl.

The girl's sky-blue hair danced with the falling leaves. Her slender figure stood in the middle of the bridge, half of her body dangerously leaning over the railing, one hand still outstretched in the air, as if searching for something.

Gentle blue and lonely fallen leaves, the drifting and blossoming of life.

This is... suicide?!

The beautiful scene captivated Qingye, and then he finally realized something. At that moment, his body moved on its own. He exerted his strength, ran, and pounced on her at an astonishing speed, grabbing her and rolling to the side. The momentum carried the two of them to a hard fall to the side.

boom!

A dull, solid impact slammed onto the cold bridge surface.

To ensure the girl's safety and prevent her from hitting the bridge railing or getting injured while rolling, Kiyono could only temporarily use his arms to tightly protect her. The price was that his back and arms rolled several times on the rough ground, bringing a burning pain.

A strong sense of dizziness violently assaulted my consciousness.

A muffled groan escaped from his lips.

However, this level of impact was a minor issue for him. Kiyono immediately lowered his head, and after confirming that the other person was alright, Kiyono breathed a sigh of relief, let go of her, and stood aside.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry I pushed you suddenly, but trying to kill yourself is not allowed."

Kiyono straightened his collar, looked at the girl in front of him, and tried to make his expression and voice sound gentler—after all, he was facing someone who suddenly wanted to commit suicide, so it was better to give her gentle advice.

"No, no..."

A soft, gentle voice, like cherry blossoms in spring, yet carrying a hint of sternness, gently rang out, like a breeze rustling a wind chime.

The girl who had fallen to the ground slowly raised her head, and in that instant, Kiyono saw her face clearly.

Clear, beautiful eyes that seemed utterly otherworldly.

Those amber eyes reflected purity, tranquility, poetry, flowers, love, and the sea, as well as a kind of indescribable sacred radiance. Just looking into their eyes felt like a silent cleansing of the soul.

She was wearing a school uniform, her sky-blue hair like a clear sea, neatly tied into pigtails with two delicate black ribbons, her skin was very white, delicate and flawless, her translucent skin could be described as white jade and milk.