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

After all, the girl was always thinking of him. Qingye added, "And there's another advantage: you won't feel bored with a romantic person, because you can always encounter unexpected and beautiful moments."

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes suddenly brightened.

Then, the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family showed him the so-called "solution".

The girl led him out of the gate and through the winding path in the courtyard, which was bathed in moonlight and shone silver.

Finally, they stopped in front of a low fence gate covered with ivy.

open the door.

The world before my eyes suddenly opened up.

This is a small dock that extends halfway into the calm lake.

Before he knew it, a full moon, as round as a jade plate, hung high in the indigo night sky, pure white and beautiful. Starlight filled the sky, and the soft moonlight spilled across the lake and the small dock, making the lake water sparkle and become crystal clear. He also saw an abandoned old piano quietly set up beside the dock, gleaming with a warm luster.

"This place... is like my secret base."

Toyokawa Shoko placed her hands behind her back and stepped onto the creaking wooden planks with a soft voice.

"When I don't have musical inspiration, or when my mood is clouded, I will stand here and sit quietly for a while. Then, as if by magic, my mood will magically become much calmer."

Under the blue night sky, she turned around, placed her hands behind her back, and smiled radiantly. The bright moonlight shone on her, casting soft shadows.

"So, I want you to come and see for yourself!"

A gentle breeze, carrying the moist scent of grass and lake water, and the coolness unique to late summer, lightly brushed between the two, ruffling Xiangzi's hair and stirring his heartstrings.

Gazing at the incredibly beautiful scene before him, feeling the gentle whisper of the lake, the cleansing moonlight, and the moon-like maiden, he felt as if a soft feather had brushed against his heart, stirring it slightly.

Although he didn't have that overwhelming surge of inspiration, at that moment, he clearly realized what kind of girl Toyokawa Shoko was.

Brave, straightforward, gentle, and dazzling, all her actions are in accordance with her inner will.

He admires people like that.

But the next moment, the girl's beautiful CG state disappeared.

"Oh, by the way... if you don't mind, this is for you!"

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly let out a soft exclamation, took something out of her uniform pocket, and shoved it into his hand almost without saying a word.

Kiyono subconsciously opened his hand and saw a delicate, vibrant green four-leaf clover.

"This is..." Kiyono Tetsu was a little puzzled. He could see how much Toyokawa Shoko valued this four-leaf clover. After all, she almost fell off the bridge while trying to find it. Was it okay to give it away so casually?

But Toyokawa Shoko did not answer him.

After realizing what she had done, the girl's face turned a startling red in the moonlight.

She didn't regret giving away the "luck" she had risked everything to find. She thought everything that happened today was romantic, like fate. She miraculously found the four-leaf clover, miraculously met the boy she wanted to see, and miraculously had a coincidence... It was like a poem, so she wanted a poetic ending.

But, but... I really didn't mean that!

The girl's face grew increasingly red, even her fair neck and earlobes were tinged with crimson. She let out a soft moan, covered her face, and ran away without looking back.

—A legend has been passed down in the Moon Forest that if you give a four-leaf clover that you have found yourself to someone of the opposite sex, the two of you will be able to have a lifetime of happiness.

*

And it happened on that very night.

A voice quietly rang out.

[Special simulation in progress...]

011. Simulation: Without SE, there's no way to escape _____.

After spending some more time at the Toyokawa residence, Kiyono finally found an opportunity to say goodbye to the enthusiastic girl—they even exchanged contact information before leaving. This was something that would take 100,000 words to accomplish in a typical romance novel, but she did it in just one night.

"Is this little succubus even worth playing with?"

On her way home, Qingye recalled everything that had happened that night and couldn't help but sigh. If it had been an ordinary guy—or even a girl—she probably would have already won her over, right? She would probably be grinning like an idiot while thinking that he had fallen for her and was now her ideal man, right?

Because the relationship with the girl can be described as "romantic," from the accident caused by a flower at the beginning to playing the piano and gazing at the bright moon, it reveals the unique feelings of the girl.

To be honest, after being treated this way by Toyokawa Shoko, he also had some fantasies that men usually have, such as whether she had feelings for him...

Of course, fantasy is just fantasy, and he was still able to look at it calmly. The reason why Toyokawa Shoko's attitude was so gentle was probably due to her own personality, and also because he was injured while helping her. There's a reason why the hero-saves-the-damsel trope has been so enduring.

"But that's probably where it ends. After all, a girl's enthusiasm comes and goes quickly. If I'm not proactive, it's basically impossible to go any further!"

Experts in the "loser" field have summarized their experience.

Although he found Toyokawa Shoko to be a very charming young lady and developed a liking for her after getting to know her, he was not completely captivated by her after getting out of his Mercury Shoes.

"No matter what, I still hope she can be happy."

Kiyono suddenly thought of Toyokawa Shoko's future, remained silent for a moment, sighed, and slowly walked back home.

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

He changed his shoes, made tea, turned on the TV, tuned to an animated program that was playing, and sank into the soft sofa with its cheerful sound.

My life has become much more relaxed and carefree since I'm alone. However, Yukinoshita comes to Tokyo regularly, along with other girls, so I rarely have time to be alone like this.

While listening to the TV, he was sending daily text messages to Yukinoshita and the others on his phone—he was only loyal to the Yukinoshita family!

At that moment, the image on the television screen in front of him suddenly caught his attention.

Kiyono looked up with interest. The commercials had just ended, and the program playing was an anime called "Pure Love 100%". The story was similar to a shoujo manga, about a female protagonist who unknowingly showed her charm and captivated the boys around her, and was pursued by many handsome men. The only thing that interested Kiyono was that the female protagonist was a pure love warrior.

On the television, the image flickered—

Against a gorgeous background strewn with pink flowers, the animated heroine is accidentally knocked to the ground by the handsome male protagonist (number two). The two instantly lock eyes, their noses almost touching. The screen is filled with pink hearts and ambiguous light effects, creating an atmosphere of ambiguous melodrama.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, I'll take responsibility for you!" Here, the male lead is given a close-up of his handsome appearance, with a deep expression and radiant light—this is a descriptive phrase, and there are sparkling star effects behind him.

The female lead blushed, turned her head away, and the screen was filled with heart-fluttering comments.

The scene shifts to a room.

"I'll apply the medicine for you myself... Don't let my appearance fool you, my nursing methods are quite impressive." The boy knelt firmly on one knee, smiled gently, and countless roses in the background seemed to bloom as well.

The female lead blushed even more: We're so close! My heart is beating so fast!

Finally, the scene returns to the female protagonist's home, where she immediately receives a text message from the wealthy male protagonist.

Did you get home safely?

Just as she was about to reply—

Ding dong, ding dong.

The phone rang.

Kiyono was taken aback, and slowly took out his phone.

[Did you get home safely, Kiyono-kun?]

……Um?

He was silent for a moment.

I'm home safely, Ms. Toyokawa.

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

With a snap, Kiyono subconsciously turned off the TV, which brought him back to his senses—watching too much of this kind of stuff was too damaging to his mind! And although the plot was very abstract, it inexplicably made him break out in a cold sweat!

Ding dong.

The phone rang again.

Kiyono took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his speechlessness, and looked at the contents of the text message.

[By the way, please keep the four-leaf clover safe. Ah, but I'm not saying it's anything particularly precious, it's just... it's a symbol of good luck, so if you treat it well, it will definitely bring you good fortune!]

The text, accompanied by emoticons and stickers, made it easy to discern her emotions, and Kiyono could imagine the girl's gentle smile on the other end of the phone.

Somewhat unexpected… Kiyono thought.

He originally thought that Toyokawa Shoko's online speaking style would be more elegant and formal, with every sentence using honorifics. Unexpectedly, she showed a cute, girlish side, which narrowed the distance between the young lady and him.

So he thought about it for a moment, and his tone became more relaxed.

I'll treasure it and put it in my favorite book page; after all, this is the first time I've ever received something like this.

That's wonderful! When you encounter difficulties, you can make a wish upon it, and maybe it will actually come true!

This overly naive and idealistic statement prompted Kiyono to ask a question.

Ms. Toyokawa, do you believe in Santa Claus?

【Eh? Well... I haven't encountered this myself, but I think it probably exists.】

The two maintained a frequency of replies every four or five minutes, which allowed time for reflection, prevented the other person from feeling pressured, and effectively maintained their mutual interest.

Immediately afterwards, Toyokawa Shoko took the initiative to extend an invitation.

[Hi, can we chat for a bit, Kiyono-kun?]

Trying to capture me again, huh? Playing in a band won't do!

Kiyono replied.

Goodnight, okay.

After replying to the message, Qingye casually scrolled through her phone.

Two minutes passed.

【Kiyono-kun, today I passed by that sunny little slope in the corner of the garden and discovered that the few moonflower plants I transplanted before have quietly bloomed their first flowers! Their petals are pale yellow during the day, but at night, under the true moonlight, they slowly turn into an almost transparent silvery-white. I leaned closer to smell them, and they even gave off a very faint, sweet fragrance… It's truly amazing!】

Her messages convey a sense of joy at discovering small surprises in life, truly befitting the image of a perfect, ethereal beauty.

[Toyokawa Shoko: "Moonlight Flower.jpg". Whenever I see these natural changes, I always have some thoughts. Kiyono-kun, when you observe these lives displaying their unique beauty, do you also have any special feelings or methods? I'm very curious!]

Observation? Inspiration?

Kiyono's fingertip paused on the screen. This topic was somewhat unexpected, but it did indeed evoke his instincts as a creator.

[Indeed, there are. For example, as Ms. Toyokawa mentioned, plants or animals, when extracted from their most authentic form, possess a genuine vitality, rather than being merely described with superficial adjectives.]

The best way to build a relationship with someone is always through shared interests, and showing them your unique perspective on the world creates a sense of emotional resonance.

Kiyono couldn't help but send a long string of words as well.

After the message was sent, it was immediately marked as read on the screen, showing that Toyokawa Shoko had been staring at her phone the whole time.

【I think so too! Then it's a promise! Let's observe the moonflower together next time the moonlight is at its brightest. I'll prepare some hot herbal tea!】

Without much thought, a reply came quickly, and the relationship between the two seemed to have unknowingly moved beyond "carefully considering the conversation" and into "talking freely and without restraint."

Looking at these words, Kiyono inexplicably thought of the blue-haired girl covering her mouth and blinking with a smile. Yes, he was sure that Toyokawa Shoko would make such an expression.

Until after dinner, Kiyono kept looking at his phone, exchanging messages with Toyokawa Shoko in a disjointed manner.

During the conversation, Toyokawa Shoko was the one who initiated the topics. However, Kiyono was neither aloof nor did he use the classic "take a bath" excuse. He responded carefully to her words and maintained a normal conversation.

So, as the conversation was about to end, Kiyono lay on the bed, scrolled through their chat history, and unconsciously revealed a relaxed smile.

This relaxed state of mind suddenly revealed his usual habits.

[Miss Toyokawa, are you trying to seduce me by saying all this? I don't just randomly have three options pop up above my head.]

"..."

He's fallen back into his old habit of joking around!

Despite being criticized by Yukinoshita many times, he still didn't change.

However, after calming down, he could also notice Toyokawa Shoko's unusually affectionate attitude.

Or rather, Miss Toyokawa didn't even try to hide her good intentions; her intentions were surprisingly open, practically as if she had "I'm very curious!" written all over her forehead.

【Eh? While it's not the whole story, that's definitely one of the reasons. But Kiyono-kun, please allow me to replace "strategy guide" with "understand."】

Unexpected yet predictable, Toyokawa Shoko readily admitted it.

As always, she was proud yet reserved.

She continued to open up about her feelings.

【Kiyono-kun, don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually a high school girl, and a girl at an all-girls high school at that... So, I can't help but dream about those so-called fateful encounters and romantic relationships, things that are full of girlish fantasies.】