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

He slowly turned his head and saw a strong woman dressed in gold and silver, weighing at least 200 pounds. In front of her, he looked as weak as a little girl.

Qingye: Pupil·Kong·Earthquake.

"Young man, are you looking for a job? Why don't you come with me? I'll definitely make you the top star in Kabukicho!" The female manager stared at him, her whole body trembling with excitement.

"No, that's not necessary." Kiyono gasped.

"Aren't you really going to think about it? Young man, you can't even afford to eat anymore, can you? It's not easy to survive in this city. But as a price, you have to keep me company for a while..." The female shop manager said with deep affection.

He tried to break free from the other person's strong hand, but was held firmly in place.

Honey, honey, save me!

Kiyono cries out in anguish, attempting to once again bask in the protection of the ancient, powerful Yukinoshita family.

Then, glory descended.

"Madam! Please let go of my good friend! He's very unwilling! And as a friend, I would never let him go hungry!"

A dignified and elegant voice echoed throughout the space.

Snapped!

The girl slapped away the female shopkeeper's hand, stood protectively in front of him, and raised her head. Her pure, clear amber eyes reflected courage and determination.

As dusk cast its glow, she was enveloped in a dreamlike glow. She wore the uniform of a prestigious girls' school, which accentuated her beautiful figure. Yet, incongruous with her petite beauty was a knightly air of heroism, and her blue twin ponytails bounced angrily.

This scene is full of color and beauty, like the prologue to a story.

Kiyono was stunned... How could Teacher Daisho be here? And he even saved his life!

Noticing his gaze, the noble lady glanced away and gave him a bright, bouquet-like smile, as if to say, "Don't worry."

"You're a student, and you're saying you want to support a man?" the female shop manager snorted.

"You don't need to trouble yourself with that."

It was clear that the other party's actions had really angered Toyokawa Shoko. She even stopped using her usual polite language. She gently took the boy's wrist, and with her head held high, she swept past the 200-pound, furious man with great imposing presence.

Da Xiang's hands were so warm... Qingye was so moved that tears streamed down her face.

Toyokawa Shoko led him to a nearby park, gently pressed down her skirt, and then sat down.

"I never expected Kiyono-kun to encounter something like this..." The girl smiled.

"It's too popular." Kiyono sighed wearily.

Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko did not respond with the helpless teasing of an ordinary girl. Instead, she moved slightly closer, tilted her head to look at him, and the end of her blue ponytail drooped down onto the chair.

Under her gaze, Kiyono was staring into the distance, his profile bathed in the pale orange of the setting sun. His features were sharp and defined, with thin, slightly pursed lips, gentle eyes, and pupils that seemed to always hold the light of fireflies.

She muttered to herself:

"It seems that's indeed the case."

This candor made Kiyono, who was used to being criticized harshly, feel embarrassed.

After a long while, Toyokawa Shoko finally looked away and twirled her ponytail with her fingers:

"Kiyono-kun is... all alone now, right?"

Does one person count? He didn't know if Yukinoshita and the others had entered this simulation; they probably hadn't, otherwise they would definitely have come looking for him, so...

"probably?"

"You have nowhere to stay, right? You have no money for food, right?" Toyokawa Shoko asked again, though it was a question, she was absolutely certain.

"It'll be here soon!" The wandering god didn't care.

"But it will be very tough!"

Toyokawa Shoko turned to look at him again. Looking into the boy's eyes, the pure and beautiful innocence that belonged only to a young lady blossomed without reservation.

"It must be so lonely for you to fall asleep and wake up alone in the city, right? Didn't I just tell that nasty woman I'd take care of you? As a friend, please accept my help!"

“This…” Qingye frowned. As someone who had been through it all, he knew this was a crucial juncture, a key point for deepening his relationship with the girl. Could it be that the female protagonist in this simulation was Da Xiang?

He hesitated for a moment, and then an idea gradually formed in his mind.

"Then I shall respectfully comply, but I have one request, or rather, an agreement."

"What kind of agreement?" Toyokawa Shoko asked curiously.

"If you helped me, then if you encounter difficulties in the future, you cannot refuse my helping hand." Kiyono said meaningfully.

"No problem! I agree to this!"

Toyokawa Shoko blinked and gave a gentle smile. Although she didn't know what difficulties she would encounter, it was only natural for friends to help each other!

"Then it's settled," Kiyono said with a smile. "I wonder what kind of help Miss Toyokawa is prepared to offer me?"

Staying at my house—that's obviously not allowed.

After all, they are not children anymore, and her father and grandfather would certainly not agree to her doing such reckless things.

Unconsciously tapping her chin with her index finger, after a long period of silent contemplation, Toyokawa Shoko's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up:

"Just find Kiyono-kun a place to live and a job first, right? I have about five million yen in pocket money right now, I don't know if that's enough to rent an apartment... Kiyono-kun, do you know how to rent an apartment?"

The expression on her pretty face turned from distress to curiosity. She had never encountered anything like this before and didn't know the specific rent.

Kiyono was stunned. What kind of top-tier rich woman was this?!

If he had encountered Teacher Da Xiang during his first simulation, forget about staying in an internet cafe, he would have achieved a leap in social class!

*

"So, I'm supposed to be the only female lead this time? Simulation, log in!"

The next day, Xiao Ju eagerly entered the simulation that she had initiated herself.

013. Da Xiang: I haven't fallen for him yet. [Two-in-one]

Miss Toyokawa helped Kiyono rent an apartment in a fairly central location, about 30 square meters. The apartment was conveniently located near a train station and convenience store. When she learned the rent, she was shocked—was renting an apartment really that cheap? Wouldn't it feel cramped for one person to live in such a small place?

As a man, it's obviously shameful to have a high school girl pay for him, but he's used to it and has even planned how to repay this kindness.

After paying, Toyokawa Shoko left in a hurry. There was a curfew at the house, and Kiyono was alone in the newly unlocked scene, wondering if the darkness of the Toyokawa family would come after him.

The apartment also unexpectedly came with a computer. He sat down in front of it, turned it on, and checked the recent short story awards, intending to make a little money—he couldn't accomplish much in three months anyway.

After getting a general idea, he turned off the computer, lay down on the bed, and before the screen went on and off, he saw the time in the lower right corner.

"March 17th, 10:23 PM..."

Does it begin in spring and end in spring?

Kiyono's feelings were quite strange. This was his first time experiencing such a short simulation, and he was completely clueless about what he was supposed to do. Did the system really just want him to have a vacation? But why not send him to the French Riviera? That way, he could at least sell sunscreen while contemplating life.

..

Although he didn't know the significance of this simulation, he needed to survive first. The next day, Toyokawa Shoko asked a senior from Tsukimori University for a job, where he was introduced to a waiter at a music performance company called "Ring". Because of Shoko's introduction, he was easily accepted.

The job was very simple: make tea for the guests, clean the tables and cups, and serve well-off young women from band families. It was extremely easy, ten or even nine times better than his previous job at the restaurant.

He quickly regained his glory as a working god, earning unanimous recognition from his seniors for his rich, diligent, and skilled work techniques.

That afternoon, Kiyono was standing behind the counter, carefully wiping the glass with a soft cloth between her fingertips when the sensor-activated glass door of the store suddenly slid open silently, and two girls dressed in Tsukimori uniforms walked in side by side.

He looked up and saw the young lady with blue twin ponytails smiling and waving at him. He naturally smiled back, then turned his gaze to the right and met the eyes of another person.

She was a girl with long, forest-green hair.

Her eyes were somewhat long and narrow, revealing a faint maturity that was quiet and serene. The moment their eyes met, he felt as if he were standing on a snow-covered mountain, gazing silently at the white lotus by the Heavenly Lake, a lotus that stood alone, untouched by the world.

The girl's beauty and delicacy are different from that of pure bone structure beauty. Her beauty carries a unique sense of fragility, like a silent and heartless doll, making people want to protect her, cherish her, and also want to color this purity with their own colors.

Her full name is Mutsumi Wakaba.

The daughter of a famous actor and the childhood sweetheart of Teacher Da Xiang, she can be considered a super rich girl, but she has long suppressed her inner feelings, making her a classic example of a character with no personality, no emotional attachments, and no material possessions.

The two girls found an empty table and sat down. Qingye promptly brought them warm water and a menu.

"What brings you here, Miss Toyokawa?" he said with a smile.

"Well, I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd drop by to see Kiyono-kun." Toyokawa Shoko's expression and tone remained fresh and elegant.

"Xiang, you're lying." Ruoye Mu said calmly, causing her childhood friend's expression to freeze. "Xiang clearly said he was coming to check on his friend's work, and he even said he wanted to encourage him..."

Toyokawa Shoko coughed twice suddenly, her pretty face flushed red, and she quickly picked up her water glass and took a sip to hide her emotions:

"Well, that's about it! How's your work, Kiyono-kun?"

"Teacher Xiang is so kind..." Qingye thought to herself, then smiled and said, "It's wonderful. The seniors are very considerate and friendly, and I enjoy working with them..."

Is this the worldview of the Big Girls Band? It feels... better than urban survival.

"That's good." Toyokawa Shoko calmed down and glanced at the menu. "Then let's order a cup of Jetling black tea and a cup of mango juice."

"Got it, miss."

Kiyono made a small joke, went to the counter, and began to brew tea with skillful and graceful movements—having lived in Yukinoshita's house for so long, he had gradually learned these skills as well.

When the black tea was served, Toyokawa Shoko took a small sip, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Did Kiyono-kun make this? It's so delicious!"

"Actually, I'm not only good at making tea, but I'm also proficient in driving, helicopters, disguise, infiltration, and four languages..." Kiyono pondered, as if submitting a butler application.

"She's even more capable than our family's butler!" the young lady readily agreed.

The two continued their banter until the next table of guests arrived. Kiyono then went to attend to her work, leaving only the two childhood sweethearts.

Ruoye Mutsu took a sip of mango juice, looked at the blue-haired girl, and suddenly said:

"Xiang, do you like him?"

Hearing this bold statement, Toyokawa Shoko looked somewhat troubled. No matter how much time had passed, she still couldn't get used to Mutsu's bluntness.

"...It's not liking, true liking is about truly understanding each other, accepting each other's shortcomings, being able to hold each other's hands in times of difficulty, and being able to scold each other to move forward when confused...It's about wanting to face the future together with this person...However, I do admire this gentle, brave, firm, kind-hearted, yet wise and decisive boy."

The blue-haired girl's bright eyes sparkled with starlight, and she shifted her body slightly, clearly feeling both excited and embarrassed about discussing this topic.

"I see." Wakaba Mutsu's expression remained indifferent, it was unclear whether she had taken it to heart.

Toyokawa Shoko didn't mind her childhood friend's coldness. She glanced at Kiyono, who was busy and smiling, and took a leisurely sip of black tea.

She knew that Kiyono was excellent.

I also believe that he will not be defeated by minor difficulties.

But what she didn't expect was...

Two days later.

Shoko Toyokawa, who had taken time out of her busy schedule to visit the boy at Ring Cafe, stood there blankly, while a slight look of surprise appeared on Mutsuka Wakaba's usually calm face.

Girls! So many girls! So many girls surrounded Kiyono!

It was afternoon, the time when students were leaving school. Girls who were passionate about music would leave school early and come to the recording studio with their friends to pursue their dreams. Normally, there shouldn't be many customers drinking tea, but now the band girls had almost filled the table. They were queuing up in front of the counter, and all sorts of music backpacks were casually placed in the corners and next to the tables.

The boy sat there, a smile spreading across his face, gentle and handsome, the orange sunlight falling into his pupils.

"What would you like to order, sir?"

"If I buy ten cups of black tea, can you say something sweet to me?" The girl, still wearing her high school uniform, asked shyly.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me for not being able to meet your needs at the moment."

The boy said softly and slowly, "Because we haven't made a lifelong commitment yet, and I don't think you'd like someone who would say frivolous things to a strange girl, would you? But I can offer you my blessings."

He recited a poem on the spot.

Then the lady, completely satisfied, delivered ten times the amount of revenue.

This...how is this done?

Toyokawa Shoko was incredulous; she even saw several of the upperclassmen from Tsuki no Mori! She could read their expressions—the eyes of those who had discovered the perfect son-in-law who would be loyal for life once conquered!

"Xiang, if we don't act soon, it seems like he might be snatched away." Ruoye Mu's tone was slightly turbulent.

"Idiot Mutsu, I already told you, I didn't mean it that way," Toyokawa Shoko muttered under her breath.

At that moment, she inexplicably sensed something and raised her head.

Kiyono's gaze passed through the bustling crowd, quietly watching her, his smile as clear as a flowing spring.