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

"Don't use such a strange way of speaking..."

Toyokawa Shoko glanced at him with slight dissatisfaction. She sat upright, her feet, clad in white lace stockings, gently resting behind her pert buttocks, which resembled a beautiful full moon.

"Don't worry, I specifically moved my noon shift to the evening."

"Won't we miss the train?" Kiyono asked again.

"I will plan my time well!"

Toyokawa Shoko picked up a shiitake mushroom, carefully placed it in her mouth, and after eating it, she revealed a confident smile. She was no longer the helpless girl who used to be when faced with problems!

"Trains at night are not safe, I will always be there to protect you."

If an ordinary young girl heard this, she might scoff and say, "Is this a stalker's declaration?" But Toyokawa Shoko simply said:

"Well, while I appreciate Kiyono-kun's kindness, the trains in Tokyo at night are more about loneliness than danger?"

Her pretty face was serious. Xiangzi was a very emotional girl, and also a girl who could quickly switch to her own world in an ordinary life. After the family change, her heart became numb. But now, someone has injected her with life and vitality again.

"The carriage was quiet at that time, with only the clanging sound in my ears. It was pitch black all around, as if we were about to enter another world. Even the stars were silent... The adults on the train were also tired and lying on their seats, sleeping..."

She spoke softly, turning her head slightly to look out the window, like a muse deep in thought.

At that moment, Kiyono seemed to see those nights, the girl gazing out the window of the swaying tram.

"I now realize how long the nights are in Tokyo. The train interiors reflected in the glass windows look the same no matter which way you look, as if you're wandering in a night that seems to have no end."

Kiyono sensed the unease beneath Toyokawa Shoko's gentle words. A young lady who had never experienced the hardships of life and didn't even know how to use an automatic beverage machine was suddenly expected to shoulder her father's burdens alone and try every means to work and earn money. She must have never felt secure from the very beginning.

Nevertheless, she never admitted defeat.

Kiyono was silent for a moment, then blinked:

"So even if I secretly hold Mr. Xiangzi's hand from behind, no one will notice, right?"

Is this the key point?

Toyokawa Shoko stared blankly at Kiyono, then instantly blushed deeply. Her gaze towards Kiyono changed, becoming the same as when she looked at the man below. However, as she imagined the scene, she found that she didn't have any thoughts of "no" or "can't" at all.

"Then even if I hug Ms. Xiangzi's waist from behind, Ms. Xiangzi won't object, right?" Kiyono looked at her without saying a word and then said.

She turned her face away, her ears turning bright red.

Even going a step further...

"You've ruined the atmosphere, desuwa!"

—That's all he said.

Kiyono smiled, stopped teasing the girl, and said softly.

"These experiences and insights will surely enable you to play unforgettable pieces, and..."

His eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"The night will be painted with color, and I will bring you the morning."

Shoko Toyokawa slowly turned her head, gazed at him, her eyes rippling like the surface of a mirror lake, and then she smiled.

She picked up her water glass, took a sip of the orange juice with ice, and found it to be sweet and sour.

"Actually, I seem to be just an ordinary girl who wants to stick to her heart and her thoughts, but is powerless to do so..."

For once, Toyokawa Shoko opened a crack in her tightly locked heart. This was a story she would never tell anyone, not even her childhood friend Mutsu. She would only give a brief reply. She trusted Mutsu and depended on him, but she couldn't confide in him. She wanted to maintain her image.

Since her father was kicked out of the house and she left the Toyokawa family, she has distanced herself from all social circles and female friends, let alone male friends—even during her time as a young lady, she never truly confided in anyone.

She doesn't know how to rely on others; in her eyes, anyone's kindness is like a condescending act of charity.

The only person who could truly understand her at this moment, and who could bravely express her thoughts, was Kiyono.

“Yes, in a big city like Tokyo, there are actually quite a few down-on-their-luck heiresses who become ordinary girls, and you often see them in light novels.” Kiyono picked up a piece of beef and put it in her bowl.

Toyokawa Shoko naturally and gently ate the piece of meat, silently repeating the sentence in her mind.

She seems to have truly become a normal girl; she experiences feelings of excitement like other girls, dreams of sweet romance, and falls for someone...

Toyokawa Shoko flashed a playful smile, like a little girl.

"Hmph, who knows, maybe one day I'll go back to my family and become a young female entrepreneur driving a Maybach and earning over a billion a year."

That way, I can take care of you!

...

The two finished off the sukiyaki completely. Although the ingredients were all frozen food bought from the supermarket, they ate to their hearts' content. At this moment, Kiyono was resting his arm on the low table, propping his chin up, lazily digesting his food. The air conditioner was trying its best to blow out cold air, but it was still a bit hot.

He blew on it for a while, then realized something was wrong.

"Xiangzi, is there a draft somewhere in the living room?" He raised his voice slightly and asked the girl who was washing dishes in the kitchen—it wasn't that he wanted to be lazy, but that she insisted on not letting him help.

"Ah...that seems to be the case."

The blue-haired girl popped her head out of the living room, then said to wait a moment while she washed her hands. She walked to the living room window wearing a cute apron and a white headscarf.

Kiyono moved closer to her. It was an old sliding window with a warped frame and worn-out weatherstripping. Cold air was visibly escaping through a crack.

Xiangzi tried to pull it shut, but it wouldn't close no matter what she did. As she watched the cool air dissipate, she felt as if she could see the expensive electricity bills burning away, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"Wait a minute, I'm going to the supermarket to buy some sealing strips, otherwise it's too much of a waste of electricity."

After observing for a moment, Qingye said that Xiangzi seemed to want to take over the job, but before she could speak, the boy gently pressed her shoulder, pushed her to the table, and poured her a cup of barley tea.

"You have to work tonight, so get some rest and wait for me to come back."

Gentle yet unquestionable.

Xiangzi sat silently in place, let out a soft moan, and kept twisting his upturned buttocks.

—What's with this feeling of married life?!

She was completely immersed in her fantasy until Kiyono returned with his things and stood by the window, bringing her back to reality.

The boy moved a chair over, stepped on it, and compared the structure and gaps of the window frame.

"Xiangzi, could you please hand me the scissors? Also, could you help me peel off a piece of the release paper from the back of the sticker?"

"Ok!"

Xiangzi, who was standing nearby, picked up a pair of scissors and carefully tore off a piece of the protective paper on the back of the sealing strip, revealing the adhesive side. She stood on tiptoe and stretched out her hand to Qingye. The two touched briefly in the air. The girl quickly withdrew her hand as if struck by a weak electric current, her face turning red.

—They're becoming more and more like Desuwa! They're such a perfectly matched couple!

Kiyono didn't think too much about it. He measured the length of the sealing strip and cut it with scissors. He needed to be very focused to press the soft foam strip precisely into the gap, especially at the top and corners.

Xiangzi looked up at him. It was still a bit hot near the window. Qingye's back was soaked with sweat, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He would occasionally frown slightly because he couldn't reach a certain tricky angle, or mutter to himself, "It's a little crooked here..." after making a mistake, and then carefully adjust it.

The only sounds in the room were the hum of the air conditioner, the snip of scissors, and the rapid beating of her heart.

—How strange, why does Kiyono-kun seem so charming right now? If she keeps looking at him, she'll almost want to hug him!

Toyokawa Shoko shook her head vigorously. "I must do my part too!"

The two worked together as if they were changing clothes for an old house, talking as they went.

"Alright, that should be fine now."

After some effort, Kiyono got off the chair and wiped his sweat.

The previous noticeable draft has disappeared, and the cool breeze in the air feels cooler and more concentrated. The faint stuffiness in the room is quickly dissipating.

"Kiyono-kun, thank you for your hard work."

Toyokawa Shoko, however, did not pay much attention to this. Having prepared in advance, she picked up a cold towel and gently wiped the sweat from the boy's forehead, her pretty face focused.

...This meticulous service suddenly reminded Kiyono of a certain cold and aloof girl.

"However, it looks a bit ugly."

After wiping away her sweat, Kiyono turned around and looked at the new 'disharmony' on the window. Toyokawa Shoko followed her gaze. It was indeed unsightly, but she didn't care at all.

But then, something unexpected happened to the girl.

Kiyono seemed to have expected this, and took out a stack of... from the bag.

"Cartoon stickers?" Xiangzi tilted his head.

"Just dye your skin and it will be fine."

Kiyono tore off a small crescent moon sticker and stuck it on the window seal. Shoko paused for a moment, looking at the moon hanging high in the sky. Suddenly, she felt the room was brighter. She also reached out and picked out a small star sticker, sticking it next to the moon.

Like collecting beautiful memories, they pasted on the sun, clouds, flowers, puppies, kittens, pianos, guitars...

After the last sticker was pasted on, Toyokawa Shoko looked up at the window, which had become colorful, then looked at the boy beside her and pursed her lips.

For the first time, she felt a touch of warmth in this small, dark, stuffy room that was always filled with the smell of alcohol and unpleasant memories.

You're really something...

...

[Groups without Toyokawa Shoko]

[Nagasaki Motoyo: Kiyono-kun, two more days have passed. Has Sho been willing to see you? How are Kiyono-kun and Sho's relationship going?]

[Kiyono: Recent Story Outline.txt]

[Shiina Tatsuki: Hiss... You... have you really never worked as a relationship expert? Akari, remember, keep at least three meters away from this guy from now on, otherwise one day he might use this subtle, pervasive tactic to take you and your heart away, and you'll still be counting the money for him!]

[Takamatsu Akari: But, but, Kiyono-kun is also thinking of Shoko's best interests, isn't he?]

Meanwhile, Nagasaki Motoyo, nestled in her mansion, stared at the screen. She suddenly felt a pang of envy for Shoko, having someone willing to unconditionally offer her warmth. At the same time, she couldn't help but imagine how incredibly cute it would be if a boy treated her that way…

[Nagasaki Motoyo: Tachibana-chan's reaction is so strong, but... Kiyono-kun is so gentle it's almost scary. If this continues, Sho might really be melted... Speaking of which, has Kiyono-kun found out Sho's opinion on Crychic? Has she... mentioned it?]

[Kiyono: I haven't found the right time to ask yet, but now Xiangzi seems willing to tell me some of his innermost thoughts.]

【Wakaba Mutsumi: ……】

[Wakaba Mutsumi: Kiyono, open the door. Now, let's talk about Sho.]

...

At the same time, Toyokawa Shoko became even more distressed.

"And then Kiyono-kun helped me again... So, is it okay if I just buy him some gifts?"

The girl is the kind of person who, once she makes a decision, never hesitates and is incredibly decisive. She is now very clear that she can no longer leave that person, so she will face it head-on. She believes that a relationship cannot be one-sided, with only the boy making sacrifices.

So even though she's struggling financially right now, she's decided to work hard to save money.

?028. Xiangzi's Gift and... [Two-in-One]

Toyokawa Shoko seriously considered what gift to give Kiyono.

To this end, she secretly searched online for "what would make a boy happy to receive", and got results such as graphics cards, figurines, a gentle catgirl, or herself in a cosplay outfit... After eliminating some random and useless answers, the first thing she thought of was a wristwatch.

A watch is a versatile option, but she wasn't satisfied with the ordinary ones, and the ones she was satisfied with were too expensive, so she could only silently put this option on the future.

Secondly, she thought of creating a special record containing her piano playing. Ever since meeting Kiyono, certain melodies had been lingering in her heart, and she wanted to turn these melodies into music, hoping that the boy would remember her when he heard the music.

But after thinking about it for a while, she gave up. The reason was still that her current ability could not match her strict requirements for music, and the cost was too high. Kiyono might not accept such a gift. Besides, if Kiyono wanted to hear the piano, she could play it anytime!

After much thought, she finally came up with a 'return gift' that suited their pace—

Let's start with cakes, then save up some money, find a nice day, and go shopping with Kiyono-kun, buying whatever we want... This, this shouldn't count as a date, right?

In short, Toyokawa Shoko had a plan.

The moment she had planned everything out, she suddenly realized that all her recent anxiety, sadness, and pain had vanished. An incredible surge of emotion flowed through her heart. She felt that the world had become bright and beautiful again, that her father would surely recover, that everything would be alright, and that the future was so full of promise…

Just imagining my future with him fills my whole being.

"Well, I secretly saved up some money recently, and now I have two or three part-time jobs every day, and even more work hours on weekends... If that's the case, I can go out with Kiyono-kun in four or five days!"

Toyokawa Shoko lay in bed, constantly searching for something on her phone, her eyes bright.

"Let's ask Kiyono-kun what kind of cake he likes first..."

...

If you want to make a cake, there are cooking classrooms at the school that you can borrow. You just need to bring your own ingredients. As a top student who could get scholarships at the school, the teacher only asked a few questions before lending her the key.

The girl learned the dessert-making process in the Moon Forest Home Economics class, which was barely enough, but she still made some mistakes along the way. At this time, she would think of Kiyono and wonder what kind of feelings he had when he made the cake for her. Then she would have a feeling of spiritual connection, and the corners of her cream-stained lips would gently curve up.