I, the spiritual mentor of beautiful girls from all over the world

"I can revise draft 847 if you want me to."

"Unless you can find someone who understands the 'story' better than I do to convince me."

Upon hearing this, Hachiman Hikigaya's dead fish eyes twitched violently.

This scene, this setting, this line.

Deja vu!

The last person to say something similar was that blond loser, and then... then he was completely crushed by Teacher Lynn's printer-like divine skills.

He glanced at Hayato Hayama subconsciously and found that the other man also had the same subtle expression on his face, a mixture of "Holy crap" and "I knew it."

Eriri, who was standing to the side, seemed to have suddenly thought of some trump card, and her eyes lit up instantly. She was no longer just angry, but instead jumped out to refute with a hint of pride and childlike admiration.

"Hmph! Don't be too smug, you cunning old woman!"

"That's because you haven't seen a real 'monster'! Let me tell you, there really are monsters in this world... monsters that can print out their inspirations directly!"

"Just wait, when he gets here, you'll see! We'll see how arrogant you'll still be then!"

After she finished speaking, she gave a heavy "humph" and stubbornly turned her head to the side, but her slightly red ears and her small hands tightly clenching the hem of her clothes completely betrayed her nervousness and anticipation.

Faced with Eriri's childish declaration, Kasumigaoka Utaha simply yawned lazily, twirled a strand of hair with her fingertips, and responded lightly with a faint smile:

"Really? I'm really looking forward to seeing who this 'monster' is that Sawamura-kun admires so much."

After saying that, she gave Eriri no chance to refute her, turned around gracefully, and strode towards the door.

……

The crisp sound of Kasumigaoka Utaha's heels striking the ground, like her proud declaration, left a lingering echo in the Service Club activity room, gradually fading into the distance.

Eriri gave a heavy "humph," like a kitten that had lost a fight but refused to admit defeat, and stormed off.

The door to the activity room closed, shutting out the intense, almost suffocating tension between the two creators.

The air finally resumed its flow.

Yui Yuigahama let out a long sigh of relief, her whole body slumped down, and she muttered a complaint under her breath, "That scared me to death... Those two were so terrifying..."

Hachiman Hikigaya's deadpan eyes turned towards the window.

'horrible?'

He thought to himself, "What am I complaining about?"

"What's this? It's just the usual daily banter between creators, looking down on each other's work. A manipulative, scheming woman and a textbook example of a loser with blond hair—they're natural enemies."

He glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita beside him.

The ice queen was holding a teacup, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the warm cup. Her icy blue eyes reflected the sky outside the window, but her thoughts were clearly drifting to a far more distant place.

Hayato Hayama wore a perfectly timed wry smile, trying to ease the tension: "Anyway, the problem now is that we really can't use Kasumigaoka-senpai's copy. We have to think of a solution."

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on that corner.

Kasugano Sora sat there quietly, as if all the disturbances of the outside world had nothing to do with her.

She felt everyone's gaze, slowly raised her head, and her deep gray eyes calmly swept over everyone.

"Um... Sora-chan..."

Yui Yuigahama rubbed her hands together and spoke cautiously in an almost ingratiating tone.

"Only Lynn-sensei can convince Kasumigaoka-senpai... Could you please...?"

Qiong did not answer immediately.

She quietly raised her head, her deep gray eyes first falling on Yui Yuigahama's expectant and uneasy face, then turning to the other side, to Yukino Yukinoshita, who, though trying her best to remain calm, unconsciously tightened her fingertips and appeared somewhat pale.

She could sense their anxiety.

These two people, besides Onii-chan, are among the few who have been willing to approach her and show her kindness during this time.

For the first time, a complex emotion called "difficulty" arose in Qiong's heart.

Of course she knew that as long as her older brother intervened, there was no problem that couldn't be solved.

but……

Thinking about how he's been working tirelessly every day for that shop and for himself lately, and how, when he comes home, a barely perceptible hint of weariness occasionally flashes deep in his eyes, which always hold a lazy smile...

Qiong's heart felt as if it were being gently yet forcefully gripped by a small hand.

No.

We can't add any more burden to Onii-chan.

Even just a little bit.

The troubles these people face are nothing compared to Onii-chan's hard work.

But looking at the hopeful eyes of Yuihama and Yukinoshita, the thought of refusing seemed somewhat heavy.

In the end, the absolute cherishing of his brother that came from the depths of his soul overwhelmed everything else.

Qiong lowered her eyes slightly, her long silver eyelashes casting a small shadow under the light, concealing all the emotions in her eyes.

"Onii-chan... he's been really busy lately."

Her voice was soft and gentle, as if she were stating a fact that made her feel somewhat sad.

"I don't want to cause him any more trouble."

As soon as the words were spoken, a more subtle silence fell over the activity room.

It wasn't the stiffness that followed a cold rejection, but rather a silence that was a mixture of surprise, understanding, and a hint of guilt.

The preparations for the school festival have progressed to the point where they are no longer just a simple club activity, but a joint undertaking that has consumed everyone's time and effort.

Even if no one says it, no one wants to see it ruined by a single piece of copywriting.

The first to break the silence was Yui Yuigahama.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Sora-chan!"

She suddenly lowered her head, her hands nervously twisting together, her face filled with frustration.

"I...I didn't think that much...You're right! Teacher Lynn works so hard, we shouldn't bother him with this kind of thing! I'm really sorry!"

Her sincere apology was like a warm current, slightly easing the tension in the air.

Yukino Yukinoshita remained silent throughout.

She simply held her teacup, her icy blue eyes reflecting the small yet resolute figure of Qiong.

"Don't you want to... cause trouble?"

Snow's mind, like a sophisticated instrument, instantly captured this keyword and performed a high-speed cross-comparison with all the unusual information about Lynn in the database.

'Kasugano-san's protection of him goes beyond the scope of ordinary siblings. It's more like... absolute protection for a comrade who is carrying out an "important mission."'

She probably knew the real reason he was "busy." Therefore, she wouldn't allow any mundane daily matters to interfere with his "important business."

"I understand. His recent busyness is indeed related to the Shinomiya family incident and that huge sum of money. Buying the shop was just a convenient 'disguise' to settle Kasugano-kun!"

A logical loop was perfectly formed in Xuexia's mind.

She put down her teacup with a crisp, light sound, drawing everyone's attention.

"Kasugano-san's concerns are valid."

Yukinoshita summarized in her completely emotionless and rational voice.

"Placing all our hopes for solving the problem on Mr. Lynn alone is a dereliction of duty on our part. We should reflect on this."

Her words affirmed Sora's stance and provided everyone, especially Yuihama, with a perfect way to save face.

Hachiman Hikigaya, who had been silent all along, turned his gaze to the window and let out a rotten sigh that only he could hear.

'See? I knew it.'

Using someone's sister as a communication channel is such a rotten social mentality. Why should her sister help you bunch of troublemakers? Protecting your only family member is a million times more logical than your petty school festival antics.

'However… Yukinoshita has really gotten better and better at talking lately. Even when she's just overthinking things, she always manages to come up with a plausible reason to smooth things over.'

Seeing the atmosphere fall into a stalemate again, Hayato Hayama, who had been playing the role of the perfect prince, finally stepped forward.

His face wore his usual bright and cheerful smile, which seemed to dispel all gloom.

"Yukinoshita is right, we didn't think it through."

He first affirmed Yukinoshita's point of view, and then changed the subject to offer a constructive suggestion.

"In that case, we should take the initiative. At the very least, we should prepare a gift that shows our sincerity before visiting Professor Lynn, instead of troubling him empty-handed."

"Whether he's willing to help or not, we should express our gratitude for his previous assistance. That's the proper courtesy, isn't it?"

Hayato Hayama's words instantly broke the deadlock.

This both upheld Qiong's stance and gave everyone a reason and direction to continue their actions.

"A gift!" Yui Yuigahama's eyes lit up instantly. "That's right! We should give a gift!"

She instinctively turned her pleading gaze to the only key insider present.

"Sora-chan," Yuihama's voice was full of anticipation, "What does Lynn-sensei... usually like to do?"

This question, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in Qiong's heart.

She was stunned.

Onii-chan... what do you like?

This question, like a key, gently turned and opened a gallery deep within her heart, a gallery that had never been opened to anyone before, belonging only to him.

The gallery was filled with countless paintings.

The first painting shows her in the sunlight, wearing a white dress he had chosen for her, the hem of which seemed to be bathed in warm light.

The second painting shows a plate of perfectly cooked tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) being handed to him at the dining table, the rising steam blurring the entire image.

The third painting is of the cat cafe, where he places the key in her palm, and the whole world becomes the backdrop.

She ran through this gallery that existed only for her, looking at each painting. The protagonist of each painting was herself, who was being given and happy.

And when she was looking for a painting that depicted only him, that painted what he truly longed for...

She then realized that at the end of the gallery, there was only an empty, pale wall.

It seemed as if I was always behind him, greedily absorbing all the light and warmth he gave me.

But he never thought of looking back to see what kind of scenery existed in his own world.

She always thought that as long as she could remain an indispensable part of his life, that would be enough.

But now, Yuihama's simple question is like a mirror, reflecting the unsettling and enormous ignorance behind her dependence.

For the first time, Qiong's gray eyes, which always followed her brother's figure, lost focus and revealed a trace of "panic" that she herself had not noticed.

"Huh? Sora-chan? Did I...did I say something wrong?"

Yui Yuigahama immediately sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere and instantly became flustered.

Yukino Yukinoshita's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

'Information is lacking?'

Inside her mind, the sophisticated analytical instrument started up again.

'Kasugano-kun, as the most crucial person involved, is unable to provide information about the target's personal preferences. This doesn't make sense. Unless… "personal preferences" themselves are a "loophole" he deliberately erased to conceal his identity.'

Just as the air in the activity room was about to freeze again because of this silence.

A languid voice, reeking of decay, saved the world.

"Tsk, that's really troublesome."

Hachiman Hikigaya swept his signature deadpan eyes over the group of people stuck in a stalemate, and smacked his lips, a sound that signified "I've had enough."

"The dumbest thing about giving gifts is trying to guess who you are. If you guess right, it's a pleasant surprise; if you guess wrong, it's a shock."

He slowly took a sip of black tea.

"Just treat him to a meal."

Hikigaya delivered his final conclusion in a tone that seemed to expound on an absolute truth of the universe.