What a twist! The loser heroine!

"I'm so sorry I couldn't take a picture of you!!"

She lowered her head, her face flushed, and spoke loudly, her voice echoing in the small room for a long time.

Wen Shui was so startled that she froze for a second, then nodded blankly.

Fortunately, the reception team was gathered at the front desk at that time, and the room was soundproof enough, so Xiao Ju's shout did not cause a disturbance, but it did scare Wen Shui half to death.

【You've really gone to a lot of trouble to keep me occupied, Xiao Ju.】

At this moment, Wen Shui no longer cared whether there was a tic-tac-toe pattern or a turtle on her face.

Fine, let them laugh all they want. Since Xiao Ju has already revealed herself like this, let's just wait a few minutes.

With that thought in mind, he sat down next to Xiao Ju again.

An awkward atmosphere spread between the two.

Xiao Ju gripped the corner of a book tightly. She glanced up at Wen Shui, who was lost in thought, and then carefully said, "Um... um, Wen Shui."

"what's up?"

"Could you do me a favor?" she said softly. "Help me practice a book signing."

"Didn't we already get some training from Editor Kihara yesterday?" Wen Shui asked, somewhat puzzled.

"But I've never tried it here before." Xiao Ju looked around the empty room. "I feel a little nervous. It's just the two of us now, I think—"

"OK then."

Wen Shui nodded, stood up from the chair, and then lifted the curtain that served as a partition and went outside.

Xiao Ju sat in the chair, waiting with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

The curtains were drawn back, and Wen Shui, dressed in Shi Lu school uniform, walked in expressionlessly. He glanced at Xiao Ju, then couldn't keep his composure and awkwardly turned his face away.

Seeing this, Xiao Ju burst out laughing.

"Wen Shui's acting skills are so bad."

"I've never practiced acting before," Wen Shui said helplessly. "Let's hurry up and train."

After saying that, he coughed lightly, walked to the table, and said in a serious tone, "Mr. Kuonto, I am a loyal fan of yours. Please sign this book."

As he spoke, he moved his hands in the air as if he were holding a book and placing it on a table.

"Pfft..."

"Stop laughing. This is a pantomime, and I don't know where to get a physical book."

Wen Shui scratched his head awkwardly.

"I really can't do anything with you."

As Komari spoke softly, she took out a novel with a colorful cover from the drawer.

She opened the book to the first page and then picked up a pen to sign her name on it.

After closing the book, Xiao Ju handed it to Wen Shui.

Then she turned her head and whispered, "This...this is for you."

Wen Shuihe stared blankly at the cover of the novel in Xiao Ju's hand.

On the full-color cover, the female protagonist with braids is squatting gloomily in the corner, making a heart shape with her hands in embarrassment towards him.

The title of the novel is one he has mentioned countless times.

Even in the shadows, there's love.

—Written by Jiuyuan Rabbit

◇

"Wait a minute, hasn't the physical book been released yet?"

Wen Shui looked at the physical copy of the first volume of "The Love in the Shadows" in her hand with surprise.

“I asked the publisher for it,” Xiao Ju said softly. “As an author, I do have the right to request the physical book in advance.”

"This book... is a gift from me to you," Xiaoju said, sounding slightly uneasy. "Consider it a reward for being the first fan to praise Kuonto to your face."

"So this was a gift for me?" Wen Shui asked in surprise. "I thought you brought it specifically to practice for your autograph session—"

"Warm water—"

Xiao Ju glanced helplessly at the warm water.

Then she shook her head, as if she had figured something out, and said with a smile, "That's where your problem lies."

"Huh? What, what's the problem?"

Xiao Ju lowered her head and thought for a few seconds, then looked up and said, "It's nothing. Even if I weren't a fan, I would still give a copy to every other student in Shilu."

"After all... we're friends."

As she said this, Xiao Ju kept her eyes fixed on Wen Shui's expression, as if trying to discern something.

"Oh my friend……"

Wen Shui murmured to himself as he looked down at the novel's cover, recalling memories of Xiao Ju since the start of the semester.

Seeing this, Xiao Ju clenched her fists and stood up with her lips pursed.

Now is the time to achieve the most crucial elements.

She decided to add the final straw.

Komari Chika walked up to Wenshui and whispered, "The thing I said before... that I would talk about at the book signing."

Upon hearing this, Wen Shui was immediately pulled out of his reverie. He looked at the girl in front of him and nervously swallowed.

"Please, please speak?"

"I've always wanted to say this, that..."

Xiao Ju's gaze darted around, and after holding back for a while, she finally blurted out what she was saying: "I've always wanted to treat Wen Shui as a friend, but I always feel that Wen Shui... doesn't treat me as a friend."

"Look, if your partner, whom you consider a friend, doesn't treat you like a friend, isn't that incredibly embarrassing?"

Xiao Ju glanced at Wen Shui, who showed surprise, and suppressed her excitement. Following her previous plan, she continued, "So, um..."

"We haven't officially confirmed our friendship yet... anything."

After she finished speaking, she let out a soft breath and then looked at the warm water with a hint of nervousness.

Wen Shui stared blankly at Xiao Ju, who had said those words, and a feeling of finding a kindred spirit grew wildly in her heart.

[Are you kidding me? This girl, Xiao Ju... has the same views on friendship as me?]

He spoke cautiously and carefully, "You mean...you want to be friends with me? That's right, isn't it? You're serious, aren't you?"

Komari Chika met his eyes and nodded.

【I see……】

Wen Shui pursed his lips. To be honest, he felt very comfortable and at ease with Xiao Ju. After all, she was from the same Yin category as him, and she could both keep her distance tactfully and accurately grasp their common interests.

She seems to genuinely consider me a friend, so...

He placed the book "Love in the Shadows" on the table and said, "I understand... Although I have many shortcomings, please forgive me."

Xiao Ju smiled inwardly.

I finally did it.

My hands were shaking with excitement.

She calmed herself down, let out a long sigh of relief, and then said with a smile.

"Just as I thought, you really are responding to a marriage proposal like this..."

Just as I thought? It really does look like it?

Wen Shui keenly picked up on certain information revealed in Xiao Ju's words.

Suddenly, Wen Shui remembered the sense of unease she had felt after Ji Gong's reminder.

He looked at the small, nervous-looking animal in front of him.

From their first meeting, Wen Shui seemed to have a preconceived notion that she was a kindred spirit of Wen Shui. In their subsequent interactions, Xiao Ju continuously improved her impression of Wen Shui through various actions, eventually developing a natural sense of closeness with her.

What is going on?

Although I'm worried about Xiao Ju's condition, I'll feel uncomfortable if I don't ask her soon.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Um... I'm not entirely sure why this is happening. But, Xiao Ju, haven't we met before?"

Upon hearing this, Komari's pupils dilated instantly in shock.

She began to tremble involuntarily, her mind racing with chaotic thoughts, and even the joy of having just completed her declaration of friendship vanished.

Ju: [What's going on? I've been hiding it so well, why would Kazuhiko say something like that? Did he find out about my reincarnation? Was it because of a slip of the tongue just now??!]

With a trembling voice, she asked, "And... no, Wen Shui, what do you mean by that...?"

"Well, how should I put it, I always feel..." Wen Shui touched her cheek somewhat embarrassedly, and then said, "I always feel that you, Xiao Ju, are very familiar with me and know some of my preferences. So I was thinking, maybe we knew each other before... or something."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ju lowered her head and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

It seems that Kazuhiko hasn't noticed his rebirth, but he has realized that Kazuhiko is very familiar with him. He needs to come up with a plausible reason.

Komari Chika began to think carefully.

To say that she and Wen Shui were kindergarten playmates? That's too far in the past, absolutely impossible. To say that she's been secretly watching over him all along? That's too outrageous, Kazuhiko would definitely be shocked.

Suddenly, Xiao Ju had a great idea.

"Lemon told me!"

she said.

"Huh?" Wen Shui thought for a moment: "Lemon, is it the salted lemon from our class?"

Xiao Ju nodded.

"So Xiaoju knows Shaoyan, but she hardly ever spoke to me in junior high."

Xiao Ju trembled as if she had been hit by something.

Oh no! I haven't gotten to know Lemon yet, and because I was in such a hurry, I forgot that Lemon didn't talk to Wen Shui much in junior high.

"Ah, well, it's because...right, Lemon's childhood friend keeps talking to her about warm water, so Lemon tells me about it too..."

Xiao Ju said in a flustered manner.

A scene immediately popped into Wen Shui's mind: a tall, bespectacled man discussing himself with Shao Yan, and then Shao Yan relaying the information to Xiao Ju.

Why is Ayano paying so much attention to me?

Wen Shui was a little speechless. But he quickly shifted his focus back to the present.

"If it was Shao Shio who told you, then that's about right. Although I don't know why they're using my preferences as a topic of conversation..."

He scratched his head sheepishly, taking it as an acceptance of the answer: "I didn't expect you to be friends with Shao Yan. I've never seen you talk to her before."

“You weren’t there when I was chatting with Lemon.”

"I see."

Xiao Ju breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the crisis was over.

However, to prevent future troubles, should we go find lemons... and coordinate our efforts or something...?

She began to ponder, but was soon disturbed once again by the question posed by Wen Shui.

"But speaking of which, Xiao Ju."

In the empty room, the boy looked at the girl with a scrutinizing gaze.

"You seem to have stopped stuttering since just now? Doesn't that seem a bit out of character?"

Xiao Ju was slightly taken aback.

She calmed herself down a bit, then chuckled softly and punched Wen Shui in the chest with her fist.

"I don't stutter when I'm talking about important things, and that's part of my persona."

"Stupid, idiot, and—"