"Shinka, what are you doing at my house? I thought you couldn't cook?"
Ryou Hirasaka appeared calm on the outside, but inwardly, he was unusually flustered.
His eyelid twitched as he felt a sense of déjà vu.
It reminded him of early August, when he was preparing for Summer Comic with Eri Kashiwagi.
Eri had shown him a heart-wrenching school-life story.
For the following days, whether it was the steam from boiling water or the Japanese kitchen knife, the memory lingered vividly.
Nibutani Shinka had long shed her chuunibyou outfit and changed into a light yellow short-sleeved shirt.
Squinting, she smiled broadly.
Waving the kitchen knife in her hand, she said excitedly, "Of course, I'm cutting the watermelon! Shizu-nee bought a huge one today!"
Imported fruits in Japan, especially, can be very expensive.
A normal-sized watermelon costs around 5,000 yen.
Special square-shaped watermelons can even sell for 100,000 yen.
Thinking back to elementary school, when fruits were distributed, a single pomegranate might give each student only a few seeds, grapes were just a few pieces too.
Now, seeing Shinka cutting the watermelon alone, it was no wonder she was so excited today.
"Shinka, don't run around with the knife. Take this piece of watermelon to your mom," Shizu Hirasaka said, carrying a large slice from the kitchen.
She took the knife from Shinka's hand and gave Ryou a small smile. "Welcome home, Ryou."
"Yeah, I'm back, sis," Ryou nodded, secretly thinking:
So she really separates anime from reality.
Shinka isn't from the Saionji world, there's no way she'd actually attack me with a knife.
"Don't close the door, I'll be right back!" Nibutani Shinka clomped back inside with her shoes on, carrying the watermelon.
Under the night sky, a gentle breeze occasionally passed, bringing some relief in the sweltering summer heat.
Shinka and Ryou sat on the balcony.
They enjoyed the vast summer night sky while eating juicy watermelon.
Shinka tossed the rind into the trash and rubbed her round little belly.
Squinting in satisfaction, she said, "So full… it's been so long since I've eaten watermelon like this~"
Ryou stood up, grabbed a tissue, and held out his hand toward Shinka.
She instinctively closed her eyes and tilted her head up, cooperating as he wiped her hands.
During the process, Ryou's pinky accidentally brushed against Shinka's cheek.
Her face was like flawless white jade, smooth and supple, almost fragile enough to burst at a touch.
After a while, Ryou discarded the tissue and sat down to continue eating the watermelon.
Then, Shinka's next words made him feel like the watermelon in his hand had lost its sweetness.
Nibutani Shinka rested her elbow on the table, propping her chin on her palm.
The night breeze ruffled her light bangs.
Sitting next to Ryou, she smiled brightly and asked, "Ryou, can you tell me what it means that 'that man protected the assault doujin this time'?"
As the leader of a group of thousands, Shinka always had quick access to information.
Besides, she had attended the event herself — just arrived earlier than most.
She had a hunch that after she left, something must have happened between Ryou and Eri that she didn't know about.
Ryou had no intention of hiding anything. He set down the watermelon and told Shinka everything.
Afterward, he noticed that Shinka had smiled the entire time, occasionally nodding.
Ryou felt he couldn't quite read his childhood friend.
He set down the watermelon and tentatively asked, "Are you angry?"
Nibutani Shinka shook her head, her short ponytail flicking through the air.
"Nope, this is exactly how Ryou should be."
Finally, she scooted closer to him, now pretending to be angry.
"Hmph, but since I ran so much today, you'll serve me watermelon instead."
With that, she leaned over and took a bite of the watermelon from Ryou's hand.
Then she rested her head on his shoulder, gazing at the vast night sky beyond the balcony.
Ryou didn't mind where she had eaten from; listening to the cicadas and feeling the summer breeze, he enjoyed the tranquility.
Shinka closed her eyes and smiled faintly, thinking to herself:
Even though helping Eri makes me a little jealous, I won't hold it against you this time.
Whether it's Garasu, Eri, or even me, we've all been saved by your hot-blooded, foolhardy kindness.
And it's precisely because of you that I like you the most.
By ten o'clock, Shinka had returned to her own home.
Ryou turned on his new computer bought with manuscript fees and checked his personal website.
A single work can't satisfy everyone.
Not just for a newcomer like him — even national-level authors receive criticism.
In the comments, one reader caught his attention.
This reader actively replied to negative comments and was very aggressive toward those who left criticism.
Random negative comment 1: "'Your Lies in April' is garbage! What a trashy author, can't even write without killing anyone!"
Kasumi Shiko: "Humans are always driven by reptilian emotions, using a brain shaped in the age of apes, dreaming themselves as masters of all. Judging by your brain's evolution, you're below reptiles."
Random negative comment 2: "The heroine likes the second guy? Poison me, trash author."
Kasumi Shiko: "Have you considered going to the hospital for a checkup, Mr. Incomplete Worm?"
Ryou scrolled further. Every negative comment was met with sharp retorts from this "Kasumi Shiko."
He closed the comments section and opened his private messages.
Unexpectedly, "Kasumi Shiko" had sent over a hundred messages.
In private messages, her tone was completely different from the public comments.
"Ryou-sensei, I really love Your Lies in April! I've read it so many times, my book pages are worn out. (Sad)"
"Ryou-sensei, will you continue creating works with such delicate emotional depth? (Looking forward)"
"Ryou-sensei, when will your new work be released? I can't wait! (Excited)"
Ryou continued scrolling and saw that the earliest message was sent on the day Your lies in April was released.
This person almost sends a daily nudge for updates?
He had no plans to write a sequel or similar work, mainly because he didn't like tragedies.
With the second volume of Sword soon to be released, he decided to reply to this true fan.
Ryou: "Very soon."
The reply came instantly.
Kasumi Shiko: "Really? That's amazing! I didn't expect you'd reply! (Touched) I'll buy your new work immediately!"
Ryou chatted briefly with Kasumi Shiko and found this reader genuinely adorable, completely unpretentious about her likes.
He closed the computer and prepared to take a bath.
Meanwhile,
A long-haired girl with straight black hair jumped excitedly in her room, her wine-red eyes full of excitement.
Great, the dry spell for books will finally end!
So Ryou-sensei also lives in Tokyo.
After a while, she returned to her desk, flipping through the already worn book.
She began secretly looking forward to Ryou-sensei's emotional masterpieces.