In the afternoon at the Kato house, the lazy sunlight was filtered into fine fragments by the thick leaves outside, spilling into the room through the window. Unusually, Kato Megumi was not napping today. She was sitting alone at her desk, propping up her face with a pale wrist as she read a book. Seeming tired, she closed the book, rubbed her temples with a soft fingertip, and closed her eyes.
A moment later, she reopened her eyes, turned to the flyleaf, and stared intently at the inscription. She had known of Hiratsuka Ryosuke's existence since elementary school. Kato Megumi viewed herself as an utterly ordinary girl. While it made her genuinely happy that someone could "find" her, she believed their lives were two eternally non-intersecting parallel lines, with little chance of significant overlap. Even if one line bent slightly, they would only intersect at one point, and in the end, they would simply be passing acquaintances in each other's long lives.
Who was Hiratsuka Ryosuke? The top student in his grade, the winner of the Gyokuryuki Fighting Spirit Award, and a bestselling light novelist. Compared to his brilliance, she felt she was far too ordinary. It wasn't until today, when he wrote an inscription for her, that her placid heart felt a slight ripple.
"To my friend, Kato Megumi, wishing you good health and happiness every day—Hiratsuka Ryosuke."
Seeing the message, Kato Megumi's lips curved into a slight smile. She murmured in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "So we're friends now? That's not bad, I suppose."
A new mail notification on her phone on the desk drew her attention. She picked up the phone; it was Eri, whom she had just parted with at the station.
"Megumi-chan, are you home yet?"
On the other end, Eri stared intently at her phone screen. Not long ago, Yamada Elf had pulled her into a very strange group chat. Her group ID had even been changed to "Gospel Spreader." At first, she wanted to refuse and leave the chat. But then she found the people in the group were very interesting. Later, Yamada Elf told her that many of them were Ryosuke's elementary school classmates, which made her even less willing to leave.
It was also by chance, with the Fairy's reminder, that she had added Kato Megumi as a friend. She had already bought off the Fairy and gotten a lot of information about Ryosuke's elementary school days. So, she intended to use the same tactic on Kato Megumi. After all, when it came to intelligence, one could never have too much.
"I'm home, Eri, thank you."
Eri's eyes lit up when she got the reply, and she immediately began fishing for information.
"Megumi-chan, I heard you and Ryosuke were elementary school classmates?"
"Not classmates, just the same school."
"Then do you know what Ryosuke was like in elementary school..."
Every time, Kato Megumi simply answered what Eri asked. Megumi was truthful about the questions but didn't offer any extra information. It was like squeezing toothpaste—one question, one answer.
This pattern only stopped when Kato Megumi finally asked a question in return:
"Eri, how did you and Hiratsuka-kun meet?"
This single question instantly hit Eri's target, making her smile with delight. As the girl's fingers flew, long message after long message was sent. Her desire to confide in Kato Megumi exploded. She told Kato Megumi every detail of her and Ryosuke's story, from their first encounter to the present.
After sending the messages, her clear eyes were like water, and her eyes were curved in a smile. She was like a little girl showing off her favorite toy to a friend. The smugness in her moist, sapphire-blue eyes was impossible to hide. It was as if she was saying, See? This is the bond that belongs just to Ryosuke and me.
At the Kato house, Kato Megumi lay on her bed, scrolling through the messages Eri had sent her. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her placid face. She had only asked casually, but Eri had poured out everything like beans from a bamboo tube, sending multiple messages in a row.
She really is cute, Eri.
And Hiratsuka-kun's daily life is quite colorful, isn't it.
"But just as I thought, Hiratsuka-kun is a good person."
Eri on the other end of the screen seemed to have more to say. After finishing the stories about her and Ryosuke, she continued with other things she knew. The two girls continued this way—one talking, one listening—forgetting the passage of time. Kato Megumi would occasionally interject with compliments, making Eri feel quite flattered. Eri felt she had really lucked out; Kato Megumi was truly a reliable friend, and she knew even more than the Fairy.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's Family Conflict
Kasumigaoka Utaha returned home and quietly closed the door. She slipped off her black loafers, her black-stockinged feet stepping onto the wooden genkan floor, leaving a faint imprint. She then put on her indoor slippers, intending to go to her room and catch up on sleep.
As she passed the living room, a mature female voice made her stop.
"Utaha, where have you been?" Mrs. Kasumigaoka asked coldly from the sofa in the living room.
Before the holidays, she had received a call from Utaha's teacher about her sleeping in class. At first, she thought her daughter was just sleep-deprived from studying too late, especially since her final exam scores were still the best in the school. Both she and her husband were ordinary employees in large companies and were often busy with work, and her husband was frequently away on business trips. So, as long as her daughter's grades didn't slip, she didn't worry about it.
But when she went out this morning, she noticed her daughter's outdoor shoes were missing. Utaha never woke up that early during the holidays, so she went into her daughter's room to check. Touching the cold blanket, her heart gradually sank. She realized Utaha hadn't just gone out in the morning. Had her best daughter become a delinquent who didn't come home at night? She couldn't reach her on the phone in the morning and couldn't accept that her excellent daughter was falling apart.
Kasumigaoka Utaha yawned, and a tear appeared in the corner of her eye. She replied softly, "Nowhere, just out for a walk."
Her usually obedient and sensible daughter was now learning to lie, and Mrs. Kasumigaoka's gaze gradually darkened. She noticed the item in Utaha's hand. Coupled with the other curled-page book she found by her daughter's pillow this morning, she began to form a suspicion.
Smack! A book was tossed carelessly onto the table. Mrs. Kasumigaoka folded her arms across her chest and asked coldly, "Where were you last night?"
Utaha looked at the table, her pupils shrinking. It was her copy of Your Lie in April, which she had forgotten to put away after reading it before bed last night. She quickly walked over to retrieve the book, but her mother put her hand down on it, pinning it to the table.
Utaha lowered her head, unable to meet her mother's eyes, and whispered, "I... I just went out to buy a book."
Mrs. Kasumigaoka's eyes instantly became razor-sharp. "Do you know? Your teacher called me before the break and told me you were sleeping in class."
"Do you know? How hard your father and I work to provide you with better educational resources?"
"Do you know? How worried I was when you didn't come home last night?!"
Mrs. Kasumigaoka's voice became increasingly agitated, and her final words were a near-hysterical shout. Utaha had never seen this side of her mother before and was momentarily stunned. After a moment, she recovered from the shock and saw her mother's body trembling slightly. She then lowered her voice and said, "I'm sorry. I won't stay out all night again."
Mrs. Kasumigaoka took a deep breath, her eyes red, and said to Kasumigaoka Utaha, "Utaha, we are an ordinary family. It's most important for you to study hard, get into a good university, and find a job. You are not allowed to read these useless books anymore."