Yakishio Lemon rummaged in her pocket and, with a smile, handed them both some items.
Kiyono asked in confusion, "What is this…?"
"Oh, just some discount coupons for the supermarket. My grandma is a university professor, you see. She's been teaching at the school for decades, and the government gives her a lot of subsidies every month. These coupons are one of them. But my grandma doesn't really like shopping much, so she gave all the discount coupons to me. I can't use that many by myself, so I wanted to share some with you guys! Otherwise, they'll all expire and go to waste!"
Lemon scratched the back of her head and said cheerfully.
Kiyono slowly lowered his head and looked at the slips in his hand, which resembled bath tickets. When he realized what they represented, he couldn't help but gasp.
These were crucial survival supplies!
To be honest, Kiyono felt that his relationship with Yakishio Lemon hadn't reached a point where he could comfortably accept her gifts. If it were anything else, he could easily decline, but this… he couldn't refuse this!
"Hehe, I'm glad you like them."
Seeing the change in their expressions, Yakishio Lemon's smile also became much lighter.
She wasn't foolish; she remembered their help from last time and had been looking for an opportunity to repay them. These discount coupons were one of the small benefits she thought of!
After a pause, Lemon added, "Oh, and these can give you up to an 80% discount."
"God…"
Kiyono and the Blue-haired girl murmured.
The next moment, both of them grabbed one of her hands and spoke in unison.
"From today onwards, you are Lemon God!"
"Eh, eh?"
Facing the unusually excited pair, Yakishio Lemon was a little dumbfounded.
She hadn't expected their reaction to be so intense.
And besides… you two have too much chemistry!
Yanami, who exactly is your childhood friend—him, or that Hakamada Sosuke!
...
After that, Yakishio Lemon would occasionally come to give them things, such as luxurious one-day hot spring tickets, library borrowing cards, and full-value vouchers for yakiniku restaurants. Lemon's explanation was that her family members were all lawyers and doctors, and the one thing they weren't short of was these kinds of things. At most, they were one level higher than toilet paper—because these things were too hard to wipe with, so giving them away was a form of recycling.
And this airdrop support from Yakishio Lemon greatly improved their living standards in a short period.
To be honest, Kiyono was originally not interested in the love stories of the losing heroines, nor did he want to arbitrarily intervene and change the plot's direction. But now, he couldn't ignore it; he would absolutely, one hundred percent, support Miss Lemon's romance, even if it meant shedding all his blood to help her achieve ultimate victory!
Now, in his heart, Yakishio Lemon had already surpassed Yanami, becoming a friend second only to Yukino… No, let's let the Blue Otter rank second for now; after all, he and Yanami also had a friendship. Thinking like this is generally not appropriate.
"But Lemon would do this… is it because Yanami said something to her?"
Kiyono, who was typing, fell into thought.
After all, that incident with Yanami had just happened, and then Lemon came to bring warmth. It was hard not to overthink it.
But he couldn't find any evidence. Yanami always acted flawlessly, without any cracks… In any case, he would still give her credit for this!
Kiyono shook his head and continued to bury himself in writing his book.
Time came to May.
The cherry blossoms of spring had gradually withered, and the air temperature was steadily rising. For ordinary people, this temperature was nothing, but for those working in restaurants, it was a bit annoying.
Anyone who has worked in a kitchen understands that once several stoves are on high heat, the temperature is at least ten degrees higher than outside—and this was still spring. Kiyono was already wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and still sweating profusely. Yanami, who wore even more, was also sweating profusely.
"It's so hot, so hot."
After finishing work at noon, Yanami and Kiyono immediately rushed into the break room. She quickly scanned the room, and only after confirming that Kiyono was the only one there did she confidently take off her jacket—she lacked experience and was a bit vain, so she didn't feel comfortable wearing a short-sleeved shirt like Kiyono.
Kiyono picked up a cup and took a big gulp of cold water, feeling much refreshed. Just then, the scene beside him suddenly caught his attention.
On the chair opposite him, the blue-haired beautiful girl had her hair tied in a ponytail suitable for work, with a few glistening beads of sweat on her delicate, pretty face.
She rolled up her long sleeves, revealing her slender, fair arms, but the girl was still not satisfied. She reached out and unbuttoned the top button of her collar.
Beneath the collar, a hint of her delicate collarbone and jade-like skin was visible, and tiny drops of sweat slid from her jaw to her collarbone, leaving a graceful line.
For a moment, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
It must be said, Yanami's appearance was indeed impeccable… Wait a minute! What am I thinking! This is Miss Otter! You must hold on to what you must protect!
Kiyono took a deep breath, turned his head, and with difficulty, overcame his male instincts.
Yanami apparently didn't notice his gaze. She casually picked up a notebook from the table and fanned herself. "It's already so hot now; what will we do in summer…?"
"Yes, what will we do in summer?"
Kiyono glanced at her and also sighed worriedly.
The two were silent for a moment. Yanami rested for a while, then energetically went to find food. Kiyono, meanwhile, opened his laptop and typed on the keyboard. He didn't stop until dusk, and when Yanami came for her evening shift again, he was still working.
The Blue-haired girl, who came to change clothes, looked at Kiyono—who seemed to have maintained the same posture—stopped, and asked in surprise, "Have you been sitting there from morning until now?"
"Pretty much." Kiyono didn't even lift his head. He was in good form today, so he just wrote straight through until now, even temporarily putting aside his newspaper delivery.
Yanami frowned slightly and let out an "oh," thoughtfully.
Off work at nine.
The night sky was clear, and the bright moon hung high.
Kiyono rode his bicycle, as always, taking Yanami home—ever since he had given the Blue-haired girl a ride once, every day at this time, she would elegantly wait like a noble young lady for her male servant to take her back to her manor. At first, he had resisted, but he genuinely didn't feel comfortable letting the Blue-haired girl walk home alone at night, so he gradually got used to it.
"Seriously, why doesn't she ask her childhood friend to pick her up? She can't even seize such a good opportunity to get closer. She deserves to be a losing heroine."
Kiyono had complained like this countless times.
Today, he safely delivered Yanami to her doorstep.
Even though it was so late every day, and they were both on one bicycle, even if something intimate happened, no one would blame them—but! But! He always maintained a cautious attitude, and not once did a lucky pervert incident occur!
Though Yanami did accidentally touch his butt once.
"I am truly a handsome Pure Love Knight!" Kiyono indulged in self-admiration, preparing to turn around and leave.
Just then—
The back of his bicycle was grabbed.
"Wait a minute!"
Yanami walked in front of him, the soft streetlights illuminating her delicate face.
"Is this the scene from a GALGAME where the protagonist takes the heroine home every day, and the beautiful girl is so moved she wants to offer herself? Sorry, I refuse," Kiyono said with a stern expression.
"What kind of heroine is so easy to conquer?!"
Yanami looked at his eyes with dissatisfaction, pulling the derailed conversation back on track. "Hey, you haven't eaten since this afternoon, have you?"
At the Blue-haired girl's words, Kiyono suddenly felt a pang of hunger in his stomach… He had been too engrossed today; it seemed he really hadn't eaten.
"Honestly, I can't believe you. Eating properly is very important, you know?"
The Blue-haired girl spoke in the tone of a philosopher.
"I don't know why, but when it comes from you, it sounds strangely convincing…" Kiyono couldn't refute, his tone complex.
Yanami lowered her small head, gently kicked a small pebble by the roadside, and asked seemingly casually, "What are you going to eat next?"
"Hmm? I'll go to the convenience store and buy some bento to eat," Kiyono said casually. He had long been accustomed to such a diet.
"That's why I said! Eating properly is very important!"
The Blue-haired girl lightly stamped her foot, her expression even more displeased.
Then, her gaze drifted left and right, as if she was hesitant about what she was about to do. But after two seconds, her eyes became firm, and she looked at him with a glare, her bright voice echoing down the street.
"...The thing is, ever since I started working, my mom makes extra dinner every day and saves it for me. I often can't finish it all by myself, so you…"
Yanami lightly coughed, gently twirled a strand of hair with her finger, her pretty face showing a trace of shyness that was hard to detect.
But the next second, her expression suddenly froze.
"I don't want it."
"You refused so quickly?!"
...
Yanami's rare shyness solidified on her face, then her eye twitched—how did this make it seem like she was seducing an innocent girl? I'm the beautiful girl here!
Kiyono was good in every way, except for this one! He was simply too rigid; one sentence, one expression could instantly kill the mood. I just wanted to help you. You've helped me so many times—why can't I help you just once!
Kiyono, sitting on his bicycle, pouted. He knew Yanami wanted to help him, but she needed to consider the timing! At this hour, her parents were definitely home, and if they weren't, it would be even worse. There was no way he could go inside!
"Besides, you probably don't even have enough of those dinners for yourself," he added as a reason.
"…Huh? Is that really how I look in your eyes?"
Yanami's twitching eye began to turn into a throbbing heart.
Just as the two were in a stalemate, a gentle, girlish voice suddenly rang out.
"Anna? What are you doing here?"
The front door of the residence opened, and the blue-haired beauty who had left a deep impression on Kiyono that day walked over, tilting her head slightly.
Ah! It's her!
Kiyono straightened up instantly, a pleasing, gentle smile on his face. Yanami, seeing the change in his expression, felt a little puzzled. Did Kiyono know her mother?
With that thought, Yanami briefly explained to her mother.
"Oh, I see. Anna often talks about Kiyono-kun, and I've always wanted to find an opportunity to thank you. If Kiyono-kun doesn't mind, how about coming in for dinner? I just happened to make a lot of extra dishes tonight."
The blue-haired beauty smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her simple, elegant facial curve.
"Mom! What are you saying?!"
Hearing this, Kiyono didn't react much, but Yanami bristled. The Blue-haired girl was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; her body first trembled, then she quickly jumped out and covered her mother's mouth, her ears astonishingly red.
While stopping her mother, she kept peeking at Kiyono's expression. Honestly, she wondered if he would overthink it…
But as she peeked, Yanami froze.
Hmm?
What's going on?
Why did his pupils suddenly lose focus?
"Eh, why did you die?"
In the living room, Yanami squatted down and poked the slumped, decadent youth in the chair with a slender, fair finger, her small face full of curiosity.
"Don't mind me… I just transmigrated a few decades late."
Kiyono sighed up to the sky, as if his fantasy had been shattered by some spiky-haired boy's chuunibyou correction punch. He should have guessed it earlier; after all, this was a two-dimensional world, so it was perfectly normal for a "wife" to look young and beautiful…
He quickly adjusted his mood. If she was a married woman, he had to kill all impure thoughts in his mind. It was just… he had been a bit unfair to Yanami earlier. Although ignorance is bliss, there was a period when he wanted to instantly become her elder, which was indeed not good!
"The corpse is talking!" Yanami's eyes widened.
Kiyono ignored her and looked up, surveying Yanami's home environment—family photos hung on the walls, furniture neatly arranged, vases with vibrant flowers placed in the living room and in front of the windows, clearly well cared for. The overall impression was as warm and lovely as he had imagined.
Although the decor and furniture were a bit old-fashioned, it still clearly showed a happy family. Only in such an environment could Yanami develop such a pure personality.
They waited a short while, and dinner was heated. The dishes were very ordinary: rice, miso soup, pickles, vegetables, and a plate of fish—this was a normal Japanese family dinner, within the simple range. However, Kiyono looked closer and noticed that the rice wasn't served in the small bowls common in Japanese dramas, but in a rather large bowl filled to the brim. The fish on the plate also wasn't the traditional small pickled fish, but a real, whole large one.
Hmm, very much Yanami's style!