Then he took out a charcoal pencil from the store and wrote a small note, sticking it on the box—"This is a gift from Santa Claus, please accept it without worry." This was even worse! It was completely a prank show! No one would dare to eat it!
Kiyono immediately fell into an unspeakable dilemma. It was clearly just a small matter—why was it so troublesome!
Just then, the door to the lounge was gently opened.
Seeing that familiar blue, Kiyono took a deep breath.
Yanami walked into the lounge.
These past two days, although no one noticed, her mood had indeed been a bit down—not just because she hadn't eaten the delicious food she wanted, but also for other reasons.
In everyone's eyes, she had always been a carefree, cheerful, and energetic person, as if she were always laughing—though that was mostly true. However, she would also feel joy, sadness, and disappointment like everyone else. The difference was that she wouldn't deliberately show these emotions; she would bury them deep in her heart—she didn't know when she had developed this habit.
She didn't like bringing her negative emotions to others. What made her feel a bit helpless was that everyone around her seemed used to her usual demeanor. No one would truly delve into her heart to care for her; they would only think, "If it's Yanami, she'll definitely cheer up on her own after a while"…
Even when she subtly hinted at her childhood friend, Hakamada Sosuke, he seemed indifferent.
After realizing this, the Blue-haired girl's mood inevitably sank.
Of course, she knew it wasn't anyone else's fault; her image had always been this way. But… she also hoped that someone would notice "her other side."
So, the moment she saw the scene before her, she was truly surprised.
"Is this… a crepe?"
Yanami looked up in a daze. At that moment, the last ray of sunset pierced through the window, illuminating the object before her. The boy held a transparent box containing exquisite pastries. Perhaps it was the glow of the sunset, but she felt it was like a shining treasure.
"Yeah, I just happened to pass by and saw they were still selling them, so I bought one… Don't overthink it."
The boy had his back to the sunset, seemingly a bit embarrassed. He huffed in a feigned manner and turned his face away.
Ah, so that's it.
Someone still noticed.
Someone still cared about her.
The sound of fireworks blooming resonated in her heart.
Yanami Anna looked straight into his eyes, then broke into a wide smile.
"Mm! Thank you!"
It was a sound of genuine joy.
She carefully took the box and unwrapped it, her eyes shimmering like a beautiful lake reflecting the sunset.
"Wow! Look, look! It's as luxurious as the pictures online!"
The Blue-haired girl turned her face to look at him, her smile charming and beautiful. He wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt there was a subtle difference between Yanami's current smile and her usual one.
"It's alright…"
Kiyono responded casually, but looking at Yanami's smiling face, the corners of his mouth still lifted slightly… It was good that she could regain her vitality; his long trip and long wait were not in vain.
Indeed, being with the Blue-haired girl was still very happy.
He glanced at the Blue-haired girl taking pictures of the dessert, smiled, and sat in the corner, opening his laptop.
But then, something unexpected happened.
That Yanami.
The Yanami who was incredibly protective of her food…
Actually shared her dessert with him!?
"Here!"
The Blue-haired girl stood across the table, leaning slightly forward, almost putting the entire crepe into his mouth.
…Honestly, he didn't want to eat the same snack as the Blue-haired girl, but… but! This was a snack Yanami voluntarily shared! It was the kind that would definitely earn an achievement in a game! Maybe this was his only chance in a lifetime!
Thinking of this, Kiyono steeled himself and took a decisive bite.
A rich milky fragrance flooded his taste buds.
"How does it taste?"
The Blue-haired girl asked with a brilliant smile.
"Mm… good!" Kiyono replied with a smile.
The Blue-haired girl sat at the table and took a bite from the spot where he had eaten.
Their figures seemed to melt into the last twilight.
After that, Yanami would actively share snacks with him every day.
Though only a little.
...
"Kiyono, Lemon seems very troubled recently…"
A French fry dipped in ketchup suddenly poked in front of Kiyono. If he hadn't leaned his head back, the fry would have poked his face. He looked at the Blue-haired girl in front of him, a little speechless. If you want to share food, can you be a bit less dramatic!
He hesitated for a moment, then took the fry with his hand. After putting it in his mouth, he carefully wiped his hands with a tissue before placing them back on the keyboard and asked casually, "What's wrong with her?"
"What troubles a teenage girl is, of course, romance!" Yanami also ate a French fry.
"Failed confession?"
"…No, it's still too early for that step."
As her words fell, Yanami inexplicably felt like her own head had been hit by a boomerang. After a pause, she continued, "Another girl has appeared around Mitsuki, and she doesn't know what to do…"
Kiyono was thoughtful. It seemed the plot had begun, and the Blue-haired girls were only one step away from defeat—he used to not care, but now he was part of the "Loser Alliance," so he definitely had to do his part!
He asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"
"Of course, we must eliminate any 'cat stealing fish' besides the childhood friend…"
Yanami was still gritting her teeth, but halfway through, for some reason, she suddenly glanced at Kiyono, and her words—originally full of aggressive solidarity—changed. "This… depends on Lemon's own thoughts."
Kiyono hummed. He didn't expect the Blue-haired girl to give any useful advice; otherwise, Yanami wouldn't have become a legendary "loser." He still had to come up with an idea for this! At least don't let Yakishio Lemon lose so badly!
In the afternoon, Kiyono rode his bike to a nearby bookstore.
Since he was determined to achieve something in the field of literature, reading and learning were indispensable. Whenever he had free time, he would come to the bookstore to look at recent best-selling light novels and manga, studying them from the perspective of observation and research, absorbing the essence, and avoiding pitfalls.
—Hmm, it was "looking," not "buying."
Kiyono stood in front of a bookshelf in the corner of the bookstore, silently reading a best-selling novel.
There was no other way. Although the price of a light novel or manga seemed cheap—only four or five hundred yen—he needed to read far more than one. Accumulated like that, it would be a price he couldn't afford now, so he could only temporarily abandon his shame!
As long as I'm not embarrassed, others will be!
"When I get rich later, I'll come back and buy them all."
Kiyono mumbled.
As for the library card Yakishio Lemon gave him—since light novels and manga couldn't be borrowed—he mainly used it to consult professional materials.
At this moment, it seemed someone else had joined him.
Kiyono's peripheral vision caught sight of her, and he immediately froze.
Why was it her?
This was a Blue-haired girl with tanned skin, tall and slender, with long limbs. At first glance, she looked like a fashion magazine model. Although her hairstyle wasn't as meticulous as that of ordinary Blue-haired girls, her smooth, exposed neck contrasted with her bold demeanor, revealing a sensual side.
Why would a sporty, beautiful Blue-haired girl like Yakishio Lemon be in a bookstore?
Perhaps sensing his gaze, the Blue-haired girl turned to look at him, revealing a pretty and delicate face. "Eh? Kiyono? What a coincidence!"
Upon seeing Kiyono, Yakishio Lemon immediately smiled and jogged over, enthusiastically patting him on the shoulder—truly a girl who was good friends with Yanami; even their greeting style was similar.
"Lemon, are you here to buy manga?" Kiyono asked curiously.
"Uh… I feel like your question is a bit subtly rude. I'm at a bookstore; of course I'm here to buy books!"
"Sorry…" Kiyono smiled. He thought of his previous conversation with Yanami and suddenly said, "Are you here to buy books just to have something to talk about with your childhood friend?"
The only reason a girl who doesn't like reading would actively enter a bookstore is to "have common topics with the person she likes."
He spoke very directly, and Yakishio Lemon was completely stunned. Kiyono's words came out without any preamble, and she naturally wasn't prepared, causing her to open her mouth but make no sound as her face grew redder and redder, like a cooked prawn.
Although Yakishio Lemon did have a crush on her childhood friend, it was the first time another boy had brought it up to her face like this!
"So what if it is!" Her overloaded little head chose to confront the shame.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it's a wonderful thing that you're willing to muster the courage to take this step."
Yakishio Lemon's shyness gradually faded, because Kiyono's expression when he said this was both gentle and sincere—like a kind older brother next door—making him look particularly trustworthy.
"But… I'm really not good at reading. I often fall asleep after reading literary masterpieces for a while, so I thought I could try reading some interesting light novels first…"
The Blue-haired girl casually picked up a book, covering the lower half of her face, her eyes blinking—she couldn't help revealing her true feelings. This was also the first time she had said these things to a peer; even Yanami hadn't received this treatment!
"…Does that Ayano-kun like to read light novels?"
Kiyono had now directly transitioned from a reader to a strategist, devising plans for the Blue-haired girl.
"He doesn't seem to read them much… Compared to these, Mitsuki prefers to read works by Abe Kobo, Murakami, those Akutagawa Prize winners. Oh, right, he's also very interested in tanka recently…"
Yakishio Lemon annoyedly tapped her forehead with the book, then looked at him with shining eyes. "Kiyono, can you recommend some novels that are both interesting and have this kind of literary quality?"
You're really putting me on the spot…
Kiyono removed popular light novels like "The Lowest-Ranked Student in School Reincarnates into Another World and Starts a Harem Life," "If You Can't Be a Normie, At Least Become an Otaku Prince," and "The Cutest Beautiful Girl in My Grade Becomes My Stepsister" from the list. He then searched the bookshelf and finally handed her two books.
"One is a light novel related to tanka. The female protagonist is a retired athlete, and the male protagonist is an artistic young man who loves tanka. The overall story revolves around their relationship and tanka. I've read the entire book, and it's very well written. The popular science and insertion of tanka are very interesting, and even if you don't understand it completely, you can still enjoy it."
"This— isn't this me and Mitsuki! Hey, Kiyono, are the male and female protagonists childhood friends? Did they end up together?"
Yakishio Lemon leaned closer to him, saying something very off-putting.
"Read it yourself to find out!"
Kiyono's forehead was covered in black lines as he placed the book in her hands. "After reading this, you should have a basic understanding of tanka, which you can use to start conversations. Of course, the most important thing is that Ayano-kun should also be interested in this kind of book."
"There's also a novel about literary masters and their works. It's not very professional, but it's very entertaining. By the way, don't take the descriptions of some literary masters' personalities in the book seriously; that's a fictional world. It's best to Google them before discussing…"
The core of his recommendation was "interesting."
Because he felt that Yakishio Lemon didn't need professional knowledge so much as an interest in actively understanding literature. If she didn't genuinely like it and only read related books to cater to her childhood friend's preferences, it would be too utilitarian and exhausting. Even if she temporarily gained his favor, the relationship wouldn't last.
"So, if you really can't get into it, don't force yourself."
He added.
Then, Kiyono saw the Blue-haired girl holding the two books, staring at him in a daze.
"What's wrong?" Kiyono was a bit puzzled.
"So amazing…"
The Blue-haired girl unconsciously murmured.
"Could it be… Kiyono, you're actually a very smart guy?"
Yakishio Lemon looked at him, her eyes only describable as sparkling.
She hadn't expected that Kiyono could perfectly fulfill a seemingly unreasonable request she had made casually—this was clearly something only someone who often read and was good at thinking could do!
And, it's a bit embarrassing to say… she, Yakishio Lemon, liked the type of refined, intellectual, and handsome boys.
This didn't mean she had fallen for Kiyono; it was just that, due to her childhood experiences, she would subconsciously have a good impression of this type of boy. Clearly, Kiyono perfectly fit this standard!
This simulated NPC's character design is truly to my liking!
It would be even better if he wore glasses!