He couldn't be blamed for overthinking; their speaking styles were simply too similar!
But Kiyono didn't dare think further. After all, it was the internet, and they were only online acquaintances. What if the other party was actually a… then he would want to die.
Next, he and Yuki discussed the manuscript for over an hour. In the document she returned, red lines densely marked paragraphs and foreshadowing, with enlarged annotations below—this ability and efficiency left him in awe.
As the chat neared its end, Kiyono subconsciously glanced at the bottom-right corner of the screen; it was already half past twelve.
"Didn't she say she'd go to bed in half an hour…?"
He muttered softly, but saying it directly might anger the other party, so he kept it to himself.
After Kiyono sent a "thank you" and "goodnight," he closed the chat window, a faint smile on his lips, and began to meticulously work through the document, word by word.
The next day, Lemon came to find Yanami again.
Under Kiyono's gaze, the two defeated girls faced each other. Then Yanami's expression grew solemn. She stared at Lemon, her azure pupils filled with authority, and as she spoke, word by word, a heavy atmosphere immediately settled over the space.
"Sergeant Lemon, please report the situation on the front line."
"Yes! Second Lieutenant Yanami!"
Yakishio Lemon snapped her legs together, standing at attention in a perfect salute. "Our army wanted to launch an offensive, but it suddenly started snowing on the battlefield, so we can only temporarily regroup! Report complete!"
"When can we break through the enemy's fortress?" Yanami asked slowly.
"One week from now, our side will definitely achieve victory!" Lemon patted her chest.
"Very good, now let's eat!"
Yanami instantly reverted to her usual cheerful self.
—So they've switched from role-playing cute-manga characters to war-movie characters, huh?
Watching the two of them go back and forth, Kiyono found it amusing—until the next second, when he couldn't laugh anymore, because he could actually understand their encrypted conversation without even thinking!
Simply put, Yanami was asking Lemon about her love life, and Lemon indicated that some unexpected things had happened—likely related to studies, as summer vacation was approaching and various exams were inevitable.
"Mitsuki has been busy with exams recently and has been staying at the cram school even during the holidays, so I don't feel right disturbing him."
Lemon, as usual, sat in her corner by the window and let out a big sigh.
As expected…
Kiyono wasn't surprised. He brought them barley tea, noted their usual favorite dishes, and relayed the order to the kitchen.
"Exams, huh…"
Yanami slumped onto the table, dispirited. She was the type of student with average grades, and recently—busy with part-time work and eating—her studies had slipped quite a bit, naturally giving her a headache.
It wasn't until her favorite small dessert arrived that her eyes regained their vitality and sparkle, like a doll infused with a soul.
"Exams, huh."
Yakishio Lemon also sighed melancholically.
If Yanami could maintain a mid-range level, Yakishio Lemon was completely a fish at the bottom of the stream. However, her focus was on sports and club activities, so she didn't need to worry too much about academics; she'd likely enter university through a special admission anyway.
Lemon picked up her chopsticks. At Kiyono's reminder, she first poked a hole in the piping-hot takoyaki, then blew on it before happily popping it into her mouth. Afterward, as if remembering something, she magically produced three movie tickets from behind her back and said with a smile:
"Oh, right—Anna, let's go see the new movie together in two days!"
As for why there were three… the athletic beauty's gaze fell on Kiyono, who was standing nearby, and she waved the tickets in her hand. "Kiyono, you come too!"
Kiyono couldn't be left out of the Childhood Friends Alliance!
Two days later?
The two of them were stunned.
Yanami put down her chopsticks, twined a strand of blue hair around her right index finger, and replied vaguely, "Sorry, Lemon, I might not have much time these two days…"
Hearing this, Kiyono closed his mouth—Yanami had answered for him. In two days, it would be his submission date, and he indeed wasn't in the mood to watch a movie. But what was Yanami busy with? Studying?
"Huh?"
Yakishio Lemon blinked. She looked at the blue-haired girl, then at Kiyono, and considerately didn't press further.
Propping her chin with one hand, she picked up the menu with the other and used it as a fan to gently cool Yanami, casually changing the subject:
"Speaking of which, Anna, aren't you learning handicrafts recently? How's the progress? If you learn it, you should teach me too—I'm quite interested! After all, you see, isn't it a common scene in manga…?"
"…Cough, cough, cough—that's for home economics class…!"
At this moment, Yanami seemed to suddenly catch a cold from Lemon's fanning. Her pretty face visibly turned red at an alarming speed. She looked up in a panic, sneaking a glance at Kiyono while frantically coughing as if to hint at something.
Kiyono, however, wasn't thinking that much; his thoughts were slowly drifting to the novel's plot…
Seeing that he had no reaction, Yanami finally relaxed a little, though her face remained flushed. She took the menu from Lemon's hand and continuously fanned her cheeks to cool down.
After regaining her composure, the blue-haired girl, wearing a bright smile, pulled Lemon close and spoke in a low voice, her peripheral vision occasionally flicking to the distracted young man.
Honestly…
...
The closer it got to the submission deadline, the calmer Kiyono became—he had already done everything he could; there was nothing to worry about. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the results. Even if he failed, it didn't matter; he had nothing left to lose anyway.
As long as his will was firm, everything he was doing now would become the foundation for future success.
Having reaffirmed his goal, Kiyono's daily rhythm returned to its previous state. He no longer got distracted easily; even while working, his eyes glowed under the light, filled with positive energy…
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Tonight, the sky was clear; the dark clouds had receded, stars and moon adorned each other, and the night curtain unfurled like the Milky Way.
The bicycle chain sang softly through the quiet residential area. Yanami's knee bumped against his waist every five seconds. The scent of mint antiperspirant spray mingled with the shampoo in her hair, as if he were enveloped by the girl's aura.
Nights after work had a special atmosphere, especially at this sparsely populated hour right after part-time shifts ended. Fatigue and relaxation intertwined, making emotions run high and inviting spontaneous talk about life and dreams.
But that was also because this guy was here. If she were going home alone, her heart might only be filled with exhaustion—like those overwhelmed working adults.
Being alone would be painful, but with two people, it became a pleasant time.
Yanami's thoughts wandered, and she said aloud, "Will we be working late every day from now on?"
"Not if you study hard."
Kiyono replied. In fact, not studying well was also fine. With Yanami's looks, as long as she didn't blindly choose a poor man—or worse, a poor man who also gambled on pachinko—she could easily find a high-quality meal ticket, and the rest of her life would surely be easy.
"I feel like you've misunderstood something…"
Yanami was a bit speechless. She didn't want to talk about such realistic, heavy topics!
She poked Kiyono's back with her finger, her voice gradually evening out. "Tomorrow is your submission day, right?"
"Yes."
Kiyono's attitude was calm, but Yanami took this "exam" very seriously—her face solemn, her small fists slightly clenched.
"Kiyono, do you have confidence you'll pass?"
The blue-haired girl asked nervously. These past two days, she had secretly looked up information online—Dengeki Bunko receives over three thousand manuscripts annually, but only a few dozen are successfully published and displayed in bookstores. This brutal competition made her stomach ache just thinking about it.
"Hard to say. If I fail, I'll just try again."
Kiyono smiled reassuringly. The convenience-store plastic bag in the bike basket rustled; the strawberry daifuku Yanami bought was conveying warmth to him through its packaging.
Yanami rested her chin on her hand, smiling at Kiyono's back. This guy truly became calmer the closer it got to critical moments; she could set her mind at ease a bit!
But at the same time, a subtle, unusual emotion arose deep within her—a hint of imperceptible anxiety. Teenagers always compare themselves to those around them, and when facing peers with clear goals who are firmly stepping forward, one can't help but think of oneself, like two sides of a mirror.
Kiyono is constantly moving forward, but what about me?
"What will I do in the future?"
The girl's murmur melted into the wind, and the night breeze lifted her uniform skirt like a blooming blue iris.
"Aren't you going to be a star?"
—The atmosphere was instantly killed.
The slightly teasing voice made Yanami roll her eyes, and she clutched the fabric at his waist. "I'm already a star! Everyone is a star to themselves and their loved ones!"
"Yanami suddenly said something so philosophical!?"
Kiyono looked shocked, though the bicycle beneath him remained perfectly steady.
"I seem to have a lot of literary talent! If I dedicated myself to writing, I might even win the next Akutagawa Prize!" Yanami imagined, carried away by her thoughts.