Yakishio Lemon, however, got this information from somewhere and directly introduced him to a well-located apartment—exquisitely decorated and at a preferential price.
Kiyono was still a bit hesitant—but this wasn't giving him a place to live for free; it was just a discount on the rent. Thinking of this, he accepted the blue-haired girl's kind offer, as the place was indeed good.
He and Lemon toured the apartment, paid that night, and moved in.
A spacious fifty-square-meter unit, tastefully decorated, with sunlit windows and brand-new furniture. At this moment, Kiyono, radiating the aura of success, stood before the floor-to-ceiling living-room window, slowly muttering to himself:
"System, do you think this money can be…?"
[Withdrawal: it can all be withdrawn at a certain percentage.]
"System, do you think this book can be…?"
[Replication: it can all be replicated.]
[These are all the results of your hard work! I will never deduct any rewards!]
Kiyono was greatly comforted.
Come to think of it, had the system gotten much easier to talk to lately?
He leisurely admired the night view.
The hands of the clock turned.
Before he knew it, night had fallen deep.
Kiyono walked out onto the balcony. Chirp, chirp-chirp-chirp. The sound of insects inexplicably calmed his mind.
In the dead of night, even Tokyo had fallen into slumber. Lights went out one by one, leaving only the pure, beautiful glow of the moon.
Gazing up at the indigo-blue sky, he truly felt the sense of "the end of a day" and "taking a step forward."
In this special hush, he inadvertently began to ponder.
What should I do next?
Or rather, what kind of person do I want to become?
Ideals, aspirations, the things he wanted to do… these originally had nothing to do with him; his first priority had been survival. When simply living was hard, how could he spare the mind to think further ahead?
But now he no longer had to worry about food and clothing. He had savings, a place to live, an identity, and a foothold in this city.
So he began to think about the ideas sealed in his heart.
His way of living.
Things he desired.
Beliefs.
"I…"
Thoughts flowed and converged into a lake. Ripples spread across his heart's surface, as if a vortex had appeared out of thin air. Countless ideas shattered, collided, and reassembled…
Until finally, the vortex dissipated, and a cold, clear face appeared before him. That person looked down on him with stern eyes.
"I want to become someone who wouldn't feel ashamed even standing next to the true bright moon."
Someone who could face all things with integrity, illuminate the path forward for others, be enthusiastic, gentle, and offer help unconditionally to those in trouble…
At the very least, he had to move in that direction.
"But how far do I have to go to get close to her?" Kiyono thought. It wasn't enough yet. He and Yukino still had a long way to go, to say nothing of repaying her kindness.
Also, the Yanami family needed to be repaid for their favor…
His thoughts, like a mirror wiped clean of dust, gradually grew clear.
"First, I need to go to university… otherwise it would be a joke if it were later revealed I only finished primary school. I don't need a top-tier prestigious school; a degree from Waseda University or similar would be good…"
Education was also an important part of social recognition.
"Then there's literature. Later, I'll see if I can get other rewards."
Kiyono's mind settled.
Ultimately, he still had to become more outstanding, more complete.
Fly higher, fly farther.
The next day, he slept comfortably until almost noon.
Days without waking early to deliver newspapers were truly something to savor.
Kiyono opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of iced soda, and its refreshing bite jolted him awake.
Holding the soda, he pictured himself flinging open curtains and windows like a Japanese anime protagonist, welcoming bright sunshine and a new life. But noticing the shimmering heat outside the window, he quietly put a hand down and kept gulping soda instead.
Just then, his phone chimed.
[Girl Who Doesn't Like Eating: I'm here.]
Kiyono started and reflexively checked the time on his phone.
[Pure Love Warrior: Isn't it still an hour before the agreed time?]
[Girl Who Doesn't Like Eating: That's why I came to find you.]
Kiyono startled again and looked out the window.
Under the clear sky, Yanami stood on the street below, one hand shading her forehead from the sun. Noticing his gaze, the blue-haired girl immediately broke into a sparkling smile and waved both hands.
Today she was dressed refreshingly: a short-sleeved top and denim shorts, her soft, vibrant legs generously basking in the bright sun.
He'd expected the girl to dress more exquisitely—they had agreed to eat at a high-end restaurant today—but this outfit, paired with this scene, felt strangely perfect, like the bright blue sky and fluffy clouds at this moment, like seawater and youth.
Kiyono silently went to open the door for her.
"It's so hot!" the girl complained at once.
"Who told you to come so early?" Kiyono glanced at her.
"Oh… it was on my way anyway."
Yanami replied with a cheerful smile.
Then she stepped in eagerly, eyes wide as she looked around with open curiosity.
This… this was Kiyono's home.
The girl whispered in her heart.
---
An hour later, the two arrived at the most popular, fashionable shopping district nearby.
And Kiyono was pondering a very serious question.
Could this be the legendary… date?
At first, he hadn't thought much of it. His original intention had simply been to treat a friend to a good meal to celebrate getting paid—and to satisfy the girl's longing for a high-end restaurant. But now, the situation seemed a little different from what he'd imagined!
Yanami, however, acted as usual—fond of eating, playful, and smiling; her face was faintly flushed from the heat, brimming with bright energy.
Kiyono occasionally turned to glance at her, but very quickly, he realized this wasn't a date!
—The blue-haired girl dragged him straight into a chain supermarket and began a lightning-fast snack-sweeping battle. By the time Kiyono came to his senses, the cart was nearly overflowing with snack packages.
"It's truly a blessing to be able to buy snacks freely. Thank you to everything around me; thank you to the whole world."
Yanami stopped, pressed her hands over her chest, closed her eyes, and smiled like a devout nun receiving divine revelation.
"No, no… shouldn't you be thanking me? The money for these snacks didn't fall from the sky!"
Kiyono couldn't help retorting. "Also, isn't this a bit much?"
"It's fine. Last night, a deity appeared to me in a dream. She told me: 'Just be yourself,' and 'When you want snacks, go ahead and eat them. It's fine to finish a whole bag at once'… I am no longer the weak person I used to be!"
A holy light already shone from the girl.
"That's just a fantasy from your own dream…"
Kiyono's mouth twitched, and he forcibly took two bags of snacks out of the cart.
The weekend supermarket bustled with people—mostly housewives and mischievous children. In this space full of family warmth, Yanami pushed the cart and said casually:
"Kiyono, you haven't replaced the toilet paper in your new place yet, have you? Go grab two packs."
"Alright." Kiyono took the instruction and casually hauled a jumbo pack from a nearby shelf, dropping it into the cart—clearing out half the space in one go.
"You got the wrong one. This brand is expensive, and its quality isn't as good as others. Get the virgin wood-pulp kind instead." Yanami put it back for him.
"Oh—do you want some?"
"Not for now. My mom bought a lot last time; we still have plenty at home."
A few minutes later—
"Since you've moved, you should replace all sorts of things, right? Toothpaste, cups, towels, shower gel, and so on," Yanami continued, her attention shifting away from snacks.
"I think the ones Lemon bought with coupons were pretty good, and I'm used to them…" Kiyono ventured.
"You absolutely must change them! Otherwise, the God of Literature will punish you!"
"The gods in Japan are really idle… Alright, I'll buy some."
Yanami patiently guided his choices while also fiddling with her phone.
A few minutes later—
"Miss Yanami, what have you been noting on your phone this whole time?" Kiyono asked.
"Just… just checking some information!"
The blue-haired girl flinched like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instinctively locking her screen to keep Kiyono from seeing the model numbers of matching toothbrushes and cups she'd quietly recorded in her memo.
Kiyono said, "Oh." By then, they were nearly done shopping. Yanami finally took two more bags of snacks and set them in the already overflowing cart before heading toward the checkout, her back looking gentle.
"I really did buy too much, didn't I?"
He followed, unable to resist saying it.
"It's okay. We can store them here for now, and I'll come with you to pick them up after dinner." Yanami smiled naturally.
Looking at her clear, fair profile, Kiyono suddenly froze, and a bold idea rose in his mind—could she have deliberately taken so many snacks so she'd have a reason to help him stock his new home?
And the moment the thought appeared, he brushed it off.
That's too high-level. If the old Yanami were that clever, she wouldn't be a "defeated dog."
She was simply drawn to snacks!
The two arrived at a clothing store—or rather, a men's clothing store.
Wait, isn't this backwards? If he were accompanying Yanami on a shopping spree, that would make sense. But a girl accompanying a boy—reluctantly at that—was such an unprecedented, over-the-top development that his head spun.
To this, the girl explained:
"You're a famous writer now, and you'll have to attend all sorts of meetings in the future, right? You definitely need some proper clothes. As the eldest sister of the Yanami family, of course I have to give my younger brother good advice!"
Do you really have to take care of people this much?!
Kiyono stood helplessly in front of the fitting room. Under his gaze, the blue-haired girl took down an old-fashioned black shirt, then walked up to him, beaming as she gave it a shake:
"Ta-da! This one will definitely be super suitable for Kiyono!"