In music anime, band girls won't be alone.

"Xiangzi?"

He sat up from the sofa and looked at the girl.

"Are you okay?"

Shoko Toyokawa snapped out of her reverie, shook her head, and looked at him with a hint of apology in her eyes.

"Sorry, Ze, did I disturb you?"

Shirakawa said it was alright, got up and turned on the living room light, then poured a glass of water and handed it to the other person.

"Have some water first, your lips are dry."

Toyokawa Shoko took the water glass and thanked him.

Shirakawa sat back down on the sofa and looked up at the other person.

"Xiangzi, if there's anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask."

Volume 7: Bonus Chapter (July 3rd)

First of all, I would like to thank all the readers who have supported me along the way.

As a new author with a new book, I'm able to persevere thanks to everyone's support and encouragement.

Then apologize.

Since my skill level is indeed limited, please forgive me if there is anything that you find unsatisfactory.

I've been reading all the comments and feedback in the comments section and online posts, and I'm trying my best to correct my mistakes.

……

[Reason for offering a bounty]:

In mid-June, due to insomnia caused by prolonged mental stress, my physical condition deteriorated, so I reduced my daily updates and took a break.

By the end of June, my body had almost fully recovered, but my spirits had waned considerably.

Because I'm someone who pays special attention to feedback from my readers, I felt quite disappointed when I saw that the data wasn't improving, and I couldn't muster the energy to write.

However, I also want to continue writing this book properly, because there are still many stories I want to tell.

So I decided to offer this bonus reward to give myself more motivation.

[Bounty Rules (Time Limit, No Limit)]:

1. (Basic Updates): The daily basic update consists of three chapters of 2000 words each, totaling 6000 words.

2. (Bonus Chapter Rules): For every additional 5000 cat cookies or 50 razor blades donated, an additional 2000-word chapter will be added.

The current donation amount is [36796], and the number of razor blades is [213].

3.（幻想时刻）：如果有箱子的话，白银宝箱加更11章2000字的，黄金宝箱加更35章2000字的。

4.{时间限制}：本次悬赏仅统计一周内的数据，从2024年7月3日截止到2024年7月9日24点。

I will release a separate chapter in the early morning of July 10th to announce the [statistical results] and [the number of bonus chapters].

5. (Bonus Chapter Promise): If the final number of bonus chapters is within 50, I will complete the bonus chapter reward within one month; if it is between 50 and 100 chapters, I will complete the bonus chapter reward within two months.

There's a group chat pinned at the top of the comments section; feel free to join and urge me to update!

Finally, thank you again to all the experts for your support and encouragement!

Volume 1: Chapter 138 Xiangzi felt like he had been seen naked

Toyokawa Shoko sat down on the sofa opposite Shirakawa Sawa, took a sip of water, placed the glass on the table, and slowly began to speak.

"Ze, thank you for your concern."

"But I don't know how to tell you."

"However, there is something I do need your help with..."

She looked up at the boy in front of her, a hint of embarrassment on her face, but her eyes showed even more determination after making up her mind.

"Could you lend me some money? I want to rent a place to live by myself."

Hearing this, Shirakawa Ze roughly guessed that the other party must have had a serious conflict with his father.

Based on her family situation, it's highly likely that her father did something to hurt her again, causing her to want to move out.

If the other party chooses to increase their own financial burden and even asks to borrow money from you, then the situation has likely reached a point where it is difficult to reconcile.

It will be difficult to reconcile them, at least in the short term.

A thought flashed through Shirakawa's mind, and then he spoke.

"If you'd like to live alone, I have a recommendation."

“My landlady lives in the two-story house across the street. She is an elderly woman who lives alone. Her husband passed away many years ago, and her children have all settled elsewhere.”

"When I paid the rent this month, she told me that if I felt too much financial pressure, I could move to the second floor of her house. The entire second floor is currently vacant."

"She said she didn't need my rent, as long as I took good care of the flowers and plants in her yard every day."

"Because she feels that she is getting older and older and is becoming less and less capable of doing things."

"Unfortunately, I didn't know how to take care of those flowers and plants, so I didn't agree at the time."

"If Xiangzi is willing to go, I can help you contact her."

Hearing that taking care of the flowers and plants would mean no rent, Toyokawa Shoko was indeed tempted.

Previously, in the Moon Forest, there were specialized courses in subjects like cooking, gardening, and housekeeping.

So she can handle most of these things.

She continued the conversation.

"If that's the case, then it's really great."

"I wonder what kind of flowers and plants the landlady keeps at home?"

Shirakawa Ze shook his head.

"I don't know much about this either."

He glanced at the time and then said,

"The landlady goes for a walk in the nearby park every morning. How about I take you to see her before you go to school and let you know more about her?"

Toyokawa Shoko felt a little embarrassed.

"Wouldn't that be a bit of a disturbance to them?"

Shirakawa Ze laughed.

"No, if Grandma saw that it was such a lovely girl like Xiangzi who wanted to live in her house, she would definitely be very happy."

The girl was taken aback, a blush creeping onto her face. She felt the other person was being a bit rude—why was he suddenly praising her out of the blue?

Then her expression turned serious.

"Ze, thank you so much."

Shirakawa Ze smiled and waved his hand.

"it does not matter."

"It was mostly a coincidence. If you were talking about other things, I probably wouldn't be able to help."

Looking at the boy before her, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes revealed a hint of melancholy.

"Ze, to be honest, sometimes I really want to do something for you."

"But now I feel like I can't do anything."

Shirakawa looked calmly at the girl before him and asked,

"Xiangzi, if you had three choices, choosing A would make my life better, choosing B would make my life worse, and choosing C would keep my life as it is."

Which one would you choose?

Toyokawa Shoko replied without hesitation.

"I choose A!"

Shirakawa Sawa laughed.

"If the roles were reversed, I would still choose A."

"You could say we both want the best for each other."

"In other words, we are essentially no different."

"The only difference is that I had the opportunity to make this choice first."

"So Xiangzi doesn't need to feel indebted to me. Your kindness is already the best reward for me."

Hearing these words, Toyokawa Shoko felt as if she were enveloped by a bright and warm light. Her heart was filled with joy and emotion, and her nose tingled with tears.

Shirakawa lay back down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and looked peaceful.

"If Xiangzi has nothing else to say, I'll go back to sleep."

"Could you please turn off the light for me, please?"

Toyokawa Shoko responded and picked up her schoolbag to turn off the light.

Halfway there, she remembered she needed to take a shower, since she had sweated a lot and was feeling a bit uncomfortable.

So she turned to look at the boy on the sofa, her eyes filled with shyness, and spoke.

"Ze... could I use your bathroom to take a shower?"

Shirakawa Sawa did not open his eyes.

"Of course you can. There are new towels, bath towels, and toiletries in the cabinet to the left of the sink. Feel free to take them."

After saying this, he turned his body to the side, with his back to Toyokawa Shoko, to show that he would not peek.