I Am an Emperor in a World of Mixed Anime

No, this is not her problem.

Yukino Yukinoshita found the answer; the question pointed to society, to the world, and even to Yukino Yukinoshita herself.

As a beneficiary of this social environment, she received a good education and lived in a family where she had no worries about food and clothing. However, she believed that Kawasaki Saki was wrong to gain the opportunity to be a good student by selling her body for profit.

That night, Yukino Yukinoshita reflected for a long time.

Saki Kawasaki is not actually at fault. The fault lies with the wages that employees earn, barely enough to support their families, the education system where students have to pay for cram schools to advance their education, and the government that caused all of this.

In the end, Yukino Yukinoshita understood many things, including the fact that she couldn't change anything on her own.

The ideal of changing the world seems so naive in the face of stark reality.

What one perceives as talent is not omnipotent.

If it were the older sister, how would she handle this situation?

Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but think this.

She couldn't think of an answer.

On the other side, Kawasaki Taishi insisted on coming along because he was worried about his sister, but because it was so late, he started to doze off.

At least, don't tarnish the noble image of his sister that he originally held in his heart.

Yukino Yukinoshita handed over the key to the suite she had just opened. "Hachigaya-kun, it's getting late. You should take him to rest. We'll wait for you."

"That…"

"I'll book another room later, and we can rest when we get tired. You can come down and keep watch then."

Hachiman Hikigaya nodded in agreement. In fact, he didn't want to come looking for Saki Kawasaki, nor did he want to know what she was doing.

If he hadn't been forced to join the club by that teacher, he should be at home right now listening to Komachi sweetly say "Goodnight, Onii-chan" before falling asleep peacefully.

Someone should marry her soon, so she won't keep watching you like that.

The group that followed the phone's location tracking did not see any updated location information on Kawasaki Saki's phone after her younger brother fell asleep.

Little did they know, the person they were waiting for had already left.

Walking down the street at night, watching the oddly dressed pedestrians and noisy bars and nightclubs passing by from time to time, Akira Higashino suddenly realized that today was Halloween.

Akira Higashino glanced at Saki Kawasaki, who was following closely behind him with her cat, and thought for a moment.

Are you still sleepy?

Kawasaki Saki shivered from the cold and shook her head.

Seeing this, Higashino Akira opened his coat and pulled her into his arms.

"Then don't rush home, come with me."

With the girl, who looked like a silly penguin, Higashino Akira turned and headed toward the nearest movie theater.

When we arrived, I casually bought two movie tickets and handed them to her.

"I'm going to buy some snacks and drinks. You go find a seat first."

Soon, Akira Higashino finished buying his things, went into the screening room, found Saki Kawasaki, sat down next to her, and put the popcorn bucket in her lap.

As the movie progressed, Saki Kawasaki gradually became immersed in it and relaxed a bit.

The two watched the entire movie in silence, and then Akira Higashino took out his phone.

"Kawasaki."

Still somewhat immersed in the movie, Kawasaki Saki unconsciously uttered a question, "Hmm?"

Was this movie good?

"Didn't you watch it together too?"

I'd like to know your opinion.

"Me?" Saki Kawasaki frowned. "It's alright. The plot isn't very original, but the feeling of romance is strong, and the male and female leads' acting is pretty good."

"Do you feel like you're in love?"

"?"

The girl tilted her head in confusion, looking at him, thinking: Why don't you look at the movie title on the ticket before you say that?

"I mean, I didn't feel any sense of being in love just now."

"so what?"

"So, while there's still a surprise, I want to experience what it's like to be in love."

"There are no post-credits scenes in this movie; I heard it from a friend."

"Yes," Higashino Akira said calmly, looking at her.

Kawasaki Saki blinked. "Really, no, the official footage didn't include it."

"Let's make a bet. If there's a surprise later, you'll kiss me."

Kawasaki Saki nodded in agreement, confident that she would not lose.

Sure enough, no post-credits scene appeared until the end of the movie, after all the credits and acknowledgments had been played.

Kawasaki Saki's lips curled up slightly as she looked at this guy who hadn't believed her since the beginning. "I told you so."

"I lost."

Higashino Akira calmly accepted everything, looking at the girl whose emotions were finally no longer confused, and casually leaned down slightly to gently kiss the girl's pink lips.

Instantly separate.

Click...

As the flash went off, the camera shutter suddenly clicked.

"A bet's a bet, so let me kiss you instead."

Chapter Nineteen: I Might Not Fall in Love with You

Kawasaki Saki was stunned by the sudden attack, her mind went blank, and she blankly reached out and gently pressed her hand to her lips before she could react for a long time.

"Eh...!!!!"

The girl's cheeks flushed bright red, and even her earlobes turned pink. It looked as if her light blue ponytail was about to flutter. If this were a cute anime-style painting, she would probably have turned into a steampunk princess.

"Let's go, the movie's over, what are we waiting for?"

The sound came from the direction of the cinema entrance.

Kawasaki Saki, who had just come to her senses, quickly jogged after him.

Higashino Akira still pulled her under his large, long trench coat, his arm draped over her shoulder, hanging down in front of her, his fist open.

"Here."

"sugar?"

"A Halloween gift for children who don't cause trouble."

"I'm not a child."

Kawasaki Saki blushed and accepted it shyly.

Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "At this time of day, movie theaters only sell drinks and popcorn, right? Where does this candy come from?"

"I came from the little devil who was fighting the magical girl Meruru when I passed by the movie theater entrance."

Kawasaki Saki's eyes widened. "Stolen?"

“I usually call this ‘monster drops’.” Higashino Akira glanced at her. “I used three buckets of large popcorn with different flavors to beat that evil and greedy little rascal, and then got my spoils.”

"Oh, right, and this too."

Akira Higashino took out another candy, this time a toffee, the previous one being a liqueur-filled chocolate.

"This is a reward from the magical girl to me for helping her defeat evil."

"what?"

"This one is for your sisters; you can all have one."

"Sisters?" Kawasaki Saki instinctively thought of her younger sister, then suddenly realized that he didn't know Jinghua at all and was talking about the cat she was holding. For a moment, she found it somewhat amusing.

"Um... never mind."

As she laughed, Kawasaki Saki suddenly spoke, but hesitated before continuing.

The guy who used to just sleep with her one after another suddenly took her to the movies and, contrary to his usual behavior, spoke to her with a frankness that bordered on ruthlessness.

Saki Kawasaki didn't understand what kind of crazy thing he was doing.

I felt like I was woken up in the middle of the night by him saying that his younger brother and classmates were downstairs. My mind went blank and I left the hotel in a daze. Everything after that felt like a dream.

He's nothing like himself.

Feeling her cheeks burning slightly in the cold night wind and her heart pounding joyfully in her chest, she thought about how she had originally decided to treat this as a transaction that was destined to end and that she would never be tempted.

Even I feel like I'm not myself anymore.

It must have been a dream.

Dreams like your younger brother coming to find you in the middle of the night really don't make any sense.

Akira Higashino sent the photo of the two kissing, which he had just taken at the movie theater, to Saki Kawasaki's phone.

"Don't overthink it. As I said, you can treat this relationship as a normal one. As my girlfriend, you can openly and honestly show this relationship to others."

“I won’t deny that. If necessary, I can even help you deal with friends and parents. Apart from not marrying anyone or being devoted to anyone, we are no different from ordinary couples. We do what other couples do, but we have an additional interest-based relationship.”

"Feelings are just fleeting and unstable sensations; stable interests are the foundation for a lasting and stable relationship."

"Emotions always change and fade over time. They are just a windfall that is occasionally gained. Foolish people treat them as a regular salary. So, after not getting enough of the expected return, too many people end up with broken relationships and parting ways in their later years. I don't like that."

"The relationship in the movie is beautiful. The male and female protagonists broke up and got back together several times, but in the end they overcame the difficulties and came together. But what the movie didn't show, in reality, how long can such a marriage, which is full of ups and downs and barely made, last? And how many people like this can truly stay together for a lifetime?"

“We are different. Our relationship is based on a visible, stable, and quantifiable economic foundation. It starts with my appreciation for you. Occasional feelings of attraction are just icing on the cake in life. Even if they don’t happen at all, it doesn’t affect the minimum value guarantee I provide for you. You can even take out an additional insurance policy to prevent me from abandoning you one day and cutting off this basic value supply. I’m waiting for the day you’re willing to be a mother. Compared to other people’s fragile and sensitive relationships, barring any unforeseen circumstances, our relationship will last a lifetime.”

Kawasaki Saki stared at the image on her phone screen of herself frozen in shock when she was suddenly kissed in the movie theater. She pursed her lips, as if she could still faintly smell the popcorn aroma on them.

"Your emotional world is too pessimistic."