After their confessions were rejected, they regretted it for the rest of their lives.

Back in the office,

A minor incident that happened on my way to work brought me immense frustration.

Kuriju Tsuruo never needed anyone to remind her of her status and her relationship with Xia Weiyu.

I barely slept last night.

She has yet to receive a reply to her message.

A sense of anxiety made Kurimaki Tsuruo look somewhat listless and haggard.

I carefully placed the "apology bento" that I had specially prepared that morning on the desk with the most piles of documents.

That guy always leaves things lying around...

Kurimaki Tsuruo glanced around, her eyes lowered slightly, and finally her gaze settled on Xia Weiyu's desk.

She started tidying up the messy table.

I glanced at the time; usually, that tireless guy would have arrived long ago.

Skipping breakfast

Arrive at work on time.

These are the morning habits that Tsuruo Kurimaki has summarized over the past six months.

Looking at the "Special Concerns" on my phone,

The girl has unknowingly sent countless messages since last night.

If you look at it on Xia Weiyu's phone, the contact with a cat as the profile picture has already reached 99+ red dots.

His carefully prepared confession ended in a terrible way...

"sorry..."

The girl's voice trembled slightly.

He returned to his seat, feeling uneasy.

Use the seat's support to take off your shoes.

Her slender legs, clad in black pantyhose, were pressed together and curled up, her feet resting on the edge of the seat.

She wrapped her arms around her calves, burying her slightly reddened face in her knees.

Because of her stubborn and unreasonable temper, she had made several mistakes, arguing with Xia Weiyu when she was in the wrong.

There was even a time when she didn't reply to messages for a whole week.

Every time, she takes it for granted that the other person will coax her into apologizing in a humble manner.

It was as if Xia Weiyu was the one who truly made a mistake.

Those who are favored are fearless.

When she didn't receive a reply, Tsuruo Kurimaki finally understood.

It turns out that she was so fragile that she couldn't even last one night.

All I could do was whisper words of comfort to myself over and over again.

"It's okay, he's just in a bad mood, there's still a chance..."

"There will be a chance to salvage the situation..."

Just as Tsuruo Kurimaki was feeling down, the sound of the door opening rang out.

"Sorry to bother you."

She looked up at the man who walked in.

The oppressive feeling in my chest, the almost suffocating sensation, vanished instantly.

They didn't even pay much attention to the subtle differences in the other person's face.

Take a deep breath, straighten your posture, and sit up straight as if nothing had happened.

Somewhat hopeful, they wanted to speak.

"Summer End..."

At this time,

Kurimaki Tsuruo suddenly noticed the faint smile on the other person's lips and that relaxed demeanor.

They seemed to ignore her.

It's clearly because of him that I'm so anxious.

A surge of inexplicable anger and dissatisfaction overwhelmed the remaining anxiety and unease.

She shoved her feet into the shoes without even pulling them up at the heels.

Stand up from your seat.

She crossed her arms, looked up, squinted, and tilted her neck slightly.

She withdrew the apology she was about to say, reverting to her previous crisp and indifferent tone.

"You've finally arrived. It's too late. Go back to work. Don't think I'll worry about you because of what happened last night."

And... the bento box on the table is one I mistakenly bought yesterday. It's a shame to throw it away, so I'm giving it to you..."

Before he could finish his attempt to save face, he was interrupted by Xia Weiyu, who was dressed casually and looked somewhat unfamiliar.

"I am his younger brother, Xia Weichan. I have come back to collect my brother's belongings."

"...Huh?"

Kurimaki Tsuruo didn't understand what the other person was saying at first.

"What...did you say?"

She watched the man at his desk, engrossed in tidying up his files, and remained silent for a moment.

Then he slammed his hand on the table, adopting his usual posture as if he were about to start an argument.

He then questioned in a slightly angry voice:

"Are you kidding me, Xia Weiyu?"

"No one would joke about the death of a loved one."

Xia Weichan's attention was focused on collecting inheritance contracts.

Thanks to someone who tidied up this morning, it saved him a lot of trouble.

Kurimaki Tsuruo bent down and hurriedly lifted her shoe heel.

"Da da da".

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the Japanese-style leather shoes she was wearing.

She tossed her chestnut-brown, slightly wavy short hair, gritted her teeth, and her slender, beautiful eyebrows curved inward.

She stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and grabbed Xia Weichan's collar, forcing her to turn her head towards her.

What I saw was not the other party's usual show of weakness.

Instead, she had a more student-like feel than Xia Weiyu, yet also a cold and unfamiliar face.

"Please don't disturb me while I'm packing my belongings, Ms. Tsuruo."

"you..."

Xia Weichan could only see that delicate, aloof face, like an eternal iceberg, in his memory, and it melted instantly.

All that remained was helplessness and panic.

Her light brown eyes betrayed an unconcealable fear, and her soft lower lip was bitten until it turned pale.

The girl trembled uncontrollably and said in an almost pleading tone:

"Please don't do this...? If it's because of last night, I apologize, really, please don't joke like that... I beg you."

"I hope this is a joke."

Xia Weichan suppressed his excess emotions and said indifferently:

"Kurimaki Tsuruo, my elder brother often mentioned you when he was alive."

"What...did he say?"

He said he likes you a lot.

"..."

Xia Weichan looked at the helpless and bewildered look in Kurijuu Tsuruo's eyes and sighed softly.

Using the voice of this life, he voiced the complaints of his previous life:

"Of course, what I heard was just a demanding, immature idol who was too lazy to even express normal emotions, and who was arrogant and childish."

"you!?"

At that moment, the cell phone rang abruptly.

Tsuruo Kurimaki realized it was her phone call.

I glanced quickly at the caller ID, then fell silent again.

The girl then answered the phone with trembling fingers.

Xia Weichan could vaguely make out that it was a phone call from the police station.

"Ms. Tsuruo, hello. Do you have a moment now? We have a few questions for you. Please don't worry, it's just a simple inquiry and won't cause you any trouble..."

"..."

"Feed? Miss Tsuruo, are you listening?"

"Miss Tsuruo."

Xia Weichan gave a slight reminder,

He could see that Kurimaki Tsuruo's lips were trembling as she tried to open them, swallowing hard, as if she was trying her best to make a sound.

Finally, she uttered two words in an extremely hoarse voice.

"Wh...what...?"

"It's about your producer..."

"No..."

Kurimaki Tsuru shook her head helplessly, her hand gripping her phone tightly until her fingertips turned white.

Impossible...

Summer was not yet over...

No, please don't say any more...

Kurimaki Tsuruo had no way of interrupting the other party to state the facts—

"He was found dead at home this morning."

"..."

"I think I don't need to explain any further."

After speaking in a calm tone, Xia Weichan turned around and put the last bit of necessary materials into the file bag.

Last time, I trusted the system's affection too much, and like a clown, I thought Tsuruo Kurimaki liked me...

"Clatter".

The sound of a phone hitting the ground suddenly interrupted Xia Weichan's thoughts.

Turning her head again, she saw Kurimaki Tsuruo, pale-faced, staggering backward a few steps, her waist braced against the table behind her, scattering large pieces of manuscript paper.

Her slender arms tried to support her body weight, but she couldn't, and she slid down the table.

She closed her eyes and took as deep a breath as possible.

Learning from six months ago, before meeting Xia Weiyu, I instinctively blocked out and isolated all unnecessary emotions.

But she can't do it now.

This ability to protect itself has completely deteriorated during these six months of extreme safety.

He looked like a puppet with its strings cut.

Aside from breathing and feeling the stabbing pain in my chest, I couldn't do anything else.

Everything was pricking at Kurimaki Tsuruo's already fragile nerves.

The only pillar of support collapsed in less than two minutes.