Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

She had laughed, cried, and was like a goofy golden retriever, yet also as carefree as a kitten.

He calmly folded the clothes, held them in his hands, straightened up, and said coldly, "Speaking of which, it's time for someone to make their appearance."

"Clap clap clap." The slow, deliberate clapping sounded, and a man slowly walked out from the shadows of the corridor.

This man wasn't particularly tall, probably around 170cm, but in Japan, that's considered above average. However, his presence dominated the corridor, even intimidating Fujimaru Ritsuka.

Ah, it's mainly because of the fashionability of the clothes.

He was dressed in a well-tailored, ascetic-style greyish-white outfit, but the shirt deliberately didn't cover his abdomen, revealing his well-developed six-pack abs and navel. Around his waist was a pure black leather belt with a yellow buckle, accented by a splash of bright purple. Hmm, it looked like the edge of underwear.

His hair was a deep green, almost black, combed back and held in place with a serrated green headband. He also wore flamboyant earrings on both ears.

Imagine that a short, flamboyant man dressed in outlandish clothes walks towards you. How could you not be shocked?

But strangely enough, even with his flamboyant outfit, he appeared as upright and dignified as a certain predecessor who wore his underwear on the outside, without being sleazy at all. On the contrary, those with impure thoughts felt ashamed in his presence.

This does not include Fujimaru Ritsuka.

He sneered, "Oh, isn't this Big Brother Hua? It's been years, you've gotten so flamboyant!"

The man stumbled, almost losing his balance. His aura, like that of a top male model walking the runway, was instantly shattered.

He glanced at his feet, deeply annoyed—damn Merlin, sure enough, those tiny petals were still seeping out from under his feet...

For the first time, he felt a deep, genuine hatred for that flashy man who loved to make grand entrances.

If it weren't for that guy, and his surprise attack at this opportune moment, while concealing his identity, even the savior in the heart of the mentor who single-handedly nurtured the ever-victorious king would have been thrown into a panic.

What a blunder! I thought I could completely control Merlin's power; I should have used the broadcast instead.

Once again, the man suffered a loss because of his complacency... no, a huge loss.

He saw Fujimaru Ritsuka resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought: "Hmm... It seems I've completely figured out the situation..."

You beast, what do you know!

The man barely managed to stop his jaw from freefalling in order to maintain his composure, raising an eyebrow: "Oh ho, what do you know now?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka turned his back, the darkness of the corridor engulfing him completely. He suddenly turned his head:

"Old man from the Northwest, you've been watching me all along, haven't you!"

"Don't bring up that bastard Araki Hitoh meme with me!"

Mr. Rohan Kishibe finally couldn't hold back any longer and broke down. His mysterious demeanor and the sense of superiority he felt from keeping the secret had been largely shattered by the two unexpected attacks from this guy in front of him, so he simply gave up on that act altogether.

Pointing outside, Rohan Kishibe clicked his tongue and said, "So, are you going to go outside to talk, or are you going to stand in the aisle with this women's clothing, waiting for the next group of spectators to come in and watch us?"

"I don't care!"

"I do care... Hurry up, don't you want to know?" Rohan Kishibe rolled his eyes, and the two finally walked out.

Although Fujimaru Ritsuka was completely obedient to Kishibe Rohan, Kishibe realized that by using his trump card so early, he had actually fallen into a disadvantageous position in this battle.

Hmph, an interesting fellow, but I am Rohan Kishibe! I won't lose... Wait, I don't think I came here to settle things.

Rohan Kishibe pondered for a moment, and naturally saw Fujimaru Ritsuka fearlessly walk up to the cabinet and put the women's clothing into a bag.

Of course, there was also a lot of discussion around me:

"Wow, that's really something. Two men, one woman's outfit, how many tricks can they pull off, hehehe."

"The world is going to the dogs... They actually don't wear them out! How outrageous!"

"They're both pretty handsome, I've got an idea!"

"That guy over there looks a bit like a famous manga artist, Kishibe, doesn't he?"

"Where is where?"

The discussion was getting increasingly ominous, but Rohan Kishibe already had a plan in place.

With a snap of his fingers, a mist-like aura vanished in an instant, yet it cast a thin veil over the minds of the onlookers. They began to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to certain facts.

Oh, but I clearly saw the fact that a handsome, dark-haired man calmly folded women's clothing into a bag with the logo of a girls' clothing store.

But he never cared who Fujimaru Ritsuka was.

He leisurely packed up the bags, picked up a few bags, and walked to Rohan's side on the shore. Only then did Rohan calmly ask, "Where are you going?"

Rohan Kishibe raised his hand to stop him: "Wait a minute!"

After saying that, he took out his sketchbook and began recording the scene with the speed of a Platinum Star.

"Tsk, as expected of Rohan Kishibe, who's almost obsessive about finding the most authentic material," Fujimaru Ritsuka remarked meaningfully.

"Don't mistake the me that Araki Tohiko created for the real me." Rohan Kishibe was engrossed in his drawing, but he still managed to make a sarcastic remark about his friend.

Yes, anyone familiar with manga has seen Araki's interviews. He casually stated that many of the characters in his manga were based on his friends, even retaining the same names. Then, he swiftly and decisively killed off a whole bunch of characters bearing his friends' names.

No wonder Rohan Kishibe harbors deep resentment towards his friend Hirohiko Araki—most importantly, because they were drugged by Araki and forced to sign an unequal treaty, they were denied even the right to their image! The old monster even encouraged Rohan Kishibe to film a live-action television series.

[Shao-cho profanity]!

Fujimaru Ritsuka also knew about this anecdote, and looked at him with sympathy, unable to help but sigh: Araki-sensei, you... did a good job!

This guy, he's like Merlin all day long, always stirring up trouble, stirring up trouble, and stirring up trouble again.

His open and undisguised handling of women's clothing wasn't because he was shameless enough to want to be a social suicide hero.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's that there's no need to be.

Besides, it's only the first half of 2017. TikTok hasn't even become popular in Japan yet. At most, people will use the anonymous version. The Japanese, who are so out of touch with the internet age, won't let themselves become famous! So what's there to be afraid of?

perhaps.

But he deliberately slowed down, even attracting the attention of those around him, making everyone notice this teacher, Rohan Kishibe, who is quite popular with the public.

What was the purpose? It was, of course, a test and confirmation. Of course, Fujimaru Ritsuka knew that Kishibe Rohan knew why he was doing this, but neither of them cared.

Or perhaps, both of them are engaging in a second layer of strategic maneuvering: I know you want to know, and you know I know you want to know. So I've let you know, and you should now know another fact—I'm an ally! Probably...

After patiently waiting for him to finish collecting materials, Fujimaru Ritsuka, having done a good deed, led the two of them around the onlookers and finally found a coffee shop that was still open at 10 p.m.

"Have a seat, and have something to drink. I recommend..." Rohan Kishibe said casually, ignoring the owner who was about to greet him, "The owner's blended coffee. He's quite confident in his blended coffee."

The boss, with his thick black hair, mustache, and squinty eyes, looked like he had swallowed a bug, and could barely catch his breath before finally saying helplessly, "Indeed, Mr. Anbian is right."

"Oh, then I'll have a drink."

"I'll have my usual Irish whiskey and coffee."

"You still like drinking this kind of thing so late at night. Caffeine with strong liquor is too stimulating. It's not good for your health." The owner sighed, but obediently went to prepare the drinks.

"Stop nagging!" Rohan Kishibe joked with his boss without restraint, as if he were at home.

He was absolutely ecstatic, basking in the home-field advantage!

Oh no, why am I getting so serious? Putting this pressure on a kid born in the 00s is beneath the dignity of an adult, but I have no choice. I've just started working on it. My talent is something even I have to be afraid of.

Rohan Kishibe raised an eyebrow at Ritsuka Fujimaru, a hint of smugness in his eyes: "Well, you may seem calm on the surface, but you're just silent. You must have felt my pressure!"

The coffee was served shortly afterward. The owner hesitated, wanting to offer his usual explanation, but was waved away by Rohan Kishibe. He proudly picked up his Irish coffee, savoring the distinctive aroma of whiskey blending with the richness of the coffee, the intense bitterness balanced by the cream, making it exceptionally fragrant.

Mmm, coffee after a victory is so good...

“Mr. Kishibe, let’s talk about how you spied on me… Lisa-senpai really enjoys collecting these special techniques.” Fujimaru Ritsuka rested her chin on her hands, the dim lighting casting a thick shadow over the lower half of her face.

This guy did it on purpose, he just chose this moment!

A mouthful of coffee got stuck in his throat, but Rohan Kishibe calmly suppressed the organ that had temporarily rebelled upon hearing the name and swallowed the liquid.

I refused!

He gave a disdainful smile: "Oh, how have you been lately, Sister Lisa? Have you been eating, drinking, and sleeping well?" One should follow one's heart; it's not shameful to be filial to one's elders.

Well... he was a lone traveler on the shore, his closest friend was a short guy, he was most grateful to his neighbor, he hated but also acknowledged a certain idiot, and he most wanted to murder a certain jerk... but Lisa was an elder he felt he couldn't be enemies with.

Rather, compared to his oceanographer nephew, Cow Dung Head, who wore his invincibility on his sleeve, Lisa Lisa was the overwhelming apex predator in Araki's circle of friends. Everyone secretly guessed that the reason Lisa Lisa appeared so weak in Araki's writing was simply because Araki transferred his fear and awe of her to those ultimate creatures.

In a daze, he was able to understand Merlin's complex feelings for someone... or for certain people. No, it was Merlin. I, Rohan Kishibe, am not that cowardly. It was Merlin who made me feel this way.

Once his resolve was reaffirmed, the dew-covered companions on the shore felt he was ready.

"That's great. After all, she's the boss. With ample funding and plenty of research samples, Lisa is naturally happy." Fujimaru Ritsuka took a sip of her coffee. Hmm, ground coffee does taste better psychologically than instant coffee.

The desolation on the shore had subsided.

He understood once again why Merlin was constantly being dissed in the Grand Mage chat room. Compared to the clairvoyance that can see the past and future, the clairvoyance that can see the present doesn't sound much weaker, right? Wrong. At least in Rohan's eyes, Rohan is a complete waste.

The vast world, vividly before his eyes, all the myriad causes and conditions, he observes with complete ease? Indeed, Merlin's clairvoyant vision, capable of seeing everything in the present, theoretically allows him to see through the world, to perceive all things, and to deduce the past and future from the present—he could even cosplay as Guanyin (Avalokitesvara). But unfortunately, at least not with Rohan Kishibe.

Humanity has its limits—no, not in the way Araki jokes, but in the true limits embodied in Kishibe Rohan. Even with Merlin's Spirit Origin, which even gives him a slight tendency to transcend humanity and become a half-Nightmare, he is still completely incapable of seeing through everything in the world at a glance. Although the arrogant Kishibe Rohan seriously doubts whether Merlin could do it, after all, think about it, if Britain's harvest is poor, why not use a grand magic spell to teleport to the distant East to get some farming tools and composting technology? Oh, Merlin can't do spatial teleportation over such a long distance? There seem to be guardians on that land? Foreign creatures going in might get beaten to death by the people there? Oh well, never mind.

"...So all that talk you've given me is to tell me you're not omnipotent, right?" Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded, looking at Kishibe Rohan's sullen face. "In other words, you didn't even notice that Lisa was with me and that I was her boss. And more importantly, you couldn't even reach Luna's location with your eyes, right?"

What use do you want!

Rohan Kishibe regained some momentum and managed to bring the game back to a more even match, since the other side was now the one needing his help.

Taking a small sip of his drink, letting the spirit and coffee create a wonderful chemical reaction in his mouth, Rohan Kishibe gave him an approving look: "As expected, you saw through Luna's true form."

"Your next sentence is, 'It's just a physical entity formed from a mere illusionary dream!'"

"A mere physical entity formed from a mere illusionary dream, what?!" Rohan Kishibe showed an unhappy expression. "Don't imitate the Qiao family's way of speaking! Which family is really like that? Tsk, it's all over the place, isn't it?"

Rohan Kishibe, suppressing his urge to once again criticize Araki, returned to the main topic with Ritsuka Fujimaru.

Rohan Kishibe claimed that he did not know Luna's true origins, specific race, real location, and other information.

Of course, when he got to this point, Fujimaru Ritsuka hummed in response and gave him a few chilling glances, but she didn't press him further.

The renowned cartoonist calmly adjusted his headband and continued.

As an Awakened One, Rohan Kishibe hadn't actually possessed Merlin's power for very long, only about a year. But this ability was a talent he had always dreamed of. He could obtain all sorts of real materials simply by sitting at home and not leaving the house.

This cartoonist is hopelessly pursuing "realism" in comics! "Realism" is the energy that brings life to a work, and it's the best form of entertainment! Most people think that comics are works that can be created solely through imagination and fantasy, but that's not true! A cartoonist needs to be able to draw what they have seen and heard, to depict experiences and events that have moved them, for their comics to become interesting!

The ability to see things and people that aren't actually in front of him allows him to travel to see and experience things of value firsthand. His dream-destroyer constitution allows him to enter other people's dreams at night, experiencing bizarre and fantastical dreamscapes, adding a dreamlike quality to his writing.

"Of course, dreams, or rather the mental substances unconsciously emitted during human sleep, are truly more delicious than anything the body can perceive. Nightmares are nutritious, and every bite makes the body's cells cheer. Sweet dreams are sweet and fragrant, although they are junk food and do not help with growth, they can bring a sense of happiness. Ordinary dreams are not bad either, like vegetables, they can still help with digestion."

Rohan, with his legs crossed, was talking animatedly about Nightmare Foods, while casually glancing across at Ritsuka Fujimaru, who was stirring her coffee with a spoon with great interest.

Not anxious at all, right? Great.

A faint smile crept onto Rohan's lips.