Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

“Found it,” Totsuka Katsura said. “A cashier at a 7 Days Inn nearby.”

"What about the hourly wage?"

"It's alright, there's a 950."

Elective courses are mostly in the morning, so you can skip them if you have classes in the afternoon.

As long as you pass the final exams in your first and second years, the professors in each course won't care too much.

On his way to the coffee shop by bicycle, Kai Uesugi suddenly spotted a royal blue necklace in the crowd. It looked a lot like the one he had given to Hanabi. Kai Uesugi thought she had returned, so he stopped his bicycle by the roadside and stared at the crowd at the intersection for a long time, but he couldn't find her in the end.

Previously, Uesugi Kai had specifically called Kitagawa Sakakisa and the others to ask where Hanabi was, but they didn't know either. They only knew that Hanabi had taken leave and asked if the two of them had suddenly quarreled.

He looked away and stared blankly at the handlebars of the bicycle.

It's only been less than five days, and I already feel incredibly empty inside.

Will anyone miss her?

She had become so used to his presence that she had grown accustomed to it, and now, after being apart for less than five days, she felt a deep sense of loneliness and longing.

Kai Uesugi looked up at the ever-changing traffic lights across the zebra crossing. As the little figure above turned red and began to walk, he too rode his bicycle and joined the crisscrossing crowd.

Fireworks...where are you?

......

On a bench under a beech tree beside a crossroads.

A girl dressed in black was looking down, her lips pursed as she thought about how Uesugi Kai had been looking around earlier.

"That was close, Hanabi-chan, hehe~ I told you, you shouldn't have come."

"But Hanabi really wants to see Kai-kun..."

The girl lowered her head, her voice soft and melodious, sounding pitiful.

However, although she was speaking, there was no one beside her. From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if she was talking to herself.

"It's only been five days, and you already miss him this much?"

"Actually... you miss Kai-kun a lot, right...?"

"Me? Hmph, I won't miss him. The first day we left, he immediately went to work at a maid café. Hehe, he must have had a very pleasant time with the maids there."

"Kai-kun... Kai-kun will be mindful of his behavior."

"He might be careful, but other women wouldn't be. If you ask me, he shouldn't have gone to work at a maid cafe."

"But Kai-kun has no money... If he has no money, he definitely won't borrow from everyone, so he can only go to work."

"So cute, Hanabi-chan, you're protecting him again."

"No, there were no fireworks... That's the truth..."

"You're just too cute, that's why you get bullied. If you do what I said, and he leaves for a year, he'll definitely miss you terribly. Then, when you unexpectedly appear with a 'wow!', he'll have his heart back, and it will be completely, truly, and wholeheartedly bound to you. He'll only ever love you. Isn't that good?"

"It's been too long..."

"But it's very effective, isn't it? Look, it's only been five days, and he's already starting to space out. He must be thinking about you, Hanabi-chan."

"What if Kai-kun suddenly falls for another girl...? You wouldn't want that to happen, would you..."

“He won’t, I know that, and you know that too, but if, and I mean if, he really falls in love with someone else, it’s better to break it off sooner rather than later, so he doesn’t suffer like I did.”

After saying this, the girl fell silent.

"Are those things... all true?"

"I don't know either, but we both remember. We both know how bad the other Kai-kun is. I am you, and you are me, Hanabi-chan."

"...Hanabi, I still want to go see Kai-kun..."

"I can't refuse you, but you have to be careful not to get caught. We agreed on ten days. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. You can go on a date with Kai-kun then. He'll agree to anything you ask for, anything at all."

"it is good."

Hanabi Hanamaru got off the bench and stood up. As soon as she looked up, she found a young man with green hair, a head taller than her, staring at her with a malicious look.

The other person stood under a beech tree, the shade of which shone on his smiling face; he looked to be in his early twenties.

As Hanabi looked up, the other person seemed to see her face clearly. He subconsciously froze for a few seconds, then his smile widened, and he subconsciously stuck out a little tongue to lick the lower lip with the lip ring.

"Little sister, are you all alone?"

......

Ryotsugu Suzuki was taking the train home from Akihabara, carrying a large bag of boxes.

Inside were figurines. Although I'm not a complete otaku and have a little bit of potential to be a social butterfly, I still have no resistance to exquisite figurines.

The clothes, legs, figure, face, and expression of the anime girl figures are almost all very appealing to him. Otaku may not necessarily be able to buy a lot of figures, but so can otaku who are into "normies" (a term for people who are into a certain lifestyle or social life), because they are also "normies" and having money is part of their characteristics.

Right now, Ryo Suzuki just wants to find a girlfriend. Once he does, he'll have the real title of "real-life otaku".

Well, although he doesn't really care about this title.

However, even if classmates jokingly call you a "real-life person" with a hint of jealousy, it's still pretty good.

When the red light turns green, the little figure above the traffic light begins to walk.

Ryo Suzuki, carrying his figure bag, crossed the zebra crossing and turned right.

He had only walked a few steps when he suddenly stopped, because he saw a very cute girl in black clothes being blocked by a guy who looked like a yakuza.

He was somewhat surprised, because it was indeed rare to see a girl with such a beautiful face, especially on the street.

Ryo Suzuki had a vague feeling that he had seen this girl somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

But none of that matters now.

Because the thug was smiling broadly and kept approaching the girl, who looked quite vulnerable and scared. She tucked her hands to her chest and staggered backward, her back almost hitting the tree trunk behind her.

Although there were a few people on the street, they seemed to have completely ignored the scene, glancing at it before quickening their pace and walking away.

Several women took out their phones, looking anxious, seemingly dialing the police, but none of them offered to help.

So indifferent?

Looking at the indifferent people passing by in a hurry, Suzuki Ryo deeply understood the meaning of the saying "it's better to mind your own business."

Putting everything else aside, even the most cowardly male protagonists in the anime he's watched would step forward and show their heroism at this moment.

------

A street scene in Tokyo at 1:39 p.m.

Cold rain sprinkled across the transparent umbrellas that were being used to walk between the high-rise buildings.

"Welcome to 7 Days Convenience Store."

"Hi, Seunghye, 300 yen."

"Sir, starting in September, you'll be charged for plastic bags. Here's your change: 190 yen. Please keep it safe."

Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to welcoming you again.

After leaving the convenience store, Uesugi Kai, whose chin was now covered in stubble, walked home alone, holding an umbrella.

The whispers of raindrops hitting the umbrella's surface filled my entire body with a chill.

Kai Uesugi didn't react much, letting the chill invade his body as he continued walking through the rain-soaked streets of Tokyo.

He answered the phone, carrying a clear plastic bag containing two cup noodles.

It is the mother.

【Akai, the letter from the University of Tokyo has arrived.】

【Um. 】

[It says on the sign that the entrance ceremony will be held on April 1st!]

That's really lucky.

[Yeah, yeah! I can't believe you actually got in, A-Zhao! This past year must have been tough, right? What do you want to eat tonight?]

Kai Uesugi glanced sideways at the two packs of Nissin Cup Noodles in his plastic bag.

The pattering raindrops continued to fill my ears.

I've already bought some instant noodles.

[Instant noodles? No way! That's unhealthy. When you get home, just wait for me to go grocery shopping; it'll be ready in a minute.]

【Um. 】

Kai Uesugi hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

Unexpectedly, it rang again.

It's Goto.

【Hello.】

[Haha, Uesugi, I passed! I passed!]

【Congratulations.】

Hey, you have no idea how tough it's been for me lately. Every night I wait for the envelope to arrive at home.

【Um. 】

Kai Uesugi, phone in hand, gazed at the passersby under their umbrellas as they brushed past him.

[Hey, Uesugi, are you alright? You don't sound very happy. Could it be that you...]

You've passed; don't worry.

[You passed? Haha, that's great! The University of Tokyo... I can't even dream of it. There's a class reunion on Friday, everyone's coming. Are you coming?]

【never mind.】

Hey, no way! The class reunion wouldn't be complete without you! You're a celebrity at our school! Do you know how many girls have asked me for your phone number?

[It wouldn't be much different without me.]

【How can you say that! Every classmate is important! If you don't come, Tsubokawa and I will drag you here!】