I really don't want to be reborn.

I felt wronged because I liked him, and the anger in my heart felt like a heavy weight.

She couldn't express her feelings, because both what she heard from others and the common sense she learned from books told her that it was ultimately just a false spring.

They are different paths that cannot lead to the same destination.

It was a dream she should have kept under her pillow last autumn.

"I……"

Shi suddenly raised his head.

People who lack both brains and courage will be swept away by the winnowing basket!

Touma noticed a strange light in those lake-like eyes, which swept across him like water plants. Before he could think about it, he heard the handsome girl say something.

"He should like it."

Kyosuke Kousaka does indeed like her.

As for what kind of liking it is, and what kind of liking it is—not only she, but even Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't be completely sure.

The early summer sky was bright and clear, and the pure sunlight fell endlessly on the road, sliding down from the trees and people along the roadside, splashing with a sound like shattered jade.

Touma Kazusa narrowed her slightly elongated eyes and suddenly said, "I don't really understand this feeling of liking someone."

"Ah, I can't either."

The two people stared blankly at the leaves on the roadside tree, as if they were two trees facing each other, each with their own thoughts. The leaves were so green that they gave off a cool feeling, and when the wind swept by, they swayed like human figures.

They went to a restaurant across from the editorial office, a place where many editors and authors often dined.

I waited until 12:30, but Kyosuke Kosaka still hadn't arrived.

"Shall we make a phone call? Or should we eat first?"

Touma has already started ordering.

Sinon looked at the editorial office building, frowned, took out her phone, and asked a strange question: "Where are you?"

"I'm in a meeting, Shino. Is that the restaurant we went to last time?"

"Um……"

Kyosuke Kosaka's usual calm voice came through: "During my break just now, I heard a colleague say that there was a burly man cosplaying as Meruru in front of the restaurant—did you see him?"

"...I saw it, it's disgusting."

Shi Nai was relieved, because there had indeed been a gorilla-like Meruru wandering around the door, attracting a lot of onlookers.

My brother-in-law is indeed in a meeting, so there's no need to tell my sister...

She felt relieved and puffed out her cheeks: "Then Touma and I will eat first."

"Okay, no need to wait for me."

After hanging up the call, Kousaka Kyosuke, who was now in Chiba, had an uncertain expression. He wired the appearance fee to the cosplayer with the peculiar art style and felt relieved.

They must have fooled that little imp, Sinon, right?

Kyosuke composed himself and silently pondered some difficult-to-say words at Reki Kawahara's house.

"When you suddenly came over and said you wanted to keep an eye on things, I thought your girlfriend was cheating on you."

"Huh? To be honest, whether it's material or emotional, Kasumigaoka Utaha has no reason to cheat."

Ms. Kawahara shook her head: "Maybe she just couldn't stand your flirtatious ways, so she cheated on you to spite you."

"...If it's Eriri, I can tolerate it."

Kousaka-sensei's reputation for being a womanizer is quite well-known in Dengeki Bunko—although he himself is actually a virtuous and devoted man to this day.

Well, so far.

Kawahara Reki was busy creating and didn't have time to get involved in these young people's conversations. He just reminded them, "Recently, there has indeed been a girl I don't know who has been frequently visiting the Kasumigaoka residence. Is that the Eriri you mentioned?"

"……perhaps."

Around 2 a.m., he finally caught a glimpse of long hair through the glass window next door.

It's not black, and it's not gold.

It was the light brown hair color he knew all too well.

Just then, his girlfriend's phone rang. Her voice was strangely languid, as if she had just woken up from a nap: "Why didn't you answer the phone?"

Kyosuke Kosaka was taken aback, then realized she was asking why he hadn't answered the landline—she usually called the landline in Shinjuku so she could talk to him and chat with her sister.

This is a good habit for saving on phone bills!

Kyosuke Kosaka was startled by her good habit and chuckled awkwardly, "I fell asleep on the sofa earlier and didn't have time."

"Fell asleep?"

"Hmm."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's tone turned strange: "You mean, you fell asleep on the sofa?"

Not good!

The ominous feeling of his lie being exposed grew stronger. Kyosuke quickly considered the loopholes in his words and forced a smile: "Um, what's wrong?"

"...No, it's nothing. I just dialed your number immediately after hanging up and didn't hear the other voice on your phone, so it was a bit strange."

Another sound?

"This is the Kousaka residence. Please leave a message if you need anything. Please leave your message after you hear a beep..."

Answering phone, also known as voicemail phone, refers to a recording telephone with automatic answering and voicemail recording functions.

Out of a certain morbid sense of humor, Kousaka set the notification sound to last at least one minute.

So why didn't Kasumigaoka hear the notification tone when he answered the phone?

She was indirectly questioning: Are you really home?

He realized this, and was a little surprised and sighed, but then cheered himself up: "My girlfriend really should switch careers and become a police officer or a detective or something..."

He walked out of the Kawahara residence and stopped in front of the Kasumigaoka house, pressing the doorbell: "I just wanted to give you a surprise. Do you think it's a surprise?"

…………

"Auntie isn't here?"

"Yeah, they've gone out to play mahjong..."

Inside the kitchen, she was busy preparing lunch for her boyfriend who had suddenly rushed back to Chiba, softly complaining, "Hmm, is this barely enough?"

"There are still a few potatoes left, I'll peel them all, and those two carrots—have you used these carrots?"

Kasumigaoka picked up a radish and hit him on the head.

"Then I'll trouble you. I don't have the patience to cut them all into such small and round shapes."

After peeling a potato with a peeler, I decisively handed it all to him and then stood back in front of the gas stove.

After starting the fire, Kasumigaoka Utaha, in her "good wife and loving mother" mode, crossed her arms and pouted, "Thinking about it this way, cooking is really boring."

If she didn't want to be a good girlfriend, she probably wouldn't have bothered to learn cooking skills, right?

Feeling inexplicably ashamed, Kousaka Kyosuke comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll try my best to cook for you from now on. Besides, I can make all the dishes you like."

"Really? I like more than just what you know."

"At worst, I can just go back to learning it."

When talking to her, Kyosuke Kosaka often couldn't find anything to say to her. He just felt as if he were being bathed in clear tea, as if he were on a white sand beach under the moonlight.

He just wanted to be close to her, and often even words felt superfluous. The feeling of holding hands and stroking each other as they walked along the post road was the only thing they could do.

But then it got dark.

No, it should be said that it's especially at night.

What do you do tonight?

When young couples do things they enjoy, their brains become like two watermelon rinds; reason and rationality slip away as soon as they step on them.

As the saying goes, "Blow out the reading lamp, and you'll be bathed in moonlight."

After watching him finish his meal, Kasumigaoka Utaha received a call from her younger sister, who reported that her brother-in-law had lied and disappeared from her surveillance range.

"Ah, he's with me, um..."

After comforting her younger sister, Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyebrows drooped like the hour and minute hands of an 8:20 clock, and she asked helplessly, "So what exactly did you suddenly come back for today?"

"Couldn't it be just to see you?"

Kyosuke Kosaka said in surprise, "You should know that I am also a normal man. When I am in love, I want to be by my girlfriend's side all the time. This does not seem abnormal."

She didn't believe it.

She already knew his reasons, and was even more curious about his choice: "Isn't it unusual? Love has always been like this—"

Her wine-red eyes slowly became moist, and she sat on him without him even realizing it: "Mom won't be back until six o'clock."

Then they made love in her bedroom.

These two despicable individuals are enjoying physical pleasure, but they're also indulging in something else—Kirino, will you show up? Do you dare to show up? In the end, how far can you actually go?

They were probably even more excited and unrestrained because they knew Kirino was outside, and the excitement they felt was far greater than if they were doing it in their sister's room.

The groans began with a monotonous, guitar-like refrain, gradually rising in pitch, becoming richer in timbre, and increasingly intense in rhythm.

Outside the bedroom door.

Listening to the constant murmurs and panting coming from inside, she covered her mouth and slowly slid down against the wall.

All the cries turned into even more torrential tears, a silent, desperate outburst.

From beginning to end, she lacked a bit of courage.

Takasaka Kirino.

Chapter Fifty: The ice melts in the sixth nine-day period, and the swallows arrive in the seventh nine-day period.

The time was one month ago, in the afternoon.