I really don't want to be reborn.

Kyosuke understands very well that there is no end to the science of interpersonal relationships. In human society, everyone is like someone who is slowly grinding in a millstone every day. If they are not crushed to pieces under the enormous pressure, they will inevitably become what people call slick.

Calling him a smooth talker isn't entirely wrong.

He skillfully said nice things, hoping that the minister would give him lunch again today, even if it was just handouts.

The girl was so amused that she couldn't calm down, so she buried her head and ate her food with relish, occasionally raising her head to say, "This and that were made by me today."

The implication is that they're asking, "How's the taste? It's alright, isn't it?"

How could he answer? Of course, he said yes, and that the taste was really good. To put it simply, the rice and dishes were full of the flavor of Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Really? How's your sister's cooking?"

"..."

Men always want women to answer questions they don't know the answers to.

Women also often ask men questions they don't want to answer.

Kyosuke Kosaka buried his head in his food, deliberately making a slurping sound as he ate. This was the best answer. Utaha was satisfied and felt that the food tasted exceptionally good today.

…………

"Is it a joke? I personally don't quite understand it."

She bluntly expressed her dislike: "It's too verbose. If the author were really a man, it's hard to imagine how the people around him could put up with a chatterbox."

Yesterday, she sat by his bedside and skimmed through a bit of the "Joker Series": "I don't quite understand the ending of this series. To be precise, it's inexplicable. It's the classic ending where the bad guys are killed. The gun is fired and west Dongtian dies for no reason. What kind of ending is that?"

(Note: The last volume of the "Joker Series" was actually released in the winter of 05, but I'm mentioning it earlier here.)

"Then, the strangest thing is that Aikawa Jun actually said that west Dongtian is not dead yet. He has clearly become a corpse. He can't possibly be resurrected as a zombie in the end, can he?"

Ignoring her rambling, Kyosuke Kosaka has his own understanding of Nisio Isin's masterpiece. He believes that the story is impeccable in terms of case design, criminal psychology, and world-building.

Of course, of course, Nishio's unique, rambling style, like a typewriter, gave Kyosuke a headache—it's one thing if a girl is rambling, but you're a man...

So, is Nisio Isin male or female?

This still seems to be a mystery...

"The first volume, 'The Blue Scholar and the Jest Follower,' is the simplest, but it actually sets the tone for the whole series. The so-called murder case is not the main point; the main point is the fortune teller's predictions for the Jest Players, and... their daily lives."

"daily?"

"It was Jun Aikawa who exposed the daily life of jest players, the fictional surface built through jest, and at the same time brought out the incompatible relationship between the two."

He paused for a moment: "And The Sign of Four to Sherlock Holmes, I think the most important book in the series is actually the fourth book, 'The Logic of Wonderful Things.' After reading it, I wondered if I could have written something like this when I was twenty?"

He squinted: “It’s really amazing… 'The Logic of the Brilliant' is a joke for the sake of reasoning. In this series, you could say that everything is a joke, all of it is a joke, a joke for the sake of a joke.”

A hint of smugness appeared on his pale face, a smile that reflected the reader's accurate grasp of the author's pride and understanding: "Nishio is the ultimate joke player. Do you know about Onmyodo? That seemingly magical thing is just a collection of lies."

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but recall the days when he was studying and exploring the Yin-Yang Dao. In order to break free from his own strange cycle of reincarnation, Kousaka Kyosuke traveled through many mountains and rivers, searching for something that had been lost for a long time in this Eastern country.

The Yin-Yang Dao he encountered was exactly like that—ancient magicians, psychologists, and masters of facial expression analysis—completely unrelated to his purpose.

"Kosaka-kun?"

A slightly worried call pulled him from the depths of his memory. Kyosuke smiled apologetically at her: "That's about it. Nishio loves playing word games."

"A lie?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha pondered for a long time before suddenly asking, "I have a feeling that you, Kousaka-kun, are also shrouded in lies. I'm really curious about your true thoughts."

He was slightly taken aback.

What is the essence of Kyosuke Kousaka?

Well... who knows?

The most fundamental essence has actually been worn away through countless cycles of reincarnation, and what remains now is perhaps something woven from lies.

Right? This time, next time, the time after that, and countless times in the future, there probably won't be any genuine products.

He wearily half-closed the window and drew the curtains: "I want to sleep for a while."

The only sound in the quiet room was the soft echo of a girl's voice.

"Ah."

She looked at him with a pang of sympathy; the way he was slumped over the table resembled a wronged child.

------

The chapter title is by Hai Zi, but I'm not entirely satisfied with it.

Thank you Shuoli for the 5,000 reward, and thank you to Invincible Golden Hair Ying Lulu (too much), Yuanyan Zhuwo, Pseudo-Hero Gaochuan, Ruichu Zhiyu Xiu, ID is what, Righteous A, Ten Gods Baiyan, Tu, No Haruhisa Haruhi, Kiritani Kazuto (Blood Alliance), Gu Yuankan (See, I mentioned you), Breeze, Manchester United, Time Fades, Xiye, Suxin, Good Teacher of the People, Light and Shadow Intertwined, European Admiral, and nakayama for the rewards and blades.

I won't write down the monthly pass details; there are too many people to list them all.

Chapter 8: I Want to Get a Cat When I Live Alone

"Sick again? Did you take all the illnesses in the house with you?"

He was preparing dinner when he received Kirino's call.

When you're sick, you should generally eat a lighter diet.

The window happened to open to the east.

If it faces west, the steaming white vapor rising from the pot at this moment, cooking porridge in the bright red sunset, looks just like a freshly cracked egg slowly sinking into the pot.

Across the long radio waves, he pictured his sister saying those words. Perhaps she had just come home, curled up on the bed, listlessly squinting her eyes, clicking the mouse idly.

Suddenly, Kyosuke realized that he seemed to know his sister quite well, and he knew almost everything she did at home—that was the fun, wasn't it? In a peaceful and dull life, this was an indispensable pleasure.

Kyosuke laughed as if he were talking to a pet returning home, the laugh was short and sharp, and then he asked, "Have you eaten?"

"not yet……"

Kirino fell silent, her silence was rather strange.

"what happened?"

Are you alone right now?

"..."

Kyosuke Kosaka silently turned off the stove, his smile slowly freezing in the steam: "Why do you ask that? Do you think I'd go to someone else's house for a free meal?"

"...I just asked casually."

He suddenly realized, "Speaking of which, there's a wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop nearby called Houmura. Maybe we could go there for a free meal or something. And coincidentally, the family there also shares the surname Kousaka."

Kirino gave a perfunctory "oh".

"...They have two lovely daughters, the older one, Guoguo, is about your age."

"Uh-huh?"

Kirino immediately lost her composure: "It's not right to just go to someone else's house to eat, even if it's just someone with the same surname. And how can you be so shameless?"

"I'm very sorry, you old idiot, you have an incredibly thick skin."

"That won't do! You might not feel ashamed, but I do!"

Kirino exclaimed, her hesitant thoughts instantly settling down: "Um...you're very sick, aren't you? You still have to write manuscripts and stuff, I think..."

Kyosuke's smile continued: "What do you want to do?"

"...Hmph, just ignore it!"

Kirino hung up the phone in a very angry tone. It was unclear who she had argued with; she had called to check on him, but ended up making herself very unhappy.

Kyosuke waited for two minutes, and sure enough, his sister called again two minutes later.

He shook his head: "I'm not angry, you go eat first."

"..."

Okay, finally some peace and quiet!

After he had prepared dinner, his sister sent another email, which basically said that she didn't know what to do that night if he wasn't home, and that playing games was boring.

Of course, Kirino's words were much more arrogant than this. He was already used to seeing through arrogance to the essence. After finishing his porridge, Kyosuke stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the darkness that was gradually sinking.

It turns out that she was lonely. She never expected that her brother would be so important to her.

but.

Brother complex needs to be addressed eventually.

…………

The next day, he didn't get up until around nine o'clock. While brushing his teeth, he looked at himself in the mirror. His pale face gradually turned rosy. He didn't know if he was getting better or dying.

Kyosuke was actually very concerned about his health, but not worried about it—after all, he wouldn't die.

A light stubble had sprouted around his lips; if it had grown a little longer, it would have given him a kind of rugged yet refined beauty. His hair, on the other hand, was neatly trimmed and looked clean enough to go out in public.

He's going to submit a manuscript to a magazine.

Quite by chance, I ran into editor Mari Kazaoka as soon as I got off the train—her friend was also a woman, but not as radiant as the editor herself.

"Misaki, be careful on the road, watch out for perverts."

"Yay ya lei~"

"I told you not to drive yourself..."

Well, Kazaoka Mari is indeed an absolute beauty. She was wearing a light gray coat with black high-heeled over-the-knee boots underneath. When the two met, Kyosuke noticed that this woman was actually a little taller than him.

"Oh, I never expected you to be so punctual—I thought you'd drag it out until the afternoon."

The editor is giving a fake smile.

"Oh."

He gave a sincere smile and nodded very politely: "I am a little more refined than others, and I don't have any friends who want to give me a ride."

"..."

"Editor, please don't misunderstand, I wasn't being sarcastic."

Editor Kazaoka's smile gradually faded, then his eyes widened suddenly: "You seemed to recognize me at a glance just now. I remember we only met for a minute, and the rest of the time we communicated by phone."