I, the mastermind behind the scenes at Soubu High, refuse to be caught in a bloodbath.

The previous chapter has been partially revised due to some unreasonable factors. The revisions are concentrated in the last six or seven paragraphs. It is recommended to refresh the chapter and read it again.

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"It was Kasumigaoka Utaha who called, right?"

After hanging up the phone, Kazusa, who was sitting next to her, said indifferently.

"It seems like there's a big problem; I have to go check it out."

Himekoji stood up, preparing to go out.

"I'll go as well."

Kazusa grabbed Himekoji's arm, her expression unusually serious.

"I'm planning to drive there, are you brave enough to ride with me?"

"Hmph, if you dare to drive, what else wouldn't I dare to ride in? Even if..." Kazusa's eyes dimmed slightly, then she shook her head and said, "It's okay, if you're going to leave, then leave quickly. I'm worried that she might have some inconveniences because she's a girl alone."

“Alright,” Himekoji said, pulling Kazusa’s hand as she ran out. She called to the butler, “Quick, arrange a car for me. I need to go out with Kazusa.”

I can no longer write anything with spirit.

Even with that person's help, it was still the same; he couldn't write anything anymore, not even a single line. He couldn't even manage to write a little description of the scenery at the beginning. The content was incredibly stupid, like someone who would add Sprite to beer and insist that it tastes better that way.

So, let's just leave it at that... Let's give up on writing and all that, it's better to just pretend it never happened. What about Kasumi Shiko, what about the genius beauty who sold two million copies? Please, stop! I just wrote down that person's idea in childish language. You're only promoting me like this because I'm a middle school student, right? People are only paying attention to me because of the "genius beauty in middle school" gimmick.

Let it all end... I've given up, I'm no longer myself.

It's so cold... The rain is hitting me so hard, my hands and feet are almost numb. Oh my god, did I ever do something like this? Am I still that obedient child who always listens to my parents? Why is this happening? Why did I post that blog entry back then? And why did I click on that email...? It used to be the happiest time of my life, it was my whole world, but why?

There's no going back.

In the rainy night, dazzling neon lights flashed endlessly in a cycle. Mosquitoes and flies gathered under the streetlights were pounded by raindrops like small boats on a stormy sea. The howling wind blew the towering trees askew, as if a typhoon was approaching when sea lions cried. Tires moving at high speed splashed up sprays of water. On the dark private road, a black Porsche Cayenne sped away like an arrow.

"Could you explain to me in detail what happened?"

Kazusa, sitting in the passenger seat, wasn't wearing a seatbelt. She simply leaned against the window, staring aimlessly out the window, her gaze wandering in the darkness.

"Actually, I also want to know what exactly happened. Shiyu said she encountered some difficulties in her writing, but I didn't expect it to lead to a more serious problem. Today, I was called over by her female editor to conduct a short interview with her. After that, she went to the hotel with the editor. When she called me just now, all I could hear was rain..."

"This is bad. Did you bring a clean towel?"

"More than that, he also brought two large bath towels and threw them in the bag in the back seat."

"I've never seen you care about a girl as much as you do for her."

"Really? Are you overlooking something? But never mind, she and I aren't in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."

"I didn't ask... Besides, who you're with and what kind of relationship you're in has nothing to do with me, I won't care."

"You were furious when you suspected me and Aunt Yaozi before."

"Don't think I won't kick you just because you're driving."

Kazusa turned her head and glared fiercely at Himekoji.

"Uh, sorry, sorry."

Himeko skillfully maneuvered the car at breakneck speed through completely deserted roads, quickly reaching the city. Once inside, he had to slow down, but he still drove very fast. Kazusa remained as calm as ever, the city lights flashing across her serene face. She gripped the hem of her dress tightly with both hands, her lips moving slightly as if she were saying something.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, a beautiful girl who has consistently held the top spot in her grade since the first year of high school. She usually wears black stockings and a headband; her hair is thick and smooth, though not very straight. She has an approachable personality and a large fan base... She's a world apart from someone like me whose grades are so bad I could barely graduate. And yes, who wouldn't want a girl like that..."

"Don't underestimate yourself. Kazusa is Kazusa, and Utaha is Utaha. Everyone is different, and they each have different strengths. Even my grades aren't that great..."

"Don't tell those kinds of lies anymore. Well... I know why you lied, so I'll forgive you for now," Kazusa turned around and tugged at Himekoji's sleeve, pondering, "First in the grade and stuff, you can easily get those rankings if you want to, right? Honestly, Himekoji, sometimes you're incredibly low-key, and other times you're incredibly high-profile. Is this Aunt Daphne's way of teaching you?"

"Since you've found out, there's nothing I can do. But please keep it a secret. Yes, this is how my parents raised me."

"Parents..."

Kazusa crossed her arms and leaned against the car window, her eyes blinking only once in a long while, as if recalling some unforgettable past.

The bright white signboard of the Jefferson WAGO Hotel was already visible to the naked eye. Himekoji did not continue to overtake, but maintained a steady speed and slowly drove towards the lone girl standing in front of the hotel's main entrance. Not knowing if there would be puddles there, Himekoji drove very slowly.

"Do you want to go down?"

"No need, it's fine here. After all, I only brought one umbrella when I rushed out." Kazusa handed Himekoji the folding umbrella before he got off the car, and then grabbed him and said, "If you don't handle this properly, I won't let you off the hook."

"Okay." Ji Xiaolu opened her umbrella, circled the car, and jogged towards Kasumigaoka. She kept her head down, the laptop bag she was carrying hanging down to her knees, the soaked school uniform skirt clinging tightly to her body, water dripping from her hair, and her shirt near her chest was also completely wet, the outline of her underwear clearly visible on the shirt.

After Himekoji held the umbrella over her head, Kasumigaoka, noticing the sudden stop in the rain, slowly raised her head.

It was impossible to tell whether the water on her face was tears or rain.

Ignoring why Himekoji had driven there, Kasumigaoka clutched Himekoji's clothes tightly with one hand, crying out in anguish, "I can't write anymore! I can't write a single line! What should I do... what should I do? I don't know... even following the outline you gave me doesn't work, and what I write is so bad it makes me want to vomit. I... I... I don't want to continue like this."

Author's Note:

P.S.: Remember to vote for this book after you finish reading it!

PS2: It will be available this Friday. I'll be updating like crazy on release day, or I'll be a monster! I hope everyone will give me lots of recommendation votes!

PS3: Due to the revision of the previous chapter, some interludes have been deleted. Please forgive me, as the issue no longer exists after the revision.

Chapter 080 No, [Touma Kazusa] chooses to speak out against it.

"...Shiyu, calm down a bit."

Kasumigaoka's mental state has been a bit off in recent weeks. She was always absent-minded and distracted at work. She had been working on her new book project for several weeks without any progress. She didn't bring her stress and frustration to the student council office, and she didn't complain to Himekoji. Even in the most difficult times, she just called him and told him that she wanted to hear his voice. She always showed him her best side and kept the most painful nights to herself.

"Tell me, I've run out of options, I can't do anything anymore. There's a meet-and-greet tomorrow, and I'm going to tell everyone then that I'm never writing novels again. I'm no longer the author they know. The genius beauty who debuted in middle school is just a dream. It's over, everything is over... No one will read my work anymore, and there's no point in continuing to write!"

Kasumigaoka leaned against Himekoji's chest and wept bitterly; her entire body was terrifyingly cold.

"You are a genius, believe in yourself."

"Why did you start by taking care of my childish blog? Why did you keep contacting me via email for three years without interruption? You knew everything about me. I treated you like my whole world. But why... why..." Kasumigaoka suddenly released Himekoji's clothes, unzipped her laptop bag, pulled out the wine-red laptop, raised it high, and smashed it to the ground with all her might. After a loud crash, the originally small and exquisite laptop was smashed into pieces, and the LCD screen shattered on the ground.

Kasumigaoka was venting hysterically; Himekoji had never seen her like this before.

"This kind of thing should never have continued in the first place!"

After smashing the laptop, Kasumigaoka collapsed as if her soul had been ripped away. Himekoji caught her, and her legs swayed weakly on the ground. Her once beautiful face was now covered with wet hair, making her look haggard and desperate.

"Don't be like this," Ji Xiaolu struggled to support her with one arm, looking intently into his dazed eyes and saying loudly, "You're just going through a rough patch, overwhelmed by pressure from all sides. Believe me, you can do it. You're a true genius. You'll create even more and better novels in the future, and many more caring readers will send you private messages to comfort you, tell you to go to bed early and that your health is important, and tell you we can wait. But you mustn't ruin your health. When you're writing at your peak, they'll joke and tease you that you won't have time to find a boyfriend, and when you're feeling lost, they'll tell you not to give up on yourself..."

"I want that too, I want that too! But I can't write anymore! Novels have lost their soul! Let this kind of life end for me!"

"If you really want to end it, then end it. No one will force you to continue writing. Stop writing now, cut off contact with the editorial department, never see any readers again, never reread any of the novels you have ever written, never worry about any reader's comments again, and never lose sleep over ingenious descriptions again. Just be an ordinary person!"

"But I love this life... I love it... and if I become ordinary, Inspiration will never pay attention to me again. You've already taken over my whole world, and now you want me to give it up? I can't do it... No way..."

She managed to stand up by putting some effort into her legs.

"Then let's start over! Change your pen name, start a new account, change your online library, change your editor, get a new computer. It's time to grow up, Shiyu. You're almost eighteen. You're no longer that girl who secretly wrote blog posts in the third year of junior high. Grow up, start writing your own novel! I'll help you! I'll always be here, have you forgotten? I'll always be here!"

"Has it always been there...has it really always been there?"

"Ah, I told you, it's always been there."

"Inspiration...no, Haruto-kun...I..."

Kasumigaoka forced a satisfied smile, closed her eyes slightly, and slowly tiptoed toward Himekoji.

"Sorry, this won't work."

Himeko gently touched her wet lips with her index finger; they were terribly cold there.

"Isn't that enough? This farce?"

Kazusa lowered the window and said softly to the two people outside with a blank expression.

"Eh—? Touma-kun...?"

Kasumigaoka's eyes widened, and she stumbled back a few steps, looking like she was about to fall again, but luckily Himekoji caught her in time.

"Ji Xiaolu, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get her in the car, or she'll definitely catch a cold!"

After Kazusa finished yelling, she went up into the glass.

Kasumigaoka fell silent, becoming like a puppet as Himekoji pulled her closer to the back door. Just then, a heart-wrenching scream came from the hotel entrance. It was Aki Tomoya, calling out, "Kasumigaoka-senpai!" Himekoji didn't turn around, but Kasumigaoka only glanced at him slightly before being pushed into the car by Himekoji. Aki Tomoya chased after the car. Himekoji closed the car door, went to the front door, folded her umbrella, got in, and started the engine.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai————!!!"

The final scream was so pitiful, while Kasumigaoka herself just stared blankly out the window, saying nothing and not struggling at all. In the rearview mirror, Aki Tomoya, wearing clothes that were already soaked, kept chasing after them, chasing after them. Finally realizing his powerlessness, he fell down and knelt on the sidewalk, panting heavily. His last mouth movements seemed to be calling out "Kasumigaoka-senpai," but Himekoji could no longer hear the sound.

"Given the current situation, it seems there's no other way but to take him back to your home..."

Kazusa crossed her arms and scratched her upper arms in frustration, glancing occasionally at the absent-minded Kasumigaoka through the rearview mirror.

"Ah, yes, I never expected it to turn out like this."

"Did you do the same thing to her as I did? About the novel..."

“I didn’t have time to write the novel back then, I just gave her the outline and let her try to write it. Now that she’s become dependent on me… I’m about to break down.”

"So that's how it is... I thought she was so strong," Kazusa said with a slight smile, teasingly. "Why didn't you let her kiss you just now? It would have been fine too. A beautiful girl with a great figure, good grades, and stunning looks giving you a kiss on a rainy night... it's like something out of a romance novel."

Author's Note:

P.S.: Remember to vote for this book after you finish reading it!

Chapter 081: A Change Has Occurred; [Kasumigaoka Utaha] Plans to Start Anew

"Because I, Himekoji Haruto, am not Kasumigaoka Utaha's boyfriend."

"Wouldn't it turn out like that if you let her kiss him?"

"..."

Himekoji didn't respond to her words, but simply turned her head slightly to meet Kazusa's gaze. After several seconds, Kazusa slowly looked away, murmuring in a voice Himekoji couldn't hear, "Why did I..."

"Oh dear... what happened to this child? She's in such a mess. Reiko, quickly arrange for someone to help her wash up, tidy her up, and find her a warm bathrobe!"

Holding the little duckling, the mother waited anxiously at the main entrance of the house, ready to welcome Himekoji and Kazusa, and said with a worried expression.

"Yes." Reiko, who was serving nearby, and several other maids slowly pulled Kasumigaoka away from Himekoji. She was still in a daze and had no idea what was going on.

"Gentlemen, could one of you tell this sheltered older sister what exactly happened?"

The mother put down the little duck and put her hands on her hips. When she looked at Ji Xiaolu, her eyes became extremely sharp. If it was Ji Xiaolu's fault that caused this girl to become like this, she would not forgive him so easily.

So, Himekoji and Kazusa began to recount their story, with Kazusa repeatedly saying on Himekoji's behalf, "It wasn't his fault." Because of Kazusa's explanation, Himekoji escaped the suspicion of being severely punished by his mother. His mother instructed the servants to serve tea and snacks, and the three of them quietly ate in Himekoji's room.