I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"I've created an interesting character, and the second volume will likely revolve around her in the story."

"Let me see... How strange, this time it's not an electronic document."

As she pulled up a chair and took the manuscript, Machida Sonoko couldn't help but glance at her curiously.

Kasumigaoka Utaha shrugged.

"When inspiration strikes, I just pick up a pen and write it down without bothering to type it into the computer."

"Alright. I hope your second volume will be more interesting, otherwise the third volume will be canceled, and I'll get scolded by the editor-in-chief too."

After stating her point frankly, Machida Sonoko crossed her legs, which were covered in black stockings, and began to look through the "character design" that Kasumigaoka Utaha had mentioned.

During this time, Kasumigaoka Utaha made herself a cup of instant coffee, and with her smooth, long legs, which were only covered by athletic shorts, she plopped down on the bed.

She sipped her hot coffee while staring at Machida Sonoko, who seemed lost in thought, with feigned calmness.

After a long while, Machida Sonoko put down the manuscript and looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Hey... Xiao Shi, why did you only make it for yourself? What about mine?"

"Could you please focus on the important points?" Kasumigaoka Utaha rolled her eyes in exasperation and got up to get a cup from the kettle.

"How's the reception? This character design is the result of countless coincidences and a lot of effort and time. I've also thought of the corresponding plot, and it's sure to leave an unforgettable impression on those readers!"

"It's really quite interesting, and the characters are very well-developed." Taking the coffee she had made, Machida Sonoko nodded and gave her conclusion.

"She is a young lady admired by everyone in school, but after school and on holidays she transforms into a street pianist dressed as a man, trying to use her music to heal those who are numb and tired by life."

"Although the 'both literary and martial arts prowess' setting is a bit old-fashioned, the personality of liking children and even being a bit of a lolicon brings a twist that is both funny and absurd."

"And when facing stalkers, her witty yet gentle and playful responses become her greatest strength, making her a perfect character that readers can love."

"If we use her as the core character of the second volume, it might really take off from here."

To be fair, this kind of thing often happens in the light novel industry—character supremacy, buying illustrations and getting free toilet paper, buying an entire series just for a certain character.

Even if the plot itself is lacking, as long as readers can like a certain character, sales are guaranteed.

"But the main characters in 'Love Metronome' are still those two, right? Aren't you afraid that by portraying her so well, she'll overshadow the main characters in the end?"

Thinking of this, Machida Sonoko couldn't help but ask with concern.

In any case, she still had to consider the long-time readers who liked the first volume, as well as the overall tone of the story—Machida Sonoko, as both an editor and a reader, didn't want to see her favorite work suddenly change its flavor.

“No.” After licking the coffee stains off her lips, Kasumigaoka Utaha answered calmly, “This character will eventually fall in love with the female protagonist, but the female protagonist only sees her as a good friend and even thinks that she also likes the male protagonist, which creates a bittersweet and complicated relationship.”

"The relationship between the two has already set the tone, and the focus of the story will not shift—a standard triangular relationship, which I am very good at, so you can rest assured."

"..."

Machida Sonoko twitched her lips, calmed her somewhat subtle feelings, and stood up with a helpless expression.

"Fine, write 30,000 words first and let me see. Although I trust your abilities, the second volume is crucial for both of us, so I need to be strict with it."

"Is that alright, Ms. Kasumi?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha half-closed her eyes, casually swinging her fair and firm legs on the edge of the bed, her tone calm and confident:

"Whatever, in the end I'll make you beg me to keep writing, even if you're crying."

"Haha, I hope your confidence will be reflected in your work." Machida Sonoko waved her hand, not letting her see her off, and left the apartment room that Kasumigaoka Utaha had rented for quiet writing.

The room returned to silence. Kasumigaoka Utaha put down her coffee cup, got up and flipped through the stack of manuscripts, then sat back down at her laptop and started moving the mouse.

The screen lit up immediately, and a high-definition video was paused at the last scene. She dragged the progress bar forward a bit.

Then the melodious sound of a piano began, and the boy in the picture danced with his ten fingers, each keystroke like a heartstring being struck.

Accompanied by the sound of the zither, Kasumigaoka Utaha let out a slow sigh.

"I can write, but I always feel like there's something imperfect about it..."

She lazily rested her cheek on one hand, then reached out with her other hand and pinched a piece of paper out of the drawer with two fingers. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the messy but rather pretty handwriting on the paper, and her rosy lips gradually tightened.

"I circled around the area several times, but I never saw him once."

"Forget about his contact information, if only I could know his name..."

His eyes seemed to be searching for stars in the night sky during the day.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at the paper for a long time before collapsing onto the table as if all her strength had left her. Her fair cheeks pressed against the table, and she let out a long sigh like a girl in love.

"That way, I can help my supporting actress come up with a suitable name!"

It's obvious that Kasumigaoka Utaha is a perfectionist.

△

Late at night, at the Yuki residence.

"I'm back~"

Like a thief, Yuki Koichiro sneaked into his house, trying his best not to make any noise and disturb his parents who should be fast asleep.

My father is alright, but my mother is the main one. She would definitely get furious if she knew he was coming home so late and didn't give him a good reason.

Fortunately, his family favors boys over girls. If his sister dared to do what he did, the lights would probably stay on until she came back, and she wouldn't have any personal freedom for the next few months.

He walked upstairs in the dark, and after confirming that his parents' master bedroom was completely dark and there was no movement, Yuki Koichiro quickly slipped into his own room, without turning on the lights, only using the light from his mobile phone to illuminate the room.

Very skilled.

After turning on the desk lamp to broaden his field of vision, he put down his phone and looked around the room.

"I remember putting the virtual reality headset in... huh?"

Koichiro Yuuki was taken aback to find the cardboard box containing the helmet completely empty.

He remembered that his helmet was in the box before he left home.

Because he was also involved in the development of the virtual reality headset, his parents wouldn't take away the headset he was going to use for testing. Even if they did, they would send him a message to let him know.

And a nanny is out of the question, so the only remaining candidate is...

"Asuna? What is she doing with my helmet?"

Koichiro Yuki looked completely bewildered.

Chapter 48 Teaching Tenkuji Yu a lesson on behalf of his brother

The following morning, Yuu Tenkuji received a message from Koichiro Yuuki.

"Sigh, I was going to give you my own helmet, but my sister took it. It'll probably take about a week to get a new one, so I'll bring it to you personally then."

"No need for that, just send it over."

"Don't be like that~ After you deliver the helmet, we can go out for dinner together, okay? I have a lot to talk to you about."

"...Related to animation?"

"Could it be related to my sister?"

"Okay, I got it. By the way, is it possible to buy a second helmet now? I'll pay for it myself; I mainly want to play with my sister."

"Sorry, it's because we're in a bit of a rush to finish the product. The second one will take a week to arrive, but the third one will be a little..."

"That's fine then. Call me whenever you want, and I can chat with you for half an hour at the door. Let's skip the meal."

"Why?! Does Yang Nai-sang forbid you from going out with anyone? That kind of woman has an incredibly strong desire to control, like my father..."

"No, I just don't want to go out to eat alone with a guy."

"..."

Taking advantage of Yuuki Koichiro's silence, which seemed to be a blow to his confidence, Tenkuji Yu ended the conversation abruptly, turned his phone to silent mode, and tossed it aside.

After explaining the matter to Qiong in her room, although she was somewhat disappointed, Qiong was sensible enough not to urge her, since it was a gift from someone else. Instead, she adopted a nonchalant attitude of "it's good to have it, but it doesn't matter if I don't," indicating that she wasn't actually that looking forward to the arrival of the virtual reality headset.

Tenkuji Yu patted her head with satisfaction, then tried to break into Kasugano Sora's room.

"?!!what are you up to!"

Qiong quickly straightened her chest and used her body to block his attack. Her pretty face flushed red as she stared at him with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"I mean what I say, so hand over your browsing history."

Tenkuji Yu tried to get around her, but she pushed her way up to him. To avoid touching anything more unpleasant, Tenkuji Yu had no choice but to back away.

After learning his purpose, the girl's attitude of refusal instantly became firm:

"Don't even think about it, this is a young girl's privacy! Go back right now!"

Yuu Tenkuji pouted: "Tsk, I should have installed a child safety mode on your computer!"

Kasugano Sora gritted her teeth: "I'm fifteen years old already, who's going to treat me like a child! In ancient times, I would have been married off by this age, okay?"

With her hands on her hips, Yuu Tenkuji said confidently, "There wasn't that much messy information in ancient times, so how can you generalize?"

Kasugano Sora sneered and unleashed her ultimate move: "Then when was the first time you downloaded those things that you locked in your cloud drive and wouldn't let anyone see them!"

"..."

Tenkuji Yu fell silent, his aura began to weaken, his attack power decreased, and he stared intently at his sister.

"You really do come into my room and rummage through my computer all the time."

Kasugano Sora guiltily looked away and hummed twice: "...Who told you not to lock the door and not to change your computer password?"

"Thank you for reminding me, I will remember." Tenkuji Yu sighed, turned around nonchalantly, lowered his head slightly, leaving only a weathered figure behind.

"That Sora who only knew how to call out 'Onii-chan, Onii-chan' has now grown up to a size that her brother doesn't recognize..."

"Don't try to change the subject. Yu, when did you first start seeing those things? Tell me honestly!"

"..."

As if he hadn't heard, Tenkuji Yu used Flash and Sprint to return to his room.

The Tenkuji family remains noisy yet peaceful today.

△

The Yuki family.

With her long flaxen hair cascading down to her waist, the seventeen-year-old girl gazed quietly at her reflection in the mirror, seemingly lost in thought, before finally letting out a sigh.