How to raise a random guy's wife

"Okay, senior."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's high-heeled feet moved silently and landed on Kobayashi Sora's feet—stepping on them.

"I'll give you a chance to reconsider." Kasumigaoka Utaha managed a smile even as she kicked him.

"Hmm..." The air fell silent instantly. Kobayashi Sora asked with concern, "Does TAKI know you're so violent?"

A cold glint flashed in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes. She hadn't used much force to begin with, but upon hearing this, she lifted her small foot slightly, intending to increase her strength.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kobayashi Sora pulled her foot back, causing Kasumigaoka Utaha to lose her footing and nearly fall.

Machida Sonoko, who had been observing, immediately rushed in and nervously shielded Kasumigaoka Utaha behind her.

"It seems the agreement has been reached." Kobayashi Sora patted the shoe print on her shoe.

“You…” Machida Sonoko saw the shoe print and realized what Kasumigaoka Utaha had just done. “Are you alright?”

"I'll get used to it gradually, as long as you can create excellent content, senior." Kobayashi Sora suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, thank you for Yuanzi's help."

"What?" Machida Sonoko didn't react for a moment.

"If you hadn't told her so much about me to protect her and put her on her guard, she wouldn't have listened to me ramble on so much just to stand up for you." Kobayashi Sora blinked. "Please take care of me in the future, Deputy Editor-in-Chief."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes flickered, and she declared with a fierce but weak voice, "This is just the beginning!"

Such a threat would be more intimidating if it were delivered after she stepped out from behind Machida Sonoko.

"Don't worry," Kobayashi Sora replied with a smile, "This won't interfere with my normal work."

Machida Sonoko vaguely guessed something, "You...you wouldn't happen to be someone with a special hobby, would you? You like being bullied by pretty women."

Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly realized that some people just like to be treated roughly; the rougher they are, the happier they are.

The more beautiful the perpetrator, the better.

"No matter how beautiful the appearance, it will disappear one day." Kobayashi Sora made an OK sign. "In the end, what's left is money, money."

It turns out he wasn't making an OK sign, but rather gesturing the shape of a coin!

"Would you do anything for money?" Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at Kobayashi Sora. "What if I make you kneel down now?"

“Although this kind of behavior is common in the workplace, I am different from others. For me, doing a dogeza (a deep bowing gesture) is a loss of dignity,” Kobayashi Sora said seriously. “I need to pay more.”

"This guy's hopeless," Kasumigaoka Utaha clicked her tongue.

"Well then, the next step is to complete the onboarding procedures," Kobayashi Sora tugged at her wet collar. "Yuanzi-nee, we should have work clothes, right?"

Second, done.

The remaining one is the most difficult one.

-

"Good morning, Uncle Yamaguchi!" Aki Tomoya greeted his familiar neighbor as he pedaled his bicycle.

"Oh! This time it's newspaper delivery? Tomoya's still as diligent as ever."

"Because the Blu-ray of 'Imperial Kingdom Gorynn' is going to be released next month! Only the first edition comes with a Nendoroid, so I have to work really hard!"

"...You still speak those jargon and technical terms so naturally, I don't understand a single word of them."

"I'll come back to preach next time, remember to bring your media player, goodbye!"

After exchanging brief greetings with acquaintances living nearby, Aki Tomoya stepped on the pedal in one go.

As he rode his bike and turned left along the road, his view suddenly opened up, and a steep slope appeared before him.

Going downhill feels like heading to an oasis, while going uphill feels like traversing a desert. The terrifying 300-meter-long slope is known as Detective Slope.

As they entered the ramp, a strong wind pushed Aki Tomoya and his bicycle from behind, carrying cherry blossom petals that fluttered down.

At times like these, you have to go full speed down the slope and experience the collision of speed and youth.

Aki Tomoya took a deep breath, preparing to accelerate his dive...

"Long time no see." A voice suddenly rang out, "Rinya."

That deep, slightly hoarse voice—Aki Tomoya turned his head sharply and saw Kobayashi Sora by the roadside.

Wearing casual trousers and a fitted shirt, all in black, Kobayashi Sora looks more like a male escort working in a brothel than a high school student.

Aki Tomoya's face turned cold, and he immediately prepared to leave on his bicycle.

He met Kobayashi Sora during the spring of his first year of junior high school.

On the day before they met in the same classroom, Aki Tomoya, who was also an otaku, sensed a connection with Kobayashi Sora and they became sworn brothers after only chatting for a few tens of minutes on their way home that day.

After a year, Aki Tomoya, having realized Kobayashi Sora's true nature, began to keep his distance from him.

This guy participates in fan activities not to enjoy or promote his favorite works, but simply to use popular works to enhance his own status.

While his treatment of his work wasn't exactly devoid of love, he was ruthless when it came to using it to make money or gather crowds.

He values ​​the work's worth more than its intrinsic value, namely, the money it can generate.

Otaku will spend money on love, but this bastard is wearing the guise of an otaku and using other people's love to make his own money.

Realizing this, Aki Tomoya decisively broke off their friendship.

Later, Kobayashi Sora moved to Nagoya because of her family's work, and the next time they met is now.

Reaching out and grabbing the handlebars, Kobayashi Sora's thin lips curled into a smile. "After so long apart, there's no need to be so heartless, is there?"

"Let go." Aki Tomoya pushed up his glasses and replied in a harsh voice, "Why come back if you're not enjoying yourself in Nagoya?"

"For you," Kobayashi Sora said sincerely, "I want to start a game development club, and I need your passion and love for the game. I want you to be the director, and any game you love will definitely..."

"It'll definitely make money, right?" Aki Tomoya gripped the handlebars tightly. "That's why I hate you, Kobayashi Sora. What do you take an otaku's love for excellent works for? A tool to make money?"

“No,” Kobayashi Sora corrected, “it’s a tool for making big money.”

"I won't help you!" Aki Tomoya declared righteously, "Let go!"

Kobayashi Sora challenged him, saying, "My negotiation skills and intelligence capabilities, combined with your enthusiasm and drive, will surely lead to success."

Chapter 8 I Need You

Aki Tomoya stomped on the pedal hard, saying, "As consumers, we should simply love the work; we shouldn't become production members at all!"

"Don't you want to make the best game?" Kobayashi Sora gripped the bicycle handlebars tightly. "Use your abilities to make the work even more perfect?"

"Fans should be reserved and restrained!" Aki Tomoya said, his words quickening. "Even if you send a letter, you shouldn't expect a response; even if you become a regular at events or concerts, you shouldn't casually strike up a conversation with them; even if they speak to you kindly, you absolutely shouldn't presume to be romantic. Sending expensive gifts is inappropriate, and trying to become friends or even develop a deeper relationship is utterly foolish. Normally, just quietly support their work, feel satisfied when you buy it, and be even more fortunate when you receive a bonus!"

"These are real fans!" Aki Tomoya shouted, oblivious to the girl passing by behind him. Of course, even if she had noticed, he wouldn't have cared. "The creators have created a beautiful world of anime and manga. Why do you have to tarnish that beauty with something from the real world?"

“Because all the spiritual satisfaction of the two-dimensional world must be built on the material foundation of the three-dimensional world. Can a creator who can’t even afford to eat produce excellent works for a long time? No.” Kobayashi Sora stared into Aki Tomoya’s eyes. “I will be your foundation, and you will create spiritual satisfaction. I need you, just as you need me.”

"Kuōshō," Aki Tomoya was stunned, "you..."

The sky during spring break was already full of spring, with white clouds trailing in the bright blue sky and pink petals scattered among them.

A gust of wind rises, the cherry trees sway, and amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, along the long slope, memories of the past rush by. The two people gaze at each other in silence.

One is a man, and the other is also a man.

The air is filled with the scent of citrus... Huh?

Tangerine?!

Before Kobayashi Sora could react, the white substance was precisely applied to his face, its refreshing and sweet fragrance permeating his senses with each breath.

Suddenly attacked, Kobayashi Sora instinctively reached out to touch it.

Freed from restraint, Aki Tomoya accelerated down the slope.

The soft touch made Kobayashi Sora a little dazed. When she took it off, she realized it was a white beret.

"Ah... I'm sorry..."

The pleasant and clear voice made Kobayashi Sora instinctively look in the direction of the sound.

A warm spring breeze, carrying fluttering cherry blossoms, encircles the girl's figure. Her cute short hair and white dress sway in the wind, while a red knitted coat softens the stark white, making her skin appear even more delicate.

"Um..." The girl looked a little embarrassed, "Did I disturb you?"

"Us?" Kobayashi Sora suddenly remembered and turned to look at Aki Tomoya.

Aki Tomoya quickly braked and slowed down, and was now staring blankly in this direction.

Noticing Kobayashi Sora's gaze, he got back on his bicycle and gradually shrank to a single pixel in the distance.

Kobayashi Sora sighed, "They ran away..."

"Wouldn't it be better to catch up now?" The girl paused. "Um... after you give me back my hat."

"No rush, let's take it slow. The plan has been going too smoothly so I've become a bit too optimistic." Kobayashi Sora suddenly remembered the soft, white thing in her hand and immediately handed it back to the girl. "Here, your hat."

"Thank you." The girl took the hat, thanked her softly, tidied her hair, and put the hat back on. "It seems you and An Yi are quite close."

"We're old friends... You know him?"

“There are very few people in the school who don’t know him. During the school’s anniversary celebration in the first year, Aki put in a lot of effort to organize an animation screening.”

"I have a pretty good idea of ​​what happened." Kobayashi Sora sighed and rubbed his forehead. "He must have been dissatisfied with his underground activities, which probably led to a major conflict with the school leaders."

Aki Tomo is that kind of person who will spare no effort to share the works he likes. This extraordinary passion and dedication is one of the reasons why Kobayashi Sora needs him.

“In that case,” Kobayashi Sora smiled, “we will soon be classmates at the same school.”

"Eh?"

"When spring break ends and school starts, I will be transferring to Toyonosaki School, Class 2-B."

"We're in the same class."

"That's quite a coincidence." Kobayashi Sora was taken aback. "Wait, what did you say?"

A look of confusion crossed the girl's large, blinking eyes. "Hmm... is it really necessary to be so surprised that we're in the same class?"

"Then I should know you." Kobayashi Sora carefully examined the girl in front of her.

Hmm... It's very windy today, no wonder my hat was blown off. The cherry blossoms fluttering in the air are so romantic, the weather is nice—wait a minute!

"You haven't transferred here yet, have you?" the girl asked curiously. "Why should you know me?"

"Before completing the transfer procedures, in order to be in the same class as An Yi, I obtained the class roster for Class 2-B in advance." Kobayashi Sora opened her phone. "I should remember all the classmates in the class..."