Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Iceberg is really good at making sarcastic remarks...

"You see, it's like a new employee who has just started working and has received their first paycheck. They want to buy gifts for their friends and family. My current feelings are similar to those."

"Then why don't you go buy some for your parents!"

"You're right, but I don't have parents."

"Um... I'm sorry..."

Realizing she had stepped on a landmine, Hikawa Makoto choked up for a moment, but in the end she honestly bowed her head and apologized.

Although her parents also divorced, forcing the twin sisters to separate, at least they weren't separated by death, and they could still see each other if they wanted to. In comparison... Kuroba Akira was indeed much more miserable.

Kuroba Akira didn't bother to explain, but although he couldn't buy gifts for his family, he could at least buy some for the Kobayashi family.

For example, if it's an old lady, you should buy her a knitted set. An old lady should act like an old lady, knitting sweaters at home. It's not proper for her to go out to play mahjong and pachinko every day.

As for Uncle Yong and Senior Nishimura, I always feel that if I buy them gifts, they will complain that I should invest the money in the company instead... Those two have become workaholics now, so I'll just buy them some food as a token of my appreciation.

And what Kuroba Akira always remembered was... high heels.

Hongxiang's high heels broke when she threatened to hang herself, and they were never repaired. After that, she always wore flat shoes.

This time I can finally buy her a new pair of high heels.

Of course, we can't forget the great Cat God... Buying a piece of fresh salmon should be enough, you foodie cat.

However, the same problem persists when it comes to buying gifts for everyone in Kobayashi's family. It would be strange not to buy anything for Shion, and that would trigger the same chain reaction from Shion...

"Shouldn't you think of your girlfriend first?"

The girlfriend that Hikaru Hikawa was referring to was Hitomi Anri. She had no idea that Akira Kuroba had a girlfriend who was a bed warmer.

Just then, Kuroba Akira also thought of the balance and connection between the class president and Shion, and finally came up with a more suitable answer.

"I've thought about it... Hmm, I've decided to go on a 'date' instead."

If buying gifts outright doesn't work, then a one-day date for each person would be a better option. Calculating the cost by time would be fairer, and Akira Kuroba could cover the expenses for the date, so there wouldn't be any competition about who spends more or less.

Moreover, given their mutual repulsion, if they were told from the beginning that they would both have dates, they would definitely try their best to avoid having the same dating process as the other, because they would both want to create their own unique dating memories, so in the end there would be no comparison.

At most, Kuroba Akira would just need to sacrifice some of his looks and energy.

Indeed, for them, the hands-on experience is more suitable.

"A date, please..."

That makes sense. How could Kuroba Akira not prioritize his girlfriend?

He must have already planned how to celebrate with his girlfriend; it's none of her business as an outsider to worry about things between couples.

Kuroba Akira was probably just asking casually. He suddenly made a lot of money and wanted to share his joy with someone, just like how people in the neighboring mainland give out red envelopes, and everyone who sees it gets a share.

Once she calmed down, Makoto Hikawa realized she had overreacted. Just as she was about to say that there was no need to spend money on her, Akira Kuroba suddenly brought it up.

"By the way, have you finished reading my light novel, Hikawa-kun?"

"Hmm? Ah...you mean your thoughts after reading it?"

When they first bumped into each other at the bookstore, Akira Kuroba said, "Remember to tell me your thoughts after reading it next time we meet." However, although he came almost every day afterward, he never took the initiative to talk to her. Makoto Hikawa, who had already finished reading the book, also had a rather aloof personality and did not take the initiative to talk to Akira Kuroba about it.

Hikawa Makoto glanced back at the shop; there were no other customers around anyway…

After "Sister's Journey" sold out last weekend, the bookstore's customer traffic returned to normal levels.

It wouldn't feel right to chat with customers inside the store, but since we're outside now, a brief chat is fine.

Then Makoto Hikawa began to share her thoughts after reading the book.

"Hmm... how should I put it... overall it was quite interesting, the story unfolded very well, there weren't any dull moments, and you could tell the author really put effort into designing the characters and plot, but..."

"only?"

"There's a slightly abrupt part in the middle... no, rather than abrupt... it's more like a bit 'incongruous'."

Makoto Hikawa carefully considered and provided a more suitable word.

"Oh? Does it feel out of place? Could you elaborate?"

This evaluation completely surprised Kuroba Akira, which energized him. He took out his phone and prepared to record Hikawa Makoto's thoughts.

"I can sense that the novel is meant to depict the bond between siblings, but the feelings in the novel are more like 'the feelings between lovers' than 'the feelings between siblings'... Of course, it's possible that this was the original design, after all, the kind of deep affection between siblings is one of the highlights."

Akira Kuroba nodded in acknowledgment.

"That's true, but I'd also like to know why you feel it's not like a sibling relationship?"

This question made Hikawa Makoto cross her arms and fall into deep thought. After closing her eyes and thinking for a while, she opened them again, pinched her chin, and gave her answer.

"It's probably because...the 'repulsive' part is missing."

"Repulsive?"

Like the class monitor and Ziyin, where same-sex repulsion exists?

But why is there a need for mutual repulsion between siblings?

Wouldn't that lead to discord between siblings?

Akira Kuroba's doubts were immediately answered.

"That's right. I think the novel portrays the siblings' relationship well enough. The description of the brother's admiration for and protection of his genius sister is excellent, especially the scene where the sister takes her brother's hand and walks out of the house to bask in the sunlight. From the brother's perspective, the sister shines brightly in the sunlight... Especially when paired with the illustration that appears at this moment, it's truly amazing!"

When I read this part before, I was deeply moved and even had a melody and lyrics in my mind, and I wanted to create a single for this part.

"Uh-huh!"

That's actually the essence of the first volume of the novel, the key plot point that establishes the character of the older brother, and the part that Kuroba Akira is most proud of.

Then Makoto Hikawa spoke about this most exciting part.

"But... it shouldn't be just that."

"Oh?"

"The bond between siblings isn't just about mutual sacrifice... In this storyline, from the brother's perspective, the sister is likened to light, which I think is a very apt metaphor. However, light is both a 'symbol of brilliance' and a 'sparkling sensation,' especially in the brother's eyes, it should be dazzling to the point of being 'eye-catching'..."

Although it was a metaphor, Akira Kuroba still understood what Makoto Hikawa was trying to say.

"Oh...so you mean, the older brother should be jealous of his younger sister?"

"That's right...it's bound to happen, there's no way it won't..."

As if it were her own personal experience, Hikawa Makoto said with her eyes lowered.

"Moreover, the jealousy he felt towards his blood relatives was far stronger than his jealousy towards outsiders..."

"I see……"

Kuroba Akira quickly wrote down these thoughts, realizing that what was missing was the brother's jealousy towards his sister.

Indeed, if an older brother only cares about his younger sister, he will appear very great, but he will also seem too saintly, and the viewing experience might be a bit frustrating.

What has always troubled Akira Kuroba is how to ignite the conflict between his brother and sister. He could only think of the love triangle between his sister and other women before, but after hearing what Makoto Hikawa said, he suddenly felt that he could also start from the inner conflict of his brother.

Great... I've got an idea!

Meanwhile, Makoto Hikawa was completely absorbed in her thoughts and continued speaking.

"So at the end of the first volume, when the younger sister reveals her feelings for her older brother in her room, I feel something is off... because if the younger sister really cares about her older brother, she would know that her selfless devotion to him would only further hurt his pride."

"Yes, that's true. But what if my sister did it on purpose?"

"on purpose?"

"She even wants to possess her brother's jealousy, hoping to make him only look at her in this way, and this is also the reason why the younger sister wants to maintain her genius status."

"This is so twisted..."

After Makoto Hikawa finished complaining, she also felt that this setting would be more interesting.

"But... it is indeed quite 'shocking,' as if black has enveloped all other colors... by endlessly deepening its color, it can give the younger sister a twisted and crazy beauty..."

"Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly the feeling I want!"

Akira Kuroba was overjoyed, and Makoto Hikawa perfectly captured the image of the younger sister that Akira Kuroba wanted to depict.

"Wait a minute, isn't this spoiling the plot for me? Is that okay?"

"It's alright. So, Bingchuan, what kind of ending do you think this brother and sister will ultimately face?"

"I think... my sister will eventually 'come to her senses'."

"Oh? Have you come to your senses?"

“That’s right. No matter how twisted this feeling is, she should understand that ‘restraint’ is not the right way and finally choose to ‘let go’... That’s the choice that is ‘more like a younger sister’.”

"I see, Bingchuan, you're not a sister-worshipper."

"Sister Party?"

Hikawa Makoto looked puzzled, and Kuroba Akira explained it to her.

"If the younger sister were just a younger sister, the story would probably unfold as you described. But the younger sister is also the female protagonist of this novel, so she can't be limited to just being a younger sister."

This is what's known as a stock market novel, where the male lead's choice of partner cannot be predetermined from the start, nor can a particular character be excluded.

Of course, if a stock trading article doesn't have a good ending, it will definitely attract criticism.

Generally speaking, an open ending is a safer approach, but it's also a less effective and less interesting strategy.

If you don't want to get criticized, it's actually best to write various "what if" scenarios. In fact, that's what Kuroba Akira was planning to do too. However, deciding on the right point to enter the "what if" scenario was something that troubled Kuroba Akira a lot, since the younger sister character was "too powerful".

But after listening to Makoto Hikawa's thoughts, Akira Kuroba realized that the key to breaking through was the sibling relationship.

Hikawa Makoto also fell into deep thought after hearing Kuroba Akira's words.

If my sister is more than just a sister...

Who could it be?

"In short, your thoughts are very helpful! After all, I don't have a sister, so I'm having some trouble figuring out how to design a storyline involving sibling relationships."

Makoto Hikawa, regaining her senses, asked in surprise.

"Huh? Wait, did you design the plot?"

She originally thought that the book was written by Shiori Shirai.