They all have hidden attributes!

A torrential downpour enveloped Tokyo, wetting the neon signs of shops along the street. The blurry lights piled up in the puddles on the asphalt road, crushed to pieces by the wheels of vehicles.

The black sedan's bright white headlights illuminated the rain as it drove smoothly along the street and stopped in front of an apartment building in Mejiro 2-chome.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll just go home and take a shower."

Sitting in the back seat, Makoto Takahashi stopped the female driver who wanted to get out of the car to hold an umbrella for him. He pushed open the car door, breathed in the strong smell of rain, and ran into the apartment building in a few steps.

It was well past dinner time.

It was a rare occasion for him to visit the set in Minato Ward. After having lunch with Tachimiya Yuki, they played chess for a while, then went to have clothes tailored, and watched movies and anime on a tablet with Kashima Reiko. Finally, after waiting for Tachimiya Yuki to finish get off work, they had dinner together before returning to his apartment.

Spending such windy and rainy weather leisurely inside the buildings in the port area is almost as comfortable as sleeping at home.

Unfortunately, neither Yuki Tatsumi nor Reiko Kashima are afraid of thunder, so there's no fan service scene that's bound to happen on a stormy night like in light novels.

With regret, Takahashi Makoto opened the door and returned to his apartment, turning on all the lights in the entryway before going into the bathroom to take a shower.

The warm water flowed over my skin, making me drowsy. As I changed into loose clothes and yawned as I stepped out of the bathroom, a loud clap of thunder came from outside the window.

Boom—

The balcony window trembled slightly, making a "click-clack" sound, as the rain intensified and pounded against the glass, creating a noticeable noise.

"Is a typhoon coming?"

Makoto Takahashi walked to the balcony and looked up at the completely dark sky, where tree-like white lights flashed.

After another clap of thunder, the view instantly went completely dark.

—The power is out.

Japan's infrastructure is terrible, and Toshima Ward is one of the older, upscale residential areas among Tokyo's 23 wards. It's not surprising that power outages occur during severe weather.

Go to sleep.

As he was thinking this, he turned around and saw the phone screen on the coffee table light up and vibrate incessantly.

Stepping over, Makoto Takahashi saw the caller ID as [Maya Uesugi]. He checked his text messages, Line, and email, and saw the message from Maya Uesugi on Line.

[MAYA: Did you bring an umbrella?]

[Takahashi: At home, just finished a hot shower.]

After the message was marked as "[read]", no reply was received.

After a while, the sound of the door opening came from the entryway. Seeing the light from the smartphone's flashlight shining in, Makoto Takahashi smiled and asked, "Now do you know the advantages of smartphones?"

"I have a flashlight at home."

Maya Uesugi walked in with a cold expression, closed the door, and Takahashi Makoto shone his flashlight on her. Seeing her holding a blanket, he blinked in surprise.

Are you afraid of thunder? Or are you afraid of the dark?

"I wasn't scared, and I wasn't afraid of thunder."

Uesugi Maya denied it in a nonchalant voice, her face pale and weak in the flashlight beam: "Let's talk a little about the band and tomorrow night's dinner."

"it is good."

Makoto Takahashi sat down on the sofa. She put down the blanket and sat down beside him. The warm scent of cedar wood wafted in the darkness, and the warmth of her body close to him made his heart flutter.

After another loud roar, Uesugi Maya's body trembled slightly.

Makoto Takahashi turned off his flashlight, and under the cover of darkness, he revealed a playful smile, asking her, "Are you really not scared? I won't laugh at you."

"Is your memory worse than a fish's?"

Uesugi Maya stubbornly denied being afraid, bluffing her way out of it: "I came to check on you because I was worried about you, don't be ungrateful."

"I'm so touched."

Makoto Takahashi reached out towards her and touched her warm palm. Maya Uesugi visibly trembled, but did not pull away.

She is usually very reliable and doesn't show her vulnerable side, but in the end, she's just an ordinary girl, and it's inevitable that she would feel uneasy when faced with a sudden power outage.

He quietly held Uesugi Maya's hand, closed his eyes, adjusted to the darkness, and their body heat was transmitted to each other through their skin.

Outside, thunder continued to rumble and raindrops pattered incessantly, but inside the room, all was quiet, filled with the warm scent of cedarwood.

After a while, Maya Uesugi calmly asked, "Was the circuit breaker in the bathroom turned off?"

"That kind of thing doesn't matter, right?"

"Go turn it off."

"You haven't given me the compensation you promised."

When Makoto Takahashi suddenly brought up the matter of pretending to be his girlfriend, Maya Uesugi remembered the bite mark on his neck, her ear tips began to burn, and her whole body temperature was slowly rising.

"Just let me hug you for a bit."

Makoto Takahashi turned his head to look over, and his eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, vaguely saw her turn her face away from him, and her other hand, which wasn't being held, touched the tip of her ear.

The two stared at each other in the darkness, an ambiguous atmosphere filling the air.

Makoto Takahashi turned to the side, and Maya Uesugi cooperated by turning around, pressing her back against his chest, and sitting in Makoto Takahashi's lap.

He couldn't help but wrap his arms around Uesugi Maya's slender waist and hold her soft, delicate body in his arms.

With the help of a fleeting ray of dazzling white light from outside the window, Makoto Takahashi saw her snow-white skin peeking out from between her black hair, tinged with a beautiful pink.

What expression would Haki Night have right now?

Takahashi Makoto thought to himself that he wanted to pinch the back of her neck and lift her up like a stray cat.

“I discussed it with Sister Xing today, and we still think that your father probably wants to take this opportunity to repair the relationship between you and your daughter.” He took the initiative to start the conversation.

"What's the point of saying this now? Things have come to this."

Maya Uesugi's voice sounded very flat, her tone so calm that it lacked any inflection, probably to conceal her pain, discomfort, and bitterness.

"It would be better to never contact them again. I don't need to depend on anyone and I can live a good life on my own," she said stubbornly.

Is this your wish?

Makoto Takahashi's hand, which was wrapped around her waist, touched Maya Uesugi's slender, bony wrist, then grasped her palm and enveloped her hand: "I will help you convey this feeling."

There was no further persuasion, which was completely unexpected by Uesugi Maya.

Her stiff body gradually relaxed, and she slowly grasped Takahashi Makoto's hand: "Do you want to hear me talk about something boring?"

"I don't care. Anyway, you want to sever all ties with the Uesugi family, right?"

"you--"

"Although there will always be something that one person cannot do, I will do my best to help you."

Makoto Takahashi gently rested his chin on Maya Uesugi's shoulder, his tone calm: "The words 'bearing the burden of life' are too heavy. I will not let you down."

Uesugi Maya hugged her knees and curled up in his arms. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke casually.

"Before I went to junior high school, I had never seen that man's face much, nor did I remember him doing anything as a parent. In fact, I was raised by a maid."

“He has a mistress outside and has even said things like he doesn’t need me as his daughter.”

“Lijian used to say that I was an unwanted child and that I should face reality. I didn’t believe it, so I went to my father, but he said I was interfering with his work.”

"Grandpa's side is tight on time, and he speaks harshly, only expressing dissatisfaction and criticism."

"But my mother must not have found me troublesome when she gave birth to me."

“I also tried to be well-behaved and to be excellent, but no matter what I did, they didn’t care.”

"Knowing full well that it won't lead to anything."

......

The calm, gentle voice that spoke made Makoto Takahashi feel a tightness in his chest; just listening to her talk felt like a wooden stake was being hammered into his chest.

They never received affection from their parents, longed to confide in and be understood but were not seen, were forced to be independent due to lack of care, and were ignored by everyone.

This is why Maya Uesugi grew into the cold and domineering Hell Girl, seemingly independent, indifferent, and distant from everyone, but in reality, she was unable to ask anyone for help.

"It's so painful to have nowhere to go," she murmured.

"I was hesitant about whether to get involved in your family affairs, since I'm just an outsider." Takahashi Makoto hugged Uesugi Maya tightly, pulling her into his arms the body she had never had before.

"Where should I put my hands?" Her voice suddenly turned cold.

"sorry."

"Responsible."

"I just accidentally bumped into it."

Before Takahashi Makoto could finish speaking, Uesugi Maya suddenly turned around and pounced on him, pressing her hand against her chest as she stared at him with a sharp gaze.

“I don’t know much about relationships and love, but if you’re willing to break up with Lijian, I’ll try my best to be a good girlfriend.”

She hasn't experienced it, so naturally she wouldn't understand.

Makoto Takahashi stared at Maya Uesugi's unwavering eyes in the darkness, and before he could even think, the room lights suddenly came on.

Power has been restored.

Takahashi Makoto subconsciously closed his eyes, regretting not turning off the circuit breaker earlier. A few strands of long hair fell into his neck, and he felt a soft, warm touch on his lips.

Touch and then leave.

"Whatever, you're already in my future life plan. No matter what, I will make you fall in love with me."

Uesugi Maya, as if she had turned her back on someone, resumed her usual cold attitude, picked up the blanket, and headed towards the entrance.

As she opened the door, she glanced back at me with a look of disdain: "I'm still a little annoyed by you, but never mind, goodnight."

The door slammed shut, leaving behind the warm scent of cedarwood.

On August 12, the rain that fell all night stopped at sunrise.

Takahashi Makoto went to the Uesugi family next door for breakfast as usual. Today, the dishes were cold again. Uesugi Maya also had a cold face as usual. It seemed that what happened last night was just his hallucination.

To confirm whether it was a hallucination, Makoto Takahashi tentatively brought it up, only to be kicked twice and stomped on once. He was cursed three times, going from "pest" to "scum," and finally received a new title: a lewd pervert.

Haki Night has been getting increasingly sarcastic lately, but it seems like she smiled more this morning?

Makoto Takahashi heard her humming "Running Towards the Night" happily while washing dishes, but after leaving the apartment, she instantly changed to a cold expression and was also incredibly domineering during the light music club meeting.

Fortunately, the profit-sharing plan for the band was successfully finalized.