They all have hidden attributes!

"I've said it before, I won't depend on anyone."

Is there any connection between the two?

"What kind of friends are we if we can't depend on each other?"

"..." Takahashi Makoto was silent for a moment, then a playful smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

When she said this, her tone was as stubborn as a kindergarten child's, and her expression was actually kind of cute.

The two stared at each other for a moment, seemingly annoyed by his gaze. Uesugi Maya picked up a book placed to the side, casually turned to a page, lowered her eyes, and said coldly:

"We're just using each other. Taking advantage of each other is just as disgusting as exploiting weaknesses."

When did you finish eating all the cake?

Makoto Takahashi suddenly changed the subject. She rolled her eyes at him disdainfully and said through gritted teeth, "Stop talking nonsense."

"Have you really eaten dinner?"

"..."

"Shall I take you home later?"

"Tram station".

"Okay, there's still honeycomb cake left."

"Go to hell!" Uesugi Maya said through gritted teeth.

They chatted for a while on the coffee shop's terrace under the cover of night before leaving.

After dropping off Maya Uesugi at the train station, Makoto Takahashi returned to his apartment in Toshima Ward alone.

He pushed open the door, turned on the light, and the light illuminated the spacious and tidy living room. He lay down on the sofa and began to stare blankly at the ceiling.

Fireworks illuminate the terrace, bitter coffee, streets brimming with the scent of summer, the savory aroma of fried noodles...

It wasn't an illusion, yet the recollection felt somewhat unreal, like a dream.

When the system refreshed at midnight, Masashi Takahashi got up from the sofa, walked straight into the studio that had been converted from the restaurant, cut off a piece of linen, and fixed it to the solid wood canvas.

Open the system panel, load the assistance card from "Instant Success," and select [Assessment].

[Assessment Item: Japanese Young Artists Group Exhibition]

[Trigger Assist Card: Abyss Party Invitation]

[Lv.4 Painting Specialization: Lv.Max Impressionist Oil Painting]

Makoto Takahashi picked up his paintbrush, recalling the fireworks of the evening, and used delicate brushstrokes to depict colors and convey his feelings about the night.

The dark sky outside the window gradually turned blue, and only when he heard the melodious chirping of birds did he put down his paintbrush, go back to his bedroom, and collapse onto his bed to sleep.

I was awakened by a buzzing vibration.

I opened my sleepy eyes and saw the orange-red afterglow of the setting sun shining obliquely through the window. In the blurry light and shadow, the sound of my phone was particularly annoying.

It's evening now.

Makoto Takahashi picked up his phone, answered the call, and Maya Uesugi's clear and melodious voice rang in his ears.

“I’m outside your apartment.”

"Yes, just a moment."

Makoto Takahashi, who was about to erupt in morning grumpiness, slowly sat up, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "I'll come open the door right away."

No matter what, the other party is here to help me clean up. Even if I want to destroy the world because I was woken up, I still have to stay and take care of my daily life.

Takahashi Makoto shook his head to clear his mind of all the random thoughts as he got out of bed and left the bedroom.

Upon entering the foyer and opening the door, Uesugi Maya's delicate face came into view. Today, she was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, and her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail, giving her a refreshing and beautiful look.

"Good evening," Makoto Takahashi greeted with a yawn.

"too slow."

Maya Uesugi walked into the apartment with her arms crossed, her cold gaze sweeping over the living room before she nodded in satisfaction: "Well maintained. Looks like it won't waste too much of my time."

"Because it's not the release date of the light novel recently, I haven't been to the bookstore."

Hearing the weak and listless voice, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Takahashi Makoto, who looked dejected. She frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you? Did you kindly impersonate a god last night?"

Impersonating a deity refers to going to places like Okubo Park to help homeless and unfortunate people.

"No, I stayed up all night last night to finish the entry. It's called 'Fireworks.' You can take it to the competition after it dries in a few days."

Makoto Takahashi slumped onto the sofa, his stomach rumbling loudly, like an animation sound effect.

He closed his eyes, feeling drowsy, but also too hungry to sleep. Just then, he heard Uesugi Maya ask in a detached tone:

"Can I use your kitchen? I'd like to have dinner early too."

At this moment, Makoto Takahashi still didn't understand the meaning behind her words. He had exhausted too much energy last night, and he hadn't fully woken up yet, so he was somewhat out of it.

He opened his eyes and saw that Uesugi Maya had her usual cold face, so he nodded.

Where is the key?

"Entrance hall".

"Don't lie on the sofa and cause trouble for others. If you can't help, go back to your room and sleep."

Hearing the rude reprimand, Makoto Takahashi reluctantly got up, went back to his bedroom, took off his clothes, and crawled into bed to try to sleep.

After he left, Uesugi Maya rubbed her temples, sighed, and went into the kitchen, her head aching.

Besides the ingredients, there were no seasonings at all. The good news is that the kitchen utensils were very new and showed no signs of use.

I need to buy an apron too. Seriously, it's so hard to clean up the kitchen after using it.

Uesugi Maya grumbled inwardly as she wrote down everything she needed to buy. Turning around and leaving the kitchen, she was about to go to the nearby supermarket when a vibrant color flashed past from the corner of her vision.

She was just passing by, but she felt a sense of disorientation.

Stopping in her tracks, rubbing her eyes, Uesugi Maya took a step back and entered the studio, her gaze fixed on the oil painting drying below the window.

She had seen "Spring Thunder" before and didn't feel anything, but when she saw "Fireworks," her heart inexplicably started beating faster.

Last night, the entire night sky seemed to be contained within this small canvas.

Without a strong visual impact, it simply uses delicate colors to outline simple lines, yet the "light" within it contains a captivating magic.

Maya Uesugi doesn't understand oil painting, let alone lines, space, color, and light and shadow, but humanity's pursuit of beauty is eternal.

Natsume Soseki once wrote in "The Pillow Book": "The world is difficult to live in, yet we cannot leave it... The reason why all artists are noble is that they can make the world more peaceful and enrich people's hearts."

Nietzsche also viewed art as a powerful will to combat the nihilism of life, a "redemptive illusion" of painful reality.

That's why people listen to music when they're feeling down at night, and appreciate flowers or rain when they're in a bad mood, seeking out beautiful things in nature.

After a long while, Uesugi Maya finally looked away from the canvas. She rarely showed a troubled expression. After pondering for a long time, she walked to the door of Takahashi Makoto's bedroom.

I knocked lightly on the door, and the slightly ajar door swayed gently inward.

"I suggest you contact Lijian immediately."

Half-asleep, Makoto Takahashi hummed in response. He felt that after finishing his oil painting last night, a whole host of vague and intangible things were invading his mind.

—Is it time for it to start developing a brain?

Uesugi Maya took it as his agreement, went back to her studio, took a picture with her phone, edited the email, and sent it to Tachimi Yuki's email address.

On her way to the supermarket, thinking that Tachibana might not notice, she reluctantly dialed Tachibana's number again.

"Xiaoye~ I didn't expect you to contact me first~"

Hearing Tachibana Yuki deliberately draw out the word, Uesugi Maya said coldly, "Check your email."

After saying that, she immediately hung up.

Unless absolutely necessary, Uesugi Maya would never want to contact Tachimi Yuki on her own initiative, especially in matters beyond her control. However, while she could be independent, Takahashi Makoto needed to.

In Japan, seniority is a very serious factor. In the arts, where seniority is highly valued, even the most talented person needs enough time to mature.

To give a simple example, the highest level of Japanese art is the [Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Art Exhibition], which has continued uninterrupted from the Meiji period to the present day.

Winning an award at the cultural exhibition means stepping into the pinnacle of Japanese artists, experiencing a meteoric rise in status.

However, participation in the cultural fair requires qualifications. Even if you have already won an award at the cultural fair, you still need to win the grand prize ten times in order to upgrade to the highest level of [member].

Although Makoto Takahashi won the gold medal at his first art exhibition, he had never appeared in the art world before.

To put it bluntly, before he turned eighteen, he showed absolutely no trace of "art".

"Fireworks" is bound to have an impact on the art world. At that time, the media's doubts and speculations, the "need to be investigated" seniority system, and all kinds of rumors will need to be dealt with.

Maya Uesugi didn't believe that Makoto Takahashi's heart was strong enough; in fact, she thought his personality could be described as "heavy."

To prevent anything bad from happening, she chose to tell Tachimi Yuki so that Takahashi Makoto and Tachimi Yuki could discuss it, even if it would affect her [one-sided love] plan.

Chiyoda Ward, Hashimi Honke.

When Tachimi received the call from Uesugi Maya, she was talking to her mother about her new ideas for the student council.

With Makoto Takahashi's reminder, Yuki Tachimi finally realized that she shouldn't engage in utilitarian social interactions. Mutually beneficial cooperation makes it less likely to make enemies, and deeper interpersonal relationships are easier to control.

I closed the program, opened my email, clicked on the latest email, and found only one photo.

After zooming in twice, Tachikami's gaze was instantly drawn to the oil painting in the center of the photo, and a gentle warmth welled up from the bottom of her heart.

The unique use of color, combined with superb lighting techniques, creates an exaggerated and stunning visual effect, and the themes of love and youth are deeply moving.

Seeing her daughter's beautiful blue eyes focused intently, Li Jianqin slowly stood up, walked behind her, and bent down to look at the computer screen.

"The colors are like magic!" she exclaimed, raising her hand to cover her mouth in surprise.

The colors of the fireworks were so unreal that they gave people a sense of dazzling and pure power.

"I like him."

"Mom has no objection, but when it comes to love, Xiaoxing has to put in the effort herself."

"I understand." Tachimi Yuki closed the laptop, shut his eyes, and seemed to hear that clear string sound again.

In May, she was moved by the sight of Makoto Takahashi, whose heart was desolate yet whose mind was completely focused on drawing his bow.

In June, I began to wonder what kind of life he had led before.