I created a foundation

Every word was like a thin needle, accurately piercing her most fragile nerve.

She patted her cheeks vigorously, and the cool touch sobered her up a little. No, this can't go on.

Sawamura Eriri, you're the genius doujin artist Kashiwagi Eri! How could you admit defeat over something like this?

An inexplicable fighting spirit rose from the deepest part of her heart.

The moment I stepped into the classroom, the fighting spirit that had just been ignited was almost extinguished by the reality that was right in front of me.

Not far away, by the window.

Lin Qing was calmly flipping through a document—a preliminary analysis report on the "Sarkic Cult." Beside him, Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned slightly forward, her hair almost reaching his shoulders, as she offered her thoughts on the report in a voice only the two of them could hear.

There was a faint, victorious smile on the corner of her mouth.

What made Eriri feel even more suffocated was that Yotsuya Miko, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee, walked to the other side of Lin Qing and placed the cup gently on his desk.

"Student Lin Qing, thank you for your hard work."

The girl's voice was soft, with a hint of genuine concern and dependence.

Lin Qing raised his head naturally, nodded to her, and then continued to focus his attention back on the documents.

That scene was as harmonious as a painting.

One left and one right, one article and one silence.

One is like his intellectual partner who plans everything for him, and the other is like his considerate home secretary.

And she, Eriri Sawamura, can only stand here far away like an outsider, watching her place being taken by someone else.

Why?

It was obviously me who came first!

Whether it was knowing him or joining the foundation, it was clearly me who came first...

A feeling of resentment grew like wild weeds in her heart. She clenched the straps of her schoolbag tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force.

No.

This cannot go on.

Mom is right. If I don’t take the initiative, there will be nothing left.

Eriri was absent-minded throughout the entire day's classes.

Her notebook did not contain any mathematical formulas or historical years, but was instead filled with various little figures.

There are scenes where she kicks Kasumigaoka Utaha away.

Some of them are scenes of her pinning Yotsuya Miko to the ground and tickling her.

More often than not, she and Lin Qing stood together, while the other two women could only bite their handkerchiefs jealously.

These childish and ridiculous fantasies helped her get through the long day.

The moment the school bell rang, Eriri stood up from her seat suddenly as if she had heard the charge horn.

Instead of packing her things while complaining and procrastinating as usual, she rushed to the bathroom in the teaching building as fast as she could.

A few minutes later, when she came out again, she looked brand new.

The once meticulously crafted school uniform had been replaced with an off-white sweater that perfectly outlined the girl's slender curves. She wore a playful plaid skirt, revealing her straight, well-proportioned, long legs, truly a work of art.

She even undid her signature golden twintails, letting her long, smooth hair fall over her shoulders, with only a slight curl at the ends forming a cute arc.

The girl in the mirror is less arrogant and sharp than usual, and has more of the heart-warming tenderness and purity of a young girl in love.

She looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

Very good, Eriri Sawamura.

Go fight.

She walked towards the classroom, each step firm and powerful, as if on the beat of a drum.

At this moment, Lin Qing was packing his schoolbag, preparing to head to the foundation headquarters. Kasumigaoka Utaha and Yotsuya Miko had already left, leaving only a few students still playing around in the classroom.

This is the best time.

Ying Lili walked to his desk, and her high-heeled leather shoes made a crisp sound on the floor, successfully attracting Lin Qing's attention.

He raised his head and paused for a moment when his eyes fell on the girl in front of him.

The Eriri in front of him was completely different from the image of a loser who was always noisy and blushed easily in his mind.

Although there was still a hint of nervousness on her face that could not be completely concealed, the exquisiteness of her deliberate makeup and the pair of green eyes that tried hard to appear calm made her exude a unique charm.

It's like a rose bud that has finally mustered up the courage to show its petals to the world.

"Is something wrong?"

Lin Qing's voice, as calm as ever, broke the brief silence.

Eriri's heart skipped a beat.

The rhetoric and momentum I had prepared for the entire day almost crumbled the moment I looked into his eyes.

She subconsciously clutched the hem of her skirt, feeling the cool touch of the fabric against her fingertips.

“Lin…Lin Qing!”

She finally mustered up the courage to call out his name, but her voice trembled slightly.

Lin Qing raised his eyebrows, looked at her without saying a word, and waited for her next words.

This invisible pressure made Eriri's cheeks instantly warm up.

"that……"

Her gaze began to drift to the side uncontrollably, not daring to look him in the eye.

"It's just... to thank you... for helping me resolve those rumors on the school forum last time!"

She finally found an excuse that even she thought was extremely lame, and spoke so fast that it sounded like she was reciting a tongue twister.

"So... I... my mom said she wants you to come over to my house! She... she prepared dinner herself!"

By the end of her speech, her voice had become as soft as a mosquito's hum, and her head was lowered deeply, with her golden hair hanging down, covering her cheeks and ears, which had already turned red.

The classroom was so quiet that she could even hear her own heartbeat like a drum.

It seemed as if a century had passed.

Just when she thought the other party would refuse with some reason and she was about to suffer another crushing defeat, she suddenly raised her head.

The girl's eyes sparkled with an unprecedented light of determination that was a mixture of shyness, determination, and unquestionable firmness.

She looked straight into Lin Qing's deep eyes and spoke word by word.

"Don't refuse!"

"You...must come today!"

That declaration, almost shouted out, exhausted all the courage Eriri had accumulated throughout the day.

She seemed to have been drained of all her strength and could only stand there frozen, her heart beating wildly in her chest, as if it would break free and jump out of her throat in the next second.

Lin Qing looked at her.

The girl's cheeks were as red as ripe apples, and her emerald eyes sparkled with a mixture of resolute determination and a hint of obvious shyness. That overbearing command, rather than a threat, sounded more like a cat waving its paws with all its might, trying to scare off its enemy.

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

The corners of Lin Qing's mouth curled up in an imperceptible arc.

He put down the schoolbag he had just put away and nodded.

"it is good."

A single, understated word instantly relaxed Eriri's frayed nerves. A surge of joy and relief washed over her like a tide, nearly causing her legs to give out and she sat down on the ground.

He...he agreed!

I... succeeded!

……

The Sawamura family's villa is located in one of Tokyo's top wealthy areas. It covers an astonishingly large area and is more like a small classical castle than a home.

Lin Qing stood in front of the huge iron gate carved with intricate patterns, his expression unchanged.

This calmness helped Eriri, who was following beside him with her heart in turmoil, regain a little confidence.

She puffed out her small chest and said in a slightly boastful tone, "This is it. It's, it's okay, right?"

"Not bad." Lin Qing's evaluation was concise and to the point.

Yinglili rang the doorbell, and the heavy iron gate slowly slid open to both sides, revealing a driveway wide enough for two cars to drive side by side, and at the end was the brightly lit main building of the villa.

After changing into slippers and entering the entrance hall, the luxurious crystal chandelier illuminated the entire hall as bright as day. The air was filled with a faint fragrance that belonged to a young girl's boudoir.

Ying Lili had already changed into a cute white ruffled apron in advance. Like a hardworking little bee, she was busy running around in the kitchen, bringing out the prepared tableware.

"Please sit down for a moment! Dinner will be ready soon!"

With a blushing face, she led Lin Qing to the exaggerated mahogany dining table, then ran back to the kitchen.

Lin Qing looked around leisurely.

There are priceless famous paintings hanging on the walls, and antique porcelain that looks very old placed in the corners... The whole space reveals an unquestionable heritage built up by money.

However, amidst this luxury, there are also some less harmonious elements.

For example, there were anime pillows casually discarded on the sofa, several game magazines scattered under the coffee table, and a life-sized magical girl figurine at the corner of the stairs leading to the second floor, silently gazing at the living room with her large inorganic eyes.

Very much her style.

There was a clanging sound from the kitchen, mixed with the girl's occasional panicked cry.

The atmosphere is just right.

A rare kind of tranquility and warmth that belongs to everyday life is slowly fermenting in this space.

at this time.

"Ding-dong-"