Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

The girl stared at the invitation.

She was looking down in the mirror, with her twin ponytails, which had just been carefully combed, hanging down quietly. The sky blue color was like a flowing spring or falling rain.

Even though spring has gone and the cold frost has been melted by the summer sun, she seems to have not yet walked out of the rain.

Continuous rounds of rain covered the distance, turning the road into mud; she looked up to find the sunshine to guide her direction from the haze, but found that she had already fallen into the mud.

The girl gently stroked the rough paper, as if trying to memorize the lingering fragrance with her fingertips.

Then she smiled, sealed the letter in the drawer, stood up and walked out of the room.

"Father, I'm going out."

"..."

A wall. A door that wasn't even locked.

The girl's cold voice seemed to have never reached the always messy room.

She stared at the door silently for a long time, and as if finally confirming that there would be no response, she turned and walked towards the entrance.

……

The man lay on his side on the tatami.

His lazy eyes rested quietly on a piece of paper also lying on the ground.

It seems like he is thinking about something, but also like he is thinking about nothing.

Lost Star Chapter 122 Summer Time Record: Chapter No One Around

In Japan, it is illegal to employ a child who is under the first March 3st after turning fifteen.

To put it in plain words, only after graduating from nine years of compulsory education, that is, reaching the age of junior high school graduates, are eligible to become child laborers and engage in working activities.

Although the Labor Standards Act also stipulates that as long as you are thirteen years old and have obtained permission from the administrative office, you can perform light labor under certain restrictions. However, on the one hand, the working hours are too short (Note 1). Almost only short-term holiday work, such as a four-hour part-time job on weekends, can meet the strict working hours stipulated in the law.

Most of the time such work is a waste of time for both the employer and the employee.

On the other hand, most people were reluctant to apply for government permission for a young man who had no connections and could not create any value. At least Toyokawa Shoko didn't think she had such connections to exploit.

Apart from……

Shoko Toyokawa raised her head and looked at the quiet alley.

She had been very curious before. It was located near Mejiro Station, with a lot of students coming and going, and it was even just a turn from the main road. However, this alley seemed very quiet at all times: there were still some people near the entrance, but they were only concentrated at the convenience store. After walking a little further, there were basically no people.

And the coffee shop at the deepest part of the alley was completely deserted.

Xiangzi had misjudged the business of that shop before, but now looking back, the business of this coffee shop called "Nascita" was so bad that it was weird.

If I ask the store manager for help, it might solve my immediate problem, but it would also seem like I'm taking advantage of him.

"But there's nothing else to do now."

The girl tapped her chest lightly and strode towards the familiar store door.

Today is Saturday and Nascita is closed, but perhaps because Nagasaki Suyo often visits, Xiangzi has not seen this iron rolling door lowered during the day for a long time.

For example, now she can easily see the sign that says "CLOSE" hanging on the door of the store, and through the window, she can also see a man sitting at a small table next to the counter looking at his mobile phone.

As Xiangzi just walked to the door, the man raised his head and looked towards the door.

She didn't look at the other person through the glass window, but just raised her hand and knocked on the door lightly, then took a step back and waited in front of the door.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the man pause, then stood up, walked to the door of the store, and opened it, which was already unlocked.

"Jingle Bell……"

I thought the ringtone should have become blurred in my memory, but now it is as clear as if nothing has changed.

But this time, Nagasaki Suyo is no longer with her, let alone everyone from CRYCHIC.

The light music in the background of the closed coffee shop was no longer playing, and the aroma of coffee in the room had also faded a lot. Only the shop manager who appeared from behind the door had the same smile on his face as usual.

"Hi, Toyokawa-san, good afternoon. Please come in."

"…Greetings."

Baodeng Zheli opened the door of the shop completely, made room for him, and waved gently to the girl outside.

Xiangzi nodded to the other person, holding her chest, and then slowly walked into the coffee shop. She raised her head and subconsciously looked at the familiar seat in the past. Her eyes paused unnaturally, then turned around and walked to the counter in a casual manner.

"We're closed today, so please sit wherever you want." The store manager followed her steps and spoke when she stopped.

Then he went to the counter and started the coffee machine.

Xiangzi opened his mouth and wanted to stop it immediately, but he felt that he had no right to order the other party around, so he pursed his lips and whispered, "Okay." He gently pulled out a chair and sat down.

First, there was the clacking sound of coffee beans being poured into the machine. The shop manager then found time to start a record player, and music began to fill the still somewhat dull air. Then, the coffee machine began to work, and a fresh aroma began to perturb my nose...

Just watching the man busy at the counter, she felt as if time had stopped at that moment.

It was not until the sound of a glass touching the table that the girl finally returned to reality from her distant memories.

She looked up and saw the man with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Come, cappuccino. Since it's not business hours, we won't wait for your order." Zhe Li said.

He leaned sideways, his elbows resting on the counter, a lazy posture that perfectly matched the term "rest day". But Xiangzi thought about it for a moment and realized that this person always looked like this regardless of business hours. So was this the time when he was open for business?

Thinking about some unanswered questions, Xiangzi looked down at the drink that was served to him.

The pure white milk foam overflowing the edge of the cup has formed a small hill, with a little cocoa powder dotted on the top; square ice cubes can be vaguely seen floating between the bubbles, blurring the boundary between the milk foam and the milk.

She pinched the straw and stirred it, and the different colors seen from the wall of the cup gradually merged into one.

Xiangzi took a sip.

"Sure enough, it's still quite delicious."

"It's quite hot, so I added some ice. If you don't like it too cold, don't stir it too often."

"...Hmm." The girl slowed down her movements. She saw the store manager also picked up a drink and started drinking.

In the silence, the record player continued to play Armenian dance music. The clear piano sound attracted Xiangzi's attention.

She held the straw in her mouth, swaying quietly to the beat, her fingertips tapping the tabletop in time with the notes. But after two measures, she seemed to suddenly sense something was wrong, paused, and looked up to see Zhe Li watching her with interest.

"Cough. Cough cough..." Xiangzi quickly cleared his throat.

Zhe Li's gaze shifted away from her hurriedly retracted fingers, revealing a regretful expression.

Xiangzi felt his cheeks getting hot, so he put on a stern face and said, "I came here today to ask for something."

"I can tell. After all, Toyokawa-san's face is filled with a murderous aura."

“…Is my expression that exaggerated?”

"Oh, maybe I was exaggerating a bit." Zhe Li smiled and then said to Xiangzi, "But he looks much better now."

Now, expression.

Xiangzi was stunned for a moment and tried to feel her face - she looked annoyed because of Zheli's almost teasing words.

"If you always have a cold expression, you'll start to think you're just as cold as your face."

"..."

She couldn't tell when the man in front of her was serious.

But she was willing to believe that the man who now had a smile on his face had a heart as warm as that smile.

Thinking of this, Xiangzi slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'll just get straight to the point."

When she opened her eyes again, she stood up and stared into Zhe Li's blue eyes, which were as gorgeous as Su Shi's.

"As Mr. Zhe Li knows, my father and I are currently... facing some financial difficulties." Her expression darkened slightly when she said this, but in a moment, she shook her head, her fortitude returning to her face. "So, I hope to find a job with Mr. Zhe Li."

Even if she could only earn a tiny amount of money, it would at least cover her daily expenses and allow her to survive until next year.

"I see." Zhe Li nodded. "You're not old enough, so you can only come to me?"

"...Yes. I will repay you handsomely in the future for your kindness today..."

She spoke some empty words that did nothing to fill the deep depression in her heart.

Regardless of whether Zheli agreed or not, just making such a request made her feel deeply powerless.

She was just a student, how could she possibly support her father? But was she supposed to just follow her uncle and grandfather and abandon her father? And even step on him? She couldn't do that.

If the indifference of putting profit above all else is the true nature of "Fengchuan", then why should we teach her to have a sense of shame?

...No. Perhaps, it wasn't "Toyokawa" who taught her these things, but only her parents.

She remembered her mother's hysterics, and even more so, her father's insistent arguments. There was no right or wrong between them. They were each quietly resisting this family name in their own way—resisting it for her, their daughter.

That's why she couldn't just give up in a place like this...

"I see."

While the girl was lost in thought, the man's clear voice broke the silence.

Shoko Toyokawa quickly straightened up and looked at the store manager who was pinching his chin with a little nervousness.

"Well, let's start the interview now."

"Oh. Oh, okay, okay..." Xiangzi reached out and pulled out the chair.

However, Baodeng Zheli clapped his hands, causing her to stop midway.

"Don't worry, the interview is not here."

"Hmm?" The girl didn't understand the meaning of the other person's words for a moment, so she raised her head again.

The man was seen holding his chest, looking up, and almost looking down at her with his chin.

"Toyokawa-san."

"yes……?"

As Xiangzi's voice was deliberately prolonged, her heart was beating so fast that it was difficult for her to finish a sentence smoothly.

Zhe Li grinned widely, lowering his head to look at her. His smile was as cunning as that of a fox or a cat.

"Let's go on a date."

"..."

The girl opened her mouth.

"Eh……?"

……

……

……

Note: Article 60 of Japan's Labor Standards Act stipulates that the employment of minors under the age of 15 must meet both the following conditions: "Working hours per week, including school hours, must not exceed 40 hours," and "On school days, the total number of hours, including school hours, must not exceed seven hours." Even with Japan's relaxed education system, the available working time is limited to approximately four hours per week, meaning that students can only attend holiday classes, and only once a day at that.

Chapter 123 of Lost Stars: Summer Time Records: Chapter : No Three, No Ritual

"As for drinks, I'd like a latte. What would Toyokawa-san like?"

"Hey. Then, I'll have a latte too..."

"I understand. Please wait a moment."

"..."

Shoko Toyokawa's gaze followed the waiter's back for a moment before turning back to the smiling man sitting opposite her.

"Excuse me, Mr. Zheli, what is this?"

After Zhe Li finished ordering, he lowered his head and began tapping away on his phone. When the girl at the opposite table asked him about this, he looked up at her with a puzzled expression and said, "Didn't we say it from the beginning? It's a date."

Xiangzi's mouth twitched, and he felt a little embarrassed: "Please, please don't make fun of me anymore."

"joke……?"

Zhe Li opened his mouth, looking quite stunned, as if his mind had suffered a huge shock.