Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

Su Shi smiled and waved his hands, "Me? I don't need it..."

After saying this, as if she was worried that Zhe Li might misunderstand something, she quickly added:

"My mother comes home occasionally, and I have to prepare dinner for her, so I won't bother you, Mr. Manager."

……Occasionally?

Zhe Li did not insist, but instead said: "Then I will take you back."

"Eh? Ah, no, I live far away, how could I trouble you——"

"Then I should take you home." Zhe Li looked at Su Shi seriously and said, "You stayed so late because of us. I can't let you go home alone at night."

"It's not that late..."

"Besides, if your mother comes home early, I can help you explain it."

Well, that would make Mother misunderstand even more, right?

Su Shi tried to imagine such a scene, and quickly pulled up the hair at her temples to cool down her hot ears.

"But Lenai-chan has to eat dinner first, right? Otherwise, the timings won't match..."

"?" Lenai was swaying on the bench. When he heard his name, he turned around and shouted, "I'm not hungry."

"Eh..." Su Shi was stunned.

"Don't you want to eat buckwheat noodles anymore?" Zhe Li asked.

"There's buckwheat?" Lenai opened her eyes wide.

"No."

Life is not easy, Zhe Li sighed: This is a coffee shop, not a soba noodle shop!

As a result, Le Nai jumped up from the stool and said, "Let's go home."

"You really are like a cat! So free..."

Seeing that she was about to leave with her guitar, Zhe Li followed her in a few steps.

"I remember you live nearby, right? I'll take you home. Nagasaki-san, please wait in the store for a while. I'll be back soon."

"Huh? Oh, oh..."

Su Shi watched in a daze as the two of them walked out of the soundproof room and the store door and disappeared at the end of the alley.

The cafe suddenly became quiet.

She suddenly felt a little cold, rubbed her hands, and went back to sit at the counter.

As the sky darkened, the yellow lights in the cafe became dimmer.

But in front of the counter, where the store manager had originally stood, there was another small lamp, which dispelled the evil spirits that tried to climb in through the window.

After the excited emotions gradually subsided, Nagasaki Suyo realized that she had been practicing bass almost non-stop in these few hours. She suddenly felt a little tired, so she lay on the table with her arms under her head, staring at the small lamp in a daze.

……and many more.

I could have refused just now!

After a long while, she finally remembered.

There was no need for the store manager to send me home. I could have walked to the bus station by myself. It was just across the street, not far at all. I usually went home alone like this, so what was the problem?

"...But if I leave now, the manager will probably be worried."

The girl muttered words of persuasion to herself.

But I didn't dare to think deeply about why I couldn't even say a word of refusal just now.

……

The clock ticks, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

Nagasaki Suyo didn't know how much time had passed, but she found that her heart was becoming more and more full of anticipation as the minute hand moved forward.

Until the crisp sound of the hanging bell rang out.

"Sorry for the wait." A gentle voice came.

Su Shi straightened up almost at the same moment.

She looked back gracefully.

Standing by the door was a blond man with his usual smile, waving at her, "Let's go."

"……it is good."

And she walked briskly.

Smiling like a flower.

●

From Mejiro Station, take the Yamanote Line south to Ebisu Station, then take the Hibiya Line to Roppongi Station.

This was Nagasaki Suyo's daily routine after school. Then, the next morning, she'd make another trip, only in the opposite direction.

A round trip takes almost two hours, and even a one-way trip takes 4 to 50 minutes.

For working professionals struggling to make ends meet, it may seem like an ordinary number. But for rising stars striving to attend their dream university, it's just a small obstacle on the road to success.

...But she's just a junior high school student.

When Su Shi carefully explained the route to him, Bao Dengzheli didn't know what expression to make.

Pity? That was a bit much; expecting him to remain unmoved by this didn't seem realistic either.

But looking at Su Shi sitting upright in the chair, hugging her schoolbag tightly, he couldn't say anything.

It was around 7: p.m., well before the last train and well past school and get off work hours, so the train wasn't crowded. However, Zheli didn't sit down. Instead, he stood next to Sushi's seat, holding the handle.

After waiting for a stop, Su Shi seemed to suddenly remember that there was such a person next to him, and looked up at him.

"Mr. Manager, won't you sit down?"

"Let me see the scenery." Zhe Li said, "I've never taken a bus going this direction before."

"Oh." Su Shi responded.

She felt that Zhe Li was not looking out the window, but at her...?

Is it, is it an illusion?

While I was daydreaming, Zhe Li's voice came again:

"I usually take the bus north to Ikebukuro and wander around the shopping district. But no matter how I go around, I always end up at RiNG."

Su Shi looked up at him. He was looking into the distance.

It was indeed an illusion...

Su Shi didn't know whether he was relieved or disappointed.

She raised her hand to tidy up the hair hanging by her ear and said casually, "The store manager really likes the band."

"I don't really like it." Zhe Li laughed a few times, "But I can gradually feel the charm of music."

"Is that why you formed a band with Lenai-chan?"

"Well, I just made a deal with her. As long as she studies hard, I'll play in the band with her—that's all. Even if you're not interested in the band, you still have to stick to your promise."

“Study hard...?” Su Shi widened his eyes in surprise.

"Little Lenai is, is she a problem student?"

Zhe Li raised an eyebrow, "I don't think so. ...I don't know what she's like in school."

"Huh? Don't you know?"

Zhe Li spread his hands and said, "I've only met her a few times in RiNG."

"I thought you knew each other well."

"Does it look like this?" Zhe Li was a little puzzled.

Why does he have the feeling that Lenai is playing him around?

Even though I never had a cat in my past two lives, I now seem to understand why cat owners always say they are just slaves.

Thankfully, at least Lenai doesn't need him to clean up her shit...

"Looks like it." Su Shi nodded, then lowered her head and began to count on her fingers: "You call each other by name, you have a tacit understanding, and you even remember each other's preferences... If you didn't look alike, I would have thought you two were brother and sister!"

In the end, the tone even sounded a little awkward.

Zhe Li sighed, "Having a sister like her will shorten my life."

It’s not that I hate her, but I have to objectively admit that she is really not an easy child to deal with.

They are obedient but not listen to everything; they are capable but not do everything; they have their own ideas but don’t like to communicate with others.

Of course, Zhe Li wouldn't alienate her. He just had to be more careful in the future and not indulge her too much.

...It's cute, that's all.

After thinking about it, Su Shi was not wrong. Lenai would indeed make Zhe Li remember his sister.

His sister is very different from Lenai. She is innocent, energetic, has a wide range of emotions, and loves to laugh.

But fundamentally, the two shared the same characteristic, which was their own unique perspective on the world. This might sometimes make people around them feel absurd or even repulsive, but Zhe Li understood that this was also their way of loving the world.

Perhaps, Zheli unconsciously transferred some of his attitude towards his own sister to Lenai.

At least, he wanted to see Lenai grow up happily like his sister...

at this time.

"Saying that and making that expression won't convince anyone at all."

Su Shi just stared at his face with a smile and said.

Zhe Li raised his hand and touched it, and found that he was smiling.

He rubbed his cheeks, regained control of his expression, and then said, "Sorry, sorry, thinking of my sister, I showed a disgusting smile."

It’s not disgusting at all, Su Shi muttered in his heart.

"So the store manager has a sister?"

"Yes. I have an older sister and a younger sister. My older sister helps out in my hometown, while my younger sister is studying in another city."

At least that's what he knew before he died.

After his death, he went to the world of Build, died again, and is now here.

All three times were in Tokyo. He seemed to have a special connection with Tokyo.

I just don’t know how he will die now that he has become a blood star slime?

Also, what expressions would his family members have when they received the news of his death?

In the world of Build, he had to fight against doomsday every minute, and his tense nerves had never given him time to think about these things. Now that he was relaxing in this peaceful world, he couldn't stop these random thoughts from running through his mind.

This was probably a good thing. It proved that he hadn't turned into something like Albert.

In a trance, Nagasaki Suyo's voice interrupted his thoughts -

"Mr. Manager, you must love your sister very much."

"...She is my family, of course I love her. Not just my sister, but also my older sister and my parents."

Zhe Li looked at Su Shi's lowered face and lowered his voice:

"Don't you think so too? You value your mother as well."

The girl paused, lowered her head and gently stroked her fingernails, "I... just don't want to cause trouble for my mother."

"That's also a manifestation of love." Zhe Li said softly, but his tone was extremely affirmative.

Baodeng Zheli did not go through a period of rebellion.

In other words, the only time he could remember was when he was a child and for some reason he lost his temper and made his sister cry uncontrollably one afternoon.

From then on, he never got angry with his family again.

Even though the disease called youth provoked his emotions, he vowed never to vent his anger on the people who loved him.