They are really too low!

It was right after school, but the girl wasn't wearing her school uniform. Instead, she was dressed in a simple, wrinkled outfit: a long-sleeved shirt and a skirt. It didn't reveal much of the curves a young girl should have, but the cinched waist accentuated her slender figure, giving her a dignified and elegant air.

Even while seated, the girl maintained a proper posture, with her legs together and only a small section of her fair and delicate calves visible beneath her skirt. Her black leather shoes encased her feet in white socks, easily reminding one of the soaking wet scene from yesterday.

The girl's body should be well-developed; she's not exactly immature, but she's not fully mature either. However, compared to these physical attributes, the girl looks very tired right now.

Hoshino noticed her dark circles, either because she cried herself to sleep after going back, or because she was under too much pressure and had no time to rest.

Furthermore, the fact that she is wearing casual clothes suggests that she may not have even been to school today.

According to the status description provided by the system, the girl had experienced a family crisis, which forced her to leave her band, hence her exhausted expression.

Hoshino fell into deep thought. What should he do for the girl?

Chapter Eleven: I Have a Friend

Toyokawa Shoko had no idea what Hoshino Mi was thinking; she was also observing Hoshino Mi.

It was raining yesterday, and she cried a lot, so she didn't observe the boy carefully.

When they met again, Toyokawa Shoko found that the boy was very handsome, like a boy from a Yukio Mishima novel. His face was youthful and a little naive, but his eyes were bright and piercing, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, which made people feel a little flustered. He was the type who could charm both young girls and mature women.

Shoko Toyokawa suppressed her strange emotions and recognized Hoshino Mi's school uniform; it should be the uniform of Toyonosaki High School.

The reason I was able to recognize her was because the school she was going to attend was right next to Toyonosaki High School.

In other words, she is very likely to run into this boy frequently when she goes to school in the future.

"Thank you for yesterday." Toyokawa Shoko handed the bag containing the coat to Hoshino Mi. "I've washed it clean, so please take it back without worry."

Hoshino glanced at the bag; it had a self-service laundromat sign, so she must have taken it there to be washed, since it had rained yesterday and the coat was hard to dry.

I hadn't planned to ask her to return the coat so soon, but she insisted on returning it immediately.

"You didn't catch a cold yesterday, did you?" Hoshino asked as he took the bag.

"Thanks to you, I took a hot shower after I got back and didn't catch a cold," Toyokawa Shoko said politely.

“But you don’t look too good.” Hoshino tapped the corner of his eye. “You have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?”

Toyokawa Shoko fell silent. In fact, she was so tired last night that she could have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but the smell of alcohol in the room and her father's snoring made it impossible for her to fall asleep.

Especially considering that she had already left her former home and even given up the band, her father was still unable to get up.

In an instant, she felt lost. What should she do next?

"I'm sorry, I asked a question I shouldn't have asked." Hoshino saw her expression and immediately understood what the girl was thinking.

Shoko Toyokawa snapped out of her daze, hesitant to speak. She wanted to apologize, but she really didn't want to reveal her situation.

Therefore, Toyokawa Shoko could only remain silent.

That's quite normal, since this is only the second time the two have met, and they are just strangers who have met by chance.

Hoshino glanced at the table opposite him. Toyokawa Shoko had only ordered the cheapest coffee. After a moment's thought, she picked up the menu.

"There are many desserts here. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, then quickly said, "No, no need, I don't have an appetite right now."

In fact, she had been restraining herself from looking at the desserts on the menu.

Afternoon tea, which she once took for granted, has now become a luxury for her, and she even has to carefully consider what to eat each day.

Not wanting Hoshino to see her predicament, Toyokawa Shoko could only sip a few mouthfuls of coffee to appease her appetite.

However, this action further confirmed Hoshino's suspicion that the girl was short of money.

"Alright, in that case, could you do me a favor, Toyokawa-kun?" Hoshino asked somewhat uncertainly, "I rarely have the chance to eat with a beautiful girl like you. Would you like to try the strawberry parfait here with me?"

This was the first time Toyokawa Shoko had ever been invited like this. Her mouth was slightly open, but she didn't know how to reply.

She felt a little ashamed because she vaguely guessed that Hoshino had seen through her predicament.

"Don't rush to refuse. I gave you my coat before, and now you'll have a parfait with me. We'll call it even, right? It's fair, isn't it?"

Originally, she wanted to refuse Hoshino Mi, but after he said that, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly had no reason to refuse.

It's okay, the two are just strangers who have just met. I can always invite them back later, Toyokawa Shoko comforted herself.

A moment later, the waiter brought over two strawberry parfaits. Toyokawa Shoko looked at the strawberry parfaits in front of her and suddenly said something softly.

"Thank you," the girl said. "I'll treat you next time too."

Hoshino paused for a moment, then laughed.

"If it's Toyokawa who's going to treat me, I should be the one saying thank you."

Toyokawa Shoko silently ate her strawberry parfait. She hadn't had such a dessert in a long time, and for some reason, she felt an urge to cry.

"Is Hoshino-kun a student of Toyonosaki?" Toyokawa Shoko asked, trying to compose herself.

“Yes, I’ll be a second-year high school student next month,” Hoshino Mi said. “What about Toyokawa-kun?”

“I’m a year younger than you, and I’ll be attending Haneoka High School next, right next to you.” Toyokawa Shoko smiled slightly. “Maybe we’ll run into each other on the way, Hoshino-senpai.”

Hoshino recognized Haneoka from what she mentioned; it was also a nearby high school, except Haneoka was an all-girls school.

But why was she able to deliver the following lines so naturally?

"Won't you try some?" Toyokawa Shoko put the spoon in her mouth. "I've already had several bites, and it tastes very good."

Hoshino looked at the corner of the girl's mouth; the remaining cream and strawberry jam made him have all sorts of fantasies.

"You suddenly called me 'senior' before I could react." Hoshino felt like she had met a master, wondering if she was just naturally innocent or doing it on purpose.

“You’ve always called me classmate, so of course I should call you senior.” Perhaps it was because of the strawberry parfait, but Toyokawa Shoko was in a good mood. “By the way, the school I attended before was also an all-girls college, and today is the first time I’ve called you senior.”

As if belatedly realizing what she had said, Toyokawa Shoko quickly turned her head, her ears slightly red.

Hoshino pretended not to see it, took a bite of the parfait, and found it to be quite delicious.

Just then, a telephone rang.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call." Toyokawa Shoko was startled and hurriedly took out her phone. Seeing the caller ID, she cleared her throat and resumed her previous demeanor.

Hoshino watched as the girl answered the phone, and the girl even gave a polite smile.

"Hello, yes, I had an appointment with you this morning for Toyokawa Shoko... Wait, why did you cancel tomorrow's job interview? Could you please tell me why..."

Before Toyokawa Shoko could finish her last sentence, the other party had already hung up the phone.

In an instant, Toyokawa Shoko also fell silent.

The atmosphere, which had been gradually warming up, suddenly became extremely silent. The girl opposite her remained motionless, not even glancing at the strawberry parfait that could have cheered her up.

After a moment, Toyokawa Shoko put on a smile again and said with difficulty, "I'm sorry, I may have to take my leave now. I'll treat you next time."

Just as Toyokawa Shoko was about to leave, Hoshino Mi suddenly asked, "Can you play the piano?"

Toyokawa Shoko looked at Hoshino Mi, who was also looking at her. After a while, she bit her lip and whispered something.

"know a little."

“I have a friend who wants to learn piano, but he needs a teacher.”

"I might not be suitable."

“It’s okay, let’s give it a try. Anyway, she’s only interested for a short time. Let’s take the opportunity to squeeze some money out of her.”

Chapter Twelve: My Idol Girlfriend?

The two took a tram and walked for a while before finally arriving at the foot of a high-end apartment building.

Hoshino pressed the doorbell and soon heard the girl's cheerful voice.

"Wait a minute, Mana will be ready soon!"

"How long do we have to wait?"

"Five minutes... no, wait ten more minutes. Ugh, there's so much stuff, Mana needs to pack it all up!"

"Isn't Aunt Yangzi here?"

"Mom isn't here, but it has nothing to do with Mom. It's just that Jian came too quickly. We can't let Jian see the bad side of a girl!"

Hoshino was speechless. If he didn't want people to know, he should have come up with a better reason instead of just blurting it out like this.

Looking at his expression, Toyokawa Shoko realized that the friend he had mentioned was a girl, and they seemed to have a very good relationship.

"Let's take the elevator up first." Hoshino led the way. The security level here is quite high, and it's difficult to get in without a resident's authorization.

Shoko Toyokawa followed behind him and entered the elevator with him.

"Was that a job interview?" Hoshino asked. "Why did they reject you?"

“Probably… because I’m a minor.” Toyokawa Shoko pursed her lips. She had been looking for work these past few days, but almost no one wanted her.

Japan has strict regulations on child labor. People under the age of 16 are not allowed to work. Even high school students who want to find work can only find temporary jobs, such as convenience store clerks.

Besides, Toyokawa Shoko is only a junior high school student right now.

Hoshino didn't ask her why she wanted to find a job. Instead, she said, "Mana probably won't mind your age. She's a student who's about to enter high school, just like you. I think you two should have a lot in common."

Now that she had already come along, Toyokawa Shoko wasn't about to back down. She immediately perked up and asked earnestly, "Has she studied piano? What's her skill level?"

“Don’t worry, she doesn’t know anything about musical instruments except singing and dancing.” Hoshino thought for a moment, “You’ll know the specifics when you meet her later.”

Toyokawa Shoko was very nervous because it was her first time tutoring at someone's home, and she didn't know if her performance would satisfy the tutor and their parents.

At that moment, Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously clenched her fists, secretly praying that her mother's spirit in heaven would bless her with everything going well.

Otherwise, she really didn't know what to do. Should she go back to delivering newspapers?

"Don't be nervous, you're definitely better than her." Hoshino saw through Toyokawa Shoko's mood and casually belittled the girl.

"I'm sorry, it was my rudeness." Toyokawa Shoko took a deep breath. Although she had studied piano, she didn't know if she was up to the task.

Hoshino smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Soon, the elevator arrived at the corresponding floor.

Shoko Toyokawa followed Mi Hoshino out of the elevator, looking around with a hint of curiosity. Suddenly, she heard someone open the door and turned to look.

A very pretty girl stood at the door, wearing a white dress, with her long hair cascading over her rounded shoulders, delicate collarbones, full breasts, and a slender waist; her figure was soft and graceful.

The girl greeted Hoshino with a surprised smile.

"Come in quickly, my mom isn't home!"

While Toyokawa Shoko was still in a daze, Hoshino saw that he had already approached her with practiced ease, so she had no choice but to jog to follow.

"Why are you so happy that Aunt Yangzi isn't here?"

"Because you rarely come all the way here!"

Even if you say that, I won't cook for you tonight.

"Damn it, Mana hasn't said anything yet!"

Seeing the girl's angry expression, Hoshino took a moment to check her profile.

[Target: Junta Mana]

[Intimacy: 62]

[Status: Donut, idol, the person I like—I won't let go of any of them...]

The girl's intimacy level was also stuck for a long time, but Hoshino felt it was probably her own fault.

Since Hoshino went on to higher education, he has rarely had the opportunity to increase his intimacy level with Junda Mana.

"Toyokawa-san, this is my good friend, my former junior, Junta Mana." Hoshino began to introduce them. "Mana, she is the Toyokawa-san I just mentioned to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Junda Mana puffed out her cheeks at him.

"What? That introduction of Mana was way too ordinary!" the girl said, pouting. "Mana is the national champion, for goodness' sake! Can't you at least put some effort into her?"

"The champion of the national singing competition?" Hoshino couldn't help but poke her cheek when she saw her reaction. "Is that the five-time champion who loves eating donuts the most?"

"Donuts are a champion exclusive!" Junta Mana seriously refuted Hoshino Mi. She was a five-time national champion, and the value of her achievement was self-evident. Even her donuts had limited-edition merchandise.