Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

"Hana, you and that Kusuke aren't a couple, are you?"

Kazama, the blind student, Akatsuki, discovered the key point.

"Well."

Originally indignant, Banai trembled upon hearing this, her face growing increasingly grim as if her soft spot had been hit.

Akatsuki, whose head was throbbing from the loud and boisterous Banami, rubbed his temples. He noticed this, but continued talking without taking it seriously.

"In that case, it seems you, Banai, have no right to call her a 'fish-stealing cat.' You were here first, but when it comes to feelings, the logic of first come, first served is very weak. It's actually the unloved who are the less desirable—"

"Of course I know that, I don't need you to remind me, Kazama-kun!! What's going on? Are you also completely infatuated with Karen? Are you so mesmerized by her incredibly alluring figure that you're completely lost?!"

Sure enough, they panicked.

Miss Banami blushed visibly, and even kept gesturing with her hands in front of her chest to show off her more voluptuous figure. It seemed that her rival had a perfect figure that even she could hardly match.

Kazama didn't really care about that, since it was Hanami who was particularly sensitive because her chest was smaller than her love rival's, not him.

"What I mean is, since there's no romantic relationship between them, she's not cheating—"

"Karen-chan is actually my friend, but she—she just transferred here in May!! What about my friendship with Kusuke that I've had for over ten years?"

How sad. Should we play some fitting tunes to liven up the atmosphere?

Wait a minute, you just called her a cheater and now you're saying she's just a friend? So, can the fake friendship between girls actually take root in real life?

"In a typical romantic comedy, we childhood sweethearts are basically already a couple, right? If it weren't for that milk-loving girl showing up out of nowhere, things should have naturally progressed to the point where it's a done deal by now!"

One minute you're a philandering cat, the next a milk cow girl; if more rivals appear, you'll probably turn this place into an animal documentary.

"...You're actually secretly complaining about me, this helpless and pathetic loser woman, right?"

Although Akatsuki remained silent and did not echo Banami's complaints, she seemed dissatisfied with this rather conservative approach.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been able to control my emotions lately..."

Xiao couldn't help but think of her mother, who always claimed she wasn't interested in these things, but Xiao always managed to catch her watching various short family dramas. If it were her, she would definitely be very happy to see this scene.

Although Miss Mu, who raised him, was always taciturn and not very good at saying things that would comfort a child, and in terms of daily life, she was more like a "big kid" who needed the care of a nanny along with the child, she was not a very competent mother in this respect...

"...But there's nothing wrong with having feelings for someone, isn't there?"

He suddenly remembered the last words Mu had said before he traveled through time.

As long as you get home safely, that's all that matters.

But when will he be able to go home?

Thinking about when he might not see his mother again, Xiao's expression was no longer as nonchalant and indifferent as before. Even Yana, who was immersed in her own grief, could feel the low pressure surrounding him at this moment.

Anna Hanami is not a person with low emotional intelligence who cannot read between the lines; she can understand the unspoken meaning behind Kazama Akira's words.

"...It seems we're the same."

The way she looked at Xiao was more empathetic and comforting, as if Xiao had misunderstood something or perhaps had suddenly realized something.

"It's okay, just eat a big meal like me! All your worries will disappear after you're full! Although, in theory, I should control my calorie intake..."

Fortunately, Anna Hanami is no ordinary woman.

The blue-haired girl chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.

"But I'll treat you to a cheat meal today! I want to have a double grill burger, fries, chicken nuggets, and chicken wings. What about you, Kazama-kun?"

The girl's bright smile and her slightly clueless yet perfectly timed thoughtfulness made Xiao gradually lower her guard, but at the same time, her stomach clenched again.

"Hmm... I'll have the same set meal as you."

Turning grief and anger into appetite is a good way to relieve stress.

Chapter Five: You Have Eyes That Look Just Like Her

When Ruo Yexiao was still seven or eight years old, she had already heard a lot about the past from her mother Ruo Yemu and the aunts she admired. Through various coincidences, she gradually became familiar with these aunts.

For example, how Aunt Chihaya Aine enthusiastically helped Mutsu, who didn't know how to take care of children, get along with him at such a young age; and how Aunt Suze, although she didn't show any friendly or gentle expression to him when they first met, would still pick him up and drop him off at elementary school when Mutsu was busy.

Sometimes the two of them would argue over who got to spend time with him after school, but in the end they would always reach a peace agreement to silently wait by Xiao's side until Mu came to pick him up.

"If I didn't have eyes that look so much like those of that aunt named Xiangzi, would Mu still be my mother?"

When he was very young, Xiao, who lacked a sense of security, asked the two aunts who were taking him around.

"..."

The two, who were joking around—mainly because Aunt Su Shi was being unilaterally cold and Aunt Ai Yin was indifferent and continued to chat—exchanged glances at each other and fell silent unexpectedly.

"Actually, it's not just because of that."

A moment later, Aunt Aiyin broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere of the conversation with a big smile.

"According to Xiaomu, it's mainly because when we met, you kept pestering the director that you wanted to eat cucumbers—you know that's Xiaomu's favorite food, right? And if it weren't for you, Xiaomu wouldn't have been so quick to eat them..."

"Okay, let's not talk about this with the child."

Aunt Aiyin seemed to want to say something, but was stopped in time by Aunt Sushi, whose face was pale.

"Ah Xiao, come here. Ah—"

The next second, Aunt Su Shi, with a gentle smile on her face, shut Ruo Yexiao's mouth with a sweet fruit candy.

Later, he gradually understood what Aunt Aiyin meant by what she was trying to say but couldn't.

Especially later, a blonde, purple-eyed celebrity began to frequently visit their home, and this beautiful aunt, who was also an old acquaintance of her mother, kept staring at her.

“Ah Xiao… you have eyes that look just like hers…”

She once said these words, giving Xiao a forlorn smile.

He understood who "she" referred to and grasped the unspoken feelings of Aine.

If Mu hadn't adopted him, these aunties who were once her mother's acquaintances might never have met with her again, or even seen their relationship gradually warm up.

Unfortunately, both Mutsu and Aine were reluctant to talk about the past, at least not in front of Akatsuki, and they were both filled with regret and sorrow over the girl's early death.

Was the death of a person named Toyokawa Shoko so unforgettable for them?

With her mind filled with old memories and sorrows, Xiao unknowingly finished the pile of hamburgers and fries in front of her, as well as chicken wings, hash browns, crepes, chicken legs, and other miscellaneous snacks.

"Wow... This is the first time I've met someone who can eat even more than me..."

When he came to his senses, Anzu Hachimi, who was sitting in front of him, was already looking at him with a shocked and speechless expression.

"Burp—actually, these fast foods aren't very filling."

Xiao let out a satisfied burp. If this were really twenty years ago, the girl named Yanami Anna could have been his aunt.

"Eat whatever you want, just remember to pay for it yourself."

"Of course... uh."

Xiao confidently reached into her pocket, but was slightly embarrassed when she couldn't find her phone or wallet.

...It's not unreasonable for me to eat a fast food meal with Auntie, is it?

"...You didn't go out without taking anything with you, did you?"

Banami felt a sense of unease about Anzu.

"Okay, I'll treat you to a cappuccino... cough, I mean, I'll treat you to a cappuccino with me..."

Xiao smiled broadly, but despite her best efforts, she could only pull out a crumpled 1,000 yen note from her pocket.

"This is far from enough!!"

The result, of course, was a merciless rebuke from Banami.

"Sorry, I didn't bring my wallet with me when I went out today..."

Putting everything else aside, Japan finally popularized mobile payment after more than twenty years. Of course, the money was all in the phone and couldn't be withdrawn—and Xiao obediently followed her mother Mu's advice and put her phone aside before offering incense.

So strictly speaking, he is indeed penniless now except for a 1,000 yen banknote.

"How about this, um... I'll lend it to you first, Kazama, you can pay me back when you have the money!"

Banami reluctantly took out her wallet, seemingly still feeling the pinch considering Kazama's fighting prowess.

"Here's my contact information too... Ah, I get it! Is this some kind of trick to get a girl's contact information?!"

Originally, Anzu Hachimi was still immersed in her naive and helpful role, intending to see things through to the end. Suddenly, she switched from her helpful mode to a legal philosophy segment, and quite inexplicably, this assumption caused her to develop unnecessary wariness and resentment towards Akatsuki.

"Of course not, because you're not my type at all, but you're a good person."

However, her burgeoning girlish heart was immediately and ruthlessly extinguished by Xiao's resolute tone.

"Hey, how can you be so ruthless when rejecting a girl?"

Okay, although Anna Hanami isn't the kind of person who would fall in love at first sight based on looks... cough, I mean, she still felt frustrated and annoyed to be rejected by a guy who was handsome no matter how you looked at him—especially since this guy had a face that looked like he could be scouted by a talent agent at any moment and sincerely gave her a friend card.

This sense of shame was the first time in Hanami Anna's life... Well, not quite the first time. Her childhood friend, Kusuke, had just abandoned her to go find another girl. How could this not be a kind of shame?

In short, after they had both finished eating and drinking, Akira said goodbye to Banami after Banami paid the bill with a miserable expression.

"Thank you, Banami. I will definitely repay this kindness in the future."

"It's okay, you can pay me back whenever you want... But looking at you, Kazama-kun, you didn't bring your phone or any cash, are you really sure it's alright?"

"Uh, no problem... right?"

After seeing off Hachina, who looked like she was wondering if it was really okay, with a very forced smile, Akatsuki stood in front of the family restaurant and began frantically searching her memory for her place of residence.

Fortunately, the route back to the student dormitory from here was still vivid in his mind, along with the electronic lock password.

Looks like I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight.

After watching Banami disappear from sight, Wakaba Akatsuki—or rather, Kazama Akatsuki—followed the path of his memories back to the place he could call home.

After walking along the streets of the residential area for a while, he arrived at the student apartment where he lived. He entered the elevator, pressed the button for the designated floor, and waited for half a minute before arriving at the apartment door. He then opened the electronic lock of the door using the password that came to mind.

What came into view was a single apartment that was neither too big nor too small, but had all the necessary amenities. Xiao was quite certain that he had never been to this place before, but instead of feeling unfamiliar and wary, the place gave him a sense of security as it quietly welcomed him home.

On the table was a cell phone that its owner had forgotten, and the date was indeed 202x. The text messages contained records of regular monthly transfers for living expenses, so it seemed he at least didn't have to worry about surviving in this timeline.

However, generally speaking, this development pattern holds true.

Since the uncontrollable force that transported him to this world even arranged for his accommodation and living expenses...

Will some kind of cheat system or cheat code suddenly appear to guide him next?

Thinking of this, Xiao couldn't help but feel a little eager to try.

The idea of ​​time travel is absurd enough, so it's reasonable to expect that something good might happen on top of that.

Unfortunately, even when Xiao accidentally fell asleep, he never encountered the kind of divine intervention that appears in third-rate novels.

But what he could never have imagined, while sleeping soundly in the same city, in the same time and space, was that in another corner—

[You have been matched with a new task. Task executor: Kazama Akatsuki.]

"...Hmm?"

The main quest will be delivered to you the following morning. Please check your inbox.

As Anna turned over in her sleep, she could feel a voice echoing in her mind during the hazy, half-awake state.

"Haha... grilled fish..."

But the next second, she was muttering about grilled fish and then, just like the grilled fish, she flipped over and fell fast asleep.

Chapter Six: She's the woman who could be my mother.

In a daze, Xiao had a dream.

The woman who was not yet his mother smiled shyly. Although she was almost thirty, she still seemed not very good at interacting with children. Her movements as she squatted down to look at him were also a little stiff and awkward.

"Your name... shall we call you Xiao?"

That was on the day his mother adopted him, the moment she reached out her hand to him, who was a little shy.

She was probably quite shy back then.