The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

Tang Lingmei smiled slightly: "Of course."

-

Sitting by the window on the high-speed train, Kohei Imamura leaned against the glass, propping his head up with his elbow. His golden bangs fell down, covering one side of his face and highlighting his somewhat carefree demeanor.

He took in the entire scenery of Atami. The calm sea shone with the glory of the sun, and the silver waves rippled with the leaping of fish. The ocean was beautiful no matter when you looked at it.

He sighed softly and took out his treasured Lala figurine from his pocket. Times change, and nothing has permanent benefits, especially in this information age. Even the "masterpieces" of the animation industry are gradually fading into obscurity as time goes by.

Lala, his favorite anime character who drew him into the world of 2D animation, is no longer popular.

He only found out about the new merchandise when they launched it on the third day. If he hadn't suddenly become interested and checked the official website, he wouldn't have known about it at all. Even among his fellow otaku, not a single person knew.

Is this a test for him? Lala.

There's a new anime about magical girls that's recently come out. I'm worried that one day he might get tired of not having a sequel for so long.

No, Lala, he only loves you.

He is a remnant of the old era, and there is no ship for him in the new era. Those new magical girl anime are just counterfeit products that are profiting from your success.

He wouldn't be attracted to those flashy but impractical women.

What he always liked were simple, unadorned wooden boxes that held deep love and care; treasures and the like were not for him.

Just wait for him, he'll be here soon.

Oh, right, I need to send a message to the people in my otaku group when I buy it, so those old guys can see the energy of modern young people!

-

Gazing at the numerous colorful and fragrant foods on the table, Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes darted around somewhat unsteadily. Just moments ago, he had seen all the pocket money he had painstakingly saved fly away like pigeons in instant noodles.

From then on, he might have to survive on half a half a half a half, or one sixty-seventh of a cup of instant noodles. (This is a tribute, not a typo.)

"Are these really safe to eat?"

Kitahara Iori stared blankly at the shrimp dumplings in the steamer. In Japan, most dumplings are pan-fried, and this was the first time he had ever seen steamed dumplings like these. Moreover, judging from the name, they were filled with shrimp meat, which was unheard of.

"Since it's being shipped out as restaurant food, it must be edible."

That being said, Hachiman Hikigaya, who had never eaten Chinese food before, was at a loss for words. He tentatively picked up a piece that looked like an egg roll but had a white outer layer, hesitated for a moment, and still couldn't bring himself to eat it.

"Hachiman, I'm sorry to have woken you up so early today and dragged you here just to come with me to prove that boring fantasy."

Kitahara Iori suddenly spoke up, expressing her apologies to him.

Hearing his apology, Hachiman was deeply moved, and a novel idea, which had never occurred to him before, arose in his heart.

"Are you out of your mind?"

His eyes twitched, not understanding why this guy had suddenly gone crazy. Let's make it clear first, he wasn't planning on paying alone; this meal would definitely be split equally.

"No, I just deeply feel the consequences of my mistake." Iori's face was solemn, his expression filled with remorse. "How could I do this to you, to my best brother?"

These sincere words left Hachiman speechless. He looked at Iori in silence, waiting for his next words.

"So, to express my apology, I'll give you all of these shrimp dumplings, which cost 400 yen."

Kitahara Iori placed the shrimp dumplings from the basket into Hachiman's bowl, a gesture that sent chills down Hachiman's spine.

"Eat quickly, or it will get cold."

He urged him on, his concern evident on the surface.

Hachiman looked at the shrimp dumplings in the bowl, and after a moment, he chuckled helplessly, picked one up, and brought it to his lips.

Kitahara Iori looked at him intently.

"Tengping?"

Just then, Hachiman pointed outside the door.

"What—cough cough (swallows)—uh—"

Swallowing what was in her mouth, Iori stared wide-eyed at Hachiman's chopsticks in disbelief; the end meant for picking up food was empty.

"Iori, do you know? When you're tricking someone, your expression always looks really contorted." Hachiman smiled calmly. "I've been fooled by you so many times already, but I won't fall for it this time."

He leaned closer, and the devil's whisper reached Kitahara Iori's ears.

"Trying to use me as a test subject? Sorry, I love saying no to people who think they're in control!"

"You—you bastard!"

Hachiman gracefully sat back down, ignoring the other party's ferocious face. Seven seconds later, the other party showed no abnormality, indicating that this thing was indeed edible.

He picked up a shrimp dumpling, put it in his mouth and chewed. Hmm, the outer skin was very thin, the shrimp paste inside was very bouncy, the soup was very fresh, and the taste was good.

"Eat quickly, or it might get cold."

"Leave me some shrimp dumplings!"

Chapter 42 Akihabara - Otaku

Stepping off the Shinkansen train, Kohei Imamura opened his arms, embracing everything before him. Inhaling the sacred scent in the air, his expression was quite dramatic, with every nerve on his face twitching, creating a blissful, infatuated feeling.

How long has it been since I last came here? It seems like it's been one year, seven months, and four days. I can't help it, whenever I come here, I can't help but want to buy all the anime merchandise I like. As a result, I even forgot to save money on the fare back home, which led to me sleeping in a cardboard box on the roadside and enjoying a spacious little bed in the open air until my mother arrived the next day.

But this time he wouldn't repeat the same mistake. Holding the strip of cloth in his hand, he planned to blindfold himself after entering the mall and rely on his keen intuition about Lala to find the new merchandise. This way, he could ensure that he would only buy what he wanted!

What a perfect plan! In terms of intelligence, even Zhuge Hachiman or Shima Iori could not compare to him.

With a confident smile, Kohei Imamura strode toward the largest surrounding supplier market.

Just as he stepped out, two boys wearing sunglasses peeked out from behind the bushes by the roadside. They leaned against the green leaves, spying on Kohei Imamura's back.

"Come alone?"

"I came alone."

After a brief exchange of information, the two emerged from behind the bushes. It was Hachiman Hikigaya and Iori Kitahara, who had already finished their morning tea and paid a hefty sum at AA.

At this moment, they not only wore sunglasses to cover their faces, but also wore clothes with characters from recently popular anime. This was suggested by Kitahara Iori, who said that this would disguise them as ordinary otaku and make them less likely to be noticed by the person being followed.

However, in reality, Hachiman Hikigaya had already keenly noticed that many people had been staring at them along the way. Although this was a holy place for anime and manga fans, not everyone wore the clothes of their favorite characters. Most of them were either men in short sleeves or girls in high school uniforms.

He had initially rejected the suggestion, but seeing Iori acting like a high-ranking plainclothes officer, he felt too embarrassed to interrupt his fantasy.

Since it wasn't the first time they'd worn it, with that in mind, the two of them formed a detective duo who "pretended to be otaku and are now tracking an otaku who might violate the brotherhood code."

That's really a tongue twister.

Gazing at Kohei Imamura's lonely figure, Iori Kitahara murmured these inappropriate words: "Could it be that he has arranged to meet someone somewhere?"

"Offline meeting" is a term that only appears online. It specifically refers to the behavior of two people who know each other online and have developed a certain liking for each other, deciding not to limit themselves to text communication and thus arranging to meet in real life.

"Iori".

Please call me boss.

"..."

What the heck is "boss"? What detective would call their superior "boss"?

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless at his professional knowledge. He pointed ahead and said, "Whether we agreed on a meeting place or Kohei came alone, it's best if we don't catch up with him soon, or he'll be out of our sight."

"what?"

Kitahara Iori raised an eyebrow, looking at the increasingly smaller black dot in the distance. He then brought his right hand together, forming a knife shape with his four fingers, and slashed downwards: "Let's go!"

Led by him, the two walked stealthily with their backs against the wall, a strong sense of déjà vu creeping into Hachiman's heart.

Why did he think they were the ones who felt guilty?

After lying low for a while, Hachiman Hikigaya and Iori Kitahara witnessed their target, Kohei Imamura, enter the store.

"Should we continue, boss?"

"How can we give up now that things have come to this?"

After waiting for ten seconds, the two entered the mall. As soon as they entered, Hachiman Hikigaya's gaze was drawn to a familiar, enormous creature.

"Mr. Pan's dolls are on sale now, travelers who are interested are welcome to come and take a look!"

A giant doll with eyes made of a five-pointed star and an oval, and a cheeky smile on its face, is waving its hand and standing among a group of smaller dolls that look exactly like it and wear various outfits, attracting customers. Many children are drawn to it, standing next to the doll, looking up and exclaiming "Wow!" at this celebrity animal merchandise that is rarely seen in Japan.

Hachiman Hikigaya blinked, staring blankly at the doll. He didn't know how much time had passed when someone bumped into his right hand. After the other person said sorry, he finally realized what had happened.

After saying it was okay, he looked around and realized that his troublesome child was gone.

"Iori?"

He called out softly, but no one responded. People kept coming in from the entrance behind him, so he had no choice but to walk forward as well, trying to find Kitahara Iori and Imamura Kohei.

He died with a silent look in his eyes. Didn't this guy even realize that he hadn't kept up?

As he passed a corner, he accidentally bumped into someone. With his mind elsewhere, Hachiman Hikigaya hurriedly apologized, steadied the other person's petite figure, and then walked around to continue forward.

Unexpectedly, the man grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Could it be that they want compensation?

He turned his head, ready to explain, but a captivating voice spoke first, striking straight to his heart.

"Hachi...hata?"

-

That guy has been walking around ever since he came in.

Kitahara Iori narrowed her eyes and looked at Imamura Kohei, who was turning left and right not far away. Her heart tightened. Could it be that this guy had discovered that they were following them and was planning to shake them off in this way?

That can't be right, how could this guy be so smart?

He gripped Hachiman's arm tightly. The guy had been frozen in place ever since he entered the mall, so he had no choice but to hold onto his forearm and move forward.

Huh? Wouldn't it be more convenient to hold his hand?

He would never do something so disgusting.

No, if this continues, Kohei will use his Phantom Step to escape. The mall is too crowded; if we're not careful, he'll disappear completely.

You have to think of a way.

"Hachiman, stop crashing! Think of something quick!"

When it comes to using your brain, having an external brain means fewer brain cells will die.

He gripped Hachiman's wrist and hissed. How come he had never noticed before how thin this guy's forearm was? It felt so soft to the touch.

Something's not right! Something's nine out of ten wrong. That guy plays tennis so hard, his forearms must be trained, they can't be this soft.

Just as he realized he might have arrested the wrong person, a clear, melodious female voice rang out: "Hachiman?"

Chapter 43 Akihabara - Class Reunion

"Hachi...hata?"

Staring blankly at the person in front of him, Hachiman Hikigaya never imagined that he would meet the other person in such a situation. No, perhaps he never imagined that he would have the opportunity to meet the other person again.

"It really is you! It's been so long!"

The petite, white-haired boy jumped up excitedly and hugged him. A faint fragrance wafted from the boy's hair, which was close to his face. It was a cool lemon scent, which was a great way to cool down in the summer.

The sound of clapping rang in his ears. Hachiman Hikigaya turned his gaze to the passing tourists who were clapping, and inexplicably began to hallucinate the dream he had just experienced.

Recalling the outcome, he shuddered violently, gently pulled the boy's hand off his waist, and took a step back.

"...Hachiman?"

"Uh, sorry."

Hachiman Hikigaya looked somewhat embarrassed. Realizing that this wasn't a good place to talk, he grabbed the other person's hand and left.

They walked along the safety passage, and along the way, the boy chattered excitedly about topics related to him, his lively manner resembling that of a sparrow.

Totsuka-kun, you're still so energetic!

After arriving at an indoor rest area, Hachiman Hikigaya let go of the other's hand, and the two sat on a bench. Noticing the other's bright eyes, he couldn't help but move a little further away.

Ugh, this dazzling light is almost blinding him! Totsuka-kun, please put away your angelic glow, this penguin from the dark sewers can't take it.

"Hey, Hachiman, what are you doing here? I heard you went to Izu and attended university there?"