Society fears that young people don’t want to be literary godfathers

It's obviously such a close distance...the distance between friends, but after all, I dare not cross it.

So...the little teacher with dog eyes who has always had a special feeling for Mochizuki Ri, but has always only dared to look at it from a distance and dared not go deep, began to feel a faint sense of escape from his own feelings.

Feeling secretly happy and slightly disappointed, the girl drew the new chapter to be serialized with Mochizuki at a slower speed than in the past.

"........"

As Kasumi Takegami's old partner, Mochizuki would of course be able to notice the girl's slowing down.

But... In order not to affect the efficiency or the girl's condition, Mochizuki did not ask why the speed was slowing down, nor did he dwell too much on the matter.

time flies.

The stars gradually became clearer in the mute night sky... I raised my head and glanced at the twinkling clouds of the galaxy, then glanced at the alarm clock on the table. I found that it was almost ten o'clock, so the young man stood up and spoke loudly. clear:

"Time flies by very quickly. It's time for me to go home - I'll leave the manuscript at your house. It's better not to work until the early hours of the morning on such an important day as Christmas Eve."

"...Um, are you leaving now?"

Seeing the boy stand up, the expression of the girl with dog eyes changed obviously:

"It's only been painting for an hour and a half, is it okay?"

"...Teacher Xiaocheng has turned into a dark capitalist now. Are you ready to urge me to work like a ghost?"

"how could it be possible."

"...Since this possibility does not exist," Mochizuki picked up his bag and asked casually, "Do you mean you are reluctant to let me go?"

"...What do you think I am? I'm not some yandere assistant who clings to my partner to death."

"Too."

Nodding slightly, Mochizuki put down the pen in his hand and gently touched Teacher Dog's little head:

"Okay, it's really getting late, and I'm a little embarrassed. After all, it's taken you so long, and you haven't been with your parents yet. Please pay more attention to your uncle and aunt."

".......Too."

Seeing that Mochizuki had already moved out of his family, the little president Gouyan, who had indeed not seen his parents for several months, also nodded slowly after a brief silence:

"Okay, I understand what you mean - but you really don't want to continue sitting here? My mother actually likes you very much, so she definitely won't mind."

"...Don't continue sitting~"

Shaking his head gently, Mochizuki's voice showed a hint of disappointment:

"After all, Christmas Eve is supposed to be a party for your family. It's great that I, a left-behind child whose parents have traveled overseas, can be taken in to this point——"

"Okay, okay..."

Seeing that he couldn't save him, Takegami Kasumi's expression was a little disappointed, but his voice pretended that nothing had happened, showing the same bright mood as always:

"Originally, I prepared your favorite manga show tonight. It seems that someone is going back to make a video call with Xiao Saki——"

"...What are you thinking about? I really want to go back to sleep."

Rubbing Teacher Dog's slightly curly short hair, Mochizuki stretched:

"It's not bad to sleep on Christmas Eve - all in all, I had a great time on Christmas Eve this year. Thank you, Teacher Xiaocheng."

"........That's good."

The voice is slightly muffled.

After a while, Takegami Kasumi pretended to be nonchalant and asked:

"...So, when is the next time you will draw a manuscript?"

"Well, it's probably school time in two days. You know, the same time and place."

Turning around, Mochizuki smiled back at Teacher Gouyan:

"The manuscript refinement work for "Chainsaw Man" next week has been completed. The next step is to prepare and save the manuscript for the new episode. Please work hard."

"...Okay, it's not a farewell, so there's no need to waste any words."

Pouring his lips, Takegami Kasumi forced a faint smile out of the corners of his mouth.

She just watched as the boy in front of her pushed back the chair, started packing her things, and prepared to leave.

........Christmas Eve, it’s coming to an end.

Then he half-consciously looked at Mochizuki, who had his back turned, and the smile on the corner of the dog-eyed little president's mouth disappeared.

........The new year is about to begin.

Looking at the faintly twinkling mottled stars in the sky, the girl's eyes trembled.

.........I still feel a little regretful.

The paintbrush in her hand was tightly clenched, and she seemed to be in an active position all the time. In fact, the girl who never dared to move forward lowered her head.

.....Obviously it can continue.

It was also the moment when Kasumi Takegami's thoughts reached this point.

Mochizuki opened the door to the room.

There is light piercing the darkness.

"...Ah, Teacher Mochizuki is going back?"

A mature and steady male voice sounded.

Hearing this familiar voice, the little teacher with dog eyes was slightly startled, and then turned his head silently——

In her eyes, the editor's father, who was sitting on the balcony with her mother, had returned from the balcony. The abstract expression on his face was swept away like a cloud, and the smile on his face was filled with a real sense of joy. Relief and inexplicable Zen.

"...Ah, editor teacher."

Looking at Tomosuke Takegami who suddenly appeared at the door, Mochizuki was slightly startled:

"Why are you here...I thought you were still on the balcony."

"What's that? Have you ever seen a normal middle-aged person sit on the balcony in winter for hours?"

"...I've definitely never seen it before."

Nodding slightly awkwardly, looking at Tomosuke Takegami beside him, Mochizuki said in a solemn voice:

"Teacher Editor——"

"What's your name, editor teacher? What are you doing with such a raw talent?"

Waving his hand gently, Takegami Tomosuke's kind smile rose again:

"There are a lot of people in Shōnen Jump who call me editor teacher. It sounds weird and makes people feel that there is only a relationship of interest - Mochizuki-san, since you are Xiaocheng's partner and friend, just call me uncle."

"........."

Looking at the smiling middle-aged man in front of him with unknown status, Mochizuki couldn't help but take a step back.

hypocritical.

So hypocritical.

After having a few glasses of orange with the middle-aged man, the young man had already seen through Takegami Laoden's frighteningly skillful and gentle methods: being kind to him was just peaceful means, giving small favors, in order to strengthen his ideological control. Just make yourself surrender to your subordinates - How could Mochizuki be fooled by such a cruel move?

With his thoughts at this point, the young man's Tai Chi posture was wide open, his eyes were shrewd, and his tone and expression showed the legacy of the Hua Xia Bureau:

"Teacher Takegami, you're welcome."

"Why are you still shouting like that?"

Frowning slightly, Tomosuke Takegami's voice was obviously dissatisfied:

"You are usually so smart, why are you suddenly so dumb and so incapable of trouble?"

"?"

"Forget it, you can call me whatever you like."

After all, the Buddha nature has surpassed Sakyamuni now. Takegami Laoden smiled compassionately:

"By the way, our family has finally been reunited for a while. As Xiao Cheng's friend, you joined the dinner and brought a lot of atmosphere to us. It's quite late now. I'm afraid it's not safe to go back. Why don't you stay with Xiao Cheng? And uncles and aunts?"

"?"

I always felt that there was no way to reply to these two sentences from my editor teacher. Mochizuki's CPU overheated and completely stopped working.

Wait... is this a polite comment or is it true?

...

ps: Tickets!

99. I’ll stay with you tonight.

I have to say that after hearing what Takegami Laoto said, Mochizuki's expression did show some subtle feelings.

Takegami Laoden had a mellow smile, a clear expression, and his whole body showed an unprecedented amiable temperament - the murderous aura and some kind of elder-like scrutiny that had been hidden in the past were completely wiped out at this moment, as if they had never existed.

Strange.

too weird.

I never expected that Takegami Tomosuke would be standing at the door of Teacher Xiaocheng, chatting with me, and even trying to persuade Mochizuki to stay. At this moment, I really felt like I was in a dream.

"...Uncle, what does this mean?"

A simple test, looking at the kind middle-aged man in front of him whose expression had changed subtly for some reason, Mochizuki smiled politely, but put up several vigilant barriers in his heart:

"Maybe it's late tonight. If I stay here, I really won't cause any trouble to you—"

"No trouble, no trouble."

Hearing her brother-in-law's warm invitation to Mochizuki to live in her home, Sakuraba Risa immediately understood what was going on and stood up from the sofa with a very serious voice:

"We still have a small spare guest room in our house. If Mochizuki-san lives here, I can ask Xiaocheng to help you clean it up."

"Yes, yes."

Patting his palms gently, Takegami Laoden was so kind that he seemed to be about to take out the lucky money in the next second:

"It's not Christmas Eve today. It's dark outside and it's snowing. It's dangerous for you, a cyclist, to go back late at night. Why don't you stay here for one night?"

"........."

He never expected that things would turn out like this. Mochizuki, who was about to leave the bustle and return to a rented house that was so quiet that it seemed to be haunted at any time, felt a little confused.

.....Why did Editor Takegami suddenly invite me to live here?Is it really because you are worried about my safety?

........something's wrong.

Although he still doesn’t quite understand why the dark middle-aged man’s attitude towards him is so subtle, the young man’s subconscious is ringing with alarm bells——

fraudulent.

Still vigilant, Mochizuki smiled softly:

"Forget it, it's still too troublesome after all - I'd better go home after all."

"Hey, why are you so stubborn~"

Touching Mochizuki's head lovingly, Takegami Laoden's smile was so kind that it made people wonder if he had been taken away:

"Aren't you worried about your safety? Why are you so wary of uncle's kindness? Uncle, I'm really going to be angry."

"........No."

Mochizuki scratched his head gently. Although he didn't quite understand what Tomosuke Takegami meant, he still said quite clearly:

"That is to say, this is my first time staying at a friend of the opposite sex's house, so I'm a little unaccustomed to it - let me think about it and make a decision, right?"

"...Sigh, okay."

Seeing that Mochizuki was unable to cope with the situation, Tomosuke Takegami, who knew that he could not be tough, was stunned for a moment, then sat back on the sofa and watched TV with his wife silently.

At present, only Mochizuki Ri and Takegami Kasumi, two confused children, were left.

"Teacher...Teacher Xiaocheng, how do you evaluate the current situation?"

Almost calling him the wrong name, Mochizuki leaned against the wall and whispered to the girl:

"...What's wrong with your father? Why can't I understand his current purpose?"