This is not the date I wanted.

On the way, the woman looked at the shopping bag Shidou was carrying and asked curiously.

"Yeah. Rather, I cook the meals for the family and do most of the housework."

Shidou nodded and replied with a wry smile.

"Oh, a high school boy who can do housework, what Japan calls the Yamato Nadeshiko type?"

"There's something wrong with the way you praise me."

Seeing the other party praising him with a strange name, Shidou didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Really? Well, don't worry about the small details. Boys who can do housework are popular in any country anyway."

"Thanks……"

"You bought a lot of food. Do you have a lot of family members, handsome boy?"

"Well, that's true... about eight or nine people..."

As he said this, Shidao couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Without realizing it, so many people had already lived in his house.

"Oh? It's really a big family." Hearing this, the woman raised her eyebrows in surprise and continued to ask, "Do they live together with relatives like grandparents?"

"No, I should say..."

Shidou suddenly realized halfway through his words. It would be better not to tell anyone about Tohka and the others.

"Nothing much. Speaking of which... um, that?"

Shidou tried to change the subject, but found that he didn't know how to address the woman in front of him.

"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet. My last name is Ai, and my name is Wu Lian."

As if she noticed Shidou's distress, the woman smiled and gave her name.

"Um, um - my name is Gokawa Shidou." Shidou quickly replied, coughed awkwardly, and continued, "Um, what about Miss Ai? Is she also responsible for cooking at home?"

"No, I'm a single nobleman living alone. So I just order takeout for meals." Wu Lian shrugged and answered without disguising, "But it's not that I can't cook. When I cooked for my ex-boyfriend, he said it was so delicious that he would marry me in the future."

"That's it..."

The other party seemed to have casually said something concerning, but Shidou decided not to delve into it and just agreed softly.

(…Is this what they call an adult’s surplus?)

Looking at Kiriren who looked relaxed, Shidao secretly sighed in his heart.

"Oh, right. Miss Ai, can you please take a detour? I want to go to the bookstore and buy some books on cooking."

Shidou suddenly had an idea. He was still thinking about what to cook tonight, maybe Chinese food would be a good choice.

In response, Ai Wulian nodded readily.

"Sure. I'm not in a rush anyway."

———————————————————I am the dividing line that reaches the bookstore————————————————————

"Steamed, stir-fried, braised... there are so many types of Chinese cuisine."

In the bookstore, Shidao briefly flipped through the relevant cookery books, thought for a moment, and selected a few basic introductory books.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Ai... hm?"

Not seeing the other person at the door, Shidao looked around in confusion. He found that Ai Wulian was standing in front of a bookshelf in the bookstore, looking at the book in her hand with concentration.

(That is... "Weekly Shonen BLAST"?)

Shidao felt a little surprised. He didn't expect that the other party would like to read this kind of passionate comic magazine aimed at young boys.

"Oh, sorry. I was a little engrossed. Can you wait a moment? Now we are at the exciting part."

As if noticing Shidou, Kiriren held the comic and said a little embarrassedly.

"It's okay, just keep going."

Shidao shook his head, indicating that he didn't mind. After receiving Shidao's answer, Kiriren once again immersed herself in the comics.

(But… being able to openly read a book of a high standard in a bookstore like this, I feel…)

Overlaying the figure of the woman in front of him with the figure of the brown-haired girl at home, Shidou couldn't help but sigh with a wry smile.

After a while, Wu Lian slowly raised her head and let out a contented breath.

"Huh... It's really interesting. Many of the works are very interesting."

"I didn't expect that you like comics, Miss Ai."

"Well, my ex-boyfriend used to like this kind of reading material very much. After he recommended it to me for a long time, I started to like it too. He always insisted on taking me to Akihabara for a pilgrimage."

Kiriren explained with a smile. However, after hearing her words, Shidou couldn't help but feel a little confused.

(Not only did they live together, but they also liked the things that the other person liked. It seems that she and her boyfriend must have had a very good relationship in the past. So why did they break up?)

However, doubts were just doubts. Shidou was not stupid enough to interfere in other people's private affairs.

"Okay, next."

Suddenly, Kiriren opened her handbag and took out a small pair of scissors under Shidao's puzzled gaze.

Then, Kiriren opened the comic magazine in her hand and turned to a page. The content inside happened to be a comic that Shidao had seen before.

"Sliver Bullet" published by Erya.

Ai Wulian picked up the scissors, placed the page between the sharp blades of the scissors, and then -

Click!

(Eh?)

Shidou didn't react to what happened for a moment.

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click—

Like a machine gun firing continuously, the sound of the scissors closing rang in the ears one after another, making people feel uncomfortable and even to the point of tingling.

By the time Shidao reacted, the pages belonging to the Nia comic section of the comic magazine had been cut into scattered pieces of paper.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Shidou asked hurriedly.

"Well, what are you doing?" Hearing Shidao's question, Kiriren replied calmly, "Editing comics."

"What are you talking about..." Shidou couldn't help but feel a headache and said, "Really, if we damage the goods, we will be scolded by the clerk."

"Oh, so that's what you're worried about." Wu Lian nodded in realization and replied, "Don't worry, I've already observed the structure of this bookstore when I came in. This is a blind spot for the cameras and the clerks, so they won't see what I'm doing right now."

"That's not the question..."

"It's okay, don't worry."

Looking at Shidou who was a little crazy, Kiriren seemed very relaxed and replied with a shrug.

"Since I dare to do this, I will naturally take responsibility."

As she spoke, Kirei wiggled her fingers, picked up the pieces of paper in the magazine, and put them back together like a puzzle, which made Shidou marvel at her dexterity.

Originally, Shidao thought that Kirei was planning to use tape or something to connect the comics together to cover it up, but unexpectedly, Kirei kept the comics in this state and closed them.

Then, Wu Lian took out another comic book from the bookshelf, carefully unpacked it, put the damaged comic book into the packaging bag and sealed it.

After completing this step, Wu Lian nodded with satisfaction, and walked towards the cashier with the cut magazine.

(No way, she's not going to just pay for it like that, is she?)

Shidou thought uneasily. Even if it is put into the packaging bag, the cut comics will definitely be different from the original ones. This little trick obviously cannot be hidden from the clerk working in the bookstore.

However, unfortunately, just as Shidao had guessed, Kiriren handed the comic to the cashier.

“Ah… It’s so hot…”

Letting out a seductive gasp, Wu Lian waved her hand to fan herself while unbuttoning the top of her collar, revealing her crystal-white skin.

"—!"

From Shidou's perspective, he could clearly see the cashier's wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, the heating here is too strong and I can't stand the heat. I'm sorry for being a little out of control."

"No, no, it's okay."

The cashier swallowed involuntarily and answered with a stutter.

"Huh... the temperature difference is really big compared to outside. Wearing so many clothes is really a mistake."

Wu Lian turned his gaze to the window and muttered to himself with a somewhat complaining tone.

At the same time, a drop of transparent sweat seeped out from Wu Lian's forehead, slowly slid down her cheek, leaving a faint water mark on her neck, passing through the woman's delicate and sexy collarbone, drawing a plump arc, and flowing into the snow-white ravine.

The cashier stared at the scene in front of him intently, using his hands to operate the machine by inertia.

"Well, I don't have any cash. Is a credit card okay?"

"Of course no problem! You are always welcome to visit next time!"

"Hum~"

Kiriren took the plastic bag handed over by the cashier and smiled slightly, then walked out of the bookstore openly under Shidou's stunned gaze.

……

"So? The damage before buying it counts as damaged goods, but after buying it, it's my freedom to do what I want with my books."

After tidying up her clothes, Wu Lian said with a proud tone.

"You have an unusually big heart."

After paying for the cooking book he bought for himself, Shidou looked at Kiriren and sighed with lingering fear.

“I felt nervous watching from the sidelines.”

"Thank you."

"I'm not complimenting you."

With a tired sigh, Shidou looked at the woman in front of him and asked in a deep voice.

"Why would you do that to Niya's comics?"

There was a hint of anger in Shidou's voice.

Since Kiriren had already bought the comics he had cut up, Shidao had no intention of continuing to question the matter or complain to the bookstore. But this did not mean that he approved of the other party's actions.

Indeed, Nia's comics have been discontinued for several years, and there must be readers who are dissatisfied or even angry about her disappearance, which Shidao can understand.

However, Shidou saw with his own eyes how much passion and enthusiasm Nia put into her comics. He also admired her work attitude as a comic artist from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing Nia's achievements being trampled upon and denied so brutally, it was impossible for Shidou not to be furious.

"Eiya?" Wu Lian tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly said, "Oh, you are talking about Teacher Cang Er, right? Since you know the teacher's real name, you must know her privately."

"Huh...I guess so."

Shidou took a deep breath, calmed down, and advised earnestly.

"Ms. Ai, maybe you are very unhappy about the fact that Cang Er-sensei had taken a five-year hiatus. But she herself also had many unspeakable difficulties. Please don't hate her because of this, or even vent your anger on her work."

"Hmm... did you misunderstand something?" After hearing what Shidao said, Kirei said speechlessly, "In my opinion, the most interesting and best-drawn magazine in this magazine is undoubtedly Sliver Bullet by Mr. Souji."

"Eh?"

Shidou was stunned for a moment, and asked in confusion,

"Then why cut her comics into pieces?"

"Hmm... This is a little difficult to explain. To put it simply -"

After thinking for a moment, Wu Lian moved her lips slightly and answered in a tone that seemed as if it was natural and reasonable.

"It is precisely because I like it that I want to know everything about it, to the point of wanting it to be torn into pieces, right?"

In an instant, Shidou felt a chill deep down in his feet.

It was not until this moment that Shidao felt a sense of disharmony.

Unlike the people I've met before, the woman in front of me is not as ignorant of the world as Tohka, nor as arrogant as Miku who looked down on humans as puppets, nor as cold and alien as Westcott who looked at people as if they were other species. Under the packaging of actions that seem to be very correct social common sense, people can't help but think that this is just a slightly unique personality.

But what is contained therein is perhaps a paranoia that is almost as deadly as poison.