The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"Eh...I...sorry! Enka-chan, I don't know either."

"...Ha—no need to apologize. So, Asakura, what exactly is this? This gem that isn't a gem?"

Asakura Toru looked away slightly at Enka's question, then after thinking carefully about what to say, he looked directly at her and said, "If there is only one stone in the world, then it must be a gem."

"...So, what's inside?"

"Hmm..." This time Asakura Toru was silent for a while. After all, she might know, but she might not know how to express it with her unique sensibility.

Fortunately, after a few seconds, she smiled and replied, "It's time."

"...time?"

"Hmm... golden, like golden time."

That was his and her time, and also his and their time. It was of great significance to Asakura Toru, and equally precious and irreplaceable to Hirayuko.

Because if they had not appeared, Hiranobu would most likely have gone down the same path as in the past (previous life), and if that had happened, his sister "Asuka Batoki" would not have been born.

That is to say, when he faces the same accident of losing his parents, this time he will not have the company of his "family". I am afraid that he will die alone before his abilities are truly awakened and everything turns around.

"This... is a work of art, like a gem."

It's a gem, so it can't be eaten.

Because it cannot be eaten, it is a gem.

Chapter 43 You are talking like a girlfriend now

February 2, Sunday, 18:9 a.m., Station Square—

"Sorry, have you been waiting for a long time?" The man ran over from a distance.

"...About 15 minutes," the woman with short brown hair replied.

"hehe--"

"...You're laughing so disgustingly, is there anything that could excite you?"

It was still the same familiar sarcasm, the same familiar recipe, the same familiar taste, I just liked this one—

"No, it's just... I suddenly felt like 'this conversation between us really feels like we're just dating' or something... Look, didn't I tell you about this before?"

"I don't remember—"

Higuchi Enka quickly denied it, closing her eyes, her actions indicating her refusal to answer the question. Even with her eyes closed, she could still feel the gaze lingering on her face, neck, and collarbone, even hotter than the sun at that moment.

"...Have you seen enough?"

"It's not enough... I won't be able to see enough in the future."

...Corn! You'd say that to everyone anyway, right? You're the perfect nice guy, after all.

"Come to think of it, it seems the things I left behind worked. I'm wearing the same light makeup today as before, but my complexion is noticeably better. Is it because my sleep, digestion, and even my period are getting smoother?"

"...Let's go."

"Oh, by the way, even if it does work, it's only a supplementary effect. If you stay up late or do other things that harm your body, it will still cause adverse effects, such as..."

Without answering, Higuchi Enka walked forward. Although she didn't know where to go, she didn't want to talk to him in such a crowded place, because for her, the feeling of being stared at all the time was not good.

Although she didn't want to admit it, the stuff he'd left behind had definitely worked. A few days ago, a classmate came up to her and asked what new makeup she was using and why she looked so much better than before. The change was so gradual that she hadn't even noticed it herself, while it was the classmates she didn't know well who had noticed it first.

"You're dressed very cutely today, Miss Higuchi."

It's a lie. It's obviously no different from usual.

"Especially the scarf I gave you before. You are wearing it today. I am very happy~" Ping Xin said with a smile.

If it were according to his usual habits, it would be obvious that he would not get any response, but today was different -

"I'm not wearing anything special, and the scarf... I just happened to find this one that goes well with it. On the other hand, you're looking very different today than usual. What's your persona today?"

"Sure enough, can you see it?" Ping Xin turned in a circle while walking. It was not an elegant and beautiful movement like a ballet dancer, but like a little top, a crazy child running.

"I had someone put together this outfit for me today... After all, I don't really understand so-called facts. I thought it was okay after they put it together, so I put it on. How is it? Do you feel like you've gotten to know me all over again?"

Today, Hirayuki was not wearing his usual black pants and white shirt that he wore year-round. Instead, he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt similar to Higuchi Enka's, with a warm coat on the outside. Even the color of his trousers had changed.

Although it is still dominated by cool colors, the increased proportion of warm colors can also be felt, and the vitality that was originally hidden in him appears, which is the unique vitality of young people.

"...You should know this better than I do. After all, you've been approached by quite a few girls...women in the past 15 minutes, from elementary school students to office ladies driving cars. There were even times when you had multiple beautiful girls surrounding you at once."

"Ah, this--" Ping Xin was speechless. He didn't expect that the boomerang would hit the back of his head. If you walk by the river often, you will get your feet wet.

"So, Ms. Higuchi... have you just stood there and watched me in confusion for 15 minutes? It's still a while before the actual 10 o'clock start time. Did you come here early just to observe me as a human?"

Ping Xin knew she would arrive early, so he also arrived half an hour early to wait. But how could he truly understand a woman's thoughts? Even if he also arrived half an hour early, Enka would have seen his appearance, but who said that seeing someone meant he had to greet them?

"It's just a coincidence... You seem to be enjoying yourself, how can I bother you?"

Ah, this reaction, could it be... jealousy? But if I say it out loud, there's a 1000% chance she won't admit it. For the sake of her arms, the soft flesh around her waist, and her fragile shin bones, it's best not to say it in public.

"But, didn't I refuse directly? After all, today, I am your boyfriend—"

"...It's just temporary. If you dare to do anything weird, you'll be fired immediately."

And this is just a last resort. If she had a choice, how could she possibly like such a troublesome, cunning, lying and philandering man?

"Oh, is that so~~~~"

"..."

What's wrong with this guy? He actually seems even happier after hearing this. Could he really be a fan of that game?

Enka quietly widened the distance between them, about 3cm.

It's just that while men can't guess what women are thinking, women can't fully understand men's train of thought, especially men who are full of "innocence." For example, after a man unexpectedly agrees to a date, he will be surprised but also a little disappointed because he still has many tricks up his sleeve.

And cats are creatures...they love to enjoy chasing and playing with their prey, just like a man with a strong sense of evil.

"By the way, how was the heart-shaped chocolate you ate last time? Were you surprised?"

"...the worst—"

"Hey, that's my proud creation... Although it looks like an ordinary, old-fashioned heart-shaped chocolate bar, the bitter, hard shell and the soft, sweet chocolate core inside form a sharp contrast.

Furthermore, the left and right sides are filled with milk and chocolate caramel flavors based on the structure of a real heart. The combination of black and white is like Tai Chi, and also symbolizes the coexistence of black and white, good and evil in the human heart."

"...it flowed out and onto the bed."

“..Huh?”

Ren Pingxin could never have imagined that someone would lie in bed at night, looking at it and worrying for a long time before biting into the chocolate, and then be choked by the milky white liquid center, and even get it on the sheets.

What he could not have imagined was that after eating one side, someone could choke a second time when eating the other side, and the food also got on the bed sheet, forcing her, who had originally planned to be lazy, to change the bed sheet.

"How about... I write an instruction manual next time?"

Thinking of the previous clown game chocolate, Higuchi Enka feels like she is even more of a clown, mood -1

As expected, a woman's heart is hard to understand——

The culprit said so.

Chapter 44: Raising a child is not easy, the two sighed

"So, why did we finally start dating, but ended up sitting in a roadside cafe?" Ping Xin struck the same pose as Commander Ikari and fell into deep thought.

"So, who is this kid?"

Higuchi Enka looked at the girl sitting next to her. She actually had heterochromatic eyes, with the left eye blue and the right eye yellow. Although she looked cute, she was really scared when someone suddenly appeared silently from behind her and called her "Master's Wife". She didn't know whether it was because someone suddenly spoke behind her or because of the content of the words.

It seemed like she saw them while passing by outside the store and then walked in. After coming in, she sat next to him and started ordering skillfully, and Ping Xin didn't say anything. So what is the relationship between this kid and him?

"Kana, why don't you introduce yourself? If you don't say hello properly, the matcha parfait you just ordered will be mine~ And after all, it's so cold out here, and you're not afraid of freezing when you go out wearing so little, and you even eat something cold like that. This habit is really bad for your health..."

Just as Hirayuka was about to launch into another long speech, Kaname Rakuna looked at Higuchi Enka like Sun Wukong who had heard the golden hoop curse, and then said quickly: "My name is Kaname Rakuna, Xiaoliu, I'm good at guitar, and I like matcha and soba (noodles)."

"...Nice to meet you. My name is... You can just call me Higuchi. With all due respect, what is your relationship with this potential criminal here? If he does anything strange, please let me know so I can call the police."

"Hey, hey, don't treat others as criminals without permission!"

But Hirayuko knew it was just a joke from the Higuchi-ryu school. Perhaps it could also be considered their unique way of flirting? So, the back-and-forth was quite like a comedian or manzai, and they were a couple.

Hiranobu's mood brightened at Enka's surprised and slightly disdainful look. He smiled and said, "How could that be? I'm just this child's...master. Since she's a 'neighbor' child, I sometimes help look after her and teach her music and academics. Despite her young age, she's already quite talented."

"...The matcha parfait hasn't arrived yet?"

"Hmm, we'll have to wait a little longer... Well, as you can see, this little genius has quite the personality."

Pingxin touched the head of Rakuna beside him. It seemed that she had grown a little taller. Not bad, not bad.

"Hey...where's the cat?"

"cat?"

Higuchi Enka had some speculations. Could it be that this guy was just using his pet's erotic image to attract little girls? He used his own skin to deal with adults, and the skin of animals to deal with children. He was really "clever." But he wouldn't do anything weird like the goldfish uncle, after all...

I don’t know what Higuchi Enka was thinking about, but she suddenly looked at her chest and sighed, her mood -1.

"But I'm not sure if pets can come out here... Anyway, come out and say hello, Vanilla, Sheriff." Hearing their master's call, the two little ones, who had been dozing in his hood, poked their heads out. Even after several months, their special constitutions hadn't changed much, so they could still stay inside.

"Cat!?...Heh~"

At first, Enka was surprised. After all, Kaname Rakuna had just popped her head out from behind her (and made a sound), and now Hirayuko had done the same. And the way these two cats popped their heads out from behind her shoulders, one on each side, was hard not to remind her of a famous three-headed monster.

Seeing her improved mood, Pingxin was also happy. He rubbed the two little balls of fur in each hand and said, "The white cat is Vanilla, and the black cat is the Captain. Although they are small, they are very smart."

In fact, this statement should be restrained, because the two cats probably have the IQ and knowledge of a junior high school student now. If it really comes to studying, Rakuna might not even be able to score higher than these two little ones.

After Pingxin finished introducing them, the two cats meowed as a greeting. Since most humans couldn't understand what they were saying, they just pretended. Vanilla jumped out and lay on the table in front of Rakuna. The two of them started playing a game, very harmonious.

The sheriff sat on Hirashin's shoulder, his posture like a stone lion or a Komainu, although he was a cat—

"...So, what was that thing you wanted to say?"

......

...

..

"I see. Last time, that little animal-themed girl received cute gifts carefully prepared on Valentine's Day, and there was even a share for you guys... She's being targeted." I didn't expect that someone would use the same operation as me. It seems that they are the same type of stand.

Killer Queen, the stand-in who hasn't appeared in a long time, gave a thumbs-up.

"But you said it was a cute snack. Why are you so sure it was from a man? Logically speaking, most men in the East Country shouldn't have any cooking skills."

"Because he also gave me a model... I don't know how to put it, but it's a assembled robot toy, humanoid, with wings... It's pretty cool."

"He's quite handsome... Pfft... Sorry, I didn't mean to. If I were to see it, there are probably two possibilities."

Enka put down the teacup and motioned for him to explain in detail.

"If you want to quickly improve someone's favorability, the easiest way is to cater to their preferences. For example, the cute snacks you mentioned at the beginning are one such example. As for the Gyoda figurines...it's also possible that they're given out of genuine affection, because they want their friends to experience something they like. This applies to both men and women, and it's a relatively harmless type."

"Then, what about another one?"

"There is another way..." But for some reason Ping Xin suddenly hesitated, and his eyes wandered around, as if he wanted to avoid the question.

Higuchi Enka flicked her ceramic teacup twice, making a crisp sound. At this point, Hirayuko had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue, "Another way is to make the other person feel your interests and hobbies... While it sounds similar to the first method, the purpose of this action is to draw the other person into your 'world,' passively deepening their understanding of you."

"...Heh, I see. It's just like what you did—"

Qianlong Pavilion, shopping street, introductions to acquaintances, handmade gifts...

The man named Asuka Ma was transmitting information to her all the time, either actively or passively. She got to know this man more and more, and finally became what she is now.

Faced with Higuchi Enka's quality control, the spineless Hirayuko chose to play dead.

Although he was thick-skinned, it was only limited to the areas where he had prepared. In fact, his true self was very fragile.

"...Heh~"

Higuchi Enka, 17, discovered a new toy.

Chapter 45 Let’s go to the beach together and watch the meteor shower