I.W.B.A.L

　　By the time he returned to the arcade machine carrying the big bag, Akihisa Yoshii and Yuji Sakamoto had almost finished their game.

　　"You've gotten stronger, Akihisa."

　　"Hmph, you've made quite a bit of progress, Yuuji."

　　"Win or lose?"

　　Kento who was walking over heard what the two said and asked casually.

　　"12:2"

　　Yoshii Akihisa slowly stood up, filled with the glory of a winner.

　　"You 12?"

　　"No, Yuuji."

　　"....."

　　"By the way, there are so many dolls. Did you catch them just now?"

　　Yoshii Akihisa's eyes fell on Kento. Looking at the big bag in Kento's hand and the big doll inside, Yoshii Akihisa was a little surprised, and Sakamoto Yuji was also a little surprised.

　　"Did you catch so many?"

　　"For both of you."

　　He casually took out two small dolls from the bag and gave them to the two people. Yoshii Akihisa and Sakamoto Yuji did not refuse and accepted the dolls from Kento.

　　Since they did not have much living expenses, the three of them did not stay in the game hall for long. At around two o'clock in the afternoon, the three of them left the game hall together.

　　Kento, who was carrying bags and dolls, found it inconvenient to continue shopping, so he said goodbye to the two and returned to his apartment early.

　　But when he returned to the vicinity of his apartment, he met an unexpected person.

　　Wearing a gorgeous kimono, with fair and delicate hands, and holding a small folding fan, she stood quietly in front of the apartment building, looking up at Kento's room, without noticing Kento who was not far away.

　　— — — —

　　I'll be offering a bounty tomorrow. From now on, I'm going to fly!!

　　Thanks to Digarex22, Xiluoweimian, Cangqiff2d51, Sushiashiqi, oldpilot, lonelyday, worldprosperity, and fallenstone for their monthly tickets and blades! Thanks to everyone for their recommendation tickets!

Cherry Blossom Season: 78. I have to convey the message to Setsuna.

　　When he saw his former lover, the virtuous man did not feel happy. Instead, countless sorrows lingered in his heart. He couldn't help but take two steps back and slowly hid behind a street corner electric pole. Through the gap between the wall and the electric pole, he watched the familiar figure from afar.

　　Why is she here?

　　He was confused and puzzled. He and Sayuri should have no connection at all now. Why did she suddenly come here and appear around his apartment? He pursed his lips with deep doubts.

　　A mature and beautiful woman stood in front of the apartment, quietly looking at the place in front of her that was familiar yet unfamiliar.

　　She just wanted to go out for a walk, but she came to this place unknowingly. Looking at the apartment in front of her, she felt inexplicably familiar, but she didn't know where this familiar feeling came from.

　　"...It must be just my illusion, right?"

　　The folding fan was gently placed in front of her. Sayuri slowly withdrew her gaze, sighed, and turned back in the direction she came from, returning to her home along the same route.

　　Kento standing behind the telephone pole just watched the other person's figure disappear at the end of the street without saying a word, then he slowly walked out from behind the telephone pole, stood there silently, thought deeply for a long time, and then slowly walked towards his apartment.

　　It was still some time before evening, and Setsuna didn't know whether he was with Saionji Sekai or not. Standing in front of the balcony, looking at the apartment opposite, it didn't seem like he was at home. He walked to the table alone, slowly pulled out his chair, and took out the manuscript paper from his drawer again.

　　The income from the last article's fee is just a drop in the bucket for Kento now. If he wants to cover the expenses of the private school, he has to work really hard.

　　"This time the theme is..."

　　After thinking about it, all kinds of topics came to his mind. There were so many types to choose from that he didn't know how to choose.

　　Sitting at the table in silence and thinking for a while, he realized that he really still liked to write some rural-themed works.

　　"Well, let's write a story about the protagonist in the city returning to the countryside, marrying her uncle, her beautiful and mature aunt, her pure and lovely cousin, and her neighbor's middle-aged aunt. Three people... well, let's add a middle school girl she met while taking shelter from the rain."

　　I simply confirmed the characters of the story. For a work like this, there is basically no need to think too much about it. As long as I follow my original desires, a smooth and exciting story will naturally come to life on paper.

　　He used to make a living from this, but now he picked up his pen again. There was no bottleneck when he started to create, and the whole process was smooth as flowing water.

　　The story of a young man who is unhappy in the city has been used to arouse and increase the sense of empathy of the majority of people who are unhappy with their lives.

　　The reason why he chose the countryside is that his works will basically not flow into the countryside. Most of his readers are young and middle-aged people in the city, and their understanding of the countryside is generally vague.

　　The plot of the story is basically about a young man who is down and out in the city and chooses to return to his childhood hometown. He is pursued by his cousin who has never been to the city but has a longing for it. This is to satisfy the inner sense of superiority of some urban readers.

　　In addition, topics involving moral taboos such as cousins and aunts are also quite common types in the "random genre".

　　However, even if it is a "chaotic" subject matter, he often adds some "sad" content, such as plots of humiliation and bullying, which he often comes up with at will, so that people who are timid in reality can vent their inner depression when seeing such works.

　　It only took two hours for nearly two thousand words to be created. His right hand, which was holding the pen, felt sore, so he stopped writing, folded up the manuscript paper, and sat quietly in his room.

　　When he was immersed in creation, he didn't feel anything, but as soon as he stopped, he felt as if his whole body was hollowed out. He slowly raised his head and looked at the hands on the clock beside him. Then Kento slowly stood up and went to the bathroom.

　　After washing and drying my hands, I returned to the room, poured a cup of tea, and seeing that it was getting dark outside, I turned on the light in the room and started preparing dinner...

　　When Qingpu Mai returned home, the lights were still off. She didn't know when it started, but she had gradually become accustomed to this kind of life.

　　"In the house of Kento again?"

　　She put down her shoulder bag, took off her coat, unbuttoned her collar, and sat down on the sofa in the living room in a white shirt, thinking about what she should do next.

　　"It seems there is nothing to do. Kento should have prepared dinner, right?"

　　With her legs lifted up and resting on the sofa, Qingura Mai gently rubbed her calves through her transparent and silky black stockings, looking at the clock on the wall beside her. She was too lazy to change her clothes, so she slowly sat up and prepared to go to Kento's apartment.

　　But just as she stood up and before she took a step, the cell phone in her pocket started buzzing.

　　Reaching out of her pocket and pulling out her trembling cell phone, Qingpu Wu saw an unfamiliar number and frowned. She didn't know who was calling, and after hesitating for a moment, she decided to answer the call.

　　"Qingpu Mai, who is this?"

　　"It's me, Mom."

　　The familiar voice surprised Qing Pu Mai. Shouldn't her daughter be with Kento? Why did he call her?

　　"Aren't you with Kento?"

　　"Well, today, Sekai and I went to visit Kotonoha's home. We will stay at Kotonoha's home tonight. Can you help tell Kento?"

　　"I see...."

　　Last week she stayed overnight at Saionji Sekai's home, and today she is staying overnight at the home of that new friend again. Kiyoura Mai was a little surprised, but she still agreed.

　　"Hey, are you talking to Miyamizu-kun?"

　　She could still hear the familiar voice of Saionji Sekai in her ears. Qingura Mai reminded Setsuna to be polite in someone else's home, and then she slowly put away her phone after Setsuna hung up the phone.

　　"Sleeping over at someone else's house?"

　　Qingpu Wu pursed her lips slightly, but she was not too worried. Instead, her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she felt her whole body became lighter.

　　After putting down the phone, she walked towards the door. She had to tell Kento about her daughter.

　　— — — —

　　This month ends, and so does 21 years. Woohoo, another year of being tortured by life.

　　Thanks to Tabby Cat, The Loveliest Sister, Xiaodao Bakuocrow, Qiuyue Xiaosan@, Yulexi Yu, Magical Shuke, Digarex22, Yakumo Lian, I Am the Princess of the Moon, Chubby Sauce~, Somarezi, Yi Zixiao, A Story of Horseshoe Prints, Zhongyan Xiaoyu, Fengmingjie, Shuke 65827832197, ※Twenty-three for their monthly tickets and blades! Thanks to everyone for your recommendation votes!

Cherry Blossom Season: Open a Reward

　　This month will mark the 22nd year. In this final month, I am offering a reward to encourage myself.

　　50 blades + 1 more

　　10000 cat coins + 1 update

　　200 monthly tickets + 1 update

　　5000 recommendations +1 more

　　Until the end of this month.

　　Whether we can have a good new year depends on everyone.

　　Basically, as long as the conditions are met, we will try our best to update on the same day and report the situation.

Cherry Blossom Season: 79. Even adults can be childish sometimes.

　　The virtuous man was standing in front of the kitchen counter, frying green peppers with a wooden spatula when he suddenly heard the doorbell. He slowly looked in the direction of the door, looked down at the green peppers in his pot, hesitated for a moment, turned down the heat, poured the shredded pork into the pot, stir-fried it briefly, and then hurried to the door.

　　"Good evening, Kento."

　　"Good evening... Miss Mai? Is Setsuna not here?"

　　Seeing Kiyoura Mai in front of him wearing a white shirt and a black silk skirt, which was completely dressed for work, Kento was a little surprised. Not seeing Setsuna beside her, Kento was also confused.

　　"I came here to tell you something. Setsuna hasn't come home yet. Today..."

　　"Wait a moment, please come in first. I'm still cooking. If you don't leave now... please come in."

　　Before Qingpu Mai could finish her words, she thought about the stir-fried pork with green peppers in her pot. If she didn't stir-fry it, it would probably burn, so she hurried back to the kitchen counter. As for Qingpu Mai, she looked at the hurried Kento, walked slowly into the house, closed the door, gently took off her shoes, and her delicate toes in black silk touched the slippers beside her, and pulled them to her side little by little -

　　When Qingpu Mai entered the house and came to the kitchen counter, Kento was carefully stir-frying green peppers and shredded pork. The smell of green peppers wafted in the air, and Qingpu Mai leaned in to take a look.

　　"Um, Miss Mai, did you want to talk about Setsuna just now? She hasn't returned home yet?"

　　"Just call me Dancing now. Setsuna is staying the night at her new friend's house, along with Sekai."

　　Without her daughter here, Qingpu Mai slowly came to Kento's side, smiled sweetly and got close to him, and put her arms around his waist, causing Kento, who was preparing dinner, to stiffen.

　　hiss--

　　Looking back at Qingpu Mai beside him, Kento took a breath. He didn't expect that she would be so proactive when Setsuna was not around. He lowered his head to look at the almost finished dish and put the stir-fried pork with green peppers in the pot into the tableware. Kento simply cleaned up and let Qingpu Mai let go of him.

　　"Setsuna's gone, so it's okay tonight, right?"

　　Watching Kento bring the dishes to the table, Qingura Mai was the first to sit down at the table, supporting her cheek with one hand, and looking at Kento with a chuckle.

　　"Aren't you afraid that Setsuna will find out?"

　　After bringing the bowl of rice to Qingpu Mai, Kento sat down and looked at Qingpu Mai who was sitting opposite him.

　　In response, Qingpu Mai's eyes flickered for a moment.

　　"It would be better if Setsuna didn't know about it. Besides, you don't want Setsuna to know about it, right?"

　　Kento did not answer. He quietly picked up the bowl in front of him, picked up the food with chopsticks and started eating.

　　Looking at Kento's reaction, Qingura Mai also lowered her head and started to eat dinner silently. The atmosphere between the two of them was a little silent. They sat opposite each other quietly and had dinner in silence.

　　Until the end of dinner, when the two of them sat quietly at the table to rest, Kento glanced at Qingura Mai who was sitting opposite him and spoke slowly.

　　"There is one thing I want to ask you."

　　"What?"

　　Qingpu Mai looked at Kento opposite her, smiled, propped up her cheeks with her hands again, and stared at the young man opposite her. It was the first time that she heard the other person ask for her help.

　　"In order to earn a living, I plan to continue writing some things, but I need an adult identity, so I want Miss Wu to use your identity to help submit them to those publishing houses."

　　"Adult status? Last submission..."

　　"It's a little different. Last time it was just a magazine, but this time it should be related to publishing. There are some problems at home. Itomori and Tokyo are too far away, so the only person I can think of who can help is Miss Mai."

　　"It doesn't matter to me. Have you written it yet?"

　　"Not yet. We still have to wait for a while before it's done. Then, we'll need Miss Wu's help."

　　Kento shook his head. He had just started writing today, and because he had to go to school on weekdays, he didn't have much free time. It would take him at least a month to finish the book.

　　"I understand. Then, use my identity when the time comes."

　　Qingura Mai didn't mind this at all. Instead, she smiled and nodded.

　　"Nothing else?"

　　"Why me?"

　　There was nothing else, but Kento was a little confused in his heart. Looking at Qingura Mai in front of him, he didn't know why the other party chose him.

　　"Hmm? There's no reason, right? Speaking of which, I noticed Kento earlier than Setsuna, but I didn't think too much about it at the time and let Setsuna get in touch with you first. I didn't expect that Setsuna would fall in love with you so easily."

　　Looking at the young man in front of her with a smile, Qingura Mai answered with a smile, without any reservations.