In the end, Eriri couldn’t escape her tutoring session.
“You did amazing—huge progress!” Kyousuke praised brightly.
“R-really…?”
Staring at the big red X on her worksheet, Eriri found that very hard to believe.
“Of course! Sure, you still got it wrong, but this time you avoided making the same mistake as before. That means you were actually thinking about it seriously.”
Kyousuke’s tone was firm, resolute.
“You can’t just focus on the...
2025-09-20 15:00:17 +0000 UTC
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As long as Eriri was around, there was never a shortage of fun.
She wasn’t the type to go out of her way to look for amusement—but somehow, she always became the amusement herself.
On the empty street, the two of them stomped on each other’s shadows, then used their hands to mime all sorts of bizarre weapons to “rescue” themselves.
They chased, they bickered, they cheated. And when Eriri got tired, she whined, “Carry me.”
Of course, Kyou...
2025-09-20 15:00:17 +0000 UTC
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Classes went on as usual during the day, and with no club activities scheduled, Aoki Kei headed straight to the live house after school.
Whether it was practicing vocals or honing his keyboard skills, running through everything again and again was still better than doing nothing at all.
On vocals — After nearly two weeks of relentless practice, his singing had undeniably improved.
But reaching a level beyond “expert” was no easy feat.
Even with d...
2025-09-19 17:47:20 +0000 UTC
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No matter how long you hesitate, in the end, you still have to make a choice.
After Gotoh Hitori gave her earnest advice, Aoki Kei had already settled on his decision in his heart.
But before that, he still hadn’t figured out when would be the right moment to face Kita, nor what kind of attitude he should have when he did.
On the night of November 7th—one week before the final submission deadline for the project—
After much thought and hesitation, Aoki u...
2025-09-19 17:46:52 +0000 UTC
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“Eh? Why do you suddenly want me to get stronger?” Lumine blinked in confusion at the green-haired girl whose smile was unusually radiant.
She tilted her head, clearly lost. “And also… ‘Soul Fusion’? What’s that? Did you pull a new ability from the chat group’s gacha?”
“Hm? I wasn’t trying to hide this ability from you… wait, you can’t read my thoughts right now?”
C.C.’s golden eyes narrowed in puzzlement.
She suddenly remembered: whether ...
2025-09-19 17:45:18 +0000 UTC
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———————————————————————
[What do you think of ley lines?] ×2
———————————————————————
Two pairs of golden eyes, both shimmering with ripples of light, met each other’s gaze—one carrying noble mystery, the other brimming with innocent charm.
———————————————————————
[...
2025-09-19 17:34:50 +0000 UTC
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“By the way, Eriri, don’t you have art club today?”
It was just a casual question, but it made the little blonde who had been happily humming while studying the menu freeze mid-motion.
Eriri lifted the menu slightly to cover half her face, turned her body away from the girl sitting next to her, and pouted as she blurted out:
“I don’t go to the club every single day, you know. Sometimes I have… other things to do.”
Saying this, the truant artist snuck a gl...
2025-09-19 16:29:41 +0000 UTC
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‘Clomp, clomp—'
‘Clomp, clomp—'
Her size-22 canvas sneakers pounded against the pavement with all the force of a raging giantess.
Eriri stomped furiously, as if trying to summon the local earth god just to ask why on earth someone had built a random family restaurant here of all places—and maybe also why these bushes were so darn scratchy!
“Um…”
“What?!” Eriri snapped, glaring at the...
2025-09-19 16:28:57 +0000 UTC
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"Is this really okay?"
It was a broad, vague question.
But Aoki knew exactly what Bocchi-chan meant.
...
Whether there was a problem, or what the eventual outcome would be—he didn’t actually know.
And right now, he didn’t want to waste the mental energy to think about it.
"How should I handle this friendship moving forward?" — that wasn’t a high school math problem with a clear, step-by-...
2025-09-18 18:05:44 +0000 UTC
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Aoki hadn’t paid any attention to the discussions going on online.
Even if he had seen them, he probably wouldn’t have cared.
There were no personal attacks—just simple doubts.
He couldn’t be bothered to take them to heart.
The time spent worrying about such things would be better spent practicing.
———————————————————————
November 7, Sunday.
It had been six days si...
2025-09-18 18:05:15 +0000 UTC
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If Nagami remembered correctly, back in the Terra world the Doctor had once asked him the exact same kind of question—comparing his own body with… well, himself.
Alright, fine. Even if there was a strange consistency when it came to “himself,” there were still some undeniable differences in how men and women thought about these things.
———————————————————————
[Looks a bit smaller than C.C.’s… As for how it fee...
2025-09-18 17:54:18 +0000 UTC
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“So confident?” Venti rubbed his chin as he watched Lumine proudly pat her chest, eyes glinting with curiosity.
The Traveler clearly knew something unusual about the people around her.
Glancing sideways at Nagami chatting with Paimon, Venti hesitated, then gave a small nod.
These people didn’t seem like villains at all.
And when it came to judging character, he trusted his instincts.
“Alright then. Looks like you know a thing or two about that little girl...
2025-09-18 17:42:41 +0000 UTC
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“So why on earth do I have to study English? That makes no sense at all! Totally unreasonable!” Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
“Normally, Japanese students study English as a foreign language. And in the center exams, they can even swap it out to learn other language or something else.
But me—the most, most, most traditional of Englishwomen—having to study English as a foreign language and even take exams on it… isn’t that ridiculous?!” She sl...
2025-09-18 16:57:16 +0000 UTC
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Before even reaching the family restaurant called cono, Kyousuke spotted the girl waiting by the signboard.
She wore Toyogasaki’s sailor-style uniform.
The neckline wasn’t particularly low, but with her fair, delicate skin, it somehow gave the illusion of seeing something dazzlingly beautiful.
Her slender neck, the smooth line of her collarbone, and that fragile, y...
2025-09-18 16:56:31 +0000 UTC
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November 6th — the second Saturday since practice began.
For Aoki Kei, ever since that day, his daily life with Kessoku Band’s practice had gradually returned to its usual rhythm.
It was as if life had gone back to normal, as if nothing had happened at all.
And yet, Aoki could sense that Kita had changed… just a little.
Even though she still greeted him with a bright smile, calling him “Kei-senpai,” and even though she still brought him lunch…
<...
2025-09-17 19:46:59 +0000 UTC
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The street wasn’t exactly bustling, but it wasn’t deserted either.
Every so often, a car would glide past, its whooshing sound brushing by Aoki’s ears.
Mixed with the rustling of leaves in the autumn wind, it all felt a little too noisy.
…
Right in front of him—
The clarity in the girl’s eyes was undeniable.
Kita’s words from moments ago—
2025-09-17 19:37:37 +0000 UTC
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“Traveler! We’re back! Did you miss me?”
Paimon waved her tiny hand energetically, floating straight toward Lumine, who was sitting on a bench beside Nagami. “Now you have to explain what’s going on already!”
“Well… why don’t you let him explain it himself?”
After giving the little mascot a quick hug, Lumine tossed Paimon into Nagami’s arms.
Her own gaze, however, was locked on the green-haired figure in the crowd, her lips curving into a...
2025-09-17 19:22:58 +0000 UTC
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Thanks to the other version of herself coming to the rescue, Lumine’s pure, cute image remained intact in Barbara’s mind.
With Nagami standing beside Lumine, Barbara ultimately didn’t give her the flowers.
She made an excuse about urgent matters at the church and hurried away.
Lumine stared after Barbara as she left, eyes flicking to the bouquet clenched in the girl’s hand.
She frowned faintly.
“Good thing it wasn’t the Cecilia flower that signals spe...
2025-09-17 19:22:30 +0000 UTC
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The streets bustled with life, yet all eyes were drawn to three figures: Mondstadt’s famous Honorary Knight, the city’s beloved shining idol, and… a completely unfamiliar boy no one had seen before.
Something amusing seemed to be going on between them.
No doubt tonight, the taverns of Mondstadt would be full of bards spinning their own versions of this little encounter.
For Lumine, though, there was no way this was turning into some kind of love triangle drama...
2025-09-17 19:22:08 +0000 UTC
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–Inside the elevator
Hyoudo Michiru huddled in her brown coat, both hands clutching the collar as if to hide her graceful figure.
Standing diagonally in front of her was Aki Tomoya, motionless ever since pressing the floor button.
Michiru’s lips quivered.
She glanced at her childhood friend again and again, wanting to speak but unable to find the words.
Thankfully, the building was tall enough that even this luxury elevator would give her ple...
2025-09-17 18:07:40 +0000 UTC
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“Of course, I understand—it’s a bit selfish of me to just ask Hojou-kun to be Michiru’s manager like this.”
Seeing that his nephew was on the verge of being persuaded, Mr. Hyoudo eased off the pressure and shifted his tone.
The mark of a skilled businessman showed through—push and pull, ebb and flow—he knew exactly how to press people to their limits.
Then reel them back at just the right moment.
Perfect. Flawless.
“Dad! Stop talking!” Michiru s...
2025-09-17 18:02:09 +0000 UTC
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Even between family, some bonds run deep while others are paper-thin.
Sometimes, a distant cousin feels less familiar than the kid who drops off the newspaper every morning.
From the very beginning, Tsuchiya Ryouta had noticed how differently his cousin Michiru treated him compared to Aki Tomoya.
They were both ordinary people crushed beneath Michiru’s overwhelming talent, yet Ryouta had never given up. Instead, he buried himself in baseball.
Failure was a constant i...
2025-09-17 18:01:38 +0000 UTC
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Aoki didn’t notice anything unusual about Kita at that moment.
He said nothing, simply waiting quietly as Nijika and the others read through the entire score and lyrics.
It wasn’t until about half a minute later, once he was sure they’d all finished reading, that Aoki finally spoke again.
“We’ve got three weeks left. That should be enough time to practice. I’m good on my end.”
After stating his own situation, he paused for a moment before asking the girls...
2025-09-16 16:09:30 +0000 UTC
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There were only about three weeks left before KL Studio’s submission deadline for their open call project.
Technically, there was still enough time—but whether or not to avoid Imai Takashi was no longer a question worth considering.
If Kessoku Band wanted to perform I Once Thought About Ending It All perfectly, two weeks simply wouldn’t cut it.
Even with three weeks, Aoki felt the time was still a little tight.
But with the deadline looming, there was no...
2025-09-16 16:06:06 +0000 UTC
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———————————————————————
[In dimensions too lofty for words to describe, we are a single existence.]
———————————————————————
Nagami’s lips curved slightly.
He could read the flurry of thoughts passing through Lumine’s mind as if they were written in the air.
He moved his hand with deliberate meaning.
———————...
2025-09-16 16:03:14 +0000 UTC
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With Lumine leading the way, the group entered Mondstadt without a hitch.
Paimon was conveniently sent off by Lumine under the excuse of “introducing a distant friend to Mondstadt’s customs.”
C.C., meanwhile, guided Seele and Kurumi around the Windblume Festival with the “emergency food” in tow.
That left only a boy and a girl walking side by side in silence, blending into the cheerful festival crowd.
The free wind carried the scent of dandelions.
Monds...
2025-09-16 15:58:07 +0000 UTC
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“Aki, why haven’t you actually explained why Hojou attacked you? I thought you two wouldn’t even cross paths,” Mr. Hyoudo asked, puzzled.
The “Hojou Kyousuke” described by his two nephews was strangely both unified and split at once.
They agreed on one thing: both boys believed Hojou Kyousuke was a peerless genius with talent far beyond his daughter’s.
But they disagreed in how they pictured him.
Ryouta painted Hojou as brilliant and dis...
2025-09-16 15:20:08 +0000 UTC
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“Absolutely—absolutely do not get involved with that guy!”
Aki Tomoya’s hysterical roar shattered the air.
Waking up from the suffocating shadow of death, he finally realized that the searing phantom pain in his body hadn’t been an illusion at all—it was real.
He clutched his stomach with his right hand. His previous injury still hadn’t healed.
“Huh?”
Tsuchiya Ryouta’s eyes went wide at Aki Tomoya’s words, confusion and irritation written al...
2025-09-16 15:19:39 +0000 UTC
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The meeting wrapped up quickly.
Once the non-disclosure agreement and script matters were settled, there wasn’t much left to discuss.
Aoki stood up and offered a polite bow.
“Thank you for your time today, Fujita-san, Niijima-san. Since everything’s settled here, I’ll be heading off.”
“Ah, Aoki-san, won’t you stay for lunch?” Fujita asked. It was hard to tell if he genuinely wanted Aoki to join them, or if it was just a courtesy.
It was still earl...
2025-09-15 16:43:12 +0000 UTC
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Yamada Ryo carried back an armful of matcha sweets the souvenirs that Aoki Kei had bought for her and Nijika and returned to her hotel room.
The spacious two-person suite felt unusually quiet with Nijika still out.
She took a quick shower by herself, changing out of her rain-soaked hoodie, and flopped down onto her bed.
With nothing pressing to do, she let herself relax, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.
Unbidden, Aoki Kei’s words from earlier floated into her mind...
2025-09-15 16:42:24 +0000 UTC
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