After repeatedly confirming that he wouldn't go back on his word, Shouko began to change the subject.
From shopping with Takagi a few days ago to the trivial matter of Yuzuru being scolded yesterday, she enthusiastically shared everything with him.
"Tsuna, will Godmother go shopping tomorrow?" Shouko asked casually as the evening wound down.
Tsuna subconsciously replied, "If Nishimiya Auntie is off tomorrow, she should go out in the afternoon." Then he turned his head in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Nothing, just asking."
Shouko smiled at him, then saved the content on her tablet, stood up, and bid him "Good night" before humming an unknown cheerful tune and leaving.
"How strange."
Tsuna watched her safely return home through the window before retracting his gaze. Shouko's words just now were instantly forgotten.
Sitting back in front of his computer, he recalled the plot of 'One Liter of Tears' until a 'LINE' message notification interrupted his thoughts.
"Miyamura, want to go to the bookstore together tomorrow?"
Looking at the message from Nishikata, he thought about the over thirty-degree Celsius heat outside these past few days and unhesitatingly refused his invitation.
"Don't you have a part-time job at the sushi restaurant tomorrow?"
"I asked the manager uncle for half a day off."
"..."
Tsuna chatted with him on and off for half an hour until Nishikata stated he was going to take a shower, and the conversation ended.
He glanced at the time, charged his phone, quickly got into bed, said good night to the ceiling, and fell into a dream.
The next day.
Wavy heat shimmered from the road, stray dogs under the shade of trees played dead with their tongues hanging out, and even the metal letters on road signs curled from the heat.
"Dong…dong…dong…!"
"Coming, coming." Tsuna rubbed his messy hair, got up from the sofa, and walked to the entrance. "Who would visit on such a hot day?"
"Click…"
"Miyamura-sensei! Please give me an autograph!"
"..."
The door was only halfway open when he heard three excited voices from outside. For a moment, he wanted to close it again.
"Why are you all here?" Tsuna ignored the three identical copies of the second volume of Anohana neatly presented before him and asked in confusion.
"Of course, we came to get your signature—"
"Come in first."
Tsuna noticed the fine sweat on their foreheads, interrupted Ajitani, and quickly stepped aside to let them in first.
"Excuse us!" x2
"Excuse me."
"No need to shout, I'm the only one home." Tsuna closed the door, keeping the scorching wind out.
"Is Shouko not here?" Ajitani turned back to look at him. "I wanted to surprise her."
"She went grocery shopping with my Mom. Looking at the time, they should be on their way back." Tsuna stepped onto the wooden corridor and looked back at the three changing their shoes. "What do you want to drink?"
"Iced malt tea!"
"Iced cola!"
"Anything iced is fine."
Looking at the unreserved trio, Tsuna spread his hands. "None of those."
"..."
Ajitani looked up during the shoe change and asked, "Then what do you have that's iced?"
"Papaya milk for free flow…"
Without waiting for their opinions, Tsuna walked directly to the dining room, while the three, having changed their shoes, walked onto the wooden corridor with 'pat-pat' sounds and entered the living room to wait for Tsuna.
As soon as the three stepped into the living room, the air conditioning instantly dispelled the heat, and the cool air flowed down their necks.
When Tsuna returned to the living room with cold drinks, he only saw the three casually sprawled on the tatami, with crumpled, damp tissues in their hands.
"Here."
"Arigato!" x3
Nishikata picked up the iced milk and took a big gulp, then let out a long sigh, instantly perking up, even more invigorating than having the air conditioner blowing directly on his face!
"Miyamura, you don't know," Ajitani put down her cold drink, a faint white rim still on her upper lip, "If we had arrived any later today, we almost wouldn't have been able to buy this second volume."
Seeing that he didn't seem to believe it, Nishikata echoed, "It's true, the store clerk was so busy she could barely keep up."
Then he sighed lightly, "I wish my friend's book could also get approved and become this popular."
"Your friend's book?"
Tsuna and the other two's gazes simultaneously focused on Nishikata's face, making him feel a bit uncomfortable even while drinking water.
"Can you reveal the general plot? I'll help you check it?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow, asking.
Since Shouko hadn't returned yet, he thought listening to the book Nishikata wrote would be a nice way to pass the time.
As for Nishikata saying it was his friend's book, he didn't believe it for a second.
Seeing the hesitant expression on Nishikata's face, Takagi quickly chimed in:
"That's right, Nishikata, with Miyamura, the great author, your friend's book will definitely get his guidance and be approved."
Her thoughts were similar to Tsuna's, but she was more curious about his book, definitely not curious about Nishikata's embarrassing past or anything…
Hehe…
Takagi tried her best to control the corners of her mouth from turning up. After Nishikata awkwardly squirmed for a while, he slowly said, "My friend's book is a pure love story."
"Pure love?" Tsuna asked in confusion.
"Mm." Nishikata nodded. "A pure love short story where the male lead has superpowers."
The three immediately sat up straight, ready to listen intently. Takagi even secretly turned on her phone's recording function.
"The boy has a problem where he can't stop uncontrollably pooping…"
"Hold on." Tsuna subtly distanced himself from him. "I'm already starting to not want to listen."
Ajitani and the other two also distanced themselves.
"This probably wouldn't even pass review…"
"I know, my friend's book was written on a sudden burst of inspiration and isn't meant to be uploaded."
"Nishikata, keep going."
Hearing Takagi's urging, Tsuna and Ajitani both looked at her in surprise.
Ajitani couldn't even imagine her good Girl having such peculiar tastes…
Nishikata hesitated for a moment but continued, "Because of this ability, the male lead was quickly isolated by his classmates and friends."
"Then one night, on his way home, he heard a cry for help and immediately ran towards it."
Tsuna had a bad feeling. He wanted to quit now, but after hesitating, he chose to listen quietly.
"Following the cry for help, he ran into a corner! He saw a burly man harassing a girl. Without a word, he grabbed poop and threw it at the burly man's face, saving the girl."
"Good thing we weren't eating…" Ajitani muttered softly.
"I suddenly feel quite sorry for that burly man and the girl…" Tsuna already wanted to cover his ears.
"Using the faint moonlight, the boy clearly saw the girl's face, and the girl did the same. Neither of them expected that they would be classmates."
"And that girl, with a look of adoration, befriended him. One of the reasons was also gratitude for the boy saving her. And so, the girl became the boy's only friend."
"Is that girl a pervert…?"
"Gross…"
Unlike the two who silently complained, Takagi sat quietly to the side, trying her best to control the corners of her mouth.