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"Kitahara-kun is quite reliable. I don't know why I imagined him as a goblin in my dream…"
Togawa Sakiko was tidying up the messy wine bottles on the floor, recalling last night's dream, when her pretty face suddenly flushed rapidly.
"Goblins… Fallen Princess… Wasn't that the terrible manga I read before?"
"I actually dreamed of becoming the heroine of that terrible manga… Am I that kind of perverted girl?"
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
"And those goblins, why do they all look like Kitahara-kun?!"
"Could it be… that I… to Kitahara-kun…"
Togawa Sakiko quickly bit her pink lips, took a deep breath, and banished the chaotic thoughts from her mind.
"Don't overthink it!"
"The weak me is already dead. Now I must be strong. In this world, the only person I can rely on is myself!"
After clearing away the wine bottles scattered on the floor, Togawa Sakiko had regained her composure.
However, once many thoughts sprout, they take root and can never be completely removed.
"..."
"Stay home and don't go out."
Kitahara Makoto rubbed the Beast Eared Girl's small head, issuing the stay-at-home command.
There was no other way; Hana-chan was not human after all, and unlike a certain blue-eyed young dragon who could distort human perception, she could only be kept at home.
The Beast Eared Girl lifted her small face and said expressionlessly:
"Cupcakes."
"Got it, got it." Kitahara Makoto waved his hand, "I'll definitely buy you cupcakes when I come back tonight."
He said she was a mount, but it was clear he was raising a daughter.
"..."
He walked out of the house.
The sunlight outside was exceptionally bright.
Kitahara Makoto walked on the way to the Train Station, taking out his phone and sending a message to Bocchi-chan.
"Hitori-chan, I'm leaving now. Do you want to go to school together today?"
Gotō Hitori: "S-sorry, I'm already at school…"
Evidently, last night was just a special, unavoidable circumstance. Today, Little Miss Anxiety was avoiding him as usual.
However, Kitahara Makoto didn't mind: "Then I'll see you tonight."
Gotō Hitori: "..."
The journey was silent.
Kitahara Makoto arrived at school as usual. Today, he happened to meet Takamatsu Tomori and Chihaya Anon at the school gate.
"Kitahara-kun, good morning!"
Chihaya Anon raised her right hand, her voice sweet and full of energy.
"Good morning."
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly, looking at Tomori-chan beside Anon, and casually greeted her:
"Tomori-chan, good morning."
"..."
Their eyes met.
Takamatsu Tomori moved her pink lips, seemingly wanting to speak, but not a single word came out. Instead, her small face quietly flushed, and she silently turned her head away.
Hey, hey, why are you blushing?
If he remembered correctly, what he exchanged yesterday was a smile. Even if you can't smile, you shouldn't be blushing!
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Chihaya Anon immediately noticed that something was wrong. With her hands behind her back, she tilted her head and looked over: "Why is Tomori-chan suddenly blushing?"
Takamatsu Tomori lowered her head guiltily: "N-no… I'm not blushing."
"Children who lie won't grow tall." Chihaya Anon lightly tapped her lips with a finger, her gaze shifting between Kitahara Makoto and Takamatsu Tomori, "Speaking of which, after swimming class yesterday afternoon, Tomori-chan disappeared in the blink of an eye… Could it be that she secretly went to see Kitahara-kun?"
"..."
Takamatsu Tomori's small head drooped even lower. For her, lying was truly a very difficult thing.
"Eh? Eh?" Chihaya Anon was genuinely surprised now, "Were you two really on a date yesterday afternoon?"
"It wasn't a date." Kitahara Makoto corrected her without changing his expression, "We were just continuing to play board games in the club room with Tomori-chan. After losing so many times in the morning, of course I wanted to win back."
"Ah, how mean!" Chihaya Anon's pink cheeks quickly puffed up, "You didn't even call me to play together."
Kitahara Makoto said calmly: "You're not a club member, so it's normal not to call you."
"No, I have to protect Tomori-chan closely." Chihaya Anon extended her arms and hugged Takamatsu Tomori, saying earnestly, "If I'm not there, what if Kitahara-kun takes the opportunity to do something strange to Tomori-chan?"
Kitahara Makoto looked over speechlessly: "If I had done something strange, I should be in prison now, not standing here."
After exchanging a few retorts, Chihaya Anon quickly raised her hand and suggested continuing to play Monopoly board game in the club room.
Kitahara Makoto pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement:
"No problem."
The System might generate daily tasks related to the two girls someday. Winning a few more universal exchange coupons is always a good precaution.
Half an hour later.
Kitahara Makoto's face turned dark.
His luck today was as bad as ever. Only the two girls won in turns, and he hadn't won a single game from start to finish. If he kept losing like this, he might as well sign a contract of servitude!
"Mm-hmm, I won again." Chihaya Anon extended her slender hand, her smile bright and radiant, "Kitahara-kun, hand over the exchange coupon."
Kitahara Makoto, expressionless, tore off a sticky note and handed it over:
"That's enough for today."
"Eh?" Chihaya Anon tilted her head and looked over, "Kitahara-kun lost his fighting spirit so quickly?"
"It's getting late." Kitahara Makoto, of course, was unwilling to admit it, "It's almost time to go back to the classroom."
"Alright then, we'll play again tomorrow." Chihaya Anon happily put away the exchange coupon and turned to say, "Tomori-chan, shall we go back to the classroom?"
Takamatsu Tomori, who hadn't spoken much, suddenly shook her head and said calmly:
"Anon, you go back first. I'll go back by myself later."
"Eh?" Chihaya Anon was slightly stunned, her gaze shifting between the two. She quickly picked up her schoolbag, stood up, and waved, "Then I'll go back first."
Although Anon was a bit vain, she was actually quite understanding. After hearing Takamatsu Tomori's unspoken meaning, she quickly got up and left gracefully.
Bang.
The club room door gently closed.
Takamatsu Tomori turned her head and looked at Kitahara Makoto seriously, then suddenly bowed in apology:
"Kitahara-kun, I'm sorry."
Kitahara Makoto was surprised: "Why are you apologizing?"
"I promised to smile yesterday afternoon." Takamatsu Tomori clenched her small fists, her tone self-reproachful, "But… I practiced for a long time at home last night, and I still couldn't smile."
Your hard practice is heartwarming, but you used the wrong tools!
Kitahara Makoto said solemnly:
"Tomori-chan, have you heard of the law of conservation of smiles?"
Takamatsu Tomori shook her head calmly: "I haven't heard of it."
"The meaning is simple." Kitahara Makoto took out his phone, "Smiles don't disappear; they just transfer from one person's face to another's. So don't cling to outdated joke books, come and watch this video…"
Takamatsu Tomori tilted her small head, her tone puzzled: "How did Kitahara-kun know I read a joke book?"
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