As if to convey all the emotions of these days to the boy, she just kept crying.
—Those were tears of joy and happiness.
No one knew how long had passed before Eriri finally calmed down and stood up from the boy.
The two exchanged glances and suddenly burst out laughing.
The boy's clothes were still covered in mud, tears, and snot, while the girl's nose was also stained with mud, her delicate, pretty face completely smudged, looking like a little calico cat.
"You're as disheveled as you were when you used to beg," the girl said, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Who do you think this was for?!"
"Please keep working this hard for me in the future too."
"Impossible! This is a one-time, limited event!"
Idiot, I'm just kidding.
I don't want to be a heroine who always needs saving.
Next time, it'll be my turn to pour my passion into you. I'll keep striving forward, advancing to a point where you'll look at me with new eyes, and then I'll stay by your side. When you encounter difficulties, when you can't see the path ahead, I'll reach out my hand just like you did for me this time.
I'll always be by your side.
Eriri walked a few steps forward, out of the passage, and stood under the blue sky and sunshine.
She smiled like summer, extended her finger, and pointed at him.
"—So, you better be ready."
She turned around, looking up at the sky.
The summer sky was incredibly blue, and the refreshing breeze was exhilarating.
—Clang.
The sound of a baseball heralded a brand-new summer.
She now loved summer.
---
Eriri gained true courage. She became more honest, no longer avoiding problems and difficulties. Although she would still be a tsundere, she would no longer do things that would make her regret or suffer.
Her painting also improved. She lost her passion and then regained it. Even if the road ahead was muddy and difficult, she would still carry her fragrant dreams and move forward with unwavering determination.
Eriri had completed her evolution. If things continued this way, it wouldn't be impossible for her to shed her identity as a top-tier losing heroine and rewrite the world line!
—It was just that one thing became very subtle.
Why did she always like to inquire about his personal information!?
She would ask in a roundabout way, for example, where he used to wander, where he worked odd jobs, how he lived when he was alone… Hmph! It's too late to care now! He had already become a captive of the Yukinoshita family!
Eriri stepped into a new season.
His time also continued to move.
Reading, researching, writing, practicing art, occasionally enjoying the feeding services of the two Yukino sisters, and then stealing some time to go out with Yanami to play ball and eat, but…
Yanami stopped coming to find him.
Because it was almost time for the college entrance exam again.
She devoted herself entirely to her studies, wanting to achieve the goal she hadn't seen realized last time. Yanami also had her own dreams, her own desired future—although this future was closely linked to a certain person.
Kiyono didn't disturb her again, simply offering his silent blessings, and he himself began writing the latter half of his second Literature Club book.
Everyone was moving forward little by little.
And then…
Cherry blossoms fluttered once more.
It was the annual day for school admissions again.
At the bustling train station, Kiyono held his phone, his expression serious. Whether Yanami's long-cherished wish could be fulfilled depended on today!
Normally, he should have been by the girl's side, waiting for the admission notice with her, but if she failed, she definitely wouldn't want him to see her embarrassed side. He needed to give her some time to buffer. Considering this, he still chose to wait patiently.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang.
His heartbeat also quickened. Kiyono took a deep breath, suppressed the tension in his heart, pressed the answer button, and cautiously asked:
"How do you feel?"
"This, well… hmm."
A slightly sad tone.
A lifeless voice.
Kiyono's heart sank. Could it be that she didn't get into any ideal university? That shouldn't be right. Although Yanami's foundation was relatively weak at first, after two years of hard work, she could achieve excellent unified exam scores.
According to his rational and objective estimation, if Yanami performed normally, even if she couldn't get into Waseda University, she could still choose from B+ private universities.
But judging from her tone now… could she have eaten something bad before the exam and been in poor condition? Or did she waste too much time on eating and his good looks?
The air was silent for a moment.
The boy's thoughts raced. He had already prepared two sets of remarks, one for congratulations and one for comfort, but in the end, he didn't say anything. The girl also seemed to be in a bad mood, said a few simple words, and then hung up the phone.
Kiyono put away his phone, exhaled softly, unable to suppress his worried heart.
Since words couldn't convey it, then he would just go directly.
That's why he had arrived at the train station early.
Depart immediately!
Riding the Chiba Keiyō Line, the boy watched the scenery flash by outside the window, increasingly feeling like he was in a youth movie.
The train arrived in Tokyo, then he transferred to Bunkyō Ward, came to Shinjuku, and finally stopped not far from Waseda University.
—He felt that Yanami would definitely be here.
Walking on the road, Kiyono turned two streets and saw the gate of Waseda University. Waseda had always been known as a prestigious private school where young ladies and gentlemen gathered. The students coming and going were all elegant and held their heads high. But even among these people, one girl was still extremely eye-catching.
She was standing under a tree near the school gate, holding a book, looking completely at ease.
As if by telepathy, the blue-haired girl suddenly looked up and saw Kiyono across the street. A captivating smile, both alluring and sweet like a fairy, immediately bloomed on her charming face.
It was at this moment, as their eyes met, that Kiyono finally understood: this blue otter was deliberately teasing him!
She was already a Waseda University student.
Kiyono's eye twitched, but slowly, his expression softened considerably. He knew the hard work the girl had put in for this.
Now, more than half a year later, her hair seemed even longer, flowing down like moonlight, soft and beautiful, as if bathed in morning dew.
Medium-length-haired Yanami gave off a special feeling, as if a certain background character suddenly had a new form… Did this woman want to stack buffs?
Having already graduated from high school, this time she wasn't wearing her high school uniform, but instead a pink and white cotton shirt with a cute scarf pinned at the collar, and a uniform jacket over the shirt.
The girl's slender thighs were as fair as milk, with a faint pinkish hue beneath the smoothness. She was only wearing ordinary white cotton socks—her style in socks and clothes had always leaned towards that of a normal high school girl.
Even though she was already a university student, she exuded a strong youthful aura and a touch of childishness. Perhaps only when she truly entered society later would she give off a "mature" feeling.
And the next moment, Yanami, with a slightly playful smile, took out her phone from her bag and made a call.
His phone rang in response.
The two of them, separated by a road and passing pedestrians, were on the phone.
"Idiot, aren't you going to come over quickly?"
Her voice was as soft and beautiful as ever.
"Hm? It seems there's no sad girl waiting for me to comfort her here. I'm going home." Kiyono turned around, deciding to give Yanami a taste of her own medicine.
The girl stopped talking. She simply took her phone, crossed the road, came to his side, gently bumped him with her shoulder, then gripped his arm with both hands to prevent him from leaving. That familiar sweet scent also filled his nostrils.
"If a certain someone doesn't come, I'll cry and wait here forever, so this counts as comfort."
Yanami soothed him with a beaming smile. She didn't understand love, but she knew how to make Kiyono feel satisfied.
"You're already a university student, still messing around with a high schooler, what kind of behavior is that!" Kiyono snorted and shook her off.
The blue-haired girl didn't mind his actions, raising her eyebrows and smiling at him:
"Hm… Does Kiyono want to see me being hit on by other male university students?"
A wave of displeasure surged in his heart, but Kiyono pretended not to care:
"What? With a handsome, passionate, academically excellent Akutagawa Prize winner who was last year's top-selling author in Literature Club, a perfect man who is considerate to everyone, would anyone else dare to hit on you?"
"Then I'll ask the passionate baseball boy to accompany me on a campus tour," Yanami leaned closer to him, their fingertips accidentally touching.
Strolling through the university, Kiyono turned his head to look at the blue-haired girl beside him. Her face hadn't changed much, but for a moment, Yanami's profile looked like that of an unfamiliar girl, very mature.
She was already a university student—this thought surfaced in his mind.
In this world, Yanami's time flowed a little faster than his, so looking at her like this, Kiyono couldn't help but fall into contemplation. She had reached the age for romance, and Yanami was very popular in university. He could feel this, and he also knew the girl's feelings.
However, he still didn't know how to handle it, at least not in this world, because due to various circumstances, his entanglement with the Yukinoshita family was too deep, and their kindness to him was too great. They were just waiting for him to change his surname…
For a time, the pure love angel and the fallen demon battled endlessly in his mind.
Kiyono let out a long sigh, only able to say that his own achievements were still not enough.
Yanami took him on a tour of the ancient campus. He temporarily reined in his thoughts and, looking at the incredibly skilled girl, unexpectedly spoke:
"Aren't you just newly admitted? How are you so familiar with this place?"
"I came here several times before the exam," Yanami said with a proud smile.
"It seems you're very confident in yourself."
Kiyono raised an eyebrow. The girl's walking speed was very slow, as if she had deliberately slowed her pace. The blue strands of hair behind her swayed lightly, speaking of their owner's mood.
Yanami led him to a place resembling an open-air café. This was a spot next to the central tower building, where many parasols and tables and chairs were placed in the shadow of the building, allowing people to bring drinks and food bought elsewhere to eat here.
Because it was the start of the new semester, many clubs were performing loudly here, livening up the atmosphere.
Yanami chose a slightly secluded spot, sat down lightly, and said with a touch of willfulness and delicacy:
"I want ice cream and chicken nuggets! And a large order of fries and cake!"
—Hm, it was indeed the familiar Yanami.
She had worked hard to get into university, so a little reward wouldn't hurt, right? With this thought, Kiyono went to buy things and also bought her some extra.
But when he returned with the items, an unexpected situation occurred.
At this moment, a university student stood in front of the blue-haired girl, his expression slightly constrained, seemingly a bit nervous, looking as if he had triggered a pick-up event.
Kiyono's footsteps involuntarily paused. He clicked his tongue. Although he knew Yanami was the kind of girl who attracted the opposite sex, seeing it firsthand… he truly realized the change in his own mindset.
And within a few seconds, the boy left dejectedly. Yanami looked up, her gaze directed forward, and waved at him with a brilliant smile.
As soon as Kiyono sat down, the blue-haired girl eagerly picked up a cup of ice cream, dug out a spoonful, and as if immersed in the sweet taste, her face also became sweet. She seemed to have no intention of explaining what had just happened.
He also found it difficult to ask.
The next moment, she suddenly scooped up a full spoonful of ice cream, and with a sweet smile, brought it to his mouth, making Kiyono subconsciously take the spoon into his mouth.
"This way—no one else will come to hit on me."
Kiyono swallowed the ice cream, only feeling its sweetness.
Whenever they encountered any misunderstandings that could affect their relationship, they would resolve them directly on the spot, earnestly maintaining this relationship.
However, both of them misunderstood the human instinct to pursue beauty. To leave behind more excellent offspring, people instinctively seek out strong, healthy, and beautiful peers, especially creatures like university students, regardless of gender.
Yanami just happened to encounter it, and not just once… This time she was a witness.
"Excuse me, are you Kiyono-sensei?"
Two Literature Club girls approached cautiously, as if they had discovered a precious artifact, their eyes sparkling. After high school, many literary seniors had suggested that he appear in public to promote literature, which would inject some fresh vitality into the literary world. This allowed female university students who usually enjoyed studying literature to recognize him at a glance.
"Hello, senior."