Chapter 290

As she ate, Aoyama Nanami felt so aggrieved and conflicted she almost cried.

"How come it feels like Nanami likes me too?"

Kitakami Yoru took advantage of Aoyama Nanami lowering her head to start daydreaming.

Am I overthinking it?

I feel like it's just Chika.

It's not like the whole world likes me, right?

It must be an illusion.

Shaking his head and treating these thoughts as a joke, Kitakami Yoru continued to chow down.

The buffet had a 90-minute time limit.

Taking advantage of the price is one thing, but it wouldn't be good to make himself sick.

Ten parts full, feeling a bit stuffed.

Kitakami Yoru rubbed his distended stomach and leaned against the sofa to rest: "I'm so full, Nanami, are you done eating?"

"I'm about done too."

Aoyama Nanami, not wanting to lose money, replied while eating.

She felt she could still eat a few more.

"Don't overeat and hurt your body."

Kitakami Yoru reminded her.

"Kitakami-san, shouldn't we just split the bill?"

Nodding, Aoyama Nanami said again, feeling embarrassed.

"As friends, what's wrong with me treating you to a meal?"

"It's fine, you can treat me back when you have the chance later."

Japanese people are used to splitting the bill, even when dating.

Usually, they regret splitting the bill.

There are indeed those "princesses" who demand that the boy pay for everything.

But not too many.

"I'll treat you back next time."

Aoyama Nanami felt a bit embarrassed.

She had a personality that leaned toward being a pushover.

"Yeah, Nanami is also super easy to get along with..."

Kitakami Yoru bent over, resting his hands on the table, staring straight at Aoyama Nanami.

Looking at what's in the bowl while eating what's in the pot.

That describes someone like him!

"What... what is it?" Aoyama Nanami put down her chopsticks and said.

Being stared at by someone you like, no... even if it's not someone you like, anyone would feel strange being stared at like that.

"You eat your food, I'll do my looking."

Kitakami Yoru smiled and shook his head.

Playing the rogue.

He suddenly thought, if it were his close female friends.

For example, Gabriel, Kato Megumi, the Aoyama Nanami in front of him...

Dating other men.

Just the thought of it gave Kitakami Yoru a chill and a sense of reluctance.

Everyone has possessiveness.

Kitakami Yoru's was also very intense, yet he couldn't bear to deceive these simple, good friends.

Once things were exposed, it would ruin their lives, and they wouldn't even be able to be friends.

But if he had to watch, for instance, Aoyama Nanami dating someone else, Kitakami Yoru would feel even worse.

If he had to choose one, he would choose the former.

"If only this were a society where polygamy was allowed..."

"Or if everyone could get along harmoniously, that would be best..."

"It's not like I can take compromising photos of everyone and threaten them, right?"

Anyway, these were just thoughts and ideas; Kitakami Yoru wouldn't deliberately control them, letting his imagination run wild.

Five minutes later.

Aoyama Nanami, with a slightly flushed face, finished eating and stood up to leave.

In front of the sink.

She looked in the mirror to fix her makeup, shyly looking back at the outside frequently.

"Kitakami-san kept staring at me, what does that mean, huh?!"

"Did he see that my face was red?"

"Oh my, there's absolutely no way to hide it, so embarrassing..."

Her pink toes gently curled against the soles of her shoes, and Aoyama Nanami dawdled for a long time before gathering the courage to walk out.

"Rest for a bit, or go home now?"

It wasn't that early, and Kitakami Yoru wanted to go home early to wash up.

"Let's go home."

Aoyama Nanami considered.

Leaving the sushi restaurant, they walked to the station to take the train home.

On the way, Kitakami Yoru casually bought two hot milk teas, gave one to Aoyama Nanami, and they took the train home.

Night fell.

Second floor of the apartment, the corridor landing.

"I had a great time tonight, Kitakami-san."

Aoyama Nanami stood shyly in front of Kitakami Yoru.

"Me too, let's meet up when we have time next."

Kitakami Yoru didn't think too much of it.

"Then... can I... hug you?"

Aoyama Nanami had been thinking about this since just now.

"Hug me?"

"Hmm? Why?"

Kitakami Yoru responded with a smile, eyeing Aoyama Nanami suspiciously.

His eyes held a deep sense of inquiry.

"Don't overthink it, I just want to thank you for your help and care during this time."

"I haven't properly thanked you before."

A single look startled Aoyama Nanami so much she almost lost control, and she explained hurriedly.

Luckily, the corridor was relatively dim.

Otherwise...

Aoyama Nanami, who had started using little schemes on Kitakami Yoru, had deliberately chosen this place as the spot for a hug.

"Let's have a hug."

Kitakami Yoru opened his arms, signaling for Aoyama Nanami to come over herself.

"Yeah, a hug, thank you."

Aoyama Nanami swallowed excitedly, her calves numb, and she walked over tremblingly.

The hardest step had already been successfully spoken.

Next, Aoyama Nanami boldly hugged him, resting her head on Kitakami Yoru's left shoulder.

The strange, hormonal scent of the man slammed into her brain, breaking through the heavy defenses guarding her mind.

"So fragrant..."

The girl silently counted down three seconds in her heart, reluctant to separate.

“Good luck with your voice acting exam.”

After separating, Kitakami Yoru looked at Aoyama Nanami and encouraged her.

“I will do my best.”

Aoyama Nanami was stunned, her mood instantly dropping.

“If you need someone to practice with, you can come find me.”

This was the most important thing for Aoyama Nanami, and Kitakami Yoru was very happy to help.

“Goodbye.”

Waving her hand, Aoyama Nanami’s lingering gaze swept across Kitakami Yoru’s face, and she turned to walk up the stairs.

The girl said goodbye to the person she liked, savored the lingering warmth of the hug, and stepped quickly up the stairs.

Taking out her keys in a bit of a rush, she tremblingly inserted them into the keyhole and gave a forceful twist.

With a “*click*” sound.

The moment the apartment door pushed open, Aoyama Nanami flashed inside quickly.

Inside, the lights weren’t on, and it was pitch dark.

Aoyama Nanami wasn’t in a hurry to turn on the lights in the dark, nor did she change her shoes, leaning against the door panel and breathing heavily.

Only until now.

Did she dare to let out the joy and shyness in her heart.

“I just... just hugged Kitakami-kun voluntarily...”

“*Huff*... Kitakami-kun smells so good! So good!”

“Too bold, too incredible...”

While rejoicing at her bold behavior just now, Aoyama Nanami smiled, and unconsciously placed her small hand in front of her nose.

Sniffing gently.

Attempting to smell a trace of Kitakami Yoru’s scent lingering there...

“Is doing this not very good?”

Aoyama Nanami’s eyes gradually adapted to the darkness.

She fumbled around, changed her shoes first, and then turned on the lights.

“If Kitakami-kun has a girlfriend...”

“And I still go to hug him, then this is absolutely not okay, right?”

But simple and kind thoughts emerged in Aoyama Nanami’s heart.

Even though she was in her own home, Aoyama Nanami felt like a thief.

After a long time, she walked into the shower room.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she returned to the bedroom and began to complete her simple homework.

Practicing voice acting.

Time reached half-past ten.

Aoyama Nanami left only a desk lamp by the bed, hugged her cherished doll Torajiro, and crawled into the covers to sleep.

Closing her eyes, her mind was full of the image of the hug with Kitakami Yoru just now.

“Kitakami-kun... I’m... I’m sorry...”

“*Humph*... *humph*... *hmm*... Kitakami-kun...”

“I like you too much, I’ll do anything to atone for my sins...”

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, ah...!”

Late at night.

Kitakami Yoru slept quietly holding Sansan, completely unaware that someone was missing him.

Morning.

At the usual time, the weather outside was nice, very suitable for staying in bed.

Thanks to the self-discipline Kitakami Yoru had cultivated while exercising, he got up without procrastination.

Putting on slippers, after stretching for ten minutes, he went to brush his teeth, wash his face, and freshen up.

Breakfast and lunch were still bento.

He arrived at school with Gabriel.

During the day, nothing happened.

During morning reading, Kitakami Yoru played on his phone, chatting with three girls at the same time.

“Good morning, Senior Sakurajima.”

“Is that so? Gabriel is actually quite a shut-in, she likes playing games.”

“Really? You’ve played this game too? You’re a girl, right?”

Kitakami Yoru sent messages to Sakurajima Mai, Satania, and Kitagawa Marin in order.

Sakurajima Mai might still be sleeping and didn’t reply.

As for the other two, they were classmates at the same school.

Kitakami Yoru was in morning reading, and they were too.

“I’m stuck on nightmare difficulty, I can’t get the favorability rating up no matter what; that student council president is so hard to conquer.”

Kitagawa Marin sent a message back, chatting with this stranger in her eyes about a 16+ dating game.

“There are many guides online, for example, sending 99 roses at once can trigger a hidden plot.”

Kitakami Yoru recalled the plot he knew by heart and typed quickly.

The two were chatting about a 16+ dating game produced by a new studio two years ago, which became popular for its realism and the cute voices of the girls.

Once it hit the shelves, there was even a brief shortage of physical game cartridges, and scalpers were selling them for double the price!

“Really? But I don’t want to look at the guide, I’m so conflicted.”

“Why did you say it directly...!”

In the classroom.

Kitagawa Marin, the blonde gyaru, put down her phone and scratched her hair hard with her manicured nails, complaining.

“You must hate spoilers when watching movies or TV shows, right?”

Kitakami Yoru smiled.

“How did you know?”

Kitagawa Marin could be said to have obsessive-compulsive disorder in this regard.

She only wanted to rely on her own strength to succeed in conquering it.

Looking at someone else’s guide or cheating is like having a wife you married with a 300,000 yuan dowry and a car and house, only to find out she’s second-hand.

Even, far worse than second-hand.

“Pay attention to exploring what the student council president said; you can try the student council room and her home.”

Kitakami Yoru said all he could.

It counted as a reminder, without directly pointing out the method.

“Really?”

“What about communicating normally?”

Kitagawa Marin asked suspiciously.

“Currently, no one has successfully conquered the student council president without triggering the hidden plot.”

“Girls like playing this too?”

Kitakami Yoru stretched and yawned.

“Does liking games have anything to do with me being a girl?”

“I say? You wouldn’t happen to know me, would you?”

Kitagawa Marin hit the nail on the head; this was a girl’s intuition.

“Don’t know you.”

Kitakami Yoru attached a playing-dumb emoji.

“Who have you been chatting with lately?”

Miura Yumiko couldn’t help her curiosity and, taking advantage of Kitakami Yoru looking up, seized the opportunity to ask.