Tag: Doting Love Interests

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The Socially Anxious Streamer Only Talks Online – Chapter 1

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Chapter 1 – Brother Is Awesome

Read more: The Socially Anxious Streamer Only Talks Online – Chapter 1

There were still five minutes left until nine in the morning.

In the brightly lit study, a fair hand gently placed a freshly steeped cup of chrysanthemum tea beside the computer.

The owner of the hand then skillfully turned on the computer and launched the streaming software.

Once everything was ready, he picked up the cup, lowered his eyes, and took a slow sip to soothe his throat.

His long eyelashes veiled his eyes, hiding the nervousness within.

The clock ticked to exactly nine.

The man sitting in front of the computer took a deep breath and lifted his beautiful eyes. He pressed his lips together, gave himself a silent pep talk, and then clicked to start the livestream.

A cheerful boyish voice rang out:

“Hi everyone, I’m your streamer, Shi Cha. Today we’re going to…”

Shi Cha had been streaming for three months now, but even today, he still got nervous before every session.

Three months ago, he had graduated from the best voice acting program in the nation’s top performing arts school. But after graduating, he didn’t choose to become an actor or a voice-over artist. Instead, he took refuge in the world of anime and became an anonymous voice streamer who never showed his face.

Hiding behind a screen felt like wearing a thick mask—no one knew who he really was.

He was like a snail curled up in its shell, slowly reaching its feelers out into the world of the internet.

At nine in the morning, there weren’t many people in the stream. After all, Shi Cha didn’t show his face, wasn’t signed to any platform, and had no promotional traffic support.

The few dozen people online were his regulars—viewers who had been drawn in by his voice over the past three months.

Shi Cha’s streams were simple: he entertained by dubbing videos in various voices, or playing games while using different vocal personas, including but not limited to “dreamy heartthrob,” “cool older sister,” “cute loli,” and “mischievous boy.”

In fact, even the bright and energetic teen voice he was using now wasn’t his real voice.

He carefully concealed everything, terrified someone might uncover his real-life identity. Getting “unmasked” was the ultimate punishment for someone with social anxiety.

Half an hour passed quickly, and Shi Cha took another sip of water.

“It’s time to start the giveaway I promised yesterday! The prize is 66 Fish Biscuits and a custom voice request.”

The giveaway ended shortly after.

Shi Cha scrolled with his mouse, his voice light and cheerful.

“Congrats to the viewer named [ILoveGreenTea]—the prize has been sent! What voice would you like to request?”

As he spoke, he had already launched his favorite game, deftly typing in his account credentials and logging in.

Once he was in the game, he finally looked back at the prize winner’s request.

However, when he saw the winner’s request, Shi Cha nearly spat water all over his screen.

[ILoveGreenTea]: [“QAQ, Cuncun, can you play a game using a green tea “clip voice”?”]
(Note: “green tea” refers to a fake sweet girl persona; “clip voice” means a high-pitched, deliberately cutesy voice.)

[ILoveGreenTea]: [“A few days ago, a girl using a green tea clip voice kept calling me ‘Brother Jungle’ and begged me to carry her in ranked. But after I carried her all the way to King tier, she deleted me!”]

[RandomUser]: [“Brother Tool-man, you’re asking Cuncun to use a clip voice—but how do you even know that the girl using the clip voice was really a girl… and not a dude?”]

[ILoveGreenTea]: [“…Brother, you just stabbed me right in the heart!”]

[ILoveGreenTea]: [“QAQ I don’t care! Cuncun, you have to go jungle using a green tea clip voice and keep calling your teammates ‘Brother’—I need catharsis!”]

[Chat]: [“……”]

Shi Cha: ……

You want catharsis? More like you’re taking revenge on me.

Shi Cha was a hundred percent unwilling, but after three months of online training, his social anxiety had improved quite a bit—at least when he was online. In fact, he was starting to get a little too comfortable… though that only applied to the internet.

Shi Cha queued for ranked, and while waiting, he got up to refill his water.

By the time he returned, the match had already started loading.

The position selection went surprisingly smoothly. A pair of players with obvious couple usernames claimed bottom lane and support.

As for top lane, that player’s demand was written loud and clear in their username: [If I don’t get top, I AFK!]

That left just two roles available.

[FGHJKL]: You pick. I’m fine with anything.

Since the guy said that, Shi Cha chose jungle without hesitation and locked in his jungle hero: Beast Spirit Envoy.

The moment he picked that hero, the bottom lane couple instantly showed their discontent.

[QueenOfSwag]: ??? Are you serious?

[SweetBoyfriend]: Beast Spirit Envoy? That’s like the rarest of the rare. Who even plays that? You’re not trolling, are you? Brother, c’mon!

But Shi Cha ignored them completely and locked in his pick. It was final—no switching.

[QueenOfSwag]: ???

[SweetBoyfriend]: ???

[NoTopNoPlay]: ???

Only the guy with the random string of letters said nothing.

The map finished loading, and both teams entered the game.

This was a 5v5 game with top, mid, and bottom lanes. As soon as the match began, the couple duo—support and AD (attack damage)—headed straight for bot lane. Before they left, they didn’t forget to turn on their mic and issue a warning to Shi Cha.

[SweetBoyfriend]: If you don’t know how to jungle, just quietly stay in our jungle. Once my Queen gets her items, she’ll carry the game.

[QueenOfSwag]: Mm.

The other two players headed straight to their lanes without saying much.

Although Shi Cha was socially anxious in real life and almost always complied with others’ requests without question, online was a different story. He had trained in the jungle role for three years—no way was he going to follow some random guy’s commands.

Pressing his lips together, he immediately directed his hero toward the enemy jungle.

Meanwhile, the chat in Shi Cha’s stream was buzzing with commentary.

[Can’tBelieveHeDoubted]: [“Someone actually questioned our Cuncun’s skills? His Beast Spirit Envoy has an 80% win rate!”]

[ColdHeroHotHand]: [“Exactly! Just because the hero’s unpopular doesn’t mean anything. Our Cuncun could go pro if he wanted.”]

Shi Cha wasn’t paying attention to the stream chat.

In the game, a jungler’s first decision is whether to start with the red buff or the blue buff.

Most players go blue first—that way, mana regeneration is boosted early on, so they don’t run out of mana mid-fight. And the hero Shi Cha picked—Beast Spirit Envoy—was especially mana-hungry in the early game. Players who choose him usually always start with their own blue buff.

The enemy jungler, on the other hand, was a physical damage type and didn’t need blue as badly, so he could start with either red or blue.

Just as Shi Cha began attacking the enemy’s blue buff, SweetBoyfriend suddenly spoke up on mic:

[SweetBoyfriend]: Jungler, heads up. Enemy jungler is invading and attacking our red…

And then he saw their own jungler was already in the enemy jungle, taking their blue buff.

????

[LR is the Best]: Support, can you go scout our jungle real quick?

SweetBoyfriend paused, then understood what Shi Cha meant. The enemy jungler had entered alone, so if the support showed up in their own jungle, the enemy might think the team’s jungler and support were working together.

SweetBoyfriend’s reaction: Wait, this isn’t just a jungle swap? This guy took their blue… and he’s planning to take ours too?!

The enemy team had now realized that their blue buff was gone—and that the support was wandering suspiciously through their jungle.

[Enemy Jungler]: Support, come over here—we’ll go for a 2v2.

The enemy jungler was strong before level 4 and had started with red buff. The 2v2 was clearly a plan to take down both Shi Cha and SweetBoyfriend.

But just as the enemy support moved up, Shi Cha bypassed their vision and went straight for their red buff.

He also cleared a few jungle minions along the way, hitting level 3 instantly.

With both supports and junglers tangled in the blue side jungle, the bot lane was left with just the two ADs poking at each other—one shot here, one shot there.

In that moment, Shi Cha landed an E skill, stunning the enemy AD. With perfect synergy, his own AD followed up, and they secured the kill.

First Blood!

[QueenOfSwag]: Nice job!

While Shi Cha secured first blood, the enemy jungler and support not only failed to take their blue, but also ran into SweetBoyfriend and the mid-laner—Mr. Alphabet Guy—who had roamed over to help.

Alphabet Guy clearly had skill. By the time Shi Cha arrived, he had already taken out both the enemy jungler and support.

In a flash, Shi Cha’s team had three kills under their belt.

Alphabet Guy returned to mid lane to keep farming, and SweetBoyfriend headed back down to bot.

After a moment of hesitation, SweetBoyfriend finally admitted: Brother, didn’t expect you to actually be good. My bad for underestimating you.

Shi Cha continued diligently clearing blue buff, not responding right away. Just as the buff was down to its last sliver of health, he finally opened his mic—slow, sweet, and syrupy: “Brother Alphabet~ Your blue buff is all ready~ Come get it~”

[QueenOfSwag]: ……

[SweetBoyfriend]: ……

[NoTopNoPlay]: ……

[FGHJKL]: ???

[SweetBoyfriend]: Brother, stop talking. You’re one of us.

Once Shi Cha started speaking, he realized it wasn’t so hard after all. Pinching his voice, he continued in a deliberately cutesy tone:

“Brother Alphabet~ Don’t send question marks~ Come get your blue buff~ I just took one earlier, this one’s for you~”

Shi Cha chose to “bother” the mid lane for two reasons. First, the bot lane duo was clearly a couple—he didn’t want to mess with their relationship. Second, the mid-laner, Alphabet Guy, had picked the same hero as his idol and secret crush—someone Shi Cha adored.

Alphabet Guy hesitated for a moment, then took the blue buff.

From then on, Shi Cha turned into a social butterfly, fluttering all over the map.

The enemy jungle became his personal XP farm, and any time he ganked top, mid, or bot, the enemy team collapsed.

He especially camped mid lane, his flirty voice floating constantly across the battlefield:

“Brother~ Brother~ I’m here to help you gank again~ Aiya, the enemy mid is totally tilted~ Brother, you’re amazing~”

From the moment Shi Cha turned on his mic, SweetBoyfriend went completely silent.

The three teammates would respond to each of his sugary outbursts with a string of ellipses, signaling that their souls were taking emotional damage.

It wasn’t just the enemy mid who was mentally destroyed—they were, too.

As for Alphabet Guy? He hadn’t said a single word all game. Maybe… he was enjoying it?

The game ended quickly. As their team pushed into the enemy base, Shi Cha chirped one last time:

“Brother~ Brother~ How’s my gameplay? Isn’t it super impressive~?”

The mid-laner—who had been completely silent while being relentlessly flirted with—finally spoke, just as the enemy nexus shattered:

“You’re pretty good.”

Those four words froze Shi Cha in place.

He stared blankly at the giant [Victory] on his screen, his ears ringing with that deep, rich voice.

“You’re pretty good… you’re pretty good… you’re pretty good…”

Panic surged through him. He slammed the power button and dropped his head onto the desk with a loud thud—twice.

Though the reply was short, he recognized that voice instantly.

It was Lin Ran’s.

The same Lin Ran he had a hopeless crush on.

He used the ID [LR is the Best] And he had just spent an entire game shouting things like:

“Brother you’re amazing~”

“How’s my technique~?”

“Isn’t it super impressive~?”

He could feel his scalp go numb.

Help.

“AAAAAAHHHHH—!”

Author’s Note:

The game is loosely inspired by League of Legends and Honor of Kings, but it’s an original PC-based 5v5 game.

WFYTCO

Waiting For You To Come Online -Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Freshman Registration

Read more: Waiting For You To Come Online -Chapter 1

August 31st—today is the registration day for new students at S University.

A light rain had just fallen in the early morning, making the roads slippery and muddy. The air was filled with a damp smell.

Xie Yang, dragging his heavy suitcase, transferred through several trains and finally arrived at S University.

The sun was scorching, as S City was in the peak of summer.

In thirty-plus degree weather, even with thick-soled sneakers, he could feel the searing heat of the ground.

Even the wind carried heat.

Xie Yang wore a plain white T-shirt, his back already soaked with sweat.

The sticky fabric clung to his skin, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

The line for new student registration was very long, and the registration area was packed with parents.

Most of the people in line were parents, while the students stayed under the shade of trees, watching the luggage.

Xie Yang, dragging his suitcase, stood out somewhat.

Perhaps noticing Xie Yang struggling with both his luggage and the registration process, looking a bit flustered, an upperclassman couldn’t help but speak up: “Are you here alone? Do you need help?”

Xie Yang finally signed his name and politely declined the upperclassman’s offer, dragging his suitcase toward the dormitory by himself.

However, he didn’t anticipate that S University’s dormitory area would be so vast.

He wandered around like a blind fly for quite some time before finding his dormitory building.

He could have avoided this trouble—the upperclassman at the registration desk had enthusiastically offered to take him to the dorm, but he had declined.

At that moment, a parent had also wanted to ask about dormitory issues, so Xie Yang felt it was impolite to let the upperclassman lead him.

He always disliked bothering others and felt a mix of gratitude, fear, and unease towards their kindness.

He had a reserved and socially anxious personality, rarely interacting with others.

The elevator area of the dormitory was crowded with people carrying luggage, and one elevator trip couldn’t take many people.

Xie Yang had no choice but to carry his suitcase up the stairs.

Fortunately, he didn’t have much luggage, and his dormitory floor wasn’t very high.

Room number 501.

After confirming his dormitory on his phone, Xie Yang politely knocked on the door before slowly pushing it open.

As soon as he opened the door, a blast of cool air from the air conditioner hit him, alleviating some of his discomfort from the heat.

Hearing the knock, the three people busy unpacking inside the dormitory simultaneously looked towards the door.

Feeling their gazes on him, Xie Yang’s nerves, which had just relaxed, began to tense up again.

The fear of the new environment and unfamiliar roommates overwhelmed him.

He nervously greeted his roommates, “H-hello.”

“Xie Yang?”

The voice carried a hint of surprise. Xie Yang looked in the direction of the voice.

It was Su Huai, his high school classmate.

Seeing someone he knew, Xie Yang immediately felt relieved and shyly smiled, “Su Huai.”

Su Huai laughed, “I was surprised when I saw the dormitory list. I didn’t expect us to end up in the same room.”

“You guys know each other?” one of the other roommates asked.

Su Huai replied, “Yes, we were in the same class in high school, just like you two.”

“Wow, that’s really lucky.”

“At least you know someone.”

Su Huai agreed, “That’s true.”

Seeing Xie Yang still standing at the door, Su Huai waved him in, “Come in quickly before all the cool air escapes. Isn’t it hot outside?”

Xie Yang hurriedly pushed his suitcase into the dormitory, his face showing a bit of embarrassment, “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Su Huai pointed to a nearby bed, “That’s your bed.”

The other three roommates arrived early and had already chosen their beds, leaving only the one next to Su Huai unclaimed.

Xie Yang softly said, “Thank you.”

He had very little luggage, bringing only a few sets of clothes, some daily necessities, and an old laptop. He also had a box of homemade cupcakes.

There were a lot of people on the way, and the cupcakes were easily squished, so Xie Yang had carefully protected them to ensure they arrived intact at the dormitory.

Since it was the first day of school, he wanted to get closer to his roommates.

His awkward personality often strained his relationships with classmates. He would be living with these people for the next four years and didn’t want his dorm life to be too difficult.

Even if his roommates didn’t like him, he hoped they could maintain a good relationship.

But this was not his familiar territory. He never knew how to win over new friends or how to get along with classmates, let alone roommates he would be living with day and night.

Xie Yang held the box in his hands, hesitating for a long time, unsure how to start a conversation.

Finally, it was Su Huai who broke the silence in the dormitory, catching a whiff of the sweet aroma of the cupcakes. “What’s that smell? It smells sweet, like cream?”

Nervously, Xie Yang stood up and handed the box to Su Huai. “It’s, it’s cupcakes I made. Would you like to try one?”

“You made these?”

“You know how to bake?” Su Huai was a bit surprised but didn’t refuse. “After a busy afternoon, I’m starving.”

He took the box from Xie Yang and opened it, revealing the delicate pastries inside. Su Huai had always liked sweet foods.

Noticing Xie Yang’s nervous gaze, Su Huai smiled and said, “They taste great.”

Xie Yang’s tense expression relaxed, and his eyes turned to the other two roommates. He wanted to say something but hesitated for a long time.

Seeing this, Su Huai chuckled, “Let me help you.”

Before Xie Yang arrived, Su Huai had already become acquainted with the other two roommates. He was naturally sociable and somewhat knew the other two from before.

They were all from S City, a place both big and small, so they had heard of each other.

As the cupcakes were handed out, Xie Yang breathed a sigh of relief and a shy smile appeared on his face. He sincerely said to Su Huai, “Thank you, Su Huai.”

Seeing the blush on Xie Yang’s face, Su Huai paused for a moment. He had never really looked at Xie Yang closely before and now realized that Xie Yang was actually quite attractive. His slightly long bangs and thick glasses had always obscured his appearance, making him seem unremarkable.

Su Huai and Xie Yang had been in the same class since their first year of high school. Aside from knowing that Xie Yang had excellent grades, he knew little else about him.

Xie Yang was always the model student in the teachers’ eyes, quiet and studious. Whenever he was seen, he was diligently studying. Even after school, he would stay at his desk doing homework.

For three years, he consistently ranked first in the class and second in the grade. Despite this, he was very low-key, never boasting about his achievements.

Because he spent most of his time studying and rarely interacted with others, his presence was weak, making him a peripheral figure1 in the class.

Because the teachers often praised Xie Yang and compared other students to him, his popularity in the class was not good.

Nobody likes being compared, especially as a negative example.

As a result, most of the classmates didn’t interact much with Xie Yang. Even for the annual class reunion, no one would invite him.

People would often talk behind his back, saying that someone as smart as him looked down on students with poor grades.

Every little thing about Xie Yang seemed to garner negative comments.

But now it seemed that Xie Yang’s personality wasn’t arrogant as they said. He was simply shy, introverted, and socially anxious, which made him unpopular.

Su Huai found it amusing. Even though he hadn’t paid much attention to Xie Yang before, they had been in the same class for three years. He had never realized that Xie Yang was this kind of person.

Seeing Xie Yang’s shy expression, he deliberately teased, “You’re really impressive, making desserts and all.”

Su Huai’s compliment made Xie Yang even more embarrassed. Twisting the hem of his shirt, he blushed and softly said, “I worked part-time at a bakery before, so I learned a little.”

“That’s still really impressive!”

“…”

The two chatted while tidying up the dorm room. After arranging all their belongings, Su Huai suggested, “It’s six o’clock. How about we go grab some dinner together?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s go, I’m starving.”

“Where should we eat? The school cafeteria?”

“How about we explore outside and buy some daily necessities too?”

“Sounds good, it’s a plan.”

“Xie Yang, come with us.”

Hearing Su Huai call his name, Xie Yang felt a bit surprised. His classmates rarely included him in their plans before.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Near the school, there were several food streets filled with small restaurants, most of which were packed.

They finally found a place with available seating and ordered a few stir-fry dishes.

As roommates, they wanted to build a good relationship, especially since they would be living together for the next four years if everything went smoothly.

Talking about various topics, they quickly became familiar with each other.

Although Xie Yang spoke little, he answered when asked and listened attentively to their conversations.

The three roommates gradually got to understand Xie Yang’s slow-to-warm-up and gentle nature.

Back at the dorm, they decided to play some games together.

“Three players are too few, but five players are too many.”

“Should we recruit someone?”

“No, it’s the start of the season. Who knows if we’ll get a good player or not. Let’s just pull someone from our friends list.”

“They’re all in games already.”

Hearing this, Xie Yang quickly said, “Um, my rank is low, so I probably can’t queue with you guys. You should go ahead and play.”

“What’s your rank?”

“If you’re Platinum, we can queue together.”

Xie Yang, feeling embarrassed, said, “I’m only Silver.”

The rankings were reset for the new season, and the three roommates who were positioned in Emerald One: “…”

“Okay then, we’ll start playing as a trio first. You focus on practicing, and once your rank goes up, we’ll play together.”

Xie Yang quickly nodded, “Okay.”

In fact, he rarely played games. His spare time was usually spent either working part-time or studying.

He only started playing this mobile game because he heard the person he liked was playing it too, which prompted him to download it.

It’s a pity that he doesn’t seem to have much talent for games, and he is still in the silver rank until now.

So, Xie Yang didn’t dare to join his roommates in ranked matches, fearing he might drag them down. He could only casually agree to their suggestion.

While they played their trio games, Xie Yang had some free time and decided to take a shower. Summers in S City were hot, making a cold shower perfect for the weather.

Leaning back with water from the shower head hitting his face, Xie Yang wiped his face. The cold water helped ease his inner restlessness bit by bit.

Hearing the laughter from his roommates playing together, Xie Yang smiled. Fortunately, his roommates were much easier to get along with than he had imagined. Today was smoother than he expected.

After finishing his shower, Xie Yang came out, and Su Huai, who was gaming, casually mentioned to him, “Your phone rang while you were in the shower. Probably someone calling you.”

Xie Yang paused in drying his hair, his eyes lowered. “Alright, I got it.”

He only had five contacts saved on his phone, and there was only one person who would call him at this time.

His mother.

Looking at the missed call display, Xie Yang hesitated for a while, then quietly closed the balcony door and tapped the screen to call back.

Ring…

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally picked up just as Xie Yang was about to hang up.

“Hello, Yang Yang?”

Xie Yang: “Mom.”

“Are you asleep?”

Xie Yang: “Not yet, I just finished taking a shower and missed your call.”

“School starts tomorrow. Mom wanted to accompany you, but your uncle can’t make time to accompany your younger brother to school tomorrow, so Mom…”

“It’s okay.” Xie Yang interrupted her before she could finish.

Then he took a deep breath, looking at the pitch-black night outside, and calmly said, “It’s just for registration at school. There’s no need to make it such a hassle, especially since I’m not a child anymore. I can handle it on my own. You don’t need to come.”

In fact, Xie Yang understood very well what his mother intended to say with this call at this time. Based on countless previous experiences, he already knew the outcome.

However, when he heard the beginning, Xie Yang wanted to interrupt her several times. For whatever reason, he didn’t care and didn’t want to hear it.

Both of them fell silent for a moment. As Xie Yang prepared to hang up the phone, the voice on the other end spoke again.

“Yang Yang, are you still blaming Mom?”

Xie Yang felt a bit powerless. He didn’t want to explain or answer, so he could only squeeze out, “No, I don’t think that way. You’re overthinking.”

“Okay then, rest well. Do you have enough money with you? Mom will transfer some more to you. University expenses are high, I heard you need money for water, electricity, and meals.”

“Don’t save money. Let Mom know when you need it.”

Xie Yang: “It’s okay, you’ve already given me enough.”

“Alright then, if there’s anything, just call Mom.”

Xie Yang: “Got it.”

After hanging up the phone, Xie Yang felt somewhat despondent2.

In fact, he had informed his mother long ago that S University required students to arrive a day early for registration, not on the first day of September when classes officially started.

At that time, he had hoped his mother would accompany him for enrollment and feel proud of him for getting into S University.

But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

The day he received his college entrance exam results coincided with the day his half-brother, from another mother, received his final exam scores. That day, his mother was overjoyed by his brother’s 80-point math score, casually glancing at Xie Yang’s exam results and leaving them lying on the dining table.

It was clear who mattered more.

He should have understood long ago, from the moment his parents chose to divorce.

No one wanted to take him along; instead, they dumped him on his grandmother in the countryside.

His existence became a burden between his parents.

Yet, he still clung to that foolish hope.

He hoped to gain his parents’ attention, to make them remember he existed.

Actually, this morning, he had waited for a long time.

He had arranged a time with his mother early in the morning, but she never showed up.

He knew she might have been busy and didn’t have time to come.

But those were just excuses he made for her.

Deep down, he knew well enough that this small matter of enrollment wasn’t on her mind, and naturally, she had forgotten that he had to register today.

So when he heard her mention “tomorrow,” he knew, as he had expected and as he had said.

It was just a matter of handling the enrollment procedures, something he could do on his own.

It wasn’t disappointment; he had probably grown accustomed to it long ago.

Looking at the just-transferred 3,000 yuan in his bank account, Xie Yang captured the transfer record screenshot and saved it.

After washing and hanging up his clothes, he climbed back into bed and started taking notes.

He had a notebook dedicated to tracking expenses, recording every expenditure each day.

He had three bank cards: one for his part-time job salary and the other two set up by his parents, who would deposit child support into them regularly.

But he had never touched the money his parents gave him.

He always felt it was something to be repaid.

One day in the future, there might be a reckoning.

So all this time, Xie Yang relied on part-time work to support his daily expenses.

He studied hard not just to seek his parents’ attention but also to earn scholarships that could support his university education.

He was very frugal and never spent money unnecessarily.

Even in the toughest times, he never thought of using the money his parents sent him, meticulously keeping track of every penny they transferred.

Xie Yang planned that after graduating from university, he would return these two cards exactly as they were given to him.

Then, draw a clear boundary.

The sounds of game kills continued in the dormitory. Xie Yang put on his headphones, slowly closed his eyes.

“Wow, I got a pentakill!”

“Quick, record it. I’m going to post it on Moments later.”

“Tsk tsk, it’s all because I gave you those kills.”

“Alright, thanks bro.”

Su Huai glanced in Xie Yang’s direction, furrowing his brow slightly. “Keep it down, Xie Yang’s asleep.”

“Okay, it’s getting late anyway.”

“Let’s call it a night here, we’ll continue tomorrow.”

“Let’s hit the sack.”

The dormitory gradually quieted down.

Xie Yang wasn’t actually asleep; his mind was in turmoil. Out of habit, he opened his phone, navigated to WeChat’s add friends feature, and typed in a string of numbers.

Due to not having any friends, he could only see the other person’s profile picture and their status message. Unfortunately, the person hadn’t written anything in their status message.

Xie Yang had been observing for a whole year: their black-and-white profile picture, simple letter nickname, and blank status had never changed.

Xie Yang stared at the screen for a long time before reluctantly tapping the exit button.

Today was the day for enrollment.

Would he come too?

Would he live in the dormitory?

Would it be in this same dormitory building?

Xie Yang couldn’t help but start looking forward to the arrival of dawn.

Would he have a chance to meet him tomorrow?

Note :

  1. “Peripheral” refers to Xie Yang being on the outskirts of the social dynamics within his class. He wasn’t a central figure in social activities or interactions. Instead, he was more isolated and not closely integrated with the main group of classmates. This is likely due to his shy, introverted nature and the way he was perceived because of the constant comparisons made by teachers, which alienated him from his peers. ↩︎
  2. “Despondent” means feeling sad, hopeless, or discouraged. ↩︎

TMP

Tyrant Meets Paranoid [Quick Transmigration] – Chapter 1

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Chapter 1 – Tyrant VS National Teacher (1)

Read more: Tyrant Meets Paranoid [Quick Transmigration] – Chapter 1

The sky was overcast, and the capital of Xi Ling was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

The emperor’s beloved second son had passed away, at the age of fourteen.

With this, only the third son, Mo Yi, and the fifth son, Mo Dun, were left of the emperor’s five sons.

Within less than a year, three princes had died in succession.

The entire Xi Ling was in a state of panic, with rumors circulating that this was a punishment from heaven for the imperial family’s declining fortunes.

In the capital, the entertainment venues were closed. The sounds of music and singing had not been heard for a long time, and the taverns were no longer filled with noisy chatter.

On the streets, the common people gathered in groups to whisper and speculate about who the next prince to be taken by heaven would be.

However, the thoughts of the officials in the court were that the next heir to the throne would, if not unexpectedly, come from one of these two princes.

Everyone knew that Third Prince Mo Yi was born to a foreign slave, and thus had inferior blood.

The fifth prince, Mo Dun, on the other hand, was born to the empress, and his mother’s family, the noble Anping Marquis, was highly respected. It was likely that the eventual winner would be none other than Mo Dun.

A tinkling bell caught people’s attention.

A simple cart, with only a frame and a canvas covering, was slowly making its way towards the gates of the imperial palace.

The cart was not pulled by ordinary horses, but by an elderly ox.

The ox wore a large copper bell around its neck, which did not ring clearly, but rather had a certain weight to it.

The people did not recognize the cart, but they recognized the pattern embroidered on the streamers behind it.

They knew that the person inside the cart was undoubtedly the Xi Ling National Teacher, Chong Ming.

They just did not know why the adult would choose to ride such a strange cart to the palace to meet the emperor today.

They hoped that the national teacher would be able to think of a way to get heaven to withdraw its punishment and not punish Xi Ling.

Seeing that the oxcart entered the palace gates without being stopped, and then closed the gates completely, the people on the streets withdrew their gazes.

The simple cart entered the palace, creaking as it moved forward.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a small figure.

The slender youth sat down on the edge of the cart in a sprightly manner, causing the old man behind him to be alarmed.

He hurriedly also leaned out half of his body to protect him, and whispered to the youth, “Immortal, be careful! This cart is too simple. I’ll have the boy get you a different cart tomorrow.”

If this was heard by others, it would surely be a shock.

No one would have thought that the always high-and-mighty National Teacher would actually call himself a boy in front of a child.

But who knew that the youth would just wave his hand nonchalantly.

He laughed lightly and said, “No need, if you change to a different, heavier cart, my old Yellow won’t be able to pull it!”

“Besides, didn’t we say to just call me Mu Jin? You have to remember that I’m your disciple now.”

The youth’s cat-like eyes curved slightly, and as he spoke, he simply jumped onto the ox’s back.

He patted the ox’s head, then simply lay flat and leisurely on the ox’s back.

He crossed his legs and paid no attention to the fact that this was the heavily guarded imperial palace.

And the palace guards, seeing that this was the national teacher’s cart, naturally did not dare to say anything.

After all, in the entire Xi Ling, the national teacher had always held a very high position, and was respected and revered by everyone.

“This, this is really humbling for the boy!” Chong Ming muttered to himself, but he did not dare to refute.

Looking at the youth lying on the ox’s back with his eyes blank, he could only wipe the sweat from his forehead and speak in a low voice, “Yes, yes.”

Seven days ago, Master Chong Ming had divined the stars and predicted the arrival of a true immortal from the north. He hurriedly rushed in the direction indicated by the stars.

It was only three days later that he arrived at a remote countryside area and found a young lad in tattered clothes leisurely roasting fish by the river.

The village head accompanying the Master, busy flattering him, mentioned that this young lad was an ominous presence in their village.

However, having cultivated from a young age, Master Chong Ming could sense the abundant spiritual power emanating from the boy.

Through the methods of his ancestors, he observed the lad’s soul and found it shining brilliantly in a golden hue.

Hence, how could such a person be described as ominous? He was clearly a Immortal being descended upon the mortal world.

Master Chong Ming dared not show any disrespect and promptly dismissed the village head.

Fearful of causing any disturbance to the Immortal being, he dispersed the surrounding people before bowing before the youth nine times in reverence.

After declaring his own identity, he requested guidance from the Immortal being.

Unexpectedly, the Immortal being directly asked to return to the imperial city together with Master Chong Ming.

This was a surprising joy for Master Chong Ming. However, he couldn’t understand why the Immortal being pretended to be his disciple and followed him to the palace.

After all, Master Chong Ming believed that the Immortal being initially appeared in the countryside to experience the hardships of the mortal world intentionally.

Could it be that after experiencing suffering, the Immortal being planned to bestow blessings upon the people?

Thinking this way, Master Chong Ming shook his head, feeling that the Immortal realm’s thoughts were beyond his comprehension as an outsider.

He resolved to serve diligently, satisfying the Immortal being, believing that the latter would guide him appropriately.

At this moment, Mu Jin was unaware of Master Chong Ming’s thoughts. He was busy having his mental system replay the image of the third prince, Mo Yi.

Observing the young child frowning as he struggled to study, Mu Jin’s lips curved into a wider smile.

In a very natural manner, he boasted to the system within his mind, “003! Look at how cute my little kid is!”

“Even though he currently thin and small, resembling only thirty percent of Senior Qiong Qi’s appearance, when he grow up, he will surely be as mighty and extraordinary as Senior!”

The system, resembling a black cat, nodded expressionlessly at the words.

It had long been accustomed to its host’s behavior of praising the target at least a dozen times a day.

Remembering the advice from its creator, the main God, Chen Tian, the system knew its host wasn’t as amiable as he appeared. It was best to remain silent when unsure how to respond.

Mu Jin had grown accustomed to 003’s reticence, concentrating all attention on his beloved in his heart.

Even if it was just an encounter in a small world, the thought of his beloved’s soul residing within the other’s body made Mu Jin’s heart uncontrollably warm.

Unconsciously, his beloved’s figure flashed through his mind, darkening Mu Jin’s gaze.

If it hadn’t been for the hint of divine power his beloved had mercifully bestowed upon him, how could he have advanced so quickly in his cultivation and transformation?

In the end, he became successful, ascending to the heavens as the new generation’s Flower God.

Even though everyone spoke of Qiong Qi’s cruel nature and listed his misdeeds, labeling him as the leader of ferocious beasts, Mu Jin remained unconvinced.

Back then, when Qiong Qi and Teng Gen captured the epidemic-causing ghost bug in the human world, they accidentally harmed a clump of black ferns that had gained intelligence. Qiong Qi saw its awakened sentience.

Unable to witness it die in that manner, he granted a bit of divine power to aid the fern’s cultivation.

This event had occurred thousands of years ago. Later, Mu Jin worked hard, transforming into human form and coincidentally became the apprentice of the previous Flower God, Mu Qing.

He even absorbed the essence of the millennia-old lotus, resulting in his dual plant-based form, impervious to all poisons.

Even though he had attained enlightenment and ascended to become the new Flower God, Mu Jin always remembered that he was once just an inconspicuous clump of fern by the roadside.

Even though he luckily gained sentience, he never had flowers that could be deemed beautiful.

Yet, even in his simple, wild state, he still received the other’s mercy.

Such a Qiong Qi couldn’t possibly be the leader of ferocious beasts.

However, perhaps due to the complexities of their relationship, when Mu Jin finally stood in a position where he could stand side by side with the other, he hesitated to acknowledge their connection.

He feared the other might forget the unremarkable Mujin from the past. Initially, Mu Jin could only gaze from afar at Qiong Qi.

Years of observation transformed his initial gratitude into stronger affection.

He had thought he would suppress these feelings forever.

However, upon leaving the heavenly realm to deal with an unexpected situation in the Flower Clan, he returned to learn the news of Qiong Qi’s defeat by Shun and subsequent entrapment in numerous small worlds.

He would suffer in these worlds, never finding peace in any life.

Endlessly reincarnating until his soul was completely erased.

Thinking of this, Mu Jin bit his lip, swallowing the bitterness in his heart.

He had never had a proper conversation with the other or conveyed his feelings.

How could he stand by and watch his beloved dissipate in this world?

Fortunately, he had finally found a way to follow Qiong Qi from Shun. However, he hadn’t anticipated that his mentor, Mu Qing, would foresee his actions just before his departure.

After a long confrontation, Mu Qing sighed and withdrew the barrier that blocked Mu Jin.

He even sought help from Mu Jin’s friend, Bai Rui, to let him choose a system, 003, with extensive experience to accompany him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to easily understand his beloved’s current situation.

Thinking of his mentor, warmth flowed through Mu Jin’s heart, and his gaze became resolute.

He would surely take good care of himself in the small worlds and try to prevent Qiong Qi’s misfortunes, finding a way to bring him back to the present world.

The ox cart slowly halted, and Master Chong Ming cleared his throat, bringing Mu Jin’s thoughts back.

Gracefully dismounting from the back of the yellow ox, Mu Jin didn’t follow the master into the main hall as expected.

Instead, he cheerfully handed the reins of the old ox to a palace attendant and nodded slightly to the nearby Master.

Understanding the gesture, Master Chong Ming reluctantly entrusted the palace attendant to take care of his Daoist disciple, believing that the Immortal being must have his own considerations.

The attendant was naturally surprised and hastily nodded in agreement.

Throughout the journey, the other person enthusiastically introduced the scenery along the way to Mu Jin.

However, when the person finished the detailed introduction of the gardens and turned back, they discovered that Mujin had already disappeared without a trace.

In a secluded courtyard deep within the palace, Mo Yi sat on the stone steps at the entrance, holding a slightly worn book in his hands, his brow furrowing deeper as he struggled to comprehend its contents.

He couldn’t fully understand the book, knowing that no one would earnestly teach him, but he refused to accept that fact.

Recalling the resentful words from his mother yesterday, Mo Yi unconsciously clenched his hands.

But as he realized the book had been crumpled, he quickly released his grip.

Though this was the age when he should be innocent and carefree, his eyes betrayed a hidden gloominess.

Author’s Note: Hello everyone~ (^▽^)~ I’m back with a sweet quick transmigration story!

First World: Raising a Youngster, the Ruthless Tyrant Attack VS the Dark and Scheming National Teacher.

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 24

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Chapter 24 – Jealousy – Aoi’s Perspective

When she told me she wanted to see me, I reluctantly agreed to stay over and went to pick her up.

The destructive power of her “I want to see you” was overwhelming.

My own longing overflowed within me.

“I’ll come pick you up.”

The words slipped out of my mouth, my emotions running ahead of me as I grabbed the car keys. Even during the drive to pick her up, I was filled with excitement and joy, eager to see her as soon as possible. It was the first time I had ever harbored such emotions for a woman.

When I arrived at her apartment, feeling so incredibly happy, my emotions shifted suddenly, I suddenly felt like my heart had been clenched, making it hard to breathe.

With my smartphone in hand, I sighed, only to realize that the person in front of me was not the woman I had come to see but her ex!

“What are you doing here?” I managed to say, suppressing the urge to shout.

He responded with an annoying smile, “Good evening… What brings you here?”

“Do you have something to do with Mikoto?”

“I was thinking of inviting her for dinner.”

He is not Iwabuchi’s boyfriend anymore!  Iwabuchi is mine!

Without thinking, we locked eyes, and that’s when Iwabuchi came out of the apartment building. When she saw her ex-boyfriend, her face contorted in disgust.

To my surprise, her ex-boyfriend had the audacity to propose to Iwabuchi. And when I heard that she hadn’t been with any other men since breaking up with him, I couldn’t help but wonder if she still had lingering feelings for him.

But she quickly dispelled that thought with a single statement.

“I want to marry… Aoi-san.”

My heart was seized with emotion. I would make her happy. I would propose to her in a way that would make her happy when she remembered it.

I pushed her into the car and hurried to my own house. While in the car, I declared that I would properly propose to her, but she turned away and gazed out of the window.

However, her reflection on the car’s glass had a happily contented smile.

I wanted to take a photo. But if I used the flash, it probably wouldn’t work. I’d have to take a sneaky shot; otherwise, she wouldn’t make that face. Besides, I couldn’t stare at her because I was driving.

“What would you like to eat, Iwabuchi?”

She slowly turned to look at me.

“Have you already eaten?”

“I haven’t… Is it going to be a hassle to cook now?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“How about eating out? I’ll treat you.”

“No, no, I’ll treat you… Iwabuchi.”

“What?”

“You can rely on me, you know.”

She looking at me silently

“I want to pamper you. You’re always working so hard, so you should relax when you’re with me.”

She turned away again.

The reflection of her in the glass looked like she was about to cry.

“Iwabuchi?”

“Don’t you want to lean on me, Aoi?”

Huh? What should I say to get this right?

“…I want to rely on you. So, can i hold you tonight?”

“N-No.”

“But I don’t rely on anyone else like this.”

Iwabuchi, blushing all the way to her ears, poked my arm and said, “Just once.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, because I might not be able to move tomorrow…”

Oh no, I might start bleeding from my nose. She’s too cute.

“You’re teasing me too much.”

“I-I’m not teasing you!”

“Anyway, let’s go eat something with stamina!”

“W-Why?”

“Just because.”

” Straightforward! Do you know the word ‘obfuscation’?”

“How about going for barbecue?”

“I’d love barbecue, but…”

“I know a great place, so leave it to me!”

I drove to the barbecue restaurant with excitement.

Iwabuchi seemed restless all the way and incredibly adorable.

Ah, I want to marry her.

I found myself thinking that for the first time in my life as I sneakily stole glances at her face.

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 23

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Chapter 23 – I want to see you

After finishing work, I called Aoi.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, what’s up? Oh, no, it’s okay to call even if there’s nothing.”

“Yeah. Um, you know… this necklace… was it really a good thing for me to receive it?”

Aoi fell silent at my words

“Um, can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I can hear you… Why? Was the design just too childish?”

“No, it’s not that… Isn’t this necklace important to you, Aoi?”

“…There’s nothing more important than you.”

Aoi’s sudden sweet words made my face flush instantly.

“Ahhhh, I think it’s impossible~ I can’t meet anyone right now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Because Aoi said something like that… my face is all flushed.”

“…Send a picture.”

“No way~ Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on! I bet you look super cute~”

“I-I didn’t!”

“Liar!”

I could hear Aoi’s deep sigh.

“You want to see me, right?”

“…Yeah.”

I found myself thinking the same thing.

“Shall we meet?”

“I can’t, sorry.”

“Too bad.”

“Yeah, it’s a shame.”

“…What do you want to eat this weekend?”

“Food cooked by you, Aoi.”

“You’re saying you want to see me, aren’t you?”

Oh, yes, I want to see you. Just hearing your voice makes me feel better, but it’s also makes me lonely because I want to see you. It’s like my chest is full, and I feel like my stomach is full.

“I want to see you,” I blurted out without thinking.

“Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

“I have work again tomorrow.”

“Just come from my place. Bring your change of clothes and makeup and anything else you need.”

“…I guess I’m being selfish.”

“You idiot, that’s not being selfish, it’s just cute.”

“Thank you for saying that, it makes me happy.”

“Idiot! I’m not satisfied! I want to see you!”

“I’ll go home right away and get ready.”

“I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Isn’t it troublesome?”

“I want to see you as soon as possible.”

My heart flutters.

I hurry to go home and prepare for the sleepover. I don’t have time to transfer cosmetics and skincare products into small bottles. I might as well wear the new pajamas I bought. As for underwear, the see-through ones are no longer an option. I need to wear something not too worn out…

“Sh-should I… or shouldn’t I?”

If you don’t understand, should I gather some courage? It’s not good to be seen as expecting too much, so just a little… let’s make it a little special.

Just then, my phone rang. I was so startled that I almost jumped.

When I looked at my phone, it was from Daiki. Annoying.

But what if it’s work?

Ugh…

I reluctantly answered the phone.

“What is it?”

“If you’re free now, how about grabbing a meal?”

“No thanks.”

I hung up the phone.

Changing my mood, I grabbed my things and left the room.

Why did it have to turn out like this?

When I left the apartment, for some reason, Aoi and Daiki were glaring at each other.

Can I just go back to my own room for a moment? There’s no way to avoid this troublesome situation, right?

“What are you guys doing?”

They both looked at me when I unintentionally spoke up.

Daiki was the first to speak.

“Mikoto, I have something to talk about. Can you spare some time for me?”

I don’t have anything to talk about, except for work.

Before I could say anything, Aoi spoke up.

“Mikoto’s time is reserved for me from now on. You can see her at work, can’t you?”

“It’s a matter that can’t be discussed at work.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t turn our time into something that not important.”

Aoi’s polite language is intimidating. The two of them glaring at each other.

“Since this time is precious, I’ll speak my mind. Mikoto.”

Daiki looked at me and said, ” Mikoto, I heard you haven’t had a boyfriend since you broke up with me, and honestly, it made me happy! Mikoto, let’s get married!”

Oh, can someone please call the police?

The reason I haven’t had a boyfriend since breaking up with Daiki is that the guys who approached me were into women who could cook, and I was still hung up on Daiki.

“Even when I went to France, I couldn’t forget about you, Mikoto! I’m serious. I want you to marry me!”

Looking at him, Aoi appeared surprised and frozen.

“Uh… it’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t love you.”

“But…”

“It’s not ‘but.’ My feelings for you were gone when you asked me to come to France with you.”

“Why?”

“…I can only say that I lost interest all at once. Besides, the person I love now is… Aoi.”

I grabbed the hem of Aoi’s T-shirt.

“I don’t know when, but I’m going to marry Aoi, so it’s impossible with Daiki. I want to marry… Aoi.”

Oh, this is embarrassing.

What kind of embarrassing play is this?

Declaring that I want to get married in front of the person I love.

It’s too much.

I wonder what Aoi’s expression is like? I want to see, but I can’t, it’s too embarrassing. I’m probably blushing all the way up to my ears right now.

“Since Mikoto says that, I’ll take responsibility and make her happy.”

Aoi’s voice sounded somehow gentle and embarrassing.

Seeing me all flustered, who was holding the hem of his T-shirt, Aoi Aoi took my hand and led me to the car, opening the door for me like a gentleman squeezed my hand tightly, making my heart skip a beat once again.

He said as he took the driver’s seat, “Wait for me, I’ll propose properly.”

“I’ll wait patiently.”

“I’ll do it soon.”

“No need to rush.”

“It’s not rushing. Rather… if we get married, you will be able to eat the meals I make with love every day, right? When I think about that, I want to get married right away. But since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so I want to do things like proposing properly.”

As the car started moving, I thought to myself.

Wasn’t that a proposal just now?

I continued to gaze at the nighttime scenery outside the car, trying not to let my grin show.

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 22 (Part 2)

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Chapter 22 (Part 2) – Gunjo (From Chihiro’s Perspective)

“Chi-chan, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! Miko-chan looked really cool back there.”

“Can I say thank you?”

“You can totally say thank you.”

I wrapped my arms around Miko-chan’s body and hugged her tightly.

When I hold Mikochan tightly, her breasts touch my face and it feels good.

“I love Mikochan~”                

I usually want to grow up quickly, but recently, I’ve been thinking it’s okay to stay like this if Mikochan hugs me tightly.

“Collaboration between an angel and a goddess! Can I take a picture?”

“Sure~! Please take one if you can. I’ll cherish it!”

Miko-chan was smiling when suddenly a hand was placed firmly under my arm, and I was pulled away from her.

“Ao-chan?”

I thought, but it wasn’t him.

It was a man I had never seen before, lifting me up.

“Daiki? What’s going on?”

“Seriously, you has no sense of caution.”

“Huh?”

“Boys in his age are already men, you know.”

“So what? I don’t get the point.”

“This is why…”

Miko-chan seemed a little angry.

The man slowly let go of me.

“Iwabuchi-senpai.”

“Oh, Hayama, in the right place. Look for the new Model here. Fast.”

“I’ve already arranged for that.”

“…I see. You’re as reliable as ever, Daiki.”

“Have you fallen for me again?”

“No. I haven’t.”

It seems like this man has feelings for Mikochan.

 I waved goodbye to Mikochan, who couldn’t stay with me due to work, and looked at my mother.

“Does that Daiki guy like Miko-chan?”

“That man is Miko-sama’s ex.”

“Huh? Sounds like he still has feelings for her.”

“I can’t stand that guy. I never expected him to come back.”

“Come back? From where?”

“He went abroad for work, broke up with Miko-sama, and went to either the UK or France.”

Wow. Mikochan already has Ao-chan, right? Ao-chan and Mikochan are a great match, so I hope he doesn’t interfere.

A replacement model arrived, and my mother started doing makeup.

“Oh, is this gunjo?”

“Yes! I feel like things go well when I wear this ring.”

The cute model had a ring on her right middle finger with a design that looked like bamboo wrapped around it.

“That’s interesting; it might be fate. You’re going to be a hit!”

“Huh? Why is that?”

“Well, Miko-sama is person in charge of this project development, and it’s a known fact that anyone who participates in Miko-sama’s projects tends to be liked by the staff and becomes successful! Oh, here’s Miko-sama!”

Ahead of my mother waving her hand, Miko-chan was there. Miko-chan came over here with a smile on her face.

“The new model, right?”

“Nice to meet you,” the model said, rising from her chair and bowing.

“Oh, you don’t have to stand up. It’s my pleasure. I’m grateful that you’re here.”

“Miko-sama, she said she gets inspired by the Gunjo ring.”

“Really?”

Miko-chan’s face turned slightly red, and she smiled a bit, looking a bit flustered.

Wow, she looks incredibly cute. Miko-chan really loves Ao-chan, doesn’t she?

“…Such a beautiful person…”

The model murmured in amazement.

I agree.

“Huh? Um, I’m sorry. I got lost in my own world!”

Miko-chan blushed and chuckled, making my heart race.

“I have a Gunjo necklace too.”

“…I’ve never seen that design before?”

“Well, you see, it’s the first necklace Ao-san ever made in his life.” My mother said

“Huh?”

 “Satchan and I were classmates with Ao-san in high school, and it was because of that necklace that Ao-san’s brand became ‘gunjo.’ It’s from the deep blue color of the kyanite stone – ‘gunjo.'”

“Is that so?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I-I didn’t know! W-What should I do? Is it okay to receive something so important?”

Seeing Miko-chan getting flustered, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Miko-chan, you’re going to marry Ao-chan, right? So, it’s okay to keep wearing it. Ao-chan is trying to fill the time you can’t be together with that necklace, so you should wear it all the time.”

Miko-chan’s face rapidly turned redder.

Wow, she looks even cuter like this.

My heart skips a beat as I see Miko-chan blushing all the way to her ears.

Of course, I’m not the only one experiencing this feeling, as Senkawa-san is discreetly taking photos with a telephoto camera, trying not to be noticed.

I’ll ask him to make copies later!

If I give them to Ao-chan, he’ll probably buy me anything I want.

I’ll ask for a new video game.

“Are you dating someone from gunjo?”

“Uh, yes.”

Mikochan blushed even more.

“You’re so cute! I admire people who become cute when talking about the person they like! It’s like a dream!”

“Huh! No, it’s not like that…”

Ah, Mikochan is so cute when she gets flustered.

After that, watching Miko-chan blush and get all flustered while being praised by the model’s sparkling eyes, I couldn’t help but imagine that if Ao-chan were here, he might have melted from the cuteness, and I couldn’t stop grinning.

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 22 (Part 1)

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Chapter 22 (Part 1) – Gunjo (From Chihiro’s Perspective)

On this day, I had asked my mom to bring me to the workplace. The reason was that I had learned that this job involved Miko-chan’s company.

As I followed my mom, an unpleasant atmosphere filled the studio.

“Is the makeup not done yet? I’m tired~”

The haughty girl seemed to be around high school age. The adults around her were trying to appease her.

I thought I had ended up in an unpleasant place.

“Mrs. Chieko… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can photograph that girl well!”

Appearing there was a young and handsome man. He held a camera in his hand, so he might be a photographer.

“Who’s this? This angel.”

“My son.”

“…You had such a big child? I mean, a son!”

“I’m Haru. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Senkawa. But seriously, he’s cute!”

I smiled when called cute because I’m used to it.

“So cute!”

“Miko-sama is head over heels for him.”

“Angel-kun, I envy you! I wish I could be head over heels for Miko-sama too… impossible, I can’t even imagine.”

It seems that Miko-chan might be a very influential person here.

“Isn’t Miko-chan here?”

“Don’t call Miko-sama with ‘-chan’! Angel, you’re a scary one!”

It seems that in his mind, I had become known as Angel-kun.

“Well, since Miko-sama is like a goddess, it’s kind of understandable to use the ‘-chan’ honorific with Angel-kun! Miko-sama is apparently coming later.”

“I hope she comes soon.”

“I agree! If Miko-sama were here, the atmosphere wouldn’t be like this…”

I wonder what’s going on? I was left bewildered, and suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder, startling me. When I turned around, the haughty girl from earlier was standing there with an extremely angry expression.

“Who are you?”

“This child is my son, and he came here for a social school field trip.”

As my mother tried to intervene, the haughty girl furrowed her brow.

“Don’t bring such an eyesore with you!”

Did you have to say that much?

I didn’t want my mother to be scolded because of me.

“In that case, I’ll go home.”

“Huh? Haru, are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Just as I was about to leave…

“If you’re going home, why don’t you let this lady go home too?”

It was Miko-chan who appeared there. Near Miko-chan, there were a few men who looked like important people.

“Dad, who is this woman?”

“I’m Iwabuchi, and I’m in charge of planning for this commercial. Your company’s president wanted to use you in the commercial because his daughter is an underground idol, so we chose to cast you.”

Miko-chan looked at the president with a beautiful smile.

“Mr. President, if what I’m about to say doesn’t sit well with you, you’re welcome to cut ties with our company.”

…

The president’s face tightened.

“We take pride in our work.”

“So do I.”

“You’re quite foolish, you know. Right now, you’re unexpectedly missing with the biggest business opportunity.”

“Huh?”

“An underground idol with no fame is trying to use industry connections. The downside is that you’ll remain an underground idol for life. Industry connections are everything. Being harsh on one person here is like rejecting ten jobs. Well, ten is the minimum, but you get the idea.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Should I make it even clearer? Everyone working here will probably dislike the idea of you coming here after this. So, if you choose to use her, it means they won’t take on that job. In such a small industry, the moment one person talks about that underground idol, the news will spread like wildfire. And what follows that is no job offers, right?”

Miko-chan approached the president with a smile on her face as she said this.

“I take pride in my work. Mr. President, please make your decision here and now. Will you cut ties with our company to appease your daughter, or will you keep our contract and silence your daughter?”

The president turned pale and remained silent. The photographer standing nearby spoke up.

“If you choose to terminate the contract, I won’t work with your company anymore.”

Similar voices echoed from the people around.

The president lowered his head to Miko-chan and said, “I apologize for my daughter’s actions. Can we quickly arrange for another model?”

“Of course. I’m grateful for the president’s courageous decision,” replied Miko-chan with a gentle smile.

The president, seemingly reassured by Miko-chan’s warm smile, then grabbed his daughter by the neck and left.

“Miko-sama, you were amazing! I’ll follow you for life!”

“Senkawa-kun, you’re an incredible photographer with many awards. You could find work with a bigger company, not just a small one like ours.”

“This job is the only way I get to meet Miko-sama, so please call me for the next one too!”

“Thank you.”

Senkawa blushed and had a big smile on his face.

Then, Miko-chan came over to me and gave me a tight hug.

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 21

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Chapter 21 – I love it.

The first time with Aoi-san ended without any issues, and I felt relieved.

If someone were to ask if it was truly without issues, that wouldn’t be the case.

I couldn’t move at all the next day.

Aoi-san kept smiling happily the whole time, and even though I wanted to complain, I couldn’t.

From breakfast to dinner, Aoi-san took care of everything diligently, and on the way back, Aoi-san even gave me a ride in a luxury car.

I didn’t even know he had a car like that.

“I’m sorry for pushing you too hard. I’ll try to take it easy next time.”

“…Really?”

My voice hardly came out. The slight hoarseness was also all Aoi-san’s fault.

“Oh, it’s true.”

“I can’t trust you, though.”

“Why not?”

“I told you many times to stop, but you didn’t listen.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Aoi-san looked pouty, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I believe you, so next time, go easy on me, okay?”

“!!…  I love you, Iwabuchi!”

Aoi-san happily smiled and kissed me. His kisses seemed never-ending, and I felt my strength leave me.

“Can I take you home?”

“No! I have to work tomorrow, so it’s not possible. Drive safely.”

“…I understand. Goodbye.”

I felt lonely as I watched Aoi-san get into her car.

If it were my previous partners, I probably would have already started walking towards the elevator by now.

“Well… how about next weekend? I’m available anytime.”

“Next weekend is good. I want to spend time together without any worries.”

“Let’s do that!”

It seems like I said something unnecessary.

“Alright, next weekend it is. I’ll message you… or is calling okay? Well, I’ll get in touch.”

“Yeah, sounds good! See you.”

After that, I waved goodbye until Aoi-san’s car was no longer visible.

“…Yeah, it was that amazing.”

During lunch break at work, I talked to Misato about the weekend.

That was her reaction.

I nodded slowly.

“I wonder if I should buy sexy lingerie too…”

“W-Wait, Misato, didn’t you say you have sexy lingerie?”

“I don’t have any! Well, I guess you need a good figure like you to wear them, right?”

I was deceived.

I trusted Misato and bought and wore it.

Even though my body still ached.

Suddenly, I remembered the sexy Aoi-san and blushed.

“Remembering and blushing, how naughty.”

“I’m going to kill you, Misato.”

“I’m sorry.”

At that moment, Daiki and Hayama sat down in the seats in front of us.

“What’s wrong, Senpai Iwabuchi? Your face is all red.”

“I was just remembering some lovey-dovey moments with my boyfriend and got embarrassed, that’s all, Hayama-kun.”

When Hayama went silent, Daiki said with a smirk, “Did you show him your sexy lingerie?”

“Daiki-kun, I can understand what you want to say. But it looks like our shy Iwabuchi here made an effort to tempt him in this relationship.”

“…I showed him,” I said defiantly. “T-That’s right! I wore it. I, I didn’t expect it to be like that… Uuuuu~ Misato ~ It was so embarrassing.”

“Oh, there there, good job, Wild-san. He turned you into a sexy lady.”

“…Uuuuu~ I keep remembering it~”

My face kept getting hotter.

Misato smiled contentedly and said, “You’re adorable.”

“Uuuuu~” I buried my head in my hands.

“If you keep dwelling on it like that, it’ll be tough, you know? How about getting another round today?”

“No way!”

“Was he bad at it?”

“No, he was amazing! That’s why, um, it’s not just a one-time thing… I mean, I couldn’t move the next day…”

Jitsumi had a sly grin on her face.

“Iwabuchi, maybe it would be better to talk about this when we’re not around?” Daiki suggested, and when I glanced at the two of them, for some reason, Hayama’s eyes were watery.

What? This is getting scary.

“I-I’m sorry, Hayama. Um, if you’re not comfortable with such a vulgar conversation, go sit somewhere else! What I want to talk to Jitsumi about is quite explicit, so you might hear it by accident.”

“N-No, it’s okay. Please continue.”

He doesn’t look okay at all.

“They say you were amazing, but how long were you with your previous boyfriend?”

Misato gave Daiki a sly smile.

Was she trying to distance Daiki from this seat?

“About five people, I think.”

“How many of them did you sleep with?”

“…Two.”

“What? You’ve can only compare with two of them?”

“Well, I don’t really compare. I don’t remember much.”

“When was the last time you had sex?”

“The day before yesterday”

“I meant before you started dating Wild-san.”

“…About three and a half years ago?”

For some reason, Daiki looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Wait, you haven’t dated anyone since you broke up with me?”

“I was just busy with work.”

“I see.”

I mean, there was only that guy who kept telling me to cook.

I shoved a piece of fried chicken from the chicken cutlet set into my mouth.

“Hey, is it true that the hymen goes back if you don’t have sex for three years?”

I froze and then spoke after finishing the fried chicken in my mouth.

“I-I don’t know!”

“It’s about yourself, isn’t it?”

“I-I don’t know…”

“So, you’re saying that it all got taken care of while you were unconscious.”

“How do you even know that?”

I buried my head in my hands again.

“My darling at home does it too! He even carries me like a princess to the bathroom.”

“Is he really that strong with that cute face?”

“Are you saying I’m chubby?”

“No, not at all! …Men are surprisingly strong, you know.”

“…He carried you like a princess?”

“Clairvoyance.”

“You always dreamed of being carried like a princess, didn’t you? He is really hitting your moe points.”

“…That’s right, what should I do? It’s making me feel like a high school girl with a crush.”

“Is it your first love?”

“N-No, it’s not!”

“You seem suspicious.”

I’ve already had my first love.

After all, I’ve dated five people!

…But feeling this fluttery, it’s different from my first love.

“Iwabuchi.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to marry Wild-san, right?”

“Huh?”

I could feel my face getting hot again.

“Um… yeah. I mean, if Aoi-san wants to, of course.”

I immediately regretted what I said.

Misato had the biggest grin on her face.

“Uuuuu~ I hate Misato ~”

“What about Wild-san?”

“Well… I, um, like him…”

I can’t take it anymore; it’s too embarrassing!

I don’t even feel like eating anymore.

That day, I left food on my plate for the first time.

ityoii’s note: Hello everyone~ I apologize because for the past two weeks I have been really busy so I didn’t have time to update the chapter. There is a possibility that I will take a short hiatus to finish some things. But don’t worry, I will update the chapters that I have already translated according to the schedule. I will let you know in the last chapter how long the hiatus will be. Thanks all~

IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 17

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Chapter 17 – Pancake with no taste

I’m on a shopping date with Masato.

Masato’s sense of style is the best and strongest.

I become a mannequin.

Because if I leave it to Masato, she will choose the perfect clothes to my taste, consult with my closet without my permission, and discern what’s worth buying and what’s not.

Shopping with Masato is fun!

Because there are no mistakes.

“Masato, I’m hungry.”

“…Didn’t we have lunch earlier?”

“My stomach and legs are asking for a break.”

“…I understand. Let’s take a break at that café.”

“Yay!”

I pushed Masato’s back and entered the café.

I ordered café au lait and pancakes at the café.

Masato is drinking black coffee.

So cool.

“So? How was it with Wild-san?”

“How was what?”

“You did it, right?”

“… …”

“Wild-san had a good body, you know.”

“I’m sorry, not yet.”

“Why?”

“W-Well, actually…”

When I talked about the day before yesterday and yesterday, Masato hit me.

“Isn’t it unfair to Wild-san… I got it. After this, let’s go buy some compensation underwear for Wild-san.”

“Is that necessary?”

“Of course it is! Let’s go buy some really sexy underwear that will make people go crazy when they see it”

“Do I have to wear it?”

“I have erotic underwear, you know.”

“You… have them?”

“It’s rarer not to have them at your age.”

“I-Is that so?… And, I’m the one who’s going to wear it?”

“Put them on!”

“Okay… I’m sorry.”

At that moment, I couldn’t really taste the pancakes I was eating.

“Masato-san! This is impossible! It’s completely impossible for me!”

I trust Masato’s sense, but this sheer, translucent purple underwear is beyond my comfort level!

“It suits you, don’t worry.”

“No, it’s impossible. Please forgive me.”

“He’s a sexy, wild handsome guy. We need to be bold like this.”

“Being too bold might scare him away, Masato-sama!”

“Fool.”

“Being a fool is fine. Please forgive me.”

“Well, at least try this.”

What Masato handed me was a plain black sheer underwear, unlike the purple one.

It’s less sheer than the purple one.

Maybe this is okay?

At that moment, I had no idea that I was falling into Masato’s trap.

When I got home, I received a call from Aoi-san.

“Hello?”

“Is now a good time?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Did you have fun today?”

“Well, it was okay… We went shopping, had a meal, watched a movie, and came back. Aoi, what kind of movies do you like? You said you’re not into romance movies, right? What do you like?”

“Action… Ahhh, I shouldn’t have made this call.”

“Why?… I was happy.”

“You’ll start wanting to see me.”

I’m going to die from the cuteness!

Aoi-san is trying to kill me.

“Why?”

“…I’m going to die.”

“Why?”

“…I like you.”

“…Ahhhh~ I’m going to die from the cuteness!”

Aoi-san, those lines are meant for me.

“Let’s meet this weekend,” Aoi-san said.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll make something delicious.”

“Yeah.”

“…Well, I’ll call you again.”

“…Sure, good night.”

After the call ended, I dove onto the bed and kicked my feet in excitement.

Is it really that weird to be all mushy and excited by myself?

In my heart, I couldn’t let anyone know that I thought it felt like I was a middle schooler with a crush on someone for the first time.