manga artist Kirito

Page 257

As vivid memories of the past flashed through her mind, Yukino Yukinoshita slightly curled the corners of her lips into a faint smile.

—You always say I'm hypocritical, but you never thought that I learned to be like this by secretly following in your footsteps.

I look forward to the future, yet I'm also afraid of it. But I know life won't always be so easy—I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that makes me have such strong expectations for the future.

But, what if that person... isn't me...?

How tragic would that be?

527

[NO.518 It's that time of year again for white photo albums]

Ah, life really is a game that makes you feel trashy, yet you can't stop playing it!

With a sigh of self-abandonment, Yukino Yukinoshita came back to her senses. Beside her, Akane Kousaka was looking at the new moon, her eyes filled with expectation under the cool moonlight.

A chill swept over them, and the warmth dissipated in the wind. Yang tightened his colorful bow tie, his emotions becoming increasingly difficult to calm. Did he have a premonition of something?

Subconsciously, this thought came to Yukino's mind.

There's no need to deceive yourself, but it's really too difficult for someone to face that situation with ease.

Ah, something a little absurd... um, a harem?

Ha! How could that be? To waver over such a thought is absolutely not his personality.

Perhaps it's because he's so devoted to one person that he seems so troubled?

If not... no, there is no such "if"!

The cold winter wind tossed her shoulder-length hair, and the girl's eyes gradually darkened.

"Hey! Haruno, your malice is so obvious. What on earth are you thinking?"

"Ah...no, no, I was just thinking about a future I don't really look forward to."

Looking at Yang Nai's smiling face and her lightly tousled short hair, and... the faintly burning black aura, Kousaka Akane smiled almost imperceptibly—not really looking forward to it, but actually she was looking forward to it, wasn't she?

Well, Akane Kosaka doesn't usually overthink things. After all, she can be by his side every day. While she's not completely satisfied, just looking at him keeps her from thinking about anything else.

Of course, there will still be simple and mundane fantasies. For example, in my free time, when I'm taking a bath and clearing my mind, some special thoughts will emerge. For example, if I were in a relationship, would we still have the same mundane yet slightly warm way of getting along? Or would we become closer and care more about everything?

However, it will probably be the same way we usually interact, right?

Akane Kosaka has never been in love, nor has she ever liked anyone this much. Only Kirito, the boy she watched grow up, occupies an absolute place in her heart. If she were to write a romance script, Akane Kosaka could easily write a saccharine sweet story. But if she were to experience it herself... could she lie in his arms, gently inhaling his scent, feeling the familiar warmth as she fell asleep, or let him lean against her and drift off to sleep little by little?

Whether things change or not, I'm prepared to take care of him for the rest of my life. He might be capable of handling social niceties, but he'll probably still say he's too lazy to do it, right? So, he just needs to focus on liking me...

Akane Kosaka doesn't envy others much because she has things that others can't envy.

…………

"Coffee...coffee...milk...wait, I came here to buy gloves?"

They said they were going to a convenience store, but ended up at a nearby supermarket, and inevitably started to hesitate and wander around—yes, this supermarket doesn't have any half-price bento boxes, nor do it have any pigs, dogs, or wolves, and it certainly doesn't have the beauty of the Frost Witch Lake.

"If you drink too much coffee, there's still a chance of getting caffeine poisoning, right?"

As Kirito removed his hand from the canned coffee, the ringing of his phone startled him slightly. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. He then breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Thank goodness it's not watermelon. If she knew I was dawdling here over whether to have coffee or milk, I wonder what kind of look she'd give me."

"...Ah, good evening, beautiful lady. Did you miss me?"

"Okay, good evening! It's been a long time since we talked on the phone, I really miss you."

"It hasn't been that long. It's only been three days since we last talked, Mom. It's more like you didn't wait until the weekend to call. It almost scared me."

He reached out and grabbed two cans of coffee. Kiritani-kun was used to his mother's concern. After all, that's just how his mother is. Otherwise, she wouldn't have really let him run around with Akane Kousaka a few years ago, even putting aside kendo and his studies with a supportive attitude. Ah, it feels so good to have a mother like that!

"And then, why is Mom calling me at a time like this? Is something wrong at home? Hmm, Yezi has started preparing for her exams too, right?"

"Everything's fine at home. Xiao Zhi has really started preparing for his exams. And Mom isn't so desperate that she can't call you for no reason, is she? Oh right, your dad has been asking you a lot lately when you're coming back. Come to think of it, it's been over two months since you last came home. Mom's a little unhappy, I'm telling you."

"Please! Please cheer up, I'm going back next holiday... Ah, how much are these?"

Smiling at the cashier, Kiritani continued on the phone, "So, Mom, you must have something to say for calling, right? It can't be just because I haven't been home for two months..."

"Okay, so it's your teacher and classmates who came to the dojo a few days ago... Well, you probably wouldn't care too much about the teacher, but I'm really curious, you've never been to school, so how come you have classmates? But, this girl is quite nice..."

"Mom!"

Kiritani silently paid the bill, then stepped out of the supermarket, feeling the cold wind. "You're here to urge me to find a girlfriend?"

"...So you're still unwilling? Even though you weren't planted by Mom herself, you're still our family's cabbage, right? Is it wrong for me to want to know who's going to rob you in the vegetable garden?"

"Who provoked you?"

"...Shunsheng is always showing up in front of me with his three girlfriends, it makes me so angry!"

“Mom, sometimes when I don’t like something, I can just raise my hand and confront you, but this kind of action of yours… isn’t very good.”

"...One last thing, Xiaoqian hasn't been to our house in a long time, please bring her back later..."

Wait, farewell, I won't listen!

Ignoring his mother's unfinished sentence, Kiritani hung up the phone. "What are you worrying about now? I'm so handsome and cute, how could I not find a girlfriend? Let me tell you the truth, there are countless guys eyeing me... not to mention the perverted bastards from the Bamboo Forest Group."

Kiritani-kun twitched the corner of his mouth, and from a common-sense point of view, Mom, you're blatantly robbing me with a hint of it!

...That's true, it's time to make a choice. Hesitating would be a waste of other people's feelings.

Evening approaches, and it looks like it might snow; it's that time of year again for white photo albums...

PS:

The number of chapters is a bit tricky. I'm thinking of finishing this volume in two chapters, but then I feel like two chapters aren't enough. But if I think about it more, it seems like I'd have a hard time writing even two chapters right now...

528

Rest

Take a short rest, gaze at the moonlight, and reflect on life.

I think I'm about to understand.

I have learned from my limited life.

The more loyal you are to dog food wholesalers

The more you discover, the more you realize that there is a limit to the amount of dog food you can eat.

...Hmm, I'm going to catch up on some anime. After I finished watching Confession Committee and... well, it should be Guan Gong's Talk.

—I think I want to be in a relationship.

529

【NO.519 Under the Snow】

"Brother Shinbo, you're in Kyoto now, right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm in Kyoto with Gen Urobuchi. We're planning to watch the fireworks and then play a couple of rounds of mahjong. What's up, Echizen? Are you coming too? Or have you already convinced President Akasaka to sign? If so... well, I've left the contract at the hotel, so it's not a hassle to go back..."

"No, no, no, I just wanted to ask you for a favor, brother."

"...Help me? Tell me about it!"

"Could you help me prepare something, like...?"

Shaking the coffee in his hand, Kiritani licked his lips, feeling slightly uneasy and nervous.

"...Tsk, you! Ha! No problem, I'll mark the exact location for you later, and I'll let you know when it's ready. Good luck, Echizen!"

"And then... um... I'd like to ask you some... tips or something..."

"But I refuse! What I love most about my new house is saying NO to guys like you!"

The call was abruptly disconnected. Kiritani looked at the lit-up phone screen and gave a slight smirk. "What's going on? I haven't even finished speaking yet. You can't possibly guess what I wanted to ask you just like that, can you?"

Excessive!

...Yeah, I mean, Kiritani-kun is really going too far!

Shinbo Akiyuki isn't stupid. He can deduce what exactly happened based on what Kiritani-kun asked him to prepare earlier. As for what happens next, he can figure it out even with his hairline receding!

…………

A cold front has arrived, and the temperature has dropped sharply.

Dusk has faded away, and the dark night is gradually taking over the horizon.

Akane Kosaka walked out to the mountainside of Arashiyama, where her arm was tightly embraced by Haruno Yukinoshita in a very intimate manner—or rather, Akane Kosaka was still not used to Haruno's one-sided intimacy, but that was precisely why she was Haruno Yukinoshita.

But honestly, it does seem a bit strange that the two of them, who could hurt each other at any moment, are walking so intimately now. Yukinoshita Haruno can show her hypocritical side in many situations because of her social skills, but Kosaka Akane is different. She has always been the type to speak her mind, especially after what happened with her debut work, which made her even more straightforward.

Both Akane Kousaka and Haruno Yukinoshita are aware of each other's feelings for Kazuto Kirito, and they also understand his personality well. That's just how he is; once he's made up his mind, he'll never go back on it. So if either of them fails, there will be no chance for anyone else. That's right, as long as nothing like the "Natsuki Hachiran" incident happens, the result will be obvious: marriage and children. There's no chance of anything going wrong. It's a sure thing!

As a loser, even if you have strong desires in your heart, it will be of no use.

Although neither Akane Kosaka nor Haruno Yukinoshita had much experience, they understood the situation quite well. Therefore, to avoid any unforeseen complications, they decided to take the initiative as early as possible—while keeping an eye on their opponents' movements before making a move.

Well, perhaps feelings really can't be forced.

As Tagore once said, "A forced melon is not sweet, but it can quench thirst!"

That's a very insightful statement!

Therefore, we will never give up no matter what!

...Perhaps people live in the present, but the expectation for a certain future is absolutely indispensable, and the happiness in that expectation is something we want to truly grasp in our hands!

Coincidentally, neither Akane Kousaka nor Haruno Yukinoshita are the type to interfere in other people's relationships. This is why they can still be so close even knowing that the other is a rival in love—of course, who knows what would happen after the outcome has been decided...

Yukinoshita hugged Akane's arm, tightening her grip slightly. "Why isn't Kazuto back yet? It's so cold now!"

Akane Kosaka frowned. "...We shouldn't get lost; we have GPS."

"Could something have delayed you?"

Under the streetlights, Yukinoshita checked the time and puffed out her cheeks slightly. "It seems like there's not much time left before the fireworks!"

Although we are still halfway up the mountain, we can already see a large crowd gathered ahead. The reason for the fireworks is simply because today is a festival, which is different from the Obon festival in mid-August. However, even so, there are still quite a few tourists coming to visit.

"I'll give him a call..."

"Ah, no need to fight anymore, they're back with their loved ones!"

As if sensing something, Yukino turned around and saw the boy whose cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold walking quickly towards her. However, Yukino was not quite sure why the boy's expression still showed a little tension, or rather, a slight panic.

...It seems like they're preparing to do something very important, but they're worried that the outcome might not be as expected?

"...Hey, where did you go? Why did it take you so long to come back?"

"Ah, no...it's nothing."

Releasing her grip on Akane Kousaka's arm, Yukinoshita Haruno greeted her with a smile. In that instant, Haruno clearly saw embarrassment and a fleeting sense of helplessness in Kiritani's eyes—something's wrong!

There must be something wrong!

Yang Nai knew Kiritani-kun very well. Given his personality, let alone greeting him with a smile, even if he were to be given a hug, he would accept it as if nothing had happened and there would be no awkwardness on his face.

Is it...

Her expression stiffened, and Yang Nai licked her dry lips, turning her head to look at Kosaka Akane. A feeling of desolation welled up in her heart—she understood what was about to happen.

"Um, Xigua, come with me for a second, I have something to tell you... Yang Nai, you wait here for us."

His eyes lacked their usual composure. Kiritani reached out and grabbed Akane Kousaka, who was also walking over. He turned and headed in the pre-arranged direction, clearly in a hurry.

"I……"

Watching their retreating figures, Yang Nai fell silent, biting her lip tightly. The sharp pain did not alleviate the desolation in her heart. She turned her head away, said nothing, and stood there quietly.

No fireworks rose in the pitch-black night sky; instead, pale snowflakes drifted down slowly.

Yukino stood alone beneath the snow, the dim light unable to alter her deathly pale complexion.

I feel so cold!

Frost fell on her face, icy and biting, as if she had fallen into an abyss.

She, Yukino Yukinoshita, had never hated snow so much.

I used to dislike Yukinoshita.

530

[NO.520 Fireworks rising into the sky: Should they be viewed from below or from the side?]