Chapter 193: Obsessed Girls Are Really Popular These Days

The Sunday morning sunlight always seemed a few degrees lazier than it did on weekdays.

Yuki Asahi rarely had a morning where he didn’t have to head to the training base early.

Since he had used “strength” to completely suppress Matsumoto and Ando yesterday, the internal issues within the team were mostly resolved.

However, a new problem had arisen—that fellow Ando had resigned from Special Response HQ Unit 1 immediately.

He likely couldn’t bear the shame of staying.

Mr. Takaguchi was currently scouting for new candidates, so he had declared a weekend break for everyone to rest and recover, which gave Yuki a much-needed breathing room.

In the kitchen, fried eggs made a soft sizzle in the pan.

Yuki held a spatula in one hand while unconsciously twirling a pen with the other.

His gaze was fixed on the math workbook spread across the island counter, his brow furrowed.

‘Why are these practice problems so difficult?’

Yuki’s academic ability wasn’t particularly high to begin with, and he had been busy with other matters lately.

Since he wanted to take the college entrance route, he had bought some extra study materials, only to find them quite challenging.

“Yuki.”

A cold call from the living room interrupted his train of thought.

“Ah… Morning, Yue.”

Yuki snapped back to reality.

He saw that Jiang Jian Yue was already fully dressed—though it was just a simple, casual hoodie.

She hadn’t stayed glued to the chair in the main bedroom upon waking up.

Instead, for the first time, she was curled up on the sofa in the living room with her knees pulled to her chest, her blood-colored pupils staring vacantly out the window.

“…The weather… is nice,” she muttered out of nowhere.

“Uh? Oh… Yeah, it’s very clear.”

Yuki responded absentmindedly as he quickly served the perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs onto a plate.

He toasted two slices of bread and brought everything to the table.

Jiang Jian Yue moved sluggishly over to the table and pulled out a chair.

The atmosphere at the table was a bit subtle.

Yuki held a piece of toast in one hand while his other hand was still struggling with a function problem.

Jiang Jian Yue poked at the egg yolk with small bites, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Yuki… and his workbook.

“It’s Sunday…” she spoke again.

“Yeah, it’s Sunday.”

Yuki didn’t look up.

“…You don’t have training.”

“Nope, I’m resting today.”

“I… don’t have to go to the Company today, either.”

“Mm, that’s good.”

Yuki finally looked up, giving her a “happy for you” smile before looking back down at his workbook.

Clack.

It was the faint sound of a metal fork hitting a ceramic plate.

Jiang Jian Yue put down her utensils.

She stood up, returned to the sofa, and turned on the TV.

Originally, Jiang Jian Yue hadn’t planned on buying one, but Yuki had later used his nutrition allowance from GSAC to secretly buy it, so she couldn’t say much.

“…Today’s recommended dating spot is—”

She immediately changed the channel.

“…The latest romance movie, Yesterday’s Fireworks—”

She changed the channel again, expressionless.

“…The grand opening of a new cat cafe in Shinjuku, with special discounts—”

Bang!

Jiang Jian Yue slammed the remote onto the coffee table, making a dull thud.

The sound finally dragged Yuki out of the abyss of mathematics.

“What’s wrong, Yue?”

He looked up blankly, half a piece of toast still hanging from his mouth.

“…Nothing.”

Jiang Jian Yue’s voice sounded as if it were squeezed through her teeth.

She turned her back to him, her shoulders rising and falling slightly.

Yuki finally realized, belatedly, that the atmosphere was wrong.

He put down his pen, his gaze shifting between Jiang Jian Yue’s stiff back and the “cat cafe” image on the TV.

‘Sunday…’

‘No training… No work…’

‘TV… Dates… Cats…’

A dull lightbulb finally flickered on in his mind.

“Ah!”

He stood up abruptly, his chair legs screeching against the floor.

Startled, Jiang Jian Yue jolted and whipped her head around to glare at him.

“Um… Yue!”

Yuki’s cheeks heated up at a visible rate.

He nervously scratched the back of his head.

“That cat cafe… it sounds pretty good?”

“I don’t like cats.”

Jiang Jian Yue turned her head away, but the tips of her bright red ears betrayed her.

“I mean…”

Yuki stammered.

“Since we both have time today, do you want to go out together? Like… a date?”

A brief silence fell over the living room.

Jiang Jian Yue slowly turned around, her blood-colored pupils reflecting the boy’s nervous and expectant face.

“…Since you… insist so much.”

She coughed lightly, trying to keep her voice flat.

“I suppose I can… reluctantly… waste some time with you.”

“Then should we get ready now?”

“…Mm.”

Jiang Jian Yue gave a small affirmative and practically floated back to the main bedroom, her movements a bit uncoordinated.

The sound of the door closing was much softer than usual.

After shutting the door, she didn’t change immediately.

Instead, she leaned against the door and let out a long, slow breath.

‘It seems you have followed my teachings well,’ Meiguan’s voice rang out abruptly, startling Jiang Jian Yue once more.

‘Where have you been? Why haven’t you said anything?’

Jiang Jian Yue asked in her mind.

Over the past two days, there hadn’t been a single sound from her, as if she were dead.

‘Why should I, the great Meiguan, explain my actions to you?’

Meiguan didn’t answer the question but continued.

‘I give your tsundere performance a score of 59. Not “tsun” enough, and not “dere” enough.’

‘Anyway, the tsundere trope is outdated. I suggest you just play yourself.’

Jiang Jian Yue opened the cloakroom, confused.

‘Myself?’

‘Yeah. Bold, aggressive girls are very popular these days.’

‘Screw off!’

***

Yuki finished changing quickly.

He wore a simple pair of casual pants and a clean white hoodie—hoodies were truly the greatest invention in the world.

He waited restlessly in the living room for nearly 30 minutes.

Just as he was wondering if Jiang Jian Yue had fallen asleep, the door to the main bedroom opened with a clack.

Jiang Jian Yue walked out, wearing the same outfit she had worn on their first “date”—the black Gothic Lolita dress.

It featured intricate lace, layered skirts, and a very tight waistline.

Her ash-grey hair had been meticulously styled, falling smoothly behind her and making her already pale skin look almost transparent.

She wore her familiar, cold, and elegant makeup, which made her look more mature.

“What are you looking at?”

Jiang Jian Yue felt uncomfortable under his burning gaze and instinctively tugged at her skirt.

“I haven’t worn this in… a long time. I just brought it out to… let it air out.”

‘What a crude lie,’ Meiguan chimed in with a mockery.

“It’s beautiful,” Yuki praised sincerely.

“…Whatever. Let’s go.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she took the lead toward the entrance.

She sat on a small stool and leaned over to put on her complicated leather shoes.

Yuki followed behind and started changing his shoes as well.

“Oh, right.”

Yuki suddenly remembered something.

His eyes fell on her neck, and he asked directly, “Yue… why don’t you like the necklace I gave you?”

He was referring to the sun pendant necklace he had given her for her birthday.

Since she had worn it once after receiving it, she hadn’t touched it again.

“I don’t like…”

Jiang Jian Yue paused, making Yuki hold his breath, “…wearing jewelry.”

She would never wear something so precious out of the house.

“Let’s go.”

Jiang Jian Yue didn’t give him another chance to ask questions.

She pulled open the apartment door and walked out first.

“So, we’ll go to the cat cafe in Shinjuku first, and then—”

“I hate cats.”

As they walked toward the station, Jiang Jian Yue interrupted Yuki’s “date plan.”

“Uh… then we’ll just figure it out when we get there?”

***

It was Sunday morning, and the streets of Shinjuku were teeming with people.

The two had just finished strolling through Shinjuku Gyoen and were looking for a place to have lunch.

As they passed a crowded chain coffee shop, a high-energy voice calling for customers drifted from the entrance.

“Welcome! Our afternoon tea set is currently on sale! Please, come inside!”

Yuki instinctively took a look, while Jiang Jian Yue continued walking without a care.

“Yue, wait—”

Yuki suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“What?”

Jiang Jian Yue turned back impatiently.

“That… that person…”

Yuki’s Golden Eyes widened slightly as he stared straight at the store clerk in a green apron who was working hard and bowing to customers.

Jiang Jian Yue followed his gaze.

The clerk seemed to sense the eyes on her and looked up as well.

“Welcome…?”

The girl—Cuiyue—saw her professional smile freeze instantly.

Her gaze moved past Yuki and landed precisely on the girl behind him, who was dressed in black Lolita fashion and wore a cold expression.

The same ash-grey hair, the same blood-colored eyes, even the exact same face.

One wore a clerk’s apron, her curves prominent.

The other wore a gorgeous dress, her figure slender and frail.

“…”

“…”

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The two “Jiang Jian Yues” stared at each other silently across the crowd in front of an ordinary coffee shop in Shinjuku.

***

“You’re back? How did that Ability Certification go? Was it smooth?”

Sato had just finished work and was slumped on the sofa watching TV.

He asked casually when he saw Cuiyue return.

“Yeah… it was fine,” Cuiyue answered vaguely as she took off her coat and hung it up.

She looked at the small space, which although she had cleaned, still felt dilapidated, and then at the supervisor’s tired face.

The sense of unease from being a burden grew stronger.

She couldn’t rely on Sato’s sympathy forever.

“Mr. Sato.”

Cuiyue walked to the side of the sofa, her voice carrying a hint of determination.

“I want to… find a job. I can’t keep living and eating here for free.”

Sato looked over in surprise, sizing her up.

“A job?”

“Tch, you little girl…”

He scratched his head, though he didn’t oppose the idea.

“Fine. It’s good that you have the heart for it. Just stay safe and don’t go anywhere too dangerous.”

And so, almost on the same day she returned from her certification, Cuiyue found herself a job as a coffee store clerk.

It was near the supervisor’s apartment, and the foot traffic was decent.

The next day, she changed into the simple clothes she had bought with the money Sato gave her, threw on the slightly oversized green apron from the shop, and began her “working life.”

She clumsily learned to operate the coffee machine, tried her best to memorize the complex ordering process, and wove through the shop amidst the customers’ urgings.

Though she was exhausted, a sense of groundedness welled up in her heart as she looked at the meager daily wage she had earned through her own labor.

Until… now.

‘What is going on?’