Why wasn't I the one who got the male lead's script?

Well, people always have to look forward. It would be too embarrassing to be stuck in the same place.

By the way, after learning that Tomoya Aki's reaction to Kasumigaoka Utaha's puberty syndrome was completely different from that of others, an idea suddenly popped up in her mind.

——If Kasumigaoka Utaha’s heart knot is related to Aki Tomoya, could it be that his praise of Utaha’s work is also a manifestation of the syndrome?

Although Eriri is usually carefree, childish and arrogant, she is not completely brainless.

So, this idea gradually led her to think in another direction.

In fact, the reason why Eriri Sawamura's body became smaller was that she kept regretting the harm she had done to Tomoya a few years ago, and finally she had the thought, "I wish Tomoya could forget what I had done to him, and I wish I could go back to the past."

Although it is unknown why the former failed to come true but the latter happened smoothly, this made Sawamura Eriri casually ask Aki Tomoya, "Truthfully, Tomoya, can you still forgive what I did to you?"

Although her body has returned to normal, if Aki's attitude changes, then Eriri's syndrome may not be over yet.

"........."

Aki Tomoya was stunned for a long time, and finally lowered his head with an embarrassed look on his face and struggled for a long time, then followed his inner thoughts and told the truth.

“…I’m sorry, I still can’t do it.”

But who knew that he had already prepared himself for Eriri's angry scolding -

"Really?? That's great—thank you, Tomoya!!!"

Ying Lili suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed her tense shoulders with a look of ease and joy on her face, her little face full of happiness and joy.

“………Eh?”

Aki Tomoya adjusted his glasses that almost fell on the table, and he almost died of anger.

——He found that he was increasingly confused about what was going on in Eriri's little head, but he couldn't lose his temper in front of her. He could only put on an awkward smile to please her.

If the painter who had been appeased with great difficulty was driven away by him again, he would become the eternal sinner of this society.

But conversely, Miss Eriri had no idea what was going on in Tomoya Aki's head - she just rushed back to the Kasumigaoka house in a hurry, and then called Hoshimi to make an appointment for a meeting, intending to quickly synchronize all the information she had learned with him.

Hence, the current situation.

"Shh-"

Eriri stood in the corridor outside the study of the Kasumigaoka family and made a hushed gesture to Hoshimi who had rushed over after receiving her call.

"That's roughly the situation... I've told you everything, Qing."

After telling Hoshimi her entire conversation with Tomoya Aki word for word, Miss Eriri, noticing the complicated look in the black-haired boy's eyes, grumbled quietly in a very low voice with a sullen face.

"...Eriri, do you feel that your actions may have alerted the enemy a bit?"

Xingjian didn't get angry with her, but just sighed softly, and then persuaded her in a very gentle tone.

"What we're doing now is no different from gambling. It's not a wise move to reveal all your cards to an unknown enemy so early on."

The main reason is that after knowing An Yi's true face and his true thoughts, it is difficult not to be on guard against him.

This kind of person won't fight you openly and honestly, but the little things he does to trip you up behind your back are enough to make you feel uncomfortable for a while.

“Hmm… I know it’s probably not a good idea for me to just go to Lun like this. It’s reckless and crude… But I can’t stand watching you, Haru, figure out a solution for Kasumigaoka alone while I sit there and do nothing about it. That’s the kind of behavior that would be unkind to me…”

Although Miss Eriri was still trying to argue with her head down, her voice became smaller and smaller due to her guilty conscience, and her pitiful face also revealed a hint of admitting her mistake, which only a child being lectured would show.

“… Never mind, I was just saying that.”

Seeing her like this, Hoshimi raised her eyebrows and shook her head, and finally gently placed her hand on Eriri's head.

"Don't blame yourself. At the very least... Eriri, I think the information you extracted and the key point you connected with will be very useful."

"Well--"

Eriri, who was originally dejected and ready to admit her mistake and be scolded, blinked her eyes and pursed her lips as if she was a little bit unbelievable.

There might be a connection between Tomoya Aki and Utaha Kasumigaoka's puberty syndrome.

"Then, I'll leave the rest of the negotiations to you, Haru. I'm not good with words, and I might end up arguing with that Kasumigaoka guy again..."

Eriri scratched her cheek feeling a little at a loss. Although she was very worried about the current situation, she still entrusted everything to Hoshimi.

"Well, leave it to me."

The black-haired boy just said these words with a faint smile, but there was a special sense of security surrounding him.

Hoshimi sorted out the information that Eriri had shared earlier, then took a deep breath and opened the door of the study.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was sitting in front of the computer with her back to him, seemingly deleting a document.

"I saw it all."

Before Xingjian could speak, Shiyu spoke first - even though she didn't turn her head at all and was still clicking the mouse.

"TAKI-kun's Amway video, and the repost on Kashiwagi Eri's Twitter."

Utaha Kasumigaoka said in extremely calm words what Hoshimi should have told her after careful consideration.

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I don't know if staying up late will cause oral problems. Swollen and painful gums are really terrible orz, especially when you can't do without chili peppers every meal.

Kasumigaoka Utaha is unlikely to be out of ideas: Chapter 8: The two closest yet most distant people (Part 2)

"........."

Xingjian didn't say anything, just shook his head and sighed inwardly, "As expected of Kasumigaoka-senpai," then found a random seat on the sofa and sat down.

It seems that nothing can be hidden from her.

“…I saw what the outcome was.”

Shiyu still had her back to Xingjian, and she slowly stated the facts in a tone that was generally used when stating objective facts without any personal feelings.

"Those pitiful clicks and views...it seems even TAKI-kun's influence is useless against puberty syndrome."

The black-haired girl smiled and said what should have been the cruelest words to herself.

As for the recommendation forwarded by Kashiwagi Eri, although it also had little effect, Shiyu did not mention it - that's right, how many people would take the recommendation of a pure love novel for all ages forwarded by the illustrator seriously and read it carefully.

"Looks like this plan has fallen through, Hoshimi-kun."

Having said that, Shiyu finally turned around and looked at the silent Xingjian with the tolerance and care that an elder has towards a younger person.

"So, are you still going to save me now?"

Her eyes seemed to show relief and understanding, as if to say, "It's okay even if you give up on me now," even though this matter clearly concerned her own career.

"Anyway, from the beginning I didn't place any hope on so-called internet influencers to turn the situation around."

However, what surprised her was that Xingjian neither began to explain hesitantly nor agreed with a reluctant look of giving up - he just shook his head lightly, as if the current development had been within his expectations.

"I would suggest this only to confirm my own guess."

"……guess?"

"Well, I suspect that Kasumigaoka-senpai's puberty syndrome is related to Aki Tomoya."

Having said that, Xingjian slowly shifted his gaze away from Shiyu, who had a somewhat stunned expression.

At the same time, one can also guess at Kasumigaoka Utaha's current feelings for Aki Tomoya - he was smart not to say this.

Xingjian usually doesn't use this method to guess a person's feelings for another person, but it's not because he doesn't know how, but because he doesn't like to interfere too much in other people's affairs.

But now, no matter how you look at it, Aki Tomoya is inseparable from this matter.

However, Xingjian also tried his best not to have too much connection with this person - as long as he could prove that Shiyu's syndrome was indeed caused by him, it would be enough.

"Besides, Eriri also told me what she knew."

Xingjian folded his hands in front of him and calmly said something that made Shiyu's expression change slightly.

"Obviously, none of us are able to recognize Kasumi Shiko's work, but it is only Aki Tomoya who can recognize it and even praises your new work highly."

From the "preferential treatment" of this one person alone, it is easy to infer what the true symptoms of this adolescent syndrome are.

"In other words, it's not that people's interest in Kasumi Shiko's work has disappeared—it's just that it has been [diverted] under the influence of the syndrome."

Shiyu's expression was no longer as calm as before, but Xingjian still did not intend to end it here. Instead, he continued his speculation in a very calm tone.

"Then, if we use the [phenomenon] to infer the [cause], everything becomes obvious."

Having said that, he crossed his hands and stopped talking, just quietly looking at Shiyu's gloomy face.

"........."

Shiyu did not respond, but just lowered her head without saying a word, not meeting Xingjian's gaze - perhaps it was precisely because she understood what the other party meant.

The reason why he deliberately did not make his words clear and thorough was probably to avoid embarrassing himself.

This kind of tenderness, which is imperceptible but real, sometimes makes Shiyu feel a little difficult.

She is not good at dealing with this kind of gentle and firm guy who sees everything but still makes choices quietly or supports others' choices.

"...Even if you realize that I'm such a troublesome woman, Hoshimi-kun, don't you plan to protect yourself?"

The black-haired girl ignored the fact that her messy bangs slightly covered her eyebrows, lowered her head and rubbed her forehead with a bitter smile, as if she was a little bit unbelievable.

"It's troublesome, but I have my own tendencies. I will definitely do what I say I will do. Otherwise, it will always be a knot in my heart."

The black-haired boy ignored her self-destructive look and expressed his thoughts calmly and rationally.

Hmm… maybe sometimes it would be more appropriate to describe it as obsessive compulsive disorder?

"Ah, you demand perfection in everything. Are you a Virgo?"

"It's a pity that I'm a Sagittarius, and I don't have to be perfect at everything. It's just that I've given up on too many things halfway before, and now I don't plan to give up."

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Besides, if I fail to live up to the responsibilities and expectations placed on my shoulders, I can't be a good man."

"...A good man... Your ideals are truly grand, beyond my expectations, Hoshimi-kun."

Shiyu, who was originally quite serious, was slightly stunned. After hearing Xingjian's last words, she shook her head with a helpless smile. The young man also smiled and raised his eyebrows, unconsciously making the atmosphere of the conversation much more relaxed.

"So, does that mean you will continue to help me?"

"Ah, that's natural—I can't bear to see my favorite writer's talent extinguished by the interference of unnatural phenomena."

Xingjian was absolutely unwilling to express how much she liked Kasumi Shiko's works.

After he separated from his parents and moved out to live alone, Kasumi Shiko's novels became an inseparable spice in his life.

When he was a child, he would study late into the night, hiding under the covers from his quarreling parents and sketching out his own fantasy world - unfortunately, in the end, this hobby came to an end due to various factors.

For him, he can feel the love that Xia Shizi puts into words between the lines of her writing.

In fact, this resonance is what makes Xingjian unable to let go.

This person is just like me—at least, just like me once was.

"So, maybe you've figured out a solution?"

"………indeed."

Having said this, Xingjian, who had originally folded his hands in front of him with confidence, slightly shifted his gaze.

"However, the corresponding risks are also great."

"risk……?"

"I'm not referring to you, Senior. Don't worry about that—you'll be fine no matter what."

Although the boy had a relieved smile on his face, it was impossible to put Shiyu, who was full of doubts in her heart, at ease.

"...Can you tell me your plan, Hoshimi-kun?"

"Sorry, that's the only thing I can't do."

Shiyu's cautious inquiry was met with a decisive rejection from Xingjian.

"Because the successful implementation of this plan absolutely cannot be missing a single step, that is, we must ensure that you, Senior, are completely unaware of the entire process. So no matter how much you ask me, I will not tell you."

Xingjian explained calmly, but this made Shiyu feel even more that this guy was keeping her in suspense.

"...But there is still a prerequisite."

The young man lowered his arms that were folded in front of him and stared at Shiyu with a serious look.

"I need your unconditional trust, Senior."

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