Want to be human, but cube-like

The color is quite similar to that of the juice.

"Ellie! Your clothes!"

Ignoring the glass of juice still lying on the ground, Ai-yin hurriedly tugged at Alex's vest, afraid that the juice would seep into Alex's dress underneath.

"Ok?"

Puzzled, Alex looked down at the spot Aine was pointing to.

"what is this?"

Alex, who had no concept of clothes getting dirty or stained, tilted her head and asked a question.

"You...you take this off first!"

Seeing that Alex remained unmoved, Aine said somewhat anxiously.

This is a custom-made garment. If it gets dirty and can't be cleaned properly, she definitely can't afford to pay for it with her meager allowance!

You can't exactly sell yourself to them, can you?

Ellie might not need it either!

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 111 Let Aine drown in her arms

In the quiet evening, the two sat shoulder to shoulder on the tram.

In the end, Aine couldn't persuade Alex, so she had no choice but to let her ride the tram with her and take her home.

There weren't many passengers on this train, just two or three middle-aged people who looked like they had just finished working overtime and were heading home. When they saw that there were two girls sitting on this side, they kindly went to sit on the other side of the carriage to avoid disturbing them.

"I'm so sorry, Ellie, I made a mess of your clothes..."

Aine placed several bags of clothes aside. She held the stained part of Alex's vest in one hand, folded the rest on her lap, and gently wiped it with a wet wipe in her other hand.

"This dress must be very expensive, right?"

With a hint of apology in her eyes, Aine unfolded the fabric with some distress and looked at the result of her efforts under the overhead light.

But the effect was obviously not good. Apart from the water stains on the wet wipes making the wet mark a little bigger, the original stain remained unchanged.

"It's okay, these clothes weren't bought, so you don't need to spend any money."

Sitting to the side, smiling as she watched Alex do something futile, she could only offer words of comfort.

"My mother made this for me by hand."

However, the comforting effect of this statement was clearly counterproductive.

"Eh!?"

Ai Yin gasped in surprise in a low voice.

"Did your mother make these clothes for you?"

She had considered that it might be custom-made, but she never imagined that the person who made the dress would be the other person's mother.

"Yes, all my clothes were designed and made by my mom."

With an almost boastful air, Alex smiled faintly.

With such exquisite craftsmanship, could it be that Ellie's mother is a fashion designer?

After carefully examining the fine stitches on the clothes and the clean, unraveling inner seams, a thought popped into Aine's mind.

A British aristocratic heiress, daughter of a top fashion designer, tutored from a young age, possessing exceptional physical abilities, and from a family so wealthy that they could casually build a lakeside garden just for an afternoon tea...

But he resolutely gave all of that up and came to Tokyo to open an ordinary hamburger shop?

Wow... Is this the kind of rich, beautiful female protagonist character you only see in romance light novels?

And, Ellie has a mother who is a fashion designer!

Hehehe... It's not that I'm envious or anything, it's just that it would be nice to get to know him if possible...

Ayane paused for a while, her little head filled with some strange thoughts.

When the tram reached the next stop, all the other passengers, except for the two of them, got off.

"Ding-ding—!"

The sound of the tram starting again jolted Aine out of her reverie.

Wait, that’s not right!

Then she realized something.

"Then...then this dress must be very important to you, Ellie?!"

Her expression turned panicked, and Ai Yin suddenly felt the vest in her hands become much heavier. She hugged the clothes tightly, stood up abruptly, and raised her voice slightly.

All the other passengers had just gotten off the train, and now only the two of them were left in the carriage. Otherwise, Aine's actions would probably have startled the others.

However, it's understandable that she reacted so strongly.

After all, Aine knew that Alex had always regarded her mother as the most important person in the world. The way she described her mother was so exaggerated that it was as if she was born to live for her mother.

There is some concern about Alex's emotional state.

Of course, this is a private matter between Alex and her mother, and Aine and Shoko, who haven't seen the whole story, cannot make any comments on it.

Most importantly, Aine remembered that Alex had said that her mother had disappeared some time ago.

Aine dared not make any hasty conclusions, but she understood how devastating it would be for Alex to suddenly lose her closest loved one, and how much she would suffer.

This optimistic attitude now is probably the result of a lot of difficult psychological adjustments.

So, these clothes might be one of the only items left to Alex by her mother?

Their value cannot be measured in money; these clothes have been imbued with a more important value: the value of kinship.

Besides, saying something unpleasant to yourself isn't a curse or anything, it's just preparing for the worst.

If Alex never sees her mother again, or if she has passed away, wouldn't this become a keepsake?

That's why Aine was so panicked.

Because of her, such a precious item has been soiled. Judging from the material, Ai Yin cannot guarantee whether she can clean it for Alex and return it to her in its original condition.

This time, she really can't afford to pay the compensation!

Even if Ellie valued her mother so much, giving herself away might not be enough to match the value of this dress in Alex's eyes!

You can't exactly offer yourself up there and then tell Ellie, "Even though your mother is gone, you can treat me as your mother," can you?

If I get disliked because of this... no way! That kind of thing should at least... at least not happen a hundred years after I die...!

Just then, the tram made a turn, and the carriage suddenly began to sway.

"ah!"

Aine, whose mind was still in a mess, lost her balance and fell to the side because she had just stood up in shock and hadn't been able to grab the handrail.

"careful!"

Fortunately, Alex reacted quickly, grabbing Aine's hand again and pulling her into her arms. With her other hand, she pressed firmly against Aine's back to prevent her from falling again.

"Well--!"

He was immediately struck by two soft, full, loving voices, and fell silent.

She knelt in front of Alex, one hand held by hers, the other forced to wrap around Alex's waist, her face buried in Alex's chest, remaining motionless for a long time.

"I already said it's okay."

At this moment, Alex gently shook her head, a faint smile on her face, and said.

"Your safety is more important than this outfit."

But Aine did not respond to Alex's words.

The carriage was completely silent for a moment, with only the slight swaying sound of the tram moving along.

“Aine?”

She looked down at Aine, who was still burying her head in her arms, with some confusion, and called out softly.

"Ugh... I can't breathe...!"

With trembling hands, Aine raised the small hand that Alex was holding, and forced to muffle her breath in Alex's arms, she made a dull sound.

I feel like I'm about to drown in here...!

…………

PS Translation of the image above: Soyo: I've been giving you a lap pillow for three days and three nights... and even washing your hair while you shower... Why... do you like Rakuna more now...?

ano: soyorin! ? Your expression is terrifying! ? (Killer look!?)

I don't know why, but as I write, I always end up wanting Alex to give Ano some perks. Damn it, it must be Ano manipulating my writing!

Volume 1: Chapter 112 My Feelings for You Are Different

After a long while, Aine, who was finally released by Alex, slumped down beside her, her legs weak, her face flushed, and she was panting heavily, unable to calm her heartbeat for a long time.

It was said to be due to oxygen deprivation causing her heavy breathing, but it's hard to say exactly what it was.

What caused my face to turn red, my legs to feel weak, and my heart to race?

She quietly wiped her mouth with her sleeve, trying to put on a serious expression. She carefully picked up the vest and turned it toward Alex.

"But no matter what, this is something your mother left you, and it was because of me that you accidentally got it dirty."

Aine would never do something like this, running away from her close friends.

"No matter what, I have to find a way to clean this garment for you."

"I've made up my mind. I'll go back tonight and personally hand wash Alex's vest clean," Ai Yin said earnestly, pursing her lips.

Alex, her expression still gentle, looked at her and thought for a moment.

“My mom made me a whole wardrobe full of clothes. Even if I changed them every day, I still couldn’t wear them all. I really don’t care about wearing out one or two pieces.”

What she said was true. Although these clothes were all carefully designed and made by her mother, Alex was never the type to hold onto things her mother left her and cherish them so much that she was reluctant to use them.

For Alex, clothes are consumables. It doesn't matter if they get worn out, as they always need to be replaced with new ones. Just like when she lent her clothes to Xiangzi, whom she had only known for less than a day, in Alex's view, these clothes are just clothes and have no extra value.

She didn't value any special meaning that might exist, and she never had the cognitive concept of attaching emotions to objects.

After all, her mother gave her so many things.

Let alone ordinary items, even an entire world, once you're tired of playing with it and it's broken, can be destroyed or deleted without a second thought.

If everything were given a special value, Alex would be in for a lot of trouble every day.

For Alex, the people around her are always far more important than possessions.

This is something she learned after she came into this world.

Only those vibrant, emotionally rich, and unrestrained creatures that I see in this world can be considered human.

For example, her impression of her mother, and people like Ai Yinxiangzi.

The safety of Aine, Shoko, and Rana, who cannot be resurrected, is more important than her own ability to be resurrected indefinitely.

Incidentally, Kyubey was not included. She had never seen Kyubey show any emotion; he was lifeless. Neither in appearance nor in consciousness did Alex think Kyubey was a free being with an independent will.

She often regarded that guy as an NPC merchant used for special transactions.

In any case, Alex never gave it any respect in terms of human rights.

……

Just as the two were still discussing the clothes, the tram arrived at the station again.

This time, it was their turn to get off the bus. After walking a short distance, they would reach Aine's house.

Each carrying a part of the shopping bags, the two walked out of the carriage hand in hand, their fingers intertwined.