Is it a problem to have a harem in a stranger heroine?

[Why are you telling me about dessert?]

[Because I want to make a deal with Kasumigaoka-san.]

[trade?]

[capricious.]

The conversation was confusing to others, but only Kasumigaoka Utaha and Byakuya understood its meaning.

[Please order first, Kasumigaoka-san. The waiter is looking at you anxiously.]

Clicking Bai Ye's recommendation means accepting the deal. Even if she can use "I originally wanted to click this" as an excuse to refuse the deal, Kasumigaoka Utaha can't afford to lose face, and she doesn't want to refuse the deal.

Raising her hand to summon the waiter, Kasumigaoka Utaha said:

"Please, I'd like a serving of Green Apple Popping Snowball."

The waiter said a small "eh" and smiled with interest.

"Sir, is this your first time here?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't understand the waiter's purpose, but she didn't care.

"Yes."

Seeing this, the waiter lowered his voice.

"Green Apple Popping Snowball is our hidden menu. It's available in limited quantities each day, so not many people know about it. I guess someone who thinks you're very important told you."

Kasumigaoka Utaha was stunned, realizing that Bai Ye had left her no room for maneuver in this "deal", while the waiter's words ran through her mind.

“Can I order?”

"No problem, but please don't tell anyone about our hidden menu unless they are your most important person."

The waiter left, and Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Bai Ye with strange eyes.

To her surprise, Bai Ye returned the same look.

[? ]

[Kasumigaoka-san, please stop asking questions.]

Why are you telling me to hide the menu?

[I'm trying to do you a favor. I just found out about this.]

Now, the only question left is whether Bai Ye knows that the hidden menu can only be told to the most important people, or whether Bai Ye does not care about this sentence and simply treats it as a favor.

Even though this question seems meaningless, Kasumigaoka Utaha wants to find out.

[Xiao Jun, did you hear what the waiter said afterwards?]

[I've heard of it.]

Kasumigaoka Utaha paused, not expecting Bai Ye to admit it so cleanly and neatly. She scratched her slightly wrinkled brows with her delicate hands, which was her habit when thinking.

[Because I wanted Kasumigaoka-san’s help, you were the most important person to me at that time.]

[A cunning answer. Don't you think that saying it is the same as not saying it? And you said before that you would make it clear at the critical moment?]

[Kasumigaoka-san, do you mean this is important?]

[It depends on your attitude, Xiao Jun.]

Kasumigaoka Utaha took the initiative to make things clear, which was somewhat beyond Bai Ye's expectations.

This is a clash of values between two people, there is no survival of the fittest, Bai Ye might as well make it clear.

[If Kasumigaoka-san wasn't worth "trading" with, I certainly wouldn't have told you the hidden menu.]

"Hidden menu" = "important people", this is the waiter's value, and it is a false proposition in itself.

Bai Ye did not associate the "most important person" with the "hidden menu", nor did he mean that Kasumigaoka Utaha was an unimportant person, but it didn't matter whether the other party understood or not.

[Tell me, how can I help you?]

[I was just interviewing this store, Kasumigaoka-san, did you remember this?]

[Um. ]

[My hobby is food blogging, but my writing is so-so. I'd like to ask Kasumigaoka-san to help me revise my articles.]

Revising an article is just a piece of cake for Kasumigaoka Utaha, who has been reading and writing for many years. It is so small that she does not think it is a bargaining chip.

"Are you underestimating yourself, Mr. Xiao?"

[Just revising the article, I can help you for free.]

Bai Ye swore that even if it was only through words, he knew that Kasumigaoka Utaha now looked pitiful with stubbornness and pleading.

It was exactly the same as the club activity on Wednesday.

The facts were indeed as Bai Ye said. When Kasumigaoka Utaha typed this message, a feeling of disgust that she could not explain surged in her heart.

Why is this happening? Shouldn’t I be very happy to be able to compensate Xiao Jun?

But why doesn’t the guilt in my heart decrease?

[Do you know why I chose to communicate on the phone? Because you look both ugly and unapproachable right now, just like you did on Friday.]

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't reply, but Bai Ye's messages came one after another.

[But there is still someone who is willing to approach you.]

[Who is it?]

Kasumigaoka Utaha said this without thinking, because her mind was uncontrollably filled with the figures of Aki Tomoya and Byakuya.

[Here he comes.]

Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly turned around, and the light that had just bloomed in her crystal red eyes dimmed again.

"Guest, your dessert."

"Um...thank you."

Looking back, Bai Ye's gaze was exactly the same as what she saw when she first entered the store.

A nameless fire suddenly arose in my heart.

[Do you enjoy playing tricks on others?]

If Kasumigaoka-san doesn't feel guilty, would you think I'm toying with you? I still say the same thing: there's no need to apologize for what I did a year ago. I brought up the debate last week to better integrate into the club, not to make you feel guilty.

Bai Ye sighed deeply.

Guilt can drive people forward, provided that there is the desire to move forward, but Kasumigaoka Utaha is addicted to guilt and cannot move forward, and is getting deeper and deeper into it.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had a gloomy face and her fingernails tapped the screen, making a crackling sound.

[This is none of your business.]

[Yes, it's none of my business, so let's talk about this deal? I'll ask you to hide the menu, and you'll help me edit the article. We won't owe each other anything. Doesn't that feel good? Kasumigaoka-san must be enjoying this feeling!]

The bursting sensation of the sour juice mixed with bubbles from the bursting green apple popping beads filled her mouth. Even though the pungent cold soda hit her head, she could not ignore the sense of comfort and relief in her heart that broke through the guilt.

This feeling is really great...

Her fingers were typing words uncontrollably, but when she pressed [Send], a glaring red exclamation mark appeared in front of the chat box.

'You deleted my friend?!'

Chapter 50: It’s better to play with cats than to quarrel

Seeing Bai Ye get up and leave, Kasumigaoka Utaha hurriedly paid the bill and followed.

For the first time, she felt that Bai Ye's words made sense. Some things are like flowers in the fog. If you don't ask clearly, you will be the only one who feels uncomfortable.

After leaving the restaurant, Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly followed, walking side by side with Bai Ye, looking at him with displeasure in her eyes.

"Xiao Jun, don't you want to explain?"

"Explain what?"

"Friends' matters."

Bai Ye looked at her with a half-smile on his face.

"Because our deal is over. We added friends for communication, so isn't it normal to delete them after we're done? Out of sight, out of mind. Don't you like Kasumigaoka-san?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's brows twitched, and she instinctively resisted Bai Ye's words.

Indeed, she was annoyed by people coming to her for no reason, and she longed to have a quiet world.

However, even if many of the contacts in the chat software are no longer in contact and are just decorations, it does not mean that she will delete them.

"Although I don't like being disturbed, I have no intention of deleting my friends."

"Oh."

Bai Ye smiled, quite satisfied to hear Kasumigaoka Utaha say this in person.

He planted a seed called "non-extreme" in Kasumigaoka Utaha's heart, hoping that when Kasumigaoka Utaha does something that seems rational but is actually extreme, this seed will take root and sprout, guiding her back.

"Where's the manuscript? Aren't you going to go back?"

"Then Kasumigaoka-san can just add me as a friend!"

Seeing Bai Ye's mysterious smile, Kasumigaoka Utaha was so angry that she gritted her teeth, and her crystal red eyes under her bangs were full of anger.

"Don't think about it."

She didn't understand why Bai Ye, who was so elegant, easy-going and polite last week, became a little "annoying" to her, but why did she follow Bai Ye so closely? Was it because what he said made sense?

Kasumigaoka Utaha felt a sense of frustration pent up in her heart, and she couldn't feel better unless she expressed it. Even though Bai Ye had done her a favor, did she have to endure his anger?

She is not that kind of person. Being scheming is her nature.

Thinking about this, she opened the file Bai Ye sent her and immediately smiled.

"Xiao Jun, the article is very cute."

Bai Ye felt a chill all over his body, as if he was being targeted by a hunter.

What kind of article would be given such an inappropriate name as "cute"?

Facing an enemy counterattack, it would be foolish to retreat. The only way to avoid being bombarded from high ground is to seize the high ground.

"Kasumigaoka-san, if you have anything to say, please speak frankly. I know my writing skills are no match for professional light novel writers."

"Does this mean Xiao Jun wants to hear my evaluation?"

"miss you!"

"So......"

“If the review is trash, tell it a lie.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha "......"

Even if Bai Ye spoke first, she would still say it.

"Rubbish."

"Thank you. I'll take it as a good word."

"Humph!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha felt that there was no need to continue to argue with Bai Ye. Her purpose of going out today was to seek comfort, not to cause trouble for herself.

Go to the pet store first, then go shopping in the commercial street later.

"Goodbye, Xiao Jun. I'll give you the manuscript next week."

"Yeah, bye."

Kasumigaoka Utaha took a quick step and followed the navigation towards the pet shop. However, after passing several intersections, she still saw Bai Ye's figure in the convex mirror at the corner.

A subtle thought couldn't help but emerge in her mind.

"Xiao Jun, are you following me?"

"I've discovered that Kasumigaoka-san has quite the imagination." Bai Ye turned off the navigation on his phone, a question mark rising in his head. "If I were to follow you, would I openly follow you three meters behind, not even hiding from a convex mirror?"

Tracking was naturally a joke, but Kasumigaoka Utaha just wanted to make things difficult for Bai Ye.

"Who knows? Isn't openly stalking still stalking?"