People in Tokyo, the world is clear

From his incredibly adorable expressions and reactions.

It's hard to discern what kind of mentality is at work. Perhaps it's the playfulness of a child, perhaps the thrill of uncovering each other's secrets, or perhaps, as he'd said before, it's the hormones that overwhelm them, making even the mere smell of each other's scent bring a heartbeat of pleasure.

But no matter what, there is only one thing that is certain -

It doesn't matter if it's true or false, just keep going.

Keeping this mindset, Ms. Ito seemed to be in a more cheerful mood.

So much so that, an hour later, after stepping out of the hotel and leaving the solitude of the two of them, he was still daydreaming and reminiscing about the past.

Seeing this, Lin Sen, who was traveling with him, shook his head.

"This is the Ito of the past."

"I only show my special status to my seniors. I'm not really willing to show it to others."

Ms. Ito was right. Perhaps she found immense satisfaction in their private interactions. Now, as they strolled through the streets of Sapporo, she even restrained her movements. Even the distance between them, while walking side by side, was about ten centimeters wider than before.

Curiosity was even stronger. Turning his head, he had a blank and restrained expression on his face, but the words he said were so exciting that they made people's hearts skip a beat:

"Which kind of me do you like, Senior? This kind of friend mode, or... the mode we were in the room before, where we're working towards being lovers?"

"You can be tough if you want to, but it's not necessary. For me, right now, the two are pretty much the same."

"By the way, Senior mentioned before that, like me, he likes to save the best food for last."

"Yes. Because if the food at the beginning is astringent, the part you like at the end will be particularly delicious. Why do you bring this up suddenly?"

"That is to say, whether you want me to or not, I will be more indifferent to my seniors in front of outsiders."

"?"

Lin Sen turned his head, vaguely sensing something.

The girl's facial expression changed slightly again. This time, her eyes were more innocent.

What came out was an even more explosive statement:

"In this way, external relations seem to be becoming more and more ordinary. Then, when we're alone together, we can transform that deliberately suppressed alienation into more intense passion... Using this strategy, will it be more likely to break through your defenses?"

"My goodness."

Lin Sen sighed speechlessly.

But it amused Ms. Ito, who caught his expression perfectly.

"What a cute expression."

At this moment, the girl seemed to want to laugh out loud, but suddenly realized something and immediately restrained her expression to normal or even a little indifferent.

The voice also changed to that of an ignorant child:

"So, it seems that Senior is deeply moved?"

"..."

"Have you gritted your teeth? It's really hard to endure it. But, no, not outside. However, when we're just the two of us back at the hotel, it'll be up to you. You can do whatever you want to me... Yeah!"

The girl's teasing was finally stopped by a big hand that ruffled her hair.

I had no choice but to give up, puffing my cheeks and tidying up my messed up hair:

"Are you furious?"

"Yeah. It's numb."

So, it’s really a bit unbearable.

A girl who is a close friend has that kind of beautiful simplicity and childlike innocence, which makes people feel nothing but admiration, joy and happiness.

However, in what she calls "lover mode", the painting style is completely different.

Of course, he had a childlike nature, but the hidden devil in him completely dominated.

Lin Sen had never expected that Miss Ito was so bold in this regard.

Although I got a glimpse of the situation based on last night's arcade game live broadcast, I don't know anything at all.

But the main target is a newborn calf.

Every move he made was like a knife cutting into his body, which severely reduced his concentration.

More importantly, the solemn declarations of "you don't have to take responsibility for anything you do" and "this is only for you" -

It sounded even more frantic than the old whispers.

Lin Sen didn't know how much longer he could hold on.

but--

Just like the legendary investigator in the Cthulhu stories, he can only choose to believe that his firm willpower can help him maintain the principles he has always adhered to.

At least, that's the case so far.

Chapter 48 Second Form

early morning.

In the small living room of the apartment, the owner with fluffy golden hair dared not breathe.

The blue eyes blinked.

His attention kept wandering to the young man and woman sitting across the table.

However, when one of them looked back at him, he would look away timidly and then bury his head in pretending to draw a few strokes on the manuscript paper.

Obviously, the efficiency of actions when the mind is absent is extremely low.

The character design that I spent the whole morning working on for the golden retriever Rina Kurosawa is proof of this.

So Lin Sen put down the comic book he was reading and stood up.

"I'm staying here to borrow some comics. Kurosawa, are you not adapting? Then I'll go back first."

This is probably the result of Lin Sen, an excellent role model.

I don't know when it started, but the three of them gradually developed a way of getting along with each other where they spoke frankly.

If there is anything that requires the other party to compromise, don't hesitate and just raise it frankly.

The only exception may be the manga artist Kurosawa.

Because she is introverted by nature, sometimes she still has things that she is too embarrassed to say.

However, today, an exception was unexpectedly made.

"No problem. But there are special circumstances today."

To put it bluntly, she suddenly raised her hand.

She extended the end of the paintbrush and gently poked the short-haired girl who was also looking at her.

"Ok?"

"Ito...can you please go out for a while? I want to talk to Kobayashi."

"Eh? Okay."

Miss Ito was somewhat surprised by such a request. Conventionally, according to common sense, any private conversation should be shared with her.

This time, however, was special. She herself had become the one to be avoided.

Of course I have doubts, but I don't care or even get emotional about it.

The girl stood up and said goodbye, holding the Scottish Fold Cat Milk Tea, and closed the door.

Then, Lin Sen saw that the blonde woman rarely stood up, replaced the short-haired girl, and sat next to him.

It was supposed to be an ambiguous gesture, but the next move completely ruined the atmosphere.

Ms. Dingo raised her wrist to her nose.

“Sniff sniff…”

He then lifted up his long collar and repeated the same trick.

Then, he turned his head, with an expression of rare courage on his face.

"There's no smell! Even though my clothes are all the same style, I shower and change them every day. That's proof."

"This nonsense happened so long ago, don't worry about it for so long."

But of course I can understand it.

Homebodies have limited social connections, especially without the internet.

A sentence that people often forget in their interactions may become a fragment of memories that will ferment for a month or even half a year when it comes to my home.

Empathy isn't a skill everyone can master, but it's a universal truth that we shouldn't judge others by our own standards.

Lin Sen has always understood this.

Therefore, the next response is more carefully considered:

"Did what I said earlier make you uncomfortable? How about I apologize in a more formal way?"

"No, no! I can feel that Xiaolin and Ito are just joking to show their good relationship with me. You guys, don't mean any harm at all."

Kurosawa Rina shook her head. "It's just that even jokes that have been told for a long time are fake and shouldn't become rigid facts... Am I being too obsessed with this?"

"Not at all. You're doing well to be clear about this, Kurosawa."

The straight compliment made the painter Wild Dog feel a little happy.

But her expression quickly darkened, and she suddenly grabbed Lin Sen's sleeve and pulled the fabric tight.

"Xiao Lin. I have something to ask you."

"how."

"Have you made Ito angry lately? Or vice versa?"

"...Why do you feel that way?"

Lin Sen's tone turned curious.

But the big wild dog took a deep breath, and then stared at him seriously.

"It seems like you've been having a quarrel with each other since you came back from your trip to Hokkaido." She recounted some details she had observed.

"Is this true?" Lin Sen was stunned.

"For example, just now, although we were sitting together, it seemed that neither of us was willing to look at each other. And, just now, when you, Kobayashi, glanced at Ito, she turned her face away from you." Kurosawa Rina said this as she sat cross-legged on the chair.

Then, she hugged her chest again, and suddenly looked like a stone statue waiting to be worshipped.

His eyes narrowed, as if he were a god who saw through something:

"So, did they have a fight on the way? Or did something happen that I'm not aware of?"

"This is it."

Lin Sen was a little surprised when he saw the rare seriousness mixed with worry on the wild dog's face.

However, the mood quickly changed.

A sigh mixed with laughter—

Something did happen.

However, it wasn't a quarrel at all, or anything like being angry or upset with each other.

Quite the opposite.

The relationship between them improved so rapidly that Lin Sen was a little at a loss.

As for the so-called sense of alienation that Kurosawa mentioned - it absolutely exists.

But it is not a sign or proof that the relationship is going bad.

The situation just now was entirely the result of Ms. Ito's playful nature.

[Our external relationships are becoming increasingly distant. Only when we're together can we make up for the repressed feelings...]

This was the gist of what the girl said at the time, and she has been trying to put it into practice since returning from her trip to Hokkaido.