"Ding-a-ling~"
A sound rang out from the door of the snack supermarket. Two girls, wearing casual clothes, stretched in unison and walked out.
"Mimi, you've taken a few days off again. I feel like that gossip Long Mian is getting annoyed with you. Be careful, she might make things difficult for you."
Facing the question from her part-time colleague, Ichiko also sighed helplessly, "I can't help it, there really are some important things. I'm even considering quitting this part-time job."
Her colleague Li Ran blew on the cold wind and said indifferently, "Then just quit. You're only a freshman, and there's no requirement for social practice points. You can't earn much money working part-time in this small, broken place, and you're busy to death."
Every time students finished class, especially during the evening shift, the number of people in line was countless.
Just standing there as a cashier, your hands and feet would feel weak after a night.
If you were dizzy and collected dozens of yuan less, you'd have to pay out of pocket to make up the difference, resulting in working for free all day.
Ichiko saved up her own tuition fees. Without this part-time job, it's really hard to find another one around the school that's also close to Haruko's home.
Rather, the better ones have all been snatched up.
Ichiko sighed, "Never mind, I'll think about it again."
"If it really doesn't work, couldn't you just go to Inari's coffee shop? That Haruko... right, that Rito Chengzi, isn't she there? Your relationship is so good, and Inari is interested in you."
Li Ran raised her eyebrows, bumped Ichiko with her shoulder, "If you ask me, this Inari is much better than that Sento. He's a rich Young Master who's easily fooled. You might as well go along with him."
Ichiko rolled her eyes helplessly at Li Ran, "Senior, don't say things like that. Where would I find the time? My Teacher recently asked me to write two papers and publish them in a journal. I'm only a freshman, why do I have to face papers already!"
"Your Teacher is cultivating you. As a senior, I'm telling you..."
She was still talking when Ichiko's phone rang with a "ding," interrupting Li Ran.
This was the notification sound for a special contact.
Li Ran raised her eyebrows, "Who's the special contact?"
"It's Haruko."
Afraid of not receiving Haruko's messages and causing her to have another accident, Ichiko set everything related to Haruko as a special contact.
Li Ran leaned her head over, saw the content on the screen, and drew out the end of her sentence meaningfully, "Ho~ Playing games~"
Ichiko's face instantly turned red, "What are you saying? She was injured and hospitalized before. I... I just went to take care of her."
"So that's how it is. No wonder you had to ask for leave from school and here, specifically to make time."
Li Ran understood.
No wonder she wasn't moved by Sento, Inari, and that Shin.
So she had this kind of relationship with that Rito Chengzi. It seems like I need to keep my distance from Ichiko. If that Rito Chengzi misunderstands, it'll be a big problem.
Li Ran's expression showed instant understanding. She immediately said she had other things to do and parted ways with Ichiko.
Looking at the departing back of her senior, Ichiko also sighed helplessly.
It seems like these kinds of misunderstandings are becoming more frequent at school.
But it was really hard for her to explain so much. The fact that Haruko was a yandere was only known to people she was relatively close to; she had never mentioned it to outsiders.
But it was precisely these trivial matters in life that were bothering her in various ways that made her feel irritable and stressed.
Walking to an empty, open area, Ichiko suddenly scratched her hair vigorously again, "Why do I have to write papers ahhh, I have absolutely no time or ideas. Maybe I'll just write them during these three days at Haruko's house."
After speaking, she took out her phone again, saw the "expecting cuteness" emoji sent by Haruko, and her budding idea deflated.
"Never mind, Haruko probably wouldn't be happy like that either. I clearly promised to accompany her, so I should just enjoy it properly."
After all, it's just three days of relaxing at home.
It won't be as extreme as last time.
Ichiko completely relaxed her mood. Compared to everything outside, Haruko's place had become a place to de-stress.
Even just lying on that bed full of Haruko's scent, she would unconsciously relax.
The door opened.
A warm breeze blew in.
As expected, that little loli with tea-colored long hair had already adjusted the living room's air conditioning to a suitable temperature.
Not only that, Ichiko also noticed that the floor inside the house, which was originally tiled, had been covered with a layer of carpet at some point.
Haruko was sitting barefoot on the carpet on the floor, playing with Dan using a cat teaser.
Dan was quite proud. He wanted to catch the cat teaser but couldn't, puffing up as if he was about to bare his teeth, his little expression was very cute.
Such a heartwarming and healing scene made Ichiko unable to help but smile.
Taking off her boots, without even needing to change into slippers, Ichiko stepped onto the soft carpet, "Haruko, good afternoon."
Haruko looked sideways at Ichiko. Her originally normal pupils became slightly vertical and had a hint of strangeness.
That was her tendency to become a bit yandere.
Ichiko met those eyes, her originally relaxed smile came to an abrupt halt, and her mood inexplicably became nervous.
She clearly hadn't done anything, and no one had provoked Haruko, right?
She... why does she seem to be subtly becoming a yandere?
At this moment, Haruko's words reached Ichiko's ears, "Ichiko, the door isn't closed."
Ichiko came back to her senses and realized that she had been so focused on looking at Haruko and Dan that she hadn't closed the door after coming in.
She turned to close the door, but a gust of wind came from who knows where.
While messing up her beautiful hair, it also brought the door shut.
With a heavy "bang," the door closed tightly.
The light in the living room wasn't particularly bright. Haruko was still sitting on the carpet, looking at her with a slight smile.
It was as if nothing had happened.
But it also seemed as if something significant had happened, making Ichiko feel inexplicably... a palpitation.
Ichiko calmed herself down, first pressed the switch twice to make the living room light a little brighter, and then showed a smile as she looked at Haruko, "Haruko, are you hungry? How about I make dinner?"
"Ah, no need to rush with cooking." Haruko stood up holding Dan, walked in front of her, and extended a hand.
"What's wrong?"
Ichiko looked at the little hand in confusion.
Did she want to hold hands?
She placed her hand on it.
However, Haruko shook her head, "It's your phone. Starting today, Ichiko's phone will be managed by me. Every day, only at 10 am and 10 pm, can Ichiko play on her phone for half an hour."
Ichiko was stunned for a moment and subconsciously asked, "Why?"
Haruko pouted, "We agreed that you would only accompany me for these three days, so of course, Ichiko can't go look for other people."
After hearing this, Ichiko suddenly turned back and glanced at the already tightly closed door.
It turned out that the moment she entered the door.
The game.
Had already begun.
Ichiko felt a bit nervous, but when she thought that Haruko wasn't completely cutting off her contact with the outside world like last time.
She felt a lot more at ease.
She just lacked a sense of security and was afraid that if she talked to others too much, they wouldn't want her anymore.
Handing her phone to Haruko, for a modern person, it felt strangely uncomfortable to have the heavy brick missing from her pocket.
However...
Seeing Haruko's satisfied smile as she put away the phone, Ichiko also indulged her and said, "Okay, Haruko, you've put away the phone. What do you want to do next?"
Haruko smiled sweetly, "We're not doing anything special next. Ichiko must be tired from just arriving, would you like a cup of black tea?"
"After all, Ichiko likes it too, right?"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"