r18novel Page 100
Page 100
Wasn't it you who used the water-control technique to wash the apple first?
As Chihaya Aine spoke, she opened her bento box.
The neatly arranged tamagoyaki, glistening fried chicken, bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms, and konpei burdock... are all common dishes in home-style bento boxes. Although there are many varieties, the portion of each item is just right, which is exactly the amount of food a female high school student would eat in one meal.
It's clear that a lot of thought and effort were put into its preparation.
“A pickled plum…” Chihaya Aine frowned slightly as she looked at the dark salted plum in the center of the rice.
"I'm not very good at eating sour things..."
Koshimura remembered seeing on Moe Girl Encyclopedia in her previous life that Aine disliked dried plums and sour things.
That's strange. Even I, an outsider, know this, but your mother doesn't?
"If you don't want to eat it, why don't you give it to me?" said Koshimura Sawa.
"Um...are you sure?" Chihaya Aine hesitated for a moment, picked up the plum with her chopsticks, and said hesitantly, "This thing...is not something that everyone can accept."
"It's fine, I've eaten all kinds of food before," said Koshimura Sawa, indicating that it was no problem.
No matter how bad it tastes, it can't compare to the amazing stir-fried five-nut mooncake with chili peppers.
"Ok."
Before Yuecun Ze could react, the salted plum was placed directly in front of her.
Koshimura took a bite instinctively, and the extreme sour and salty taste exploded in his mouth like a bomb, assaulting his taste buds. His facial features immediately and uncontrollably scrunched up.
"I told you so..." Chihaya Aine said with a "I knew it" expression and quickly handed over her water glass.
Koshimura took the water glass and poured himself several sips before he could barely suppress the sour taste.
Dude, this isn't meant to be eaten dry; it's meant to be eaten with rice.
Even if you're starving, you wouldn't just eat Lao Gan Ma (a popular chili sauce brand) dry... Hmm, that actually works.
Yuecun Ze looked at her, smiling somewhat embarrassedly, and put the remaining half plum into his lunchbox, then sighed helplessly.
The two sat side by side, quietly eating their bento boxes, only occasionally glancing up at Takamatsu, who was still immersed in his work.
“Um…” Chihaya Aine suddenly said, “I’ve really thought about it, and I guess… I’d better not.”
"What do you mean?" Koshimura swallowed the food in his mouth and turned to look at her.
"It's about... forming an adventure team." Chihaya Aine unconsciously poked at her rice with her chopsticks. "Shoko-san also said before... forming an adventure team is not something to be taken lightly. So I'm wondering, is our adventure team... formed too hastily?"
"We started on the same footing, but now you're at level 4 while I'm still stuck at level 2. I haven't been able to help you much, and I'm always causing you trouble..."
"What are you thinking? If I had initially agreed to join your adventurer's group with the intention of getting your help, I wouldn't have agreed to join in the first place, would I?" Koshimura interrupted her. "An adventurer's group is a whole that progresses and grows together. Even if someone occasionally falls behind... everyone will eventually support each other and move forward together. That's the meaning of an adventurer's group, isn't it?"
“That makes sense… but I still feel a little guilty.” Chihaya Aine sighed, twirling a strand of hair with her fingers. “It feels like… I’m using the name of the ‘Adventure Party’ to bind you.”
"Even though Shoko and Rikki are much more capable than me, I can't even control the magic power within me..."
“They are them, and you are you. How can you compare them like that?” Koshimura Sawa smiled helplessly. “I’ve already said it, the so-called ‘instability’ actually represents more possibilities and unknown potential. This is not a flaw, but a talent that belongs uniquely to Aine.”
“What talent do you have to make people blow bubbles…” Chihaya Aine’s mood seemed to have improved a bit. “But speaking of which… I do feel that my magic is being used much more smoothly lately. Although I still lose control often, it’s not as frequent as before.”
"This is the result of hard work," Yuecun Ze continued. "Lixi said your total practice time this week is almost more than hers. You didn't just rush to the Adventurers' Guild every day after school, did you?"
"Huh? Who, who told her to talk nonsense?" Chihaya Aine blushed slightly. "I was just... trying to catch up with you as quickly as possible."
“Although I’ve always been a staunch anti-conformist… at least for now, your efforts have certainly paid off.” Koshimura looked at her. “Also, although it sounds a bit narcissistic, it’s best not to use me as a reference point for you. After all, my situation is quite different from yours. You know how these levels were raised.”
"Including Xiangzi and Lixi, they all started to be exposed to and adapt to the power of professionals in junior high school, so it's normal that you can't keep up with their pace for the time being. There's no need to belittle yourself because of this."
"Of course I understand." Chihaya Aine took a deep breath and rallied her spirits. "That's why I've never given up. Even though Shoko and Rikki are really strong now, I'm pretty strong too, you know?"
"Speaking of which, I was the student council president in middle school, a renowned genius far and wide." Her face regained its usual slightly smug smile. "There's no reason why I should be inferior to them, right?"
Should I praise your ability to quickly adjust yourself, or should I criticize your tendency to get carried away with praise...?
"So, I will definitely continue to work hard to find a way to control the magic power within my body," Chihaya Aine said earnestly. "Until then, don't let me catch up with you, okay?"
“Of course.” Koshimura Sawa nodded with a smile.
"Aine-chan and Koshimura-kun, aren't you going to form an adventure team together?"
A soft but questioning voice suddenly broke in.
The two of them looked up at the same time, and saw Takamatsu Akira, who had put down his pen at some point and was now turning around to look at them.
"Well..." Takamatsu Akari's gaze fell on Koshimura Sawa, and she said in an unusually serious tone, "Koshimura-kun, would you like to form an adventure team with me?"
"Huh?" Chihaya Aine exclaimed in surprise.
“Takamatsu, what I was saying to Aine just now was that forming an adventure team is not something that can be decided lightly, and it requires careful consideration—” Koshimura Sawa quickly explained.
"Hmm." Takamatsu Akari nodded, seemingly understanding what he meant.
"So... we'll form an adventure team together for life."
Well... I guess I couldn't escape this fate after all...
"Wait, wait, wait—" Chihaya Aine quickly grabbed Koshimura Sawa's arm like a possessive little animal, "I don't think I said I was going to disband the adventure party, sawarin is still a member of the Anon Tkoyo Adventure Party!"
“Xiao Ai, come along too!” Gao Songdeng looked at her and said sincerely, “Let’s all—form an adventure team for life.”
Koshimura Sawa didn't have time to pay attention to Chihaya Aine clinging to him. He looked at Takamatsu Akari and asked seriously, "Takamatsu-kun, can you tell me why you suddenly want to form an adventure team?"
Takamatsu lowered his head slightly, his fingers unconsciously twisting together, as if he was organizing his thoughts.
A moment later, she raised her head, her amber eyes sparkling with determination.
"At that time, I was in the car... it was very dark, but there were people willing to listen to my singing."
Her voice gradually lowered: "But in the end, I watched her die."
"If... I could become stronger, could I save her?"
She paused, then continued softly.
"Later, when I was rescued from the basement, everyone surrounded me, which reminded me of my time at Crychic... but it was also a little different."
"Xiangzi once said that my singing voice... is a voice that can touch people's hearts."
"But... if my singing can't help others, if I can't sing because of fear... then the singing is meaningless."
“So…” she clenched her small fist, her eyes becoming more determined than ever before, “I don’t want to run away anymore.”
Takamatsu turned around, hesitated for a moment, and finally carefully tore off the sheet of paper filled with drawings and writing from the notebook, handing it to Koshimura Sawa with both hands.
“This is…” Koshimura Sawa reached out and took it.
The paper depicts a portrait of him walking under the starry sky, surrounded by poems scattered like stars.
Although the brushstrokes are still somewhat immature, they are full of sincere emotions.
The Story of Heroes and Stars
[As a bonus action, you gain a Poet Incentive Dice from the Creator and temporary health equal to 1 Poet Incentive Dice from the Creator plus the Creator's Charisma modifier.]
[For 1 minute, whenever you hit a target with a melee attack, you will also summon a Brilliant Star, dealing Radiant damage equal to one Creator's Poet's Inspiration Dice.]
Once used, the recorded story will become a blank sheet of paper until it is rewritten by its creator.
“In the past, I would only follow the guidance of the stars to move forward…” Takamatsu Akari said softly, as if she were confiding in someone, or as if she were talking to herself, “because I could never find… my own direction.”
"But... Koshimura-kun is different from everyone else."
"Even though you went against the guidance of the stars, you still chose to move forward... saving Anon-chan, me, Saki-chan, and everyone..."
"So... nothing is predetermined. As long as your will to move forward is strong enough, even the stars will change their course for you."
“So…” her voice was soft but full of determination, “I also want to become… a ‘hero’ like you.”
"Use my singing to help more people and to create...our own story."
Koshimura looked at the paper in his hand, which carried heavy emotions and determination, then looked at Takamatsu Akari, whose eyes were incredibly firm, and Chihaya Aine, who was so shocked by these words that she unconsciously let go of his hand.
He was silent for a few seconds, then finally gave a gentle smile.
“I understand,” he said softly, then carefully folded and put away the paper in his hand. “A lifelong adventure team... that sounds pretty good.”
"Huh? Sawarin, you just agreed like that?!" Chihaya Aine looked at him in surprise.
“Hmm.” Koshimura Sawa nodded, looking at Takamatsu Akari. “Since this is Akari-kun’s decision, and we’re already partners, there’s no reason not to support her, right?”
"Wait, wait, wait—" Chihaya Aine quickly stood up, gesturing with her fingers and reminding him in a slightly exaggerated tone, "This is for a lifetime, a lifetime."
"What's wrong?" Koshimura asked, somewhat amused.
"Do you know what the average lifespan is?" Chihaya Aine asked seriously, trying to convince him with data.
"If it's an elf, a long-lived species... around 750 years old, right?"
Stop destroying the worldview of girl bands.
"Uh...that's not what I was asking." Chihaya Aine choked for a moment, then sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Anyway, how about we set a short-term goal first? How about starting with a month?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Songdeng, who had been slightly raising his head, lowered it again, and his aura seemed to dim as well.
"Then one year?" Chihaya Aine immediately changed her mind, somewhat flustered.
Takamatsu lowered his head even further, almost burying it into his collar.
"Alright, alright," Koshimura interrupted her at the right moment, "It's really a bit premature to be making such a weighty promise as 'a lifetime' right now."
"Let's leave the future to us to think about. Since things have come to this—let's eat first, or it'll get cold."
Koshimura Sawa picked up the bento box and took a bite, but suddenly felt that the taste was a little strange.
He looked down and saw that the remaining half plum in the box had disappeared.
"Sawarin?!" Chihaya Aine looked at his suddenly puffed-out cheeks and quickly pulled over the trash can next to her.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Cucumber Sword Maiden's Four-Hit Combo in One Second
"In the end, we still couldn't form an adventure party..."
Koshimura glanced at the paper with "himself" drawn on it again, sighed softly, carefully folded it, and put it into the inside pocket of his coat.
He took out his key, inserted it into the lock, turned it gently, and pushed open the door.
However, the moment the door opened, a subtle sense of disharmony suddenly arose.
[Alarm Spell], it seems to have been triggered?
Since Haneoka lived more than 500 meters away from his home, he wouldn't have known if the alarm was triggered while he was at school.
But once you get close, you can clearly sense that there seems to be a tiny gap in the [Alarm Spell] that was originally everywhere.
As if to confirm his doubts, faint guitar sounds came from behind the slightly ajar door.
"Thump-th ...
Why play "Spring Shadows"?!
He immediately pushed open the door and saw Ruoye Mu sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room, holding her pink guitar in her arms, her eyes lowered, playing attentively.
Little Black was perched at her feet, slowly circling to the rhythm of the music.
The most baffling thing is that there was a stick stuck in its body—
cucumber?
Is this some kind of mysterious religious ritual?
"Koshimura-kun?"
When Ruoye Mu heard the door open, she stopped playing her instrument, looked up at the doorway, and her golden eyes remained as calm as ever.
"Wakaba-kun? What a coincidence, when did you arrive?" Koshimura Sawa walked into the house and closed the door behind him.
“One hour ago,” the girl replied obediently.
1 hour...
Yuecun Ze silently did some mental calculations.
So you're saying you started rushing here almost as soon as you got home from school?!
"Sorry, I was held up by some things today and got back a little late," said Yuecunze with a hint of apology. "You didn't come yesterday and didn't reply to my messages. I was worried you might have run into some trouble..."