I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

Page 261

The next moment, Eriri asked curiously, "So, is it not good that I came to spend Christmas with you?"

You know, this is Christmas. According to the usual practice, it's better to spend it at home than to go out.

She thought that Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was home alone for Christmas, would be very touched by her presence.

Unfortunately, reality proved otherwise; Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't seem to welcome her.

Are you playing dumb?

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared intently at Eriri, trying to discern something from her face.

Eriri pouted, then puffed out her cheeks and replied unhappily, "Can't I come here?"

"Don't say that. You're still very welcome here. It's just that today, do you think you should waste such a precious day here with me? You know, I'm not interested in Christmas or anything like that at all right now."

Kasumigaoka Utaha seems to be referring to something.

"How to say?"

"I won't go into detail about regular holidays, like Valentine's Day, Qixi Festival, summer festivals, and Christmas today. Just thinking about countless people called couples walking down the street makes me not very interested."

So it would have been great if Eriri had gone to see Aki Tomoya on Christmas Day.

Or did this guy not think about it and not ask beforehand?

"She's clearly an author who writes light romance novels, yet she says things like that!"

Eriri couldn't help but complain.

In the past, I wouldn't say I was enthusiastic about it, but I certainly wouldn't have disliked it.

A light novel about youth romance, this is the type of novel that Kasumigaoka Utaha wrote as her debut novel.

"So I've now shifted my focus to popular fiction."

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood up from the bed, straightened her skirt, and then walked around the room.

She raised her hand, pointed to the bookshelf in the room, and introduced it to Eriri: "This used to be full of light novels, but now I read more than just that type."

So, you mean your tastes aren't limited to just one type anymore?

"You can interpret it however you like, but as a friend, I have to remind you that if you can go on dates with guys, don't come here to me."

Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms, stared at Eriri, and sighed again.

Dating, what a wonderful word...

When I was writing a novel about youthful romance, I would still imagine it in my mind.

Kasumigaoka Utaha thought Eriri's current fighting strength was already impressive, but now it seems it's not quite there yet.

"Can you stop overthinking? Aren't you lonely on Christmas alone?"

Eriri replied dismissively.

She came here to keep this guy company because she knew Kasumigaoka Utaha would be alone on Christmas.

Instead, she was treated with a disappointed attitude, which made Eriri feel a little wronged.

"...I was very touched, but when you suddenly ran to my door and rang the doorbell without saying a word, I almost mistook you for someone who wanted to huddle together for warmth."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes flickered, and her tone gradually softened.

Eriri hadn't told her anything before she came.

When Eriri suddenly showed up at her door, Kasumigaoka Utaha thought she was looking for comfort from her.

She looked at Eriri, feeling a little anxious.

But having friends who care about you like this is indeed a rare and wonderful thing.

"Rinya has plans for Christmas, I've already asked him."

Just then, Eriri said somewhat unhappily.

Her words left Kasumigaoka Utaha unsure whether to give a bitter smile.

So, am I considered Eriri's alternative?

If that's the case, aside from feeling a little helpless, I don't have any other bad feelings.

"Together with my junior at Keio University, Kudo?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha guessed.

She had quite a bit of contact with Sayaka Kudo and Utaha Kasumigaoka.

This junior's relationship with Aki Tomoya is probably the best among all of them.

She's much more capable than Eriri, her childhood friend.

Because he was the same person as Aki Tomoya, who spent two years and had the same momentum to achieve great things.

Two years of hardship shared as classmates is far more profound than sharing happiness.

Aki Tomoya remembers everyone who fought alongside him, and his feelings for those people far exceed those for his other friends.

Thinking about this, Kasumigaoka Utaha was a little confused.

Why do I feel like I'm getting to know that person better and better now...?

Even though there is no longer any connection, and she would even decisively refuse the other party's invitation, which was made out of politeness last time.

The number of times we met and chatted, starting from the second year of high school, can probably be counted on two hands.

It's a wonderful feeling; even though we're on opposite sides of the ocean, we understand each other better.

It's more accurate to call it strange than wonderful.

But perhaps it is precisely because of this understanding that Kasumigaoka Utaha now feels a little anxious when she looks at Eriri.

"No, I'm with the Bodo siblings."

Eriri shook her head, replying nonchalantly.

Seeing her silly look, Kasumigaoka Utaha burst out laughing.

"Are you trying to become an optimist?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's words sounded both joking and wistful.

Her words made Eriri squint her eyes and think carefully.

There's nothing wrong with being an optimist, and I've never been a gloomy person, just a bit of a homebody...

"I've always been optimistic, okay!"

"Right now, with your past thought process, it would be a miracle if you could even reconcile with that person!"

"Mind your own business!"

After Kasumigaoka Utaha touched on her past pain, Eriri excitedly retorted, showing her little fangs.

"So, Ms. Eriri, who considers herself a close friend, how do you see yourself right now?"

How far has Chapter 300 progressed? (2/5)

"Do you think this is an RPG? You've got some nerve! Can't you speak properly?"

Eriri complained.

Talking about combat strength now is really...

Is she not good at fighting?

"Life is not a game, but it's more like one. You can't save or load your game; once an opportunity is gone, it's gone forever!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha uttered a profound statement that Eriri could not refute.

Life is not a game; there's no chance to reload and start over.

Although it was a somewhat heavy topic, Eriri's silence at this moment did not mean that she did not want to complain; she just did not know where to begin.

However, none of that is the main point. The key question is: what exactly was Kasumigaoka Utaha's purpose in saying those words?

Seemingly noticing that Eriri was trying to outwit thin air, Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned and asked again, "Do you need me to give you a buff?"

Putting aside whether she should be strengthened and sent to deliver the blows, Eriri didn't want to discuss this topic any further.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately tried to change the subject, saying, "Let's not talk about that anymore. Your new work, which marks a shift in your career, is selling well, right? I wouldn't say it's a huge hit, but it should have at least built up some initial popularity, right?"

Getting down to business, Kasumigaoka Utaha's novel "The Suspect TAKI" was officially released in November. I had someone help with the promotion, and it shouldn't be a problem for it to sell well.

It remains to be seen whether the rising sales can be maintained; Kasumigaoka Utaha also has a chance to secure more resources.

Although every time Eriri thinks about this, she wants to complain about the book title that Kasumigaoka Utaha came up with.

It's a really subtle, perverse sense of humor...

"Don't worry, I've already started writing the second book in the series!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha replied confidently.

She remains confident on the journey of transformation.

At least for now, things seem to be going quite smoothly.