chsdbacks Page 150
Page 150
This is not a question, but a statement.
Yuto was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Mai Sakurajima turned her head, her dark eyes shining brightly in the night, as if she could see through all his pretenses: "Yuto, you are a genius creator, but when it comes to emotions, you are as dull as a block of wood, or rather, you are deliberately running away."
"Do you think that as long as you don't respond or refuse, you can maintain the peace of the status quo?" She chuckled. "You're wrong. Your inaction is itself the cruelest form of acquiescence."
"You gave them hope, and then let them consume and hurt each other in endless speculation and competition."
“They’re not fighting for you as a person, Yuto-kun.” Mai’s tone became serious. “They’re fighting desperately for a place in the wonderful world you created.”
"And you, as the god of that world, have been slow to give them a clear definition."
"Running away will only make the problem snowball and grow bigger and bigger. When you can no longer run away, the mess you have to clean up will be a hundred times more painful than it is now."
These words were like a wake-up call, giving Yuto a jolt.
He never imagined how agonizing his actions were for them.
"I..." He opened his mouth, but found his throat dry and he couldn't say a word.
"I'm not here to teach you how to make choices." Mai Sakurajima finished the rest of her drink in one gulp, her calm smile returning to her face.
"I'm just giving you advice as a friend."
"Face it squarely, and then make your decision. Whatever the outcome, it's better than living in this state of unease with everyone who loves you."
After saying that, she placed the empty wine glass on the railing, winked at him, and said, "Alright, I've delivered my thanks. If we don't go back now, those two ladies might just tear the banquet hall down."
She turned and left gracefully, leaving Yuto alone on the terrace, letting the evening breeze stir his thoughts.
The celebration banquet didn't end until late at night.
Yuto politely declined Mr. Ando's offer to drive him home and walked alone on his way home.
Mai Sakurajima's words kept echoing in his mind, over and over again.
Face it squarely and make a decision.
But how should we face this? And how should we make a decision?
He returned to his apartment, exhausted, and opened the door.
Only one dim floor lamp was on in the living room.
A petite figure curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees, like a kitten abandoned by the whole world.
It's Yuzuriha Inori.
Hearing the door open, she abruptly raised her head, and a light shone in her deep red eyes the moment she saw Yuuto.
"You're back."
Yuto's heart sank.
He then realized that what he was facing was never a simple either-or problem.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 142: Boundless Tenderness
The unprecedented success of the animation made the name "Farming King" sweep across the entire internet overnight.
What followed was a flood of attention, praise, and invitations to Itsuka Yuto.
His life rhythm was completely disrupted. The leisure time he used to be able to stroll freely in bookstores and conceive plots in cafes was compressed to almost nothing.
And the volcano in his house, named "Shura Field," also entered a strange period of dormancy because of Yuzuriha Inori's stay.
Utaha and Eriri Kasumigaoka practically treated this place as their second club room, under the guise of supervising their work.
However, their supervision mostly revolves around the silent battle between Yuto and that emotionless girl.
That afternoon, Yuto was urgently summoned to the company by producer Ando to discuss the promotional plan for the second quarter. Only Yuzuriha Inori, Utaha, and Eriri, who were ostensibly working on their manuscripts on the living room sofa but were actually keeping an eye on each other, were left at home.
In the living room, Shi Yu's fingertips tapped on the keyboard, but she was distracted by the scrolling text on the screen.
Eriri's paintbrush smeared across the board, but the lines conveyed a sense of restlessness.
Both of them were keeping a watchful eye on each other, as well as on the pink-haired girl who was floating around the room like a ghost.
“I said, Sawamura-kun.” Shiyu broke the silence first, without looking up, “If your face keeps wrinkling up, it’ll probably look even more grotesque than the goblins you draw.”
"Mind your own business! You scheming woman!" Eriri practically yelled back. "Instead of spouting sarcastic remarks, you should be worried about whether your novel will get death threats from readers because of its dragging plot!"
"Hehe, my readers will only marvel at my ingenious foreshadowing, unlike some people's paintings, which, apart from showing off some cheap body curves, have no soul whatsoever."
"you!"
Just as the conflict was about to escalate, a strong smell of burning, accompanied by a sizzling sound, came from the direction of the kitchen.
Immediately afterwards, a thick plume of smoke billowed out from under the door, instantly filling the entire living room.
"Cough cough... What's that smell?" Eriri coughed repeatedly, choked by the smell.
Shi Yu's expression changed, and she suddenly stood up from the sofa: "It's the kitchen!"
The two looked at each other and saw the same name in each other's eyes—Yuzuriha Inori.
They rushed to the kitchen door and were stunned by what they saw.
Yuzuriha Inori stood helplessly in front of the stove, a pot glowing red-hot, inside which a dark, unidentified object was billowing thick smoke.
Oil splattered around the stove, and several broken eggshells lay on the ground, creating a mess.
The culprit seemed to be trying to imitate the chefs on TV who could flip the pot, but ended up splashing half a pot of hot oil onto the wall.
"Idiot! Turn off the gas!" Eriri screamed, abandoning her usual composure, and rushed over, frantically trying to turn on the gas stove.
Shiyu displayed extraordinary composure. Instead of blaming anyone, she quickly looked around and found a household fire extinguisher in a corner.
Without hesitation, she pulled out the safety pin and pressed the nozzle against the base of the flame.
White powder gushed out, accompanied by a hissing sound, and the open flame was quickly extinguished.
"You...you actually know how to use a fire extinguisher?" Eriri fanned the smoke with her hand while looking at Shiho incredulously.
"It's still more useful than some screaming blonde losers." Shiyu placed the fire extinguisher on the ground, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, but she still didn't hold back her words.
"Who are you calling a loser?!"
"Whoever answers is the one who answers."
Despite their heated verbal sparring, their actions were remarkably coordinated.
Eriri opened all the windows to ventilate the room, while Shiho picked up a rag and began cleaning the stove.
Yuzuriha Inori stood to the side like a child who had done something wrong, her head down, her fingers nervously twisting together, her eyes filled with tears.
She just... just wanted to cook a meal for Yuto to repay his kindness in taking her in.
When Yuto Itsuka dragged his tired body home, he was greeted by this strange scene: the kitchen was a mess, and the two girls were wiping the stove and mopping the floor, one blaming the other for not keeping an eye on her and the other for playing on their phones, but they were cooperating very well.
Yuto leaned against the door frame, watching this absurd yet inexplicably heartwarming scene, and his nerves, which had been tense all day, suddenly relaxed.
He wasn't angry; instead, he found it somewhat amusing.
This chaotic scene, these noisy people, have unknowingly become a part of his life, a sense of disorder called "home".
“I’m back,” he said.
The sound wasn't loud, but it made the three people in the kitchen stop what they were doing at the same time.
Eriri and Utaha's faces flashed with embarrassment, as if they had been caught red-handed.
When Yuzuriha Inori looked up and saw Yuto, tears finally welled up in her eyes and fell silently, expressing her guilt and grievance.
Yuto walked over, stepping over the mess on the ground, gently patted Yuzuriha Inori's head, and said softly, "It's okay, the kitchen can be repaired if it burns down, as long as everyone is alright."
His gentleness made Yuzuriha Inori's sobs even more noticeable.
Meanwhile, Eriri and Utaha watched this scene with mixed feelings.
After working hard all day, I was exhausted and my back ached, but all the credit was stolen by this crybaby.
"Hmph, now that you're back, this place is yours to take care of." Eriri shoved the mop on the ground and said angrily.
“That’s right, we have no obligation to clean up your mess.” Shi Yu put down the rag and resumed her aloof senior student demeanor.
However, at that very moment, everyone's stomach rumbled at the most inopportune moment.
After working for so long, it's well past dinner time.
The kitchen was completely destroyed and was now a ruin; dinner was a total loss.
"It's all your fault!" Eriri glared at Shiho.
"Isn't your responsibility greater?" Shiyu retorted without backing down.
With a new round of war about to break out, Yuto was racking his brains trying to figure out how to end it—
"Ding-dong-"
The doorbell rings.
Yuto walked to open the door, puzzled.
Standing outside the door was Megumi Kato, dressed in casual clothes and holding a thermal box in her arms.
"Good evening, Itsuka-kun." She tilted her head slightly, her tone calm and even, as if she were completely unaware of the gunpowder smell and tense atmosphere in the room.
“My mom made a lot of oden today, and I guessed you might need some, so I sent some over.”
The aroma of radish, konjac and fish cake wafted from the gaps in the lid of the insulated box.
In that instant, Eriri and Utaha, who were starving, looked at Megumi Kato as if she were a bodhisattva descending to earth to save all living beings.
"Wow...delicious!" Eriri took a bite of a white radish soaked in soup without any regard for her image, her eyes squinting with happiness, temporarily forgetting her argument with Shiho.
Shiyu sipped the lucky bag slowly, a look of satisfaction in her eyes.
She had to admit that Kato Megumi was a master at providing the most effective solutions at the right time.
Yuzuriha Inori ate in small bites, glancing up at Yuto every now and then, and then at Kato Megumi.
Looking at this rare harmonious scene, Yuto felt an even deeper gratitude towards Kato Megumi.
She always manages to resolve the most difficult problems in the most inconspicuous way.
However, a pot of oden is ultimately limited; for three growing girls and a creator who is expending a lot of energy, it can only be considered a small snack.
After the last piece of konjac was eaten, the hunger was somewhat relieved, but the craving for dinner became even stronger.
The kitchen is out of the question.
Order takeout?
At this point in time, waiting for it to arrive will likely trigger another round of complaints.
“Um…” Kato Megumi wiped her mouth with a napkin and spoke in her usual calm tone, “If you don’t mind, I brought some ingredients.”
"There should still be eggs and rice in the fridge, right? We can make omelet rice."
Eriri and Utaha both fell silent and looked at her.
"Omelette rice?" Eriri's eyes lit up. "You can make it?"
"Yes, I know a little bit." Kato Megumi nodded.
“That sounds good,” Shiyu agreed, at least it was better than continuing to argue about dinner.
Yuto looked at Kato Megumi, a strange feeling welling up inside him.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Kato-kun," Yuto said sincerely.
“It’s not just me,” Kato Megumi shook her head, her gaze calmly sweeping over everyone present. “We did it together. There’s strength in numbers, isn’t there?”
So, the induction cooker was brought out, and the ingredients were laid out one by one, forming a temporary, simple kitchen.
"Itsuka-kun, your knife skills are excellent. Can you take charge of cutting onions and chicken?"
"Eri, making fried rice requires constant flipping, which really tests your arm strength. How about I assign this task to you?"
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, making an egg crepe requires a lot of focus and patience, which I think is perfect for you."
"Yuzuriha Inori...can you just hand over the seasonings everyone needs?"