"Objective: Date two people from two different groups simultaneously."
"Current situation: 1. The entire school knows he’s pursuing Meijie Jiutiao; 2. Meijie Jiutiao will absolutely not allow him to fancy any other girl; 3. He knows nothing about Mayi Asuka or Chaozi Hanaoka; 4. Haomei Yuzao can be bought with money; 5. Six days left for the first group."
"Method: 1. Overtly pursue only Meijie Jiutiao
Method: None yet (learn seduction techniques from Lin Kiyono); Budget: Everything except my parents’ lives
2. After dating Meijie Jiutiao, immediately get back together with Haomei Yuzao and then break up right away, asking her to keep it a secret
Method: Money; Budget: All assets
3. Mayi Asuka, Chaozi Hanaoka
Method: Do not disturb, do not awaken my beloved until she (they) is willing. (Copied from the Old Testament); Budget: All charm
4. Before ensuring safety, focus on increasing favorability without revealing intentions to pursue others."
Che Dubian looked at his notes, filled with a sense of pride, especially with the quote from the Old Testament he had stumbled upon a long time ago and then recalled just moments ago.
There’s something thrilling about remembering a fitting quote while writing notes or articles.
"No, that’s not right! Wake up, Dubian, now is not the time to be proud of your organizational skills, impressive memory, or extensive knowledge!"
Che Dubian put away his satisfied expression and fell into deep thought.
To get three skills, he had to date two groups of girls simultaneously, and if he got back together with Meijie Jiutiao and she didn’t want to break up, he couldn’t break up with her willingly.
So, in the end, he had to go after two other girls while having Meijie Jiutiao as his official girlfriend.
Disregarding Meijie Jiutiao’s disregard for human life, even if she were just an ordinary girl, hiding from a current girlfriend to pursue other girls was very difficult, let alone all three girls were in the same school, not to mention two of them were fellow Wind Instrument Club members he trained with every day. This job required a true love expert!
As a ’devoted warrior,’ Che Dubian did not have this talent.
Also, the seemingly simplest target, Haomei Yuzao, who appeared to be easily fooled with a quick-get-together and quick-break-up that money could handle, wasn’t so simple with the hints from the game.
Transcendent Level skills that come for free are not easily obtained.
Should he give up? Grow slowly and get his revenge someday?
"Tokyo Hunk" Rule Four, have the confidence to succeed at anything.
"So, I must conquer Meijie Jiutiao within a week, or it’s all just pie in the sky."
Che Dubian made up his mind, ready to pursue her at all costs!
"The resolve is there, but how exactly should I go about it?" he found himself at a loss.
So, Che Dubian decided to be more straightforward and went to ask Meijie Jiutiao herself after school.
But when he arrived at the clubroom, she was not there; only Lin Kiyono stood before the window.
Hearing the door open, she turned her head to look at Che Dubian, her skirt and the tips of her hair swaying in the cool summer breeze.
There seemed to be a touch of melancholy in her expression.
Watching her, Che Dubian heard again the foolish laughter from the boys’ jokes during the lunch break and the cheerful chatter of the girls.
Thinking about Lin Kiyono reading a book all alone in the clubroom while those conversations took place made him inexplicably uneasy in his chest.
By the time he snapped back to reality, Lin Kiyono had returned to her usual self.
"You’ve done something shameful, haven’t you, Mr. Dubian?" she said with crossed arms and a teasing smile.
"Indeed, I did something remarkable," Che Dubian replied, walking over to join her to look out the window.
Expecting to see a lively scene, he only saw the desolate campus before exams and a train slowly picking up speed as it left Shibuya Station.
As expected of the Literary Girl, such scenes must bring her sorrow... Of course, not really. Che Dubian believed more that she felt lonely because she’s the only person in the world who wouldn’t lie and perhaps sometimes that gets exhausting.
"People have different opinions, but you sure have thick skin," she said.
"Thank you," Che Dubian nodded.
"What are you planning to do now?"
"What do you mean, ’What am I planning to do’?"
"As expected of ’Shameless Dubian’, rumors among the girls that you ’often stand by the window because you’re peeping at the girls’ necklines in the courtyard’ don’t seem to bother you at all."
Where did that absurd rumor come from... Dubian Che almost asked out loud.
But he was intelligent and never slacked off, and he would never make the same mistake twice. If he asked about it, wouldn’t that just show that he cared about others’ perspectives?
The only person Dubian Che wouldn’t easily admit defeat to was Kiyono Lin, because he truly couldn’t beat her.
With an air of nonchalance, Dubian Che said, "Such trivial matters aren’t worth the sugar from the strawberry milk I drank."
"Strawberry milk? Hmm, now I want some strawberry milk too, Mr. Dubian, please."
"I... I just came up here."
"Aren’t you supposed to keep your promises as ’Tokyo’s Handsome Guy’?"
"Indeed, I’m not." Despite his words, Dubian Che sighed and set his backpack down, "I’ll go buy it for you now."
"Thank you." Kiyono Lin smiled with pursed lips, picked up the hardcover book on the table, and began to read from where her bookmark was placed.
Jiutiao Meijie hadn’t shown up in the clubroom until school was over. He thought he wouldn’t see her that day, but then he saw her luxury car at the school gates.
The car door was closed, but Dubian Che knew right away that it was waiting for him.
’They’re not really going to take me to a rental house to play with my feet, are they? No, it’s more likely she’s going to play me.’ While thinking this, Dubian Che still obediently opened the car door and sat down.
Inside the car was very quiet. Jiutiao Meijie was dozing off with her hand propped on the center armrest as usual, while Shizuru gave him a strange look from the corner.
This is bad. Even the female robot is looking at him like that; what kind of humiliating punishment is he in for later?
As Dubian Che began to contemplate whether he should resolve to die honorably, the car door suddenly opened and Kiyono Lin looked at him in surprise.
"Ah?" Dubian Che was taken aback, then quickly came to a realization.
They weren’t waiting for him!
"Haha, my mistake, I’m going home now." He laughed it off, ready to get out of the car.
A slender, long-socked leg suddenly blocked the space between him and the car door.
With her elbow propped on the armrest and her fist supporting her cheek, Jiutiao Meijie, who had apparently woken up sometime earlier, said with a smile:
"..." Dubian Che looked towards Kiyono Lin with eyes begging for rescue.
Kiyono Lin sighed in resignation, "Are you sure you want me to speak for you?"
Dubian Che glanced at Jiutiao Meijie, who had already begun to smirk, "No, there’s no need. I’d rather spend more time with Meijie."
Dubian Che moved a bit closer to Shizuru to make room for Kiyono Lin, but Jiutiao Meijie ordered him to sit on the far left, and commanded Shizuru to sit in the middle.
After Kiyono Lin got into the car, the vehicle left Goda High School without a sound.
Jiutiao Meijie was no longer leaning on the center armrest, but on the left side of the car door instead, silently smiling and gazing at the anxious Dubian Che.
"So, where are we going?" Dubian Che broke the silence in the car.
"Isn’t it a bit early to meet the parents?"
"No, it’s just the right time," Jiutiao Meijie answered with a smile.
’Idiot, super idiot, Dubian Che, how can there be someone as dumb as you in this world! Why did you even get in the car? You’re a pig-headed teenager with an excessively high opinion of yourself!’
Dubian Che considered himself a high school student calmer and cooler than anyone else. Back in the hospital, even facing death, he thought about scoring points from Jiutiao Meijie, but now he had to admit:
On the 28th of May, he indeed made all sorts of mistakes.