"Not walking together, just taking the same route," Kiyono Lin, pure enough to purify the air, corrected him.
"People phrase it differently," Dubian Che said.
"After studying science for four months, can't you tell the difference between 'together' and 'on the way' in terms of relationship depth?"
"Can't you walk with us?" Jiutiao Meijie pulled Dubian Che, stepped into the middle, and asked Kiyono Lin with a smile.
"Please don't stand too close to me," Kiyono Lin said, expressionless, as she moved to the other side of Dubian Che.
"So I'm the actual 'God' here," Dubian Che, who had moved back between the two, said.
No one responded to him.
"Reason?" Dubian Che asked and answered himself, "Actually, recently, in order to write the play, I read Euripides... you all should know who this guy is... in the drama 'Hippolytus,' Hunting Goddess, Artemis appears, explains the truth to Theseus, comforts Hippolytus, and reconciles the two; in 'Orestes,' at the end, the god of light and prophecy, Apollo appears, redefines the territories to resolve conflicts..."
"Euripides? A dramatist?" Jiutiao Meijie asked.
"One of the three great tragedians of ancient Greece," Kiyono Lin answered for Dubian Che.
"Answering questions meant for others only makes people dislike you, Kiyono Lin."
"I have no intentions of being liked by you, Jiutiao Meijie."
"Also, the ending of 'Helen' goes : the Castor brothers intervene to calm the new King of Egypt and avert a bloody disaster," Dubian Che continued about the tragedian Euripides.
Having reached the fifth floor, walking through the corridors connecting the buildings, the three arrived at their long-unvisited activity room.
There was no dust, the refrigerator was filled with fruits and food, even the sofa, coffee table, television, and game console were all new models.
The only things that had not changed were the old zelkova desk and the neatly arranged steel pipe chairs underneath it.
Dubian Che sat down in a chair, feeling suddenly at home.
He did not continue writing the script but instead took out a Chinese version of "Thunderstorm."
Having read Euripides for the drama, there was naturally no reason not to read this "number one drama in a hundred years of Chinese theater."
"How much of the script have you written?" Kiyono Lin, who had first gone to make tea and had just sat down, asked Dubian Che while taking an embossed book out of her bag.
"A woman, remember, cannot be oppressed by two generations, you can think about it," Dubian Che recited Fan Yi's famous line, then finally answered Kiyono Lin, "I've got an idea, but haven't really started writing."
At that moment, Jiutiao Meijie's voice came from the sofa: "I can act in the play with you, but only for one performance."
"I only plan to perform once. How could the Lord of the World keep staying on stage to perform plays for commoners?"
"What's with the way you talk?" Kiyono Lin looked over.
"Getting used to the style of play acting in advance. Diligence is one of the proofs of my genius."
Kiyono Lin nodded, showing agreement, then said, "Give me the script once it's written."
"Never mind the script, how were the sales for the light novel I wrote last time? I'm still waiting for my manuscript fees."
"The whole publisher was transferred to you, you're asking me for manuscript fees?" Kiyono Lin glanced at him.
"Transferred to me?" Dubian Che blinked, turning to look at Jiutiao Meijie who was already picking out games on the couch, "Meiji, did you take it?"
"I gave mine to you too, take what?"
"Strange, who's managing the publisher now?"
That remained a mystery.
The three fell silent, probably thinking for a few seconds, then resumed their own tasks.
Outside, the sound of the Wind Instrument Club's melodious instruments.
As the days passed, the atmosphere of the Cultural Festival grew denser, occasionally groups in sportswear could be seen sitting in the corners of hallways, gathering around a huge canvas to paint.
Sometimes, one could even see odd folks wielding large swords and other weapons.
Dubian Che thought it necessary to really understand this school, perhaps in some unknown corner, there was a club called "SOS" also working hard for the Cultural Festival.
"This SOS, you mentioned it last year too," Kiyono Lin said.
"You forgot?" Dubian Che put the book into his bag, "The initial '400 kilometers from Iwate Prefecture to Tokyo,' was barely made with the help of aliens, future people, and superpower users."
"I know what you're talking about," Kiyono Lin said with a smirk, her expression saying 'you can't fool me with that nonsense anymore.'
"You watch 'Sakurai Haruhi' too, huh," Jiutiao Meijie said with a smile, "I was forced by Dubian to watch it together, truly a painful experience."
"Euripides~ Euripides~" Dubian Che picked up his bag, "I'm leaving first today, bye~"
"A week already, remember the script," Kiyono Lin reminded him.
"I'll definitely give it to you next week!"
Dubian Che was not avoiding the chaotic scene; he had things to do today.
A week later, Ichiki Aoi finally challenged him to a duel at a cafe near Shibuya Station after school.
But passing by a hand-rolled sushi shop, Dubian Che turned and walked in.
The shop was small, with only a bar at which a few chairs were placed.
There was only one customer inside, a middle-aged man just off work, still in a suit, leisurely eating sushi by himself.
As Dubian Che walked in, the man glanced at him.
Such a sushi shop, demanding strict standards for ingredients like size, where a single fish may yield only a few slices suitable for sushi, was quite expensive and not a place students frequented. Chapters fırst released on n0velfire.net
Dubian Che sat down two seats away from the man.
After setting down his bag and glancing at the menu, he said to the chef dressed in a white kitchen uniform, "A serving of foie gras."