Only at times like this did he envy those ordinary urban protagonists, who could accumulate seed capital by writing novels, drawing illustrations, composing songs, and so on, enjoying the satisfaction of steadily growing stronger while living full, happy lives every day.
Unlike him, who did not even have the motivation to do that. He could only repeat a daily life with no known end in sight, taking things one step at a time and letting time slowly drift by.
Ah, life. Sometimes it was just this dull and tedious.
Putting aside those personal thoughts and emotions, he looked at the empty display case and delivered the bad news to the customers waiting behind him.
"Sorry, all of today's desserts are sold out. Only drinks are left."
"Eh?! You've got to be kidding! I waited in line for so long!"
"Ahh, I couldn't buy one again today!"
"I'm going to die if I can't eat caramel pudding."
"..."
Faced with everyone's wails, Sakurakoji Talent had no solution either. Starry's venue was only so large, and it was impossible to install the massive equipment of a real cake shop. Besides, he was alone, and his preparation time each day was limited. It was impossible to provide an endless supply.
Starry's main business was band performances, after all. This was only a little extra flavor.
A small number of disappointed customers chose to leave, but most exchanged their desserts for drinks and stayed to keep watching the performance.
"See you tomorrow."
That evening, Sakurakoji Talent said goodbye and walked out of Starry's doors.
The bright moonlight was swallowed by the city's neon lights, and his breath condensed into mist in the air. The night was rather chilly.
For some reason, Ichiji Hoshika had suddenly said she was giving him a raise just now—apparently, his performance had been too outstanding. Although he felt he had already been quite restrained, his excellence truly could not be buried anywhere. There was nothing to be done about it.
He took out his phone and routinely checked for unread messages and emails—and there actually was one.
It was a message on Line. Looking at the note, he saw a name written there: Hoshino Ai.
"Hm?"
She had messaged him so quickly? Sakurakoji Talent was a little puzzled. What could she want to say? She was not really here to ask him for medical expense reimbursement, was she?
Opening the chat window, the first thing he saw was a cute thank-you sticker, followed by a string of text.
"Thank you, Sakurakoji-san. The gift you gave me was very delicious!"
Eh—was that what she wanted to say in her very first message? His feelings were a little complicated, but out of courtesy, he immediately replied.
"I'm glad you liked it. If there's a chance, I'll treat you to some more next time."
"Really?!"
Only seconds after he sent his reply, before he could even put his phone back into his pocket, he received another response from Hoshino Ai. It seemed she happened to be looking at her phone.
"Of course. I always keep my word."
"Ah, that's not what I meant..."
On the other end of the phone, Hoshino looked at the message she had sent, and her face could not help turning maple-red. She hugged her head with both arms and shook it hard. What on earth was she saying?!
She had only wanted to thank him simply, but there was nothing she could do—the dessert he had given her was just too... delicious. She had originally planned to share it with others, but that thought had been dismissed the moment she took her first bite.
In her entire life, she had never eaten anything so delicious! It was even better than the Häagen-Dazs she occasionally bought after agonizing over the price!
As a result, she could not resist and ate all three at once.
Ahh~ She should have saved them and eaten them separately. A trace of regret welled up in her heart.
The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: An Encounter with Pink Milk Dragon
"It's fine. They're homemade anyway."
"If you really feel bad about it, then let me watch you work next time. I'm pretty curious about an idol's work too. I'll bring you more gifts like today's."
Gifts... Hoshino Ai unconsciously swallowed, and it felt as if the sweet flavor from before still lingered on her tongue.
This did not count as being sly, right? It should be within reasonable limits, right? After all, they were gifts. And Sakurakoji-san had said he wanted to see the performance venue too, so it should count as mutually beneficial?
Mm! It would definitely be fine!
"Mm! I'll let you know the location before the next performance. Sorry for the trouble then!"
"OK."
Sakurakoji Talent also sent a sticker of a cute white-haired character, ending their conversation.
Progress increased by one again. He really was a genius!
"Heh." He flicked his silky-smooth hair with one hand. His snow-white strands gleamed under the moonlight as he gave a wicked smile and gradually disappeared down the moonlit street.
A few days later, Sakurakoji Talent continued wandering around Tokyo as usual.
If reality could grant titles like a game, he felt he would probably qualify for the title of "Urban Wandering Soul" by now.
The streets were crowded with people, most of them serious-faced office workers or students radiating a relaxed atmosphere. They were practically two extremes.
"Come to think of it, there really have been a lot of people playing instruments lately."
Every few hundred meters, he would more or less run into one or two students carrying instrument cases, laughing and chatting with their companions. And... most of them were girls. Boys were few, very few.
"Forming bands seems pretty popular lately. I even saw people online saying that the Great Girl Band Era has arrived. It seems that wasn't baseless."
"No wonder Nijika and Ryo want to form a band too. It's a pity they still haven't found everyone."
"But it'll happen soon. Though even after they gather everyone, the future won't exactly be easy."
"The world of music is cruel."
While thinking about Nijika and the others' troubled future, he activated his automatic navigation and wove through the crowd. At one moment, he suddenly froze and sharply turned his head.
Several middle-school girls who had just passed him were walking ahead while chatting and laughing. He caught a few of them looking back at him, and they immediately blushed before swiftly turning their heads away again.
Naturally, he had not turned around because they were sneaking glances at him. If that were the reason, he would never need to leave the house.
He looked toward the flock of girls. One girl standing in the center of the group was especially eye-catching. With fair skin, a cute face, pink hair, and a sickeningly sweet voice, it was impossible for her not to attract his attention.
Though her development did not seem very impressive yet. There was still plenty of room for growth.
"Anosan, what are you planning to do after graduation?"
"Um, I'll probably go abroad."
"Eh~ You're going abroad? I was thinking of applying to the same school as you."
"As expected of Aine! You're just different from the rest of us!"
"Yeah, yeah, as expected of our all-powerful Student Council President~"
"Stop teasing me~"
"Which country are you going to? America? France? Australia?"
"Mm~ Probably the United Kingdom. My dad helped me contact a school in London."
"That's amazing! You'll be elite talent by the time you come back. Don't forget us then!"
"By the way, wasn't that person we just passed super handsome?"
"You noticed him too? Right, right! He was basically a model, wasn't he?"
"..."
Sakurakoji Talent unconsciously shook his head slightly. He had seen enough to confirm it—she was the one. Come to think of it, she had not gone abroad yet at this point?
Was this the timeline? He curled his index finger beneath his lips and muttered to himself. It seemed he would need to investigate a few things later. Not thinking further, he turned and left. There was no need for an awkward approach right now. In a few months, there would be plenty of opportunities anyway.
He had somewhere else to go today. Following the map he had memorized, he soon arrived in front of a familiar shop.
Image: "Pink Milk Dragon", Location: "Images/1753762537-100446961-113654824.jpg"
"Welcome." A warm, crisp female voice rang out. After seeing who had entered, she could not hide her surprise.
"Ah, it's you."
"Hello."
Sakurakoji Talent raised a hand in greeting. After her surprise, the chestnut-brown-haired girl quickly composed herself due to both her professional qualities and her serious personality. She placed her hands in front of her and maintained a standard service smile.
"What would you like to buy today?"
"Mm, I'll just browse."
"Understood. Please take your time choosing."
Sakurakoji Talent casually walked around the store, picked up some snacks and drinks, then returned to the register to pay.
"The total is 2,360 yen. Here is your change. Please check it."
"Okay, thank you."
He took the change and put it back in his wallet. After looking at the girl's face for a moment, he casually started a conversation.
"You look quite young, miss. Are you still in school?"
"Ah, yes. I'm still in high school, currently a first-year."
Although she was somewhat startled by Sakurakoji Talent's sudden question, she still answered.
"I see. Working part-time must be tiring, right? Your complexion doesn't look too good, and you have a bit of dark circles under your eyes. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. I've made proper plans."
"That's good. Still, make sure you get plenty of rest. Keep it up with your studies!"
"Thank you."
He nodded without saying anything more. One hand in his pocket and the other carrying the bag full of goods, he left directly.
"Goodbye."
"Take care, and we hope to see you again!"
Walking through the automatic glass doors and onto the broad street, Sakurakoji Talent felt the subtle changes occurring within his body once more. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his mood lightened as well.
Sure enough, his guess had been correct.
Through just one small gesture of concern, he had once again confirmed his conclusion: his condition would lessen as his relationships with different characters grew closer. His overall direction was right. As long as he continued these actions, he would sooner or later completely escape his current predicament.
"It's just too slow. Such a tiny change every time—it's practically tossing scraps to a beggar."
"Looks like I still need to speed up my contact with more people. I need to prepare for enrollment too."
"I feel like I'm going farther and farther down the road of courting death... Forget it. If I do nothing, I'll die anyway."
After his worries, he steeled himself, left the street, boarded a train, and headed for Shimokitazawa.
The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Taking Over Ten no Yashiro
Mid-February,
Sakurakoji Talent took a car from Sakura Mansion and arrived near a building ten minutes away from the mansion.
After getting out at the Parking Lot beneath it, he looked up at the magnificent, slender building rising hundreds of meters above him and could not help sighing.
"What a nice apartment building. Don't you think so, Ichiyo?"
"Yes, I think it is very nice as well. It suits your status perfectly, Young Master."
Yashiro Ichiyo smiled and gave a satisfied answer. Only a building of this caliber was worthy of her Young Master.
"Uncle Iyo really gave me a generous gift. I'll have to thank him later. How about making him a pork cutlet rice bowl myself?"
"I'm sure Lord Iyo would be very happy." Ichiyo agreed wholeheartedly.
"Of course. Let's go inside and have a look."
The two chatted as they entered the building. After explaining their purpose at the front desk, a dedicated staff member soon hurried over to show them around.
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