I Thought This Was a Slice of Life

Shuya possessed the soul of an adult, which allowed him to maintain a stable state of mind while working hard.

But Mai was just a six-year-old girl who was a little more mature than her peers.

Every day, she had to practice acting, then train in dance, music, singing, and other skills, all while bearing the pressure of what her mother called "expectations."

Recently, the pressure of the Morning Drama had been added to the mix.

She was also being ostracized at school.

At some point, she had forgotten how to smile properly.

Only when she was with Shuya could she feel the warmth of a friend.

It was a small, quiet spark burning in the darkness.

Regarding all of this, Mai felt immense pressure but had no regrets.

She truly loved this profession; she loved acting.

At most, she felt a little bit of regret.

Embarking on the path of an entertainer meant giving up the joys of an ordinary life.

Shuya had at least experienced a mundane life in his previous existence, but Sakurajima Mai was different.

Her life had ended before it had even truly begun.

The most infuriating part was that this was her own choice, so she had nowhere to direct her anger.

Inside the Ferris wheel where the two were alone, Shuya smiled sincerely.

His smile was gentle as he reached out to pat her head.

But the head-patting maneuver failed to achieve its goal.

"Y-y-you, what are you doing?!"

Mai was startled, swatting his hand away and covering her head in defense.

Shuya said awkwardly, "Ahem, it's nothing. I just saw how hard you've been working and wanted to comfort you."

"You can't just touch a girl's head whenever you want, you pervert, Shuya!"

"???"

Shuya apologized with a bitter smile.

Good grief, the rare atmosphere had been completely ruined.

...Or perhaps, was this her subtle way of saying she didn't need comfort?

Mai-chan glanced at him sideways and said, "Alright, aren't you going to take that out yet? The Ferris wheel is already descending; there's no better place to give a gift than now, right?"

"Huh? You saw it?"

Shuya scratched his cheek and pulled a small paper bag out of his little bag.

It was a small item he had discovered at the amusement park's gift shop.

He didn't know why, but he had a strong feeling that this item would suit Mai-chan perfectly, so he bought it.

He thought he had been very careful, but he hadn't expected Mai-chan to see it anyway.

"This is for you."

"Thank you, this is for you too."

Mai also handed over a paper bag.

Neither of them stood on ceremony as they opened their bags.

The gift Shuya gave was a pink rabbit hair clip.

The gift Mai gave was a bookmark printed with a miniature view of the amusement park.

"Eh, Shuya actually has pretty good taste; I like it."

"Thank you for the bookmark as well. By the way, do you want me to help you put it on? The hair clip, I mean."

Shuya recalled many similar scenes where the boy would help the girl put on the accessory.

"No need. Given your behavior just now, I won't let you get close to me today."

Mai-chan gave a sweet smile.

"That really makes me sad."

Shuya shrugged, not thinking much of it.

They weren't a couple, so this was perfectly normal.

Mai-chan put on the hair clip, checked herself in a small mirror, and nodded with satisfaction.

Shuya suddenly felt that this was the complete version of Mai-chan.

Perhaps she had been wearing this hair clip in the original story, Shuya guessed.

After a while, the two landed safely on the ground.

Shuya and Mai left the amusement park. They had intended to walk to the station, but considering it was rush hour and the JR lines would be packed, Shuya generously hailed a taxi to take Mai near her home.

Mai didn't want to be seen by her neighbors, so she didn't let Shuya take her all the way to her doorstep.

Shuya also got out of the taxi; he would take the train back, as he wasn't afraid of the crowds.

By the time they arrived near Mai's home, the sky was nearly dark, and the streetlights had all flickered on.

"Shuya, thanks for keeping me company today."

"It's nothing, I wanted to relax a bit too."

"I know, I was just being polite."

"Mai... now that I've gotten to know you, I've found that your personality is really interesting."

Shuya chuckled.

"Shuya isn't bad either."

Mai wasn't swayed by his words.

After saying goodbye, she didn't say much else and turned to leave.

She had only walked a few steps.

Shuya watched her back and suddenly called out, "Hey, Mai!"

"?"

She didn't turn around, just tilted her head to look at him from the side.

"If you have anything bothering you, remember to talk to me about it. Don't bottle it up!"

"Shuya..." Mai asked curiously, "You're so concerned about me, are you trying to pursue me?"

"Idol, of course not. It's because you're my good friend."

Good friend?

Just how many good friends do you have?

Mai muttered to herself, but didn't say it out loud.

"Fine, then the same goes for you. Big Sister Mai will always be here to listen to your complaints."

She started walking again, waving her hand casually.

She didn't pay much mind to Shuya's words.

But those words would eventually become a seed, landing in the depths of her heart, taking root and sprouting whenever she felt distressed.

Shu-chan laughed when he heard her refer to herself as a big sister: "Senior Shu-chan will always be your listener too, so that's that... take care on your way home."

He turned around without hesitation and stepped onto the path opposite of Mai.

Shuya knew that Mai didn't have feelings for him; there was only pure friendship between them.

He truly enjoyed this kind of supportive relationship between friends.

This was also Shuya's first true confidant.

He cherished it deeply and was determined to do his best to maintain this rare bond.

As Shuya thought this, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He scratched his cheek in confusion: "Wait a second... where exactly am I?"

In the blink of an eye, the tenth episode of Alien Baby Hikari-chan had finished airing last week, and the eleventh episode was set to air today.

The highly anticipated ending had naturally sparked a lot of discussion among many people.

Shuya knew the reception was great because he was currently surrounded by fans.

Ayako Ishikawa and Junior Sister Seisen were busy today, so he had stolen a half-day of leisure for himself.

After working out, Mai went to practice her talents, while Shuya went home and took the Quintuplets to the park for a long-overdue outing.

He also had the intention of observing the local sentiment while he was at it.

The park was always full of children playing, and naturally, it was also a gathering place for the local housewives.

It was a lively social hub.

As soon as they arrived at the park, the Quintuplets ran off to play.

Shuya, however, was surrounded by the housewives.

"Oh my! Isn't this Hikari-chan!"

"Hikari-chan, come here, let me give you a hug!"

"Hikari-chan, Hikari-chan, can you say 'Da!' for us to hear!"

"Ah! Hikari-chan is so cute!"

"So cute!"

"So cute!"

Enough! That phrase is everywhere! It's so annoying!

Besides, my name isn't Hikari-chan!

Someone post the image! Brother Xiao.jpg!

Shuya was being groped by the ladies.

He stumbled, struggling with difficulty in the powerful arms of the middle-aged women.

By the time he was finally let go, his face was covered in lipstick marks.

The most infuriating part was that Shuya couldn't even get angry.

He elegantly and unobtrusively wiped away the lipstick marks.

Then, following the excited requests of the ladies, he performed a few lines on the spot, giving the fans a special treat.

Through them, Shuya learned that the reception for Alien Baby Hikari-chan was indeed excellent, and he chatted with them about some interesting anecdotes from the production set.

For instance, how Inoue Hikoo performed during his first voice acting session, how Inoue Hikoo had knelt and begged him to take the role, and how Inoue Hikoo was struggling on the verge of bankruptcy.

He was really throwing his partner under the bus.

After the conversation opened up, Shuya heard how much the ladies were looking forward to the upcoming plot, so he casually remarked, "Should I tell you? About the plot that follows."

As soon as these words left his mouth, everyone suddenly went quiet and stared at Shuya in unison.

Hmm?! There's killing intent!

Shuya realized something was wrong; he saw the steel-like bodies of the ladies, honed by years of fighting for discounted goods, with muscles beginning to bulge...

The way they stared at him silently conveyed a single message.