Running into a classmate while out

Besides genuinely needing new computers and drawing equipment, Chen Xiao also wanted to keep at least a little privacy for himself.

Even though he knew the things on his computer were no longer any secret to the figurine girls, he still needed some privacy of his own, even if only on the surface, to feel at ease.

Or rather, to let himself believe that his privacy was being respected.

"Good thing I saved some money on another card. Otherwise, buying the equipment would have to wait until Emily (Elf Yamada) made a success of her writing."

With that thought, Chen Xiao took out his phone and called a friend.

His friend's family happened to run a computer shop, and their friendship ought to count for enough that he wouldn't rip Chen Xiao off.

Not that taking advantage of an old friend was entirely out of the question.

But if he dared try it, a few other buddies Chen Xiao knew would pay him a visit the next day and have a proper talk with him. Ripping off a friend...

That was just despicable.

"Hello? Is that you, A-Xiao?! Where have you been all this time? You haven't even logged into QQ, and you never reply when we tag you! If Lin Qi hadn't explained things, we'd have thought you'd croaked!"

The moment the call connected, a barrage of words came blasting through, forcing Chen Xiao to hold the phone farther away.

"Oh, get lost! You'll croak before I do!"

Only after his friend finished venting did Chen Xiao answer irritably.

"So you really aren't going to study at Nova Academy?"

Almost everyone who knew Chen Xiao would ask that question. Even after asking over the phone, they might ask again the next time they met him in person.

After all, this was a major decision that would shape the rest of his life!

To everyone else, Chen Xiao's decision to give up the opportunity was practically insane.

"That's right. My family didn't object to my decision, either."

The price, however, was having his allowance cut off. From now on, he would have to support "himself" in Magic City.

"Well, in that case, there's not much I can say... Oh, right. Did you call because you needed something?"

His friend sounded disappointed at first, then promptly changed the subject and asked why Chen Xiao had called.

"I want to buy a few things from you."

Chen Xiao read out his shopping list item by item for his friend to write down.

"Jeez... A-Xiao, you want several computers, and with specs that high, plus drawing tablets? Have you got enough money?"

His friend didn't ask what Chen Xiao wanted all those things for. He was simply surprised, since this was the first time he had seen Chen Xiao spend so freely.

"Don't worry. I've definitely got enough!"

Although he would have less than half his money left after buying everything, thirty or forty thousand would be enough to tide him over until Elf Yamada and the others started earning money.

Of course, if there were other ways to make money, he would look into those too.

"All right, I've got it all written down! Come over and pick it up in a bit, A-Xiao!"

During the brief moment Chen Xiao spent thinking, his friend had already finished copying down the shopping list, then headed into the storeroom behind the computer shop while still talking on the phone.

"Okay, I'll be over soon."

With that, Chen Xiao hung up, told Mahiru Shiina in the kitchen, "I'm heading out for a bit," and left the villa.

But the moment he got onto his little electric scooter, a strange feeling came over him.

What I just said... sounded like a husband letting his wife know before heading out. I'm almost used to it now.

In another few years, he probably wouldn't be able to live without them anymore.

Despite thinking that, Chen Xiao wasn't troubled in the slightest. Instead, he felt light as air, and even rode his little scooter considerably faster.

After winding his way through Magic City's complicated roads, Chen Xiao soon arrived at the shopping district. He parked his scooter and prepared to head to his friend's computer shop to collect his purchases.

However, he had barely taken a few steps before someone called out to him.

"Huh... wait, A-Xiao? Is that you, A-Xiao?!"

Chen Xiao turned toward the voice and realized he knew the person.

The guy was tall and thin, wore black-framed glasses, and carried a large backpack. He also had something of a nerdy air about him.

"Ding Jiafang? What are you doing here?"

Chen Xiao walked over to greet him.

Magic City really was a small world.

He had only come out to pick up a few things, yet he had run into a classmate.

No, he ought to say a former classmate now, since they had all graduated.

But whether in his previous life or this one, Ding Jiafang had always been one of the top students in their class. Sports were about the only area where Chen Xiao could beat him...

At that moment, Chen Xiao recalled Nanami Aoyama's earlier suggestion. Looking at Ding Jiafang in front of him, he realized the odds of running into someone he knew whenever he went out were rather high.

If he really let Nanami Aoyama put her tireless part-time-work skills to use, she would probably run into his old friends before long. Then his secret of "keeping beauties hidden at home" might get exposed, and everyone would start connecting that to his decision not to attend school and letting their imaginations run wild...

Yikes. That was a little scary.

"A-Xiao, it really is you! I thought I'd mistaken someone else for you! Whew... I thought you'd already left Magic City and gone back to Min Province!"

Ding Jiafang came straight over and hugged Chen Xiao, sounding delighted.

Then came that same old question again.

"Are you really planning to give up on enrolling..."

"Oh, come on. Didn't Lin Qi already tell you? I'm not going to Shenzhou Nova Academy, and my family agreed."

Hearing Chen Xiao say that, Ding Jiafang let out a helpless sigh.

"You're the only one in our whole class who isn't going. Everyone's pretty bummed... After all, we won't have as many chances to see each other anymore."

"Hey, what's with that tone... Anyone who didn't know better would think you were from Chengdu."

Chen Xiao almost lost it.

"Hmph! If Purple Mood could bend you back from this road of no return, I'd have bought some ages ago!"

Ding Jiafang put on a sinister expression.

"Then I'd send you straight to Chengdu to become a little girl!"

"No, you're the one who's going to be a little girl!"

Chen Xiao put on a vicious expression too.

"Spread 'em yourself!"

Then the two pointed at each other and burst out laughing, just as they used to when making crude jokes at school.

"Hahahaha..."

Once they finished laughing, both their expressions grew complicated.

Once the term at Shenzhou Nova Academy began, they really would belong to two different worlds. Unless something unexpected happened, it might be a long time before they saw each other again.

"Speaking of which, A-Xiao, are you here to buy something at the shopping center? Want me to recommend a few new shops?"

"No, no. I'm just here to pick some stuff up."

Chen Xiao smiled and waved off the offer, then gestured at Ding Jiafang's outfit and asked a question of his own.

"What about you? Are you dressed like that because you're going to a Comic Exhibition?"

At that question, Ding Jiafang looked a little conflicted.

"Rather than going to look around, I'd say I'm taking part."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Chen Xiao checked his phone. Seeing that his friend at the computer shop hadn't called, he continued chatting with Ding Jiafang.

"Well, Nova Academy's starting soon... Who knows when I'll get to have fun at another Comic Exhibition! So I thought I'd spend a bit of money and go all out, perform on the Comic Exhibition stage, sing some anime theme songs and stuff."

At this point, Ding Jiafang scratched his head in frustration.

"But I've practiced for days and still can't get the singing right. I want to back out, but I'm too embarrassed to say so, so I thought maybe I could find someone to sing in my place... After all, I only said there'd be singing onstage. I never said I'd be the one doing it."