The teenager: "Borrow? Am I not paying? The stock transfer agreement and store transfer contract are right here."
"How ridiculous. Do you even know what the Yukinoshita name represents in terms of status?"
The teenager: "To put it bluntly, it's that you don't have enough money. You flaunt your status as if you were once the Prime Minister."
"Hmph, you're right about not having enough money. And I also find you repulsive. What can you do to me?"
The teenager: "Fine. I'll go to another real estate company in Chiba and see if they're interested in Yukinoshita's shares."
The teenager: "At most, I'll take the money and disappear. That should give you quite a headache, huh? Wait until they drag you into the shareholders' meeting for a 'debate'~"
"The shares you hold, the Yukinoshita family has the right of first refusal."
The teenager: "Fine, I'll prioritize you. Thirty billion, do you want it? If not, I'll sell it to your rivals. They'll definitely buy. After they buy, I'll play two rounds of golf with them, and after hitting a hole-in-one, I'll even give them a red envelope."
"You!"
The teenager: "What about me?"
"Hmph, fine, you're good. Give me the contract, the Yukinoshita family will adopt you."
That afternoon, under the cloudy sky,
The teenager took the contract and then raised his middle finger.
"I don't need the Yukinoshita name, you keep it and play with it yourself."
"Some birds are born destined not to be caged. Each of their feathers shines with the light of freedom."
The teenager walked past Yukinoshita Yukino that afternoon.
Even though the clouds were thick and there was no sunlight,
A golden light seemed to emanate from behind the teenager.
That brilliant light had led Yukinoshita Yukino to escape after graduating from the University of Tokyo.
But now,
The last flickers of golden light in her soul were gradually fading away.
The inability to fit into society, being fired multiple times from jobs, rsums sinking like stones into a deep ocean, rent due soon, and a tight financial situation that barely allows her to afford discounted lunch boxes.
One thing after another, these struggles slowly wore Yukino down.
They forced her to return to that gilded cage.
Ding!
In the dimly lit rented room, even during the day, a clear reminder sound echoed.
Yukinoshita quickly wiped the tears from her face.
She pulled out her phone, her eyes still blurred with tears, staring at the screen.
"Hello, Miss Yukinoshita Yukino, our company, Laplace, has reviewed your rsum. For a talent like you, Miss Yukinoshita, we are always eager to collaborate.
We would like to discuss possible opportunities with you. May I ask when would be a good time for us to meet and talk?"
Seeing the message pop up on her screen, Yukinoshita Yukino hurriedly unlocked her phone, checking the message urgently.
Like someone drowning, clinging to a lifeline, she feared it might just be an advertisement from some unknown app.
After carefully checking and confirming that it was from a job application platform where she had submitted her rsum, and that Laplace was indeed a legitimate company recognized online, Yukinoshita Yukino gripped her phone tightly in her hands, nearly bursting out in a joyous exclamation.
This message was like a ray of light breaking through the darkness of her world.
It made her reach out, desperate to seize the future that could be hers.
.....
Midday, the sun shining brightly.
"Finally... finally, I've arrived. What the hell am I doing here?!"
Gotoh Hitori crouched next to a pile of sand in the park, holding her head in her hands, lost in thought.
This week had been an extremely difficult one for Gotoh Hitori.
At the end of spring break, she had experienced something she never dared imagine.
A super handsome, high-class guy had struck up a conversation with her.
The two of them became friends and could even call each other by name!
Gotoh Hitori wanted to describe her experience like that.
However, the reality was far from it.
The other person was too cruel, completely exploiting her personality.
Just after one meeting, their relationship had quickly escalated to the point of "master and pet."
Moreover, that person had asked to meet again.
Bocchi was filled with anxiety and unease.
In a restless state, Gotoh Hitori entered her first day of high school.
She deliberately chose a high school far away from home.
After enrolling, no one knew who she was.
However, this didn't mark the beginning of a new chapter.
During middle school, Gotoh Hitori had been unable to make friends due to communication barriers.
And this, even in high school, showed no signs of improving.
As a result, as expected,
A week after school started, Gotoh Hitori still hadn't made a single friend.
In an attempt to make friends, Gotoh Hitori brought her guitar to school.
She hoped someone would notice the prominent instrument and strike up a conversation with her.
However, despite trying, Gotoh Hitori remained all alone.
"Listen to my song: 'I quietly died in the corner of the room because no one cared.'"
Reflecting on the events of the first week after school started, Bocchi took out her guitar from behind her and began to play and sing by herself.
Yes, she had brought her guitar.
It could be said that she was completely immersed in her own world.
With dark, somber lyrics, she sang through the entire song.
Finally, she ended the performance with a strong strum of the strings.
Bocchi, as usual, bowed in all directions out of habit.
She acted as if she had just completed a major performance.
Usually, these self-performed moments were only faced with empty air, and of course, no one would respond.
But today...
A round of applause rang out from one side.
Bocchi froze in shock, her whole body stiffened, and she slowly turned her head.
Yukima Azuma was standing there, smiling in admiration, clapping his hands non-stop.
"Please, please... please forget what just happened!"
Bocchi felt as if her entire life had just collapsed.
What was she supposed to do when a social anxiety sufferer like her had her "self-destructive moment" witnessed by someone else?
"How could I forget? Bocchi played so well, really reached the level of a professional guitarist."
Yukima Azuma praised her seriously.
Although he wasn't highly skilled in music, at least he had a basic ability to appreciate it.
If he had to quantify Bocchi's guitar skills, Yukima Azuma guessed it would be somewhere between lv5 and lv6.
That was true professional level, even standing out among professionals.
Bocchi covered her face with her hands.
Though the praise made her genuinely happy, being complimented for a "self-destructive" moment felt no different from being publicly shamed.
'No... that's not right. Azuma-kun was just complimenting my guitar skills!'
Bocchi reassured herself in her mind.
Her confidence instantly surged.
Seeing that Gotoh Hitori seemed to have regained her spirits, Yukima Azuma extended his hand toward her.
"Let's go."
However...
"Wan?" (jp dog sound) Gotoh Hitori suddenly lunged forward, pressing the tips of both her hands against Yukima Azuma's hand.
She looked just like a puppy at that moment.
No, she had even made a sound like that, so she definitely was a "puppy."
"Bocchi, so you actually have a hobby like this? Well, I don't mind it anyway."
Yukima Azuma mimicked Kato Megumi's tone as he spoke.
"I... I just wanted to show absolute obedience to you. But earlier, when you said 'let's go,' where exactly are we going?"
Bocchi tried to explain her actions.
"We're friends, right? What do friends usually do on the weekends?"
"Um... get tattoos, pierce their tongues, something like that?"
"Let's go with something a little more normal."
"Uh... eat out?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Go shopping?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Watch a movie?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Rent a room?"
"Bocchi, do you want to be 'friends' with me that way? I'm fine with that."
Bocchi's face immediately turned bright red, and she tried to bury her face deep into the collar of her hoodie to hide her embarrassment.
'What did I just say!?'
'And... Azuma-kun is way too kind!'
...
"Let's go."
Yukima Azuma proactively took Bocchi's hand and led her forward.
There was no other way; if he didn't take charge, Bocchi would probably cling to him in the park all day.
Bocchi, holding hands with him, didn't react as strongly as he had expected.
For her, the biggest issue wasn't the difference between men and women, but the difference between someone with social anxiety like her and... the rest of humanity.
Yukima Azuma was the first person to cross that barrier and stand in front of her.
As a result, she had no idea what the proper distance should be between friends, or between men and women.
'Since we're friends, holding hands is normal, right?'
'Yeah, Hitori, show some spirit, don't be so shy.'
'Come to think of it, Azuma-kun is really handsome, and his style is on point. Compared to him, I'm just hopelessly uncool.'
'I've got dark circles under my eyes, my back is hunched, and I probably smell bad. After all, I spend all day hiding in the cupboard.'
'Ah, but I think I still smell like insect repellent. Meanwhile, Azuma-kun smells so nice, I really like it!'
Bocchi noticed Yukima Azuma wasn't looking back at her, so she secretly leaned forward to get closer.
A pleasant scent drifted by.
"Bocchi."
"Yes!"
The moment he called her, Bocchi immediately pulled back to maintain some distance, turning her head away as if nothing had happened.
"Being around crowds might be hard for you, huh?"
"If you feel uncomfortable because of people staring, you can get closer to me. You can think of me as your shield."
Upon hearing Yukima Azuma's words, Bocchi turned around in a daze.
Then she saw Azuma-kun smiling at her, a smile full of trust.
'An angel! Azuma-kun is definitely an angel!'
For the first time, someone cared about the issue of being watched by others, something that caused her so much pain.
Gotoh Hitori felt like she might burst into tears at any moment.
Even if Yukima Azuma asked her to kneel and swear lifelong loyalty right now, Hitori would do it without hesitation.
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 58: Because We Are Friends, It's Normal to Take Off Clothes
Gotoh Hitori, who had been completely led by Yukima Azuma in every sense, had completely forgotten her initial resistance when invited to go out.
On the contrary, at this moment, she felt an unmatched sense of security when she was with Azuma.
The reason for this sense of security was perhaps something Bocchi didn't consciously realize, but Azuma understood it very well.
Due to her social anxiety, Bocchi was extremely afraid of bothering others and receiving disgusted looks.
She was always careful and cautious when doing anything, which made her feel pressured and distressed all the time.
But when she was in front of Yukima Azuma...
How should she put it?
Gotoh Hitori had almost exposed her lowest limits.
Azuma ignored the awkward behaviors caused by her social anxiety and continued to treat her normally.
Because of this, Bocchi unconsciously considered Yukima Azuma as a safe zone.
That feeling was akin to the mindset of letting go:
'After all, he already knows I'm a hopeless person like this, so pretending anymore doesn't make sense!'
Although Bocchi didn't consciously think this way, her body acted as though it did.
....
In Tokyo, in the Ginza district, on a busy street.
Facing the bustling crowd, Gotoh Hitori instinctively pressed herself against Yukima Azuma, almost wanting to bury her face in his back.
It was her first time truly strolling around, and Bocchi now saw Azuma as her only lifeline.
"Shall we pass by the fashion store first, then go eat Chinese food, Bocchi?"
"Uh, sure..."
Although she wasn't sure she heard everything, she immediately responded affirmatively.
Gotoh Hitori's mouth was faster than her brain.
Only after responding did she start to think about why they were going to the fashion store first.
'Does Azuma-kun want to buy clothes? Is that where this is going?'
In her mind, she pictured Yukima Azuma changing clothes, while she waited outside the fitting room.
When the curtain was pulled back...
She would compliment him.
Such a scene...
It seemed like something she had seen in youth films before.
Recalling the times she had been hurt by the youth dramas on TV.
Gotoh Hitori felt a little joy in her heart.
Perhaps when she looked back at that scene in the future, she wouldn't feel pain in her heart anymore.
'Alright, I must definitely compliment Azuma-kun enthusiastically.'
'Should I search online for some compliments to use?'
As Gotoh Hitori was thinking this,
Yukima Azuma had already pulled her into a women's fashion store, and before she could even process what was happening, she was pushed forward.
Immediately, a store employee appeared before them in the blink of an eye.
Aaaaaahhh!
Inside, Gotoh Hitori was screaming. She had never liked shopping, and one of the reasons was because of the store employees.
Just a glance,
Even for just a millisecond...
The other person would definitely appear right in front of her and start talking, a terrifying creature.
Bocchi completely couldn't handle it.
"Please help her become even cuter."
Yukima Azuma said.
Bocchi: A!?
"Yes, please wait a moment."
The saleswoman smiled brightly.
She loved customers like this.
Saying that kind of thing meant they probably didn't care about the price, and if they tried on something nice, they'd buy it right away.
Unlike high school girls,
Who tried on a bunch of clothes but didn't buy anything, and didn't even bother to hang the clothes back where they were.
*Saleswoman feeling resentful +1.*
