After buying swimsuits, the two ladies didn't end their "date," taking their daughter and son-in-law to shop for clothes and accessories until they finished dinner and returned home.

This was a rare opportunity.

Before this, no matter how they invited—lies exposed, Kiyono Lin and Jiutiao Meijie would never agree to come out if the other was present.

The mothers could only rely on holidays to allow the two to have brief interactions.

Jiutiao Meijie's car first dropped Kiyono Lin off at her apartment in Shibuya, and then it was the two ladies' turn.

"Mr. Dubian, let's continue our date another day~" Mrs. Jiutiao waved affectionately at their convenient company.

"Goodbye."

As the car window rose, Dubian Che let out a sigh of relief; such a high-intensity chaotic scene required even a "Tokyo handsome man" to be cautious.

"Going home?" he asked Jiutiao Meijie, who sat opposite him.

"To the office, there's still work." Jiutiao Meijie rested her tired cheek on the elbow propped against the car door armrest.

Dubian Che gazed at her delicate, beautiful little face. Barely sixteen, she was still a girl.

"I'll go with you," he said.

"You're coming?" Jiutiao Meijie opened her eyes, giving him an inquiring glance.

Dubian Che didn't speak. He got up, moved over, stretched out his hand, and pulled Jiutiao Meijie into his embrace, letting her lean on his chest.

His face nuzzled in her long hair, gently and firmly wrapping her slender body with his own.

"Meijie," he whispered.

"Hmm?" Jiutiao Meijie closed her eyes in his arms.

"I love you."

"Hmm."

Dubian Che gently pinched her chin, his lips landing on her passionate and petite lips.

It was a tender kiss that reminded one of the autumn at Kyoto Yodogawa last year.

The two, doing nothing more than holding each other, sat in a dim corner inside the car while the neon lights outside rushed backwards, merging into a haloed sea of colors.

◇

Kiyono Lin put on her school uniform and tied her bow.

As agreed, today she had to go to the school to tutor the Wind Instrument Club.

Goda High School was still noisy on Sundays.

The track, the soccer field, the baseball diamond, the tennis courts, shouts from athletes, and relentless scolding from coaches—everyone was sweating profusely.

The metallic sound of a baseball bat striking a ball, that clear echo soaring through the clear sky, already signaled the approach of summer.

But before that, there was the rainy season; her mood darkened slightly.

Thinking of the rainy season, there was also the family camping trip at the end of May, which made her mood slightly brighter.

Camping with her mother, Mrs. Jiutiao, and Meijie was something she had never thought she'd agree to.

She didn't hate Jiutiao Meijie, she just disliked her.

As children, they had agreed not to lie; the anger from the betrayal after the other didn't show up for three months had long been thrown away along with the phrase 'we'll marry the same person' during that summer when they were four.

Through various events, Jiutiao Meijie ended up as the company president, and she became the Literary Girl who spent all day reading.

From elementary to middle school, neither had a friend, nor did they interact with each other.

She once thought that after high school, even college and the rest of their lives, they would continue living that way.

Until that April brimming with spring, she submitted to the Literary Department to comply with school regulations, and Dubian Che walked in.

Although she had posted flyers to recruit club members, she had no intention of accepting anyone—the entrance test was not to lie, which was impossible for anyone to achieve.

Dubian Che couldn't do it either, but astonishingly, he didn't like her.

Had it been before, she wouldn't have cared, but considering the existence of the Human Observation Department, if she didn't observe humans, she would be breaking the promise she made to the school when she founded the club, that she would 'participate actively.'

So just let him stay.

Fire him once he hopelessly falls in love with her.

She thought observing Dubian Che would end quickly, but so much happened afterward.

Mocked behind her back by Yuzao Haomei, he was indifferent; she acknowledged that he was an outstanding individual, but that was all.

Before long, he actually started dating Jiutiao Meijie.

Even though the confession was fake and the love was fake, the two were really dating, doing things that lovers do.

Jiutiao Meijie, who wouldn't even let maids touch her, allowed Dubian Che to kiss her, put on her shoes, their bodies frequently in contact.

On the other hand, after dating Jiutiao Meijie, she found Dubian Che suddenly started studying hard.

The man quickly learned multiple languages, read vast numbers of books, and even became witty and humorous in conversation—though he still spoke mostly lies.

One day, tutoring the Wind Instrument Club, she acknowledged his way of living as genuinely valid on the platform at Shibuya Station on her late-night journey back to the apartment.

"It's okay to only tell the truth."

Many had told her that, but he was the only one who truly believed it was okay.

After that day, she considered him a friend in her heart.

Once she stopped keeping Dubian Che out of her world, his charismatic charm, like a hurricane, swept through everything.

His youthful, handsome face, and he only showed his smile to her and Jiutiao Meijie; even if one didn't care about looks, being together all day, it was inevitable to feel a flutter of the heart occasionally;

His academic performance improved with each assessment, forcing her to start studying in her spare time too, as his national rank rose steadily until, in the end, he was the top student in the country;

His personality was humorous, with a base of mystery;

He began to exercise, with her occasionally seeing him jogging in the streets of Shibuya early in the morning, now with an unimaginable physical strength;

Faced with Jiutiao Meijie's various demands, he always found a way to meet them, even leading Jiutiao Meijie to follow his thoughts;

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