CHAPTER 496: CHAPTER 494 AREN’T YOU ADMITTING THIS IS A DATE?_1

Reflecting on this question kept Hojo Shouko silent all the way to the station, merely sipping her green juice bubble tea.

She glanced at the train and turned her head to say, "Aozawa-senpai, I’m going to head back first."

"Mhm."

Aozawa waved his hand.

Hojo Shouko stepped into the women-only carriage. She glanced around, found an empty seat, sat down, and placed the groceries she bought at her feet.

She looked at the green juice bubble tea in her hand; there was still a small half left.

Even when drinking absentmindedly, the habit of taking small sips meant she never consumed too much bubble tea at once.

Habits, huh, Hojo Shouko thought, glancing around the carriage at groups of stylishly dressed young women laughing and talking together.

There were also some older office workers sitting quietly, easing the fatigue of work.

Hojo Shouko pulled her gaze back; an answer suddenly formed in her mind.

Indeed, it’s different.

With her, Aozawa-senpai probably only experienced that sort of mundane atmosphere, never the thrill of a roller coaster ride.

Her personality was very rule-abiding. In the eyes of the world, that equated to being boring and dull.

Being thrifty and good at managing a household doesn’t seem like a merit either.

At least, Hojo Shouko was acutely aware of this. Whenever she talked about such things with others, they would show a look of not understanding what she was talking about.

Is this a topic for girls?

High school girls don’t gather to discuss what’s a reasonable price for fish at the market, or what fresh meat should look like.

How much should one pay for vegetables without being fleeced?

Hojo Shouko had tried to talk about this with many people before, but the feedback was never good.

She also knew that her personality was quite boring.

But she had no intention of changing.

The reason was simply that she was used to it, used to being disconnected from trendy topics.

Accustomed to doing everything according to her daily plan.

Though others saw her plans as tedious, for Hojo Shouko, completing each one brought a small sense of achievement.

Sometimes she envied those beautifully dressed girls, as well as the ones who could laugh and chat freely in front of others.

But as soon as she thought about having to do the same, Hojo Shouko’s mind would become inexplicably tangled.

What kind of topics should she talk about that wouldn’t bother others?

For example, while she had no objections to the topics young women discussed, she noticed middle-aged female office workers showing a hint of impatience with those conversations, even if they didn’t voice it.

Hojo Shouko wondered if she would disturb others if she tried to speak like them.

At this thought, the brave step she was about to take was immediately retracted. It was also for this reason that Phoenix Academy Maggie seemed exceptionally dazzling in her eyes.

She was the complete opposite of herself.

Every time Hojo Shouko saw Phoenix Academy Maggie, she felt a twinge of envy but had no desire to be like her.

Because she knew very well she couldn’t do what Maggie did.

The train moved forward silently. Hojo Shouko looked down, sipping her green juice bubble tea, tasting the cold sweetness on her tongue.

This is fine.

Hojo Shouko repeated the words in her heart that she had thought countless times before.

「...」

「She returned to the Hojo family home.」

Hojo Shouko unlocked the main door. A pair of women’s shoes were in the entranceway, clearly indicating her sister-in-law had arrived.

She closed the door behind her and called out, "Brother, has Yoshikawa Sayuri-senpai come by?"

"Hi~ Shouko, it’s me~"

Yoshikawa Sayuri peeked her head out from Hojo Tetsuji’s room, a radiant smile on her face as she waved to Shouko.

"Good morning, Yoshikawa-senpai."

Hojo Shouko bowed; she held considerable fondness for her future sister-in-law.

This person was even more sincere than herself, not constrained by rules but moved by genuine purity of heart.

She spoke her mind without reserve, treating everyone with sincerity, and even if she knew it might hurt her, she wouldn’t change her approach.

To Hojo Shouko, this was a sign of remarkable strength.

Yoshikawa Sayuri said with a smile, "Shouko, you don’t have to be so formal. Every time we meet, it’s like it’s our first encounter. Just call me Sayuri."

"That would be too rude. If you’re not satisfied with that form of address, should I call you sister-in-law?"

Hojo Shouko tilted her head, asking seriously.

Yoshikawa Sayuri’s fair cheeks quickly turned red as she stammered, "Th-that’s still too early; we haven’t even gotten our marriage certificate."

Hojo Tetsuji also rushed out hurriedly from inside the house, exclaiming, "Shouko, you shouldn’t say those things! Just call her Sister Sayuri for now."

"Yes, yes, call me Sister Sayuri!"

Yoshikawa Sayuri immediately straightened up, patting her flat chest, trying to project the reliability of an older sister.

Hojo Shouko watched the two and thought: This kind of relationship must be different from what Aozawa-senpai imagined love to be, right?

She felt that her brother and Yoshikawa-senpai were more like best friends in their romance.

The two had similar interests and compatible personalities, and could talk about many topics together, only blushing when the conversation turned to matters between men and women.

Love is truly mysterious, Hojo Shouko sighed internally, her face as serene as a still lake as she said, "Yes, Sister Sayuri. Are you two going out on a date?"

"Mm."

Hojo Tetsuji nodded.

Yoshikawa Sayuri’s cheeks reddened even more, and she blurted out, "Tetsuji, I’ll go outside and wait for you."

She hurriedly left.

Hojo Tetsuji scratched his head and said, "Shouko, I’ve drawn six manga drafts. Please color them for me."

"Sure, leave it to me."

Hojo Shouko nodded, watching her brother and Yoshikawa Sayuri leave the house.

After the door closed, she withdrew her gaze and placed the groceries in the kitchen.

It was still early, so she was not in a hurry to prepare the food.

Hojo Shouko headed to her brother’s bedroom, where she found the manga drafts that needed to be colored on the desk.

She glanced over the storyline.

Compared to previous stories, the plot of her brother’s manga had taken a sweet turn after the characters officially entered into a romantic relationship—the type of sweetness that made one’s lips curl unwittingly into a smile, tempting one to roll around on the bed.

The Milky Way Self-Defense Force had turned into the Milky Way Love Team.

It was a wondrous change brought about by love.

Suddenly, a flicker of curiosity crossed Shouko’s mind. If I were in love, what changes would it bring about in me? Would I remain the same as I am now?

She pondered the thought but couldn’t find an answer, so she took out the manga drafts along with the ink and brushes and began to color.

「...」

After finishing the coloring work, it was time for lunch. Since she was eating alone, she didn’t prepare anything complicated—just made shrimp fried rice using the leftover rice from the morning.

Placing the dish on the table, she picked up a pair of chopsticks, brought her hands together, and said, "Time to eat."

The air offered no response, which was to be expected when dining alone.

Hojo Shouko ate with her head down, not looking at her phone.

She seldom used apps like TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter.

The most frequently used app on her phone was LINE, primarily because of Summer Flower and Aozawa.

Hojo Shouko was one of those rare girls who could live her life without being glued to her phone.

After she finished her shrimp fried rice, she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

DING! Her phone screen on the table lit up.

Unlocking it, Shouko saw a message from Summer Flower: "Shouko, have you just finished lunch?"

"Yes. Is there something you need?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to see if my guess was right."

Natsuka Yanagimachi’s message was as lighthearted and idle as ever, but Shouko didn’t feel annoyed. Instead, she patiently responded to every one of Natsuka Yanagimachi’s questions.

"Congratulations, you guessed right."

"There’s no sense of achievement in that. Your daily routine is as precise as the calendar on your wall," Natsuka Yanagimachi quipped. She was lying on her bed in a room decorated with many pink, girlish touches.

However, the walls were adorned with various handsome photos of mature men.

The air conditioning allowed her to cuddle with a life-sized bear during the summer. "This isn’t the sort of activity a girl should be engaging in during summer. Come on, get lively!

"Buying groceries on the dot every morning isn’t something we should be doing."

"Summer Flower, it’s not exactly the same. I now go to the market with Aozawa-senpai in the mornings."

"Eh? That’s news to me! When did you and Aozawa-senpai start going to the market together?"

Summer Flower, who had been lying there listlessly, quickly filled with curiosity. She sat up, pressed the teddy bear under her, and crossed her snowy legs. "When you guys go buy groceries, do you hold hands or brush shoulders?"

After sending that message, Summer Flower felt that plain text wasn’t enough to satisfy her intense desire to gossip.

She directly initiated a voice call.

Once connected, Summer Flower asked, full of curiosity, "Come on, spill the beans! No holding back."

"Summer Flower, it’s not what you’re thinking. It’s just that Aozawa-senpai has to buy groceries during his holidays too, so we agreed to visit Adachi Market together in Kita-Senju. I help him haggle to save some money," Shouko explained.

"Tch, that’s it?" Summer Flower sounded disappointed.

"After we’re done, Aozawa-senpai buys me a milk tea as a thank-you," Shouko added.

"That’s basically a date?!"

Startled by Summer Flower’s sudden shout, Shouko blinked, slightly confused. "Summer Flower, I just go to the market with Aozawa-senpai to buy groceries."

"Shouko, tell me, isn’t the market a place where you feel relaxed and happy?"

"Yeah."

"Then a place where a man and a woman go on a date is somewhere they feel relaxed and happy. Are you still going to say you and Aozawa-senpai aren’t dating?"

Summer Flower confidently argued her skewed logic. She felt the need to nudge Shouko into realizing she was actually dating Aozawa-senpai.

Shouko countered, "But Aozawa-senpai probably isn’t interested in the market."

"But he doesn’t hate going there with you, and him buying you a milk tea afterwards is undeniable proof," Summer Flower insisted.

Shouko fell silent, once again contemplating Aozawa-senpai’s views on love.

What am I really hoping for?

She was confused and didn’t know what to answer.