If life were a game, then right now, Su Yu had just received a system notification:
"Congratulations, Host! You have obtained Yukinoshita Yukino's notes. Intelligence stat increased."
As he changed his shoes at the entrance, this thought crossed his mind.
Securing Yukinoshita Yukino's notes was a major win—his grades were bound to improve.
But when it came to his relationship with Yuigahama Yui, he felt… hesitant.
It wasn't about how to interact with her or how to make her happy.
It was something else entirely—
Did he really want to date her?
Yui was adorable—a perfect girlfriend candidate.
But Su Yu was sure that the system would push him to meet more and more girls, each of them likely to be amazing in their own way.
Of course, he wasn't looking to "collect" girlfriends—he wasn't that arrogant.
But if he officially got together with Yui, wouldn't it be irresponsible of him to keep interacting closely with other girls?
That kind of boyfriend wouldn't be a good one.
And honestly, he still didn't know Yui well enough.
Liking someone just for their looks… Wouldn't that make him a shallow jerk?
"Su Yu-kun."
A gentle voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Turning his head, he saw Yuigahama Yui standing there.
Her face was slightly flushed, her hands tightly gripping her bag straps. She looked shy, but undeniably cute.
Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina stood a few steps behind her—clearly, they had teased her quite a bit before she walked up to him.
"Let's go," Su Yu said softly.
"Mm."
Yui nodded, her smile bright and sweet.
On the Way to the Movie Theater
Yui kept her head down the whole time, as if staring at her shoes.
Su Yu glanced at her, wondering if she was actually looking at anything.
As they passed a convenience store, Su Yu stopped.
"Want something to eat?"
Yui looked up—and her gaze locked onto the fried chicken on display.
"Fried food makes you gain weight…"
She said that, but her eyes never left the chicken.
"Wait here," Su Yu said as he stepped into the store.
Yui watched him go.
A moment later, Su Yu walked out, carrying a bag of fried chicken nuggets and a drumstick.
"It's still early. How about we sit in the park for a bit?"
"Okay."
Yui nodded eagerly.
They found a bench in the park and sat down.
"Try some." Su Yu handed the bag to Yui.
"I-I'll just have one," she said hesitantly.
"But I bought too much. If you don't eat more, it'll go to waste," Su Yu pointed out as he looked off into the distance.
"I… I…"
Yui knew that Su Yu had bought this for her.
Her heart raced—like a rabbit frantically hopping around in her chest.
"Thank you," she whispered, taking a deep breath. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she accepted the bag.
"No need to thank me," Su Yu replied casually as he bit into his drumstick.
Once Yui tried one, she couldn't stop.
Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten enough at lunch, or maybe the fried chicken was just too good—before she knew it, she had eaten several pieces.
When she noticed only a few were left, she felt embarrassed and glanced at Su Yu.
"Want the drumstick?" Su Yu asked.
"N-No, I'm full," Yui shook her head quickly.
"Are all girls this afraid of gaining weight?" Su Yu asked, eyeing her figure.
"W-Where are you looking?!" Yui's face turned bright red.
"Sorry, I think it was an unavoidable force…"
"Su Yu-kun, you jerk," Yui huffed, cutting him off and marching toward a vending machine.
She returned with two cans of drinks, handing one to Su Yu.
"Thanks. You're really kind, Yuigahama-san—even to a jerk like me," Su Yu teased as he accepted the drink.
Yui, feeling flustered, quickly turned her head away.
As Su Yu finished off the remaining food, Yui's gaze wandered to the children playing in the park.
One quiet girl stood out among them.
She didn't speak much—instead, she just listened.
Whenever the other kids laughed, she laughed along with them, but she never spoke first.
"Yuigahama-san, were you like that as a kid?" Su Yu asked after finishing his drink.
"…Yeah. I was too shy to talk to others. When we played together, I just followed along. Whenever we played pretend, I was always given the most unimportant role."
Yui's expression softened as she continued.
"The memory that stands out the most is from a game of hide-and-seek. The others… forgot about me. I hid inside the slide at the park, waiting for someone to find me.
But… no one came.
I stayed there until nightfall.
Eventually, I walked home alone… crying the whole way."
Despite telling a sad story, Yui smiled.
"A precious childhood memory," Su Yu commented.
Yui let out a small laugh.
"What about you, Su Yu-kun? Any childhood memories?"
Su Yu paused for a moment.
"…My childhood?"
Yui's smile faded—she had just remembered his parents were gone.
"I-I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized.
"It's fine. My childhood was mostly spent in the countryside, away from my parents.
While the other kids played, I was the one sitting in a corner, reading old storybooks."
Su Yu answered truthfully—though he was describing his past life.
"You liked reading?" Yui asked, surprised.
"I wouldn't say I loved reading. I just liked stories. Every book has a story to tell."
Yui's eyes widened slightly.
"Stories… That's why you want to write light novels."
Su Yu nodded, not denying it.
After the Park
After chatting for another half hour, they headed to the movie theater.
Yui paid for the tickets, while Su Yu bought popcorn and soda.
They were watching a romance movie about youth and love.
The heroine of the film reminded Su Yu of Yui.
She was beautiful, but always a supporting character.
She lacked confidence, even though she was more attractive than she realized.
In middle school, she lost her best friend because they both liked the same guy—a guy who preferred someone else.
Her friend grew cold, and she didn't know how to handle it.
In high school, she found new friends.
But, just like before, she was always a background character.
One day, a transfer student arrived.
He was handsome and mysterious—and her friends immediately liked him.
They asked her to help get his contact information.
She hesitated.
And in that hesitation, her friend's attitude toward her changed.
She felt scared.
She didn't want to lose another friend.
So, gathering her courage—
She stood in front of the male lead.
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X