NOVEL NEXT chapter 7
7. “Okay”
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“Five Yue, if possible, let me handle some of the things in your life from now on.”
“After all, you’re home alone. Whether it’s cleaning, chores, or dealing with utility bills, it’s all on you, right?”
“At your age, balancing studies and financial issues is no simple task for you.”
“And because of these financial concerns, you basically… are spending this stage of your life almost entirely working and studying. I know about the grants at your school; they really aren’t much.”
“If this continues long-term, without any relaxation or proper leisure, you’ll eventually reach your breaking point.”
“Your ‘tardiness’ might also be a result of all these pressures.”
“So, I want to help you, whether it’s with chores or finances.”
You Yu looked at her, speaking earnestly.
After all, he had his own experiences with the “hellish difficulty of high school.” During a certain period when he was lost, he had lived through it himself, almost to the point of being consumed by it.
But because of that experience, he found it easier to relate and to address today’s “serious matter.”
Perhaps it was also for this reason that his tone made it easier for Wu Yue to trust him…
“…I understand this simple logic, of course! I do occasionally go to see flowers to relax!”
“It’s just… I really didn’t have a choice before.”
Wu Yue said, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Living alone was not as simple as most people imagined. After losing her grandmother, she became acutely aware of this.
Without the protection of her elders, she had to learn about things that had previously been irrelevant to her, and as a result, she suffered many losses in this regard.
Yet she still had to bear it alone. After all, because she was constantly studying and working, she had very little time to communicate with others, limited to just exchanging greetings.
Even with an enthusiasm that most people couldn’t imagine, she had nowhere to direct it.
So, she had no one to confide in.
And now…
She had someone who could genuinely help her.
“So, what are your thoughts?”
“…Hmm, I think it’s fine to entrust some things to you!”
“Then—”
“But!”
With a sudden shift, before You Yu could react, Wu Yue pointed a finger at him and said:
“The premise of handing these things over to you is that you also tell me about yourself!”
“You say you want to help me, and I’m very grateful! I’m completely okay with giving you the chores!”
“But money? How do you plan to help me with that? I think I need to understand this aspect better!”
“And also, your appearance… you don’t look much older than me, right? I haven’t asked you before… now I want to know, where was your home before? Did you drop out? How did you end up here?”
“Also! The identity of the ‘savior’… is that really enough for you to do all these things for me?”
Hearing these words from Wuyue, Youyu was momentarily taken aback.
“…When you help others, you act without a care in the world, but when faced with someone else’s help, you become suspicious? What a twisted personality…”
Youyu couldn’t help but think this to himself.
But perhaps this was one of the reasons she could become a magical girl.
Back to the point, he had originally thought that a child with such a distinct personality as Wuyue would easily accept his “kindness” if she just opened her heart.
But now it seemed he had been too presumptuous…
However, considering it involved “money” and the most crucial aspect of her background, it was normal for her to have concerns.
But isn’t it a bit late to be asking about his background now?
Oh well… it doesn’t matter; after all, he would have to reveal things about himself sooner or later.
Though he couldn’t guarantee the truth of it.
“You’re only asking now… Although the timing is a bit off, I’ll explain it to you.”
“After all, you’ve been talking about yourself all this time, and you don’t really know me.”
Clearing his throat with a cough, Youyu looked into Wuyue’s eyes, meeting her gaze without flinching, and said:
“Let’s start with my age.”
“Hmm… As you can see, I currently look like I’m at the ‘peer’ level with you; after all, I just turned 18.”
“As for my family… to be honest, it doesn’t exist anymore; let’s just say it was ‘demolished.’”
“Is that really the case?”
Although what Youyu said sounded true, Wuyue still felt a sense of incongruity, so she continued to ask:
“…Um, it feels like there are still many things that don’t add up. How did you end up here?”
“An obvious matter.”
Shrugging, Youyu extended his left hand, rolled up his sleeve, and pointed to the scars that hadn’t completely faded yet, saying:
“Of course, I was sold by human traffickers. You know, once people step into society, they can be blinded by certain things… well, I was just the unlucky one.”
“…Sorry, but didn’t you say you suffered from heatstroke? Then you said you fell while parachuting…”
“…”
That question truly left Youyu speechless.
“Phew~ To ask such a question… either you’re foolish, or I am.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
Seeing Wuyue suddenly revert to her previous oblivious self, Youyu couldn’t help but feel exasperated:
“…I mean, did you really believe such an obvious, such a fake excuse back then?”
“Could it be that back then, to save someone, you couldn’t even distinguish such a simple lie? If I had ulterior motives, what would you do?”
“Ah! This…”
“…So, I’m just worried about you here.”
Seeing Wuyue fall into a state of “self-blame” again, Youyu felt the time was ripe. He quickly arranged his next words in his mind and said:
“You made me see the old me, back then… I was in a similar state as you.”
“I did ‘good deeds,’ many, many ‘good deeds,’ but no one knew, no one acknowledged them, even though I never expected anything in return from the start.”
“But… what was the outcome? The result of doing this was betrayal, and in the end, I had to bear it all myself…”
“And because of that, I couldn’t even continue my studies.”
“…”
“Sorry.”
Wuyue said softly.
“And recently, because my ‘kind heart’ flared up again…”
“It led me to be dragged here by a terrible guy while job hunting.”
“…”
“So, that’s my entire story, although it’s a brief version… Hmm? Are you still listening?”
Realizing that there had been no response for a while, and seeing Wuyue with her head down, Youyu couldn’t help but sigh and said:
“So, this is one reason why I want to help you.”
“But the bigger reason is that I can’t bear to see you continue living such a difficult life… After all, my ‘kind heart’ isn’t completely extinguished yet.”
“…”
Seeing that Wuyue still hadn’t replied, Youyu thought for a moment and prepared to play his final card:
“…Well, if you don’t accept, I understand. After all, my tone does come off as somewhat ‘high and mighty.'”
“And… to be honest, I’m doing this because I have a bit of personal feelings involved. After all… in terms of social interactions, my situation is quite similar to yours.”
“…”
“…But don’t worry, if you refuse, I won’t push it any further.”
“Like you said, helping you with some chores is all I can do.”
“Although… since I’m living in your house, you still have to bear all the utility bills, which is a bit frustrating for me… But you are, after all, my ‘savior,’ and that’s beyond question.”
“So—”
“It’s still up to you to decide.”
After saying this, Youyu turned his head away and no longer looked at her.
Everything that needed to be said had been said.
Now all he had to do was wait.
So—
“……”
Ten minutes passed.
“……”
Twenty minutes passed.
“Alright…”
Then, in the thirtieth minute, he heard Wuyue’s voice, tinged with a whimper, uttering that word.
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