Chapter 70-71

Lin Ye moved closer, leaned down, and kissed Nanase Ren's right cheek as she trembled.

'This feels good'

Nanase Ren's conflicting emotions—wanting to refuse yet feeling compelled to accept—only deepened the unique sensation of the moment.

'It feels really good to bully girls'

Feeling pleased with himself, Lin Ye spoke again, "Then what comes next is—"

"There is none left," Nanase Ren cut in quickly, crouching down to move away.

"That's it. There's nothing more to come."

Anticipating Lin Ye's next teasing remark, Nanase Ren acted first. She trotted a couple of steps ahead, putting some distance between them.

"Lin-kun, follow me to the mall over there. We're going to eat Wagyu barbecue."

She waved her hand as she walked. Under the streetlamp's soft glow, her blue casual outfit outlined her slender figure, and her long, cherry-colored hair fluttered gently in the evening breeze, radiating youth and vitality.

"Mm," Lin Ye responded, following her.

On the Road

As they walked, Nanase Ren asked a question of her own, one she had forgotten amidst Lin Ye's earlier series of embarrassing requests.

"Where's the next stop?"

"The crematorium."

"Ah!" she exclaimed, startled. It was a crematorium?

"What happens if he gets off the bus first?"

"I'm not sure. But there are two guesses right now."

'Two? How unexpected'

Under Nanase Ren's expectant gaze, Lin Ye explained further.

"We'll be at the crematorium because that's where he's going, so we'll follow him there."

"And the other?"

"The morgue at Chiba City Hospital."

Nanase Ren: ???

No matter which it was, she didn't want anything to do with either of it!

Ichiban Wagyu Yakiniku Restaurant – Chiba Branch

After careful thought, Nanase Ren decided to bring Lin Ye to this upscale Wagyu barbecue restaurant. It was a place she had always wanted to visit but had never been able to justify because of the cost.

The reason was simple: her income couldn't support such luxuries. Dining at this barbecue restaurant was considered extravagant for someone as frugal as her.

But today, she decided to go all out—not only to thank Lin Ye but also to celebrate her survival.

The charcoal blocks on the grill gradually turned red, radiating heat. The bright red beef sizzled as the butter melted, releasing an increasingly enticing aroma.

Nanase Ren watched the grilling meat with her appetite growing.

Finally, the beef was cooked.

Nanase Ren picked it up with her chopsticks and placed it in Lin Ye's bowl.

"Try it."

Under her expectant gaze, Lin Ye picked up the beef, dipped it in the sauce, and took a bite.

The beef was smooth and succulent, the juices blending perfectly with the sauce as they exploded onto his taste buds, delivering a flavor that was undeniably delicious.

"Tasty."

The roasted beef tasted wonderful, though Lin Ye couldn't help but recall the unpleasant barbecue smell from Tuesday night's bizarre events.

Still, he understood that he needed to adapt. The "strange game" would only grow more grotesque and cruel in the future. He had to learn to endure and move forward.

"As long as it tastes good, I'm relieved," Nanase Ren said with a small smile.

"If I said the Wagyu barbecue wasn't delicious, you might cry over how much it cost," Lin Ye quipped.

"Then I'll take you to a more upscale barbecue restaurant next time."

"Okay, it's a deal. I'm looking forward to it."

Nanase Ren: ???

She silently pitied her wallet.

"Mm."

Still, she agreed through gritted teeth.

The aroma of sizzling barbecue filled the air, tempting their taste buds as they ate.

"Woo…" Nanase Ren murmured happily.

"It's so delicious."

Having a barbecue after surviving such an ordeal felt like a blessing.

"Here…"

Lin Ye passed her another piece, steam rising from it. Nanase Ren, facing Lin Ye's smile, hesitated before speaking in a conflicted tone.

"Just this once."

"Sure."

She opened her lips slightly, taking the charcoal-grilled beef he offered. It was delicious, though the act itself left her feeling shy and embarrassed.

'Thankfully, no one I know is here to see this,' she thought.

Her eyes subconsciously wandered around the restaurant—only to freeze. A woman with short purple hair and white hair accessories sat diagonally from her table, watching with curiosity.

'Why… why is Ryou here?!'

Nanase Ren stiffened, her hand halting mid-motion on the table. It was Fujibayashi Ryou, her classmate from nursing school.

After graduating, Ryou had joined a hospital in her hometown. If memory served correctly, she was supposed to still be working there.

'Is she visiting Chiba?'

Nanase Ren's gaze shifted to the woman sitting opposite Ryou. Although she could only see her back, the long, flowing hair left no doubt—it was Ryou's twin sister.

'Both sisters are here?'

Why hadn't Ryou contacted her? Hadn't she promised to reach out if she ever visited Chiba? Nanase Ren pouted, feeling a little upset.

Sitting across from her, Lin Ye noticed the dramatic changes in her expression—embarrassment, surprise, astonishment, and finally, sadness—all playing out in mere seconds.

"Life is really full of twists, isn't it?" he silently said with a smirk.

Lin Ye sighed, and put one hand on the back of the chair, looking in the direction of Nanase Ren's previous gaze, and a beautiful woman with purple shoulder-length hair came into his sight.

Meanwhile, Ryou, noticing Lin Ye's gaze, lowered her head shyly before looking up with a faint smile. She waved slightly as if to greet him.

"That's an acquaintance, right?" Lin Ye asked.

"She's my friend," Nanase Ren stammered, flustered.

At Ryou's table, the sisters exchanged quiet words.

"Isn't that your friend from nursing school?" the elder sister asked.

"Yes," Ryou confirmed in a low voice.

"Do you want to say hi?"

"No. She's with her boyfriend, and I don't want to disturb them. We can talk later."

The elder sister nodded, glancing briefly at Lin Ye's back before returning her attention to the sizzling barbecue on their table.

The elder sister savored the meal with delight. 'This barbecue tastes amazing. It's rare for my sister to spend money like this, so I need to enjoy it to the fullest!'

Lin Ye was enjoying the delicious barbecue. Noticing that Nanase Ren still seemed unsettled, he spoke up.

"You can tell me what's bothering you. I don't mind being a listener."

He continued roasting the beef.

"Nothing," she replied curtly.

"Then enjoy the barbecue. If you don't eat it now, I'll finish it."

Nanase Ren suddenly realized that half of the barbecue on the plate was already gone.

"Eat quickly," Lin Ye said, using the tongs to place a piece of barbecue on her plate.

Nanase Ren hummed softly and began eating silently.

Lin Ye, however, could sense she was preoccupied.

A few minutes later, Nanase Ren spoke softly.

"Lin-kun, actually… she's my friend from nursing school."

"Oh, I see," Lin Ye replied, glancing at her puzzled expression.

"You and she were rivals in school, weren't you? Competing over everything, and in the end, the guy you liked was snatched away by her. Now her appearance brings back the painful memories of that failure, doesn't it? Women! Sigh."

Lin Ye sighed theatrically, picking up a piece of barbecued meat coated in fragrant sauce.

The taste was indeed excellent. The texture and flavor were far superior to regular beef, even he could tell the difference.

"No, no, that's not it at all! I didn't have a boy I liked, and neither did she. At least, I don't think so... but now, who knows?"

Nanase Ren explained hurriedly.

"In that case, there's nothing to be upset about. You two weren't close friends?"

"We were very close!"

"Very close? Shouldn't that make you happy to see her again? Why the long face?"

After a moment's hesitation, Nanase Ren explained her reasoning. Her friend had promised to contact her if she ever came to Chiba. Now that she was here but hadn't reached out, Nanase Ren couldn't help but wonder—did her friend dislike her?

This left Lin Ye momentarily stunned.

All this… just because of that?

Women! Their way of thinking is truly unique.

"Maybe she didn't want to bother you," he suggested.

"What trouble could a friend cause? Are you afraid your friends will trouble you?"

"Or maybe she wanted to surprise you."

That… actually seemed plausible.

Nanase Ren pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Don't dwell on it. Just go ask her. If you're embarrassed, I'll go."

Lin Ye made a move to stand up, but Nanase Ren quickly stopped him.

"Wait, Lin-kun! We'll go over after we finish eating."

Lin Ye agreed after a moment of consideration.

Although the barbecue ended a bit hastily, Lin Ye was already planning for the next outing in his mind.

Nanase Ren took a deep breath, stood up, and prepared to approach Fujibayashi Ryou's table. But just as she was about to walk over, the Fujibayashi sisters also stood up.

The two pairs of eyes met. Realizing they had the same thought, both parties smiled knowingly.

The gloom in Nanase Ren's heart dissipated, and she realized she had likely been overthinking.

"Ryou-chan, welcome to Chiba."

"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect to bump into you here. Is this your boyfriend? Good evening, boyfriend!"

Ryou greeted Lin Ye nervously. Her once-introverted and soft-spoken personality had changed somewhat. At least now, she dared to greet new people, though her tone still retained a delicate gentleness.

"No, no, Lin Ye isn't my boyfriend! He's just… my friend," Nanase Ren clarified hurriedly.

Ryou glanced at Lin Ye, then back at Nanase Ren, recalling how he had been feeding her earlier. She decided her friend was simply too shy to admit the truth.

"I see. I understand."

"No, really, it's not like that! Believe me!"

Nanase Ren almost wanted to grab her friend and explain further, but before anyone could say more, a waiter approached to remind them it was time to settle the bill.

The four of them paid at the cashier, and Lin Ye remained composed despite seeing Nanase Ren foot the hefty 29,000-yen bill.

"You're welcome to visit again," the waiter said cheerfully as they left.

Walking along the quiet, starry street, Nanase Ren introduced Lin Ye.

"This is my friend Lin Ye," she said.

"Hello! I'm Lin Ye," he greeted the Fujibayashi sisters politely.

Lin Ye couldn't help but marvel. In his previous life, he'd never encountered identical twin sisters, let alone twins as attractive as these two.

"This is my classmate from nursing school, Fujibayashi Ryou. And this is her twin sister, Fujibayashi Kyou. They're both so pretty, right? Beautiful girls like them always have a lot of admirers."

"Ren, don't say things like that," Ryou said shyly, tugging at Nanase Ren's arm. She then turned to Lin Ye and greeted him softly, "Hello."

Kyou simply nodded in acknowledgment.

At that moment, all three noticed a subtle change in Lin Ye's expression.

"Lin-kun, what's wrong?" Nanase Ren asked.

"Are the Fujibayashi sisters originally from a town called Hikarizaka?"

"Hey! You know Hikarizaka Town?" Ryou exclaimed, surprised.

"It's true, then," Lin Ye thought. He hadn't expected to encounter characters from Clannad in this world.

"I used to think about studying in Hikarizaka for high school," Lin Ye said.

"In that case, my sister and I would have been your seniors. Right?" Ryou said hesitantly, unsure of Lin Ye's age.

"Yes, you would be," Lin Ye affirmed. "By the way, do you know Sakagami Tomoyo?"

"President Sakagami? She was famous! She was the student council president when we were in our final year at Hikarizaka High. How do you know her?"

"It's just a one-sided acquaintance," Lin Ye replied casually, though he couldn't help feeling excited. Sakagami Tomoyo was here too? The world was becoming increasingly fascinating.

As Ren and Ryou reminisced about their nursing school days, Kyou lagged behind slightly, falling in step with Lin Ye.

Though silent, Kyou couldn't help but feel something different about the man walking beside her.