209 Excessive

"Huh?" Rizu was stunned, her face full of disbelief. "Fumino also has this ability?! No wonder your humanities grades are so good..."

Fumino: "..."

'What's going on? This doesn't seem like any special ability!'

"Ri-chan... It's not really a special ability. It's just that I can understand the majority of human psychology, deducing the author's understanding through their writing style and language. It's something many people can do..."

Rizu nodded slightly, somewhat disappointed. "I see... I guess so... It's not like such a convenient ability exists, right?"

Indeed, that ability was nothing extraordinary. Otherwise, if Elf were to read Homura's works, she would think he had multiple personalities, considering they were works from different authors from his previous life.

When Homura was working on his works, if he felt certain words were inappropriate, he would change them. If some sentences didn't feel right when he read them, he would replace them with ones that conveyed the same meaning but were more comfortable to read. He presented the works from the original world in his own writing style, combined with his love and understanding of these works.

Elf only saw Homura's shadow. She sensed his love for these works and his desire to share them with more people through his writing.

"To be honest, Ogata-san, you're doing great with the accounting work." Homura suggested, "You're already delivering takeout most of the time, and since you've joined a delivery platform, it's the perfect opportunity to free yourself up. Just take some time to handle the accounting, and I think that would be enough."

"I need to think it over carefully..." Rizu frowned. It wasn't a decision she could make on the spot, so she wanted to consider how she should proceed.

"No rush, think about it when you get home. I'll escort you all home now."

"Ehh?" Fumino was a bit surprised. She never expected Homura to say such a thing.

"No need, Minamiya-kun!" Fumino quickly waved her hand and declined, "Our homes are not far away, nothing will happen!"

"It's fine. I also don't think anything will happen. After all, it's just getting dark, and the streets are bustling. So, I'll consider it as taking a walk."

Since it was stated as a walk, there was nothing more to say. Although Fumino felt it was just an excuse.

"...Alright." Even if it was an excuse, Fumino still relaxed and let go.

Homura turned to Nayuta and asked, "What about you?"

"My editor will come to pick me up later. Senpai, you don't have to worry."

"Umu, then let's go."

"Myaa-san! Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Nayu!"

After bidding farewell to each other, they all walked out of Homura's house together, of course with Haru by their side.

===

"So... the first one is Ogata-san?" asked Homura.

"Yeah! First is Rizurin, and then it's me. Fuminocchi and Miyako's homes are next to each other." nodded Uruka.

'Next to each other? They are truly neighbors!'

Homura thought Fumino was referring to neighbors who weren't too close, but turns out they're right next to each other. On one side is the family that adopted Haru's younger siblings, then on the other side should be Miyako's home.

"Speaking of which..." Fumino glanced around. "Minamiya-kun and Ri-chan probably met for the first time around here, right?"

While gently stroking Haru in her arms, Rizu also glanced at the surroundings and said to Fumino, "Um, it was at the nearby Kusumoto Park. It's not far from our school."

"How did Minamiya-sensei and Rizurin meet anyway? I didn't get a chance to ask you before." Uruka's curiosity couldn't be contained and arose.

"Let me explain..." Homura took over. "That day, I was taking a walk with Haru. It was already past 8 o'clock in the evening, and when we reached Kusumoto Park, we saw Ogata-san sitting there alone."

===

"So, that's how it is. Minamiya-sensei took the initiative to strike up a conversation because you were worried a girl was alone at night." Miyako nodded.

"Only two types of people would approach someone at that time, right?" Uruka sighed. "Either they're good people or bad people. Regular folks wouldn't bother."

"Yeah, thankfully, Minamiya-kun is a good person. Otherwise, Ri-chan would have been in danger—even though I know you were helping the shop, it's still surprising to see a girl alone outside so late. Really, what was Uncle Ogata thinking?!" Fumino said somewhat indignantly.

"He just didn't consider so much... after all, in this world, bad people are still a minority." Homura shook his head, then chuckled and said, "But speaking of protecting Ogata-san, you don't need to worry. Every time he sees me, he wants to turn me into udon noodles."

Uruka: "..."

Miyako: "..."

How can you say such a terrifying thing with a calm and composed expression?!

Fumino felt embarrassed, "I do know that Uncle's protection of Ri-chan is a bit excessive... but turning someone into udon noodles..."

"Don't worry, I won't let my dad have his way!" Rizu said firmly.

Miyako wiped the cold sweat off her forehead, "With that said, I dare not meet her dad..."

"Oh, please rest assured, Shirakawa-san..." Homura smiled. "Her dad is just afraid of his little angel being taken away by men, so girls don't need to be afraid."

Miyako was speechless once again. Just how much does Rizu's dad dote on his daughter?!

"Minamiya-sensei, don't you mind? Being treated like that by her dad..." Miyako couldn't help but ask.

Homura said nonchalantly, "Although it's a bit excessive, it's all for Ogata-san's protection. I don't really mind... of course, mainly because I can ensure my own safety. At the very least, it's impossible for him to turn me into udon noodles."

"..." (x3)

They didn't know what to say.

Should they say Homura was domineering, or should they say he was fearless? After all, he really did have confidence.

But being targeted like that and still remaining so indifferent also indicated that Homura genuinely believed Rizu's father's actions were justified, and he didn't mind.

"To be honest, it's a bit too much for Uncle to treat every boy around Ri-chan like that. His stature... gives an extraordinary sense of oppression." Fumino felt her stomach ache. Nothing really happened, but why was she so concerned?

"There's nothing we can do..." Rizu herself said, "Dad has always been like that. Don't you think threatening others is going too far?"

"Threat?!" This time Fumino's stomach really hurt. With a bitter face, she said, "Can't believe there's more..."

Homura also smiled wryly. Even Rizu couldn't help but want to confide in someone.

What exactly did Rizu's father do?

That was the thought of the girls at that moment.