[The Eighth Day]
"The cherry blossom rain seems to be endless."
Ying looked at the full sky of cherry blossom rain with emotion.
I have declined club activities on the fifth day. Today, I only needed to eat Shuiyuan Weina's lunch for the last time to avoid entering those two plot lines.
"It won't really be endless, there will always be an end."
"Mhm..."
Ying seemed to be sad. Although what I said was clearly true.
"God, please let the cherry blossom stay at the most beautiful moment forever!"
"What's with this kind of prayer that goes against the laws of nature..."
Although I responded like this, I still couldn't help but think about what Ying said in the cafe before I reloaded the game. What did she mean by "need money".
"You are right. Prayer should be used for more important things."
Ying nodded.
... she clearly didn't understand that I was trying to tease her!
Wait a minute, the more important things... would it be… money?
"The more important things? What are they?"
"Wish will not come true if it is told to other people. But if Classmate Gaocheng really really wants to know my wish today, I think I can tell you."
Should I keep asking her? She didn't seem to want to tell me. It would be rude if I kept asking her, right?
Also, what did she mean by her wish today?... Could it be that classmate Yuchuan's wish was refreshed daily?
"Classmate Gaocheng, don't you want to know?"
——Because I was immersed in my own thinking, I did not respond to her words for a long time. So Ying reminded me again.
If I ignored her again, probably it would be gameover's cherry blossom road's screen again.
"I want to know, please tell me."
I decided to ask her.
"Today's wish is to eat donuts!"
Such a simple wish...
"Then we can go and buy it."
"But there is something I need to do after school today..."
Yong shook her head.
Wait, something she needs to do? Was it a part-time job? Thinking about it carefully, Ying only moved here last week. Why did she find a part-time job so quickly? Did she urgently need some money?
However, asking her directly why she worked part-time would definitely not work. In short, I had to bring our relationship closer. As for the way to do it was very simple-
"I also have a wish."
"What is it?"
"Now I only know how to make curry and rice. But if I'm eating curry and rice everyday, I will definitely get tired of it. If I can learn some new dishes, it would be great. So, can classmate Yuchuan teach me new dishes?"
The key here was to invite classmate Ying to cook at my flat.
"Eh?"
Ying froze for a moment.
"Yes, I can. But I can do it today and tomorrow… Is wednesday, okay?"
In other words, she had to work these two days?
"Wednesday is fine."
"About this, I might have to ask for one thing..."
"What is it?"
"Can... Can my little sister come with me? No one will cook for her if I am away..."
"Of course, she is very welcomed!"
"That's great, I knew classmate Gaocheng would agree... By the way, I want to ask classmate Gaocheng one more thing..."
"What is it?"
"Although I shouldn't bother classmate Gaocheng so much, you are the only one who I can ask… Tonight because there is something at home, I can't go to the cafe to work… Can classmate Gaocheng help me to work for a day?"
So what happened tonight was not part-time work, but something else...
"...okay. A Part-time job is not a problem at all."
"Thank you, classmate Gaocheng!"
I didn't know how many times I've been thanked by a girl in this game. "Being needed" could probably be regarded as one of the sources of satisfaction.
After school, I replaced Ying and came to work at the cafe where I and Minghai Lily once came to—it was only once, and it was in the last save. So I don't know what they were doing now.
"Are you Student Gaocheng? Please change into this uniform, because you are here for the first time. You can just do the easy task like serving the coffee."
The store manager was an intellectual big sister with brown curly hair who looked about twenty-six years old. She had a very graceful figure under the uniform. It could be regarded as welfare for the game player.
"Don't get your clothes dirty, or you will have to stay and wash it with your hands~"
She told me.
At first, I thought this job was interesting, but after a while, I started yawning.
There were couples everywhere. I felt too uncomfortable when I realized that I was single. Even in the game, I still feel like those couples were trying to show off how affectionate they were being exposed. When would this end?
"Student Gaocheng, please give these two cups of coffee to the two guests, a man, and a woman over there."
The store manager pointed to a table sitting by the window near the door. The two guests sitting there didn't look young, but they were obviously well dressed. In the coffee shop, were they talking about work or—
"Two cappuccinos, please enjoy your drink."
I put down my coffee, feeling a little bored. I then stood by a nearby pillar, waiting for the next guest who I didn't know when they would appear.
"...I said, it's okay to get married, but there is absolutely no way to accept having to take care of two children."
The woman at that table was talking. Sure enough, it was a blind date, and according to this situation, the man was in a very bad situation.
"Ying Is already in high school and can take care of herself. Although Jasmine is only in the first grade of middle school, she is very cute..."
Ying?
Was it a coincidence? Was it the same name? After all, there were many girls with this name.
Although the man lowered his voice, the content of the conversation was still clear to me.
"But your work is so busy. If we get married, then does it mean that I have to take care of..."
"Then, how about hiring a babysitter?"
"The cost of hiring the nanny is too much, I will think about it again... Thank you for the coffee, Hongye."
The woman left the seat.
"Sigh..."
The man sat alone and sighed.
I was still thinking about the content of their dialogue. It seemed that the man wanted to remarry this woman, but the woman refused him because the man had two daughters...
It was so pitiful.
...
"This wasn't your first part-time job, right? Student Gaocheng? Surprisingly, you have a pretty good physical strength."
After the business closed at eight o'clock, the manager came to me specially.
"It's really my first time working… regarding my physical strength, probably I often exercise."
I yawned. There was no fatigue setting in this game, so I wouldn't be tired even after running ten kilometers.
"It just so happened that Shanqi, who was supposed to work part-time, suffered a foot injury and was unable to come this week, so the shop is very short of manpower... If Student Gaocheng is free, can you work on Tuesday and Thursday? The wage will be the same as today."
Ying happened to be working here on Tuesday. Was this some kind of hint? Working together could strengthen the relationship, and help me understand why she wanted money, so I readily agreed.
"Thank you, Student Gaocheng"
——
[Ninth Day]
The ninth day came quickly. Very well then, this time, I would pass the game in one go!
"I didn't expect to be able to work with classmate Gaocheng."
I left the classroom with Ying and walked to the cafe where we were going to work at.
As expected of a game, the sun was almost still hanging over my head when school was over, which was not the same as real-life at all.
"The store manager said that he needed manpower, I have nothing to do, so I can help."
Today was also a very important day, because all the plotlines of the other two girls would intersect today.
Whether it was Shuiyuan Weina being scolded by her mother, or Minghai Lily's game club's crisis, or the part-time job in a cafe, all happened after school, and it was necessary for me to give up the other two in order to continue Ying's story.
But I was still worried about them...
"What's the matter with you, you've always been absent-minded lately?"
Sure enough, Ms. Shuiyuan was already at the school gate, reprimanding Shuiyuan Weina.
"..."
I forcibly turned my head to the other side, not looking at them. But the sound continued to pass into my ears.
...
"...I won't let mother down."
it was finally over.
No, it was not that simple. Wasn't the man who appeared over there the former club president!
After typing a paragraph on the phone, the man looked anxiously at the teaching building, which was exactly the direction of the game club...
In a while, Minghai Lily would come down to see him.
"What's the matter, classmate Gaocheng? You don't need to go to work if you feel uncomfortable. I'll talk to the store manager for you."
"No, I'm just thinking of something. Let's go."
I no longer looked at Shuiyuan Weina and the former club president. People shouldn't always look backward and should focus on the way forward.
"Oh, two of you come together today? It's great! Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do."
The shop manager was very happy to see us and immediately greeted us. He told us to change into uniforms and start work.
Still, the store was full of high school students. There were very few young people in this small town, except for high school students.
But what made me wonder was, what kind of relationship did the middle-aged man have with Yin yesterday?
'Ding--'
A customer was here.
I opened the door and a middle-aged man and woman walked in.
"Welcome... Ah, are you?"
It was the middle-aged man from yesterday! But this time the woman was not the one from yesterday.
I looked at Ying instinctively. She seemed to be talking to the store manager with her back facing us.
"Two guests, please sit here."
Since he was here, I couldn't drive them out. Moreover, I was not completely sure of his relationship with Ying... I could only try to arrange them in a remote location.
"Two cups of Earl Grey Tea, thank you."
After the man sat down, he ordered. Although I wanted to continue listening to their conversation, I must first place an order for them now.
"The guests over there want two glasses of Earl Grey tea."
"Okay."
Hurry up, I really wanted to hear their conversation...
"Earl Grey tea is ready, please take them to the guests."
The manager put the tea and milk made on the tray and handed it to me.
After serving tea to the two guests, I stood behind a screen not far from them on purpose.
They wouldn't be able to see me standing there.
"...I think you are a good person, we may be a perfect match."
"It's great to hear that, but I have to tell you in advance...I have two daughters."
"...Oh, this is quite troublesome. Although I like children very much, I also have a 3-year-old son. If I form a family with so many children... I am afraid I will be exhausted physically and mentally to take care of the children and work at the same time. "
This woman brought her 3-year-old son by herself, which must be really difficult.
"Don't worry, my two daughters are very sensible. Ying is already in high school and can take care of herself. Although Jasmine is only in the first grade of middle school, she is very well-behaved... By the way, Ying is good at cooking, if you don't mind, you come to our home and taste her cooking skills."
"I believe your daughters must be well-behaved girls, but I'm afraid my son will trouble you..."
"You are worrying too much. I would never think it that way. I think two people can take care of each other if they form a family!"
The man was already a little anxious, because he was afraid that the other person would refuse like the woman yesterday.
"Mhm... what you said is very reasonable. Let's just get to know each other's family situation to see if we are suitable for each other."
"That's great. Because there is a meeting that requires me to travel to a neighboring city for a few days, so is it okay that we meet on Friday?"
I always felt something was wrong in my heart, why did the event always happen on Friday?
"..."
Wait, did they say something again? I had to listen carefully.
"Okay. It's getting too late now, let's meet on Friday."
"Okay, then see you on Friday."
I looked for Ying's figure-she was still greeting the guests on the other side.
"Thank you!"
After seeing these two guests left, I came to Ying.
"Huh? Is classmate Gaocheng free?"
"Classmate Yuchuan, if you don't mind me asking, what is your order little sister's name?"
"Jasmine, Yuchuan Jasmine."
Jasmine? !
No, if it was not a coincidence, that man was really Yuchuan's father?
So Yuchuan was a single-parent family? Did she know that father wanted to remarry? Did this have to do with her 'need money'?
A series of questions left me confused.
——
[The Tenth day]
Regarding the dish we were going to cook, the result of our discussion was to make Jasmine's favorite lasagna...
After school, we still went to buy cooking materials together, and then went to Ying's house to pick up Jasmine.
"Nice to meet you, Elder Brother Gaocheng, just call me Jasmine!"
Jasmine, Ying's younger sister, was a girl in the first grade of middle school, with the liveliness that a girl of this age should have.
"Nice to meet you, Jasmine."
"Hehe, Jasmine is very excited to meet you."
"Wow, my elder sister is so happy."
Jasmine teased.
"Am...Am I? Obviously, it is the same as usual..."
"Hehe--"
"By the way, today we are going to make your favorite lasagna."
"Wow-that's great! By the way, today..."
Jasmine, this little girl, kept twittering all the way. I really didn't know how Ying could endure it at home...
"We are here."
"Is Elder Brother Gaocheng's house here? Is there anyone else in the house?"
"No, but there is a cat named Meow Chan."
"I know Meow Chan! My elder sister talks about it every day!"
"Jasmine, stop talking..."
I could tell that Ying really didn't know how to deal with Jasmine...
"Meow--"
Meow Chan was already in front of us when we opened the door.
"Meow Chan! So cute!"
"Jasmine! Put away your shoes..."
But Jasmine, who rushed past us when she saw Meow Chan, didn't seem to hear it.
"En? Jasmine is actually able to pet it?"
Meow Chan, who had never been touched by me since I brought it home, allowed Jasmine to pet its head? Was it because Jasmine was a pure child?
Although Meow Chan looked a bit reluctant.
"By the way, didn't classmate Gaocheng say that Meow Chan never let others touch it?"
"Forget it, I don't understand it either..."
We put down the ingredients and started cooking.
The method of making lasagna was a bit complicated, and the meat needed to be marinated for half an hour.
During that period, I had to turn on the TV and switched to the children's channel for Jasmine, but since Ying and I had nothing to do, we watched the children's animation.
After half an hour, formal cooking began. After the meal was finally ready, two hours passed.