Dating sim loading: My girlfriend is a cunning young lady
Chapter 49 - 43. Do you think I still have a chance?

Chapter 49: 43. Do you think I still have a chance?

The weather was getting more and more muggy, and when Dubian Che went to the public swimming pool for his evening swim, he found that it was much more crowded. It was no longer realistic to swim back and forth for fifty meters without stopping.

He had no choice but to give up freeloading and got himself a swim card at the gym.

On the afternoon of May 26, Monday, a sudden downpour struck Tokyo.

The sky, clear just a few seconds ago, was quickly shrouded in dark clouds, and raindrops covered the entire windowpane, making a pattering sound.

Dubian Che, who was attending his Modern Society class and had not brought an umbrella, was surprisingly in a good mood. It had been a long time since it had rained, and he had missed it dearly.

Mr. Inoue, who taught Modern Society, stopped the lecture. He looked out the window, pushed his black-framed glasses up on the bridge of his nose, and turned on the fluorescent lights.

The dim classroom was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"This kind of economic phenomenon is not common, but it has always existed, like in 1994 on Wall Street..."

After the class,

"Wow, it’s really pouring out there."

"Could this be the rainy season?"

"It could just be a regular summer thunderstorm."

"Idiot! It’s only May; it’s not even really summer yet. How could it be a summer storm!"

Saito Keisuke and Kunii Shuichi were bickering over something trivial by the window.

Dubian Che packed up his bag. "Are you coming or not?"

"We’re coming, we’re coming!" The two of them hurried back to their seats and grabbed their bags.

The three of them headed to the club building together, hearing many people discussing the sudden storm on the way. The entire campus was filled with a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere.

Passing through the overhead corridor and arriving at the club building, the three split off to their respective club rooms—calling them study rooms might be more apt before the midterm exams.

In the activity room of the Human Observation Department on the fifth floor, Jiutiao Meiji was lying on the couch, fast asleep. Judging by the time, she probably hadn’t attended her afternoon classes.

Although she usually acted superior, her sleeping figure was quite ordinary — curled up, hugging a cushion tightly.

Around the sofa, brand-new manga and light novels were scattered about. The tea in the cup was still warm, and the TV screen showed the end-of-game results for Mario Kart.

The game ID "Jiutiao Meiji" was ranked first.

Dubian Che surveyed the room as he walked to his seat; the sound of the metal chair he pulled out startled her awake.

"Dubian? Make another sound, and I’ll kill you." Jiutiao Meiji murmured without opening her eyes, hugging the cushion even tighter as she drifted back to sleep.

She was grumpy indeed.

Dubian Che decided to be absolutely quiet.

Not just the normally short-tempered Jiutiao Meiji, even those with usually mild manners could feel the urge to commit murder or even destroy the world when they woke up cranky.

When he took out "Spanish Grammar and Vocabulary" from his backpack, Kiyono Lin came in with light steps. Upon seeing the mess, she frowned slightly.

Her movement pulling out a metal chair was gentler than Dubian Che’s and made little noise, not enough to wake Jiutiao Meiji.

After sitting down, Kiyono Lin, as usual, took out a book to read.

This time it was the all-English "Animal Encyclopedia: Dolphins."

Dubian Che had seen this book at Kiiroku Bookstore on Sunday, but it was the Island Country language version translated by Ito Nianyi.

Since he was not interested in dolphins and a "Tokyo hottie" didn’t need to know about dolphins, he hadn’t looked at it.

The three listened to the rain, each engrossed in encyclopedia reading, studying Spanish, or having a deep sleep, until a thunderclap loud enough to deafen roused Jiutiao Meiji from her slumber.

She sat cross-legged on the sofa, staring blankly into the void before finally saying, "Dubian Che, fetch me some grapes."

"I’m studying."

"Bang!" Dubian Che caught the pillow that flew towards him, still carrying the lingering fragrance of Jiutiao Meiji.

"Hurry up." The girl who threw the pillow commanded before lying back down.

Dubian Che, with dissatisfaction, placed the pillow under his bottom, deciding to use it as a cushion.

After all, sitting on a steel chair wasn’t comfortable, and it wasn’t too hot even with the air conditioning on during summer.

He got up and walked towards the refrigerator: "If I’m doing chores for you, at least pay me. Not asking for tens of millions of yen, but how about a million a month?"

Jiutiao Meiji yawned lazily, paying him no attention.

The luxurious refrigerator door opened to reveal a variety of washed fresh fruits and desserts that Dubian Che had never seen before.

He picked up a plate filled with grapes and placed it on the small table in front of the couch.

Jiutiao Meiji picked up the grapes, pulling out a few from the bottom, her hand full and brimming.

"Here, your salary."

Her hand appeared slender due to the good proportions. In reality, it was just a young girl’s hand, meaning Dubian Che’s "salary," the grapes in her hand, totaled only four.

"Miss Jiutiao, I do have some pride as a man... sorry."

Jiutiao Meiji’s eyebrows slightly raised as she glanced at Dubian Che, leading him to obediently take the "salary" from her hand.

Seeing his aggrieved expression, Jiutiao Meiji ate the grapes with great pleasure, then started playing Mario Kart with her foot.

Meanwhile, Dubian Che sat on the pillow that Jiutiao Meiji had just been embracing, holding the juicy grapes in indignation.

He imagined himself sitting on Jiutiao Meiji’s face to alleviate the pain, to forget the pain.

’Isn’t this just Mr. Lu Xun’s technique of spiritual victory? Have I become Ah Q? No, no!’

Dubian Che snapped out of it and quickly stuffed a grape into his mouth, resuming his earnest study of Spanish.

The grape was delicious; sweet but not cloying, and very juicy. Dubian Che couldn’t help but eat a second one.

Just as he was putting it into his mouth, he noticed Kiyono Lin’s gaze.

"Want one?" Dubian Che offered her the grape in his hand.

No sooner had he spoken than Jiutiao Meiji’s voice came with the rain from outside, "If you dare give away what I gave you to someone else, I’ll make you jump from here."

"But this is the fifth floor."

"Too low? How high would you like to jump? I can build it for you."

"...Perhaps your generosity is misplaced."

"The compensation for dying in service is always high," said Jiutiao Meiji, as the game character she controlled took a strong lead and continually threw banana peels backwards, "plus it could be a good opportunity to sponsor Goda High School, with the condition that the rule requiring students to join clubs is changed."

Dubian Che looked at Kiyono Lin: "Sorry, I’ll have to eat these grapes myself."

Kiyono Lin put down her book and sighed: "Mr. Dubian, where did you get the idea that I wanted grapes?"

"Then why are you looking at me?"

"I just felt like you were really enjoying Jiutiao’s commands. Could it be that you like it? Have I been using the wrong approach?"

Looking at Kiyono Lin who started to seriously contemplate, Dubian Che’s head was filled with frustration.

Who would actually like being ordered around! If he didn’t have parents, he would have killed Jiutiao Meijie and left a long time ago!

"This is work, and obeying orders is the duty of a subordinate," he said irritably.

"So that means you don’t deny that you like being ordered around."

"I have nothing to say to you."

Dubian Che shoved two grapes into his mouth at once, puffing up his cheeks like a squirrel.

After a brief and unpleasant conversation, the activity room returned to its quiet state with only the exceptionally loud sound of rain outside the window.

By the time school ended, even though the summer days were getting longer and the nights shorter, the hallways and the sky outside were shrouded in darkness.

The sharp arrows of rain hitting the ground made a cold noise.

The air carried a chill.

Dubian Che stood in the lobby on the first floor, wondering how to get home, and about Yuzao Haomei’s sign-in — today marked exactly one month.

"What should I do?"

"The rain won’t stop, I should have known better than to bring my instrument to school."

"Call your family to pick you up?"

"My parents won’t be home until late."

"Same here."

"Then let my father give you a lift?"

"You’re the best, senior~~"

Three girls carrying their instruments came from the direction of the shoe lockers behind him.

Dubian Che looked at one particular petite and exquisite girl and indeed saw the name "Hanaoka Chaozi" on the cello case.

So this must be the girl Kunii Shuichi likes, he thought.

As the three approached and saw Dubian Che through the dim light, they instinctively lowered their voices.

The little girl named Hanaoka Chaozi, feeling shy under Dubian Che’s gaze, used her cello case to block his line of sight.

Dubian Che turned to look at the rain, it would be trouble if there were any misunderstandings.

Soon after, Kiyono Lin who went to return the key to the activity room also changed her shoes and walked under the cover of the corridor.

"You didn’t bring an umbrella either?"

"It was stolen," Kiyono Lin said, a bit vexed.

"Stolen?"

Kiyono Lin said with resentment, "I kept an umbrella at the school in a spot for a long time, and now it’s gone."

"Ah haha."

Dubian Che’s hearty laughter drew the attention of the other students waiting for the rain to stop. He was too happy, since it was rare to see Kiyono Lin at a disadvantage.

Kiyono Lin glared at him and helplessly watched the torrential rain that showed no sign of stopping.

As Dubian Che was in a good mood with nothing to do, he started chatting with her, boasting about his knowledge of the causes of the rainy season.

"The cold air from the north meets the warm air from the south around the middle and lower reaches of China’s Yangtze River, forming a quasi-stationary front that hovers without moving much. This front,

with its belt of rain, extends from the middle of the Yangtze River all the way to the Island Country. This precipitation, which can last a month or even longer, is the rainy season."

Kiyono Lin held her temples, her head aching.

"I admire your ability to repeat textbook knowledge with such a proud tone. Also, I’m already sick of the rain, so please spare me any more talk about it."

"That’s called being topical."

"Normal people call this ’not reading the room.’"

"Is that so?"

"Mr. Dubian, I suggest you cut your hair a bit shorter."

"Is it too long?" Dubian Che touched the bangs above his brow, which hadn’t reached his eyebrows yet.

"No, it would just make you seem a bit smarter."

"..."

"Hehehe." The crisp, instrument-like giggles came from the three Wind Instrument Club members nearby.

Dubian Che said grumpily, "I’m already smart enough without any plans to become smarter."

"Just by saying that, you have proved that you’re not smart enough."

[You have one new email.]

Dubian Che fell silent, not because he couldn’t argue with Kiyono Lin, but because the monthly sign-in gift was very important. After all, it was about whether he could defeat the Jiutiao Family’s trillion-dollar assets.

To reiterate, he was not a coward.

But if one had to say that he was, then Dubian Che would accept it.

After all, gentlemen, please think about it — sometimes, having the ability to back down when necessary is also a talent.

[Sign-in days: Yuzao Haomei・30 days]

[Player has received a sign-in gift package]

[Points・Five Thousand]

[Money・One Million yen]

[Charm Discount Voucher (Player’s charm under 10 points gets a 70% discount, over 10 points gets a 30% discount)]

Points?

And exactly five thousand?

The same amount of points as the reward for the strategy with Yuzao Haomei!

Dubian Che picked up his phone and dialed Jiutiao Meijie’s number — he had saved it after taking a call on Saturday.

"What is it?"

Jiutiao Meijie’s impatient voice came through.

"Dubian, do you think I’m like you, only having to study? Every day I have to deal with work that you couldn’t finish in a lifetime!"

"If it’s nothing important, I suggest you start thinking now about a reason to avoid being punished by me tomorrow."

"Jiutiao, no, Meijie, do you think I still have a chance?"

"...Huh?"

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