I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

Page 342

I just went out to see a movie, an ordinary day, and yet I still received a gift.

Is today some important day?

Even if you count them all, it's not enough for a 100-day anniversary.

"Consider it a celebration, and a return gift for my birthday last year."

Aki Tomoya also presented the items to Kudo Sayaka.

"There's really no need for celebrations. I've already prepared for the worst, and even if it's a return gift, my birthday hasn't arrived yet."

The celebration probably refers to the upcoming release of a new game.

The new work may not achieve any expected results, which is actually quite disheartening.

And this gift did indeed dispel the gloom in her heart.

However, Kudo Sayaka still felt embarrassed that Aki Tomoya had spent so much money, and even used the excuse that her birthday hadn't arrived yet to explain that she felt unworthy of it.

"I know I'll give you something even better on your birthday."

Aki Tomoya was also too embarrassed to say that he couldn't think of anything else to give as a gift, so he could only choose an expensive Chanel item to express his feelings.

"Besides, I've already bought it. I'm not going to use it myself, much less give it to another girl. Do you really want this bag to end up in some girl's hands?"

He's already bought it, and it's a women's bag, so he definitely can't use it.

But if you were to say you'd give it to someone else, it would only be to scare Sayaka Kudo. If the other person didn't accept it, the bag would only end up in the hands of his mother and no other woman.

If I actually gave it to my mom, she would definitely laugh at me.

And since my girlfriend didn't want it, I gave it to my mom instead. It's not presentable, it doesn't make sense...

"Well... thank you!"

Sayaka Kudo took the bag and looked at the bag inside. She remembered it; it was the latest model released at the beginning of the year, and it wasn't cheap.

"Isn't it unnecessary to buy something so expensive?"

"What you gave me wasn't cheap either."

In response to Kudo Sayaka's surprise, Aki Tomoya smiled slightly and replied with a remark that she couldn't refuse.

After accepting the gifts obediently, Sayaka Kudo had nothing more to say; she would simply appreciate the sentiment.

"If anything goes wrong, it's best to tell me."

Aki Tomoya patted Kudo Sayaka's head and tidied her hair a little.

She's been having some worries lately because of the novel, but she doesn't want to affect Aki Tomoya, so she's been keeping it to herself. Even after telling him what happened, she still pretends that nothing's wrong.

"You have your own things to do, so I won't worry about you. I am a little disappointed, but with this comforting thought, it's not so bad!"

Sayaka Kudo smiled, indicating that there was no need to worry.

She didn't want Aki Tomoya to worry either.

I was somewhat disappointed because I thought that, as the editor said, there probably wouldn't be any surprises after the new work was released.

But it's about time it passed; at least we can continue down this path.

Moreover, the comfort that Aki Tomoya brought at this time made her feel much more at ease.

There's still plenty of time, so take it slow and there's no need to rush.

"Of course I'm worried about you, and the fact that you've been refusing to tell me the truth is what's making me worry."

Aki Tomoya couldn't help but worry; he could clearly sense that the other party was somewhat disappointed, and he couldn't ignore it.

Besides, as her boyfriend, isn't it normal for him to be worried?

"...To be honest, there's not much to look forward to. I can only say I'll try harder next time."

"You're saying discouraging things again. It hasn't even been released normally yet, and given how you've already done this, the result probably won't be any worse. Why not just look forward to it?"

The most terrible thing is when a writer begins to lose confidence in his own work.

At the very least, one should have a full understanding of one's own things, even if it's just knowing the outcome. It's not about simply lacking confidence, but about trying to understand why things are bad and just getting stuck in the situation.

Aki Tomoya's words cheered Kudo Sayaka up a little.

"That's true. Even if it's bad, it can't be too bad. At least it passed the publisher's approval. Basically, it's a passable grade. Let's hope there won't be any surprises!"

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt much better.

It won't be too bad. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, why not look forward to a little more surprise?

I'm just a little unwilling to accept it.

After all, she put a lot of effort into her new work.

However, someone had told her back in high school that hard work doesn't guarantee success.

There are many people in this world who are more outstanding than her, many who are more outstanding and work harder than her, and quite a few who work even harder than her, or who are not as good as her now.

"You have something on your head. Lower your head slightly and I'll help you remove it."

Kudo Sayaka suddenly looked up and pointed at Aki Tomoya's hair.

Without giving it much thought, Aki Rin lowered his head slowly as Kudo Sayaka had instructed.

The next second, Aki Tomoya was not greeted by the other person's hand, but by close contact with Kudo Sayaka.

As soon as Kudo Sayaka lowered her slightly raised foot, Aki Tomoya said with a surprised look, "Do you always like to surprise people like this?"

"Don't you like it?"

Chapter 382 You Might as Well Just Die

That was Sayaka Kudo's first kiss, and also his first kiss.

Just like last time, it came somewhat suddenly, catching everyone off guard.

That's why, when they took Sayaka Kudo home that evening, they were both a little reluctant to part.

Savoring the sensation on my lips, it lingered longer than the last time I felt it on my cheek.

I never expected such a surprise to happen.

That heart-fluttering feeling still lingers in my heart.

Even after arriving home, Aki Tomoya still couldn't forget the blush on Kudo Sayaka's face.

"You look like something good has happened to you, Tomoya!"

In the living room, the father, who looked quite drunk, noticed the commotion at the door and turned around to see Aki Tomoya's radiant expression.

The father, having been through similar experiences, understood that expression well and couldn't help but tease him.

"You drink like this when you finally get a break. You should get some rest."

Upon noticing his father's face flushed from alcohol, Aki Tomoya knew what his father had been doing before returning home.

On days when I'm not being sent on business trips by the company, it's understandable that I had a couple of drinks with a friend.

"Speaking of which, Tomoya, you're almost twenty, and soon you're old enough to drink alcohol. Shall we have a coming-of-age ceremony then?"

"If you want me to come with you, I have no objection."

You are officially considered an adult at twenty, and only at this age can you drink alcohol and buy cigarettes at convenience stores.

Of course, there are many people who do these things before they turn twenty, and as long as no one reports them, nothing happens. But if someone reports them, there will be trouble.

Aki Tomo had no objection to his father's suggestion that they come over for a couple of drinks later.

Having a few drinks is fine, just to keep him company.

"Mom said you've started dating. If you run out of money, be sure to tell me. Don't try to tough it out. Dating is very expensive!"

It sounds like the father went through something similar back then.

To this, Aki Tomoya simply nodded, going along with his already drunk father.

"By the way, teenagers like you might make mistakes in the end, so it's essential to take good care of yourselves. Some people these days have absolutely no sense of responsibility!"

The father started talking more, and even wanted to give his son a proper lesson in health education.

He also reminded Aki Tomoya that everyone can understand the stirrings of puberty, but certain measures must be taken, especially being prepared to take responsibility.

This topic prompted Aki Tomoya to immediately decide to end the discussion.

"You've had too much to drink, you should go upstairs and rest!"

Aki Tomoya looked at his father with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

They've already gotten to that kind of thing.

Fueled by alcohol, I felt like my father could say anything.

In an effort to stop this, Aki Tomoya hurriedly began urging his father to go and rest.

If we keep going like this, the topic might become inappropriate for children.

After being stopped by Aki Tomoya, the father shut up, muttering something under his breath.

"You should get some rest too, Tomoya. Don't worry about me... Oh, and if you ever have the chance, you absolutely must introduce us to your girlfriend!"