Aoko Aozaki picked up the book that had fallen onto her lap, then glared at the other passengers who had been sneakily watching them.
Everyone looked away with a sense of regret. After all, there were three little beauties here. Since they had been caught, they were too embarrassed to keep staring.
Looking at the book in Aoko's hand, Le Zhengling was about to ask for it back, but before he could speak, she turned to look at Touko. Having missed his chance, he could only close his mouth.
"Sister, is this book really that good?" Aoko asked Touko, holding up No Longer Human.
"It's a very interesting book..." Touko gave only that assessment and said no more. At fifteen, she still didn't know how to explain the book to her younger sister.
"Really? Then read it to me when we get home!" Aoko said with a cheerful smile, putting the book in her pocket. She then turned to Le Zhengling. "I can borrow this for a few days, right?"
You've already put it away, can I even say no? Le Zhengling covered his forehead with one hand, nodding with a pained expression.
Although getting along with Aoko was a bit tiring, it was also quite enjoyable.
—Could I be a bit of a masochist?
That question flashed through his mind, and he quickly shook his head to banish the ominous thought.
"What do you mean by nodding and then shaking your head!" Aoko said unhappily, slapping his hand away from his forehead.
"I mean, you can have the book. Please just leave me in peace," Le Zhengling said, closing his eyes in exasperation. He was really bad at dealing with people like Aoko. She wasn't malicious; in fact, she was quite kind, but she always left you feeling helpless.
"I don't want your stuff! A loan is a loan. After I've read it—well, after my sister has read it to me, I'll give it back. Oh, and my name is Aoko Aozaki. What's your name?"
"Le Zhengling. My name is Le Zhengling," he said, rubbing his reddened hand and turning his face away.
"Oh, since we've exchanged names, we're friends now!" Aoko beamed at him, making Le Zhengling curse the fact that smartphones didn't exist in this era. Otherwise, he could have taken a picture of her innocent smile now and used it as major blackmail material in a few years.
Even at this young age, she already showed the budding signs of the future tyrant who would rule the school and treat others like slaves. Le Zhengling felt a pang of pity for the people who would fall under her control in the future.
After being interrupted, Touko realized that she had been unwilling to return the book. Her face flushed red. She never thought she would be so bewitched as to do something so rude. She had just been calling Aoko rude, and now she was no better.
I can't even face my sister now. Luckily, they weren't paying attention.
Seeing the two children make up and introduce themselves, Touko chimed in at the right moment. "Hello, I'm Aoko's older sister, Touko Aozaki. It's nice to meet you, little Zhengling. It's amazing that you can understand such a profound book."
Hearing Touko's form of address and praise, Le Zhengling felt a little guilty. His mental age was older than both of them combined, not to mention he had ulterior motives regarding them.
That was why he hadn't been upset by their overly forward actions.
While Touko was speaking, Aoko also quieted down, watching her sister with interest. She was very happy that her sister was finally taking the initiative to talk to someone else.
"It's nothing amazing. I just like to read," Le Zhengling replied, following Touko's lead.
"This book... is there a sequel?" Touko stared intently at Le Zhengling, making him feel immense pressure.
"If Touko... sis, if you like this book, I actually brought the next volume with me." As he spoke, he took out another pocket-sized book of the same size from his bag.
However, before he could say, "You can borrow it," the book vanished from his hand.
He froze for a moment, subconsciously opening and closing his fingers. Realizing it wasn't an illusion, he looked up and saw Touko already flipping through the book.
Seeing Le Zhengling's dazed expression, Aoko shamelessly covered her mouth and giggled.
Her sister's movement just now was so fast that even she couldn't see it clearly. It was the first time she had seen her sister like this—no longer the calm and reliable older sister. She found it very refreshing.
"Ling-chan, don't worry. My sister and I will return it to you as soon as we're done," Aoko said with a sympathetic tone.
"You have to read it too..." Le Zhengling muttered.
"Of course. Since my sister said it's interesting, I have to read it too," Aoko said, leaning close to his face and adding in a half-threatening tone, "Are you saying you won't let me read it?"
"No, it's not that I'm unwilling, but this kind of book... it's less interesting and more toxic, I'd say..." Le Zhengling turned his head, avoiding the cute face that was right in front of him.
Although he didn't answer directly, he didn't refuse to lend it. And Aoko wasn't the type to get to the bottom of things. As long as she got a satisfactory answer, she didn't care about the rest of what he said.
"By the way, Ling-chan, where are you going to play in Tokyo?" Aoko asked enthusiastically. In her mind, she already considered this easy-to-bully person a friend.
"I'm not going there to play."
"What! You're going to Tokyo on a holiday but not to play?" Aoko was extremely surprised. It was something she couldn't even imagine.
"I usually help out at home during the holidays. I'm going to Tokyo this time for a medical check-up."
"Huh? You mean there's actually a cure for your head problem?" Aoko was even more surprised.
A dark line appeared on Le Zhengling's forehead. "Who said there's a problem with my head?"
"Huh? There isn't? Then why did you say it could be cured in twenty years?"
He pressed his lips together tightly, not knowing what to say. Seeing his expression, Aoko finally realized she had misunderstood earlier.
The air suddenly became quiet, and the situation was very awkward.
"So... right! Ling-chan, where do you go to school?" Aoko forcibly changed the subject.
"Private Sakakino Academy." He went along with Aoko's change of topic.
"Isn't that the famous school in the prefecture next to ours? I heard their school uniforms are really pretty!" Aoko's eyes widened with envy.
"Pretty...?" Le Zhengling's expression was strange. But on second thought, compared to other public schools, Sakakino Academy's uniforms did have some unique features.
He had always looked at this era with the eyes of his past life, so of course, he would find them ugly. But Japanese school uniforms wouldn't undergo another reform until the late 1990s. The familiar blazer-style and Eton-style uniforms only started to become popular then.
And his current school's uniforms, for both boys and girls, were already leaning towards a modern Western style. Compared to some schools that still used uniforms from the Meiji Restoration era, they were indeed much better looking.
The two then started chatting about school life, or comparing what they did during the holidays. As they talked, they became more familiar with each other. It was no longer just Aoko talking; Le Zhengling would also chime in from time to time.
"By the way, Ling-chan, why are you going to the hospital for a check-up?" As they were talking, Aoko brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and asked with curiosity.
Seeing this very feminine gesture, Le Zhengling suddenly felt a little flutter in his heart.
He looked troubled, not sure whether to answer truthfully or to change the subject. If he answered truthfully, he could plant a seed in Touko's mind now, which might lead to her help in the future. Thinking of this, his gaze unconsciously shifted to Touko.
At some point, Touko had put down the book and was listening to their chat. Noticing his gaze, she thought he was in a difficult position. She stroked Aoko's head and said softly, "Aoko, that's a personal matter."
Only then did Aoko realize that she had just met this person, and he wasn't one of her childhood friends.
At that thought, her face turned red. She thought to herself that she was already a junior high student, but she was still completely powerless against her sister's actions. She felt a secret envy for that kind of maturity.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (330 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (130 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (140 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (330 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (160 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (170 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (90 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (130 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (140 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (148 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (150 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (130 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (100 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (50 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (80 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (90 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal Life in the Nasuverse (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.