NOVPUBIt’s fine. I’d already stayed up last night thinking about all kinds of messy things, so I’d come up with a strategy for dealing with exactly this kind of situation ahead of time.
As long as I answered calmly and guided things in the direction I wanted them to go, there wouldn’t be any problems.
I steadied myself, forced a small smile, and replied smoothly.
“Yeah, of course I like her. If I didn’t, why would I be dating her?”
That was the stock answer I’d prepared well in advance.
But in reality... what was the truth?
I wasn’t even sure myself. Still... I probably do like her.
Even though I know she’s dangerous, I’ve already gotten used to having her around.
I don’t feel annoyed when we bicker, and when she does those deliberate or unconscious affectionate things, I get that rush in my chest.
Especially when it’s Soft Lillian... whenever I’m with her, I start feeling inferior, like I’m not good enough. I even fall into these little spirals—Is it really okay for someone like me to be her boyfriend? Am I dreaming? Am I even allowed to like someone like her? Thoughts like that just keep flooding in.
That... maybe that’s what it means to like someone.
“Really? Then what do you like about her, Brother?”
“What do I like... I guess she’s gentle.”
But is that really it? Do I like her because she’s gentle? That doesn’t feel quite right...
Let’s try to be honest again. What exactly do I like about her?
I didn’t want to lie to Cora, and I didn’t want to lie to myself either. So I closed my eyes and began to think back on my memories with Lillian.
The clearest memory was definitely... that time she chased me through the science building.
Back then, all I felt was fear—but now that I think about it, that first smile under the starlight... it had this eerie beauty that made me want to die for her. And at that moment, I could only see her smile...
And then there was our first-ever date. When I remembered that day, I couldn’t help but smile.
That might’ve been the kind of normal happiness I’d always wanted.
Both of Lillian’s personalities had something that drew me in. Without either side, she wouldn’t be complete.
So, I’d found my answer.
“No, not just because she’s gentle. I just like her. She’s got all these different sides that attract me. It’s hard to explain, really, haha.”
“Mmph...!”
Cora made a pouty face as if she’d taken a hit from my honest, thought-out answer.
Good, good—this was the rhythm I needed.
If I made her realize that her big brother already had a girlfriend, and that the relationship was so strong there was no way to break it up, she’d probably just give up on me.
...That would’ve worked. If only it were just Cora. But I’d forgotten—Serena was here too...
Just as Cora was pouting in silence, not sure how to respond, Serena suddenly cut in.
“Then... does Lillian Ji like you too?”
Cora’s eyes lit up, and she pressed aggressively.
“Yeah! Isn’t she some heiress from a rich family? Why would a girl like that fall for you, Brother? Haven’t you ever wondered about that? What if she’s after something else...”
...She hit the nail right on the head.
Lillian originally approached me for my corpse. Yeah. Even now, that might still be the case—she’s just not in a rush anymore.
But there’s no way in hell I can say that out loud. I can’t tell them anything about that kind of dangerous stuff. If I’m [N O V E L I G H T] the only one getting dragged into it, fine—but I will not let my family get pulled in too. That’s the one thing I absolutely won’t compromise on.
“Even if that’s what you think, there’s nothing about me worth plotting over. If anything, the fact that she’s a rich heiress and still chose me proves she’s being sincere, doesn’t it?”
“Mmm...”
Logical and reasonable. Makes sense.
Neither of them pressed me any further after that.
Whew... Looks like I cleared that hurdle.
“So, you really do like Lillian Ji, huh, Brother?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Cora lowered her head, her voice soft and disappointed.
“...More than you like me?”
“Why are you even comparing that? I love both of you.”
I never thought I’d get asked this kind of question. Girls sure love to ask these impossible either-or questions, don’t they?
Why can’t there be a third answer?
“No! You have to pick! Even if you love both, there’s always someone you love more, right?”
Cora suddenly slammed the table and stood up, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
“You can only have one most important person!”
She... she turned dark!
“Uh...”
Crap! How the hell am I supposed to answer that?! No matter what I say, this is going to blow up in my face!
“Cora, that’s enough.”
Thank god—Serena stepped in at just the right time. She pulled Cora back down and gently scolded her.
“You can’t put Brother on the spot like that.”
“Mmm...”
Nice one, Serena!
You’re seriously my guardian angel, my precious little lifesaver! I’ll even make an exception and cuddle you to sleep tonight~
Cora still looked unconvinced, but thanks to Serena’s gentle persuasion, she backed down for now.
Right around then, the food we’d ordered finally arrived, and we started lunch.
Haaah... emotionally exhausted...
I made it through lunch, but what about this afternoon...?
If I’d known it would turn out like this, I never would’ve brought up the idea in the first place...
After our brief moment of peace over lunch, it was finally time for the main event of the day.
Picking out Lillian’s birthday gift.
Miss Shirley had gone out of her way to mention this to me, so I needed to take it seriously.
But I really had no clue what Lillian would want, so I’d hoped my sisters might give me some helpful ideas... That’s what I thought, at least.
But who could’ve guessed it would spiral into this mess?
Bringing up Lillian to Cora right now was basically tossing myself into a firepit!
But! Still! I had to say it...
Except—I didn’t even need to bring it up. Serena beat me to it.
“So, where are we going next? I remember you said we’re picking out a gift for your girlfriend’s birthday.”
“Uh, yeah... that’s right.”
I nodded, then sneakily watched Cora’s reaction... This whole outing was meant to find a birthday gift for Lillian. No doubt Cora was going to get mad again...
And just like I expected, she immediately picked up on the awkward undertone and said:
“Ugh, picking a gift for that Lillian Ji? She doesn’t seem like the type who’s missing anything~”
“Uh, yeah... which is why I was hoping you guys could give me some ideas...”
“Oh really~? I think it’d be better if you picked something yourself, Brother. That would be more heartfelt, don’t you think? Hmph!”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right, haha...”
I did tell Cora she didn’t have to force herself anymore, that she could be her true self around me... but man, I kinda missed the old sweet version of her...
“Alright then, guess I’ll pick it out myself...”
But what the hell am I supposed to get...? I’m completely blank...
Somebody help me—I’m about to explode!
The pressure from Cora sulking and the stress of not knowing what kind of birthday gift to get my girlfriend twisted into one massive knot in my brain, sending sharp jolts of pain through my stomach.
What the hell is this nonsense...?
Cora hasn’t even met Lillian yet, and she’s already picking a fight?
If the two of them actually do meet someday, what kind of apocalyptic battlefield is that gonna be?
Ugh. Just imagining it gives me a bad feeling... I better make sure they never run into each other.
“Sigh...”
I let out a long breath and raked my fingers through my hair in frustration.
Just then, Cora suddenly tugged on my sleeve and looked up at me with teary, pitiful eyes.
“I’m sorry, Brother. I was being selfish... Please don’t hate me, okay? I just... I got jealous seeing how much you care about your girlfriend...”
Tears were already welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill out at any moment.
First the slap, then the sugar, huh...
And even though I knew this sugar was premeditated—I still swallowed it whole without hesitation.
How could I let my sister cry? Once was already more than enough. There couldn’t be a second time!
“It’s okay! You weren’t wrong, Cora. You’re right—it really is more sincere if I choose it myself! I’m not mad at you, okay?”
“Heehee, I love you the most, Brother~”
Her mood flipped from cloudy to sunny in about half a second. I couldn’t help staring in disbelief.
That kind of turnaround... seriously caught me off guard. She really is a little devil...
So deviously sweet...
After that, we just wandered aimlessly for a while.
We went into all sorts of stores, hoping to find something suitable—but in the end, I couldn’t find a gift that felt right.
We walked around a bunch of places without any luck. Meanwhile, Cora picked up quite a few new outfits and looked like she was having the time of her life. Maybe she was deliberately ignoring the whole "gift search" part of the day.
By the time dinner was approaching, I’d given up on finding anything special. I was just about to head back to a clothing store we’d stopped by earlier and buy the backup gift when Serena tugged on my sleeve and pointed at something.
“Brother, over there.”
I followed her finger and saw a shop called Fateful Encounters Hall—an antique store.
Antiques? Would Lillian even like that kind of thing? And aren’t there a ton of fakes nowadays...? Even if something was real, there’s no way I could afford it...
Well, whatever. May as well give it a try. No harm checking it out since we’re already here.
As soon as we stepped inside, I saw an older man with the title [Fateful Encounters Hall Owner] sitting in a grand wooden armchair. He had a goatee, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had a cane resting beside him as he sipped tea.
He glanced up at me and immediately said:
“Hm? This isn’t a place for little brats like you. Get out.”
“Uh...”
What kind of shopkeeper talks like that?!
Tch, like hell I’m leaving just because you said so! Watch me—I'm staying! 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
“Hey, hey! Didn’t you hear me? I said get out!”
I was already in a foul mood today, and now he was treating me like this? It made me want to go against him just for the hell of it.
So I kept walking deeper into the store—and that’s when I saw it.
Shaped like the letter C, with a small hole near the top—it was a magatama.
I had no idea what kind of jade it was made of, but it looked aged yet still sparkled with a translucent glow.
The moment I saw it, I knew—that was it.
This would be Lillian’s birthday gift.
I don’t even know why. Maybe it was just instinct... It felt right. Or maybe I just liked it.
Either way, the moment I saw that magatama, I decided without hesitation.
“Hey, old man, that one!”
I pointed at it and had barely gotten the words out when he raised an eyebrow and said:
“...Ho. So you’re a ‘customer’ too, huh?”
“Huh?”
“You saw the name on the sign when you walked in, didn’t you? In my store, buying something depends on fate. Looks like you’ve got a connection with that one, kid.”
“Then—!”
“Since it’s fate, I’ll give you the friend price. Six hundred ninety-nine. Deal?”
“...Huh?”
“What’s the problem? Are you buying it or not? If not, scram!”
“I’m buying, of course I’m buying!”
“Alright then. I’ll get it wrapped up for you.”
The old man didn’t give us any more trouble. He quickly wrapped the magatama and handed it to me.
I paid the money... All I had left in my wallet was exactly six hundred ninety-nine yuan.
Did he somehow know how much money I had...?
Even as we left the shop, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. That antique store was weird. And the shopkeeper was even weirder.
But still, I’d finally gotten a gift.
Whatever the case—mission complete.
Time to go home.
...
“Now the magatama is in his hands...”
“You’re sure this is okay? Didn’t he say he was going to give it away?”
“It’s fine. Even if he gives it to someone else, it’s still the same.”
“Hmph... I don’t really get it, but I guess that means you’ve finished what you asked me to do, right?”
“Yeah, it’s done. Thank you. Here’s your payment—a spirit-repelling talisman.”
“No big deal. But Rainie, are you really okay giving that precious thing to that little boy? And he’s not even keeping it—he’s giving it away as a gift... Seriously, I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been running this shop for years, and I’ve seen my fair share of ‘authentic items,’ but that magatama you gave him... Damn. What a waste.”
“That... was originally his to begin with.”
“A return to its rightful owner, huh...”
“Yeah. That’s all it is—just returning it to where it belongs.”
“Ho... I’ll admit, I was selfish earlier. I was planning to scare him off. But the second he walked in, he zeroed in on that magatama like it was calling to him. I even deliberately hid it among a bunch of shiny, distracting trinkets—but he found it right away... Fate, huh. It really is hard to explain.”
“...If fate brings you together, cherish it.”
“I don’t get it... and I probably never will, even if I live to the end of my days.”
“Then... let’s leave it for the next life.”
