Was Eriri trying to be annoying?
Of course not.
She was genuinely trying her best to introduce her favorite things to Kasuga no Tōru, and the Wacom tablet she mentioned earlier was indeed one of her favorite brands.
But she truly had no concept of money.
Like a popular joke online, a rich third-generation heir offended his father, who in anger kicked him out of the house, declaring, "You're not allowed to touch any of the cars in the garage except for that old Audi A8L. And you're not getting a penny more than the 100,000 yen allowance each month."
After laying down such harsh terms, the father sorrowfully said to those around him, "Giving him only that little money, he won't be able to survive, will he? But it's good. Only by experiencing a hard life can he know how hard his grandfather struggled."
In the eyes of the rich, this would be considered the pinnacle of poverty, wouldn't it?
They say the "呆毛王" doesn't understand people. After glancing at Eriri's chest, Kasuga no Tōru seemed to understand everything.
Eriri couldn't even remember how many times she had blushed today. It seemed like she blushed easily whenever anything related to Kasuga no Tōru came up.
It was only their third day of knowing each other, right?
Although she was tsundere and spoiled, Eriri's true nature was undoubtedly that of a kind girl.
Realizing that she might have unintentionally hurt Kasuga no Tōru's pride, the girl meekly lowered her head.
“I'm sorry…”
But Kasuga no Tōru didn't mind. After all, he and this girl weren't from the same world, so their perspectives would naturally differ.
Things he could never achieve even after putting in his all were things that others could effortlessly obtain.
Besides, Eriri had good intentions. No matter how you looked at it, the Wacom tablet would undoubtedly be superior to the Intuos he was holding in his hand.
Of course, the price tag was also beautiful, ten times higher.
Therefore, facing the girl's apology, he calmly said, "Sawamura-san, you don't have to be like this, I understand your thoughts."
“Sawamura-san, you really are…” Kashiwazaki Shizuka wanted to add another jab, but Kasuga no Tōru stopped her with a look.
It was truly magical. He had only known one girl for three days and the other for two, yet so many things had happened because of him.
Especially looking at Kashiwazaki Shizuka, it was clear she was standing up for him.
Kashiwazaki Shizuka was indeed standing up for Kasuga no Tōru. Initially, when she saw Eriri and Kasuga no Tōru talking together, she was watching with a sense of amusement.
Although she considered the boy her friend, they were just friends.
He wasn't her boyfriend, so why should she stop him from talking to other girls?
But gradually, her sense of amusement changed.
She knew Kasuga no Tōru's family situation: he had a younger sister, which the boy himself had mentioned. He drew portraits on the streets of Tokyo, which Machida Sonoko had told her.
Her IQ was very high, otherwise she wouldn't have been the top scholar for two consecutive years. So, based on just this incomplete information, she could roughly deduce Kasuga no Tōru's family situation.
He had to go back to take care of his sister, which meant his parents weren't home, or perhaps they weren't even alive. He had to set up a stall on the street, indicating that his family wasn't well-off and that he had to shoulder the burden of his family even as a high school student.
How could someone like this afford a 500,000 yen tablet?
Kashiwazaki Shizuka even suspected that if it weren't for Machida Sonoko's promise to pay for it, Kasuga no Tōru wouldn't have even bought the Intuos he was currently holding.
Seeing her friend about to fall into a difficult situation, Kashiwazaki Shizuka naturally wouldn't stand idly by.
The heroine with a strong sense of justice immediately stepped forward and relentlessly attacked Eriri.
“Senpai, I happened to run into you here. I have some questions about certain things in the novel that I want to confirm with you.” In order to prevent the two girls from continuing to argue, Kasuga no Tōru had to delay his return home.
Of course, he referred to it as an argument, but he suspected it would be Eriri getting pummeled unilaterally.
He had witnessed Kashiwazaki Shizuka's fighting prowess in school that afternoon. A mere Eriri was simply no match.
“Kasuga-kun, I'm truly sorry.” Eriri's head couldn't be lowered any further.
If she had Kashiwazaki Shizuka's figure, perhaps it would be better. She could at least hide.
But unfortunately, the girl's chest was flat as a pancake.
True to her status as a rich heiress, she already had her own flat chest at such a young age.
“Sawamura-san, I told you, it's alright. If you really must apologize, then teach me how to use this thing. I'm not very good with these electronic gadgets.”
Kashiwazaki Shizuka rolled her eyes in disdain. This boy, who she had only known for two days, was really kind.
But it didn't matter. He wasn't her boyfriend anyway, and she wouldn't be evaluating him with the same standards as she would a potential boyfriend.
Besides, wasn't being gentle a good thing? That way, if they had disagreements during the creative process, they wouldn't have to beat each other's brains out.
“Really?” Hearing Kasuga no Tōru's words, Eriri finally raised her head.
Only at that moment did the boy realize that there were tears welling up in Eriri's eyes.
“Of course. If Sawamura-san is willing.” Kasuga no Tōru's smile calmed Eriri's heart, and a smile finally appeared on her previously pitiful face.
“Then can I add you on Line? We can video chat then, so we can communicate better.” The girl excitedly pulled out her phone, its pink case exuding a strong sense of girlishness.
“This…” Kasuga no Tōru hesitated for a moment, then said, “Sure, please give me your Line ID, Sawamura-san. I'll add you when I get home.”
“Oh, right!” Eriri was initially wondering why he couldn't add her on the spot, but when she saw Kashiwazaki Shizuka's unfriendly gaze, she suddenly understood.
The girl, thankful that she didn't say anything extra, quickly recited a string of numbers. Kasuga no Tōru carefully wrote it down in his notebook, then placed the notebook in the pocket of his chest, gently patting it to reassure the girl.
Eriri felt much more at ease. She didn't know why, but placing it on her chest felt more formal than just putting it in any other pocket.
“Then I won't bother you with your serious discussion. Kasuga-kun, see you tonight.”
“嗯, see you tonight, Sawamura-san.”
The girl waved at the boy, then looked at Kashiwazaki Shizuka with a complex expression.
“Kashiwazaki, goodbye.”
No matter how much she disliked the other woman before, today this woman had taught her something very important.
Eriri had a feeling that after learning this, it would have a huge impact on her life's trajectory.
It would prevent her from missing out on certain things, certain people.