Chapter 511: Already Very Content
Alas - Zero sighed silently in his heart.

Whether it is the style of doing things or the way of dealing with troubles, it is irrefutable and something Zhuo would do.

It may not be accurate to say that he chose to do nothing and give in because he was afraid of trouble. A more appropriate statement should be that he was afraid of adding burden to Sachiko and Shuichi. As a country boy who had just arrived, being able to live alone in the big city of Tokyo was already something that Sachiko was very worried about. If a conflict occurred under such circumstances, and he had a fight with other classmates in his first year, he would definitely be worried about moving in with him and taking care of Shuu. He must have taken these into consideration, so he chose to solve the conflict from the perspective of a victim.

To put it another way, I don’t know if it’s because of the transfer, but Zhuo is one year older than his peers. If they were just junior high school students, the age difference would have made a big difference in physical development.

This was indeed a better solution under the circumstances, but he certainly didn't consider how his parents would feel when they saw him hurt. Zhuo sometimes subconsciously ignored his own feelings and always liked to put other people's affairs before his own, which was both an advantage and a disadvantage.

As for now.

Zero was just buying a guardian product, and her meeting with Yamamoto Yurina was purely a coincidence. Even after hearing these words, she had no intention of comforting or adding insult to injury.

“…He doesn’t like troublesome things.”

Zero could only say this.

"Haha, you're lying! He doesn't want to burden Aunt Sa Chiko and the others. If he fights back, even if it's just a child's matter, it will be troublesome. Although Zhuo looks like he doesn't care about anything, he values ​​his friends very much..."

"Tsk!"

She just said she doesn't like lying - Zero thought to himself.

"Hey! It's you! Are you smacking your lips?"

"No."

"嘁~"

During high school, Yurina, who liked to be close to Shuo, often appeared in Shuo's class and would actively come to play with him on weekends. And Ling was also a girl who always appeared next to him, so people around them had the impression that Ling and Yamamoto Yurina had a good relationship.

When they were in the apartment, including now, although they could create an atmosphere of long-term harmony between them, Zero and Yamamoto Yurina rarely had direct conversations. In fact, their relationship was not that good.

"I always thought you were a very frank person, but it turns out you're not. In high school, you two were in different classes... When did you start dating?"

“We started communicating directly two months after school started.”

"Oh~ It hasn't even been half a year yet."

"I'm thankful that he doesn't hate me."

Ling himself didn't know why Zhuo would accept her staying by his side, but Zhuo's cheerful attitude made her unconsciously trust him. Although he had some problems in life, he was still cute.

"After all, Zhuo has always liked you. I often heard Tong Gu mention it."

"……is that so."

Ling didn't expect that even Yamamoto Yurina knew so much. Although she knew that this was not Zhuo's responsibility, Zhuo was already good friends with Kiritani Jin and Yamamoto Yurina at that time, and she was just a stranger in the same class, she still couldn't help but blame him.

Because Ling would show Zhuo a look and behavior that was unknown to others, he was very worried whether Zhuo had said anything at that time, but Yamamoto Yurina looked at her as usual. Zero hoped that Zhuo at that time would be a little more sensible and not cause trouble for his future self.

Ling secretly made a note of this in her heart, and would ask Zhuo about it inconspicuously later. At the same time, she brought the already cold coffee au lait to her mouth, and Yamamoto Yurina looked at her with a puzzled look on her face.

"...Zhuo must be working very hard to be with you."

"what do you mean?"

Zero moistened his lips slightly and asked back, and Yamamoto Yurina touched her earlobe, looking a little embarrassed.

"Eh? That makes me sound like a bad woman. To be honest, it's a bit annoying. Very annoying."

"I won't tell anyone."

"That's annoying too."

"..."

As expected, Yamamoto Yurina cares a lot about Zhuo's evaluation and thoughts. She is a smart person.

The reason why she refused to continue was probably because the hidden words were about her own shortcomings. Yamamoto Yurina generously told her about Zhuo's past and her opinion of Zhuo, probably because she knew that Zhuo would not blame his friends for talking about him, or that Zhuo was a person who could calmly accept criticism of himself. However, if you say bad things about people around him behind his back, he would be unhappy.

If Zhuo knew that Yamamoto Yurina was talking bad about Zero behind his back, he would definitely be unhappy, even if it was said to Zero in person. Yamamoto Yurina probably knew this and chose to control her mouth and not continue talking.

"I understand. I do worry that I may have some issues, but that's not a reason for us to be unhappy."

"……makes sense."

"..."

"..."

Perhaps this is one of the problems - Zero thought so after falling into a quiet environment with nothing to say again.

Sure enough, compared to the playful and lively Yamamoto Yurina, she was more like an out-of-place bystander. Although this was just her personal opinion, after all, there was also a mobile phone note of "fake three-no fake princess".

By the way, the note on Zhuo's phone was discovered two years ago. Apart from Zhuo's face being stiff for a while, Ling didn't take it seriously. If he had to say it, he would probably feel relieved that "he knew about it".

Zero quietly raised his head and whispered:

"Hey, Yamamoto-san, why can't I be more positive?"

"I'm just being a little cold. Zhuo is now sitting in the love hut you two run together, waiting for his wife to come home at any time and give her a sweet Utsunomiya-style kiss with the flavor of Miyoshi."

That's true...

Ling could also imagine Zhuo's current state. He was probably busy dealing with the guests while frequently looking out the transparent floor-to-ceiling window of "Home of Mio", hoping to see his own figure before the raindrops fell.

"If you miss it, you miss it. Three years may seem like a short time, but it is actually quite long for students in adolescence."

Yamamoto Yurina took a sip of the drink, and the milky white liquid mixed with a little light pink flowed back into her mouth. After smacking her lips, Yamamoto Yurina raised her head again, but like Zero, her eyes did not look at the other person, but were fixed on the table between them.

The desktop is not blank, it has a menu and a picopico ad on it.

"If you change to a positive and optimistic personality, every time you are surrounded by male classmates, he will probably watch silently and quietly step aside. You have achieved remarkable results, but many people run ahead of him to congratulate you; you show kindness to those around you, and he can only watch you from afar like the moon in everyone's heart..."

"I also want to sit with Zhuo during breaks. When he forgets to bring his textbooks, I sit at the same table with him, elbow to elbow. He will hide his notes for fear that I will see the unspeakable secrets, and will sneeze when the wind blows his hair into his face. I can stand beside him during breaks and discuss interesting topics with his friends. I can help him pick up his eraser and say something that will make him shyly turn his face away. After school, we can talk about happy things together without him having to rack his brains every time, without him having to deliberately raise his voice every time he talks to me, without him having to think hard about jokes that I can't laugh at... At least when he wants to get feedback, I can give him the same emotion he gives me."

“He’s really trying hard.”

"Ah."

As she spoke, Yamamoto Yurina cut off a piece of the coffee au gratin in front of Zero with a cake knife and put it into her mouth. Zero did not stop her and also took off a corner of the rice ball to taste it.

They each tried exchanging each other's taste, chewing and swallowing carefully.

"Mr. Romanov." "..."

"I like to wash."

"I already knew it."

"Hey! This response is too smart, isn't it? Sure enough, your three-no attributes are all fake, right? In fact, cutting open the black oil is all a trick, right? If so, give it back to me quickly!"

"Yamamoto-san is joking."

Zero raised his head and looked at the other person, finally revealing a relaxed expression.

Although it is not clear whether Yamamoto Yurina can see it, there is no doubt that Zero feels relaxed now.

It's just my personal opinion. Rice balls are delicious and tasty. They are a must-have carbohydrate for daily meals. Maybe it's also because Zhuo likes the bland taste. I've experienced all these, but I have to say that they are not as tasty as coffee au lai.

"So..." Zero took back the initiative of the conversation.

"Do you have an answer to the question at the beginning, Mr. Yamamoto?"

"Have it already."

Yamamoto Yurina continued to play with her black hair that was draped over her shoulders.

"My hair will always grow longer. Does Mr. Romanov like this answer?"

……

After saying goodbye to Yamamoto Yurina, Zero rented an umbrella in the coffee shop. It was drizzling when he set out on his way home.

After Zero returned home—or more accurately, to "Home of Mio"—she saw Shuo quickly handing her a cup of hot tea, seemingly rubbing her hair to check if it was wet, and seeing the umbrella she hung in front of the store, he was obviously relieved. He felt a warmth gradually welling up in his chest.

“Ahhhhh——You must be tired too, go and rest for a while. You can only take ten minutes, um, at most half an hour, and then you’ll have to come and help~”

Zhuo, who was pushing her in the break room, trotted back to the middle workbench. He looked at the recipe left by Ling while processing the vegetables desperately. He didn't seem to notice that Ling didn't walk into the break room, but was just walking back and forth busily in front of various machines.

Zhuo's pink apron, which fits him better and better recently, fluttered with his movements. He was sometimes mixing drinks, sometimes staring at the recipe, and then suddenly remembering something and hurriedly picking up a tray and moving to a private room.

When Zero saw this scene, she felt so helpless and compassionate that it was as if a flower was blooming in her heart.

"I'm here to help."

Ling spoke to Zhuo who was working seriously, and then his body visibly shook.

Zhuo's gaze slowly turned over here. He smiled slightly when their eyes met, and then immediately lowered his brows with an apologetic look on his face.

"Oh, sorry I'm so useless."

Her Royal Highness was as quiet as ever.

She had already put on an apron, and after hearing what Zhuo said, she just tilted her head and looked at Zhuo strangely.

"Isn't it normal for you to be a hindrance? Otherwise, what would I do?"

Although Ling did not say anything explicitly, Zhuo was familiar with the social secrets of "100 ways to interpret Her Royal Highness the Princess". He probably read this content from the other party's puzzled look.

Ling had no intention of blaming Zhuo at all. Instead, she was pleased to see Zhuo working hard in the kitchen and delivering meals, which filled her heart with contentment and joy.

"Actually, you just need to wait until I get back. I sent a message saying I met someone on the way and will be back later."

"Sorry, I wasn't checking my phone. But if I help send some guests away first, will that make things easier for you?"

Ling saw Zhuo looking back and saying with a smile: "Seeing you walking around every day, you must be super tired, right?", and an indescribable numbness and joy surged in his heart.

When the two of them first met, everything was left to Zero. Later, he gradually learned to help. Now he has tried more by himself like now. Zero can clearly feel his thoughts along the way. If I had known that he would think this way, I would not have taught him those skills in the first place - Zero made such a judgment.

He tried his best to help Ling take care of everything so that she could enjoy going out. To this, Ling softly said "Thank you." Zhuo smiled and responded: "It would be more appropriate for me to say this."

Ling sighed in his heart: "I didn't realize that Zhuo has become so much calmer." At the same time, he placed the spoils in the embedded cabinet on the central tool table.

She tied up her hair and walked back to the kitchen where Zhuo was. For some reason, he kept staring at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just thought that your hair is smoother today than usual. It's usually smooth enough, but today it looks extra shiny."

"…Did I tell you where I was going?"

Zero did say she was going out shopping, but she probably didn't say she was going to a beauty salon.

If Zhuo knew that Ling had been to a beauty salon, he would certainly notice that Ling's hair had become different, but if he didn't know this premise, he would have to pay special attention to notice it.

Ling didn't pay attention to these aspects before she met Zhuo. In her mind, she should be a weapon. Even if she went to a beauty salon, she wouldn't feel that her hair would have obvious changes. But since the texture of her hair has improved, it should feel more comfortable to touch.

"Huh? No, did I forget? Sorry, sorry. I just thought that when you tied your hair, it looked smoother than usual. It felt so smooth and beautiful."

"Is that so? I see."

"…I went to the beauty salon. Mmm, that was awesome!"

Perhaps because Ling affirmed the fact that she took care of her hair, Zhuo seemed to understand where Ling went today, and praised her without hesitation, "Your hair is already very beautiful~". Ling was a little embarrassed and wanted to look away, and then remembered the reason in the coffee shop - Yamamoto Yurina dyed her hair back to black for some reason.

Zero changed his mind and glared at the man behind him.

Zhuo didn't notice Ling's expression change. He looked at the recipe on the workbench and said with a smile, "Should I go there too?"

"No."

"Eh? Did I say something wrong again?"

"No."

"Feel sorry!"

"……besides."

"Ok?"

"Only once this week."

“Ehhhhh——!?”

(End of this chapter)