Seeing Eri Riri crying without warning, Kato Yusuke couldn't help but feel a little heavy.

The girl who was always straightforward to the point of being stubborn, always full of arrogance, and unwilling to admit defeat in anything, showed her lack of confidence for the first time.

It was the first time for Kato Yusuke to see the other party like this.

He silently took out a handkerchief and handed it to the other party.

"Thank you...woo..."

Yingli lowered her head and wiped her tears, as if she didn't want him to see her expression at the moment.

"Hey, Yusuke, I'm so scared..."

The girl whimpered and said:

"Obviously before the winter COMI started, I encouraged that girl to some extent.

Tell her that everyone is making progress little by little, and tell her not to care about grades, but now it seems arrogant and unreasonable...!"

"That's it..."

Kato Yusuke half-closed his eyes and agreed softly without emotion.

"Just like me...just like me...how am I qualified to give advice to others? That girl's creative ability is incredible. Sooner or later, she will surpass me..."

Ying Lili bit her lips tightly and squeezed out a voice from her throat:

"Even... when she was about to give me her own book, such a precious commemorative book, I had evil thoughts that a creator should never have... I almost wanted to tear up the book.

Already..."

At the end of the sentence, the emotions I had been holding on to suddenly collapsed, and my breathing became messy and rapid.

"...I made things embarrassing, I made myself embarrassed..."

The girl burst into tears and said: "And Lunya... Lunya... He also asked me to apologize to that girl. Wouldn't this be too bullying?"

Two lines of clear tears flowed down her beautiful face, dripping down and soaking her evening dress.

The intermittent crying echoed in the quiet room, making the air heavier.

"Yinglili..."

Kato Yusuke looked at her pale face, opened his lips slightly, and tried to say some comforting words, but he felt unable to speak.

Without touching on the core issue, he didn't know where to start.

What's more, is this something he can do at will?

He couldn't help asking this in his heart.

Not to mention that Yinglili didn't mean to ask him for help in her words.

Ultimately, this is a conflict between the other party and his childhood sweetheart who grew up together.

Does he, an outsider, really have the right to interfere in other people's problems?

Kato Yusuke hesitated for a moment.

Yinglili is still continuing to talk.

"Obviously "Little Rhapsody" was a birthday gift I gave him when he was in the third grade of elementary school, but he easily promoted it to others and even chatted with others so enthusiastically. But it was all my fault, wasn't it...!

"

When she said this, her voice suddenly became louder due to excitement.

"If I hadn't promoted this work to him at that time, he wouldn't have been exposed to "Little Fantasy", and the genius of Dehashima Dekai would not have been born. But now-"

The girl said word for word: "But he wants to use "Little Rhapsody" to hit me... Why do you want to bully others like this...!"

"I see……"

Kato Yusuke held his breath unconsciously, feeling that he had vaguely touched the core of the problem. He did not make any meaningless remarks and waited for the next chapter.

The other party did not disappoint him either.

As if determined to open her heart, the girl confided in him a certain past event that she had never mentioned to anyone before.

From how I became friends with An Yilun in the first place,

To how they were ridiculed and bullied by their classmates because of their status as otakus,

Then why she pretended to be leaving the house, and An Yilun was unwilling to cooperate with her, which eventually led to the two parties parting ways.

The person involved held his knees with his hands and said in a trembling voice:

"I was forced to break up with my best friend, couldn't even speak in school, and had to ignore his existence...

I was really sad, sad, and painful at the time. I didn’t even know how many times I cried.

I have already endured such cruel punishment, why should I be treated like this by him and suffer even deeper retribution?"

Yinglili said, picked up the handkerchief, wiped her tears randomly, and kept hiccupping.

"I have been working so hard on painting since I was a child, just to get his approval one day and impress those guys who have laughed at us.

In the end, he said that I was not good at painting... No, he didn't say it directly, but he clearly thought that others were better than me.

I suddenly felt that everything I did was wishful thinking, like a fool, really stupid!"

The girl's soft voice contained anguish and regret, and her eyes also hid loneliness and hatred.

"..."

Kato Yusuke looked at the other person, and the face that came into his eyes made him slightly uncomfortable.

The long-standing doubts suddenly became clear at this moment.

He finally learned about their past and the intricate entanglements.

Although from today's perspective, it was just a group of children having trouble at best.

However, for the parties involved, as elementary school students, they must not be as mature as they are now, so the thorn in their hearts remains until now.

Today, it has become a stubborn disease. Once touched, the pain reaches the bone marrow.

Honestly.

There is no question of who is right or wrong in this matter. It is simply that the two people's ideas have diverged under pressure from the outside world. If we insist on saying so, both sides have something wrong.

However, he didn't want to worry about it that much.

Kato Yusuke thought so.

Although he is a cold and indifferent person, he only pays great attention to the people around him.

Moral concepts have never been the primary factor in his considerations.

He only cares about those he wants to care about and protects those he wants to protect.

Just like others once gave him salvation, he also wants to be their support one day, that's all.

"Yinglili..."

He slowly raised one hand, placed it on the other person's head, and stroked it gently soothingly.

"It's okay, it's okay. As I said before, you will always be the most powerful painter in my heart. You are just a little confused now, but it will pass soon."

"I can not do it--!"

Ying Lili shook her head decisively, holding her arms with both hands, her fingers digging into her skin so hard that she turned slightly white.

"I have done my best. No matter when others can see it or when they can't see it, I am working hard!"

She almost yelled: "But -! I still can't break through. The next step is the realm of talent, but my soul has been imprisoned..."

The voice full of unwillingness echoed in the room, as if even the air was vibrating.

After a brief silence.

"So didn't I say that..."

Kato Yusuke sighed helplessly, rubbed her little head, and said, "You can rely on me occasionally."

"…………rely on you?"

Yinglili slowly raised her head and looked back at him with a confused look, her pretty face wrinkled up in tears.

"Isn't that right? Or do you think it would be embarrassing to let your former disciples guide you?"

"guide……"

"Um."

Kato Yusuke nodded and said in a gentle tone:

"Just like you once introduced me to it.

As long as you are willing, I will do my best to teach you everything I understand, so that you will not only become the number one in my heart, but also the number one in everyone's heart."

As if frightened by his speech, no one in the room spoke for a while.

Yinglili stared at him blankly, letting tears flow down her cheeks.
To be continued...