Utaha also looked at Nao, and their gazes met.
"So, you collect protection fees and pick up a girl along the way?"
"I know nothing good ever comes out of your mouth, but haven't you met her before?"
Hearing Hakuto's words, Nao froze for a moment before realizing.
The Utaha in front of her was the same girl who had been with Hakuto at the haunted house when she first met him.
Though, calling it a haunted house wasn't exactly accurate—after all, she was the ghost herself.
"I thought you liked the chibi type."
"I like the rich type."
At that moment, Nao pulled Hakuto down and whispered in his ear.
"Did you tell her I was following you that day?"
Hakuto shook his head. When it came to espers, he never mentioned anything to ordinary people.
"No, why?"
"Then why do I feel like she's about to roast me any second now?"
"How do you know? Wait, actually, how can you even feel that?"
"Hah? Don't worry about that—I just have a feeling..."
Hearing this, Hakuto turned to look at Utaha, who stood idly a short distance away, tapping her toe against the ground in boredom.
There was nothing unusual about her behavior.
"You're not just jealous that she has a better figure than you, are you?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Nao waved him off, shooing him away since she had business to take care of.
Having been dismissed, Hakuto walked over to Utaha, clapped his hands, and put on his signature smile.
"Let's go, senpai. We need to move your stuff."
"My things are at school… You still remember the way, don't you, kouhai-kun?"
"My memory isn't that bad."
As Hakuto and Utaha headed toward the school, she asked about Nao.
"That girl just now—she's your classmate at Hoshinoumi Academy?"
"She's the student council president of Hoshinoumi Academy. Very powerful! I even have to go through her when I request leave!"
"I thought you might've already found a girlfriend after just over half a month at Hoshinoumi Academy..."
" Girlfriend? Her? Pfft!"
Hakuto instinctively scoffed, but for some reason, he sensed a hint of relief in Utaha's tone.
Although Hakuto knew she had feelings for him, he didn't think she was this sensitive...
What he didn't realize was that his interactions with Nao just now had been quite misleading.
But Hakuto didn't dwell on it, as he and Nao mostly just bickered.
Besides, judging by her personality, he doubted she would ever get a boyfriend. She seemed more like the type to get a girlfriend instead.
Not that it mattered to Hakuto—he had work to do.
"So, what are you selling at your stall today, senpai?"
Holding a large cardboard box, he asked Utaha.
She looked him up and down and asked in a curious tone, "That's strange. Kouhai-kun, are you always this strong?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"You're carrying that so easily? This stuff should be quite heavy."
Hakuto weighed the box in his arms.
It did have some weight, but it wasn't that heavy for him. It was like carrying a big water jug.
"So, what's inside?"
Utaha waved dismissively, deciding not to dwell on his strength.
"Various novels, all brand-new and personally signed. Considering my profession, getting these is pretty easy."
"True, since you're a popular novelist, after all."
Despite Hakuto's flattery, Utaha shook her head with a troubled expression.
She looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Kouhai-kun, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"If it were you, who would you choose between a childhood friend and a fated encounter?"
Honestly, the moment Utaha asked this, Hakuto was dumbfounded.
He had anticipated many questions, but not this one!
Raising an eyebrow, he sighed. "Can you be more specific, senpai?"
"You know my novel is about a love triangle, and now it's time for the protagonist to choose..."
"You don't know who to pick?"
"Not exactly. I just don't know how to make the choice seem reasonable."
As the author, she already had a decision in mind. Either choice was fine, and in the worst-case scenario, she could always write an alternate ending.
But while an author could choose freely, she had to consider her readers' reactions.
"If you're unsure, why not hold a betting pool? Whichever heroine has the highest odds, you invest in that one and write accordingly..."
"Kouhai-kun, you're quite the realist."
"I've never written a novel, so I don't know what kind of expectations you have for this work. I'm just offering a method to maximize profit."
Hakuto gazed into the distance. In truth, Utaha's question had caught him off guard.
For so long, he had followed a simple rule: take the money and do the job. He rarely had to make these kinds of choices.
"So, if you were the protagonist, who would you choose?"
Hakuto had read her novel—not the latest chapters, but he remembered parts of the story.
"Me? If it were me, I'd auction them off. Whoever bids the highest wins."
If the betting suggestion was him thinking as an author, this auction idea was him thinking as the protagonist.
"If I actually wrote it that way, I'd be trending on social media tomorrow for all the wrong reasons..."
"Haha, just kidding." Hakuto adjusted his grip on the box and found a more comfortable way to carry it. Then, he continued,
"Senpai, do you really think someone makes a choice without already knowing what they want?"
"What do you mean, kouhai-kun?"
"People are emotional beings. A '50-50 choice' isn't really random—it's always 100%. There's no actual uncertainty."
"Readers may see it as random, but for the protagonist and the author, the answer has been clear from the start."
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