My retirement life in Neon

Chapter 18 Friends

"I'm your brother's sister, you can't call me Reina."

"Why? I want to be your friend, but I can't call you by your name?"

"Reina doesn't have any friends? Is it normal for good friends to call each other by their names?"

Hosokawa Rio sent two messages in a row, and then Oda Reina didn't reply.

Oda Reina looked at the message on the screen, threw the phone away, and then started crying.

She sobbed softly: "I don't want friends, I just want my mother and my sister."

After the conversation, Hosokawa Rio slowly recalled what Lin Zian said, and realized that the questioning just now was indeed excessive, but she didn't know how to make up for it, so she could only send an apology and then stare at the phone blankly.

A failed communication ended here.

Lin Zian didn't have any impact, but he didn't sleep all night. After all, he had to meet Yukino Kamei tomorrow. After such a long time, he still had to prepare a gift.

The next morning, something unexpected happened. Oda Michiko came to wake him up, and she rang the bell.

"What's wrong? Michiko." Lin Zian looked at Michiko Oda, who looked haggard, and asked.

Michiko Oda didn't notice Lin Zian's address, but said nervously: "Can you please go over to see Rena? She didn't seem to sleep last night, and she cried while holding her phone. I asked her but she didn't answer."

"Let's go."

Lin Zian went over in slippers.

Seeing Rena Oda crying while holding the quilt, he hurried over.

"What's wrong? Tell me, who messed you up."

Rena Oda saw Lin Zian, let go of the quilt, and hugged him.

Lin Zian could of course avoid it, but he didn't know what was going on, and was afraid that it would be more troublesome if he avoided it.

Michiko Oda, who was next to her, looked at the two people hugging each other in surprise.

(This needs to be explained. She was surprised that Rena Oda actually took the initiative to contact someone other than her.)

Lin Zian touched Rena Oda's head and thought about what happened yesterday. In addition to him and Michiko Oda, only Rio Hosokawa had contacted her, so he took the initiative to ask.

"Did Rio Hosokawa make you angry? If so, I apologize to you on her behalf. I'm sorry, I was reckless and did this without your consent. I won't do it again. Forgive me, okay? Reina."

"No... It's not Oni-san's fault. It's... I broke the phone Oni-san bought. Don't hate Reina, okay? Reina knows I was wrong." Oda Reina hugged tighter.

Lin Zian gently stroked her head.

"It's okay. If the phone is broken, just buy another one. No one blames Reina. Okay, let me go. I can't breathe."

"Ah! Oni-san, are you okay?" Oda Reina let him go at once.

Lin Zian's claim of being out of breath was of course false, but if he hugged her for a while longer, something really would happen.

Lin Zian glanced at the vigilant Oda Michiko and explained to her what happened yesterday.

After hearing this, Michiko Oda glanced at Reina Oda who was fiddling with her phone, and whispered to Lin Zian: "Don't say the word friend in front of Reina."

Oh no! Damn, I stepped on a thunder yesterday.

Lin Zian wanted to ask Michiko Oda the reason, but Michiko Oda didn't seem to want to continue.

Forget it, I will know it when I know it.

Lin Zian looked at the phone and found that it was just the explosion-proof film that was cracked, and I just needed to change it.

Lin Zian remembered that he bought it with two films, and there was another one at home, so he took it and replaced the film on the spot.

He returned the phone to Reina Oda and saw that she rarely smiled.

Because of this accident, Michiko Oda didn't prepare a lunch box for him today, and he also planned to try the school cafeteria.

After sleeping for a few days and getting used to it, he felt a little sleepy when he stayed up late, and he didn't have any excellent qualities of a cultivator.

Sure enough, people are lazy.

So Lin Zian spent the morning wandering around, because Lin Zian's name had long been spread throughout the school, so no teacher came to disturb him.

"Qingtian classmate, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to go to the health room?" Lin Zian knew it was Rio Hosokawa as soon as he heard the voice.

Lin Zian raised his head and saw Rio Hosokawa looking at him with concern.

"It's okay, I just slept late last night."

This ordinary words sounded like a small drama to Rio Hosokawa.

She seemed to see Lin Zian working several jobs at the same time to make more money, shuttling between tedious tasks, or perhaps being exploited by an unscrupulous boss, forcing him to work longer hours, and when he dragged his tired body back home, he had to cook for his sister, and then go out again in the evening.

"By the way! I forgot to tell you yesterday not to mention friends in front of Reina."

"Uh... what?" Lin Zian's words interrupted her fantasy.

"Don't mention friends in front of Reina."

"Why?" Rio Hosokawa asked almost instinctively.

How do I know? If you ask me, who should I ask?

Lin Zian hesitated for a moment before saying, "This involves Lingnai's personal privacy. I haven't gotten Lingnai's permission, so I can't tell you."

"Qingtian is such a reliable person. No wonder she stopped chatting with me after I mentioned her as a friend."

It's you. I knew a cell phone couldn't have such a big reaction.

But Lin Zian didn't dare to say anything because it was his fault. He didn't understand what happened to Lingnai first and wanted to save her in a self-righteous way.

It seems that we need to find a time to reconcile their relationship.

Seeing Rio Hosokawa's guilty look, Lin Zian felt a little uncomfortable, and comforted her and said, "It's not a big deal. You just need to pay more attention in the future."

Lin Zian looked at the time and said to Rio Hosokawa: "It's time to eat. I'll leave first. Rio-san eats slowly."

"Where to go?"

"Canteen."

"Hey! Qingtian-san didn't bring a lunch today?"

"I got up a little late this morning and didn't have time to do it."

"Then just eat mine." After she said that, she happily returned to her seat, took out a five-layer lunch box, and then pulled Lin Zian to the back of the teaching building.

"I also prepared Qingtian-san's lunch today." She said as she spread out her lunch box.

At this point, Lin Zian felt a little guilty even if he wanted to refuse.

Today there are two more layers of rice and vegetables than yesterday.

"Today's food was also delicious. Rio-san is really awesome."

Lin Zian's polite compliment reached Hosokawa Rio's ears, and she said it casually.

"Then I'll cook it for you too."

Lin Zian was stunned when he heard this.

She later realized that there was an ambiguity in her words, but she didn't say anything and just lowered her head again.

Although the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Hosokawa Rio's chopsticks did not change at all and were still as fast.

Lin Zian saw that she didn't eat much vegetables, so he said to her: "Classmate Li Yang, eating more vegetables will help your health. You can't just eat meat."

Speaking of this, Lin Zian suddenly remembered that vegetables were more expensive than meat in Neon. He thought that Hosokawa Rio only ate meat because it was cheaper and satiated.

Hosokawa Rio heard his words and didn't respond. She just ate a little more vegetables than before.

In Lin Zian's opinion, he was probably reluctant to eat it.

Then the meal ended with the "intrigue" between the two.

Lin Zian stopped Rio Hosokawa who was about to wash the lunch box. Thinking of her family situation, he said to her coldly: "Don't prepare my meals anymore."

Hosokawa Rio looked up at him as if he didn't believe it. Just when he was about to say something, he stopped again. After a while, he said, "Is it because you don't want to eat with me?"

"Yes, I no longer want to eat with you."

"Okay! I understand, so are we still friends?"

"Still friends, but don't prepare my meals anymore."

Lin Zian left first, leaving Hosokawa Rio behind.

"Is this Aota-san's self-esteem? It's really hurtful! But I won't give up."

Lin Zian skipped classes and went home at noon. These classes were meaningless to him anyway. He still had one important thing to complete now.

"Lina, open the door quickly, I'm coming." Lin Zian knocked on the door of Oda's house.

Oda Reina opened the door and looked at him doubtfully.

"I came back from skipping class." Lin Zian said with a smile.

"Why?"

"For your sake, tell me the real reason now." Lin Zian squatted down as usual.

Seeing her lowering her head and saying nothing, Lin Zian looked as if that was indeed the case.