As he stepped onto the airplane stairs, Lin Ye suddenly turned back to look at this remote little island nation. The scenery was clearly the same as when he had gotten off the plane, yet it gave him a completely different feeling.
When he first arrived, he had been uneasy and full of uncertainty toward the future. He never expected that merely one month later, he would once again board a plane, already returning with a full harvest, carrying lofty ambitions as he headed back to China to fight for his dreams.
He had chosen to sign Kamiyā Yuu's international investment contract. After consulting the professional lawyers from his father's company, he learned that the conditions of the contract were extremely strict and harsh, almost completely binding his future development. But Lin Ye knew he had no other choice.
Before long, he let go of those unwilling thoughts as well. Kamiyā Yuu's bargaining chips were simply too heavy. Even the concept of danmaku videos had been proposed by Kamiyā Yuu in the first place. Being chosen as a partner was already the greatest acknowledgment of his abilities.
Although the twenty percent shareholding did not give him controlling power, the value of that twenty percent depended entirely on himself. If he rejected Kamiyā Yuu's cooperation, then in the future he might become the absolute controlling shareholder of some small danmaku website, but the value of that one hundred percent stake might not even equal one ten-thousandth of the value of this twenty percent.
Thanks to his good family upbringing, Lin Ye did not possess the youthful flaw of overestimating himself. After thinking things through, he was no longer obsessed with it. During the flight, his mind was filled with excitement about how to develop things after returning to China and how to maximize the potential of the planning outlines Kamiyā Yuu had handed over to him.
Aside from the broadcasting rights for 'RWBY' and the contracts related to the danmaku website, Kamiyā Yuu had also gifted him another small present—the Chinese operating rights for the game 'Warship Girls Collection.' As long as the game passed China's game approval process, it would quickly become a money-printing machine capable of supporting the future development needs of the danmaku website.
Also on the plane was the silent Busujima Murasaki. Looking at the slowly passing scenery outside the airplane window, she let out an almost imperceptible sigh. If she wasn't around, who would take care of Uehara Etsuki? Yet she also couldn't refuse Uehara Etsuki's request, so she agreed to go to China as the company representative. The trip was expected to take around half a month to a month.
The plane slowly lifted into the air after retracting its wheels. While admiring the scenery outside, Busujima Murasaki suddenly froze when she saw white snowflakes striking the airplane window.
"It's snowing… Is it already winter?"
Before she knew it, she had already been part of the 'Yosuganosora' animation production company for half a year. The busy and fulfilling days had nearly made her forget the changing of the seasons.
"By the time I come back… it'll probably be New Year's already."
······
"Snow."
Kamiyā Sora stared blankly out the window. Rice-grain-sized snowflakes drifted slowly down from the gloomy sky. When they landed on the classroom windows, they melted into streams of water because of the indoor heating and slid downward. The sight brought with it an inexplicable sense of coldness.
"So it's already this season again… Time passes so quickly."
Kamiyā Sora's thoughts sank into memories. What had she been doing around this time last year? Hmm, she had probably conflicted with Kamiyā Yuu. Then, afterward, everything that happened completely changed the course of her life.
Recalling the past, she couldn't help revealing a faint smile filled with a young girl's shyness, satisfaction, and happiness.
The smile caused the female classmates who had originally planned to ask her about a math problem to stop in place. Exchanging knowing smiles with each other, they quietly returned to their seats.
Kamiyā Sora's changes were also reflected in her relationship with the students around her. In the past, regardless of gender, everyone had viewed Kamiyā Sora as an untouchable flower on a high peak. After 'Words of Celebrities' aired, Kamiyā Sora instantly became the class celebrity. Only then did her classmates realize that, aside from being somewhat cold in temperament and expression, she had never intended to keep people at a distance.
Kamiyā Sora was already a third-year high school student, and the entire class was in a state of intense preparation for exams. Her classmates used asking questions as an excuse to approach her, wanting to understand this once-untouchable "princess."
"That kind of smile… it was my first time seeing it. Too bad I didn't bring a camera to record it," one girl in a secretly gathered circle of female students said with extreme regret.
"She looked really happy. As expected, the smile of an ice beauty is one of the most beautiful things in the world."
"Sora isn't really an ice beauty, though. Her personality is just a little indifferent. Other than that, she's pretty much like everyone else."
"Hehe, well, Sora is just way too cute."
"Yesterday, I used the difficult problem assigned by the teacher as an excuse to talk to Sora. She really is smart—she taught me after just a few explanations. Then I got unwilling to accept it and wanted to tease her a little, so I pretended I still didn't understand. The expression she had when she got annoyed because no matter how she taught me, I still couldn't learn, and the way she looked at me like I was an idiot—that feeling was the most exciting!"
"N-No no no! Normal people wouldn't feel excited by that! Wake up! It's one thing if boys are perverts, but I absolutely won't allow you to become like that too, Sakae!" Hearing this, a short-haired girl hurriedly retreated several steps and stared at the speaking girl with a strange expression.
"Ah~ I get it~ I get it! Last time, I also couldn't resist teasing Sora like that. In less than ten minutes, she started looking impatient. S-S-She was just too cute! Her personality is also the type that's used to taking things seriously."
A dreamy murmur came from behind the short-haired girl, drawing out a suppressed scream from her.
The short-haired girl looked helpless and waved her hand as she complained, "No, no, you girls are making things very difficult for me, an ordinary girl here. Am I the only normal one? Or am I the only weird one?"
"Even just once! I really want Sora to call me 'Onee-sama'!"
"Eh… I'd rather call her 'Little Sister-sama'!"
······
While Kamiyā Yuu was handling company documents, a pair of small hands suddenly cupped his cheeks from behind. The icy temperature in the palms immediately made him shiver, and he hurriedly turned around to see who was pulling the prank.
As expected, Yūki Chinatsu was grinning happily at him.
"Do your best, President! This is your reward." She pulled out a bottle of hot drink from behind her back and placed it in front of Kamiyā Yuu.
"I'd say you just interrupted my work, and now you're telling me to work hard?" Kamiyā Yuu laughed helplessly as he snatched the hot drink away.
Yūki Chinatsu said mysteriously, "Yuu, guess what I just saw in the hallway?"
"A G?"
"Not that black, disgusting, hard thing! Here's a hint: white, soft, fluffy, and when it piles up, it makes people want to dive into it."
"White panties!"
"Yuu, that counts as sexual harassment. I'm calling the police!" Yūki Chinatsu glared fiercely at Kamiyā Yuu with her hands on her hips.
"Alright, alright. At this season, the only thing that fits your description is snow!"
"Correct! How about going to Etsuki's house again during New Year's? We can soak in hot springs while watching the snow, and then drink delicious sake! That would be paradise!" Yūki Chinatsu immersed herself in her fantasy world with a blissful expression.
······
Far across the sea from Japan, England was also in the depths of winter. However, snow had begun falling there even earlier than in Japan. White snow piled up and blanketed the entire world.
The streets, rooftops, withered grasslands, and leafless trees—everything wore a soft white layer of snow.
Kumamoto Alice walked to the window and pulled aside the curtains, gazing into the vast snow-covered grounds outside the castle. She wore a thin blue dress with only a simple white shawl draped over her shoulders, fully displaying the elegance of a Western noble lady.
The lonely, icy world outside the window stirred her thoughts into disorder. With a hint of nostalgia, she softly murmured to herself:
"Is it snowing in Japan too?"