Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 163 Summer vacation is coming
New week, Monday.

When Akizuki Makoto and Shiina Maki entered the classroom together, their eyes were all drawn to the seat where Shiraishi Rin was sitting.

Upon seeing Shiraishi Rin sitting there quietly, they were momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Yesterday, Akizuki Makoto and Fuyuko left early, before Shiraishi Rin even woke up.

After all, Shiraishi Rin's parents were coming, and it wasn't appropriate for them to stay there. Besides, Akizuki Makoto didn't intend to tell Shiraishi Rin.

He subconsciously thought that the current Shiraishi Rin was the same bad-tempered Shiraishi Rin, so he didn't want to have anything to do with her.

After returning home yesterday, he told Shiina Maki about it, and Shiina Maki was sad for a long time because she didn't have time to say goodbye to the clone.

"...Good morning, Shiraishi-kun."

Shiina Makoto hoped that Shiraishi Rin, who was sitting quietly reading a book, would be there. After hesitating for a moment, she finally went up to him and greeted him.

Deep down, she still held onto a sliver of hope for her friendship with Shiraishi Rin, after all, he was one of her few remaining friends.

Although, this friend will most likely never acknowledge him again.

Unexpectedly, after she stepped forward to greet him, Shiraishi Rin looked up, paused for a moment, and then nodded in response: "Good morning, Shiina-chan."

"Eh?"

"what?"

This time, not only was Shiina Maki stunned, but Akizuki Makoto was also astonished.

"W-what did you just call Shiina?"

"Shiraishi-chan! Waaah..."

Shiina Maki could no longer suppress her emotions and hugged Shiraishi Rin tightly, saying in a pitiful voice, "I thought... I thought you wouldn't call me that anymore!"

Without a doubt, the Shiraishi Rin in front of her was definitely the one she knew well.

If it were the ill-tempered Shiraishi Rin she first met, she would never have called her Shiina-chan.

This nickname is exclusive to the trio and signifies the relationship between them.

Akizuki looked at Shiraishi Rin with surprise and doubt, and asked, "Are you... a clone?"

"No."

Shiraishi Rin shook her head and replied, "I am the original, but I have the memories of the clones. Everything they experienced has been passed on to me."

"This……"

For a moment, Akizuki Makoto was at a loss for how to react.

He felt something was off. If it was the wicked Shiraishi Rin, even if she inherited the memories of the clone, she shouldn't have become so docile, right?

The current Shiraishi Rin feels like a complete copy.

"Thank you, Akizuki-kun. I didn't have a chance to thank you yesterday."

"...It's alright. I wasn't much of a help anyway. I'm just glad you're safe and sound."

"Don't say that. I really don't know what I would do without Akizuki-kun."

Shiraishi Rin smiled sweetly and said softly, "If possible, please give me a chance. Thank you."

"talk later."

Akizuki Makoto declined Shiraishi Rin's overtures with a somewhat indifferent attitude.

It's not that he dislikes Shiraishi Rin as she is now, but he feels there's no need to have any contact with her, lest he get into any unnecessary trouble.

It's not that he's narcissistic; it's just that there are too many cautionary tales.

He didn't think that anything would happen if he came into contact with women who weren't considered normal, so he didn't try to avoid it.

When he came to his senses, he suddenly realized that he was already trapped in a chaotic situation from which he could not extricate himself.

Shiina Maki, Shimizu Rei, and Hime Yuki—these three abnormal women are undoubtedly eyeing him covetously, and he doesn't want any more of them.

He seemed to possess some kind of magic; whenever he came into contact with women who weren't considered normal, something would inevitably happen, thus enhancing their relationship.

"Shiraishi-chan, you don't have to be so polite. Akizuki-kun is just that kind of person, always happy to help others!"

Shiina Maki patted Shiraishi Rin on the shoulder and said with a grin, "I've also received a lot of help from Akizuki-kun, which I can never repay in my lifetime."

Akizuki Makoto couldn't help but complain, "A lifetime is too much, and I didn't expect you to give me anything in return!"

"Hehehe, it's not an exaggeration at all. If it weren't for Akizuki-kun, I couldn't have done anything."

Shiina Maki stuck out her tongue and laughed a little shyly.

Shiraishi Rin watched the two of them talking and joking around, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

After that, they chatted until the first class meeting of the morning began, when Shiina Maki reluctantly left and returned to her seat.

……

After school in the afternoon, at the club building, the Light Music Club.

Ji Yexue was still absent today; only Qiuyue Cheng and the other three were training.

After inheriting the memories of several generations of clones, Shiraishi Rin became much more proficient at playing the electronic keyboard and was able to practice with them.

After an hour of continuous practice, Akizuki Makoto called a halt to everyone's practice and gave them a half-hour break.

They sat around the tea table, drinking tea, eating snacks, and chatting idly.

At one point, Rie Niijima suddenly asked, "President has been so busy lately, she hasn't shown her face for several days. Does Akizuki-senpai know anything about her?"

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto paused in his teacup-holding motion, then said, "She will indeed be very busy lately, so don't worry about her. Let's just focus on our training."

This was, after all, a private matter for the Ji family, and he couldn't say anything about it, so he could only vaguely gloss over it.

"Really... It's just a little strange. Without the drummer, the band doesn't have a main theme."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. She'll definitely be very busy lately, you know that, right? Her family is very wealthy, and wealthy people always have a lot on their plate."

"That's true..."

Rie Niijima nodded, agreeing with Makoto Akizuki's words.

Everyone at this school knows Ji Yexue, and everyone knows how powerful her family background is.

"Alright, let's not talk about her anymore. Let's talk about our original songs. What are your thoughts?"

Makoto Akizuki changed the subject at the right moment, and Rie Niijima and Maki Shiina fell for it, chattering away about their respective thoughts.

They all wanted to try writing songs, but they hadn't yet decided on the song elements, style, melody, etc.

During their conversation, the break time passed quickly, and they resumed their training.

This continued until 6 p.m., the end of the club activities.

"Goodbye."

After saying goodbye to each other, Akizuki Makoto watched the trio leave. They were going to find a family restaurant for dinner and didn't want to part ways yet.

"Let's go..." Akizuki Makoto also left the Light Music Club and went to the Craft Club to pick up Fuyuko so they could go home together.

……

As the days passed, after resolving the Shiraishi Rin incident, Akizuki Makoto regained his peaceful daily life and soon summer vacation arrived.

During this period, his daily routine consisted of going to school, practicing, and going home.

In the past two weeks, Ji Yexue has only come to the school once and rehearsed with them once.

However, Akizuki Makoto had actually met Himeya Yuki more than once. They met every Sunday afternoon at the sanatorium in the port area to visit Himeya Ryushun.

Ji Yelong's condition deteriorated at a visible rate as time went by.

According to the doctor, Himeya Ryushun will die as early as this summer, or at the latest in autumn.

In short, he was already beyond saving; how long he could live depended entirely on how strong his will was.

Summer vacation was a time that Akizuki Makoto didn't know how to face, because it meant that he had to take some time out during the month and a half to take Fuyuko back to his hometown.

Returning to his hometown meant seeing Shimizu Rei, which filled him with an indescribable sense of excitement.

How should he approach the childhood sweetheart who pushed him away?

Is it accusation, yelling, or anger? Or is it questioning, reconciliation, or distancing?
Akizuki Makoto couldn't imagine what the meeting would be like, and he was also wondering which day to choose to go, feeling very hesitant.

……

On the third day of summer vacation, Akizuki Makoto arrived at the private sanatorium in the port area at 2 p.m. as agreed beforehand, to meet Himeyasu.

Compared to a week ago, Ji Yexue looked even more tired.

It was supposed to be a rare summer vacation, but she was so busy that she didn't have a moment to enjoy herself. Every day, she accompanied her mother to various occasions and handled all sorts of matters.

Good afternoon, long time no see.

Akizuki Makoto entered Himeya Ryushun's hospital room and saw Himeya Yuki. He first nodded to her in greeting.

Then, he looked at Ji Yelongjun lying on the hospital bed, lowered his head and said, "Grandpa, it's been a long time since I've greeted you. How are you feeling?"

"You're not going to die anytime soon, it's tough for you to see this old man every week."

Ji Yelongjun chuckled and replied, "Instead of wasting time, why not take my granddaughter somewhere to relax?"

He could tell that Ji Yexue was exhausted and needed something to soothe her.

Ji Yexue quickly said, "Grandpa, you don't need to worry about me. If I were only this capable, how could I shoulder the heavy responsibility of the family?"

"These things can't be rushed. It's only now that I've come to understand that the will of Heaven cannot be defied."

Ji Yelongjun sighed, his voice hoarse, "In the past, I knew roughly how many years I would live, and I also knew what the consequences would be after I fell ill."

“I watched Lingyue grow up. Although she is outstanding, she is still gentle and mild-mannered, making it difficult for her to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Ji Ye family on her own.”

“I have always had high hopes for you because I saw a glimmer of potential in you, so I wanted to temper your character so that you wouldn’t end up like Lingyue.”

"I have devoted my whole life to the family, regarding it as everything, because it is not just about my own rise and fall, but the rise and fall of the Ji Ye family is related to the life and death of thousands of people."

For some reason, Himeya Ryushun suddenly felt quite sentimental. Perhaps it was because he had reached this age that he was prone to being melancholic.

He would never have thought this way before, because even sadness was a superfluous and luxurious emotion for him, and would only affect his judgment.

"When it's time to rest, take a rest. Even if the sky falls, Grandpa is still here, isn't he?"

Ji Yelong Falcon turned his head and looked at Ji Yexue, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with an extremely complicated expression. He coughed and said, "Grandpa is not dead yet. Even if the sky falls, Grandpa will still hold it up."

"I……"

"Alright, Xue, let's go."

Just as Ji Yexue opened her mouth, Qiuyue Cheng suddenly interrupted her.

"Sincerity..."

Ji Yexue turned around and looked at Qiu Yuecheng standing behind her. She opened her mouth, but remained silent.

Now, she is very confused and really doesn't know what to do.

"Cough...cough cough...go ahead."

Ji Yelongjun coughed twice more and urged, "Let me recuperate in peace from now on. You don't need to come see me anymore. It's quite boring to keep an old man like me company, isn't it?"

"Grandpa, we'll be going now. If anything happens, please contact me. I'll get there no matter what."

Akizuki Makoto took Himeyasu's hand, said goodbye to Himeya Ryusuke, and forcefully led her away.

Goodbye, Grandpa...

Ji Yexue bowed her head to say goodbye to Ji Yelongjun, and then left the sanatorium without saying a word, letting Qiuyue Cheng lead her.

At this moment, she felt unusually down, partly because she truly felt the sorrow of losing a loved one, and partly because she seemed to understand her grandfather's actions over the years.

Himeya Ryushun carries the burden not only of her family, but also of her loved ones.

After leaving the sanatorium, Akizuki Makoto suddenly spoke up: "I was saying... how about we organize a summer camp? Don't all clubs go on summer camps?"

"Stay... together?"

Ji Yexue stared blankly at Qiu Yuecheng, seemingly unable to understand the meaning behind his words.

"Yeah, it's the training camp for the Light Music Club, where we go swimming, have barbecues, practice, and stuff like that at the beach."

"...You're really taking it easy. At a time like this, you're still thinking about playing?"

Hearing this, Akizuki Makoto felt a little embarrassed. He had originally thought that Ji Yexue would have some fun with everyone, which might help her relax.

"Sorry, I didn't consider that..."

He had just opened his mouth to apologize when Ji Yexue interrupted him softly, "Alright, then let's go, to the training camp."

"Then I'll contact the others and discuss a place for the group stay!"

Akizuki Makoto was overjoyed and immediately took out his phone to send out a party invitation in the Line group.

Because it was summer vacation and everyone was free, they all responded immediately after seeing the news.

Finally, they agreed to meet at Senbikiya in Ginza, since the desserts and fruits there were truly delicious, arguably the best in the island.

After agreeing on a meeting place, Akizuki Mako went home for a while, taking Fuyuko with him.

If he were to go on a training camp, he would definitely have to bring Dongzi along, otherwise Dongzi would probably be lonely to death.

"Sometimes I really admire your ability to execute; you just say you'll do it and then you do it."

Sitting in the car on the way to Ginza, Ji Yexue smiled as she looked at Akizuki Makoto sitting next to her, and suddenly felt at ease.

As long as this person is there, she will no longer feel anxious about the future.

"Cheng, you have to stay by my side forever, you can't leave me, otherwise..."

She looked at Akizuki Makoto's profile and murmured to herself, her heart filled with tenderness and affection.

(End of this chapter)