Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 164 Departure! Back to our hometown!

Ginza, Senbikiya, a window seat on the second floor.

It was a rare occasion for all the members of the Light Music Club to gather together. Their lively conversations and undisguised youthful energy attracted frequent glances and whispers from customers and staff in the store.

They had never seen such a high-quality group before; it was like a girl group having a private get-together.

"Great! Where should we go for the social event? If we're from the coast, we'll have to go to another county, right?"

Upon hearing that they were going to a beach camp, Shiina Maki immediately nodded excitedly and readily agreed.

Rin Shiraishi and Rie Niijima naturally had no objections. They were quite free during their summer vacation, so spending a few days participating in the training camp was not a bad idea.

The problem is, where should they go? Where can they go by the sea, where the scenery is beautiful, and where can they find a place to rehearse?

Makoto Akizuki had originally thought that he might take this opportunity to hold the training camp at his hometown, which happened to be a small island surrounded by the sea.

But then he thought about it carefully and realized there was no place there that could provide them with a practice area.

There wasn't even a place to stay for Ji Yexue and the others.

There are no hotels on the island, nor could there be, since it's just a small island, inhabited by local residents, and there are no tourists.

Although you can stay in Takamatsu City outside the island, it still takes half an hour each day to take a ferry to get to the island, which is very inconvenient.

"Brother, doesn't our home have the sea? Aren't we going back?"

Fuyuko seemed to sense Akizuki Makoto's concerns and hesitation. She had been happily enjoying her cake when she suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, the others were taken aback, and then they remembered that Makoto Akizuki's hometown was Ogijima Island in Takamatsu City, Seto Inland Sea.

Isn't that exactly what they need?

It has the sea, beautiful scenery, and you can also learn about what Akizuki Makoto was like in his hometown.

"I want to go!"

Shiina Maki immediately raised her hands, excitedly indicating that she wanted to go.

Ji Yexue was also somewhat tempted, but unlike Shiina Maki, she was not impulsive and had her own concerns.

First of all, if they go back to Akizuki Makoto's hometown, they will inevitably run into his childhood sweetheart.

She still remembers the complex and lonely expression on Akizuki Makoto's face when he mentioned Shimizu Rei.

If we let them meet, who knows what might happen?

But this kind of thing is like a hidden time bomb; it will explode sooner or later, it's just a matter of time.

Perhaps, if we take proactive measures, we can defuse this bomb and prevent it from detonating. But if we leave it unattended, it will inevitably explode in the end.

"I've also thought about going back, but I don't have a place to stay or practice there."

"That's not a problem; a yacht can solve it."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto fell silent instantly; he had completely forgotten that there was a top-tier young lady present.

As Ji Yexue said, all she needed to do was arrange a luxury yacht, which would not only solve their accommodation needs but also provide a venue for their performance.

What a pleasant thing it would be to play a tune while feeling the salty sea breeze.

"Let's vote by raising hands. Raise your hand if you want to go to Makoto's hometown for a training camp."

Seeing the disagreement, Ji Yexue simply had everyone raise their hands to vote, which was the fastest and most convenient method.

"I go."

"I'm fine. It seems quite interesting. I heard there are lots of cats there, it's a cat lover's paradise, I'd like to go check it out."

"Then... I'll go too."

After Shiina Maki and Niijima Rie raised their hands to indicate their agreement, Shiraishi Rin, who had been hesitant, also raised her hand.

"Dongzi wants to go back too~"

Dongzi, wanting to join in the fun, raised her little hand to participate in the vote.

In this way, there would be four votes in favor, and even excluding Dongzi, the result would be a three-vote victory.

"Then go ahead."

Ji Yexue nodded, deciding on the location for the training camp, and then said, "We'll set off the day after tomorrow, so let's tentatively decide on a week-long training camp."

I originally planned to stay for only three days, but after thinking about it, three days seemed a bit too short.

If you're going to play, then play to your heart's content. She needs a week to gather the energy to get through this difficult time.

"Okay, let's stay together~ stay together~"

"Let's go pick out swimsuits together tomorrow, we'll go play in the sea then."

"it is good……"

After that, they chatted happily for a long time about the matters and details of the training camp, until evening when Ji Yexue had to leave before they finally said goodbye.

At the entrance of the Senbikiya, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways home.

Makoto Akizuki, Fuyuko, and Maki Shiina are a group, and they live in the same place.

Rin Shiraishi and Yuki Hime both had private cars to pick them up, while Rie Niijima took the train home alone.

She could arrange for someone to pick her up, but she didn't have the typical pampered princess habits.

"Go home..."

Walking towards the station, Akizuki looked at the gentle crimson sky, his thoughts drifting, a vague sense of unease and anxiety washing over him.

After all, he was going back to his hometown the day after tomorrow to see Shimizu Rei.

He had been hesitant for a long time, but today he made a decision by accident.

Now that things have come to this, he can only prepare himself mentally and face it.

Even though he didn't want to face it at all, he couldn't help but want to escape.

Unaware of Makoto Akizuki's inner concerns and thoughts, Shiina Maki happily said, "I'm really looking forward to going to Akizuki-kun's hometown, and I also want to meet his uncle and aunt."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto pursed his lips, remaining silent and not responding to Shiina Maki's words.

Shiina Maki still didn't realize that Akizuki Makoto was in a bad mood, and said to herself, "This is my first time going on a training camp with friends, hehe, I have a feeling I'll be too excited to sleep tomorrow night..."

After she finished speaking, she waited for a while, but did not receive a response from Akizuki Makoto. So she turned her head to look at him and noticed that his expression showed a hint of sorrow and loss.

"Autumn...Autumn Moon Lord?"

She subconsciously called out to Akizuki Makoto, somewhat worried about his current state.

"Ok?"

Hearing Shiina Maki calling him, Akizuki Makoto snapped out of his reverie and said apologetically, "Sorry, were you talking to me? I was lost in thought and didn't hear you."

"No, it's okay..."

Shiina Maki shook her head, but then quickly waved her hand, saying, "N-no, it's not that I'm alright! It's that Akizuki-kun is alright, right? You seemed a little..."

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about something." Akizuki Makoto smiled, his smile as gentle as ever, as if to show that he was really alright.

But those who know him can tell at a glance that it's a forced smile, a smile he's giving to avoid worrying those around him.

"No, it's alright."

Shiina Maki muttered resentfully. Even though she could tell that Akizuki Makoto was forcing a smile to hide his true feelings, she didn't have the courage to investigate.

Lately, she has been trying very hard to maintain a certain distance from Akizuki Makoto.

She didn't want to get too close like before and scare Akizuki Makoto.

Fortunately, she made friends, which alleviated her loneliness a little, but in fact, she thought of Akizuki Makoto every night to comfort herself.

Sometimes it's listening to the faint guitar sounds coming from next door, and sometimes it's just starting to daydream.

When Akizuki Makoto is at home, he plays the acoustic guitar and hums softly.

His only audience was Dongzi, but he would only hum songs to Dongzi.

If it were someone else, he would just play silently.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

Looking at Shiina Maki beside him, Akizuki Makoto felt apologetic.

He did feel guilty towards her; he could never say he was completely innocent.

But he couldn't quite put his finger on what he felt guilty about. He just felt that things had come to this point, and their lives seemed to have become inextricably linked from some unknown point in time.

His relationship with Maki Shiina, while not particularly close, is solid enough.

As long as Shiina Maki doesn't give up on him and still likes him, their relationship will never end.

……

……

Two days later, at nine o'clock in the morning.

The members of the K-On! club gathered at Chiyoda Station, preparing to take the Shinkansen to Takamatsu City, a journey of about three hours.

Ji Yexue had already arranged a yacht in the past two days. Once they arrived in Takamatsu City, they could take a boat from the port to the small island where Akizuki Makoto's hometown was located.

Makoto Akizuki, Fuyuko, and Maki Shiina arrived together. When they arrived, everyone else was already there, making them stand out in the waiting room.

Their journey started at 9:24, so they had plenty of time.

"Morning."

Makoto Akizuki greeted Yoshiyuki Hime, Rin Shiraishi, and Rie Niijima one by one.

Ji Yexue was dressed casually today, wearing a white sleeveless knit shirt, a thin jacket, a fitted chiffon skirt, and sandals that showed her toes. She also wore a large sun hat, making her look like a young and mature older sister.

Rin Shiraishi and Touko's outfits were quite similar; they were both petite with pure and lovely faces, so they both chose white dresses, only differing in style and some details.

Recently, Shiina Maki has been going shopping with Shiraishi Rin and Niijima Rie. She dresses very fashionably and stylishly. Mainly, her figure is just too good. Even ordinary clothes look amazing on her, giving her a sexy vibe.

Not to mention in the sweltering summer, when everyone is dressed in relatively light clothing.

Shiina Maki chose her clothes according to Akizuki Makoto's taste; she was wearing a loose-fitting off-shoulder t-shirt and denim shorts.

Compared to before, she is now more confident and daring in her clothing choices, and she no longer feels uncomfortable wearing such flashy clothes.

"Let's go, let's go into the station and wait for the train."

After everyone gathered and exchanged greetings, Ji Yexue led them into the station in a grand procession, showed their tickets, and waited on the platform for the train to arrive.

"Waaah, Niijima-chan, Shiraishi-chan, I really couldn't sleep last night! I think I didn't fall asleep until three or four in the morning!"

"Are you an idiot? You're like a primary school student who can't sleep when you're going on a school trip."

"Actually, I'm also having some trouble sleeping, because I'm a little uneasy, but mostly I'm looking forward to it..."

The three Shiina members immediately gathered together upon meeting, chatting animatedly and excitedly.

Naturally, Ji Yexue and the Qiuyue siblings ended up together.

This wasn't a division into factions or groups; it was simply that Ji Yexue alone had isolated the three of them.

She didn't want to blend in with those three and be called "Hime-chan" in such a cloying way; it would undoubtedly be a disgrace to the Hime-chan surname.

Looking at Ji Yexue standing beside him, with her aloof expression and beautiful profile, Qiu Yuecheng asked, "Is everything alright? Isn't a week-long training camp a bit too much?"

Ji Yexue nodded slightly and replied, "Don't worry, since it was my suggestion, I know what I'm doing."

"That's fine."

Qiu Yuecheng didn't say anything more, because he felt that Ji Yexue was somewhat cold today for some reason.

He would never know that the reason Ji Yexue acted this way was because...

Last night, she also had some insomnia and tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep, which left her feeling tired and lacking energy.

Like Shiina Maki and Shiraishi Rin, she wasn't feeling uneasy, excited, or expectant, but rather concerned about the relationship between Akizuki Makoto and Shimizu Rei.

She's been agonizing over this ever since the last two days.

She really wanted to ask Akizuki Makoto what had happened between him and Shimizu Rei, and how he viewed Shimizu Rei, but that seemed a bit too willful.

It's as if Akizuki Makoto is her possession, and she's being unreasonable because of her possessiveness.

Even though Akizuki Makoto didn't date her, she had neither the status nor the right to inquire about Akizuki Makoto's interpersonal relationships.

But lately, Akizuki Makoto's attitude towards her has been quite ambiguous, especially when he visited Himeya's house last time and gave a long speech about his impressions of her.

At that time, she truly believed that Akizuki Makoto had finally realized his feelings for her.

"What a sinful man! He's so cruel! How far do you have to manipulate young girls' hearts to be satisfied? You perverted heartbreaker..."

Ji Yexue glanced at Qiuyue Cheng, who was playing with Dongzi, out of the corner of her eye, and muttered to herself.

She realized for the first time that liking someone was both incredibly difficult and incredibly interesting.

One second you're blissfully happy, as if you're in heaven, and the next you can fall into hell.

Her heart was constantly drawn to this man.

She had already realized that she loved Akizuki Makoto so much that she was hopelessly and deeply in love with him.

It's laughable to think about it now. She had originally planned to make Akizuki fall head over heels in love with her, then play with him and dump him.

just now……

How did it become her?

"Hehe, this is really interesting."

Thinking of this, Ji Yexue couldn't help but chuckle.

Hearing her laughter, Akizuki Makoto asked in confusion, "Why are you laughing all of a sudden? Is something funny?"

"It's nothing, I just thought of something interesting."

Ji Yexue shook her head, a faint smile on her face, indicating that she was in a very good mood.

(End of this chapter)