Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 171 Sleepless Nights

11pm.

After the rehearsal, everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to rest.

When Akizuki Makoto returned to his room, Fuyuko was already lying in bed, obediently covered with the blanket and waiting for him.

She usually goes to bed early, and was already drowsy at this moment.

Upon seeing Akizuki Makoto enter, she rubbed her eyes and said sleepily, "Brother, let's go to sleep together."

"Okay, come right away."

Akizuki nodded, turned off the lights, climbed into bed in the dark, and lay down next to Fuyuko.

Upon sensing the familiar scent and warmth, Fuyuko instinctively hugged Akizuki Makoto, burying her head in his chest and gently nuzzling him.

"Brother, good night."

Goodnight, Dongzi.

After saying goodnight to each other, the two closed their eyes. Dongzi fell asleep quickly, as she was already extremely sleepy.

But Akizuki Makoto couldn't fall asleep; his mind was perfectly clear.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, since he usually felt sleepy very quickly.

"...I can't sleep."

After lying down for about half an hour, Akizuki Makoto still couldn't fall asleep, and even the initial drowsiness had been dispelled.

At this moment, his mind was perfectly clear, and he would probably toss and turn until the early hours of the morning before he could fall asleep.

Listening to the sound of the waves outside, he suddenly wanted to go up to the deck to feel the sea breeze and look at the sea.

But Dongzi clung to him tightly, and he couldn't pull away. If he forcefully pushed her away, he might wake her up.

"Ok?"

Just as Akizuki was feeling troubled, at a certain moment, he felt the soft, petite body that had been pressed against him leave his chest.

Dongzi turned around to face the other side, smacking her lips at the same time.

Realizing this was a good opportunity to escape, Akizuki Makoto immediately got out of bed quietly and left the room without even putting on his shoes.

At this hour, everyone else was already asleep, only the cabin lights were still on, and no light shone from any of the other rooms.

Akizuki Makoto climbed the stairs and arrived at the top deck on the third floor.

As he stepped out of the stairwell, he was startled to see a person standing with their back to him in front of the railing on the side of the ship.

From her tall figure and her jet-black, lustrous hair cascading down her shoulders, it was clear that the person was Ji Yexue.

At that moment, she heard footsteps behind her and naturally turned around, meeting Qiuyue Cheng's gaze.

"It's so late and you're still not sleeping?"

She was the first to ask a question, a hint of surprise on her face.

On a sleepless night like this, the two unexpectedly met on the deck, which could indeed be considered a pleasant surprise.

"I don't know why, but I couldn't sleep tonight. I tossed and turned for a long time, so I thought I'd go out for some fresh air and to see the sea."

As he spoke, Akizuki Makoto walked over to Ji Yexue's side.

After coming to Ji Yexue's side, he looked into her eyes and asked, "What about you? Are you also having trouble sleeping? Or is there another reason?"

"I haven't been sleeping well these past two days. As soon as I get back to my room and lie down, I can't help but let my mind wander."

Ji Yexue answered truthfully, her eyes not looking at Qiu Yuecheng, but looking up at the starry night sky.

Ogijima has not yet suffered from pollution from modern heavy industry, and the night sky is beautiful, with a dazzling starry sky that can always be seen late at night.

Looking at Ji Yexue's profile, Qiu Yuecheng felt a sense of loneliness for some reason.

"Is this what they mean by 'too much of a good thing'? When you're too happy, you'll feel empty and lonely when you come to your senses."

"You seem to understand what I'm trying to say quite well, even though I didn't make it clear."

Ji Yexue chuckled softly, raised her hand to brush a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the sea breeze, and tucked it behind her ear.

The sea breeze was strong late at night, causing the hems of their clothes to flutter in the wind.

In particular, Ji Yexue was only wearing a thin V-neck nightgown, the hem of which fluttered restlessly in the sea breeze.

"Ah..."

Ji Yexue suddenly felt an itch in her nose. By the time she realized it, it was too late, and she couldn't help but sneeze.

At that moment, she suddenly felt her body temperature rise, and her fair face turned red at a visible speed, even her small earlobes under her hair were tinged with a faint blush.

For people like them who are extremely strict and demanding about etiquette, sneezing in front of others is a very impolite thing to do.

Moreover, it's especially awkward when it happens in front of someone you like!
Ji Yexue has never sneezed in front of others in her life. Even if she wants to, she will force herself to hold it in or cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

Perhaps it was her conversation with Akizuki Makoto that had relaxed her.

When she's with Akizuki Makoto, she always becomes completely unguarded, her heart filled with ease and joy.

"...You've really shown me a rather unseemly side of yourself."

Ji Yexue turned her head to the side, revealing her pale red profile and ears to Qiuyue Cheng.

"It's just a sneeze, it's only human nature."

Akizuki Makoto didn't think there was anything wrong with sneezing. He took off his coat and draped it over Ji Yexue, then said, "If you feel cold, put on another layer. Wearing such thin clothes, who else would sneeze if not you?"

Before he went out, he knew that it would be cold at night, so he put on a jacket beforehand.

After all, they are native islanders and understand the temperature difference between day and night.

"Thank you."

Ji Yexue glanced at the coat draped over her shoulders, nodded her thanks, and suddenly felt less cold.

"Don't think too much about it. Just enjoy yourself. Since you're here, make the best of it. I believe you can do it."

"...Do you believe me?"

Ji Yexue murmured to herself, hoping that Qiu Yuecheng would not believe her and would choose to interfere in her life.

She also longed to rely on Akizuki Makoto, to indulge in her affections, and to show him her most genuine and vulnerable side.

but……

Such an idea is undoubtedly a luxury.

She is the heir of the Ji Ye family, and she must be independent and strong.

Akizuki Makoto gently patted Ji Yexue's shoulder and said, "Alright, go back to sleep. Don't catch a cold, it won't be good."

"..."

Ji Yexue pursed her lips, remained silent for a while, and then said in a low voice, "I won't be able to sleep if I go back."

"At least don't catch a cold. You can still see the sea from your room, right?"

All the windows in the rooms offer a great view of the sea, but standing on the deck and enjoying the sea breeze while looking at the ocean is a much better experience than being in the room.

"Are you worried about me?" Ji Yexue pulled the coat draped over her body a little tighter, looked up at Qiu Yuecheng, and their eyes met.

Qiu Yuecheng looked directly into Ji Yexue's eyes and said without any hesitation, "Of course I'm worried about you, otherwise why would I say that?"

"You're so gentle, it's a pity that you can be gentle to anyone."

Ji Yexue chuckled self-deprecatingly, withdrew her gaze, and said calmly, "Even if it were Bai Shi standing here right now, you would probably drape your clothes over her and show her concern."

"This……"

Akizuki hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'll probably just let her go back."

He is not the same person he used to be. He knows how to keep his distance from certain people and understands what he shouldn't do.

"So, is the person standing here Shiina? Or rather..."

Ji Yexue paused for a moment, seemingly hesitating whether or not she should say that name.

After pausing for two seconds, she decided to speak, and continued, "Your childhood friend, Shimizu Rei."

"..."

Hearing the name Shimizu Rei from Ji Yexue's mouth caused Akizuki Makoto to pause for a moment, and then he fell silent.

If it were Shiina Maki, would he put his clothes on her?
The answer is definitely yes. His relationship with Shiina Maki is definitely better than that with Shiraishi Rin. After all, they have known each other for quite a long time and have had many things happen between them.

But if it's a plain water ceremony...

He didn't know how to answer.

"What exactly happened between you and her that you can't tell me?"

Ji Yexue looked at Qiu Yuecheng with complete incomprehension and questioned, "Why do you still want to talk to her and make up with her when she clearly lied to you? What exactly do you want to talk to her about?"

"This one……"

Akizuki opened his mouth, but remained silent, his expression becoming complicated.

Loneliness, loss, pain and other emotions intertwined, making his mind a complete mess.

"Can't you just say it and let me share the burden with you? Can't you rely on me?"

Seeing that Qiu Yuecheng remained silent, Ji Yexue pressed on relentlessly. Now that she had spoken, she would not let the matter rest.

"Xue, don't ask about Li and me anymore. I will settle things with her properly."

Makoto Akizuki truly couldn't explain that, under the influence of his superpowers, he was forcibly taken by Rei Shimizu.

How could he possibly bring himself to say such a thing? He didn't even want to think about it.

"What's the point of you settling things with her? What exactly do you want to settle with her about?!"

Ji Yexue's emotions suddenly surged, and she loudly questioned Qiu Yuecheng, but Qiu Yuecheng showed no intention of revealing anything.

Seeing this, Ji Yexue gave up as well. She immediately calmed down, looked coldly at the silent Qiu Yuecheng, and said, word by word:
“Cheng, you should know that I am a petty and extremely narrow-minded woman.”

“You don’t have to tell me, but I won’t get close to you anymore. I can’t stand that my partner has secrets with other women that I can’t tell you.”

"Thank you for the clothes and your concern, but what I want is unique favoritism, not the kind that can be given to just anyone."

After saying that, Ji Yexue tore off the coat she was wearing and threw it to Qiu Yuecheng, then turned around and walked into the cabin without looking back.

Qiu Yuecheng watched her figure disappear at the top of the stairs, and after a long silence, he sighed.

It takes a lot of courage to confess your deepest secrets.

If it weren't for being discovered or finding some clues, there would really be no way for them to speak up voluntarily.

……

……

A few days passed after that, and soon it was the last day before the end of the training camp.

In the past few days, the relationship between Akizuki Makoto and Hime Yuki has become very strained, and even others can see that they seem to have had a fight.

But it wasn't Akizuki Makoto and Hime Yuki who were arguing; it was Hime Yuki who was arguing with Akizuki Makoto, because Hime Yuki's attitude towards Akizuki Makoto had become cold.

But they didn't dare to ask, after all, Ji Yexue had a cold face and her aura was even more aloof than usual.

They were too embarrassed to ask Akizuki Makoto, so they could only speak cautiously, trying not to offend the two of them.

Rie Niijima thinks this is fine too, at least Maki Shiina has a better chance of winning.

Although it may be said that it was taking advantage of a weakness, love is inherently a despicable and unscrupulous thing.

Since it was the last day, Akizuki Makoto decided to return to the island, say goodbye to his parents, and then go to find Shimizu Rei to settle things.

In the past few days, he had thoroughly prepared himself mentally. No matter how unwilling he was to face it, today was the deadline.

If he misses today, he probably won't have the courage to face it again in his lifetime.

When Akizuki Makoto arrived on the island, the others came along too. They had to greet Akizuki's parents, otherwise it would seem too impolite.

When Akizuki Makoto and his group returned to Akizuki's house, it was almost noon.

Makoto Akizuki had contacted his parents beforehand, saying that they would come over for lunch and that he would return to Tokyo the next day.

"Good afternoon, Auntie!"

"Good afternoon, Mother."

Upon returning to Qiuyue's home, everyone bowed and greeted Qiuyue's mother one by one.

Qiuyue's father hasn't returned yet; he's going out to sea to fish today and probably won't be back until the afternoon.

Lunch was a lavish affair, featuring a variety of seafood.

Apart from Qiuyue and her brother, everyone else thought it was good, and Ji Yexue also ate quite a lot.

Although she was indifferent to Akizuki Makoto, she still held Akizuki's mother in high regard and affection.

Qiuyue's mother didn't realize that her son and Ji Yexue had quarreled, and happily chatted with Ji Yexue about everyday matters.

Until, when no one else was paying attention to them, Ji Yexue suddenly asked, "Auntie, do you know about Cheng and his childhood friend... you know, that girl named Shimizu Rei?"

"A small gift?"

Upon hearing this, Qiuyue's mother paused for a moment, then touched her face with a troubled expression and said, "Xiaoxue, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"I am a little concerned, but when I asked Cheng, he wouldn't tell me."

"Well... I'm not entirely sure, but I think they had a fight?"

Akizuki's mother gave a wry smile and sighed softly, "Xiao Cheng is really something, such a blockhead. I'm also afraid that one day he'll be stabbed to death by some girl who has a crush on him. Aren't there many girls like that in Tokyo?"

"W-this can't be, right?"

Ji Yexue's expression was somewhat unnatural. She seemed unable to guarantee that she wouldn't push Qiu Yuecheng's slow-witted personality too far and do something extreme.

The dark and extreme thought of "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it" had flashed through her mind before, especially when she saw the close relationship between Akizuki Makoto and Shiina Maki.

"I'm sorry, Xiaoxue, I really don't know anything about them. I just noticed that their atmosphere was off. Neither of them has talked to me about it."

(End of this chapter)