In music anime, band girls won't be alone.

The meal proceeded uneventfully.

Although Toyokawa Shoko was filled with gratitude for the boy in front of her, she did not express it in much detail.

She knew that she didn't have many ways or abilities to express her gratitude.

She lacked both time and money.

So she simply kept this affection to herself, waiting for the day when she was able to repay it.

Sometimes she felt that the other person was deliberately helping her.

After all, it's rare to find a job that allows her to utilize her strengths, avoids social interaction, and still offers a high salary.

What she actually cares about more is not whether she can endure hardship or how much she can earn, but whether she will have to appear in public.

She was afraid of running into her former friends or acquaintances in a disheveled state while working.

But this job has perfectly resolved all her concerns.

Even if you run into an acquaintance, seeing that you have your own practice card and are going in and out of such a big music store, you won't feel like you're down on your luck.

So sometimes, she felt like this part-time job was tailor-made for her.

But the way the other party gave this kindness was so subtle that it didn't make anyone feel guilty at all...

Toyokawa Shoko glanced at the calm-looking young man before her and sighed inwardly.

Shirakawa-kun is truly an amazing person...

Volume 1: Chapter 118 Xiangzi Forgot Everything

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the restaurant and stood by the roadside waiting for the red light.

At that moment, Toyokawa Shoko's phone vibrated twice.

She checked her phone and saw a notification in the work group that, due to increased workload, the afternoon shift would be moved up by an hour to 1:30 PM.

Toyokawa Shoko was startled and quickly glanced at the time; it was almost one o'clock in the afternoon.

It takes a very tight 30-minute journey from here to the tram station and then to the customer service building.

She felt a little anxious and immediately rushed forward when she saw the green light.

Before my foot even touched the ground, a piercing horn blared in my ear.

Before she could turn her head to look, she felt herself being picked up and then her whole body was pulled backward.

It was at this moment that she saw a car speeding past the place she had just been trying to cross.

It looks like it rushed over at the last minute of the green light.

Shoko Toyokawa was instantly terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat. She felt as if her breathing and thoughts had temporarily stopped.

Then she felt herself being put down, and her feet were back on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, Shirakawa Ze's slightly trembling voice rang in his ears.

"Xiangzi, are you okay?"

This startled Shirakawa Ze, who instinctively blurted out the other person's name.

A few seconds later, Toyokawa Shoko finally understood what had just happened.

In an instant, the relief of surviving the ordeal collided with the intense fear of death fueled by her instinctive dread. The overwhelming emotional shock caused her to feel a slight sense of weightlessness. She instinctively gripped Shirakawa's arm and began to breathe heavily, tears streaming down her face.

Shirakawa Sawa didn't know why the other person was in such a hurry to cross the street, but now was not the time to ask.

The immediate priority is to calm the other person down and help them recover from their dazed state.

After all, such a sudden event is too psychologically stimulating.

Even though he had experienced many life-and-death separations, he felt his heart clench violently for a moment.

He grasped the other person's small hand with one hand, applying slight pressure, while gently stroking the other person's back with the other hand, speaking in a gentle tone.

"Xiangzi, this is Shirakawa Ze. Everything is alright now."

"Look at me, Xiangzi. Don't think too much right now, just look at me."

Toyokawa Shoko shifted her gaze slightly and saw the boy's clear eyes filled with concern, making the scene before her seem somewhat unreal.

She slowly raised her hand, wanting to touch the boy's face, but she only raised her hand halfway before she dared not move forward.

She was a little afraid that what she was seeing was all an illusion, and that it was all just a deathbed fantasy.

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko's action, Shirakawa Sawa immediately grabbed her raised hand and pressed it against his face.

After touching the boy's warm skin, Toyokawa Shoko's fingertips moved slightly unconsciously. After confirming that what she was seeing was not her imagination, the feeling of weightlessness began to disappear, but tears kept flowing.

“Ze…”

Shoko Toyokawa opened her mouth with difficulty, straining to utter the syllables.

Shirakawa Ze nodded immediately.

"Yes, it's me."

Seeing that the other person was gradually recovering, Shirakawa Ze breathed a slight sigh of relief and took out a tissue to wipe away the other person's tears.

A few minutes later, after she had mostly recovered her composure, Toyokawa Shoko spoke again.

"Ze... I really don't know how to thank you..."

"I……"

Her voice trailed off.

She didn't know what to say anymore.

Shirakawa gently patted her shoulder.

"Let's not talk about that now."

"Should we find a place to rest for a bit?"

Toyokawa Shoko kept her eyes lowered.

"I...I don't want to be outside..."

"But my home..."

Shirakawa Sawa understood.

"Then let's go to my place, I live alone."

Toyokawa Shoko nodded in agreement, but then shifted her feet and nearly fell.

It seems the physiological effects of the incident haven't completely subsided.

Shirakawa helped the girl up with one hand and hailed a taxi with the other.

After arriving home, the boy took out a new pair of slippers.

At this moment, he was slightly glad that he had the foresight to prepare a whole shoe cabinet full of slippers.

After gesturing for Toyokawa Shoko to sit down, Shirakawa Sawa placed a bottle of water on the table in front of her and then sat down himself.

"Xiangzi, take a rest first, don't think too much."

Toyokawa Shoko nodded, thanked him softly, then took a sip of water and silently lowered her head.

At this moment, she felt that words were so inadequate.

She felt that whatever she said now would carry no weight and would fail to accurately express the emotions she wanted to convey.

But she had no way to do anything for the other person.

My life is extremely difficult right now, but things have eased up recently thanks to the part-time job opportunity offered by the other party.

In this situation, how could she possibly say anything to repay the other party?

If you say you'll be grateful but then can't keep your word, what's the difference between that and deception?

She suddenly felt that she was awful.

Being trapped in the present and having no clear direction for the future has left me speechless with gratitude.

She clenched her fists and spoke with difficulty.

"Ze... I'm so sorry, I don't have the ability or confidence to express my gratitude to you right now."

"However... if I have the opportunity, and if it's something I can do, I definitely won't hesitate for a second, I will definitely do my best..."

Shirakawa Sawa sighed softly, gently patted her hand, and spoke after she stopped.

"Xiangzi, even now, aren't you willing to relax a little?"

Even just briefly, to give yourself a breather?

"To be honest, it always makes me feel bad when I see you so tense while eating."

"Of course I shouldn't judge others by my own standards. I should respect your choices and life, but as your friend, I sometimes have a little selfishness too."

"I want to see Toyokawa Shoko smiling."

In fact, Toyokawa Shoko laughed quite a lot when the two were together.

The word "laughter" here is actually a more descriptive one.

Toyokawa Shoko understood the meaning of the other person's words and realized that the other person had actually seen through her intention to "not smile".

So he... knew everything...

It turns out that all along, the other person had been protecting my carefully constructed pride and tolerating my shallow willfulness...

It turns out that all along, the other person had been silently watching over him from the other side of the wall in his heart...

But I stubbornly clung to my self-righteous pride...

Her tears gradually blurred her vision...