Aspiring to be a girl in a band

Arakawa Kirika frowned. She was really about to fall asleep, but was woken up by Shoko's shout, so she was quite annoyed.

But... for some reason, Xiangzi was suddenly filled with courage. After hesitating for only two seconds, he felt that he had to seize the opportunity to find out the details of those two things.

So she... turned over and chose to meet Arakawa Kirika's eyes.

Arakawa Kirika, who was already sleepy, was made even more unable to fall asleep by Shoko's turning over.

She opened her eyes impatiently, a hint of anger on her face.

But before she could ask any questions, she saw... Toyokawa Shoko actually turn around, and at that moment Shoko was looking at her with a... very firm and brave gaze.

Arakawa Kirika's anger and sleepiness seemed to have dissipated by more than half.

She could tell that Toyokawa Shoko was now facing her with all her might, so she was very happy.

Arakawa Kirika believes that such courage deserves some reward.

So she waited for Xiangzi's question.

"I... want to ask you two questions, please answer them carefully..."

Xiangzi looked into Arakawa Kirika's eyes and said earnestly.

"What do you think."

Arakawa Kirika seemed quite interested, even sticking her right hand out from under the covers and resting her head on her arm.

Having received permission, Xiangzi took a deep breath and then spoke.

"What happened to that convenience store afterward?"

That vandalized convenience store was a source of deep regret for Xiangzi.

Although Xiangzi herself was not the culprit, and she was even a victim herself, her kind nature made her feel responsible for the incident.

If I hadn't worked at that convenience store, it wouldn't have been vandalized.

This is a foolish mentality of punishing oneself for other people's mistakes, but unfortunately, Xiangzi was such a person.

Arakawa Kirika paused for a moment, then fell into thought. After all, a convenience store was utterly insignificant to her, holding no value worth remembering. Therefore, she needed to carefully consider what Shoko was trying to say.

It took her a while to realize that it was the convenience store she had ordered to be smashed.

In an instant, she found Xiangzi in front of her to be exceptionally adorable.

So she touched Xiangzi's face with her hand.

"You...are very cute and kind."

But Shoko's attention was not distracted by Arakawa Kirika's actions; instead, she continued to ask questions with even greater urgency.

"And the answer?"

After that day, he didn't have the courage to check on the convenience store. Even when he resigned, he communicated with the store manager by phone. So now, Xiangzi really wants to know.

Arakawa Kirika laughed, so much so that she buried her face under the pillow for a long time before looking at Shoko.

"The store is being renovated, and we will compensate you three times the amount of all losses. If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourself tomorrow. It should have already resumed normal business."

Arakawa Kirika's smile hadn't faded yet, and for a moment, Shoko felt that this smiling face might be enough to make an iron tree bloom.

"Is that so..."

She got the answer she wanted for her first question, but Xiangzi's face showed no joy, even though she was indeed very satisfied and happy with the answer.

But now, she must muster all her resolve to continue seeking confirmation from Arakawa Kirika.

"Then... the second question."

Suddenly, Toyokawa Shoko's tone turned extremely cold.

"Did you cause the bankruptcy of my family... the Toyokawa family?"

This is the issue that Toyokawa Shoko cares about most right now.

After becoming Arakawa Kirika's maid, this question lingered in her mind and wouldn't go away.

She wondered if the changes in her family were orchestrated by the person in front of her... If that were the case...

She must know the answer to this question.

"I see... This is what you care about most, right?"

Arakawa Kirika also stopped smiling, and her expression began to become serious.

There was no perfunctory attitude or malicious intent in her eyes.

Arakawa Kirika took Toyokawa Shoko's hand and gently placed it on her chest.

Even through her underwear, Toyokawa Shoko could feel the steady heartbeat, without the slightest hint of panic.

Arakawa Kirika looked directly into Shoko's eyes. Each word she uttered was solemn and serious.

"Only this matter can I swear to you."

"I, Arakawa Kirika, absolutely did not participate."

Volume One: Chapter Twenty: Begging

"Hmph... um..."

Shoko Toyokawa, in a light sleep, uttered some incomprehensible mutterings before slowly opening her eyes.

"When did I fall asleep..."

She had just woken up and couldn't quite remember when she fell asleep, but she felt very at ease at that moment.

After checking his current state, Xiangzi realized...

She was almost completely nestled in Arakawa Kirika's arms, and if she looked up even slightly, she could see Arakawa Kirika's face directly.

At this moment, the two were in a posture just like intimate lovers.

Xiangzi gently pressed his face against the arm that was holding him, felt its warmth, and then let out a sigh.

so cold...

She really is a cold-blooded animal; even wrapped in a blanket and holding someone in her arms... her hands were still so cold.

Xiangzi let his thoughts wander.

Could she really be some kind of non-human being...? Xiangzi vaguely remembered reading a legend about a snake spirit who cultivated into a human.

If it's summer... it could actually help to cool off.

She changed her mind again.

Just then, Arakawa Kirika opened her eyes at the perfect moment, and her face came right up to Shoko's.

……

Xiangzi immediately tensed up and subconsciously tried to look away.

Eh?

But Xiangzi quickly realized what was happening.

The experience she had gained over the past two days told Xiangzi that she seemed to be out of danger after just waking up.

As expected, Arakawa Kirika opened her eyes but didn't even bother to say a word.

really……

Once he confirmed this, Xiangzi was immediately relieved.

I'm not afraid of you at all...

Xiangzi thought to himself.

Then she gently removed the arm that was locking her up and got out of bed first.

Arakawa Kirika didn't show any displeasure when she saw her hand being shaken off; instead, a look of bewilderment appeared in her eyes.

"Shall we get up?"

After stretching his body, which had become stiff from maintaining the same posture for a long time, Xiangzi asked calmly.

Arakawa Kirika nodded, but had no intention of opening her mouth and wasting any extra energy.

So Xiangzi helped Arakawa Kirika get up and dressed.

Arakawa Kirika was surprisingly compliant, much like a doll. Only after Xiangzi dressed her up did she sit back down on the bed.

Seeing Arakawa Kirika's listless appearance, Xiangzi felt a little helpless.

She began to wonder who took care of Arakawa Kirika's daily life when she wasn't around.

She had only been a maid for two days and already found this guy quite troublesome; she really felt sorry for the guys who had taken care of her before.

"We can't communicate at all like this... and it's still a long time before dinner."

Xiangzi glanced at the time and sighed.

So she moved closer to Arakawa Kirika and waved in front of her, trying to get her attention.

However, Arakawa Kirika did not react.

"Would you like to hear me play the piano?"

Xiangzi tried a different approach.

This time, Arakawa Kirika's eyes, which had almost closed again, showed signs of opening, and then she nodded.

"Then let's go down."

Toyokawa Shoko helped Arakawa Kirika up and slowly walked towards the stairs.

Looking at Arakawa Kirika's swaying body, Toyokawa Shoko even felt an urge to pick her up.

There is nothing misleading about this statement.

Toyokawa Shoko was simply annoyed by Arakawa Kirika's dawdling and wasting too much time, so she wanted to carry her downstairs as quickly as possible.

But... Xiangzi quickly abandoned the idea.

It's worth noting that Arakawa Kirika is a full head taller than her, meaning there's at least a 10-centimeter difference in height between them.