Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

In his view, Takamatsu Deng was the quintessential good child described by parents and teachers. She knew everything, yet knew nothing at the same time, her mind pure and simple. If Shirakawa Haru were to compare her to a poem, it would be difficult for her to make the analogy, as her qualities were so unique. Was she Byron or Shelley? Tagore or Shakespeare? Shirakawa Haru's mind raced through poets: Bunin, Tsvetaeva, Vistula...

These are all the poets he likes. Gao Songdeng has all the qualities to be one of these poets, but she will not be a footnote or preface to any poet.

She is Takamatsu Deng, and can only be Takamatsu Deng.

"No, is it not possible?" Gao Songdeng shrank back, and even the two hoodie strings on his hoodie swayed from side to side.

What should I do? Doesn't Qing want to close his eyes? Will he be angry if I ask him to do this? Will he be happy with what I do next?

"Of course." Shirakawa Haru closed his eyes obediently.

"Hey...Qing, please close your eyes?" Gao Songdeng turned away just now because of Shirakawa Haru's rejection-like answer. Now she turned back and looked at Shirakawa Haru. She repeated it again and then moved close to Shirakawa Haru's face.

The dark trail was filled with fragrance, the scent of tall pine lamps mixed with the moist mud and cattails by the river.

Takamatsu Deng approached Shirakawa Haru and snuggled up to him. In the darkness, her eyes sparkled like stars.

Shirakawa Haru felt a little dizzy, and the corners of his eyes trembled slightly, which is a common symptom when people are trapped in darkness and unable to receive any information from the outside world. He smelled a fragrance and saw a small, soft ball moving in front of him. He could easily guess that it was the fragrance of Gao Songdeng.

There was a cool touch on my face... Raining? But the weather forecast said it would be sunny today! The moist breath slapped against Shirakawa Haru's face, making the strange fragrance even more intense. The sound of shallow breathing, the gentle beating of a heart... At this moment, there was only deafening silence!

"Qing... please open your eyes." Gao Songdeng took a few steps back.

Shirakawa Haru opened his eyes, his expression was dazed. Just now, Gao Songdeng asked him to close his eyes and kissed the side of his cheek.

Takamatsu Deng's tears flowed again, but she was smiling. Shirakawa Haru could see that both expressions and feelings were real. The tears were a reflection of her emotions, and the smile was her mood at the moment.

"I once wished to become human, but at that time I didn't understand what a human was. But the burning emotion that surges in my heart right now must be the same as the emotions humans have, right?" Gao Songdeng didn't wipe away her tears, and the crystal clear water that fell soaked her collar. "Qing, you said last night that if I shed tears, you would want to shed tears too. Please don't cry."

"I am really happy now," she said.

"Hmm? Ah? Eh? Happy... Oh, I hope you have fun." Shirakawa Haru was talking nonsense.

Shirakawa Haru was the most bewildered. The soft touch and cool scent he'd just felt were like the winter snow in Hokkaido. He felt like he was walking across a vast snowy plain, his nose filled with the clear water of melted snow. His footprints were like the stars on the distant horizon, stretching all the way to the dome. There was no more perfect combination than the snowfield and the starry sky. His gaze burned in the cold as he wandered along the winding track hidden beneath the snow, his hands caressing the exquisite steel lines. Between breaths, he'd already left behind the world's most beautiful, winding snowscape.

"Well... I'm going home." Gao Songdeng wanted to say something else, but the phone in her pocket had already rang several times.

"Can I ask what our relationship is now?" Baichuan Qing thought for a while. A light kiss on the cheek should not be something that can be done between friends. He knew that some countries in the world had the etiquette of kissing on the cheek, but kissing on the cheek was not actually applicable between a man and a woman who were just friends.

His face was a pale shadow.

"Hmm..." Gao Songdeng hummed dully, then answered loudly, "We are, friends for life!"

"Good night then." Shirakawa Haru asked Takamatsu Deng to hand her phone to him, and then connected her to her family. Outside the receiver's range, he said, "I'll wait for you here. Go back first and text me when you get home."

"Well, goodbye." Gao Songdeng waved and walked towards the side of the trail bridge. Her figure soon disappeared into the night.

Shirakawa Haru lay down on the railing of the sidewalk again. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the endless stream of vehicles below, wondering what was his relationship with Takamatsu Deng now?

If they were friends, that would be too close. If they were lovers... he didn't know what it was like for a man and a woman to be together. He had never been in a relationship, so he didn't understand.

If you just look at the behavior... Shirakawa Haru covered his eyes with his hands, then relaxed, letting gravity drag his arms weakly across his face, and he thought of Toyokawa Shoko.

He and Shoko Toyokawa had once lived in the same rented apartment, sharing a bed. At night, he would enjoy her piano playing while she offered him one of her headphones. The first time he moved into her rental apartment, he caught a glimpse of the style and size of her underwear. The memory was still fresh, and the way she blushed was unforgettable... And then there was the embrace in the dark, Shoko Toyokawa's soft breasts pressed against his, the soft touch that made him feel as if that night were eternal.

So, if we only look at their behavior, there is no doubt that he and Shoko Toyokawa are a couple in the passionate period of love.

But he subconsciously thought that this was impossible.

In a relationship, Shirakawa Haru feels that he will be in a passive position, that is, if no one confesses to him, he may have to wait for love forever. He cannot confirm the relationship and can only wait for others to confirm it.

There is no omnipotent person in the world, and Shirakawa Haru is not perfect either.

The words that the love saint said to Shirakawa Haru before proved that Shirakawa Haru would be very slow to react to the girls who were close to him in this life and would not be able to understand their feelings.

If it were just women with whom he had business dealings, it would be fine. He could easily see through their thoughts based on their facial expressions and interest relationships.

Once a person gets an opportunity or pursues something strongly, his or her actions are often easy to predict.

What Shirakawa Haru is afraid of are girls like Takamatsu Tomo and Toyokawa Shoko. They enter each other's lives and occupy a very heavy part in each other's hearts. When facing them, he will become extremely clumsy.

He let out a long sigh, and a message alert sounded from the phone in his pocket. Someone opened the window above a residential building not far away.

"Qing... I'm home!" Takamatsu Deng sent a text message to Shirakawa Haru.

Shirakawa Haru raised his head, and Gao Songdeng stuck his head out of the open window and waved to Shirakawa Haru.

Just as he was about to smile, a pair of hands reached out from behind Gao Songdeng and pulled her back from the window, and then the window was closed fiercely.

Shirakawa Haru sent a text message to Takamatsu Deng on his phone: "Good night, I wish you a sweet dream."

He turned and walked down the sidewalk, touching his stomach, thinking about having a midnight snack.

Late at night, at a certain intersection near Shirakawa Haru's home, there was an old wooden mobile car parked.

These old-fashioned mobile carts once had many uses, but the ones that still exist today are mostly used to sell food: octopus balls, fried noodles, fried rice, fish balls... but the most popular item is ramen. The sides of the cart feature two large, openable windows, covered with a long roll of waterproof tarpaulin. If it rains, the chef lowers the tarpaulin to keep out the rain. The cart isn't large, but it's just big enough to hold all the tools a ramen chef needs to survive.

The old master is a "celebrity" in the neighborhood. He has been selling ramen here from a mobile cart for a long time. According to some old people, it has been more than 40 years.

Residents nearby can often see this busy figure at night. They see him everywhere and have a certain respect for this old master who insists on selling ramen on a mobile cart regardless of the weather.

"Grandpa, add one more bowl of noodles, and then..." Baichuan Qing tore off some of the yellowed sign cloth.

He stood on the side of the mobile vehicle, a long cloth canopy covering his upper body.

"An extra helping of beef and a whole soft-boiled egg, huh?" The old chef's knife skills were exceptional. He grabbed a scallion and quickly sliced its curved surface several times, like carving a pattern. Then he lowered the knife to cut through the scallion, and a handful of scallion segments fell into the white porcelain bowl. "You always eat like this. Not many people around here have your appetite."

"It's not that I have a big appetite, it's that others eat too little." Shirakawa Haru took a plastic chair down from the mobile cart and sat down. "Every time I see others eating so little, I feel like they might as well not eat at all."

"How can that be?" the old master said with a smile, "But being able to eat is a blessing, and having more to eat is an even greater blessing. There's nothing wrong with eating more."

"That's right." Baichuan Qing thought of the child who couldn't even get enough to eat before being supported by her, "Next time I have a chance, I'll bring someone else over to eat."

"Oh, that's great. By the way, it seems like your girlfriend hasn't come to my place to eat noodles for a long time." The old chef served the noodles to Baichuan Qing and took off his gloves to chat.

"Grandpa, who are you referring to?" Baichuan Qing ate noodles in big mouthfuls.

"That girl with slightly brown hair and purple eyes. I tell you, if you like her, you'd better get her as soon as possible. That girl is much prettier than the so-called female stars, and her temperament is like a lady from a noble family. If you don't get together with her, you will definitely regret it in the end." The old master accurately described Yuki Suho's image outside.

"That's not my girlfriend, that's my sister. I've told you many times, old man, you have to remember this." Baichuan Qing curled her lips. Only she knew what kind of person her sister was.

"Are you going to bring her a bowl of ramen this time?" asked the boss.

"Yeah. Same as last time, a bowl of ramen and beef, with extra Naruto rolls..." Before Shirakawa Haru could finish his words, someone sat down next to him and interrupted him.

"One serving of ramen and beef, with more Naruto rolls." Suoh Yuki winked at Shirakawa Haru and whispered, "Haru, I caught you, didn't I? You sneaked out for a midnight snack without calling me!"

"It's not like I won't help you." Bai Chuanqing asked the boss to add another bowl of noodles for him, "Grandpa, I'll pay for her."

"Okay, little girl, please wait a moment, the ramen will be ready soon." The old chef's voice was full of energy.

"Grandpa, we've met many times before, but why do you always act like you're talking to a first-time guest?" Suho Yuki sat on the small stool Shirakawa Haru brought her and rested her arms on the greasy tabletop. "You look so energetic."

"I can still make ramen for another twenty years!" The boss handed the ramen to Yuki Suho and added a few more slices of beef. "But my memory is a little bad."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Suho Yuki smiled sweetly, clasping her hands together to thank the master for taking care of her. "Grandpa, your memory is much better than others your age!"

"Why did you come out?" Baichuan Qing held the porcelain bowl and drank the noodle soup bit by bit.

"Of course I want to know who seduced you tonight..." Where the master couldn't see, Yuki Suho sneered.

Chapter 4.3: Kiss You (k)

A taxi passed by an old-fashioned mobile, and the airflow blew up the cloth cover used by the mobile to cover the upper bodies of customers.

The moon hung in a corner of the night sky, and had stopped rising just within reach.

The breeze stopped tugging at my trouser legs and shaking the light on the dolly.

Shirakawa Haru looked at Yuki Suo, who smiled gently, and hesitated to answer her. All around him was the night, the loneliness, the turmoil of a surging exile, the ebb and flow of waves. He felt only a mysterious sense of helplessness and panic... Yuki Suo's words had just brought out that feeling in him.

"Qing, why aren't you talking?" Zhou Fang Yuxi lowered his head, holding the porcelain bowl and took a sip of the noodle soup with a layer of oil floating on it. "Are you still thinking about what happened tonight?"

"Yuki, I want to ask you a question." Shirakawa Haru's tone was very serious, which made Suho Yuki straighten his back. He paused and said, "If a girl kissed me on the face, what would be the first thing that would go through your mind?"

"If a boy kissed me on the cheek, Haru, what would you think after you found out?" Suho Yuki froze for a moment, poking her noodles vigorously with her chopsticks. But looking at Shirakawa Haru's face, which looked a little silly at the moment, she finally sighed helplessly, "Let's talk about it together."

Both Shirakawa Haru and Suho Yuki said that they would sink that person to the bottom of Tokyo Bay.

After getting the answer, Suho Yuki chuckled. She patted Shirakawa Haru on the back and said, "We really are siblings. We even think the same way—crazy and insane." She then suggested that perhaps they weren't just high school students, but assassins operating in a gray area. After all, only assassins could be so crazy, valuing their possessions more than anything else in the world.

"So what you're saying is, Haru, someone kissed you today?" A dangerous flash of light flickered in Suho Yuki's purple eyes. "Who was it? Let me guess, it couldn't be Toyokawa Shoko. You seem to be getting close to those kids in the band lately... It must be Takamatsu Touma, right?"

She pondered for a moment, then gave the correct answer accurately.

"It's her... It's definitely Takamatsu Touma..." After Yuki Suho finished her ramen, Haru Shirakawa stacked her porcelain bowl with her own, packed up her chopsticks, and handed them both to the chef. "You girls are really good at this. I can't compare to you."

Shirakawa Haru would never lie to Suho Yuki, nor would he hide anything.

"Of course!" Zhou Hou Yuxi waved her hand tiredly, then rested her chin on Shirakawa Haru's arm and glanced at Shirakawa Haru's eyes, but soon, her gaze disappeared into a gentle darkness, "I am paying close attention to you."

"Let me tell you about me and Takamatsu Deng?" Shirakawa Haru asked Suho Yuki in a tentative tone.

"Tell me if you want." Zhou Fang Yuxi raised his head and took the free sparkling water handed by the master, "Thank you, Grandpa!"

"I'm a little old now, and I'm a little confused about the relationships like 'brother and sister, girlfriend, boyfriend' among you young people. It's not a love triangle, right? I hope you can talk to each other nicely and not quarrel." The old master said while wiping the table.

"I will." Shirakawa Haru promised.

"I want to ask you first," Suho Yuki said, "Why did Takamatsu Touma kiss you? Did she treat you as her boyfriend?" As she said this, she gritted her teeth and her eyes were blazing, as if she wanted to tear Takamatsu Touma and Shirakawa Haru into pieces together. She would tear Shirakawa Haru into pieces first, and then tear herself into pieces.

"I don't know." Shirakawa Haru was startled by Suho Yuki's tone and eyes. "That's why I'm discussing this with you. Besides, I don't have any plans to fall in love for the time being. I want to understand what love is first, and then I can fall in love."

Shirakawa Haru told Suho Yuki about his and Takamatsu Touma's experiences this semester.

Yuki Suho listened to her brother telling the story of him and the short-haired girl Takamatsu Teru as if it were a love story, and she highly praised their experience.

From the perspective of the girl Deng Takamatsu, Shirakawa Haru took her to the aquarium to see the business, told her how to become a whale in the bustling city, and read Shakespeare's sonnets for her... The sense of romance, story and youthfulness in it all reached a certain level.

Suho Yuki really liked these stories of Shirakawa Haru, but she just lamented that it was a pity that the heroine was not herself. If she were the girl who was treated so tenderly by Shirakawa Haru, she would definitely find a way to trick him into a love hotel right then and there.

But he is very gentle to her now, and she has actually been satisfied for a long time.

What she wasn't satisfied with was only her own greed, the desire to go further no matter what.

Yuki Suho knew very early on that she was actually a little girl immersed in a honey pot. She never had to grow up because there was always someone in front of her to protect her from the wind and rain.

"That's why I feel a little overwhelmed. If Deng saw me as a romantic partner, I would definitely keep my distance from her." Shirakawa Haru rubbed the top of Suho Yuki's head. It was only when he put his hand down that he remembered that his palms were filled with the aroma of ramen. "But the problem is, maybe she herself doesn't know why she suddenly kissed me."

Yuki Suho didn't care about her greasy hair, but instead hoped that Haru Shirakawa could play with her for a while longer.

She squinted her eyes and stood up shakily from the plastic stool, lifted the cloth curtain, and walked out of the mobile car covered with a layer of dim lights.

"That's a really troublesome thing." Yuki Suho and Haru Shirakawa walked side by side on the sidewalk. "According to what you said, Takamatsu Teru probably doesn't even know what love is, just like you, Haru. She just instinctively thinks kissing your cheek will make you happy, or maybe she saw a video somewhere saying that doing so can further intensify the relationship between boyfriends and girlfriends. Haru, you always seem to be particularly helpless when dealing with girls like this."

"Yeah. I have a chance to have a good chat with Deng." Shirakawa Haru said.

"Qing, how do you feel about being in the band? Are you tired? Is it hard?" Zhou Fang Yuxi suddenly asked.

"It feels like I'm taking care of a bunch of children." Shirakawa Haru stood there, thinking for a moment, a smile curling up at the corners of her mouth. It was like standing in a field of dandelions. A gust of wind blew, and the white flowers turned golden. The soft down fluttered in the air, swaying in the wind and gently falling. "Everyone has a unique personality. Some are competitive. Some become shadows carved into the corner, timid and afraid to speak if you don't pay attention. Some are like little ponies, full of endless energy and a silly smile... They have strengths and weaknesses. My job as an agent is to help them examine themselves."

"You look quite happy," Suho Yuki said, "You don't really treat them as your own children, do you? You've always been subconsciously taking care of others."

"That's just my personality. I can't ignore children who are upset." Shirakawa Haru glanced at Suho Yuki's face as he said this. "In my eyes, you are just a little brat who occasionally gets upset. When you stop getting upset, I will consider 'marrying' you."

"Then I might never have a chance." Suho Yuki said, "After all, only girls who get upset and cry will get more attention and be given more."

"Maybe." Baichuan Qing did not comment.

"Hey! Haru, squat down!" Zhou Hou Yuxi walked behind Shirakawa Haru and suddenly acted coquettishly, "I want you to carry me!"

Yuki, you're so childish, just like a little kid. Are you having a tantrum or feeling wronged? Shirakawa Haru blinked, and Suho Yuki also blinked.

He squatted down and patted her on the back, then turned his head and gestured to her to come up.

With a playful smile on her face, Yuki Suho lightly rode on Shirakawa Haru's back.

Her slender arms, as delicate as a willow in the wind, gently wrapped around Baichuan Qing's neck.

Shirakawa Haru carefully put his hands through Yuki Suho's calves, which were as white as jade, and then firmly supported her thighs, which felt delicate and soft like silk.

He slowly stood up, as if protecting a fragile treasure, and whispered, "Climb a little higher." Zhou Hou Yuxi did as he was told. Her face quietly approached Shirakawa Haru's ear, like a light butterfly, whispering sweet words in his ear. The gentle voice seemed like a whisper coming from a distant dream.

"Do you want to touch it higher?" There was a cunning light in Zhou Fang Yuxi's eyes.

"Idiot." Shirakawa Haru answered her unclearly.

He walked slowly on the empty streets carrying Yuki Suho on his back.

The night before me was chilly, and I could almost hear the echo of cars crossing the overpass on the adjacent street. Looking up, there was the moon and a sky full of stars, so many, so vivid, that they seemed to be falling at an ethereal speed. The stars grew closer, the sky grew farther away, and the night grew darker.

The city's tall buildings had lost their outlines, becoming nothing more than masses of thick black, the edges of low-hanging neon lights. Everything sank into a cool, quiet harmony.

"Qing, are you cold?" Yuki Suo said in his sleep with his eyes closed.

"You're not cold, you're as hot as a stove. You girls have much higher body temperatures than me." Baichuan Qing sighed.