Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

"The cooking teacher asked me to cover for him again today, and I just finished class." Shirakawa Haru picked up the thermos in his hand and walked to the French window to put the scattered piano stools together. He opened the thermos and took out several metal insulated boxes. "I brought you lunch. Xiangzi, do you want to come and have lunch with us?"

Shirakawa Haru tried his best not to look at Toyokawa Shoko's meal and tried to ignore the humming sound of the kettle boiling water, but he found it a little difficult to do so.

He opened the thermal box and the aroma of rice filled the room.

We said we were having lunch together, but we only brought a box of rice, right? Japan isn't a major grain producer, so rice quality is strictly graded according to regulations from the Agricultural Association.

Shoko Toyokawa looked at the thermal box brought by Haru Shirakawa and knew that it was brought specially for her.

"Today I'm in a group with Goto-san. You've met her, the pink-haired, socially anxious girl... I made beef curry in cooking class." Shirakawa Haru opened the thermos of rice. "Goto-san said it was delicious. Do you want to try it?"

He found that the way he spoke was gradually becoming more childish, as if he was coaxing a kindergarten child.

Shoko Toyokawa didn't answer, but walked silently to Shirakawa Haru's side and watched him open the thermal boxes one by one.

The first thermos box that was opened contained beef curry. The proportion of beef in this beef curry was very high, so much so that it filled the entire thermos box, with only a few potatoes to be seen. The curry sauce was spread on the bottom layer of the thermos box, exuding the aroma of various spices, coriander seeds, cinnamon, chili, white pepper, cinnamon... The beef chunks on the top layer of the lunch box were flattened by the metal lid because it was too full.

Yellow sauce dripped from the lid of the insulated container.

The portion was huge, and one person couldn't finish it at all. Toyokawa Shoko thought it was the same before, too. Haru always brought her more meals than she could finish by herself. Not only were they large, but they were also very rich. Every day, he would cook a different meal for her: yesterday it was omurice, today it was beef curry, and tomorrow it might be ramen topped with barbecued pork.

She could fully feel Qing's affection and care for her from these lunch boxes, so she liked Qing hopelessly.

But it was precisely because of this that when she saw the photo, she felt a torn pain in her heart.

After liking someone, besides the joy, it turns out there's also sadness. A sharp sense of bitterness and immense sadness filled Toyokawa Shoko's nostrils. She knew where this emotion came from, and she felt like she couldn't breathe, because in reality, only a few people can ultimately achieve their ideals.

Toyokawa Shoko turned away from Shirakawa Haru and walked to the piano and closed the lid. She felt uncomfortable and at a loss if she didn't do something.

After closing the piano lid, she walked back.

"The water's boiling. I'll go turn off the kettle." Steam continued to rise, and the kettle made a sharp sound. Shirakawa Haru glanced at Toyokawa Shoko's face and found that she looked a little sad. "Let the boiling water cool down for a while." She nodded, and Shirakawa Haru felt a little relieved.

"Today, I want to eat chazuke." Toyokawa Shoko took a deep breath and said to Shirakawa Haru, "I don't want to eat beef curry."

"It's okay. Besides the beef curry, there's also fried tempura," Shirakawa Haru said expressionlessly, which made him look dazed. He pointed to the thermos container and said, "Fried tuna, cream stew... They're all still hot. I rushed here right after class, and the food tastes just as good as when it was freshly cooked."

"But I just want to eat rice over tea today." Shoko Toyokawa closed her eyes.

The more Shirakawa Haru said this, the more shaken her heart became. At the same time, when she thought of the photo, the pain brought to her by the tearing in her heart became even deeper: "I don't want to eat anything else. I just want to eat rice porridge today." Toyokawa Shoko repeated it again.

She bit her lip and looked at Baichuan Qing stubbornly, just like when she ran away from home and faced the night of heavy rain. But to her surprise, Baichuan Qing walked towards her silently. She widened her eyes and felt like she fell into a warm embrace.

At this moment, the two of them were tightly pressed together, inseparable.

A passing wisp of dust and an exploding planet; a piece of metal destined to rust and a mindless, empty substance; a lone spaceship encountering a large asteroid. Her mind was filled with vague images, and she felt her soul was falling apart, like a colorless stone, but this hug was the glue that helped her soul stick together again.

The pain she felt from love and jealousy was so deep that it drove her mad.

"If you have any sadness, Xiangzi, you can tell me. I don't promise to help you solve the problem, but I will listen carefully to your troubles." Shirakawa Haru gently hugged Toyokawa Xiangzi. This hug had nothing to do with desire and ambiguity. It was just a well that wanted to quietly imprint the lonely moon in the sky.

"I don't have...any worries." Shoko Toyokawa hung her head, her little face pressed against Shirakawa Haru's chest, and said in a muffled voice.

"Then eat the food I brought you well." Shirakawa Haru lowered his head. Toyokawa Shoko raised her eyes and met his gaze in the silence. "I brought you lunch for no other reason than to help you grow up well. Do you remember that day when I accidentally fell on top of you?"

"You're too thin, Xiangzi." Shirakawa Haru said softly, "Really too thin. If you don't replenish your nutrition in time, your body will have big problems in the future. Even if you are very angry with me, don't be angry with your body."

"Forget...what happened that night." Shoko Toyokawa said sadly and aggrievedly, like a child who accidentally let the balloon in his hand fly away in an amusement park.

"Also, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself," she said.

"The floor was so cold when I slept that day, so I can't forget it." Shirakawa Haru loosened her arms around Toyokawa Shoko, "You seem to have gained a little weight than before."

"I weighed him on a digital scale during the physical, and he's a bit heavier than before." Toyokawa Shoko took the initiative to hug Shirakawa Haru, her eyes overflowing with love, like a tsunami and torrent flooding the world. She hugged him tightly, wanting him to feel her body temperature and the body that had become more plump because of him. "Is he too fat?"

Girls are always extremely sensitive about their weight.

"No, I'm still too thin." Shirakawa Haru patted Toyokawa Shoko's back, signaling her to let go. "So you have to eat well. Open the thermos, and I'll bring you a stool."

The aroma of beef curry and fried salmon rose from the thermos. Shirakawa Haru opened the window, the white curtains fluttered, and the wind rushed in, blowing away the smell of the spices.

Shirakawa Haru particularly likes to study the ratio of spices when cooking, which makes the meals he cooks always have a rich flavor and are particularly fragrant.

If you don't open the windows for ventilation in a confined space like a piano room, it won't be long before the room is filled with the smell of spices.

After Shirakawa Haru's coaxing, Toyokawa Shoko finally agreed to eat well.

She picked up a piece of beef with chopsticks, put it into her mouth and chewed it slowly. Her movements were elegant and beautiful with etiquette, and there was no soup on the corners of her mouth.

Even the number of times you chew rice is fixed.

"How is it? Doesn't it taste good?" Shirakawa Haru sat by the window. "At least it tastes better than chazuke. And Xiangzi, what you have can't really be called 'chazuke'. It's just cabbage rice soaked in boiling water at most..."

"The food you cook is delicious, much better than cabbage and rice soaked in boiling water." Toyokawa Shoko was silent for a while, then she pursed her pale lips and smiled at Shirakawa Haru, "Qing, your cooking is the best!"

"Just like it. If you like it, eat more. Get a little fatter and try to be healthier." Shirakawa Haru sat on the raised piano stool, holding her face with both hands, looking at Toyokawa Shoko. "If that's the case, I'll be satisfied."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Toyokawa Shoko suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at Shirakawa Haru. Although they were facing each other, she looked as if she was looking at something far away, with a serious expression.

She seemed to have never thought about this question before. No, she had thought about it, but she always subconsciously wanted to escape. She was not afraid of this question, but she was afraid that Baichuan Qing's answer would make her despair.

"Let me think..." Shirakawa Haru was silent for a moment. "I accidentally found a shriveled seed. Out of curiosity, I buried it in the soil, wanting to see what kind of flower it would eventually bloom. But this seed is too weak. It lacks nutrients to grow, and it is surrounded by pests. Sometimes I even doubt myself whether I am a seed with potential. So, if I want it to grow, I must constantly protect it before it gets hurt and comfort it when it is afraid."

Toyokawa Shoko didn't say anything. She looked at Shirakawa Haru quietly. Because facing the sunlight, in her amber eyes, Shirakawa Haru seemed to be solidified and burning silently.

"If she lacks water, I water her. If she lacks nutrients, I fertilize her. Sometimes the wind is too strong at night, and she needs a glass cover to spend the night safely... It's too troublesome to watch this seed bloom and bear fruit, so I thought I would just ignore it and let it die on its own." Shirakawa Haru winked at Toyokawa Shoko, "But when you react, you find that this seed can no longer live without you. Of course, maybe this is just an illusion. But if you leave before it blooms, it would be irresponsible. Originally, you took care of this seed out of curiosity, but in the end, caring for this seed has become a responsibility, a habit."

"The power of habit is terrifying," Shirakawa Haru continued. "At first, you only remember to water and fertilize her and cover the glass jar when she screams. In the end, as soon as it gets dark, you will rush to her from anywhere and do everything for her."

"You feel strange and don't know why you do this. Just ask yourself, no matter how beautiful this flower blooms, what does it have to do with you? Yes, because this is the flower I take care of personally," he said.

"The above is why I treat you well." Shirakawa Haru stood up from the piano bench and went to the kettle to get a glass of water. "Do you want me to pour you a glass of water?"

"Is this also a habit?" asked Shoko Toyokawa.

"Yeah." Shirakawa Haru took a glass of water and placed it on the "dining table" made of piano stools. "The refrigerator in the cooking class is full of drinks. I'll bring some over when I bring you dinner tomorrow."

"Qing, do you mind..." Toyokawa Shoko put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with the wet wipes she always kept in her pocket.

"What?" Shirakawa Haru asked.

Toyokawa Shoko spoke very softly just now and he didn't hear clearly.

This chapter has not been reviewed

This chapter has not been reviewed

Chapter 4.3 But Now, I Refuse (k)

"Toyokawa Shoko, do you know what you just did?" Shirakawa Haru's usually expressionless face was rarely filled with anger as she questioned Toyokawa Shoko, "Why don't you take good care of yourself?"

"I know what I'm doing." Toyokawa Shoko looked at Shirakawa Haru with gentle eyes, "I know what I want, and now I'm very happy."

"Luckily, it's noon now, and fortunately, we're the only two people who usually come to this piano room. Have you ever thought about how much damage your reputation would suffer if someone else saw what happened just now?"

"I'll go get you a glass of water. Drink some to calm down." Shirakawa Haru lowered his eyes and walked to the corner to pour some water. When he picked up the cup, he found that Xiangzi hadn't drunk a sip of the water he had just poured. He could only pour it out the window, took another glass of water, and handed it to Toyokawa Xiangzi.

Toyokawa Shoko had never seen Shirakawa Haru show such an expression. He always seemed to know everything, but now she could see confusion, anger, and fear for herself on his face about the current situation.

Haru said he'd get her a glass of water to calm her down, but in reality, he was the one who needed to calm down the most. Toyokawa Shoko blinked, wondering what it must feel like to kiss for the first time... Beside her was a deep pool, a silvery mandala light suddenly descended, and before her were dancing celestial beings wearing flower crowns. Guided by them, she walked barefoot, gradually passing through the dark pine forest, sinking into the bottomless pool. Her body transformed into petals, her breath light, and even if there was no return, she would still be happy.

Asking for love, giving hugs, thousands of emotions and desires, ultimately all transform into the simplest happiness and tranquility in a pure white.

Taking the water that Shirakawa Haru poured for her, Toyokawa Shoko took a sip and immediately placed it on the ground. The water in the cup swayed, and some of it spilled onto the ground.

The atmosphere in the room froze.

Shirakawa Haru sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with her chin supported by her hand. Outside the window, clusters of purple velvet swayed gently in the breeze. When the wind was a little stronger, the sky was filled with purple petals.

Shoko Toyokawa felt that she also needed to calm down, so she sat down at the piano, opened the wrinkled music sheet that was sandwiched between the pages of the book, and started playing the piano.

What should I do now? Xiangzi was more direct than the three girls before, and she kissed me directly.

Shirakawa Haru's ears moved. Every time he heard the piano music played by Toyokawa Sho, his mood would improve a lot.

He quietly turned his head to look in the direction of the piano, and when he saw the girl's back, he turned his head again, and repeated this over and over again.

"Haru, if you want to look at me, just look openly. There's no need to keep turning your head. It's tiring, isn't it?" Toyokawa Shoko stopped playing and looked at Shirakawa Haru's bewildered expression. "Girls are always very sensitive to the gazes of their loved ones. It's a sixth sense that only works for you."

"Can we talk?" Shirakawa Haru walked over to Toyokawa Shoko. "My mind is so confused right now. I can't figure out the current situation at all."

"There's nothing to sort out about the current situation." Compared to Shirakawa Haru's mood, which was like the turbulent sea surface during a storm, Toyokawa Shoko acted very rational, as if she was experiencing all this as a bystander. She pointed at herself and said, "I, Toyokawa Shoko, just pressed you, Shirakawa Haru, against this piano you gave me and kissed you. I kissed you until you lost consciousness and your face turned pale as if you were suffocating."

"It's such a simple thing." Toyokawa Shoko's heart was not as calm as she appeared. Her face flushed and she stumbled over everything.

"It's lunch break now, let's go for a walk on the bridge over the scenic lake." Shirakawa Haru stared into Toyokawa Shoko's eyes.

Toyokawa Shoko was stunned for a second, as if she didn't expect that Shirakawa Haru would be so calm after hearing her words, but she quickly understood what Shirakawa Haru meant, smoothed out the wrinkles on the standard school skirt, and turned up the collar of Shirakawa Haru's school uniform.

She had kissed him so passionately and forcefully just now that both of their clothes became quite messy.

"Let me do something like this occasionally." Shoko Toyokawa raised the corners of her mouth, and the boy in front of her was as dazzling as the sun.

"Thank you." Shirakawa Haru said. She also wanted to help Toyokawa Shoko adjust her collar, but she felt that this action was too private for a woman, so she gave up the idea and put down her arms.

However, Shoko Toyokawa grabbed his hand and gently guided Shirakawa Haru to put his hand on the bow on her chest.

"Qing, please help me fix the bow. Just pull it slightly." Her voice was soft, like a feather.

"Okay." Shirakawa Haru often tidied up Yuki Suho's clothes, and sometimes reminded Lenai that the straps on her shoulders were about to fall off, and then pulled them up for her with her tacit consent.

However, he found it a bit difficult to fulfill Toyokawa Shoko's request to help her fix the bow.

Shirakawa Haru closed the floor-to-ceiling window, and Toyokawa Shoko closed the piano lid. The two walked out of the piano room one after the other, walking along the stone path covered with wood sorrel towards the scenic lake.

Hinodemori Academy once had two scenic lakes, one on the left and one on the right, like a pair of eyes, gazing intently. Now they've been connected, forming a single vast lake. Those black and white swans once fought for territory over this very lake.

A slender stone bridge stretches across the lake, connecting the two banks like a ribbon. Moss and vines grow intertwined on its sides. Time always leaves traces on silent things.

Every spring before the cherry blossoms bloom, the school hires people to clean the stone bridge.

Shoko Toyokawa and Haru Shirakawa walked on the soft sand and the cobblestone path to the edge of the lake. Shoko Toyokawa had just said that she wanted to go to the lake first, and Haru Shirakawa took a small bag of goose feed from the small house by the lake.

"These swans are so fat." Shoko Toyokawa threw out a handful of feed. The swans were attracted by the rippling lake surface and swam towards her. She poured the feed into her open palm. The swans pecked at the goose feed in her palm and shook their tails.

"After all, there are staff members specifically responsible for the swans." Shirakawa Haru stood beside Toyokawa Shoko, constantly throwing feed on the water. The swans swam around happily. "They've become much fatter than before. The veterinarian who examined them last time said that they need to control their diet, otherwise their lifespan will be shortened."

"That's great! These swans are getting fat because they live a carefree life, right? Someone has to consider both letting them gain weight and keeping them from getting too fat," Toyokawa Shoko said, as if hinting at something. "Swans must be very happy to be cared for like this."

"Yeah." Shirakawa Haru knew what Toyokawa Shoko wanted to express. After she made her feelings for him clear in the piano room, he could feel the ambiguous feelings in almost every word she said.

"My face has become much rounder now, and it's all thanks to Haru." Toyokawa Shoko poured another handful of feed on her hands. "You've made me plump and white." She smiled at Shirakawa Haru. "I'm not a swan, so I don't understand their thoughts, but I can be sure that I'm very happy."

"I won't let you get too fat." Shirakawa Haru said, "Xiangzi, you're not fat at all. You were just too thin before. Eating more will be fine."

"Yeah." Toyokawa Shoko nodded. As the feed fell from the gaps between her fingers, more swans flocked to her. "Qing, I've finished the feed in my hand."

"I've finished feeding mine too." Baichuan Qing shook the empty bag in his hand, "I'll feed them next time if I have the chance."

He picked up a stone and put it in his pocket. The surface of the stone was bumpy and shaped like a crescent moon. Even its color was orange-yellow, mixed with a slightly crystal white.

When the swans saw someone stealing their stones, they all came ashore and instinctively rushed towards Shirakawa Haru, calling out.

But when they realized that the "thief" was Shirakawa Haru, they staggered into the water again and floated leisurely on the surface of the lake.

After feeding the swans, Shoko Toyokawa and Haru Shirakawa walked onto the stone bridge together.

The stone bridge in Hinode Forest is designed a bit strangely. The steps are too high and not wide enough, so you have to be very careful with every step. The good thing is that you can overlook most of the lake from above, and the scenery is very beautiful.

Shirakawa Haru stepped on the flat ground at the highest point of the stone bridge and felt the bridge deck trembling and shaking slightly.

The oak and cherry trees along the shore, the mulberry orchard, the withered crimson leaves of the white gum trees, the voluptuous red persimmons adorning the dark trunks, and the small house at the bridgehead… With this as her backdrop, Toyokawa Shoko reached the middle of the bridge just as the midday sun blazed sideways, its brilliant golden rays piercing the clouds above the distant mountaintops and illuminating her. The sunlight shone sharply on the snowy white folds of her skirt and pants, radiating light from within. The jade-like leaves of the tung trees shone dark green, cast in the delicate shadows of white paper strips.

"Let's talk about what happened in the piano room at noon." Shirakawa Haru pulled the sleeves of his school uniform up to his arms, then leaned his upper body against the handrail of the stone bridge. "I've thought a lot, and I think we should talk about it after all."

"Have you thought a lot?" Toyokawa Shoko also leaned against the stone railing like Shirakawa Haru. Shirakawa Haru's action reminded her of her first meeting with Takamatsu Deng.

At that time, Gao Songdeng was leaning on the railing of the footpath bridge and reaching out to pick up the flowers, which scared her so much that she subconsciously thought that Gao Songdeng wanted to commit suicide.

"Hmm... I've thought about this a lot, but it can be summed up in one simple sentence." Shirakawa Haru was silent for a long time, then slowly said the answer he had come up with, "I will be responsible for you. I will confess my feelings to you."

"Toyokawa Shoko, will you be my girlfriend?" he said, dropping a depth bomb in Toyokawa Shoko's heart.

Shirakawa Haru thought a lot, about many people, including Takamatsu Touma, Chihaya Aine, and Kaname Rakuna, but the final conclusion was that no matter what, he had to be responsible for Toyokawa Shoko.

Aine said she would confess her love to him on Christmas Day... Is there such a thing as a first come, first served relationship? Shirakawa Haru doesn't think so.

Now Xiangzi has kissed him, which means that she has given him her innocence.

Some people may say that it was she who kissed you and you were not prepared at all. In this case, do you really need to be responsible for the relationship that started with this kiss?

Or maybe, no one saw you kissing, and if you can't figure out the relationship, just pretend it didn't happen.

Shirakawa Haru hated such irresponsible remarks. He was not that kind of person.