Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

"Okay, I wish Mr. Shirakawa and Ms. Toyokawa a happy life." The female manager suddenly said.

"No, she and I don't have that kind of relationship." Shirakawa Haru was stunned for a moment, wondering why everyone thought that Xiangzi and I were a couple when they walked together?

"I'm sorry, I was a bit presumptuous." The female store manager immediately bowed and gave Shirakawa Haru a bottle of hot milk. "This is an apology. After all, Mr. Shirakawa doesn't look too well."

Shirakawa Haru was stunned, remembering what Toyokawa Shoko said to him. She said, "Even if we are friends, you can't tell everything!"

He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

"Thank you, goodbye then." Shirakawa Haru took the milk, opened the bottle cap and started drinking it.

The world outside the window flew by, and Shirakawa Haru took another tram. When he got off the tram, he felt a little dizzy, as if it was because he had been taking the tram too frequently recently and felt a little disgusted.

Then Shirakawa Haru walked towards RING again.

Recently, Chihaya Aine and the others have been practicing very hard, and they practice until very late every time. Although they are just nominal and amateur, Shirakawa Haru feels that she is still their agent after all, and she must spend some time and effort on them.

Just as he was standing at the door of RING and preparing to push it open, the door was pushed open from the inside, and then a figure with long pink hair ran past him.

Takamatsu Deng and Nagasaki Suyo pushed the door open and looked at Shirakawa Haru in surprise.

"Qing, please help us get Aine back! Li Xi's tone was a little harsh just now, and Aine was angry and ran away!" Deng said to Baichuan Qing. She wanted to chase Aine just now, but was held back by Baichuan Qing.

"I understand." After briefly explaining the conflicts that had just occurred within the band, Shirakawa Haru roughly understood the current situation.

Physical fitness has always been Shirakawa Haru's strong point, and his eyesight is also excellent. After locking onto Chihaya Aine's back, Shirakawa Haru chased after her.

Chihaya Aine ran on the road, not knowing how long she had been running.

She felt like a broken bellows. Every time she breathed, her lungs felt like they were burning. Her legs were so sore and probably a little swollen.

But she didn't want to stop. She didn't want anyone to see her in this embarrassing state.

Thinking back to Riki's attitude, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but get angry. Was she unwilling to practice properly? She had clearly been working hard, as evidenced by the pale skin on her fingertips and the gradually thickening and hardening calluses. It was natural to feel rusty after not touching the guitar for so long. She spent countless hours practicing guitar every day, but her skills simply couldn't keep up with the band's overall progress. What could she do?

She also wants to grow her strength rapidly!

"I say 'I'm not running away,' but I'm running away with all my might." Negative emotions surged like a river, clogging Chihaya Aine's chest. Her face was stern, and there was nothing left to say. This was just running away. "As expected, I'm still..."

I couldn't believe that I had run away again. It wasn't enough to run away from the UK and return to China. After forming a band in China, I had to run away from the band.

In the UK, her roommates always cared about her, and in China, the student council president of Hinomori High School, Haru Shirakawa, directly invited her to join the student council.

Both of them are people who encourage her and affirm her abilities.

When Chihaya Aine thought about how she had asked President Shirakawa Haru to help her form a band due to an insignificant misunderstanding, but she ran away due to the pressure, her heart felt as if it was being squeezed tightly.

"I...I...I..." Chihaya Aine stopped in a park. She pressed her chest with one hand to catch her breath, and supported her body with the other hand on her knees.

The fountain beside me gushed out water high in the air.

"Huh? Isn't this Chihaya?"

Chihaya Aine raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice calling her. Sitting on the stone steps not far away were her two junior high school classmates.

"As expected, it's Chihaya-san! It's been such a long time!"

"How's it going in England?"

"Is it vacation time over there now?"

The two girls saw Chihaya Aine's eyes tremble noticeably when she looked up and saw them, and they knew that Chihaya Aine still remembered them, so they quickly jumped down the stairs and walked a few steps to Chihaya Aine's side.

"That...that..."

Chihaya Aine straightened her back, slowed her breathing, and placed her hands behind her waist. If someone knew her well enough, they would know that this action was a sign of unease and defense, a subconscious attempt to maintain her perfect persona.

"Ah... this uniform... from Hinomori Academy..."

"That Hinomori Academy, which is very famous in Tokyo and even known as the incubator of the 'University of Tokyo'... But what about the British school?"

"Aren't you going to study in England?"

The two girls sang in unison.

Chihaya Aine's eyes widened, her pupils trembling. She felt as if her head had been struck by a sledgehammer, making it buzz. It was a strange feeling, a feeling of stillness and distance. The world faded to a grayish-white, and your body felt as cold as if it were frozen in time, yet you could still clearly hear your heartbeat.

Why did she meet her former junior high school classmates here?

At that time, she announced with great fanfare that she would go to study in the UK in the future. Because of her plan to "study abroad in the future", she received a lot of envious looks, which greatly satisfied her vanity.

But now that she has fled back to her country, her past glory has turned into shame, and her blazing pride has become a pile of worthless, even poisonous ashes.

"Why is Chihaya-san in China now? It seems that British schools haven't had their holidays yet?" A girl took out her cell phone and started looking for information.

"Is it possible that Chihaya-san couldn't go to the British school due to some problems?" a girl asked with concern.

"No...no..." Chihaya Aine subconsciously stepped back, while the two junior high school classmates in front of her asked her with more concern, and hurriedly asked her what was wrong.

After all, Chihaya Aine doesn't look like she has any problems right now.

Just before Chihaya Aine made up her mind to run away, a warm hand reached out from beside her and grabbed her wrist, sending a warm current straight into her heart. Shirakawa Haru had already been standing beside Chihaya Aine since she didn't know when.

"Chairman..." Chihaya Aine said stammeringly.

"Hey! The chairman of Hinomori?" the two girls exclaimed, "Is this true?"

"Although he looks a little younger, his temperament doesn't seem fake! Wait, I feel like he seems familiar! It seems that he is really the chairman of Hinomori!" The two girls whispered to each other for a while, and unconsciously adjusted their posture in front of Shirakawa Haru, with their chests out and stomachs in.

"Chihaya-san was indeed unable to study in England due to some reasons."

Shirakawa Haru walked from Chihaya Aine's side and protected her behind him, then approached the two girls.

His upright posture and graceful gait could be described as "graceful and elegant". As the distance between him and the two girls shortened, Shirakawa Haru's demeanor transformed from that of a high school student to that of a giant. He stood in front of the two girls, his eyes meeting theirs boldly and decisively.

"A few days ago, I was on a business trip abroad and spotted Chihaya-san at an international individual competition," Shirakawa Haru said. "After the competition, I approached her privately and discussed transferring her from the British International Academy back to Japan. After all, as the chairman of Hinomori, I didn't want to abandon such a talented person wandering around in the UK."

"To put it simply, I think Chihaya can receive a better education at Hinomori Academy in China," said Shirakawa Haru.

Chairman... President Shirakawa...

Chihaya Aine was already completely overwhelmed by Shirakawa Haru's praise. How could she not realize she was such a genius, worthy of the principal of Hinomori specifically inviting her back from abroad just for her talent or ability? Although she didn't know why, it was obvious that Shirakawa Haru's rhetoric had both saved her and greatly satisfied her vanity.

Hehe...genius...international individual competition...

"Ah! Chihaya-san, you're so amazing!" The two girls were stunned for a moment, as if they were digesting the information. Then they looked at Chihaya Aine with stars in their eyes. "Being valued by the chairman of Hinomori is much more impressive than studying abroad."

"Yes, yes! That means Chihaya-san will definitely be able to get into the University of Tokyo in the future!"

After the two girls praised Chihaya Aine for a while, they looked at the late sky, said goodbye to the two and left.

"Hehe...Todai...genius!" Chihaya Aine sat on the steps, immersed in the illusion and unable to extricate herself for a while, not even noticing when Shirakawa Haru left.

Suddenly, something cold pressed against her neck, and the cold feeling penetrated her heart. Chihaya Aine turned her head and found that it was Shirakawa Haru who was rubbing the back of her neck with a bottle of soda covered with water droplets.

Shirakawa Haru looked at Chihaya Aine and sat down beside her.

Then he put the bottle of soda into Chihaya Aine's hand, looked into her eyes and said:

"Chihaya-san, have you calmed down? If you are, let's talk."

Chapter 5400: People with Heavy Emotions ()

As the sky gradually darkened, the water jets from the fountain quietly became smaller, and the sound of raindrops hitting the bluestone slabs gradually disappeared.

The lights at the bottom of the pool came on, casting dappled light through the rippling water.

"Calm down." Chihaya Aine looked at the soda in her hand. There were so many water droplets rolling down the bottle that she could even joke to others that this bottle of soda was just fished out of the pool.

"Is the band's practice not going well?" Shirakawa Haru looked through the surface of the fountain and saw a goldfish at the bottom of the pool. The goldfish was a little chubby and swam lazily, like the one he caught at the summer festival.

It is not surprising to see goldfish in the fountain in the park. Many children like to keep goldfish in the pool in the park. Maybe they think it is better for goldfish to live in such a "big fish tank".

Although Shirakawa Haru doesn't know what these goldfish kept in the fountain eat, strangely enough, these goldfish always look in very good condition.

Shaking his head, Baichuan Qing felt his eyes a little sore.

He thought he should focus on reconciling the conflict between Chihaya Aine and the band instead of thinking about the goldfish.

When he opened his eyes and looked back at the fountain, the goldfish had disappeared. Shirakawa Haru looked carefully at the bottom of the water and found that there was no goldfish at all. What he had seen just now was just a piece of sequins floating on the bottom of the water.

Shirakawa Haru frowned, then relaxed.

The mouth of the marble soda bottle is sealed with a special glass marble. When opening the soda, make sure the bottle mouth is facing upwards, hold the bottle body with one hand, and gently twist the bottle cap with the other hand, but do not unscrew it completely, otherwise the marble may suddenly fly out under pressure and splash the soda on you.

"Well... Li Xi always says that I haven't practiced well here or there. In short, he says that I'm holding the band back!" Chihaya Aine showed her fangs angrily, as if she was going to bite off the cap of a bottle of soda.

"Chihaya, you've also been with Riki in the band for a while, right? This period of time should have allowed you to understand what kind of person Riki is." Shirakawa Haru swatted away the flying insects circling around him.

"She's too strict," Chihaya Aine said.

"Strictness is not a bad thing. Pressure brings motivation, and motivation is the key to realizing your future and talent."

"...But what she said was so hurtful. She didn't even consider my feelings when she criticized me. My guitar skills are not very good to begin with, and there's also Lenai in the band whose skills are comparable to those of professional guitarists. I'm under a lot of pressure!"

Chihaya Aine opened the cap of the boba soda, tilted the bottle to her mouth and drank it down. The cool soda flowed down her throat that was burning with pain into her heart. The unique bubbles and fruity taste soothed her dry lips like feathers.

"Drink slowly, Chihaya. If you drink too fast, be careful not to choke." Shirakawa Haru unscrewed the bottle cap and reminded while drinking the soda.

However, the moment he finished speaking, Chihaya Aine choked because she drank the soda too quickly. She coughed and sprayed the soda out, her face twisted because of the soda.

"Ahem... Chairman, you're such a jinx!" Chihaya Aine's complaint was filled with childish anger.

She coughed and vented her dissatisfaction directly, as if as long as Shirakawa Haru didn't say those words, she would be able to enjoy the moment of tasting the soda safely.

"It has nothing to do with me." Baichuan Qing said mercilessly.

"Eh? How can the chairman say that?" Chihaya Aine said in surprise.

"That's actually the case." Shirakawa Haru looked at Chihaya Aine's silly smile. Drops of soda had fallen on her glasses, which were slightly askew from the time she choked. He suddenly realized that his conversation with Chihaya Aine wasn't going well, as they hadn't gotten to the core of the topic yet.

Shirakawa Haru was very calm. He could see that Chihaya Aine was stalling for time, and perhaps Chihaya Aine was not willing to share her secret with him.

"Chairman, if you have nothing else to do, I'll go back first. Thank you for the boba soda!" Chihaya Aine hugged the soda to her chest, stood up from the stairs and prepared to leave.

"Chihaya-san, where are you going?"

When Shirakawa Haru said this to Chihaya Aine, he neither tried to persuade her to stay nor made any unnecessary expressions. He just looked at her calmly.

Chihaya Aine's steps as she left suddenly paused, and then the sound of her footsteps hitting the stone slabs was heard again.

Shirakawa Haru judged that she was growing increasingly distant from him. Chihaya Aine had left before resolving her conflict with the band. But he wasn't anxious. He believed Chihaya Aine would return, it was just a matter of time. Not long after, Chihaya Aine arrived, her steps pounding like drumbeats. She slammed the glass bottle of boba onto the stone slab with a resounding clatter, and sat down on the steps.

"So you're still here, Chairman!" Chihaya Aine wasn't surprised to see Shirakawa Haru still sitting in front of the fountain. "I'm truly defeated by you."

"I knew you would come back, so I'm sitting here." Baichuan Qing's tone was flat.

"What if I don't come back all night?" Chihaya Aine took a big gulp of the soda, but choked on it because she drank too fast.

"Then you'll be dead in class tomorrow."

"Really? The chairman is too scary."

Chihaya Aine patted her chest. She sat on the steps, gazing at the shimmering fountain in a daze. The sequins on the bottom of the water shone like fragments of a rainbow. Seeing a rainbow at night was a very rare thing. She turned her head towards Shirakawa Haru, thinking that maybe the sun hadn't completely set yet.

In the evening breeze, Chihaya Aine drank soda while gently pushing her hair behind her ears:

"Why did the chairman defend me and speak up for me when I met those two girls just now? Even if I told them the truth, he wouldn't care, right?"

Chihaya Aine had some doubts, she raised her head and met Shirakawa Haru's eyes.

"Because you looked very sad at that time, as if your whole body was about to break into pieces. If I ignored you and just watched you, I'm afraid it wouldn't be long before you turned into a pile of broken glass, right?" Baichuan Qing tilted his head to look at her, his tone still calm.

He knew that Chihaya Aine was a little confused at the moment, and that by saying this she was not condemning him for meddling in other people's affairs, but was seeking comfort and help from him.

"Your status outside of the home is your own, so speaking up for you is harmless. You are now a student of Hinomori and a member of the student council. As the student council president, I have the responsibility to uphold the dignity of my student council members."

"Isn't it easy for you to understand what I'm saying?" Shirakawa Haru asked Chihaya Aine. "I wasn't completely lying to you. I read your admissions resume, and even by my standards, you're an excellent person. I can see some flaws between the lines, but I don't care. They're insignificant."

Chihaya Aine was stunned for a moment, with inexplicable emotions surging in her heart.

"Still can't understand?" Shirakawa Haru stood up from the stairs and kicked his legs. "Simply put, I don't want to see you crying. Although I haven't imagined what that expression would look like, I'm sure it wouldn't be very pretty, maybe even a little clownish."

"So, in order to avoid seeing you cry like that, I had no choice but to step forward."

Chihaya Aine looked at Shirakawa Haru and thought it was great that she could transfer to Hinomori Academy, and it was great that the person who interviewed her was Shirakawa Haru.

She had never imagined he would answer her question like that. Shirakawa Haru's tone was calm, reflecting a sky-like lake in her mind. His protection and care for her were like a gust of wind, swaying the lake. The blue sky, the sun, the cumulonimbus clouds, the stars in the sky, the rainbow over the lake—all were shattered by the wind blowing from the end of the world, turning into a pool of gentleness that flowed into the cracks of her heart.

A strange feeling flowed in her chest, and Chihaya Aine liked this feeling very much.

Heart pounding.

The anxiety caused by the possibility of the secret being exposed disappeared, and the subconscious resistance in my heart also disappeared without a trace.

All the negative emotions were melted away and turned into a desire to talk.