I'm in Teresin, dedicated to playing badly

Shinji Kitahara stroked her head and said earnestly.

“You’re a good kid, I’ve always believed that.”

So, don't doubt yourself, okay?

silence.

Gazing at the concerned face before him, Zhou took a long time to recover before nodding gently.

"it is good."

After dealing with Special Week, Shinji Kitahara turned his head to Hibiki Kusakabe.

“Little Grass, although you may not like to hear this, I think that although Xiao Te did something wrong, you also bear a lot of responsibility, and you even have to apologize to her.”

Kitahara Shinji's logic is that Kusakabe Hibiki used to put too much pressure on Tetsuya as a girl, and recently she's been playing pranks on her like a primary school boy. Now she's come to him after getting angry, and it's unclear whether she wants revenge or to have sex with him, which led to this misunderstanding.

While Grasshopper is undoubtedly the victim in this particular incident, considering her previous behavior, even if it was impulsive out of love, she should apologize to Xiao Te, and perhaps even to him as well.

So, he came out of brotherly loyalty to help her vent her emotions, but after comforting her, she turned around and pressed him down. This just doesn't seem right; it's practically a Teresa Tracy version of the farmer and the snake.

However, after a little thought, Shinji Kitahara decided that nothing had actually happened.

Even if it weren't for Te Bie Zhou's interference, he was prepared to take action anyway, but he decided to forgo the apology out of brotherhood and just let her apologize to Te Bie Zhou.

However, despite saying that, Shinji Kitahara didn't actually expect to persuade Kusagakure with just a few words. He had already prepared his response, intending to wait until Kusagakure refused to apologize before having a proper talk with her, but...

"I'm sorry, Little Te."

Looking at the special Zhou in Kitahara Shinji's arms, Kusakabe Tobi's expression turned serious as he spoke solemnly.

"I'm really sorry for the trouble I've caused you and Trainer Kitahara during this period."

Faced with Kusakabe's sudden apology, not only Kitahara Shinji, but even Special Zhou in his arms was stunned.

Zhou knew Grasshopper's personality was unique. If she believed she was right, even with a gun pointed at her head, she would not compromise even a little bit, let alone pretend.

Despite her humble origins, Grasshopper still has her own bottom line in certain aspects.

"Little grass..."

Seeing Grasshopper suddenly apologize earnestly, Zhou, who was already feeling guilty and even a little scared because of the beating she had just given, also felt a slight tremor in his heart.

During this time, although she was always angry with Grasshopper, it was because she had always considered Grasshopper a friend, so she was more intolerant of Grasshopper's 'betrayal' than others.

Now, she has also made a mistake, a very serious one, but Grasshopper not only doesn't blame her at all, but even takes the initiative to apologize to her...

Actually... I'm not good either.

Faced with Grasshopper's apology, Special Zhou also lowered his head and whispered.

"Since we're friends, I should be more considerate of your feelings, Xiaocao, but before, I always thought that as long as I was happy, that was enough, and I rarely considered your feelings..."

Wow, there's an unexpected bonus.

Listening to Special Zhou's words and sensing the change in the atmosphere between the two, Shinji Kitahara's lips gradually curled up.

Although it was a misunderstanding, it inadvertently resolved the issues between the two little ones...

Hmm, should I leave now? It seems these two kids are about to have a heart-to-heart talk, and I wonder if it would be inappropriate for me, an outsider, to be there...

Thinking this, Shinji Kitahara made an excuse that he had some things to do and asked to leave.

Upon hearing him say he was leaving, Zhou stiffened, then slowly lowered his head and whispered.

"Um, there's actually something I'd like to apologize to Shinji-san about..."

Apologize to him?

Shinji Kitahara was taken aback, then lowered his head.

Zhou hesitated for a moment, then buried his head in Kitahara Shinji's chest.

"Well, actually, I've always...liked..."

"We all know that you like Suzuka."

Suddenly, Grasshopper spoke up, interrupting Special Weekly.

......What?

After being interrupted by Grasshopper, Special Week paused for a moment, then looked over in confusion.

Seeing the puzzled look in Special Weekly's eyes, Kusakabe Hibi did not answer immediately, but instead looked at Kitahara Shinji and said softly.

"Trainer Kitahara, I have some rather personal things I'd like to discuss with Tetsuya..."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Shinji Kitahara immediately understood her meaning. He pulled out a pair of earphones, put them on, played some music, and then signaled to the two of them that they could speak.

Then, after confirming that Kitahara Shinji couldn't hear her, Kusakami Tobi pulled Special Week aside, leaned close to her ear, and whispered an explanation.

"Don't confront him now. If he becomes wary, it will be very difficult for you to do anything later..."

Zhou blushed and hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"But I don't want to lie to him anymore..."

When have you ever lied to him?

Grasshopper asked a rhetorical question, then added his own.

"You've never said anything like you don't like him, have you? And your behavior has been obvious enough, hasn't it? If he doesn't realize it, that's his problem. How can you say you're lying to him?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou was stunned for a moment. Although he felt that something was off, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After a moment of silence, Zhou slowly raised his head.

"Little grass, what are your plans?"

"Of course."

Grasshopper resumed his usual demeanor and spoke with a smile.

"But before that, I want to make it clear that I have no intention of withdrawing. However, if you don't mind, I am willing to join forces with you, not only now, but also in the future."

Hearing what Grass Fly said, Te Yi didn't realize anything at first, but after she came to her senses, her eyes widened slightly.

"Wait, Little Grass, you mean—"

"Shhh."

Grasshopper made a shushing gesture, then spoke in his usual tone.

“I believe you anticipated this, after all, with Miss Eclipse around, I don’t believe you didn’t consider this possibility.”

"But, Little Grass, don't you hate this kind of thing...?"

Zhou had some doubts.

"Given his personality and current situation, do you think it's possible for a one-on-one situation to occur?"

Kusakami glanced at Kitahara Shinji beside him and sighed.

"So, whether we like it or not, it's a given fact, and we can only choose to either walk away or accept it all."

"I choose the latter, and I believe you do too."

"In that case, rather than having to accept others, I'd rather share these things with you, after all..."

Looking directly into Special Week's eyes, Grasshopper slowly opened his mouth.

"We're friends, aren't we?"

friend......

After listening to Grasshopper's story, Zhou remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, which was considered an expression of agreement.

But soon, she raised her head in confusion.

"But what does that have to do with preventing me from being honest with him?"

"Of course it does."

Grasshopper smiled, then leaned close to Special Weekly's ear and whispered something.

"This misunderstanding is precisely our advantage. With just a few simple maneuvers, we can..."

The whispers continued, and no one knew what they were saying.

Only Shinji Kitahara, standing to the side, watched the two whispering to each other out of the corner of his eye, his expression gradually relaxing.

Sure enough, they're all good kids...

Chapter 255: We're a Couple

Although a few unpleasant things happened along the way, nothing serious happened in the end, and the two little ones even cleared up their misunderstandings because of the incident.

However, although the old conflict was resolved and the relationship between the two people that he was most worried about returned to normal, Shinji Kitahara also discovered some new problems while he was happy.

For example, originally only Zhou liked to snuggle in his arms, while Grasshopper usually sat beside him, which also made it easier for its tail to wrap around him.

But since their relationship was restored, perhaps because Ms. Cao wanted to be closer to Special Zhou, after their private chat ended, she naturally sat down in Special Zhou's lap with him and then chatted with him casually.

Although he had a vague feeling that something was off, Shinji Kitahara thought about it and decided that since the outcome was already good enough, there was no need to dwell on trivial details like sitting in his lap and chatting.

Since Little Te has already taken a seat, it seems like it would be discriminatory not to let Ms. Cao sit down, which doesn't feel quite right.

Not to mention, he had always treated Ms. Kusa as a buddy. Although there had been some minor accidents before, Shinji Kitahara believed that they were just irrational actions taken by Ms. Kusa when she was angry. He felt that she was still a good person at heart, so it was no big deal to let her sit here.

Thinking this, after a while, Shinji Kitahara glanced at the time and felt that the various big sales events should be coming soon, so he stayed with them for a while longer. After confirming that their problems had indeed been resolved, he simply said that he had something to do and had to leave first.

Although Special Zhou and Grass Fly were reluctant to let him go, after what had just happened, even though they had reconciled, the two still needed some time to adjust.

In addition, Shinji Kitahara said he had something to do, so after a moment's hesitation, the two reluctantly let him go.

After leaving that secluded corner, Kitahara Shinji didn't linger any longer. He asked Eclipse on his phone to contact Tamamo Cross, find out her location, and then headed straight there.

On his way, Shinji Kitahara also encountered several acquaintances, such as Tsuna Sugawa, Rudolf's symbol, or the Emperor of the East Blue.

Logically speaking, if you run into an acquaintance on the way to the academy, you should go up and say hello. However, after observing for a moment, Shinji Kitahara noticed that they did not seem to be wandering aimlessly, but rather seemed to be looking for something.

Although he didn't know what they were looking for, seeing how focused they were, Shinji Kitahara thought for a moment and felt that it wouldn't be right to disturb them, so he simply bypassed them and almost stealthily made his way to the place where he had arranged to meet Tamamo Cross.

"Sorry, Tamamo, I just ran into some things and finished dealing with them."

"I'm the one who should apologize. After all, I was the one who invited you. I'm already very grateful that you could take the time to help me..."

After meeting, the two chatted briefly before getting to the point.

"So, Tamamo, is it still possible for you to participate in those activities at this time?"

Speaking of this, the aura of the Tamamo Cross in front of Kitahara Shinji suddenly changed. The ease and nonchalance in his eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by seriousness and earnestness, and his tone also became more excited.

After glancing at the time on her phone, she immediately pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, unfolded it in front of Shinji Kitahara, and began to explain the contents while pointing to them.

"These are the activity information from various shopping malls and stores that I investigated yesterday. I made a list from beginning to end according to cost-effectiveness, and I've also planned the time and route. Given our current time and location, I recommend this route, as it's closer to the academy and allows us to participate in three activities within an hour..."

Since he knew little about this, Shinji Kitahara was unsure of the details of what she was saying, but out of trust in Tamamo Cross, he nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, then let's do it your way."

After nodding, Shinji Kitahara didn't say anything more and soon left the school gate under the guidance of Tamamo Cross, arriving at the store of the first event.

Upon arrival, just as Tamamo Cross had told him, as soon as he got close, Kitahara Shinji saw a very eye-catching Valentine's Day event poster on the target store. The event was quite generous, with not only significant discounts on in-store items, but also some small competitions and contests with prizes.

but......

"Tamamo, I have a question for you."

Shinji Kitahara's expression was subtle as he looked at the event requirements marked in bold red next to the event rewards.

"When you came to scout the location yesterday, did you only look at the rewards and not really read the requirements...?"

After being reminded by Shinji Kitahara, Tamamo Cross paused for a moment, then followed his gaze and looked over. After seeing what was written on it, her eyes glazed over for a moment.

[Event Notice: This event is for couples only, and participants must hold hands throughout the entire shopping process. Additionally, there will be extra challenges for purchasing certain special event items; please consider this carefully...]

While Tamamo Cross was stuck in a daze due to the shop's demands, Kitahara Shinji was also deep in thought.

However, he wasn't concerned about the requirements in front of him, but rather he felt that the store's promotion seemed a bit strange.

After all, normally on Valentine's Day, most shops would be considered ethical if they didn't offer discounts, or even just provide some kind of "couple's special" service that's actually a bunch of rip-offs to fleece customers.

But now, even though it's the perfect time to fleece customers, this shop not only offers unprecedented discounts and incredibly affordable set meals, many starting at 10% off, but also has such a bizarre requirement...