All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

Kiyono has been having a very leisurely and relaxing time lately.

During the day, I make tea for the girls in the band and act as their psychological counselor, earning three times my usual salary. I can also watch free band performances. After get off work, I stroll along the river to exercise. I don't need to think about the future; I only think about the daily necessities.

What bothered him a little was...

"Why hasn't Teacher Da Xiang come lately?"

Kiyono crouched down to pet a clingy corgi, muttering to herself that recently, she had been like a clock-in to work, bringing her childhood friend along every day to check on him, asking how he was getting along with his seniors, what he did after get off work, and whether he had enough money...

Like an older sister watching her younger brother work for the first time, she feels uneasy, wants to understand everything, and is full of loving care that doesn't want to let go easily.

Because they see each other every day, he and Miss Wood can chat for quite a while.

Therefore, he easily noticed this slight anomaly.

"Has the spring shadow already begun to play?"

The idea popped into his head, but was then rejected; Xiangzi hadn't formed a band yet.

Or……

Has she already encountered that incident?

Amidst this anxiety, the night passed by in a hurry.

On the second day.

Toyokawa Shoko's childhood sweetheart gave him the answer.

During the afternoon work hours, Ruo Yemu walked straight towards him. Her face was calm, but she was like a long sword drawn from its sheath, cutting straight through the crowd in front of her. The girls were intimidated by her aura and couldn't help but step aside, not daring to block her way.

"Qingye."

The girl, as delicate, cold, and lifeless as a doll, said:

"I'll buy twenty cups of mango juice to help Xiang."

..

Shoko Toyokawa hates hospitals.

Or rather... she's afraid of hospitals.

The disinfectant smells awful, the air in the hallway is so cold, what the doctor said is terrifying, and my mother looks so sad…

Shoko Toyokawa felt happy. Her family was harmonious and happy, and her parents loved her deeply. They had always fulfilled her requests since she was a child, and she could do what she was interested in. She believed that the world had always been beautiful.

Growing up in this environment, she is willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, will shed tears when she sees touching poems and stories, hates evil, is principled, loves life, and has compassion for the poor...

Perhaps it was because she was so happy that she was so afraid when she stepped into the hospital—afraid of change, separation, and sadness.

She vaguely realized that the world was not as wonderful as she had imagined.

Shoko Toyokawa gently pushed open the door to the hospital room; she would visit her mother like this every day after school.

The door opened easily, and the ward was quiet, filled with the scent of lavender, as well as the familiar scent of her mother.

The layout of this hospital room resembles that of a luxury hotel, with a desk, a TV, and a comfortable double bed. The windows are floor-to-ceiling, offering views of the lawn and expansive scenery below the hospital. However, the sophisticated machinery and IV drips in the room are jarringly obvious.

The girl walked in quietly, as if afraid of disturbing her mother, but the moment she opened the door, the woman lying on the bed opened her eyes and gave her her usual gentle smile.

"Xiangzi, you're out of school."

Toyokawa Shoko paused, nodded, and then walked to the bedside. Gazing at her mother's face, she felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart.

In her memory, her mother had always been the most beautiful woman, even without the filter of her daughter. She was gentle as water, dignified and elegant, and even more stunning with makeup. But now her mother seemed to have suddenly become haggard, her face pale to the point of being crystalline, and her hands with IV drips were frighteningly thin, with protruding bones. Her mother's hands were so beautiful when she taught her to play the erhu when she was a child.

She couldn't bear to look any longer, and unconsciously picked up an apple and a peeler from the table next to her.

"Mom, are you feeling any better? Let me peel an apple for you..."

"I feel better now. It must be because of Xiangzi's longing for me."

The beauty on the bed sat up slightly, and the girl quickly put down the apple and helped her up.

Mizuho Toyokawa didn't mention the apple again. She clasped her hands together slightly and smiled as she always did, saying:

"Xiangzi, Mom wants to hear more about what's going on at school. Can you tell Mom about it?"

Toyokawa Shoko nodded vigorously, sat on the edge of the bed, and tried to make her tone sound as bright as possible as she recounted to her mother in detail what she did at school every day.

In the tea ceremony class, the teacher praised Toyokawa for her "calmness and focus, which has the spirit of the Moon Forest." She was a little shy at the time, but mostly happy and harmonious. She went to water her little vegetable garden together, and had lunch with her classmates under the huge cherry blossom tree next to the music room, sharing snacks. Although the conversation sometimes veered to family matters that she was not used to, the afternoon was the time she looked forward to practicing the piano. When she opened the door to the practice room, the sunlight shone through the tall windows, bathing the piano and the open sheet music in a brilliant golden light. Today she played Chopin's "Raindrops".

She spoke gently, trying to gather the little things of the day together like dewdrops and dedicate them to the most important person in her life.

"Anything else?" Toyokawa Mizuho listened intently, not missing a single word. "What about that boy Shoko's been mentioning lately?"

"It's not mentioned often..."

The blue-haired girl blushed slightly, looking a little shy.

“If there’s a chance in the future, Xiangzi should bring him to see his mother. I’m very curious about what kind of boy Xiangzi will be his first male friend.”

Mizuho Toyokawa seemed excited, but the word "later" immediately dampened the girl's spirits.

"Mom, didn't you say this illness wasn't serious? Didn't you say you'd get better soon? We made a promise, didn't we?" Her heart had cooled, but her voice became agitated as she vented her anxiety.

Mizuho Toyokawa paused for a moment, then smiled again, like a gentle yet resilient lily.

"Yes, I will stay with Xiangzi from now on. After all, you are my most beloved daughter. How could I abandon you?"

It was a promise. Toyokawa Shoko gripped her mother's hand tightly; it was so cold.

It's okay, it's okay.

It will be fine.

Mom will get better, and their family will be back to normal...

No matter how hard she tried to calm herself down, terrifying images would flood her mind, and she would wake up in a panic even when she was sleeping.

However, she spent more and more time in the hospital, and her mother's coma lasted longer and longer. An indescribable sense of exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she felt as if she was breaking down from the inside out.

Later, she couldn't even get into the ward anymore; she could only stand blankly outside the room, unconsciously calling out for her mother.

She learned of the news on an ordinary afternoon, and after that, she couldn't remember anything. Her mind was blank, and she couldn't understand a single word of what anyone said. All that remained in her mind was her mother.

Yesterday she was talking to herself, telling me to be careful on the road, and promising to talk to her mother about school today...

The memory was ultimately frozen in the coffin.

She folded her hands, her face peaceful. It seemed that her mother wasn't experiencing too much pain, which was wonderful.

But her mother disappeared, and she could never see her again.

The cold coffin isolated everything; the mother's cheeks and hands could no longer feel warmth.

This is the end of life.

Will she become like that someday? When that time comes, will I still be able to see my mother in another world?

Toyokawa Shoko was only thinking about meaningless things. Her mother's face at the funeral kept floating in her mind, and her heart ached with an emptiness that she couldn't bear.

How long did this state last?

do not know.

When will I be able to get over this sadness?

do not know.

Her childhood sweetheart seemed somewhat worried about her, but she no longer had the leisure for a harmonious heart-to-heart talk.

That day, after school, Toyokawa Shoko walked alone on the street. In this vast sea of ​​people, even if she wanted to walk straight ahead, she would trip and fall if she wasn't careful. It seemed that something important kept rolling out of her empty chest.

The sorrowful red sunset cast long, long shadows of her frail body.

The cherry blossoms were blooming brightly, but she couldn't feel their color.

Unconsciously, she crossed the overpass and walked to a stretch of coastline, quietly watching the sea view in the distance. The monotonous sound of the tide lapping against the beach was like a series of dull sighs. She squinted at the shimmering halo.

at this time--

She suddenly heard the sound of a bicycle bell.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle voice, as warm as a spring stream, rang in my ears.

"What a coincidence, Miss Toyokawa."

As if pulled from the depths of water by that voice, Toyokawa Shoko's body trembled slightly. She stiffly turned her head, and an unexpected figure came into view in her amber eyes.

...Kyono-kun?

?015. Da Xiang & Mu's affinity is increasing [Two-in-one]

The sky gradually changed from orange-red to dark red, as if it had been divided into sections of color on a palette.

The sun began to blur its outline, tinging the blue sea with orange, and each time the red tide surged onto the beach, its light tinted the white sand with its color.

It was no longer the setting sun, but the evening glow.

The sea breeze, carrying a moist scent, brushed against Toyokawa Shoko's cheeks. She reached out and gently smoothed her wind-blown hair.

She looked at the boy in front of her and hesitated before saying:

"Kiyono-kun? What are you doing here?"

"Because I always have this feeling that I will meet you." This can also be interpreted as fate. Kiyono said something that only Shoko would say.

"This, this is it..."

Toyokawa Shoko's response was slower than usual, and her voice was listless.

Kiyono stared intently at Shoko's face. The girl's usually sparkling eyes seemed to have lost their luster. Her face was pale, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, showing signs of crying. This was her appearance after she had covered it up with makeup.

"Want to take a walk together?" he asked.

Toyokawa Shoko hummed in agreement. The two walked on the beach where the tide would not reach them, silently watching the sea. It was very quiet around them, with only a few scattered figures in the distance.

Kiyono didn't speak first, but just walked slowly. Just as the sun was about to disappear, he suddenly stopped and sat down on the beach, facing the sea. The dry sand felt very comfortable to the touch.

Xiangzi looked at him, tilted his head slightly, and reminded him:

"It will get sandy."

"It's okay, a few pats will do the trick," Kiyono coaxed. "Why don't you sit down and try it? It's very comfortable!"

Toyokawa Shoko blinked. As a noble lady who always paid attention to etiquette, she had never done anything like this since she grew up. But she was really tired, a kind of tiredness that seemed to seep out from her soul. So she sat down as well, and it was indeed very comfortable.

The two looked out at the sea, the only sound in their ears being the crashing tide.

Gazing at the shimmering sea and the slowly setting sun, along with the constant, comfortable sea breeze, my eyes were filled with these sights, and I felt my own breath again, something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

After a long while, Kiyono turned his head to look at the girl next to him and said softly.

“I’m not the kind of man who can say nice things to comfort people, and I don’t really understand girls’ hearts, but I know that some things are better said than kept inside. If you don’t mind, I can be the one to listen.”

Kiyono-kun... you know everything?

Toyokawa Shoko also looked at the boy.

She remained silent for a long time. Since her mother's passing, she had not shared her inner thoughts with anyone. In front of adults and relatives, she pretended to be strong because her mother had expectations of her. In front of her father, she only shed tears because he was also very sad. She could not confide in Mu because it would only make both of them more upset.

At that moment, Kiyono took a step closer to her, their shoulders almost touching, but he didn't take her hand. He just smiled and said:

"Don't worry, the only thing I can promise is that if you want to cry, I will be by your side."

what……

If it's this person...

Perhaps he can share the burden of that lingering shadow in my heart.

Toyokawa Shoko took a light breath, as if flipping through a worn photo album, and began to speak softly.

"...I've had a very good relationship with my mother since I was little."

Where should she begin? She didn't know; she just said whatever came to mind.

“My mother has always been a very gentle person. In my memory, she has never scolded me loudly.”

“My mother is also very good at music. I didn’t think about playing the piano at first because my mother is so good. I felt that I was no match for her. She encouraged me and taught me step by step.”

“When I was little, my mom would read me picture books every night before bed. Some were heartwarming, and some were sad. I would slowly fall asleep.”

"Mom, she..."