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

There are many, many more.

So, so, Mom left, and she was really sad.

Tears streamed down her face.

The water splashed brilliantly.

"Can I borrow your chest for a moment?"

"Ah."

In the silent stillness, tears streamed down his face, soaking his chest.

As the last rays of the setting sun sank into the other side of the sea, the world turned dark, obscuring the expressions of the two people.

Seagulls flap their wings as they return to their nests, leaving only the tide washing over the beach, again and again.

After a long while, Toyokawa Shoko finally raised her head. There were a few tear stains on her face, but they did not detract from her inherent noble beauty. Her eyes were slightly red, and her delicate lips parted slightly.

"Yes, I'm so sorry, I was so rude..."

She turned her face away shyly, her ponytail swaying gently, and her cheeks flushed red.

Incredibly, I feel much more relaxed.

"I forced you to do this."

Kiyono smiled and continued.

Even so, I still don't know how to comfort you.

"In my view, life is very heavy, and words are very light."

“I never think that a few words of light comfort are of any use, so I won’t tell you that the past will eventually pass, because parting from loved ones is a very painful thing, and perhaps, one can never heal such a wound in a lifetime.”

But he said.

"Because it is painful to be separated from your mother, you should be even happier in the future."

Toyokawa Shoko looked into Kiyono's eyes. His figure was indistinct in the darkness, but his eyes were so gentle and bright, like a sea filled with moonlight.

"You are the person your mother loves most in this world, right? She must be very worried about your future life. She must want you to be happier than anyone else. So, you must feel many times happier than this in the future, so that your mother can rest assured."

Tears streamed down her face again.

The message he wanted to convey was warm, gentle, and reliable.

Toyokawa Shoko casually wiped away her tears.

"……Um!"

A smile blossomed on her face.

..

Later, they faced the sea and talked for a long time, about their grievances against their mothers, their occasional thoughts of giving up, their love of music, and their dreams for the future...

Shoko Toyokawa nestled gently against him, feeling his body heat seep through her shirt, and her heart seemed to warm as well.

“By the way, Kiyono-kun, could I take up a little more of your time?” Toyokawa Shoko stood up, gently wiping the sand off her skirt, and smiled as she extended her hand to the boy under the moonlight. “Come with me somewhere.”

Kiyono grasped her outstretched hand and then stood up.

He didn't ask the girl where she was going.

He believed in Toyokawa Shoko.

and so--

"So you brought me home?"

Kiyono looked at the scenery in front of him and muttered something under his breath.

Soft lights slanted down, illuminating the black and white instruments. Toyokawa Shoko sat at the piano, her slender fingers gently caressing the keys, her expression tender and nostalgic. She had spent countless days and nights playing piano with her mother.

Why did you suddenly decide to play the piano?

She couldn't explain why for a moment, but when Kiyono mentioned her mother's expectations, the piano that had accompanied the mother and daughter all this time naturally came to mind. Her mother must also want to see her continue to play the piano happily.

What do I want to do?

Like a poet's long, drawn-out song, the piano music produced a gentle sound, and a smile appeared on the girl's lips.

What kind of person did my mother hope I would be?

The sound seemed to have a concrete image; it was sorrowful. In the past, Toyokawa Shoko's playing was incomparably beautiful. Even when listening from a distance, one could imagine the girl playing the piano brightly in the sunlight. She was talented, but now there was a deeper emotion, making it even more moving.

I want to play the piano, but playing alone is a little lonely.

Is there anything we can play together, something that moves us deeply...?

"band……"

The piano music suddenly rose a little higher, and Toyokawa Shoko's expression also became cheerful.

She suddenly stood up, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes shining brightly.

"Kiyono-kun, how about forming a band with me!"

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Ms. Toyokawa, but please find someone else. Thank you."

"You actually refused without even thinking about it!?" Toyokawa Shoko's pretty face froze.

Qingye snorted. Xiangzi's band was obviously the kind of girl band full of talented girls. Why would a grown man like him want to join in? Besides, he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about musical instruments.

"Didn't I tell you before? I'm not going to make an effort to comfort you."

Toyokawa Shoko's small nose wrinkled slightly, and her cheeks puffed out a little.

Then, as if she had thought of something, a smile quietly appeared on her face.

—Are you really bad at comforting people? I think you're quite skilled at it, humph...

..

He was forced to have dinner at the Toyokawa family's house, and as he was about to say goodbye, he was suddenly stopped by an unexpected person.

“Kiyono, thank you,” she said. “Sho looks much happier.”

Kiyono turned his head and saw a girl with an expressionless face.

Her slender figure, delicate face, and ethereal aura made one feel somewhat worried, afraid that she would melt into the air like a snowflake in the blink of an eye.

It was Wakaba Mutsu who quietly pulled him up to the second floor.

These childhood sweethearts have been living together recently, so their relationship must be exceptionally good.

“I didn’t do anything special.” Kiyono followed her gaze and looked downstairs. “Why doesn’t Miss Wakaba try to show her some concern?”

"If I speak, Xiang will get hurt."

If Ye Mu speaks calmly, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment can be detected in her voice if you listen carefully.

The girl withdrew her gaze from her childhood sweetheart and stared directly at the boy.

"Kiyono, why are you helping Sho? Is it because of my request?"

"There are many reasons, such as Toyokawa helping me before, or that we are friends, or... I just want to become a man who can face all kinds of things honestly and who will unconditionally lend a helping hand to people in trouble."

Kiyono smiled and said that Wakaba Mutsu's way of speaking was different from others. He was always straightforward and got straight to the point, so he didn't beat around the bush and said what he was thinking.

“Kiyono is very gentle,” Wakaba Mutsu suddenly said.

He was somewhat flattered, never expecting to hear praise from Xiao Guazi.

"If I become friends with Kiyono, will you help me like this too?" the girl asked again. She liked to look people in the eye when she spoke, which would normally put pressure on people, but now Kiyono saw a little girl's hope in her eyes, like a cat envying another cat.

"I think so," Kiyono said hesitantly, without asking what help Mutsu needed.

"How can I become friends with Kiyono?" Her usually indifferent eyes seemed to light up, like a curious child.

Kiyono was a little stumped. How should this be defined... Should she use Yukinoshita's answer?

At that moment, Wakaba Mutsu gave his own answer.

The girl took his hand and held it.

He could feel the cool, smooth, and delicate touch, with a faint fragrance.

"So... does that mean we're friends?"

Ruoye Mu seemed unaware that there was anything wrong with her actions, and the expression on her pretty face remained completely unchanged.

Kiyono was somewhat amused and exasperated, but he couldn't quite refuse this girl because he could feel that Wakaba Mutsu's hand was trembling slightly. She was uneasy and afraid of being rejected, as if this was the first time she had acted this way.

He tried hard not to let his expression change, while teaching her about the differences between men and women and telling her not to do such things to boys, and also telling her that they were already friends.

..

The next day.

Moon Forest Academy.

The glow of dusk streamed through the giant floor-to-ceiling transparent glass windows, spilling onto the mirror-like solid wood floor. The floor reflected the long hem of a girl's skirt. Members of the band had just finished a day of practice and were carrying classical instruments as they walked through the corridor, their hair and uniforms stained red.

A girl with sky-blue hair and an elegant demeanor stood quietly at the end of the corridor, seemingly waiting for something.

In her line of sight, a girl with long flaxen hair walked slowly towards her, bathed in the setting sun.

The next moment, their eyes met.

"Nagasaki-san, are you interested in bands?"

Toyokawa Shoko gazed into those warm eyes, her voice clear and resolute, echoing distinctly in the vast space bathed in twilight, like the first chime of fate.

Nagasaki Motoyo was momentarily dazed, tilted her head, and then gave her her usual smile.

"sure."

016. Hagi Chin is still too much of a supermodel [Two-in-One]

"Dear teachers and students, I am Xiao Ju Zhihua from the Literature and Art Department..."

Inside the cramped room, Xiao Ju stood on a small stool, holding a long speech paper in her hand. Her small face was illuminated by the light, solemn and almost tragic, but the words she uttered were still stuttering.

On the living room floor, her "exclusive audience seat," two little boys looked up with smiling faces, their eyes wide open, staring at her without blinking. When she began to stumble and stagger, her loyal and merciless referee brother immediately brandished the sword of rebellion.

"Sister, you failed again!"

"I...I know."

Xiao Ju jumped off the bench, like a punctured balloon, and sighed dejectedly.

—That's right, she's practicing her public speaking skills. She's decided to take over as the head of the arts and culture department. She's still hesitating about the student council, but now that she's taken over the club, public speaking like this is essential.

Although I'm trying my best to undergo hellish self-cultivation, it still doesn't work. I can't even do this in front of my family, so how can I share my thoughts with my classmates?

She felt her throat was burning, so she quickly went to the table and gulped down a big mouthful of water. Just then, the doorbell rang, and her younger siblings, who had been sitting on the floor, ran out excitedly, shouting as they ran.

"Big brother is here!"

The two little ones opened the door, and Kiyono walked in, changed his shoes, and handed them a small bag of snacks with a smile. After learning that he only ate whatever he could find for dinner, the girl unilaterally "ordered" him to come and get some extra nutrition from time to time. So, what's the point of caring about a world that will end in less than two months?

"Humph!"

Seeing Qingye stroll in slowly, Xiaoju immediately put her hands on her hips, trying to make her voice sound impatient, "So, so slow! You're dawdling, dinner's going to get cold!"

She said this, but her body moved obediently—she walked quickly to the table, silently placed a freshly poured, still steaming cup of tea in front of Qingye, and then served him a full bowl of rice, the white rice piled up into a small hill.

"Sorry." Kiyono sat down at the table and took a leisurely sip of tea. "Today I spent a little extra time comforting a girl who was crying because she failed to achieve her dream."

The girl merely gave a dark, cold laugh and remained silent.

At the dining table, the scene remained the same. Xiao Ju fully demonstrated her role as the eldest sister, distributing nutritionally balanced side dishes to the three of them. She sternly scolded her younger siblings when they tried to be picky about their food. This was a very normal scene, but Qingye suddenly noticed something was wrong.

He put down his chopsticks, glanced at the girl across from him, and asked, "Do you have a cold?"

Xiao Ju's voice sounded a bit hoarse and low than usual.

Upon hearing this, the literary girl was taken aback and quickly shook her head from side to side.

"No, no! I don't have a cold!"

"I know, I know!" the younger brother immediately raised his hand high. "My sister has been secretly practicing her speech, that's why her voice is hoarse!"

Well done—no, I mean this little guy really deserves a spanking!