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

She thought it made a lot of sense, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that the boy already knew about her most embarrassing and shameful side, and even so, he chose to be tolerant, so... it should be fine, right?

Toyokawa Shoko lay on the bed, rolling around. The more she thought about it, the more Kiyono filled her mind. Even though there was a wall between them, she felt like she could hear Kiyono breathing.

I want to hear his voice...

She hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone and dialed his number.

"Xiangzi?" The call connected instantly, and Qingye didn't seem to be asleep either.

"Yes, I'm sorry, did I disturb your sleep?" Toyokawa Shoko said apologetically.

"Hey, don't underestimate your charm, Mr. Xiangzi. I'm currently living next door to a beautiful and elegant lady, you know? I could attack her anytime at night, you know? What kind of man do you think could fall asleep in this situation?"

You're always like this, wrapping your gentleness in jokes.

"Actually, there was no need for an attack..." she muttered to herself unconsciously.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"No, it's nothing!" Toyokawa Shoko snapped out of her daze, quickly burying her face in the blanket in embarrassment, her voice muffled. "By the way, I wanted to discuss something with you... how about I make the bento boxes from now on?"

Xiangzi didn't want to simply accept Qingye's help; she wanted to do something for the boy, but after thinking it over, all she could do now were these small things...

Kiyono said with concern, "Don't you still have to work? I can do it."

“But Kiyono-kun’s work is also very hard.” The down-on-her-luck young lady said softly, “I am also a member of this family, and we should share the housework.”

"Then... what about the part-time job?" Kiyono was still concerned about her.

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, then, as if realizing something, her voice softened again:

"...I will quit my two nights' part-time jobs so that I will have time after school in the afternoon."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Kiyono laugh on the other end of the phone, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

"What about music? How's your thinking going?" the boy asked again, just as she had expected.

"I have a few ideas."

She has come to truly embrace the ideals she once cherished, the ideals she once ran away from, and has regained the courage to forge ahead and overcome all obstacles.

"I want to start by teaching piano to save money, and then maybe I can try to form a commercial band...?"

When talking about music, Toyokawa Shoko's voice is bright and joyful, a pure love. Girls who have dreams and strive for them always exude a unique beauty.

The reason she had the idea of ​​a commercial band was that she realized she had to give it her all if she wanted to be closer to Kiyono.

"Then... what about Crychic?" Kiyono suddenly asked.

He finally asked the question: if Xiangzi wanted to return to the music industry, then crychic was an issue he absolutely couldn't avoid.

Shoko Toyokawa breathed a sigh of relief, her mood surprisingly calm. Now, she was certain she could make the right choice.

Then say it.

She has decided that she will no longer hide anything from Kiyono.

and so--

"I will apologize to them... and then have a proper talk."

call.

After saying those words, she felt the huge weight that had been pressing on her heart dissipate.

Ah, that's so easy.

No need to run away anymore, no need to hate yourself, no need to hurt your important friends anymore, no need to build high walls in your heart, just run firmly forward.

Because someone was supporting her from behind—

—She took another step.

She has now rediscovered her pride.

"Qingye-kun..."

"Ok?"

"I... goodnight."

"Good night."

...

As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Toyokawa Shoko slowly opened her sleepy eyes, awakened by an incredibly enticing aroma of food.

The girl picked up her phone from beside her pillow and glanced at it. 6:50. Oh no! She seemed to have woken up an hour later than usual. She was going to be late for work that morning, and she still had to prepare breakfast for her father…

The sense of urgency instantly snapped her awake; she threw off the covers and stood up.

At that very moment, Toyokawa Shoko froze.

In the open kitchen area, Kiyono stood there, the morning light outlining his tall and relaxed back. He had a square scarf wrapped around his head, wore an apron, and rolled-up sleeves. In front of him, a frying pan was sizzling with eggs, and next to him, the microwave "dinged" as soup simmered in a small pot, the rising steam carrying a warm, savory aroma.

Just then, Kiyono seemed to hear the noise behind him. He turned around, holding a spatula, and smiled at her. The morning light shone on him, bathing his entire face in a soft orange glow.

Shoko Toyokawa stood there, a huge surge of warmth and emotion suddenly piercing her heart. Since living with her father, she had grown accustomed to the chill and busyness of the mornings, and to the bread and rice balls from the convenience store. This everyday warmth made her feel that the world was so gentle.

She was in a daze for a moment, then put her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and revealed a beautiful smile as bright as the morning sun.

"...Good morning, Kiyono-kun."

I hope that I can always say good morning and good night to you in the future.

?034. Kiyono prepares to show off [Two-in-One]

Kiyono's breakfast was simple: fried eggs, bacon, toast, and soup. But Shoko thought it was even more delicious than what she used to eat at Toyokawa's house. She felt that it contained the boy's heartfelt intentions. It was a unique seasoning in the world, the ultimate magic that could satisfy people from body to soul.

After finishing their meal, the two changed their clothes. One went to school, and the other went to work. The morning sun shone brightly on the streets. They walked side by side. Qingye would jokingly remind her to watch her step, and he would quietly shield her on the side away from the traffic. Occasionally, he would point to a newly opened shop by the roadside and say that they would go eat there together next time...

When they parted at the crossroads, Kiyono handed her his schoolbag, and the blue-haired girl pursed her lips and gently straightened his disheveled collar.

"Be careful on the road, and come home early after school."

"Yes! Good luck with your work, Kiyono-kun!"

Xiangzi's pretty face shone brightly. After saying this, she originally wanted to turn around and leave, but when the girl looked at the boy's handsome face in front of her, for some reason, an inexplicable impulse suddenly filled her heart.

Her fingers were clenched tightly together, but even so, she mustered her courage:

"Um... Kiyono-kun!"

"I'm here."

"When you're at work, remember to keep a certain distance from other girls! I'll be watching you work too!"

Toyokawa Shoko blushed dramatically. Although it was the first time she had felt this way about a boy, the girl had already learned to express her possessiveness without being taught, and silently declared to those around her her ownership of the boy in front of her.

After saying that, she didn't dare look at the boy's reaction, quickly turned around, her blue ponytail flying high in the sunlight, and fled into the crowd of students going to school...

Kiyono paused for a moment, watching her figure disappear before turning around with a smile and walking in the opposite direction.

...

Over the next two days, Qingye always found different ways to care for Xiangzi. He had wanted to do this for a long time, but before, due to the pride of a young girl, the more you treated her well, the less she could accept it. But now she would happily accept every kindness, and had become a soft and gentle Xiangzi, and was becoming softer and softer.

This feeling is somewhat like seeing your past self, and you simply want to be good to the girl.

He would compensate Xiangzi for all the hardships and grievances she had suffered.

Xiangzi was overwhelmed with indescribable happiness.

As a life partner, Kiyono is absolutely impeccable. He is thoughtful, considerate of others, romantic, and witty. Being with him is never boring, and he is generally strict with himself and lenient with others.

The only minor flaw she could find was her somewhat casual lifestyle, but it wasn't that she didn't work; she just didn't pay attention to some details in the room—Xiangzi thought this was actually a strength, because she could finally find something she could do.

As long as he was with him, Xiangzi's bright smile never faded—even when he was thinking of him.

Although thinking this way is not very filial, she feels more at ease and sweeter living with Kiyono than with her father.

Xiangzi sometimes had the illusion that all the painful and numb things he had gone through were just to wait for Qingye to come into his life—the stories in the vernacular poems were not lies, and there really were creatures like Prince Charming who could bring happiness to people.

She hasn't been able to sleep in the living room for the past two days, afraid that she will wake up and be back in that cramped and cold rented room. Whenever this happens, Qingye will come to comfort her, which makes her feel secretly happy and sweet, but also more worried. How will she continue to live this kind of life with him when she returns to reality in the future?

With his little head filled with random thoughts, Xiangzi pushed open the door to his house.

It was just evening, and the twilight bathed the apartment in a warm, honey-colored light. She carried a plastic bag and placed the ingredients inside into the kitchen one by one. She had found a job as a piano tutor, which only required her to work two hours a day. She had quit all her other part-time jobs, so she was able to come home much earlier and prepare dinner for Kiyono-kun.

The meals were much more plentiful than the discounted bento boxes from before, with chicken, fish, meat, eggs, and everything else included. The cost was covered by her savings, which was a bit extravagant, but combined with their salaries, it was more than enough to support them.

Xiangzi hummed a song as she cooked rice with light, quick movements. Halfway through cooking, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"I am back."

Hearing the noise, the girl immediately turned off the stove, turned around, still holding a soup ladle in her hand, her smile especially gentle in the setting sun:

"Welcome back. Dinner will be ready soon. If you're hungry, Kiyono-kun, you can have some snacks first."

"Oh! Miss Xiangzi is becoming more and more like a virtuous wife!"

Xiangzi blushed slightly at those words, but he defiantly raised the soup spoon in his hand:

"Then please, Kiyono-kun, stop living a life of debauchery like a playboy."

"If I go to play pachinko tomorrow, will Xiangzi really kick me out of the house?"

Kiyono made a joke, changed into slippers, turned on the TV, and lay down on the sofa like a lazybones. The sound of the TV program and the clattering sounds from the kitchen created a unique rhythm.

Before long, dinner was served steaming hot on the small table.

"Xiangzi, how was your piano lesson today?" Qingye asked casually, picking up a piece of vegetables with his chopsticks.

“Playing the piano is fun, sharing music is fun, and my sister Mei and her mother are very kind people. Mei is very diligent in her studies, and her mother even specially brewed some delicious flower tea... It’s really a wonderful job.”

Shoko Toyokawa raised her eyes and shared her joy and sense of fulfillment with the boy in front of her. The hourly wage for piano tutoring was more than what she used to earn in a whole day of part-time work, and it was easier and more meaningful. Only after taking this step did she realize that her previous stubbornness was a kind of shackle.

“After all, she’s a girl I approve of,” Kiyono continued. “What about the band?”

"...It was more difficult than I imagined."

Shoko Toyokawa sighed softly. Forming her own band and playing her own music was her dream, and also a way to get closer to Kiyono and stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

However, the clearer the ideal blueprint becomes, the more difficult the reality appears.

Band members, rehearsal space, basic equipment, recording demos of original songs, and even the most basic transportation and sheet music printing costs... every single expense was enough to make her breathless. Even if she had a more lucrative job, it would still be a drop in the ocean.

The simplest and quickest way she could think of was to ask her family for help, however, she didn't want to do that.

Kiyono's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, then he simply said "oh" and didn't say anything more.

"However... I've already thought of the band's name and general direction!"

Seemingly sensing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Toyokawa Shoko broke into a smile, her eyes sparkling, dispelling the gloom that had arisen—with Kiyono-kun around, this difficulty was nothing to her.

"Oh?" Kiyono cooperated by showing an interested expression, putting down his chopsticks and pretending to listen attentively.

"The name is 'Ave Mujica', which is meant to express a feeling of persistently pursuing new life and redemption even in chaos and darkness."

Is this what they call timeline convergence...? Kiyono's expression was strange, and she used a high-EQ approach:

"A very imaginative and powerful name, Xiang, you were born for this!"

"I feel like Kiyono-kun's tone is a little subtle..."

...

Eat and drink enough.

After Xiangzi finished washing the dishes and untied her apron, Qingye, who was sitting lazily on the sofa, smiled and waved to her. The blue-haired girl then obediently sat down next to him and tilted her head slightly.

"what's wrong?"

Kiyono took a white envelope from beside him and handed it to Toyokawa Shoko. The girl blinked and immediately understood what he meant—he had received his salary!

Seeing that he thought of her as soon as he got his salary, Xiangzi felt even sweeter. However, when she looked at the money inside, she was slightly startled.

"Are there... so many?"

"Most of it is commission..."

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes twitched; Kiyono's behavior made her feel a strange weight on her head.

Before she could think further, she saw Qingye get up and walk into the bedroom, carrying a wallet and a bankbook. He handed them to her again, and seeing the girl's bewildered look, he smiled and said:

"Xiangzi, haven't you been in charge of the household chores and cleaning these past few days? I think you've done a much better job than me, so from now on, the family finances will be yours!"