I play wind instruments in Kansai.

Kirishima Ruka was momentarily speechless, her pupils suddenly contracting. She never expected that Shiraishi Hitomi would say something so embarrassing to her.

As if speaking for the first time, Shiraishi Hitomi's shoulders hunched slightly, as if she lacked confidence.

Gongling glanced at the two of them and said:

"It's alright, my family is quite wealthy, it's just a gift between friends."

It's a bit odd that they sent me this kind of slip dress nightgown.

“No need, I have plenty of pajamas.” Kirishima Ruka said calmly, her face tense. “Just give them to Hitomi, I think she really needs them.”

Even though she didn't show any anger, Hitomi Shiraishi vaguely sensed that Ruka Kirishima was somewhat unhappy, and her words seemed to be teasing her.

Hitomi Shiraishi tries to capture the void of air to shape her words, her throat trembling slightly, but each time it reaches the tip of her tongue, it is quietly pressed back deep by an invisible force.

Finally, she spoke:

"Then I don't want it."

"What are you talking about?"

Gong Lingwang noticed the flicker in her eyes, a faint light that seemed to be pulled back and forth.

"If other people see this, they'll think I can't afford it."

Because the two girls were so elegant and beautiful, many women in the store cast envious glances at them.

A female shop assistant had wanted to come over and make a recommendation, but seeing the three of them chatting so enthusiastically, she could only stand aside and watch, which was quite pleasing to the eye.

But when she saw one of the girls with such an expression, she immediately became uneasy.

She, as a shop assistant, had seen this expression far too often; it was always the disappointment of not being able to afford the expensive pajamas.

She wanted nothing more than to punch Gong Lingwang and force him to buy it quickly.

"Wow, this outfit looks absolutely stunning on you. To be honest, there are a lot of girls here today, but none of them can pull off this pure and innocent look. You're a natural clothes hanger, one in a million."

The shop assistant's heels tapped on the floor, and when she walked behind her, Shiraishi Hitomi's bare back made her gasp in amazement.

"This is simply—"

Before she could finish her感慨 (expression/reflection), Miyamine Nozomi interrupted her, saying:

"Angel's Wings".

"Uh, yes, angel wings." The female shop assistant quickly nodded with a smile.

Kirishima Ruka didn't say anything, she just stood to the side with one arm crossed.

Gongling Wang said:

"This set, and the one smaller than the previous one, put them in the same bag. Exchange this set for a larger size... no, it's still this size, put it together with the previous set, and make sure they're all worn without trying them on."

Fearing he might change his mind, the female shop assistant quickly nodded and went to tidy up.

Hitomi Shiraishi's lips were parted, and her ears could be seen to be slightly red through her hair.

"You really don't want it?"

Miyamine Nozomi turned to Kirishima Ruka and said,

“You said you have a lot of pajamas, and I’m worried that buying more would just be a burden.”

"..." Kirishima Ruka felt a stone lodged in her chest, but she still shook her head and said, "I do have a lot of pajamas at home."

"Row."

Miyamine Nozomi doesn't really care whether Kirishima Ruka wants it or not, because she's not wearing it for him to see, and even if he gives it to her, she'll only wear it at home.

But since Shiraishi Hitomi had genuinely shown it to him, it was only right and proper that he give it to her.

Arrive at the front desk and pay the bill first.

A short while later, the female shop assistant came over carrying two elegant shopping bags.

After buying her pajamas and leaving the store, Shiraishi Hitomi had her bag slung over her right shoulder and a shopping bag in her left hand, her small face involuntarily softening.

Miyamine Nozomi was also carrying a bag, but Kirishima Ruka was carrying her schoolbag with both hands, just like when she came.

"As for dinner—"

Miyamine looked at the girl beside him and suddenly noticed the slightly sad expression on Kirishima Ruka's face.

In that instant, a sudden feeling welled up in his heart—

The speaker felt guilty, thinking, "Miyarei, you're a real jerk! You invited someone over but didn't bring anything?!"

But another person, Miyamune Nozomi, said—

"She doesn't want it, and I can't force her to have it; Shiraishi really wants it."

Besides, Miyamine Nozomi felt that her relationship with Kirishima Ruka wasn't very close, and if Yanagi Yuuka said no, he would definitely still choose to buy it.

"I won't have dinner with you; I need to go home first," he said.

"Ah."

Shiraishi Hitomi blinked her thick, long eyelashes; just having the gift he had given her was enough to satisfy her.

Kirishima Ruka remained silent, her thin, cherry-red lips unmoved.

Because Hitomi Shiraishi's house is near Wakayama Station, and the three of them weren't going in the same direction, they had to separate after passing Daishin Park.

"Will she be okay on her own?"

Gong Lingwang watched Shiraishi Hitomi leave alone, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"I'm not a child anymore."

Kirishima Ruka gently brushed a strand of hair with her jade-like fingers, and softly pursed her lips as she spoke.

"Gong Ling, it's better if you don't worry about her too much."

"why?"

"Does your relationship with Liu Mu allow you to have close contact with other girls?" Kirishima Ruka's tone was confident and at ease.

Gongling Wang hesitated for a moment, then continued walking forward and said:

"I'm not dating her yet."

Kirishima Ruka said with a smile:

"But in this world, people seem to prefer a settled narrative. Even if you and Liu Mu haven't started dating yet, everyone assumes you are."

“I don’t deny it,” Miyamine Nozomi said, “but I also don’t deny that I might fall for other girls.”

Kirishima Ruka looked at him in surprise and said:

"Will you fall for other girls?"

"I used to think that I would only like watermelon, but then I found that strawberries are also quite delicious."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Miyamine Nozomi's lips as she spoke.

"However, society seems to be quite tolerant of my eating a variety of fruits."

How can you compare a person to a fruit?

"So let's not talk about this kind of thing anymore, I'm quite afraid of this kind of thing happening."

Miyamine Nozomi doesn't consider herself very good at dealing with this kind of situation.

"Is this the first time Shiraishi-kun has argued with you?"

"Well?"

Kirishima Ruka's expression subtly changed; just as he didn't want to discuss "future romance," she wasn't particularly keen on it either.

"Yes."

"how do you feel?"

"That's good. I've always hoped that Xiaotong could have her own way of thinking."

Even if your way of thinking clashes with hers?

"......"

Gongling Wang's words left her speechless; her silence, to a certain extent, already represented an answer.

The two walked for more than ten minutes and arrived at the familiar street.

The streetlights were not yet fully lit, only timidly casting a cold white light. The western clouds still retained a lingering rose-purple hue, fading further eastward.

As soon as he got home, he saw a girl sitting in front of his house, with something next to her.

Willow Wood Lamp sat on the steps in front of his house, thighs together, calves turned outwards, skirt tucked between his legs.

She saw the two of them, but didn't speak or get up; she just kept staring at them.

Kirishima Ruka blinked, but instead of greeting him, she said to Miyamine Nozomi:

"Then I'll go first."

"Okay, goodbye."

Gong Ling couldn't understand why Liu Mujie was sitting at the door like that, but it saved him the trouble of going to her house.

He walked up to him jokingly and said:

"There is a very beautiful girl in front of my house. She looks innocent and ethereal, as pure and white as cream."

As I got closer, I noticed a schoolbag and a beautifully packaged peach cake next to her.

Contrary to what I expected, she simply raised her eyebrows and stared intently at him, as if confirming something.

His background was shrouded in a layer of milky white and ultramarine, much like a creamy cake in a dessert shop, topped with plucked orange segments.

"Okay, I thought it was some kind of war god who traveled all the way south from Hokkaido."

Even after he had said such hurtful things, Liu Mujiedeng still didn't say anything, he just stared at him.

Why aren't you scolding me yet?

Gong Lingwang couldn't understand it, so he just sighed and walked past her, raising his finger to the fingerprint scanner on the door lock:

"Would you like to come in? My family isn't home. Could you pour the pretty girl a glass of water?"

Willowwood Lamp's fingernails dug slightly into the soft skin of his arm. He took a deep breath and asked:

"where have you been?"

"I went shopping."

Gong Lingwang walked inside without a care in the world, and deftly took off his shoes and put on slippers.

Turning around, I saw that she was still sitting on the steps.

Willow wood?

"what."

"What do you mean, what are you doing? You told me before that it was coming... Now you've stained my steps red? Is that why you won't get up?"

Liu Mujie Deng suddenly raised his head, glaring at him fiercely.

"That's more like it, come in."

Gong Lingwang immediately felt comfortable and smiled as he handed her a pair of slippers that his mother wore.

Because there were no slippers for girls at home, and he didn't have any younger sisters who needed a kiss in the morning to get out of bed.

Willow Knot Lamp's nostrils flared slightly, his lips were pressed tightly together, and he got up and went into the house, fuming.

She took off her loafers, revealing her feet encased in black socks, and the hem of her uniform skirt swayed gently.

Where did you go after school?

I really want to question him loudly, but that would make me seem like I care too much about him, and I would lose even more completely.

"Didn't I say we were going to buy things?"

Gong Lingwang leaned against the shoe cabinet and looked at her. The top of her calf socks was just two fingers below her knee, and the edge made a soft indentation.

The stockings appear semi-transparent in the backlight.

Her toes unconsciously curled up inside her socks, then relaxed again, as if trying to release the pent-up tension.