Does gravity make me stronger?

but.

It doesn't look like it at all. She knows all the popular bands around here inside and out, and she's never seen any of them recruit a new lead singer.

There must be another reason why Hachiman is so confident.

'That brat, did he win the lottery?!'

Listening to Ijichi Hoshika's heartfelt words, Hachiman inexplicably felt a little bit of satisfaction.

He could never win the lottery, but he did have a considerable amount of gray income, or rather, a hidden reserve of resources.

According to the contract, the girl from Shuchiin Academy whom he met at the cram school still owes him 100,000 yen.

Originally, Hachiman intended to use this money to support the band's end and to help Goto Ichiri and the others build a few high-quality fans. Unfortunately, plans don't always go as expected, so he had to use it here first.

"Fine, whatever you want to do, just don't make too much of a fuss."

Ijichi Seika said earnestly that she still trusted Hachiman quite a bit.

She is very serious when she needs to be, and she is also very smart. Apart from being a bit of a flirt and awkward, she has no complaints about Hachiman.

"Could the first match be scheduled for next Monday?" Hachiman continued.

"can."

After finishing his work at the performance hall, Hachiman took out his phone and sent a message to the girl he hadn't contacted since they last added each other.

...

"drop!"

In the dimly lit bedroom, a cell phone notification tone sounded.

Nagasaki Motoyo fumbled around for a while, then turned on the desk lamp and immediately saw dozens of unread messages pop up on her long-unused phone screen.

Yes, she has been on leave from school since RiNG left, and she didn't go to class on Friday.

Fortunately, her mother didn't ask why, and even arranged for her to have lots of good food and drinks since she seemed so down.

Unfortunately, she was in no mood to respond. She simply said thank you and hid in her bedroom, not coming out all day.

It is now late Friday night.

In order not to miss any important information, Motoyo Nagasaki decided to check her phone for a while.

Desk mate: Nagasaki-kun, the teacher said you were sick today. I wonder if you're feeling better now? I've organized all my notes; I can make a copy for you if you need it.

Chihaya Aine: Soyo, are you okay? Don't worry about the band. I've taken care of it with the lantern festival. You have to cheer up. Let's go out and have fun together tomorrow.

Chihaya Aine: Are you sick? If you're not feeling well, please rest well. I hope to hear from you tomorrow.

The message list is full of these meaningless junk messages.

Aside from a few messages she had to answer, Nagasaki Motoyo crossed them off one by one until—

Takamatsu: Suze, I went to see Hachiman this afternoon. I'll definitely save the band, please wait for me.

汣---cutting line---

My four children, I'm back!

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

Chapter 118, Section 116: Xiangzi and Su Shi face off at the central gate.

"What are you going to do now?!"

Nagasaki Motoyo frowned, pursed her dry lips, and the dim light illuminated her pale face.

She wanted nothing more than to shake this simple-minded girl out and give her a good scolding.

But how could she possibly criticize others?

In an attempt to win back Xiangzi, she took advantage of Hachiman's kindness, using him while hurting him, and even after being exposed on the spot, she still made ugly excuses.

Motoyo Nagasaki, you're such a terrible woman...

It was probably because of his own hypocrisy that Hachiman, who yearned for purity, left her without hesitation.

From this day forward, she is truly all alone.

After casually deleting the message from Gao Songdeng, she continued reading. Suddenly, she sat up seriously, her nerves on edge.

Toyokawa Shoko: Regarding our last appointment, how about we meet tomorrow morning? You can choose the location.

"Xiangzi!"

Her heart, which was almost dead, stirred a little again. Nagasaki Motoyo immediately replied on her phone, but halfway through, she deleted all the messages she had edited.

There is no turning back now.

Whether it's Hachiman or Shoko.

"After meeting Xiangzi tomorrow, I'll say goodbye to them completely and start a new life," Nagasaki Motoyo replied coldly.

Nagasaki Motoyo: Okay, let's go to your favorite cafe tomorrow.

Toyokawa Shoko: Random

The two didn't exchange many words. They quickly confirmed the meeting place and time for the next day on Line, and then there was no further communication.

After replying to Xiangzi's message, Nagasaki Motoyo opened her chat with Hachiman and browsed through the past chat history. Gradually, tears slid down her cheeks and soaked her pillow.

"Why did it turn out like this...?"

"I just want to be with everyone..."

She had cried many times that day and night, her eyes were swollen from crying, but it still couldn't ease the pain in her heart.

Time and again, facts have proven that crying is useless; she must become strong.

"Xiangzi, Hachiman, waaaah..."

...

ROLL is a little-known cafe located in a remote corner of Shimokitazawa.

Although the location is not particularly good, it still gets a decent number of customers thanks to Shimokitazawa's reputation.

Also.

The black tea in the store is not a quick drink made by simply steeping tea bags that can be found anywhere in a convenience store.

Instead, the coffee shop owner personally went to the production area in China to negotiate the business with the locals. Both the aroma and taste are top-notch. Apart from the relatively high price, this batch of goods has no other defects.

However, the high price is clearly not the problem with the black tea, but with the customers (lol).

In addition, ROLL's British-style decor and the niche classical music it plays may not suit mainstream tastes, but it often attracts many young, beautiful, and wealthy women.

So, business is generally pretty good on a regular basis.

When Toyokawa Shoko stepped into the coffee shop again, the aroma wafting from it involuntarily reminded her of her affluent past.

However, her loose wallet immediately brought her back to reality.

Near the window, a girl with long, light blonde hair waved to me in a friendly manner, but upon closer inspection, I could clearly see the deep dark circles under her eyes.

Su Shi seems to be having a hard time lately.

Surprisingly, Xiangzi, his former teammate, felt a sliver of sympathy.

"How have you been lately?"

"Thanks to you, it's very good."

"I'm having a really tough time, Xiangzi."

Xiangzi, who had just sat down, was taken aback. His eyes were unfocused as he said, "Su Shi, you seem to have changed lately."

"Really?" It was still a sweet smile, but it wasn't endearing at all; instead, it had a slightly prickly quality to it. "That must be because of Xiangzi."

Because of me?

Xiangzi didn't quite understand.

Just as they were about to ask more questions, a waitress came over and interrupted their conversation: "What would you two like to drink?"

Xiangzi responded kindly with "Earl Grey tea," and then continued to look at Nagasaki Soseido.

"Let's have a good talk today."

"Can we talk about anything?"

"What else could it be?" Xiangzi squinted, a hint of wariness creeping into his eyes.

The Su Shi before her was somewhat different from the kind and gentle girl she used to know, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"Hmm...like our own secrets or something," Nagasaki Motoyo asked, fiddling with her fingers. "Does Shoko want to know my secret? Actually, I am..."

"I didn't ask you that," Xiangzi said coldly.

"How about your love life?"

"Feelings? I have nothing to say about that." She refused again.

The black tea was served at this moment. Xiangzi pretended not to care and took a sip. The long-lost taste was refreshing, and she smiled happily.

but.

Upon hearing Su Shi's next sentence, the expression on his face suddenly froze.

"Isn't there anything to talk about regarding Hachiman?"

"What...are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, Shoko. I was planning to bring Hikigaya into our new band so that I could bring you back, right?"

Su Shi leaned back in her chair, speaking with a hint of self-abandonment.

Shoko scoffed, "Impossible. Don't think I'd be so easily fooled. Besides, Hikigaya isn't that naive."

Indeed, just as Xiangzi said, although Hachiman Hikigaya was extremely twisted, he was still a meticulous boy. Someone as shameful as her did not deserve him.

"Yes, that's why I failed, Xiangzi. I've given up on bringing you back. It's all over now."

Su Shi stared blankly at Xiangzi, her eyes devoid of any emotion, like a lifeless walking corpse.

Seeing his former teammate in this state, Xiangzi couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"...Yeah?"

"right."

"So, is there anything else you need today?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to see you one last time."

"If you dare to do anything stupid, I will never forgive you in this lifetime."

"How could that be?"

Nagasaki Motoyo smiled. Was Shoko worried that she might commit suicide?

She had seriously considered it for a while, but now, she no longer even had the thought of taking her own life; this is what is meant by utter despair.

"Idiot~"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Xiangzi frowned, not understanding what was wrong with Nagasaki Motoyo. "If there's nothing else, I'll go first... Oh, right, I also have something to tell you."

"What? I'll listen to you, no matter what."

Unlike before, although Nagasaki Motoyo was still willing to fulfill Shoko's requests, her motivations were different now.

"It's about Hikigaya-kun. You... you probably don't like him, right?" Shoko said somewhat uncertainly.

“No.” Nagasaki Motoyo answered immediately.

Xiangzi raised her eyebrows; in her opinion, Su Shi should have feelings for Hachiman.

Back in RiNG, she noticed that the way Nagasaki Motoyo looked at Hachiman was definitely not just a friendly relationship.

But the actual result...

Wasn't that the case before?

It seems she was overthinking things, but even if Nagasaki Motoyo answers yes, it doesn't matter. Shoko has enough confidence to defeat all her rivals.

"Okay, then I'm all set."