People in Tokyo, the world is clear

Well, I still feel a little guilty about cheating.

Don’t you see, Miss Qingshan doesn’t even dare to speak loudly now?

He stood up in a hurry, sat over to my side, and then... hugged me?

Ok?

Although it felt a bit awkward to have such an intimate gesture at this time, Lin Sen was forced to be the one being comforted by the hug, as he had already established his persona and faked the current state.

"I'm sorry, Xiaolin...I won't do it again."

"Okay, okay. That's exactly what I want."

Following this emotion, Lin Sen naturally showed some sense of comfort.

He let Miss Aoyama rub the back of his neck with the hair on his face and put her arms around him.

I could vaguely feel the warm breath hitting my skin.

Then, there was a warm silence.

Because of this contact, the two of them could vaguely feel each other's heartbeats gradually accelerating.

Then, a gentle female voice carefully asked a question.

"But, Xiaolin... before, when you sang in front of me and told me the melody bit by bit, you didn't seem to feel uncomfortable."

"Because it doesn't meet the condition of being in a public place."

After hearing this, Lin Sen felt that the girl who was hugging him had slowed down her breathing for a while.

Then, another question was asked in a slightly trembling voice:

"That's right. Xiaolin, if you just sing for me, there won't be any problem, right?"

"will not."

“…”

I seemed to faintly hear the sound of breathing and a faint smile.

Then, a few words with a hint of coquettishness:

"Then, from now on, just sing them to me. Okay?"

"Okay...wait."

Wow.

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Lin Sen shuddered.

Only then did I slowly realize that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

He turned his head, but he didn't expect the girl next to him to react faster. She broke the hug first, put her upper body back to her seat, and stared at him with shining eyes.

"I mean, isn't it a bit too intimate to suddenly hug me and whisper to me like this, Qingshan?"

"I saw my friend let down his guard, and I couldn't help but want to comfort him."

At this point, Ms. Aoyama's expression became mixed with cunning:

"But, that lukewarm tone Xiaolin just now was something I'd never heard before... Could it be that you're attracted to him?"

"I can't be moved at all."

Lin Sen decided to change the subject immediately to dispel any strange atmosphere.

So, he turned around, put on a stern face, and prepared to return to the level mentioned at the beginning, where someone took the initiative.

We've already covered so much in the initial introduction. Following this psychological process, it's okay to get a little angry, right?

九５０⒈８０９０９

That was the original plan.

However, the moment he opened his mouth, someone else answered first.

"I shouldn't have taken the initiative to push you, Xiaolin, onto the stage. Xiaolin, you must be mad at me."

"?"

"so..."

The girl in front of him, Xia Zhi, had changed her demeanor at some point. She bent down and presented a leather belt she had taken from somewhere.

"Please, Xiaolin, punish me in the most satisfying way you can think of. I will agree to anything."

"...You really are a bit perverted, Qingshan."

Chapter 22 I Want to Know Your Past

No matter what, there has to be a proper punishment. This was decided beforehand.

Someone who acted on his own will have to pay the price for his unreasonable behavior today.

Lin Sen and Miss Qingshan herself have a consensus on this point.

But it certainly won’t be as scary as using a belt.

Lin Sen doesn't have any strange habits.

Therefore, it is necessary to formulate a concise and effective punishment plan. This is not difficult.

Lin Sen’s final decision was—

"No midnight snack tonight."

I always stay here for a long time these two days, usually arriving in the morning or at noon, and not leaving for home until very late.

Songwriting during this period was a very mentally taxing activity. From the intense work after dinner until eight or nine o'clock, even Lin Sen, who was doing some auxiliary work, felt a little hungry.

Not to mention Ms. Aoyama who has been writing music, composing her own chords, and singing and playing for auditions.

So, I got into the habit of stocking up on some food, and in the evening I would use my cooking skills, which I had not used for a while, to make some filling snacks.

And a certain older girl who was gradually showing her hidden nature as a foodie also really liked the things Lin Sen had cooked up - in fact, she had been complaining about being hungry since around seven o'clock after dinner yesterday.

It seems that starving her for a meal tonight would be a good lesson - of course, Lin Sen always believed in being fair, reasonable and restrained when dealing with his friends.

"Since I won't cook for you, I won't cook for myself either. We'll both starve together."

When Lin Sen said this, his tone was not one of seeking opinion.

The girl next to the young man also understood what he said. She nodded obediently and did not express any objection.

But he was quickly stunned by the next few sentences of explanation.

"However, you have low blood sugar. If you feel really uncomfortable, you can eat some candy. If you're still very hungry, tell me. Today, I just want to use this punishment to express my dissatisfaction with your behavior, not to retaliate against you."

"..."

After coming to his senses, Qingshan Xiazhi first felt a warm feeling spreading in his chest.

This guy, really.

The sudden joy that surged up with the temperature quickly turned into a smile, still just right.

Then I secretly looked at his profile and enjoyed the feeling of my heart beating faster.

However, when he opened his mouth, his emotions turned into teasing words:

"Xiao Lin, do you think you feel sorry for me?"

"Of course there is a certain element of that. However, given that I'm currently covering all your expenses, it's a sensible decision I made out of not wanting to pay for possible medical expenses."

You are always so honest. You never hide your feelings.

Unlike me, who is a liar who hides his feelings——

Of course, no one made such a confession out loud.

She just smiled as usual.

Then, he continued his usual behavior of the past few days and chased people around him to ask for new songs.

"Speaking of which, I have to treat and perform these precious songs more seriously in the future."

"Just be as usual. I don't think Qingshan's previous attitude was perfunctory."

Random chats were mixed in with the serious business, threading the lines between the guitar sounds and the singing.

"Qingshan doesn't seem to be averse to salty food. I have a friend who doesn't really like salty food."

"That editor Sasakawa, I guess?"

"That's a pretty accurate guess. How did you deduce that?"

"Um..."

Miss Qingshan scratched her head and quietly adjusted her sitting position to move closer to her companion.

While freeing her left hand from holding the guitar, she placed her forearm on his shoulder.

"Xiao Lin, have you seen the movie 'The Clever Ikki'? I think it was broadcast on TV when I was in junior high school."

"That Idea King who smears saliva on his head all the time? I've seen quite a few episodes of that. So, did you also imitate him and use saliva to give yourself a beauty treatment in junior high?"

"How is this possible! Xiaolin is so disgusting!"

Ms. Aoyama, who was complaining, immediately steered the topic back to the right track:

"Yes, I remember an episode about the flavors of dishes. The poor people all loved to eat strongly flavored food, but the nobles found it difficult to accept. Does Xiaolin remember?"

"It seems to be true."

"So, that's how it is."

Following this phenomenon, Qingshan Xiazhi continued to analyze:

"I come from a farming family. When I was little, my family often took me to work. From time to time, I would go hungry for a long time. Gradually, I began to find those foods with a lot of salt and oil delicious. Because after working, having a big meal like that is really delicious!"

"But, actually, I remember that before I was old enough to help with things, I would want to vomit even a bite of fatty fish. This made me wonder if people from better-off families tend to have lighter tastes."

"When I met Xiaolin's editor a few days ago, I could tell from her conversation and education that she probably came from a very good family. So when Xiaolin mentioned having a friend who spoke lightly, it was natural to think she was the one."

From beginning to end, this is a detailed logical analysis.

Lin Sen was so impressed that he turned his head and stared at the person next to him.

The novel of Xianxun: The story of the nine clams of the angel

"Once again, this reinforces the stereotype that Aoyama is very attentive."

"Come to think of it, speaking of taste, it seems that Ito is also a salty food lover?"

"As for her, salty or sweet tastes are probably fine. She's okay with almost anything, except for the bitter taste."

"Hate bitter taste?"

"Yes. It's said that young children, because their taste buds aren't fully developed, are particularly sensitive to bitterness. They're also resistant to the numbness. Ito has the same problem. In some ways, she really is like a child who hasn't grown up yet."

The conversation about the other girl who wasn't there seemed to get the young man interested, so he brought her up a bit more.

However, he failed to notice that, at an angle he could not see, someone's right hand, which was holding the strings, temporarily left the guitar, clenched into a fist, and then released it.

Then, Qingshan Xiazhi asked him to sit closer.

Using a calm and somewhat casual tone, he naturally followed the tone of the conversation and started a new topic.

"I always feel that Xiaolin and Ito have an exceptionally good relationship. And, I know her very well..."

"Have it?"

"Yes. I remember one time when the three of us were at Dragon Tiger House, Xiaolin and her kept chatting and chatting...without stopping."

"this."

"Originally, I thought she was your...lover. But Xiaolin said you weren't the type to fall in love."

"That's for sure. Ito and I are just friends."

After hearing this clarification, Qingshan Xiazhi couldn't help but pout.

The forearm on the shoulder of the person next to him also moved. He then placed his left palm on his shoulder and squeezed it:

"It seems that Ito is a better friend than me..."