Page 239
Page 239
Actually, he lied to Miaomeng. He wasn't as determined as he thought, nor as cheerful as Sanjiao Chuhua thought.
For the past month, I've come here every day after school to greet Xiangzi, but all I get in return is being ignored.
Even he felt discouraged, but he knew he had to persevere until the girl was willing to respond and share her difficulties with him.
So tonight, he decided to give himself a little pep talk to strengthen his resolve.
So he suddenly shouted at one of the few lit windows in the luxurious mansion.
"Toyokawa Shoko, I love you!"
Then he burst into laughter.
This confession resounded almost throughout the quiet, affluent neighborhood.
At that moment, the girl hiding behind the window slowly squatted down on the ground, her face unusually flushed.
She couldn't hold back her tears, and they fell.
She was listening to a message that a girl had secretly recorded and sent to her.
"I just wanted to tell her, don't worry, I'm here."
Chapter Thirty-Three: Little Mutou's Struggle
The next day, Banna meets home.
While a boy was getting up early to go back to school to catch up on sleep, Nagasaki Motoyo was clearing away the dishes.
She has gotten into the habit of getting up early to make breakfast so that the boy who gets up early or comes home early can have a hot meal before leaving the house.
That's all Nagasaki Motoyo could do for him.
Thinking about what the boy had done this month, she felt both heartache for his hard work and immense pride.
This is the boy she... likes.
Yes, there's still a little sadness and sorrow, but not much.
After all, he kept his promise and came home for dinner every day, no matter how late it was.
They even suggested that Su Shi deliver meals to the Toyokawa family every day, so that he could make one less trip.
But, I wonder if Saki-chan will be unhappy about that...
As she wiped the plate the boy had just used, Su Shi suddenly snorted and said, "I don't care whether she's happy or not."
Just then, the doorbell rang, startling her so much that she almost dropped and broke the plate.
Then reason prevailed, and Saki-chan definitely wouldn't hear her say that, much less come to bother her because of it!
Sigh, that's all Su Shi's mother is good for.
She untied her apron, wondering if Banami had forgotten something. But then she thought about it and realized that Banami even started her electric scooter with her phone, and she usually went to school empty-handed, which didn't seem like a good student. How could she have forgotten something?
So as soon as the door opened, Su Shi exclaimed, "I don't have a TV at home."
My first instinct was to assume it was those flies from NHK.
However, when she saw the petite girl standing in front of her, she was quite surprised: "Xiao Mu, why are you..."
Why do you know about this place?
Seeing the girl's slightly pale face, Su Shi felt a pang of pity and said, "Come in quickly, I'll make you some tea."
After saying that, he took Wakaba Mutsu's hand and led her into his home.
Looking at this house she had never been to before, Ruoye Mutsu was not very big, or rather, it looked a bit cramped, and it was nowhere near as big as her own Ruoye family home.
But in her eyes, there was always something different.
The calendar hanging on the wall was covered with black ink, with notes such as "Cleaning Day", "Girls' Day", and "Supermarket Half Price".
On the tatami table, there was a plate of daffodils decorated with pebbles. On the balcony not far away, the boy and girl's clothes were drying, swaying in the breeze.
Completely different from the always spotless Wakaba family home, it was full of the atmosphere of daily life.
Completely different from the basement she liked to stay in, this place was filled with bright sunshine.
While Su Shi was making tea, he saw the girl looking out onto the balcony, where her underwear was drying, and... his underwear too.
She knew that the boy sometimes couldn't help but peek at her underwear... so she deliberately left it there to dry.
But at this moment, when the pure and innocent Ruoye Mu saw it, Su Shi's sense of shame immediately surged. She subconsciously took all the clothes from the balcony and quickly made tea for Mu.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Su Shi's smile became somewhat stiff.
Xiao Mu picked up the teacup, still with that unfathomable doll-like appearance.
Actually, she had known all along that Su Shi and that boy had been living here.
I just haven't dared to come over.
After all, this home is just as warm, full of life, and makes me feel happy as I had imagined.
It is precisely because I can imagine it that I dare not come over.
She hated that boy.
Although Wakaba Mutsu never knew what it meant to hate, when he saw Su Shi sitting on the back of his electric scooter, smiling happily.
Every time Su Shi stole her cucumber for him.
Every time I see SKAI chatting with him, he's so talkative.
Ruoye Mutsu felt a sense of rejection; she didn't want to see such a scene.
"Ah..." Su Shi exclaimed softly.
Ruoye Mu looked up, slightly puzzled.
Then, Su Shi took the teacup from her hand and said, "Sorry, this is Banami's teacup. I almost made a mistake because it looks very similar to the one the guest uses. Please use my cup."
After saying that, Su Shi placed her cup of tea in front of Xiao Mu, then took Banami's teacup and subconsciously drank from it.
As Ye Mu stared blankly at Su Shi's unconscious movements, she felt even more distressed.
"SOYO, I hate Banami." Suddenly, Wakaba Mutsumi said bluntly.
Su Shi looked at the little cucumber in front of her with slight surprise. In her memory, she had never seen this child directly express his dislike. Most of the time, he would just remain silent.
As if understanding something, Su Shi's mother said in a gentle voice, "I see. I'm sorry."
After saying that, Su Shi walked over and gently hugged the other person, only to find that Xiao Mu's body was already trembling slightly.
"Although I hate it, but..." Wakaba Mutsu's emotions had never been so intense.
There is a well-known but often overlooked fact that Wakaba Mutsu and Shoko are childhood sweethearts because they lived in the same wealthy neighborhood.
The Toyokawa family and the Wakaba family live not far apart.
Therefore... every night this month, while Banami waited for Shoko at the door of the Toyokawa house, Mutsu was also in a corner not far away, always staring at that annoying boy.
She quietly went home only after he left.
That's why she, the coward who didn't have the courage to face Xiangzi after that argument, was so...envious and so admiring of that brave boy.
Since SOYO likes him, then Wakaba Mutsu should know in her heart that although he is annoying, he must be a very good boy.
It's just that Wakaba Mutsu has always been unwilling to admit it.
"SOYO...SAKI is going to be taken away." Wakaba Mutsumi said in a trembling voice in Suze's arms.
Su Shi looked at the heartbroken girl in her arms, and gently stroked her hair, just like a mother would.
“I don’t want…this…I don’t want this…I want SAKI to stay with me…” Wakaba Mutsumi’s tone inexplicably reminded one of Metis.
But at this moment, standing before Su Shi was none other than Wakaba Mutsu, the real Wakaba Mutsu.
Su Shi gave another soft "hmm". At this moment, she understood the other person's feelings very well, because she felt the same way.
The feeling of her favorite boy and girl being together was not pleasant.
“But I’d rather… see SAKI-chan smile happily, just like when everyone is going through a tough time,” Wakaba Mutsumi said softly.
Then, after this "home visit" that Banami was unaware of, after school that afternoon, under the boy's unexpected gaze, Wakaba Mutsu appeared alone at the Toyokawa family's door.
Chapter Thirty-Four: I Like You Too
Unlike that poor guy, as a long-time friend of the Toyokawa family and also the childhood friend of Miss Shoko, Wakaba Mutsuki could enter the Toyokawa family with almost no one stopping him.
However, when Xiao Mu entered the familiar mansion of the Toyokawa family, the first person she saw was that meticulous old man.
“It’s Mutsu.” Toyokawa Sadaharu looked at this younger relative who was the same age as his granddaughter, his tone indifferent.
“Grandpa Toyokawa,” Wakaba Mutsu said softly. She wasn’t very familiar with him, but because she often visited the Toyokawa family when she was young, she had a deep impression of this old man who didn’t smile much.
However, in Wakaba Mutsu's memory, when she was little, there was Xiangzi, as well as Xiangzi's mother and father.
Everyone there was a very gentle person. Back then, even though the old man in front of me didn't smile much, he didn't have the cold, unapproachable aura I feel now.
The Wakaba family has remained unchanged, while the Toyokawa family has changed a lot over the years.
"Go see Xiangzi, she's in her room."
Seeing that the child remained silent as always, Toyokawa Sadaharu didn't take it to heart and simply left the corridor indifferently.
From afar, Ruo Yemu could even faintly hear the old man say with a slightly dissatisfied tone, "That little rascal is blocking the door again?"
Then, somewhat indignantly, he said, "Who are you saying is next to him?!"
Clearly, from Xiangzi's perspective and his own wishes, the boy's behavior can be characterized as a non-aggressive gatekeeper.
For the head of the Toyokawa family, this was undoubtedly a door-blocking incident.
Because of his promise to his granddaughter, he had no choice but to let that guy stay outside.
As Ruoye Mu slowly approached Xiangzi's room, she subconsciously touched the item she had borrowed from Su Shi in her pocket.
***
When Wakaba Mutsu came out of the Toyokawa residence again, she looked pale and even a little unsteady. The kind head maid saw the young lady of the Wakaba family to the door and even asked, "Miss Wakaba, would you like me to take you home?"
However, Ruoye Mu shook her head slightly, and the head maid sighed inwardly. She had heard the two arguing quietly outside the room, or rather, it was Miss Xiangzi unilaterally blaming Miss Ruoye.
When Wakaba Mutsu came out, he saw that there was another girl next to Hanami. This time it was not Yutenji Wakana, but Misumi Hatsuka wearing a hat.
Her tone as she looked at the mansion seemed even more complicated.
Even Banami, who was standing next to her, didn't realize this.
As Wakaba Mutsu approached, he heard Banami say, "Hey, little blockhead, you got yelled at by Shoko when you went in, right?"
If Ye Mu's doll-like face showed a puzzled expression, Xiao Mu still couldn't like this guy who inexplicably gave her a nickname.
However, seeing her silence, Banai couldn't help but burst into laughter. Sure enough, when one person is down on their luck, the happiest thing is seeing another person also down on their luck.
Even more so, Banami put her arm around the girl's shoulder, somewhat smugly, and said, "It's okay, it's not the first time we've been breathed on by Ooshiro-sensei, we'll get used to it, don't take it to heart."
"Wait, Yu-kun..." Misumi Hatsuka, who had originally come to cheer up Hachimi and even hoped to meet someone if she had the chance, said somewhat flusteredly.
That's too harsh on Xiaomu.
However, Ruoye Mu seemed unaware of anything, raised her head, and said to the boy in a serious tone, "I have something I want to tell you. Come to my house."
"Huh?!" Chu Hua's eyes widened slightly.
Could she have misheard? Mumu actually invited Bana to her house.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, even Shoko knew that Wakaba Mutsu didn't like being close to this boy.
"Do you have black tea?" Banami asked with a smile after a moment of surprise.
Xiao Mu tilted her head slightly, seemingly not understanding why he would say that, but thought it was probably because Xiangzi liked to drink black tea, so she nodded gently.
So, Banami followed Wakaba Mutsu away from the Toyokawa family's gate, and Misumi Hatsuka naturally followed behind. But before leaving, she subconsciously took one last look at the mansion.
Upon arriving at the Wakaba residence, the three were greeted by maids, as it was said that Wakaba's parents were attending important banquets.
Indeed, national-level comedians and national-level actors wouldn't have time to stay at home every day.
As for the daughter, Mutsumi Wakaba, she seems to be more accustomed to this life without her parents' company.
Soon, the maid brewed black tea for the three of them. Banai said in a somewhat cheeky tone, "Tell me, what exactly did Xiangzi say to you?"
"Are you ever going to stop?" Chu Hua, standing next to her, wanted to cover her face in exasperation.
"You're the one who needs the most practice."
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