novelraw Page 528
Page 528
Hatsune didn't answer his question. A strange smile curled at the corner of her mouth, completely unlike her usual self, or her sister Hatsune's crisp and cheerful demeanor. Instead, she exuded the charm of a mature, wicked woman: "So, besides me, someone else broke into your room in the middle of the night. Was it Mana-chan?"
"Hatsune-chan, let me explain!" Just as Banami was about to spout nonsense, Hatsune's finger pressed against his lips.
"I already know about your trip to the observatory today," Hatsune interrupted him, her tone still gentle. "You took a group photo and watched the Summer Triangle together. Mana even said she looks like Vega and you look like Altair, right?"
Maru La, Barbie Q.
"So, I drugged your dinner tonight," Hatsune said with a smile, her tone as casual as if she were talking about something trivial.
Seeing that Banai was terrified, he instinctively tried to struggle, but the next second, Hatsune chuckled and gently ruffled his hair, her tone full of affection: "I was just kidding, Yu-kun, you are really too cute, you actually believed it."
After checking her body and finding nothing wrong, Hanami heard Hatsune say, "Yu-kun, how do you plan to make it up to me?"
"Uh, can you please stop slapping me in the face?" He was even impressed with himself for being able to talk nonsense at a time like this.
But Hatsune gently shook her head and said with a deep look in her eyes, "It's not Yu-kun's fault."
Her fingertips lightly traced the cheek of Banami, her tone icy, "It's Mana-chan. I never imagined she was such a scheming and cunning woman, daring to steal my Yuuki and lie to me."
She paused, a strange smile playing on her lips, and continued, "Xi Jun, originally I wanted to imprison you so that no one could take you away, but I've changed my mind."
"Huh?!" Banami's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief. "You...you changed your mind?"
Or you could just imprison me in the basement, that way at least Xiao Xiang can come and rescue me.
"Mm." Hatsune nodded, a gentle smile on her face, but the obsession in her eyes grew even stronger. "I'm going to teach Mana-chan a lesson and let her know that only I am worthy to be your aunt, Yu-kun. She doesn't deserve it!"
Banami: "..."
Before he could react, Hatsune pulled a pink oval controller from her pocket, shoved it into his hand, and said in an ambiguous tone, "Tomorrow night is SUMIMI's live performance, Yu-kun, take this."
Banami looked down at the controller in her hand. It was small and exquisite, with a pink casing and a small switch on it. It looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
He subconsciously moved his fingers and accidentally touched the switch.
The next second, Hatsune's body stiffened slightly, her cheeks flushed slightly, her breathing became rapid, and a hint of shyness flashed in her eyes. She reached out and gently pinched his cheek, her tone slightly coquettish: "Yu-kun, really, not now, you have to wait until tomorrow night, during the LIVE, to press this switch."
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Unclean Star
The following evening, SUMIMI's live performance was brightly lit, with cheers and shouts of support almost lifting the roof off the venue. Fans waved glow sticks, their faces filled with fervor and anticipation.
Especially a few days ago, after the truth came out regarding the rumors that Mana had a boyfriend, fans felt a strong sense of guilt. At this moment, their gazes toward Mana were full of heartache and support, and their cheers were louder than ever before.
SUMIMI, dressed in a bright performance outfit, stood in the center of the stage, while Mana held a microphone and wore a cheerful and gentle smile, seemingly unaffected by the previous controversy.
Her gaze swept across the front row, precisely locking onto Hanami, who was standing in the most conspicuous position. She raised her hand confidently and said into the microphone, "Look everyone, the one standing in the front row is my nephew, Hanami-kun. He came here especially to see our performance today!"
As soon as she finished speaking, all the fans turned their attention to Hanami, and the cheers grew even louder.
She ignited the atmosphere, making it even more exciting, and the cheers continued for a long time after each song ended.
Even Hatsune Miku, who was standing to the side playing guitar, seemed to have become a supporting character. Most of the time, the fans' attention was focused on Mana, and the occasional cheers of "Hatsune-sama" sounded rather weak.
However, Miku Miku seemed completely unconcerned, strumming the guitar strings with a professional smile on her face, as if she were waiting for something.
As the performance reached its climax, a dynamic dance song began to play, and Hatsune Miku put down her guitar and joined the dance group.
With a strong rhythm, her movements were nimble and powerful. Her cheeks flushed slightly from the intense dance, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, making her look even more beautiful and charming.
As she danced, she glanced at Hanami out of the corner of her eye, her gaze so tender it seemed to drip with moisture, carrying a subtle urging and hint—
Hurry up, Yu-kun, hurry up!
Banami clutched the pink oval controller tightly in her hand, looking at Hatsune Miku's restrained yet expectant expression on stage, feeling somewhat helpless.
Seeing the pleading look in her eyes, and considering how perfectly the game suited his "aesthetics," he finally pressed the switch on the controller.
The next second, Hatsune Miku, who was dancing, paused slightly, her body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and her fingertips almost made a mistake.
But she quickly regained her balance, biting her lower lip and suppressing the strange feeling coming from her body. She maintained her neat dance moves and faced the fans in the audience with the most professional attitude. Her smile remained bright, and no one noticed the slightest flaw.
The fans below the stage continued to cheer and wave glow sticks, shouting Hatsune Miku's name, completely unaware of the girl's unusual behavior on stage.
Standing in the front row, Banami looked at Hatsune Miku, who was trying to appear calm on stage, and then at the enthusiastic fans around her. A wicked smile inexplicably crept onto her lips.
This is the kind of life a young master should live, hahaha!
He simply let loose and controlled the music rhythmically, from gentle to intense.
As he moved, Hatsune's body trembled more and more noticeably, and the thin layer of sweat on her forehead increased, sliding down her cheeks and wetting the stray hairs at her temples. Yet, the smile on her face grew brighter and her eyes became more and more tender.
Banami watched with great interest, her mischievous side completely aroused.
***
Finally, the music ended, and it was time for intermission.
Mana and Hatsune returned to their private dressing room backstage. The room was softly lit, and the air was filled with a faint scent of perfume and sweat.
Hatsune walked up to the mirror and looked at herself in the mirror—
Her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes were glistening with tears, and her skin looked exceptionally smooth and delicate from the sweat. She looked even more beautiful, like spring water, and the restrained descent into despair gave her a unique charm.
As Mana took off her performance costume, she hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, her tone filled with worry and doubt: "Hatsune-chan, are you... are you feeling unwell today? Your movements were a little strange when you were dancing just now."
For fans, Hatsune's movements are indeed perfect, but for her partner who spends time with her day and night, her flaws are too obvious, and she doesn't seem like the usual Hatsune Miku at all.
Moreover, his condition looked very strange.
Upon hearing this, Hatsune turned her head slightly, her face showing no sign of denial. Instead, she revealed a faint, slightly aggrieved smile and said softly, "Mana-chan, do you want to know?"
Mana nodded heavily, her eyes filled with anxious worry: "Yes! Hatsune-chan, if you're not feeling well, we'll tell the organizers to let you rest for a bit, don't push yourself too hard."
Seeing Mana's innocent and worried expression, Hatsune's eyes flashed with a hint of calculation. She slowly reached out and began to untie the remaining ties on her costume.
Mana's eyes widened in surprise, a hint of panic on her face. But the next second, she was speechless at the sight before her—strange little balls were tied to Hatsune's armpits, abdomen, and other areas with straps.
"Why...why did this happen..." Mana's voice trembled slightly as a series of unpleasant thoughts flashed through her mind. The rumors circulating in the idol world surfaced one by one—
It is said that some wealthy people enjoy tormenting these lower-level idols in this way, using this bizarre method to control them.
She suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and anger: "Was it... was it Toyokawa-kun's doing?"
Last night, she still thought Toyokawa was a good person and her heart was pounding for him, but now it seems that he really is a bad guy!
How dare they bully Hatsune Miku like this!
Hatsune looked at her angry yet distressed expression, a hint of sorrow on her face. She nodded gently, her tone aggrieved and helpless: "It's Yu-kun's. He said... it's a prank, and it's fun."
"How...how could he do this!" Mana trembled with anger. "Hatsune-chan, take it off right now! What if the fans see it..."
Hatsune gently shook her head, avoiding her hand. Her tone was still aggrieved, but with a touch of stubborn determination: "No, Mana-chan. This will upset Yui. I promised him that I would take care of her in place of her mother and fulfill all his requests."
She leaned down slightly, looked at Mana, and said softly, "If I can't even fulfill this small request of his, how can I say that I love him?"
Mana paused slightly, her outstretched hand freezing in mid-air, a strange sense of retreat and helplessness rising within her.
This feeling was exactly the same as when I was defeated by Su Shi at the Su family last time. The sense of defeat, that feeling that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't compare to the other party, instantly swept over my whole body.
But when she thought of the pain Hatsune Miku was enduring, and when she thought of her determination to replace Hatsune Miku and become Toyokawa-kun's aunt, Mana gritted her teeth and said, "If that's the case, then let me share half of Hatsune Miku's burden!"
She wants to prove that she is capable of replacing Hatsune Miku as Toyokawa-kun's aunt, capable of protecting Hatsune Miku, and capable of fulfilling Toyokawa-kun's requests!
Hatsune's eyes widened slightly, a look of disbelief on her face, and her tone was tinged with panic: "How could you do this? Mana-chan, this is too unfair to you!"
“I’m not wronged!” Mana shook her head, her tone firm. “I’m Hatsune-chan’s partner, it’s only right that we share joys and sorrows!”
At this moment, she was as holy as a saint on the pyre.
Seeing Mana's determined look, Hatsune's "panic" vanished instantly, replaced by indifference. A barely perceptible sneer appeared on her lips as she said calmly, "Oh, is that so? Then I'll give you the biggest ones."
"Huh?!" Mana was a little dumbfounded.
***
After the intermission, the members of SUMIMI took to the stage again, and the cheers from the fans below the stage were still enthusiastic. The sea of glow sticks swayed in the venue, and the atmosphere was still hot.
Hatsune walked to the edge of the stage and cast a pleading yet alluring look at Banami in the front row. Banami understood and enjoyed this secret game even more.
But he soon realized something was wrong.
Mana, standing in the center of the stage, also started acting strangely—
A faint blush rose to her cheeks, her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and her body would occasionally tremble slightly uncontrollably. Even her singing voice carried a barely perceptible softness and tremor.
At first, Banami thought it was her imagination, that Mana was just too hot on stage or too nervous.
But when he pressed the button for "Spring Shadow," Mana's body actually kept up with the rhythm precisely, trembling more and more noticeably, and even her eyes became full of springtime joy, with watery glints in her eyes, as if she were completely immersed in it.
But she still persevered, biting her lower lip, maintaining a smile on her face, waving and interacting with her fans, desperately trying not to reveal any flaws in front of them.
She didn't know whether she was feeling pain or pleasure at that moment.
Toyokawa-kun, you're so mean, but... but...
Chapter Thirty: The Unclean Star (Continued in 4,000 words)
As the last melody faded, SUMIMI's live performance tonight finally came to a successful end. Outside the venue, the enthusiastic cheers and calls for an encore still echoed, but inside the dressing room, the atmosphere was strangely oppressive.
Mana Junda slumped on the sofa, covering her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and suppressed sobs escaped from between her fingers. Her face showed no trace of the satisfaction and joy she usually displayed after performances.
Hearing the fans outside shouting "Mana-chan," a pure expression of love and support, her heart was filled with a heavy sense of guilt, so heavy that she could hardly breathe.
She actually endured such a shameful thing in front of all her fans.
"Waaah... I'm already tainted, I'm already... I can't get married anymore..." Mana's sobs grew increasingly aggrieved.
She felt that she was no longer worthy of the fans' love, nor of Hatsune Miku's gentleness.
Hatsune Miku, standing to the side, still had the flush of the performance on her face, her hair soaked with sweat and clinging to her cheeks, looking delicate and beautiful. But there was no pity in her eyes: Junda Mana, repent!
But her face instantly changed to a resentful and guilty expression. She staggered to Mana's side, grabbed Mana's arm tightly with both hands, and said in a trembling voice full of self-blame, "I'm sorry, Mana-chan, I'm so sorry. This is just between me and Yu-kun, something I was willing to bear, but I selfishly dragged you into it and made you suffer like this too."
She paused, her eyes slightly reddening, her tone growing firmer with a resolute air of self-sacrifice: "From now on, you must not interfere in my relationship with Xi Jun. I'll bear this pain alone; I don't want you to suffer anymore!"
At this moment, Hatsune Miku stood with her back straight and her eyes firm. Although her face was full of grievance and vulnerability, she still exuded an indomitable tenacity. She was as brave as a saint on the pyre, and so holy that it was heartbreaking.
The Parable of the Saintess +1 +1
"Now, you should finally give up," Hatsune thought to herself.
Her series of terrible ideas tonight were all designed to make Mana unable to bear the shame and pain, so that she would give up competing for Yuuki and even feel indebted to herself, and never dare to have any disloyal thoughts again.
Touched by her words, Mana's crying gradually subsided. Just as she was about to raise her head and say something to Hatsune, the door to the lounge was pushed open with a "bang," and an arrogant and mocking aura instantly rushed in.
The two looked up at the same time, their faces full of surprise—the person who came in was not a staff member, but the boy that Mana regarded as "the most evil and the worst guy," Toyokawa Yu.
With her hands in her pockets and a wicked, arrogant smile on her lips, Banami walked up to the two of them, holding the pink oval controller high in her hand. She lightly rubbed the switch with her fingertips, letting out a strange laugh. Her tone was both mocking and arrogant: "Hehehehehe, I never thought that SUMIMI's two idols would be such bad girls."
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze sweeping over their flushed faces, his tone becoming increasingly playful: "You should be performing wholeheartedly for your fans, showing them your best side, but secretly, you're enjoying this shameful game. Tell me, were you more excited on stage than during your usual live performances?"
"Hehehehehe..." The eerie laughter rang out again. Banami was completely immersed in his "bad boy" persona, his eyes full of wicked amusement.
This is the kind of life that young master Toyokawa should be living!
Having said that, he flicked his finger and gently pushed the mechanism of the controller.
The next second, the two beautiful young girls froze simultaneously, their faces flushed crimson, their skin glowing with a dewy sheen, and their eyes becoming somewhat unfocused. That familiar, strange feeling swept over them once again.
Hatsune's eyes widened instantly, her brows furrowed tightly, and her face showed an expression of extreme pain. Her body trembled slightly, as if she were enduring immense torment.
But deep down, she was even a little moved: Well done, Xi-kun! I never imagined you could portray the villainous young master so convincingly and perfectly just to help me! Sure enough, you're also annoyed by Mana's harassment and want her to give up quickly, right?
Moved, she put on that aggrieved look again, struggled to raise her head, and pleaded with Banami, "Um... Yuu, please, this really has nothing to do with Mana-chan, it's all my fault, I did it willingly. If you want to torture someone, torture me alone, don't make things difficult for Mana-chan anymore!"
Bana was stunned. The wicked smile on her face froze for a moment. She silently complained in her heart: Wait, big sister, weren't you the one who tied Mana on? What does it have to do with me?
"Please...please let Mana-chan go," Hatsune said, trembling as she struggled to her feet. Her gaze was gentle yet firm as she looked at the "evil" boy before her, her tone resolute. "I...I will give you everything you want, give you the love you desire, as long as you don't hurt her again."
Seeing Hatsune's selfless and devoted appearance, Yanami's expression became somewhat complicated—
He finally understood: you want Junta Mana to give up, but you don't want to ruin the image you have of her.
Wow, you really are all about yourself.
Seeing this, Hatsune quickly turned her head to Mana, who was still sobbing, and said in a gentle tone with a hint of "admonition": "Mana-chan, from now on, Xiaoxi will not make things difficult for you anymore. You should leave now. Please... please don't get involved in my and Xiaoxi's affairs anymore. Just be a good idol and live a good life."
Just as Banami had guessed, Hatsune thought to herself: I'm so smart! Hehehehehehe...
Looking at Hatsune's slightly distorted, smug expression, as if she could read Hatsune's mind, Banami silently rolled her eyes: Hey, Hatsune, your image in my heart is getting more and more ruined.
But just then, a faint yet firm voice suddenly rang out.
Mana, her eyes still glistening with tears, stood up shakily from the sofa, wiped the tears from her face, and walked step by step to Hatsune. She opened her arms and tightly shielded Hatsune behind her, staring at Mana with a determined look.
Junda Mana is an extremely innocent girl. Even when she encounters something outrageous, she rarely blames others and usually suffers in silence.
But at this moment, the way she looked at Banami was more serious than ever before, and there was also a hint of undisguised dislike—this was the first time she had ever looked at someone with such eyes.