He was just joking, but Goto Ichiri turned pale instantly.
"So, this is the trick..."
Trembling with fear, the girl took out her wallet with tears in her eyes and offered it respectfully with both hands: "This is all I have, please let me go..."
"?"
The corner of his eye twitched, and Ming Hai almost couldn't hold back the polite smile on his face, and his expression even twisted briefly.
Fortunately, Goto Ichiri lowered his head and didn't let her see it.
He took a deep breath, relaxed his fingers that were unconsciously clenched into fists, and suddenly opened his palms in front of her.
"I'll do a magic trick for you."
Goto Ichiri: “?”
As she raised her eyes in confusion, Ming Hai flipped his wrist and snapped his fingers.
Snapped!
Five or six lollipops fell out of thin air and shattered onto her desk.
Goto Ichiri: “!”
The pink-haired girl stopped trembling and stared at his slender white fingers and the smooth cuffs that showed no mechanism at all with wide eyes in surprise.
——What’s the principle?! And it’s so cool!
"I'll give it all to you. I don't want to be called to the teacher's office tomorrow and accused of robbing my classmates just after I transferred here."
Ming Hai waved his hand, and seeing that she was no longer afraid, he walked straight to the classroom door and left a message casually.
"Also, just call me Narumi. I'm used to being called by my first name."
Goto Ichiri immediately lowered his head: "Ah, I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"Why can you say this sentence so smoothly..."
With a helpless voice, the classroom door slowly closed.
The girl who was left in her seat slowly raised her head and cast her dazed eyes on the lollipop on the table. Her mind seemed to be filled with messy thoughts again, and her expression was obviously much more complicated.
She pursed her lips and muttered in self-doubt.
"Could it be that he is really a good person? But I don't think so..."
——If Ming Hai heard this, he probably wouldn't be friendly to her anymore, right?
-----------------
Tsuki no Mori Girls' Academy.
In an empty and remote corner, Nagasaki Suyo lowered her head slightly, her long hair casting a shadow on her profile, and only the light from her cell phone slightly brightened her dim eyes.
She stood there motionless for a long time, like a statue, or as if she was lost in thought about something.
Suddenly, she silently raised her thumb and deleted the sentence "I want to meet your friends, can I go with you?" bit by bit, letting the topic end with a nonchalant reply and picture.
"...Girls who are both clingy and heavy are more annoying than bad boys."
Nagasaki Suyo whispered to herself.
Don't worry, don't be afraid.
...As long as you continue to stay by his side, you will know everything sooner or later.
No one is closer to him than himself. The support he has finally found will not be taken away by others so easily.
Placing her palms on her chest, she took deep breaths to calm the anxiety and restlessness that had arisen.
Then he smiled, pulled himself together, said goodbye to his senior classmates in the wind orchestra, and walked towards the school gate.
"I need to prepare well for the date tonight~ Well, that person probably won't think so, right?"
It was as if nothing had happened and Nagasaki Suyo was still full of expectations.
Volume 28: Chapter Chapter Miss Xiangzi wants to see me shy ~ A love battle without genius ~
Hanezawa Cafe.
"Excuse me, I'd like to order a cup of hot Earl Grey tea and a lemon mille-feuille. What about Narumi-kun? What would you like?"
"Just like you."
"Okay, two cups of hot Earl Grey, two servings of lemon mille-feuille~"
After confirming with the two, the cute short-haired waitress walked away with the menu.
"Excuse me."
Toyokawa Shoko nodded in thanks and looked at the boy in front of her again.
From the beginning, he only glanced at the waitress and the menu, and kept his eyes on himself the rest of the time.
Her black pupils were focused and gentle, as if she was the only one in the world - such an affectionate look.
Toyokawa Shoko sighed helplessly.
"Narumi-kun, please look at the ceiling."
"Ok?"
Ming Hai looked at the ceiling in confusion. The orange-yellow light was soft and bright, and the fan was spinning steadily above his head. Everything was as plain and peaceful as a sunny afternoon outside the window.
He lowered his head again and was about to ask something when Toyokawa Shoko blocked his mouth.
"I'm so sorry to come to you so suddenly."
There was nothing unusual in her expression. Her straightforward and bright eyes stared straight at him, with a faint smile on the corners of her mouth, as if nothing had happened during this brief shift of her gaze.
Ming Hai was stunned for a moment, and soon noticed that her long hair was slightly pulled back by her ears, just covering the pair of small white ears.
He suddenly realized and apologized silently in his heart.
'I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to stare at you to make you shy.'
Moving his accidentally over-focused gaze away, Ming Hai said in a relaxed tone: "You're welcome. I'm fine anyway."
"Is there anything I can do to help with the band?"
With a blink of her eyes, Toyokawa Shoko looked at him with some surprise, as if she suddenly understood something, and the smile on the corner of her mouth softened a little.
"As expected... I wasted my time."
This keen observation and consideration for girls might be the reason why I can't resist his constant approach?
"No..." She shook her head gently, and looked directly into Minghai's eyes, as if she wanted to reflect his figure in those clear pupils.
"Rather than saying it's the band, it's more like 'I' need you now."
The voice was as gentle as a confession, filled with unquestionable trust and dependence.
Even so, that was just her unthinking thoughts, without any purpose other than conveying.
"..."
This time it was Ming Hai who fell into a brief silence.
It was like the warm sun shining through the shade of the trees in the afternoon. Her gaze made people feel warm all over, but they did not dare to really look up and look directly at the dazzling light source.
So he sighed too.
"Toyokawa-san, please look at the ceiling."
"why?"
Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously tilted her head slightly, then suddenly reacted. A hint of mischief and curiosity appeared on her face. Her eyes curved slightly as she carefully studied his seemingly calm expression.
"Ah, are you shy?"
Without waiting for his reply, the young lady couldn't help but chuckle with her hands covering her mouth: "So cute~"
"So, you admit that you were shy just now?"
Ming Hai countered with a smile.
"..."
A knowing blow!
Toyokawa Shoko's face turned red instantly. She raised her slightly stiff fingers and fiddled with her long hair on her cheeks awkwardly. However, she knew that she could not hide the fact that she was shy this time.
Soon, as if she had given up on herself, she opened her eyes wide, pursed her lips, and turned her face back to stare at him with a strong momentum, her tone full of condescending threats:
"Mr. Narumi, sometimes it's better for boys to learn to play dumb. Being too sensitive will make people dislike you, okay?"
Unfortunately, let alone a threat, Ming Hai just found it funny.
——Although they are both young ladies, Toyokawa Shoko, who has high offense and low defense and is very simple, can't win any brain battle in love, right?
"Okay, let's just pretend nothing happened." He brought the topic back on track, "Toyokawa-san, what exactly do you want to say?"
"Oh, sorry. I accidentally got off topic."
Toyokawa Shoko quickly stopped her playful attitude, sat up straight with some shame, coughed twice, and her expression quickly returned to its usual serious state.
“As I said in the message, I have gathered five band members including myself so far, and I plan to hold the first internal band meeting with them here tomorrow to discuss the future of [CryCHIC] together.”
Ming Hai nodded without interrupting, letting her continue.
"The first reason I made an appointment with you at this place is to check it out in advance and make sure that every aspect of the meeting venue meets your expectations."
Looking around, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.
"It's just like what the online reviews say. Whether it's the cleanliness of the environment or the decoration and atmosphere, there's nothing wrong with it. It's a very good cafe!"
“As for the taste of the food, since it has received positive reviews from netizens, there is no need to worry about it being too bad.”
Her slightly raised eyes expressed self-evident pride and pride.
'This was her first time using the Internet to explore a store, and she felt it was very successful.'
Ming Hai came to this conclusion easily.
The seemingly detached, noble and elegant young lady is not a conventional internet idiot; she even personally looks for highly-rated coffee shops for future members to meet and discuss.
This is truly admirable.
It can also be seen that she is serious about running the orchestra, and her whole body is full of anticipation and enthusiasm.
"What about the second point?" Ming Hai asked.
There's no need to pretend to be nice to her, just let her be happy.
As he expected, Toyokawa Shoko did not expect him to applaud or cheer for this. Her face remained confident and calm, and she took over the topic with a smile.
"The second point is what happens after the discussion is over."
"I have asked all members except Deng to bring their instruments. After we get to know each other and determine the future course of action for the band, I will lead them to the rehearsal room to introduce themselves musically. This will also be to personally confirm the differences in our performance abilities and styles. This way, we can come up with a plan for getting along and performing together as soon as possible."
It was as if he had already memorized all of this and had practiced it countless times.
She talked eloquently about the arrangements and expectations, her voice like an oriole singing on a branch, full of joyful melody.
Then, it flapped its wings and flew onto his shoulder.
"…So, I'd like you to come with me to confirm the appointment for the practice room."
At this point, she finally showed some trepidation and anxiety in her eyes, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "For example, the sound system, drum set, other equipment, etc. Although I can report it to the store on the spot, I still don't want to make any mistakes in front of the band members I meet for the first time."
Volume 29: Chapter Chapter Turning each other's first time into daily life
This gives her, who is proud and strong, another reason to become weak.
Only those who are longing for something will look towards the illusory and dazzling moon in the lake, pursuing it meaninglessly but unavoidably.
Ming Hai responded to her slightly expectant gaze, without much joy in his heart, just a sense of sudden realization.
——From the moment she was able to make a request to herself directly, the change had begun.
Then, I just need to continue to fulfill my promise, accumulate dependence one after another, and face any difficulties with her.
I guess in the end, this importance will become a lifelong shackle for Toyokawa Shoko?
