On the way, Nagasaki Suyo, who was admiring the pendant with her mobile phone, suddenly turned her head and asked Minghai.
"Narumi, can I ask you something?"
He responded casually, motioning for her to speak directly.
The girl's eyes were very serious: "Have you ever given Fengchuan a gift?"
"No."
After all, it was the truth, and Ming Hai didn't think he needed to lie specifically, so he answered the other party directly.
"What about going out shopping like this?"
She asked again, but her tone was obviously much lighter.
This time Ming Hai thought about it. He only went to the cafe and the practice room with her in the afternoon. Strictly speaking, it didn’t count as shopping, right?
So he said bluntly: "Neither."
"So, in all these things...I am your first priority?"
Nagasaki Suyo asked the question for confirmation at last. Her tone was quite serious, but she couldn't hold back the smile of a winner on her face. Her soft and beautiful eyes narrowed into thin crescents.
Obviously, her satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, and desire to win were all greatly satisfied at this moment.
"That's right." Ming Hai glanced at her, "Why, are you happy?"
"If you ask me whether I'm happy or not, then of course I am happy~" Nagasaki Suyo put her hands behind her back with a rather proud tone, raised her head and chest, and hummed twice, "This means that the friendship between us has not been tainted by the colors of others."
She suddenly leaned forward, blinked at him tenderly and mischievously, and smiled with a blushing face.
"Are you unhappy, Narumi? My first time... was also with you."
The soft whispers were like melted candy, which would stick to the fingers completely with the slightest touch, and could not be completely gotten rid of without completely cutting them off.
Although she is an immature girl, she exudes a ripe fragrance without any instruction.
In response, Ming Hai simply nodded calmly.
“It’s undeniable that I’m really happy.”
Then he kindly added, "But don't be too happy, because you're probably not the last one. I will put this shopping experience to good use next time."
"..."
A blow far more painful than being rejected for a gift suddenly fell.
As he said, Nagasaki Suyo really couldn't be happy anymore.
As if her defenses were completely broken, she kept muttering on the way, "If I had known, I would...", "If I had done it now...", "He must have said that on purpose, just to make me take the initiative to..." and other words that were incomprehensible but slightly frightening.
The highlights in the eyes flickered like a light bulb with poor contact, and from time to time a creepy chuckle would escape.
If Ming Hai hadn't been confident in his own abilities, he might have long since distanced himself from this girl with an inexplicably dangerous look in her eyes?
In this world, except for Teacher Xiaoxiang, no one can drag him into the dark alley and do whatever he wants to him!
Not long after, the large LIVE HOUSE - RiNG, which was still bustling at night, appeared in front of the two.
They walked to the counter with Nagasaki Suyo and explained their purpose to the clerk named Rinrinko, who then began to introduce the store to them enthusiastically.
"Bass, right? There are three price ranges, each with the best value for money. Don't worry about getting a cheap product! Our after-sales process is also very complete. If you have any questions, you can come and ask. Whether it's the store clerk or the band members who often appear here, everyone will help you enthusiastically."
"In this era when girl bands are extremely popular, many children who decide to embark on the path of music but can't even read sheet music first grow up with us."
After the shop assistant finished her expression, she couldn't help but look at them with curiosity.
"Ah, but most of the people who come here are girls who are in pairs. This is the first time I've seen a couple like you two want to form a band."
Upon hearing this, Ming Hai immediately defended his innocence.
"I'm sorry, we're not..."
As soon as he said this, the girl next to him suddenly grabbed his arm and held it tightly to her chest.
The warm, tender and elastic squeezing touch caused Ming Hai's consciousness to stop uncontrollably for a few seconds. He instinctively focused his attention on his left arm, trying to record the touch carefully.
——Very substantial.
——Teacher Xiaoxiang definitely doesn’t have that much.
—Wait, that’s not the point.
How dare she attack me in front of the store clerk?!
Taking advantage of the brief period when Ming Hai was speechless, Nagasaki Motoyo gently leaned her head on his shoulder and said to Shinji Rinrinko with a smile: "I'm sorry, Ming Hai just came to accompany me to buy musical instruments, we are not going to form a band."
"I was asked 'Do you want to be the bassist of our band?' when I didn't know anything about it. I didn't have time to discuss many things with my teammates, so I could only ask him, the one I trusted the most~"
Rin Rinko nodded in realization. Was she forced into the band? This was not uncommon.
There are many bands formed by female middle school students that are more abstract than this one - for example, the DJ of a band who plays music in a stuffed bear costume.
Rin Rinko encouraged with a smile: "It's okay, just keep working hard and you'll be fine! I can introduce you to many people who have become members of famous bands from scratch. I believe you can be the next one!"
"Thank you in advance~" Nagasaki Motoyo thanked with a smile.
"Well, for the sake of our pure and beautiful love, I, Shinji Rinrinko, will pick the most suitable bass for Nagasaki-san!"
Saying this, Rinrinko rolled up her sleeves and turned back to select things with great enthusiasm.
Ming Hai, who had come to his senses, broke free from the girl's arms and stared at her for a long while with a very subtle look.
“Have you ever thought about a question?”
"What is that~"
Looking through the wires on the rack next to her, Nagasaki Suyo answered nonchalantly.
"If I bring other girls to RiNG one day, how should this store clerk look at me?"
"It will be fine if you explain it well, later."
She turned her back and spoke calmly at first as if it had nothing to do with her, and then uttered a sentence in an imperceptible voice.
"…Who told you to say that on purpose?"
She felt a little aggrieved and arrogant, but because she didn't want him to hate her, she tried hard to hold back more emotions.
"I was just telling the truth. You, unlike me, actually used your actions to create misunderstandings, and then pretended to be pitiful to me afterwards... You are really sinister."
Ming Hai sighed, too lazy to argue with the sensitive little girl, and went straight up to talk to Rinrinko.
Nagasaki Suyo thought that he would immediately resolve the misunderstanding with the other party and clarify their relationship in front of her.
result……
"I don't have to worry about my budget, but it would be better for beginners to practice with a cheap bass first, right?"
"It's all the same, actually. As long as you take good care of it, the wear and tear from practice is mostly caused by replaceable parts like the strings, and the more you practice, the easier it will be to play the instrument... Only when you are used to playing the instrument, can you give it your full potential on stage. Some people even sleep with their guitar in their arms, just to get more familiar with their instrument."
"I see. But playing the bass guitar can easily hurt your hands, right? Ms. Rinrinko, do you have any recommendations for ways to reduce the number of injuries and heal faster?"
"Hehe, you're really worried about your girlfriend~"
"Uh... never mind, let's just leave it at that."
"It's okay. I'll tell you a set of methods to maintain your fingers. You and Nagasaki can try it every day..."
The two of them had a pleasant conversation, and before long, Nagasaki Motoyo, who was in a daze nearby, was also pulled into the conversation and started talking about various things related to musical instruments.
About half an hour later.
In front of the counter, the girl had a black guitar bag on her shoulder, while the boy held a plastic bag full of equipment in his left hand and a brand new huge speaker in his right hand. He looked like a hardworking luggage handler, silently waiting for the girl and the clerk to pay and leave.
"Thank you for visiting us. If you have any questions, please come to RiNG directly. The staff will do their best to answer them for you~"
"Goodbye, Miss Rinrinko."
After leaving the complex exhibition hall that looked like a department store and before walking a few steps towards the station, Ming Hai suddenly stopped, turned around and handed the things to Nagasaki Suyo, who was still a little dazed.
"I left something there, wait for me."
In order to avoid factors that might hinder the mission, he had to make up for his own weakness.
Without waiting for Nagasaki Suyo's answer, he quickly walked back to RiNG and explained a few words to Shinji Rinrinko who looked at him in surprise.
"She and I are just friends. Because I said something wrong not long ago, she deliberately pretended to be my boyfriend and girlfriend in front of others to tease me. In order to make amends, I just went along with her and continued the act."
"Why did you come back to explain? Um... because in a few days, I will probably come here with the girl I care about to borrow the practice room. I thought it might cause some unnecessary misunderstandings, so it would be better for me to explain it to you, the clerk, first."
"...Don't look at me like that. I really am not two-timing."
After saying this, he didn't care about the complex emotions contained in Miss Rinrinko's subtle scrutiny.
Ming Hai quickly returned to Nagasaki Suyo and picked up the heavy things calmly.
"Let's go."
He didn't explain and she didn't ask.
The two of them remained silent, letting the train run through the night, carrying them to the end of this "date".
-
This chapter is two in one.
Volume 37: Chapter Chapter After that, Nagasaki Suyo finally understood
The tall buildings in the distance were flashing cold and regular neon lights.
When the train arrived, the two returned to the Roppongi Building and walked into the elevator side by side under the watchful eyes of the administrator.
The floors went up and the numbers quietly reached forty-two.
"Then I'll go back first. Good night."
Putting down the burden in his hands, Ming Hai walked out of the elevator without looking back.
"...Well, good night."
The girl's voice was so soft that it seemed as if it was in the clouds, reluctant to return to the ground.
Her sight narrowed as the door gradually closed, and finally, she completely lost sight of his merciless back.
Ding dong.
But in a moment of trance, a dark corridor extending straight forward appeared in front of him.
Nagasaki Suyo picked up the things on the ground and stood up, her steps staggering slightly.
...very heavy.
Even though he was carrying such a heavy thing, he didn't even ask to take a break, and just walked back with me as if nothing had happened...
"If that's the case, why are you...!"
Nagasaki Suyo bit her lip and resisted the urge to go downstairs to question him. She dragged her heavy steps and spent a long time moving all the things into the house.
All the lights in the house were on, but they couldn't illuminate the loneliness of her being alone.
Feeling this chill that was far more hollow and cold than before, Nagasaki Suyo couldn't help but let out a thin breath, turned on the heater, and then continued walking into the room.
I sorted out and put away my bass and related equipment, put on my pajamas, went into the bathroom, and washed away my fatigue and coldness with hot water.
After doing all this mechanically, she returned to the room and slowly walked to the French window.
Gazing at the brightly lit city at night, she used the continuous starlight on the ground to re-describe those still clear memories.
The overflowing sense of happiness from the conversation in the outdoor seating area even overwhelmed the sweetness of the apple juice;
The first time I went to eat ramen with him, I wanted to suck the noodles elegantly, but he laughed at me because the soup accidentally got on my nose;
The joy of shopping in the mall for an hour and a half, the disappointment of being rejected repeatedly when I wanted to give him a gift, the joy of seeing him accept the tie clip, and the touching feeling of being given a pendant by him in the end...
The shyness and sweetness when RiNG held his arm, and the warmth when he asked the clerk for her own sake instead of explaining.
Memories formed constellations on the ground, interpreting her happiness.
Today should have an unforgettable ending. They were so close that they could hold each other's hands at any time. He knew exactly what he wanted from him...
But he was seen returning to RiNG, explaining something seriously to the shop assistant.
Nagasaki Suyo finally woke up from her sweet dream.
"You're not even willing to forgive me for this little misunderstanding..."
