"So, why don't you just come together? Why are you talking so much?"
"Toyokawa-san, you are not mature enough."
"..."
She turned her head away as if in a huff, her lips tightly pursed, with no expression on her face.
——At least ten minutes, she didn’t want to see that annoying smiling face again!
Volume 15: Chapter Chapter Teacher Xiaoxiang, look at what you have done
"Takamatsu-san, your room is so cute."
"Hmm? Hmm..."
"Eh? I've used this notebook before. There are so many different covers, I'm attracted to them unconsciously..."
“We have all kinds of them here!”
Hearing this, Takamatsu Deng, who had just put a Band-Aid on Ming Hai, immediately let go of his hand, and excitedly leaned over to the cabinet where the notebooks were kept. He took out several notebooks with different covers and spread them on the ground like presenting treasures.
"Flowers and plants, insects... ah, I remember there was a hidden edition. My dad helped me search for it for a long time before I bought it..."
"Well, there are so many~ I'm glad you were able to collect them all."
Toyokawa Shoko smiled gently, and seemed to be really interested in this matter, without showing any perfunctory or bored expression.
As if he had received affirmation from her, Takamatsu Deng worked even harder to introduce the origins of those notebooks. Both his eyes and expression became brighter and more lively, like a little gray rabbit that had been cleansed of mud and sand.
Glancing at the heartwarming interaction between the two girls, Ming Hai smoothed out the penguin Band-Aid that was not firmly stuck on the back of his hand, then picked up the teacup and drank a sip of orange juice, his eyes inexplicably looking empty.
...I feel a little redundant here.
I wanted to do a room exploration to see if the storage habits of the average girl are really different from those of the boys.
But Teacher Xiaoxiang would definitely stop me in the name of being a pervert, and then my good impression of him would drop rapidly.
Anyway, I only came here to bandage my wound at Takamatsu Deng’s request—now that I’ve done my job, I can go home.
Putting down the teacup, Ming Hai quickly prepared to get up.
Then a force came from the corner of the clothes.
Toyokawa Shoko didn't even turn her head, but held him with an unchanged expression, not letting him leave.
"...?"
Forced to sit back down, Ming Hai looked over with a strange look in his eyes.
A flawless white face, delicately carved pink features, and slender but not frail girlish curves; the calves under the skirt are so white that they seem to reflect light, and the toes wrapped in white socks curl up cutely from time to time, making people want to hold them in their hands and play with them, and appreciate the moment when the girl reveals a shy expression.
Of course, these are not the main points - after all, he already knew that Teacher Xiaoxiang was a super beautiful girl since they first met.
The point is, she clearly didn't seem to intend to pay any attention to me, so how did she know that I was about to leave?
Why do you want to stop me?
"Did you write all of this?"
Even though Ming Hai was staring at her profile, Toyokawa Shoko remained as still as a giant Buddha, as if she had done nothing and was concentrating on her interaction with Takamatsu Deng.
After making sure that he had honestly given up resisting, she withdrew her hand from the corner of his clothes, flipped through the notebook in her hand, and read out the words on it one by one.
“‘Even if I make friends like everyone else…Even if I’m with everyone, I still feel like I’m alone…’”
"what……"
After blinking blankly, Gao Songdeng finally realized what she was reading and subconsciously wanted to reach out to stop her.
However, Xiangzi's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen some incredible treasure, and he came forward excitedly: "Is this the lyrics you wrote?!"
"Song, lyrics?"
Gao Songdeng's face was blank, he froze in place, his brain instantly overloaded.
"Hmm! Aren't these words, which are full of emotions, thoughts and explorations, the best lyrics?!"
After turning a few pages, Toyokawa Shoko could not help closing her eyes, humming a few melodies, and then sighing as if intoxicated.
"Compared to Morfonica-san's lyrics, Takamatsu-san's lyrics are full of confusion, yet a desire for change... Yeah, I've already thought of a very beautiful melody!"
"I... don't understand the lyrics... I just wrote it down to express my feelings..."
Facing Takamatsu Deng who was unwilling to admit it, Toyokawa Shoko stared at her with wide eyes and tried to convince her with her aura.
"No, this is the lyrics! Only lyrics like this that come from the heart can reach the depths of the listeners' hearts!"
"Well……"
Not knowing how to deal with Toyokawa Shoko who was inexplicably angry, Takamatsu Deng could not help but hunch his shoulders and look at Ming Hai on the other side for help.
can only say……
This moment is just like that moment.
"Am I some kind of firefighter?"
Ming Hai sighed helplessly.
Being looked at by the little animal with such pitiful and moist eyes, even if he was not interested in women other than his target, he couldn't have the heart to turn a blind eye.
He had never seen Toyokawa Shoko so excited before, so how could he not be interested...
Although all in all, this was only the second time they met.
But the most important thing was that Ming Hai smelled a hint of something unusual.
"You have an unusual passion for the lyrics? If there is some hidden reason behind it... maybe we can enter the second stage by focusing on this point?"
The opportunity to explore Teacher Xiaoxiang in depth is now clearly before us!
So Ming Hai moved his position and stood in front of Takamatsu Deng, intending to act as a peacemaker and create an atmosphere conducive to conversation.
"Toyokawa-san, in my opinion—"
Before I could even utter a word, it was blocked in my throat by a clear and bright voice.
"Murakami-kun, come along too!"
"what?"
Looking at the pretty face approaching with excitement, Ming Hai subconsciously leaned back, revealing the subtle expression of the old man on the subway.
"Come, come for what?"
Holding the notebook tightly, the girl smiled beautifully, like a gardenia blooming in early spring.
"Of course, please come to my house!"
-
So, soon.
At the invitation of Toyokawa Shoko, the two came to Toyokawa's home near Nishihara Station in Kita-ku.
…Although this sentence structure is somewhat familiar, the small apartment rentals of the Toyokawa family and the Takamatsu family are on completely different levels.
Behind the huge iron gate is a vast garden that is countless kilometers in radius.
The Western-style mansion stands in the afternoon sun, and the Japanese-style garden landscape brings bursts of green and cool breeze. From a distance, it looks like a national-level scenic spot, exuding a daunting solemn atmosphere.
"Here... is..."
Gao Songdeng tilted his head with a dazed look in his eyes. It was obvious that he didn't expect that this was a place where people could live.
Ming Hai had expected this - after all, someone who could perfectly integrate the big lady's habit into her life would not be strange even if she lived in a castle.
In comparison, he still prefers high-end apartments with more complete functions and a richer sense of technology.
"Yes, this is my home. Come in, both of you."
Glancing at Ming Hai, who still looked relaxed and showed no sense of distance, Toyokawa Shoko smiled slightly, then turned around lightly and impatiently took them into the side hall of the mansion.
Just from the distance from the main door to the side hall, Ming Hai felt how difficult it was for a wealthy family -
It’s amazing that Teacher Xiaoxiang walks like this every day, but his calves still look so slender and soft.
"Takamatsu-san, Narumi-kun, please sit here first. Tea will be served shortly."
Two chairs were quickly pulled over for the two of them. Without even having time to explain, Shoko Toyokawa quickly sat down in front of a piano, opened the piano cover, and placed her slender fingers like spring onions on the black and white keys, then she closed her eyes.
She carefully sorted out the melody that had not yet dissipated in her heart, and turned it into a thread, connecting the lyrics that moved her deeply.
The next moment, the notes poured out gently from the fingertips.
She just sang softly.
"I don't belong here, there is no place for me..."
“Just tell yourself this…”
The warm sunlight slanting in from the window made the sky-blue figure surrounded by the ethereal singing seem to become transparent.
"Eh……"
Gao Songdeng stared at her blankly, with scenes of memories flashing through his mind.
The sobs that could not be told to others and could only echo in one's own world were evoked by one's own lyrics, and were wrapped in the gentle and cheerful melody. They swirled and rose into the air like bubbles, and then shattered into misty and shining light and shadows.
She clenched her fists unconsciously and felt her breathing tremble, but she didn't know how to vent it.
"Ok?"
Ming Hai, who was listening to the singing attentively, glanced at Takamatsu Deng and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
...I always feel that there is something wrong with this child's mood.
His mind was wandering and his eyes were almost unfocused - could it be that his dark history was being sung out and he started to break down?
I felt a little reluctant, but I didn't want to disturb Teacher Xiaoxiang's wonderful concert.
He silently stretched out his hand and tried to pat the other person on the shoulder to show his concern.
However, his hand was only halfway up in the air, and hadn't even touched her clothes.
Then there was a snap.
The pair of small hands that were originally clenched into fists suddenly grabbed over and clamped his palms tightly, using such force that they trembled slightly.
——It’s as if he wanted to express all the unspeakable emotions in his heart through his fingertips.
"……what?"
Ming Hai stood there in a daze, looking in confusion at Takamatsu Deng who was staring straight ahead, as if he had not yet come to his senses.
He turned his head again and looked at Toyokawa Shoko, who was still immersed in the performance, her body swaying naturally with the melody, her eyes closed in pleasure, and completely unaware of what was happening in the audience.
Finally, he gazed at his left hand, which was tightly wrapped by the soft and boneless little hand and unconsciously placed on the warm thigh.
He rubbed the corner of his mouth with his free right hand, frowned, and fell into deep thought with a serious expression.
Volume 16: Chapter Chapter Xiangzi's First Cry
“…I want to become a human.”
As the last line of the lyrics fell, the piano music fell quietly like the fine snow on a winter night, melting silently on the luxurious red velvet carpet.
With a smile on her lips, the girl enjoyed a moment of satisfaction before slowly opening her eyes.
The light shone into her eyes, transforming into warm and bright colors.
"A melodious and beautiful melody, lyrics that touch the heart... I see, this is the 'touching feeling' that I created with my own hands."
Toyokawa Shoko murmured, pressing her palm lightly on her chest, defining the ups and downs of emotions.
Then, she brought her wandering thoughts back to reality and gracefully half-turned on the piano chair.
"Takamatsu-san, Narumi-kun, how about this song?!"
The moment her eyes met the only two spectators, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but open her eyes wide, her voice changed in surprise, and she took a detour to ask the question she was about to ask.
"You two, what are you doing?"
"Hmm? Nothing."
