Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 95

No, no... Xiangzi had no choice...

'If that's the case, isn't Mutsu also like that?'

The thought that existed in her mind, contradicting her own, seemed to sigh with some disappointment.

After being rejected several times, Ruoye Mu finally realized something was wrong. It didn't seem like a random, uncontrollable whim of hers; rather, it was more like a reflection of her own thoughts, revealing all her true views, understanding her, yet thinking in a subtly different way.

Just as she was feeling uneasy, as if such a scene had happened somewhere before, the words became clearer and clearer once again.

This time, Ruoye Mu heard it clearly—it was undoubtedly her own voice. However, the tone and pitch were completely different. Compared to her habitual silence and pauses, and her emotionless speech, that voice was coherent and undulating, almost excessively emotional.

"That's why...Mu, you're so much behind Su Shi and Xiangzi."

'He even mustered the courage to confess to Xu Dou before, and ended up getting kissed... Although it was probably just an unexpected surprise for Mu, it still resulted in a good outcome.'

"What...are you trying to say?"

When the topic of that experience, which she often recalled late at night and whose mere recollection would cause her to tremble, was brought up, Wakaba Mutsu, who often used it to relieve the pain of longing, finally couldn't help but listen and asked in a low voice with a rare hint of rejection.

“That’s not what I want to do… to bother Xu Dou, to blame Xiangzi or anything like that…”

'...But, Mutsu probably still wants to stay close to him.'

'As a result, even that required Su Shi's help to pass it on... She's already bragging about Xu Dou to others in class, doesn't she feel resentful?'

“That’s… That’s…”

Slightly persuaded, Wakaba Mutsu made a low, choked sound as if denying something, but couldn't utter any words to refute it.

'It's always been like this since I was little... Whenever Mu backs down, what's rightfully hers gets taken away.'

'I've finally found someone I really, really like...'

The voice, which sounded like a seductive whisper, stopped speaking.

But Ruo Yemu understood perfectly what "she" meant.

'I wouldn't lie to you, Xiaomu.'

The voice in her mind seemed to realize that something was wrong with the source of her thoughts, and began to consciously distinguish the boundaries between them.

'I also really like Xu Dou, and I hope I can help you reconcile with him, so we're partners on the same path.'

With a wavering expression, Wakaba Mutsu pursed her lips and did not respond further.

She couldn't completely trust the other person.

The girl, who lacks a sense of security and belonging, can only truly trust the person who has always helped and encouraged her. Even Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsu have feelings that they are unwilling to fully confide in.

Not to mention, it was such a sudden, inexplicable thought that surfaced in my mind.

However, such emotions and resistance seemed to be within the other party's expectations.

In a dimly lit space that blends the style of a movie theater with that of a young girl's room, filled with all sorts of dolls and screens, a delicate and cute girl who looks exactly like Wakaba Mutsu touches her fingertips together, revealing a cheerful smile that would never appear on her normally aloof face.

"Xiao Mu is such an idiot."

Having confirmed that their connection had been severed, "Ruoye Mu" shook her head, her smooth, long, light green hair swaying back and forth, looking utterly disappointed. "You actually let Xu Dou escape... I should be asking you, 'What exactly are you trying to do?'"

"Xiangzi is a bad guy who only thinks about himself, Su Shi is unreliable, and Li Xi and Xiao Deng are even more unreliable."

“If this continues, everyone else is getting all lovey-dovey, and we haven’t made any progress… I might as well take the initiative.” She fiddled with the ends of her hair in frustration. “If I want to make up, I can’t even say the first thing. Have I become even more clumsy since I have someone I like?”

“Every night he would secretly look at Xu Dou’s photos under the covers and do those kinds of things… It wouldn’t be so hard to send a few messages to ask him something.”

The key point is that she has complete control over her body, but she shares the sensations with this body!

She didn't want to kiss Xu Dou, or at least feel comfortable and relieve her loneliness in bed...

Fortunately, Xiao Mu only vented her emotions involuntarily when she was about to fall ill from longing, and she felt ashamed afterward; otherwise, she would have jumped out to condemn the other party long ago.

The matter of Motoyo gave her a glimmer of hope. It wasn't just that Motoyo gave Wakaba Mutsu an opportunity to indirectly contact Genjiro, but also that her actions finally pushed Mutsu's patience to its limit, causing her to unconsciously begin to make changes.

Given Xiao Mu's instinctive unease, it would be best for him to suddenly reappear.

It's like path dependence... When faced with an unsolvable problem involving self-awareness, Mu would definitely think of seeking help from Xu Dou, who had helped her before.

As for how things will develop from here... let the gentle and reliable Xu Dou handle it!

Everything will be alright if the two of them meet again!

Feeling proud of his own superior intelligence compared to that of Wakaba Mutsu, "Wakaba Mutsu" sat on the sofa and chuckled smugly.

"However, we still need to be wary of what terrible things that scoundrel Xiangzi might do again..."

"Is Xu Dou still looking for her? How despicable."

"Wakaba Mutsumi" was clearly very dissatisfied with Toyokawa Shoko for running away without a word, causing others to be blamed as well. Her true sense of self only began after Minamoto Koto enlightened Wakaba Mutsumi. Although she remembered the events before that, she obviously did not have the same affection that Mutsumi had for Shoko as a close friend.

If she had to choose, she would definitely prefer Xu Dou rather than being as hesitant and unable to make a choice as Xiao Mu.

Although Mutsu's resolve has begun to waver and her heart is now tipping, she has serious doubts about Toyokawa Shoko's trust as a friend, given that he has arguably betrayed everyone.

Muttering to herself, "Wakaba Mutsu" decided to add a little more psychological suggestion to the girl.

"Go and contact Xiangzi...see what she's doing now."

"It's also a precaution."

Perhaps, it wasn't them who chose Xu Dou first, but Xiangzi?

Although she also thought it was unlikely... after all, in Wakaba Mutsu's memory, Toyokawa Shoko's pride had always been quite strong. That's why Mutsu made the judgment that "Shoko can't possibly return to the band," and she basically agreed with it.

Surely you wouldn't back down when facing Xu Dou, would you?

Then she had nothing to say. In that case, it would be Toyokawa Shoko who distinguishes between friends and lovers, which would be perfect for them to follow suit.

Chapter Fourteen: You've already given up, haven't you?

"That's 350 yen. Please take care."

After two beeps from the barcode scanner, Toyokawa Shoko packed all the goods on the table into a plastic bag, counted the few bills the customer had given her, and expertly made change according to the amount before politely handing it over.

'It's time for the shift change.'

She looked up at the screen clock in the store, which displayed red numbers, and confirmed her suspicions.

'Tonight...'

After handing over her work to the other employees and taking off her uniform, Toyokawa Shoko, freed from the monotonous work, felt her eyes brighten considerably. She took out her phone and eagerly looked at the information displayed on it.

"Dinner is grilled fish and teriyaki chicken. Come back early," read the text message from Yuan Xudou.

Aside from him, most of her former familiar contacts were blocked by the girl in a moment of impulsiveness. Although some were unblocked afterward, many remained unreachable.

...It doesn't matter. Right now, all I need is Xu Dou.

Having made up her mind to let go of the past, Toyokawa Shoko had long since passed the stage of feeling uncomfortable about such things and had accepted the current situation.

To save as much time as possible, she had virtually no contact with other students on campus, let alone after-school club activities. Having experienced more than a decade of unimaginable wealth, she was now reduced to working to save money. With these experiences, Toyokawa Shoko and the other students at Haneoka had little in common. Their perspectives and mindsets were too different, making it difficult for them to have a conversation.

The reason I chose Haneoka was simply because the tuition at Tsukimori was too expensive, and Haneoka happened to have a generous scholarship program.

She was already doing her best just to take care of herself, and she also had to find a way to maintain her relationship with Xu Dou so that he wouldn't be completely taken away by Nagasaki Sue's side—she simply didn't have the extra energy to care about others.

More anticipated than any of these things is tonight's dinner.

Haneoka offers free lunches, but the taste is really hard to praise... at least for Toyokawa Shoko, who is used to the delicacies prepared by excellent chefs and all kinds of fine soups and dishes.

If it were the situation before where she was trying to save money and there wasn't much normal food to eat every day, she could still enjoy her food with a great appetite thanks to hunger, the best seasoning... But now she has been eating at Yuan Xudou's house for almost half a year, and his cooking skills are comparable to those of top chefs.

Recently, Toyokawa Shoko discovered a fact that made her feel somewhat ashamed... During her time living at Xu Dou's house, the thinness and weakness she had developed from being hungry in that cramped rented room seemed to have... healed.

Not only did her cheeks regain their original healthy and plumpness, but with sufficient nutrition, her complexion also improved significantly.

I've gotten used to sleeping in this bed, which is a bit smaller than my own at home... If this continues, my goal of living independently seems increasingly distant...

However, that is not a reason to reject the warm and peaceful life we ​​have now.

A goal is a goal, and reality is reality. She might have done something like that in the past, but she's not so sentimental now!

"Get to know Desuwa, come back soon."

Gently smoothing her long, sky-blue hair, which had become slightly messy after she took off her shop assistant uniform, Toyokawa Shoko tapped lightly on her phone with her fingertips, a slight smile playing on her lips.

A moment later, Yuan Xudou's next message popped up in the chat box.

Immersed in this comforting atmosphere, where everyone chatted like family, Toyokawa Shoko smiled and felt that the fatigue she had accumulated from working seemed to be relieved and become insignificant.

Indeed, for a strong-willed girl, spiritual comfort is more satisfying and endearing than material conditions—this is far more important than getting used to the living environment or delicious meals, and it is the reason why she is reluctant to leave Xu Dou's family to live independently immediately.

Just then, the phone, which was being held in one hand, suddenly rang.

Upon seeing the contact's name displayed on it, Toyokawa Shoko opened her mouth slightly in surprise, then instinctively covered her lips.

"Mu...?"

Mu... it seems like it's been a long time since we last contacted each other...

How has she been lately? What has she been doing since the band broke up? I don't think I've told her about my relationship with Xu Dou...

Regardless, Toyokawa Shoko finally answered the phone with some hesitation.

A familiar, faint voice reached my ears, seemingly indifferent to everything, making me wonder if it could possibly have any ups and downs.

But...it feels a little different...

"Xiang, are you okay?"

"Hmm, hmm... I've been doing alright lately." Shoko Toyokawa, slightly unaccustomed to the situation, gave a vague reply. "Much better than at the beginning... Mutsumi, how have you been lately?"

“…Is that so?” Wakaba Mutsumi paused for a moment. “I…I’m fine.”

Before Toyokawa Shoko could ask any further questions, a cold, detached voice came from the other end of the phone, "Shoko, after that, you and Xu Dou..."

The moment she heard those words, Toyokawa Shoko instinctively felt a sense of resistance.

—She didn't want Mu to know about her current situation with Xu Dou.

It's hard to say whether it's the pride she's always maintained in front of him that makes it so difficult to say things like, "Although I had a disagreement with Xu Dou before, it was all my fault, and now I'm living in his house," or simply a sense of crisis and possessiveness at play... The girl gently bit her lower lip, choosing to "hide" the truth in the choice between being honest or not.

'I'm sorry, Mu... I'll make it up to you once Xu Dou and I get back on track.'

"Why ask such a question?" Toyokawa Shoko deliberately lowered her tone, trying to imitate her previous attitude of rejecting all kindness and the past. "Muto, you should also know... the fact that [CryCHIC] can never go back."

Well, although the band has ended, the relationship between the two is not over... This is not a lie, I'm just selectively telling part of the truth.

On the other end of the phone, upon hearing what she said, Wakaba Mutsu's tone visibly wavered.

"But, according to popular belief, Xu Dou..."

... Su Shi?

That's right, since she and Muku both live in the Moon Forest, it's normal for them to keep in touch.

Even setting aside the filter of being a love rival, the experience of being forced to live under the same roof during these days allowed Toyokawa Shoko to see through some of Nagasaki Motoyo's true nature.

Back in the band, that understanding and gentle image was undoubtedly a facade... The real person was far more thoughtful, more serious, more cunning, and even more... ruthless than he appeared.

She pursues only her own happiness, regarding it as a future that she absolutely must achieve no matter what. The depth of her obsession is unimaginable to normal people. She is the kind of person who can live up to the vow of binding her life to herself for a lifetime. Even her love rival, Toyokawa Shoko, admits this.

Therefore... Nagasaki Motoyo definitely wouldn't do anything meaningless. Her logic has always been very clear: she fights for her own and Xu Dou's bright future.

She didn't reveal that she was currently living at Xu Dou's house, which at least meant that the two were on the same side in this matter... It's just unknown whether their motives were similar.

Moreover, Su Shi also concealed this information, which means that what she told Mu was not credible, so it's better not to listen to her.

There's another point—I'm living right next to Xu Dou now, and I see him every day. Don't I know how he is? Even if he's not as cheerful as when he was in the band, he's not doing badly either. He's still living his life normally, and he's much stronger than them.

With that in mind, Toyokawa Shoko had little expectation for what Wakaba Mutsu would say next.

"No need to say anything more, Mu."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt it was inappropriate to continue with her cold tone on this matter, so she immediately softened her voice a little, "What I mean is... let's not discuss these topics anymore."

“Let’s catch up. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a proper chat…” With a touch of guilt for having lied to her, Toyokawa Shoko said as gently and patiently as possible.

After a long pause, words that seemed to carry a slightly ambiguous meaning finally rang out from the phone.

"……I see."

That's right...