Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 221, Section 23: "There are peaches in the garden, their fruit a delicious treat. My heart is filled with sorrow, so I sing and chant."

"Trouble? Annoyance?"

Haiyue tilted her head, seemingly oblivious, her small, delicate lips slightly parted, reminiscent of a fledgling bird begging for food.

Masumi couldn't help but recall the warm, soft sensation her fingers had felt back then, and her Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"Uh, well, at least find a place with a bed... no! A place where I can sit."

Life is a process of forcing yourself to compromise.

"Well……"

The jellyfish girl blinked, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment she nodded:
"……I see."

"You've decided to give up?"

"Masumi... come with me..."

His dangling heel landed back in place, and Haiyue pulled up his sleeve without saying a word.

"Eh."

If you're looking for a place in a karaoke bar where you can sit or even lie down, then the private room is the place to be.

Haiyue didn't take Masumi back to their own private room, but instead found an empty room nearby.

The effect lights set up by the previous group of guests in the private room were still flashing, casting an ambiguous glow on Masumi and Kaigetsu.

As soon as she entered the room, she sat down on the sofa and gently patted the empty seat next to her.

"Masumi...sit..."

"okay."

Masumi sat stiffly in the "seat of honor" in the private room: a seat near the toilet for easy escape, which, according to Asami, was the seat of honor.

Haiyue frowned slightly: "It's so far."

"Then I'll sit closer."

As Masumi was about to get up, Haizuki unexpectedly shook his head and gently pushed him back into place, saying, "No need."

Just as Masumi breathed a sigh of relief, the physical burden came to an end.

Wakayama Prefecture is known as the fruit kingdom. In addition to mandarin oranges, which account for one-fifth of the country's production, Kinokawa City, the hometown of Kaigetsu, is also the largest peach-producing area in western Japan, and is most famous for its white peaches.

The white peach is round and plump, with juicy flesh and a white skin, except for the pinkish hue of the crevice.

Masumi felt that if she wanted to taste this Wakayama specialty, she only needed to gently rub the fruit to peel off the skin and pick out the tender, sweet flesh.

To avoid accidentally scratching it, Masumi didn't dare to move at all.

The sensation between the peach blossoms seeped through the fabric, eroding his thoughts and making Masumi's heart race. As a human, it was hard to resist the instinct to eat.

The space between the two was filled with silence and other things.

"... Haiyue."

Masumi raised her voice slightly in protest.

The private room was quite spacious, with two sofas large enough for a person to lie down on.

However, Haiyue sat on Masumi's lap, using his thigh as a chair, which was a real waste of the space in the private room.

"Masumi... is like a lobster right now..."

The area that turned bright red, like bleeding, spread rapidly across her skin. Masumi arched her body like a lobster, resembling a mantis shrimp poised to pounce.

This looks just like a shrimp trying to escape to land.

"Who do you think killed him...?"

Masumi sighed, her words ending at a point that Haigetsu was very concerned about.

"Your Majesty... spoke to me..." she said abruptly.

"A thousand years old? Senior?"

Hearing about the unexpected person, Masumi was slightly taken aback. How exactly would things develop so that Haiyue and my senior Rugu would have any interaction?
"When?"

"The day I left Miyako Island..."

Oh, it must have been when Mio and I went to play in glass-bottom kayaks that I, like my senior, and Kaigetsu spent a long time alone.

"What did you talk about?"

"a lot of."

"What do you mean by 'many'?"

"Time of birth...blood type...parents...likes and dislikes...how to meet Masumi..."

"That means your date of birth, blood type, family situation, hobbies, and how we met, right?"

Because Haiyue doesn't usually get to the point in her speech, Masumi has become adept at extracting useful information from her words.

"Ah."

"Indeed, there are many."

And it's so detailed and purposeful. Is the senior perhaps a public official at the city hall?

"By the way, there are some things here that you haven't even told me, right?" He actually revealed them to his senior.

"Because...Chitose and I exchanged...information..."

Masumi paused, then asked, "What information?"

“Masumi’s weakness… is like… this…”

The jellyfish-like girl seemed to be clinging to her prey, forcefully pushing her back against it.

Caught off guard by the sneak attack, Masumi felt a simultaneous groan of pain from both her heart and the sofa beneath her.

Her hands, which she didn't know where to put, landed on the sofa fabric, their palms feeling a stark contrast to the warmth of the girl's body.

Masumi was less embarrassed and more shy, and she reacted in a way that any boy would have.

The soft touch was like a predator baring its fangs at a lobster, crunching and munching away at Masumi's fragile rationality.

"Wait a minute, Haiyue, you just need to say it, there's no need to demonstrate."

Masumi's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she reached out and grabbed her waist.

If you touch her like this, you can clearly feel how thin Haiyue's waist is. Because of this, her bust and waist look fuller than they actually are.

"Oh."

Haiyue obediently stopped, still sitting on Masumi's lap, and Masumi released her grip on Haiyue's waist.

She was like a single-threaded being; after her body stopped moving, she regained the ability to speak, and gently parted her cherry lips to open her mouth again:
"Chitose... told me what Masumi said..."

"What?"

◇

"...Being with them, I often felt exhausted, but there was also a strangely comfortable feeling of fatigue, which I found somewhat incredible."

"Taking care of Haiyue in her daily life, even when she can't be relied upon, makes me feel needed and trusted by others without reservation."

"Before this, I felt that I was out of touch with lively atmospheres. The band was the only way I could fight against the aloofness and indifference in my nature. But after meeting them, my thinking gradually began to change."

"I think it's probably because of the process of constantly causing each other trouble that relationships between people deepen and are strung together like knots in a rope."

◇

Kaigetsu stammered as he repeated Masumi's words.

Although her tone was weak and her words were fragmented, it was still very complete, and one could intuitively feel her efforts.

"Her memory is so clear!" Masumi exclaimed in amazement.

"Because...I don't have that many memorable things..."

Her voice was barely audible.

Looking down from above, Masumi saw that Haiyue's face, which had been flushed with a light pink like a peach, was now shrouded in shadow, and her hands were slightly clenched.

The fingernail dug into the palm, leaving a faint crescent-shaped mark.

"I... am a very useless person..."

"Even with everyone... practicing with me every day... I still feel uneasy..."

"Because... even when you're with sharks and otters... a jellyfish is destined to be just a jellyfish... it can't swim like everyone else..."

Haiyue kept saying things that denied herself, her tone tinged with barely audible anxiety, trying to push herself into an unbearably miserable situation.

As if trying to hide something, her slender feet swayed back and forth on the floor, evidence that she couldn't control her emotions.

—Kaigetsu wants Masumi to deny what she said.

Although Masumi was confused at first, she quickly realized what was happening and reached her right hand onto the girl's thigh, wrapping the delicate little hand in her palm.

"No, that's not the case."

Even though the jellyfish girl with her back to her couldn't see it, Masumi still managed a gentle smile.

"I told you that night in the park, right? Haiyue can rely on me all she wants, it's okay. I like the feeling of being relied on by Haiyue."

"Ah."

"No matter what, I will not let Miss Kozue take you away, so you don't need to feel burdened about singing."

"Ah."

"Even if Haiyue still can't sing, I will think of other ways."

"Ah."

These words warmed Haiyue's heart, but they were still a little different from what Haiyue wanted to hear.

My first visit to an aquarium was wonderful; I saw the beautiful moon reflected in the sea, but I was disappointed by the souvenir shop.

She made a friend who didn't look down on her for the first time, but she still couldn't understand Haiyue's feelings.

Even now.

"Masumi."

"Hmm?" "Thank you...?"

Haiyue's throat trembled, her hoarse voice blending into the sound waves vibrating in the air.

"Why is it a question?"

Masumi smiled nonchalantly, quietly watching Kaigetsu's hair whorl as she sat on her lap. The pink ambient light was replaced by a uniform blue one, and Kaigetsu's hair changed color with the light.

Something like the fins of a marine creature suddenly flashed through his mind. Without thinking too much, he suddenly spoke:
"I love Haiyue's singing voice."

"Well?"

Haiyue turned her face toward Masumi in confusion, her slightly widened eyes shimmering with light.

Masumi placed her hand on her trembling wrist. "Uh, although this sounds a bit nonsensical, Kaigetsu is probably quite confused."

"After listening to Haiyue's singing, although I didn't feel exactly like I'd been redeemed—it wasn't like a scene from a movie—I could hear you in Haiyue's voice."

That's precisely why—

Masumi looked firmly at Kaigetsu and said what she had been waiting for: "I want to hear more."

"Furthermore, I also hope that Haiyue can come to like her own singing voice."

The jellyfish girl stared blankly at Masumi, just like Kaigetsu stared at the lobsters in the tank when she was a child.

According to ancient legends, jellyfish navigate the sea using the eyes of lobsters.

Her mother saw through her thoughts and bought her a jellyfish doll; she also firmly supported her participation in the choir and the light music club.

She no longer needed to have any expectations for such a completely different life.

A silence suddenly fell between the two of them. The faint sound of singing could be heard from next door, but Masumi did not break the silence.

Because he was thinking.

He suddenly remembered that night in the park, when it was quiet and still, he asked Haiyue why she had fallen in love with him.

“Bread… jellyfish…” Haiyue whispered the answer.

"What's that like?"

Haiyue provided a detailed explanation:

"At the department store... Masumi bought me bread..."

"At the LiveHouse... Masumi caught up with me and came to keep me company..."

"At the aquarium's souvenir shop... Masumi bought me a blind box..."

Masumi was dumbfounded and said in disbelief, "It's that simple?"

"It's that... simple..."

It's just like a scene from a light novel, where someone can win the heart of a heroine by doing such trivial things.

Yes, the girl sitting on his lap really does seem like a heroine, someone one would cherish.

"Masumi," Kaigetsu called to him in a gentle voice.

"Ok?"

"……Thanks."

This is an affirmative statement.

After speaking, Haiyue's fair skin turned a peach color, and the lobster gently hugged her from behind. Although the lobster shell was hard and had sharp spines that could prick, it was very warm.

In this private room where the sunlight couldn't penetrate, she only needed this seat.

...This position is enough.

I can't even imagine what it would be like if I lost such a warm place, and I can't accept it.

Therefore, she must protect this position.

After making up her mind, Wakayama's white peach circled around Masumi's leg, moving against her flesh.

"Haiyue!?"

Like a piece of pudding that can't be kneaded, Masumi's field of vision gradually narrowed.

If you're not careful, your consciousness seems to drift far away.

He hurriedly grabbed the two halves and pushed Haiyue forward to his knees.

"Masumi...doesn't like this?"

Haiyue asked in confusion, "This was clearly taught to her by Qiansui."

"Well, I don't dislike it anyway."

"So... Masumi feels... there's something wrong with it?"

"That's not true." Masumi sighed quietly.

"Kinoko's peaches...have four grades...Special...Excellent...Good..."

Kaigetsu pressed for details: "I want to know... Masumi's opinion of me..."

"Huh? But wasn't that a review for Peach?"

"Locals use the same standard to evaluate other things..."

"is it?"

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded, but it was actually a lie.

Because she trusted her too much, Masumi, who was easily deceived, began to rack her brains.

If Masumi were to follow her emotional impulses, she would undoubtedly give it the highest praise of "Special Excellence," but at this moment, reason prevails.

If I were to give it a "Special Excellence" rating, I would definitely ask, "Then Masumi... is there anything you're not satisfied with?"

So, I'm sorry, Masumi closed her eyes slightly before lying and said against her will:

"Good...no, let's say 'Excellent'."

Even if it's a lie, I still can't bring myself to give it the lowest rating.

Even so, the jellyfish girl already acted as if the sky was falling.

"...Woo."

Haiyue's body stiffened, as if her senses were detaching, and she felt that she could see her pupils completely dilated in the corner of her vision.

Bubbles were rising in her head, burning up fragments of past memories in Haiyue's mind.

◇

That was during my high school years, in July, the season when the Ki no Kawa peaches ripened.

Haiyue was invited by Sho to go to a dessert shop in front of the station with the girls from the Light Music Club to eat seasonal peach tarts.

"All the peaches in our store are selected from 'Special Selection' white peaches delivered directly from the farm, which are a rare delicacy," the store manager at the time said proudly.

“A special edition! Wow, that’s amazing! It’s a high-end gift.” A girl from the light music club exclaimed.

"Isn't 'Excellent' already pretty impressive?"

"Excellent?" The store manager smirked, his tone a mix of disdain and pride. "In our store, nobody wants that."

◇

"Excellent, that's something nobody wants."

"Excellent, that's something nobody wants."

"Excellent, that's something nobody wants."

These words, like a sharp blade cutting grass, like a paper shredder, devoured Haiyue's rationality completely.

"Well!"

Haiyue suddenly straightened her back, and as a result, her soft parts also sank, startling Masumi, who jumped.

"What's wrong, Haiyue?"

"Masumi...would you prefer it to grow bigger...or smaller?"

Kaigetsu suddenly asked a question that left Masumi completely baffled.

It wasn't hard to hear her anxious and urgent mood.

What kind of question is this? Can the size there be changed so easily?

If that's the case, Mami wouldn't have to be so troubled, and she wouldn't have gone through so much hardship to lose weight... Take back that last sentence, she was only working hard in words.

Masumi couldn't help but imagine again the partial body swap between Kaigetsu and Mami, the arc that expanded rapidly, almost as if using violence.

Because the image was so jarring, as conspicuous as a moon with the abdomen of an ant queen, Masumi quickly erased the image from her mind.

Kaigetsu pressed on, "Like Asami...or like Mio..."

"Nobody needs it."

Masumi gently patted her head as if to reassure her. Hmm, when? Her buttocks pressed against her again.

We really can't be careless.

"Haiyue just needs to be herself."

Just like she had said to Mio, Masumi spoke while placing her hand on the two white peach petals.

—Just then, the door to the private room opened.

It wasn't a staff member, but another beautiful figure with long, honey-gold hair.

Seeing the figure at the door, Masumi instantly broke out in a cold sweat, "...Mio?"

"what……"

Those beautiful, obsidian-like eyes seemed empty.

She stared intently at the two people sitting together, and at Masumi's hand resting on Kaigetsu, her tone icy:
"……So this is ah."

(End of this chapter)