Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 107 The defeated dog
"Hug, sorry..."

Seemingly sensing Akizuki Makoto's predicament, Shiina Maki took a step back, voluntarily breaking free from his embrace, and sobbed, "I'm sorry, Akizuki-kun, I did this again. I must have scared you."

“I just…suddenly feel very uneasy, afraid that, just like my mother said, I will be abandoned in the end.”

"How terrifying! How could Akizuki-kun abandon me with such thoughts?"

"I'm sorry, I was too anxious and said something bad. Please don't take it to heart, Akizuki-kun. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

Shiina Maki forced a smile, raised her hand, and desperately wiped away her tears, but the tears kept flowing. No matter how she wiped them away, new tears would well up.

"I……"

Seeing Shiina Maki so sad, Akizuki Makoto opened his mouth, but remained silent.

If he were to respond, wouldn't he only be able to assure Shiina Maki that he wouldn't abandon her?
But isn't this a tacit agreement to take responsibility for Shiina Maki and stay with her forever?

Does he possess such awareness?
Obviously, no.

The word "a lifetime" is too heavy a promise; even Akizuki Makoto cannot make it.

"It's okay if you don't answer me. Just forget what I just said."

Shiina Maki took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, suppressed her sadness and unease, and forced a smile.

"Akizuki-kun, let's go."

Maki Shiina abruptly ended the conversation and moved on.

However, the oppressive atmosphere between the two did not ease in the slightest.

Only now did Akizuki Makoto begin to consider whether everything he had done was right.

From a subjective point of view, what he did was definitely right, allowing Shiina Maki to escape the unhappiness of her family of origin and begin a new life.

Anyone would agree that he did nothing wrong, because he did his best and didn't just talk the talk.

He provided Shiina Maki with a source of income, helped her deal with Shiina's mother, and then found her a house so she could settle down.

It can be said that he has done everything perfectly and has a clear conscience.

Although the question of whether he should take responsibility for Shiina Maki after interfering in her life seems like moral blackmail, it was indeed a question he had never considered.

Previously, he naturally thought that although Shiina Maki liked him, she might be able to let go of her feelings for him once she recovered and returned to normal.

It's like helping someone who's lost and confused during a low period. By accompanying her out of that low period, helping her overcome her confusion, and helping her become cheerful and optimistic again, and by meeting more people, she might gradually let go of this relationship.

There's a saying that goes like this: "The first sword strike after landing is to slay the one you love."

Makoto Akizuki has been working towards the idea that once Maki Shiina returns to normal, she will be able to cut off her feelings for him.

However, he clearly underestimated the love that Shiina Maki harbored.

That was a deep love that would never waver, a love that would last until death.

It is a twisted way of making love blossom and bear fruit, regardless of how despicable or selfish it may be.

……

I rode the tram in silence all the way back to my apartment in Bunkyo Ward.

To help Shiina Maki calm down, Akizuki Makoto told her to go back to her bedroom to find Fuyuko, while he went to contact the landlord to discuss renting the apartment.

There's no need to add any more furniture, as the rental apartment already comes with a complete set of furniture.

Whether it's a refrigerator, a bed, a table, chairs, or a wardrobe, everything is available.

The only things you need to prepare are bedding, pillows, towels, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities.

No need to rush these. You can buy them at the mall or order them from Amazon, and they will be delivered to your door in less than two hours.

The rental process went smoothly; I paid one month's rent as a deposit and three months' rent in advance. As for the key money, I only paid one month's rent.

This price is only because of Akizuki Makoto's influence; otherwise, the gift money paid to the landlord, which is a red envelope to thank him for renting out the house, would be more than three times the rent!

All these miscellaneous expenses added up, so Shiina Maki had to pay 500,000 yen in one lump sum, which was still acceptable.

Shiina Maki will definitely be able to learn how to make dolls from Fuyuko within a month, and then Akizuki Makoto can get her commercial orders so that she can make them by herself or with Fuyuko.

Thus, after signing the contract and paying the initial rent, Shiina Maki officially became Akizuki Makoto's neighbor.

"hey-hey……"

Looking at the keys in her hand and her bright, spacious living room, Shiina Maki smiled radiantly and said, "Please take care of me from now on, Akizuki-kun~"

"Yes, please take care of me."

Makoto Akizuki nodded gently and smiled, genuinely happy and congratulating Maki Shiina on her new life.

Only then did the atmosphere between the two return to normal.

Afterwards, the two went to a nearby shopping mall to buy the furniture they needed.

Needless to say, I bought bedding, pillows, and other daily necessities, as well as a set of pots, pans, and water cups.

When buying water bottles, Shiina Maki also bought a pair of mugs as a thank-you gift to Akizuki Makoto, expressing her gratitude for his help.

Although Akizuki Makoto felt it was unnecessary, he figured that since it was a thank-you gift, he could only accept it.

After all, this was a token of Maki Shiina's affection, and he couldn't very well refuse.

By the time the two returned from shopping and worked together to set everything up, it was nearly evening.

Shiina Maki wiped her sweat, looked at her small home which was already full of life, and smiled gently.

Then, she glanced at the sky outside and noticed that it was getting late, so she said, "Akizuki-kun, if you don't mind, let me cook dinner later?"

"Okay, I'll trouble you then."

Akizuki Makoto naturally had no objections and nodded in agreement before taking Shiina Maki back to his house.

Although Shiina Maki's home has a kitchen, the natural gas won't be connected until tomorrow, so she can only cook at his house.

As the two left Shiina Maki's house and prepared to enter Akizuki Makoto's house, the elevator facing the corridor suddenly opened.

The girl in the elevator was dressed in cool sportswear, with a thin white jacket over it, and a badminton racket slung over her shoulder.

"Li? What brings you here?"

Akizuki Makoto stopped in his tracks, looked at the person who appeared behind the elevator door, and called out her name.

"Acheng—"

The moment Shimizu Rei saw Akizuki Makoto, her face lit up with joy, and she immediately greeted him.

But the next second, she froze, and the rest of her words stopped abruptly, stuck in her throat.

She wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes, otherwise how could she see a girl she had never seen before, looking so fresh and beautiful, walking out of the entrance hall of Akizuki Makoto's house?
Shiina Maki stood next to Akizuki Makoto, and when she met Shimizu Rei's eyes, she immediately recognized her as the other girl she had seen at the cake shop yesterday.

"H-hello."

She greeted him somewhat nervously, thinking to herself that Akizuki Makoto's childhood friend was quite charming.

Although he has short hair and wheat-colored skin, making him look like a tomboy, he has very good features and exudes a youthful and energetic aura.

"Acheng, what's this?"

Shimizu Rei looked at Akizuki Makoto with a puzzled expression, not recognizing her as the older sister she had met at the cake shop yesterday who had bought cakes for Fuyuko.

"Shiina Maki."

After giving his name concisely, Qiuyue felt that the introduction was too brief, so she added, "She is my classmate and also my neighbor. She just moved in next door today."

"Neighbor?"

Shimizu Rei's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at the slightly reserved Shiina Maki in astonishment, thinking to herself that this girl must have done it on purpose, by sheer coincidence that she moved in next door to Akizuki Makoto.

It's as clear as day that he's plotting something!

But she couldn't say anything, since she wasn't familiar with Maki Shiina.

Moreover, it's a person's freedom to move wherever they want; there's no rule against classmates moving next door to each other.

"This is Shimizu Rei, my childhood sweetheart."

Makoto Akizuki then introduced Rei Shimizu to Maki Shiina, and asked, "Rei, what brings you here? Is there something you need?"

"Can't I come if I have nothing to do?!"

After muttering something, Shimizu Rei said in a sour tone, "Ah~ Do you feel like I'm bothering you? I didn't expect you to be so popular with women, with different girls coming to see you every day."

Yesterday's Ji Yexue was already high enough, and now another one has appeared out of nowhere, and it's also very high level.

Not only is she very good-looking, but she also has such a great figure. She manages to make a JK uniform look like a form of uniform seduction.

"As expected, childhood sweethearts can't compete with those born from the sky?"

Shimizu Rei cried out in her heart, already foreseeing her future fate as a loser.

With two powerful generals, Ji Yexue and Shiina Maki, her already awkward position as her childhood friend became even more precarious.

"Don't tease me, you make me sound like some kind of succubus."

Akizuki Makoto smiled helplessly and said, "If you're looking for me for no reason... you're probably just here to hang out with Touko and get a free meal, right? You could have just said so directly. It's not like I'm stopping you from coming."

"Tch, you talk like you know me so well."

Shimizu Rei snorted coldly, crossed her arms, and arrogantly turned her head to the side.

"We've known each other for so many years, we should at least know each other a little bit, right?"

"No, no, no, you don't understand at all!"

Shimizu Rei kept complaining, thinking to herself that if Akizuki Makoto, with his blockhead, could understand her, would the two of them be acting like buddies?

She can't even tell that he likes her, yet she claims to understand him. Doesn't that mean she doesn't understand him at all?

"that……"

At this moment, Shiina Maki spoke up timidly, interrupting their conversation, and whispered, "Akizuki-kun, you two talk first, I'll go make dinner first?"

"Okay, go ahead."

Akizuki Makoto nodded in agreement, then looked at Shimizu Rei and said, "Alright, stop standing there and come in."

After he entered the entrance hall, Shimizu Rei pouted, stomped her foot angrily to vent her frustration, and followed closely behind.

"Acheng, why didn't you ask me about today's match?"

"Is that even a question? With your current level, winning the women's championship is no problem at all."

"Why didn't you congratulate me?"

Shimizu Rei grumbled in dissatisfaction and patted Akizuki Makoto's back hard.

"Good, good, congratulations on your first victory."

Akizuki Makoto smiled helplessly, sat down on the sofa, and said, "If you want to play with Touko, go to my bedroom. She's probably doing crafts there."

"When did I say I was coming to visit Dongzi?"

Shimizu Rei pursed her lips, thinking to herself that Akizuki Makoto really was a blockhead.

Although she wanted to play with Dongzi, she wanted to stay with Qiuyue Cheng even more. Moreover, the sudden appearance of another woman who was stealing her attention only intensified her sense of crisis.

So, she couldn't help but ask, with a hint of probing, "Hey, Cheng, are you and that girl named Shiina just... classmates?" "We're neighbors."

Makoto Akizuki felt that Shimizu Rei's question was a bit strange, since he had just said that Shiina Maki was also his neighbor.

"That's not it!"

Shimizu Rei pouted, patted Akizuki Makoto, and snorted, "I mean, you two seem to have a very good relationship, not like ordinary classmates."

"Oh, this..."

Makoto Akizuki immediately understood, but he didn't know how to define his relationship with Maki Shiina.

Now, can they still be considered friends?

Can he still say with a clear conscience that their relationship was completely innocent, just like before?
Despite all that has happened between them, including so many ambiguous interactions, and Shiina Maki's persistent and direct approach, they are clearly already deeply involved.

Seeing that Akizuki Makoto suddenly fell silent and hesitated, Shimizu Rei immediately had a bad feeling.

This was the first time she had ever seen Akizuki Makoto like this, unsure of how to define his relationships with others.

In the past, when she asked him, Akizuki Makoto would always answer instantly, smiling and saying it was a friend or something.

"Acheng, you wouldn't happen to... like her, would you?"

Shimizu Rei asked the question in a trembling voice, desperately praying in her heart that Akizuki Makoto would not answer "yes".

In that case, she would definitely be devastated.

Her goal has always been to catch up with Akizuki Makoto and become a girl who is worthy of him.

Faced with Shimizu Rei's question, Akizuki Makoto remained silent for a long time before shaking his head and answering in a low voice, "...I don't know."

It's impossible to say that I have absolutely no feelings for Maki Shiina.

After all, she had mustered up her courage several times to stand in front of him and help him out of awkward situations.

Whether it was Ji Yexue rescuing him when she was hiding and threatening him, or standing up at the karaoke bar to sing a song for him, these were all things that moved him deeply.

The fact that the worried and timid Shiina Maki could muster up the courage for him shows how sincere she is.

Although to outsiders these may seem like trivial matters, far less significant than the things he did to help Shiina Maki, considering Shiina Maki's personality, it must have been incredibly difficult for her to stand up for him.

Moreover, what happened today forced him to examine his relationship with Shiina Maki and his future attitude towards her.

"This, this is it..."

Seeing how troubled Akizuki Makoto was, Shimizu Rei could only force a smile, while inwardly she wanted to cry but couldn't.

Isn't it obvious already?!
When a relationship becomes unclear, it's proof that love is beginning to take root and sprout!
She deeply understands this because she had been through the same thing.

Her affection for Akizuki Makoto was not love at first sight, but rather a gradual development over time.

Having grown accustomed to having Akizuki Makoto by her side, she never realized that this was what "liking" someone meant.

It wasn't until he transferred to a school in Tokyo that she suddenly realized she had fallen in love with Makoto Akizuki, but it was all too late.

"Sorry for asking such a strange question."

Shimizu Rei apologized quietly, somewhat annoyed at herself for being so talkative.

I finally had a chance to be alone with Akizuki Makoto, but he ruined the atmosphere with just a few words.

"It's alright, how could I blame you?"

Akizuki Makoto smiled and then said, "Ryo, you've been apologizing to me a lot lately. There's no need for you to be so polite to me. Our relationship shouldn't be like this, right?"

"So... what is it like?"

Shimizu Rei bit her lip and asked nervously, "What does A-Cheng think of me?"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto was taken aback.

Looking into Shimizu Rei's eyes, which subtly revealed both anticipation and unease, and at her slightly flushed cheeks, combined with her various behaviors since arriving in Tokyo, he suddenly understood something.

He wasn't dense; he just got too familiar with Shimizu Rei and overlooked her girlish feelings.

"...as before, without any scruples."

Akizuki turned his head to face straight ahead and replied in a low voice, "We've known each other for so long, we're practically family."

“In my eyes, you are like a mischievous little sister to me, so there is no need for us to have any strange concerns.”

These two concise sentences seem to contain some profound meaning.

Whether Shimizu Rei understood or not, she suddenly laughed, her voice becoming cheerful and bright.

"Haha, yeah, it's really my fault. After all, I haven't seen Acheng in a long time, so I was a little lost."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto fell silent; he didn't want to hurt Shimizu Rei's feelings.

Just as he said, he treated Shimizu Rei like family, and regarded her as half a younger sister.

How could a brother possibly have unusual feelings for his sister?

"I'm going to find Dongzi to play."

Shimizu Rei suddenly stood up, forced a smile, said something, and fled into Akizuki Makoto's bedroom.

At this moment, Fuyuko was lying on her bed in the bedroom, looking intently at the manuscript of "Snow Country" that Akizuki had given to Shiina Maki.

She didn't even notice when Shimizu Rei came in, completely absorbed in the novel written by Akizuki Makoto.

"Dongzi, what are you looking at?"

It wasn't until Shimizu Rei gently asked that Fuyuko snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the bedroom door.

"Sister Li~"

She put down the manuscript, called out sweetly like a kitten, and then suddenly asked in confusion, "Sister, are you unhappy? You look very sad."

"Eh?"

Shimizu Rei was taken aback for a moment, then asked in a flustered manner, "Is it...is it that obvious? Can you tell at a glance?"

She was indeed very sad and unhappy because her love had truly ended without a trace.

They didn't even have the chance to reveal their true feelings.

Akizuki Makoto said he treated her like a younger sister, so how could she not understand what he meant?

She's not a fool or a blockhead like Akizuki Makoto.

"Sister, what happened?"

Dongzi got out of bed, ran over to Shimizu Rei, hugged her, and whispered, "Dongzi will comfort you, so if you're unhappy about anything, just tell Dongzi."

"Haha, thank you, Dongzi, I'm fine..."

Shimizu Rei forced a smile, placed her hand on Fuyuko's head, and gently stroked it.

How could she possibly tell Dongzi that she was rejected because she tried to reveal her feelings, but Akizuki Makoto noticed and noticed?
Dongzi probably doesn't understand the feelings between men and women yet.

To change the mood, Shimizu Rei took the initiative to change the subject and asked curiously, "By the way, Fuyuko, what were you looking at just now? You seemed so engrossed in it."

Dongzi peeked out from her arms and whispered, "It's a book written by my brother."

"A book written by Acheng?"

Shimizu Rei was taken aback again and asked, "Has it been released today?"

"No."

Dongzi gently shook her head, smiling brightly, and said, "It was another older sister who showed me the original manuscript, which my brother wrote himself."

"Original...manuscript".

In an instant, Shimizu Rei was struck dumb as if by lightning, standing there stunned, her face showing astonishment and her heart filled with confusion.

She remembered that Akizuki Makoto had once said that he had given the manuscript to someone else, but now the manuscript had returned to Fuyuko, which meant...

The person who received the gift from Akizuki Makoto is none other than Shiina Maki, who is currently cooking in the kitchen?
Shimizu Rei bit her lip, a look of sadness and disappointment on her face.

Sure enough, Akizuki Makoto likes her, otherwise why would he give away such a precious manuscript?

Noticing the change in Shimizu Rei's emotions, Fuyuko asked somewhat anxiously, "Sister, what's wrong? You look very sad again."

"……fine."

Shimizu Rei shook her head and forced a smile, saying, "Excuse me, Fuyuko, could I stay here quietly for a while?"

At this moment, she began to regret why she had come to Akizuki Makoto's house today.

If she hadn't come today, she wouldn't know so much, and she wouldn't be so sad, right?
Even though she was so sad, her eyes were sore, and her chest felt like it was going to explode, she still had to force a smile so that Dongzi wouldn't worry about her.

She didn't want to go out and let Qiu Yuecheng see her like this, because that would make her too ashamed to face him again.

"Heh, childhood sweethearts really can't beat someone who falls from the sky..."

Shimizu Rei sat down in a corner of the bedroom, hugging her knees and curling up into a ball, inwardly mocking herself.

She knew her chances of winning were slim, but she still held onto a sliver of hope.

It wasn't until Akizuki Makoto said, "I treat her like half a younger sister," that she finally came to terms with reality.

There was absolutely no possibility between her and Akizuki Makoto.

Akizuki Makoto already has someone he cares about, so she can only wish him happiness.

"No...no, don't do this..."

"I don't want Acheng to belong to someone else, I want to have Acheng..."

"What should I do..."

Shimizu Rei thought sadly to herself.

At one point, she suddenly remembered that she seemed to have another trump card.

"If... that's the case, then Acheng should take responsibility for me, right?"

"But this is so despicable, such a despicable thing... if it's discovered..."

"..."

Shimizu Rei was constantly torn between her inner thoughts and her own, her heart filled with hesitation.

She was afraid of the consequences of being discovered, but she was also afraid that Akizuki Makoto would be taken away by someone else.

"...Whether it's despicable or selfish, Acheng, I want you to belong to me. You can only be mine."

In the end, Shimizu Rei's desire to possess Akizuki Makoto prevailed.

She was determined to win over Akizuki Makoto by any means necessary, even if it meant being disliked and their relationship breaking down.

But she would rather their relationship break down than let Akizuki Makoto belong to someone else.

If anyone tries to take Akizuki Makoto away from her, she will never forgive them!
(End of this chapter)