Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 113, "Questioning Shimizu Rei," explodes!

After school in the afternoon.

Akizuki Makoto packed his schoolbag and headed to the student council room, without going to find Fuyuko again.

The recent absenteeism has become too serious. He leaves early every few days, and sometimes doesn't show up for several days in a row.

If he doesn't work harder on club activities, his position as vice president will become very precarious.

"Hey, Vice President, long time no see."

"What has the vice president been busy with lately? It's been a long time since he's shown his face in the student council."

"Stop talking about it. Our vice president is currently caught in a real mess. Haven't you heard the rumors?"

The so-called rumors naturally refer to the fact that Akizuki Makoto is two-timing, having ambiguous relationships with both Shiina Maki and Himeyasu.

Unfortunately, Akizuki Makoto couldn't refute these rumors, because they were true.

Ji Yexue and Shiina Maki are vying for his affections, and he hasn't agreed to either of them.

But you can't blame him. He had clearly rejected both sides, but they persisted and continued to launch fierce attacks on him.

He can't really turn against them and cut off all ties, can he?

...I always felt that doing that would lead to something terrible, and might even cause the two of them to turn to the dark side.

After all, his personality was already biased and dark, belonging to the abnormal category. It's normal for him to have some extreme thoughts if he was stimulated.

"Don't talk about my gossip in front of me, it's bothering me too."

Faced with the student council members' playful teasing, Akizuki Makoto could only give a helpless, bitter smile, sit down at his seat, and begin his work.

His words were very effective, and everyone tactfully changed the subject, no longer teasing Akizuki Makoto about his predicament.

"Oh, right! There's a really good book that came out yesterday, have you guys read it?"

"What? What's your name?"

"The book is called Snow Country. The author is a newcomer, but it's surprisingly well written. I stayed up all night reading it last night and felt upset for a long time afterward."

"Haha, no wonder you were so listless today, and the teacher even called on you in class..."

Upon hearing "Snow Country," Makoto Akizuki paused for a moment, his hand holding the document pausing, before he nonchalantly continued with his own tasks.

Snow Country was finally released yesterday, and thanks to Shinchosha's strong promotion, it has generated a lot of discussion in just one day.

Information about "Snow Country" can now be found on major social media platforms, and some content creators have even provided in-depth analyses!
"Let's register an official account when we get back..."

While listening to others discuss the plot of "Snow Country," Akizuki Makoto was busy dealing with a mountain of work until six o'clock in the evening when the school bell rang to close.

"Vice President, thank you for your hard work!"

"Everyone has worked hard. Let's call it a day."

After tidying up the tea set and exchanging greetings with the others, Akizuki Makoto left the school and set off on his way home as the twilight descended on the horizon.

Along the way, he passed a bookstore and saw a huge sign at the entrance, which featured the cover of "Snow Country" along with some keywords.

The sheer power of Shinchosha is terrifying. If they want to promote a book, they don't need sales or reputation at all; they can directly promote it in bookstores of all sizes.

These bookstores also trusted Shinchosha's vision, so they were willing to cooperate.

The result was naturally very well received; sales exceeded 10,000 copies in just one day, and that was only the first day's sales.

Once the readers who bought 10,000 copies finish reading "Snow Country" and give their reviews, that number will skyrocket at an alarming rate in the following days.

Looking at the bookstore sign, Akizuki Makoto stopped in his tracks, entered the bookstore, and bought a copy of "Snow Country" to take home.

...He didn't know why he, as an author, would buy one of his own books.

On his way back to his apartment, as he opened the door, Akizuki Makoto heard a "click" sound from the door next door.

Immediately, the door was pushed open, and Shiina Maki, who had changed into casual clothes, appeared behind the door.

She saw Akizuki Makoto, paused slightly, then smiled and said, "What a coincidence, Akizuki-kun just got back?"

"Yes, I participated in a club activity at the student council today."

Akizuki Makoto nodded in response and stopped his movement as he was about to step into the entrance hall.

Shiina Maki asked with some curiosity, "Didn't Fuyuko come back with you?"

"She went to a freshman orientation party, so she'll probably be a little late."

"Hey, Akizuki-kun, didn't you go with them?"

Shiina Maki was somewhat surprised. Makoto Akizuki was a well-known siscon, and Touko was very attached to him, so there was no reason not to invite him to go, and there was no reason for him to go along.

"Why should I go? It's Dongzi's welcome party. Wouldn't it be strange for me, as her older brother, to go? I'm not Ji..."

At the end of the conversation, Akizuki Makoto suddenly realized what he was saying and immediately shut up.

He almost forgot that he couldn't mention Himeyasu in front of Shiina Maki, nor could he mention Shiina Maki in front of Himeyasu, otherwise the two of them would definitely have a falling out and feel uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, by the time he realized it, it was too late.

Just from the single character "姬" (hime), Shiina Maki paused for a moment, keenly sensing something.

"President Ji Ye went along?"

In the morning, she sat in the classroom and witnessed Qiu Yuecheng and Ji Yexue laughing and joking at the classroom door, and also heard the cheers from the surroundings.

Perhaps because she had been feeling unwell for a long time last night, she was surprisingly calm, only feeling somewhat lost and inexplicably distressed.

Although her eyes were a little sore, she didn't cry.

Therefore, when she heard Qiuyue Cheng mention Ji Yexue, she immediately thought of Ji Yexue attending Dongzi's welcome party.

Akizuki lowered his head, awkwardly touched his nose, and after a long silence, nodded in acknowledgment.

"...Hmm, I don't know what's wrong with her, she's acting like an idiot who can't read the room."

"Isn't this nice?"

Shiina Maki forced a smile and said softly, "It must be a little uneasy for Fuyuko to go to the freshman orientation party alone, right? After all, she's quite shy."

"..."

Makoto Akizuki fell silent, unsure how to respond to Maki Shiina's words.

How could he not see that Shiina Maki was forcing a smile? This made him very embarrassed.

Being caught in a dangerous situation is truly like walking on thin ice; one wrong step and you'll step on a landmine.

"What are you having for dinner tonight, Akizuki-kun?"

Shiina Maki noticed Akizuki Makoto's embarrassment, so she changed the subject at the right time, smiling and extending an invitation: "Would you like to come over to my place? I'm about to make dinner."

"Forget it, I might have something to do later."

Akizuki Shin shook his head and declined. He later arranged to meet with Shimizu Rei to ask her if she had done anything to Ji Yexue that day.

"Okay, alright, then there's nothing I can do... I'll go back and cook now, see you later."

Shiina Maki looked regretful, retreated to the entrance hall, and closed the door.

"I have a feeling... that Akizuki-kun is intentionally distancing himself from me."

She leaned against the door, squatted on the ground, and whispered to herself in a lost and dejected mood.

She had thought that moving next door to Akizuki Makoto would give her more opportunities to see him, but she realized she was completely wrong.

She hadn't even spent half as much time as Ji Yexue meeting Qiuyue Cheng!

For the past two days, Akizuki Makoto has been staying with Ji Yexue, treating her with a lukewarm attitude, even somewhat indifferent.

This inevitably gave her the feeling that Akizuki Makoto was deliberately distancing himself from her and keeping his distance.

Sure enough, it was because he used too much force the day before yesterday, which frightened Akizuki Makoto. After calming down and thinking it over, he decided to distance himself from her and get closer to Ji Yexue?
But how much better is Ji Yexue than her?

She could tell that Ji Yexue was very possessive and extremely controlling.

She has a possessive desire for Qiuyue Cheng, but not a controlling one. Isn't she better than Ji Yexue in this respect?
"What should I do……"

Shiina Maki muttered to herself, her heart filled with confusion and disappointment, unsure of how to salvage her relationship with Akizuki Makoto.

She began to regret that she had been too hasty and had revealed her dark and twisted nature.

But she really couldn't control herself anymore. Qiu Yuecheng hadn't responded to her and kept rejecting her. If she didn't make a move soon, Ji Yexue or another girl might beat her to it.

Tonight will be another sleepless night for Maki Shiina, as she tosses and turns.

……

the other side.

Back home, Akizuki Makoto contacted Shimizu Rei via LINE and invited her to his house.

He even specifically mentioned that Dongzi wasn't there today, so it was just the two of them, all to lure Shimizu Rei over, otherwise this guy might politely decline because of what happened the day before yesterday.

At least, Shimizu Rei didn't come yesterday.

If Shimizu Rei had come to his house for dinner last night, he would definitely have found no one home and asked where he and Fuyuko had gone.

Upon hearing that it was just the two of them today, Shimizu Rei immediately took the bait and said she would come right now.

Her match ended at four o'clock in the afternoon, after which she went back to the hotel to rest and read "Snow Country" which she had bought from the bookstore.

She was deeply moved by the delicate descriptions in the text, and then she searched for information about "Snow Country" online and felt a strong sense of disappointment.

Ah Cheng, who had always been by her side, is now moving on to another world with unstoppable momentum, becoming a great writer she can never reach.

She dared not think that if a few more years passed like this, would she no longer be able to see Akizuki Makoto at will?
Or rather, you can only catch a glimpse of him from afar, and never get close to him again.

She could no longer pat him on the back with a smile, chat with him, play badminton, or do all sorts of things together, as she could now or before.

...Just thinking about that future made her feel a pang of pain.

She desperately tried to catch up with Akizuki Makoto, but could only watch helplessly as he drifted further and further away from her. This cruel reality was too painful.

"Tonight, maybe I can win over Acheng!"

Shimizu Rei looked at the messages on her phone, secretly cheered herself up, and began to carefully pack her things.

Her outfit was unremarkable, consisting of a sports bra and tight shorts that exposed a large area of ​​her chest and lower abdomen, vaguely revealing a glimpse of her fair skin and cleavage.

She had thought about dressing more femininely, but after trying them on at the clothing store, she realized it wouldn't work at all. She looked out of place in the dress, almost like a man dressed as a woman.

She jogged from the hotel to the apartment where Akizuki Makoto was staying, her breathing becoming slightly rapid and beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

And this was also carefully designed—she had seen it in comics; a sweaty, athletic girl would always make one's heart flutter.

Of course, sweating here doesn't mean being drenched in sweat, that would be a bit too much.

"Ah Cheng!"

Shimizu Rei stood in front of the Akizuki family's house, ringing the doorbell and calling out, "Coming right away!"

Akizuki Makoto, who was waiting in the living room, immediately opened the door for her and made room for her to come in.

As for the little design that Shimizu Reilai made, he saw it as no different from anything else, and he didn't feel any excitement or even a ripple of emotion.

Because the thought of questioning Shimizu Rei later made him feel a stomachache.

He was afraid that Shimizu Rei would admit it, because he would feel terrible if he did, since he really considered Shimizu Rei as half a family member.

He found it unacceptable that his own family members would harm someone else's body because of jealousy.

"Hey, long time no see."

Shimizu Rei tried to calm her pounding heart, greeted the occupants with feigned composure, and entered the entrance hall.

As soon as she entered the living room, she immediately took off her coat and threw it on the sofa.

Wearing only a sports bra on her upper body, she really looked like she was only wearing a bra, since she had chosen the shortest one.

The halter design not only exposes a large area of ​​the chest, but the bra only covers the chest area, leaving the entire lower abdomen exposed.

The tight shorts she wore only reached halfway up her thighs, and when she sat cross-legged on the sofa, Akizuki Makoto didn't know where to look.

"...Are you feeling very hot today?"

He glanced at her, asked a question, walked to the refrigerator, took out barley tea, then took out a disposable paper cup and served a cup of barley tea to Shimizu Rei.

Since the rainy season ended, Tokyo has officially entered summer, and the temperature has been rising every day, making the sweltering air unbearable.

"Fortunately."

Shimizu Rei noticed Akizuki Makoto's action of looking away, and secretly felt smug, but pretended to be nonchalant on the surface.

Akizuki Makoto is really stubborn. He says he treats her like a younger sister, but doesn't he actually see her as a girl?

"By the way, where did Dongzi go? Why isn't she home?"

"She went to school today, and her classmates held a welcome party for her, so she won't be coming back for dinner."

As Akizuki Makoto casually sat down next to Shimizu Rei, he also took a sip of barley tea to moisten his dry throat.

"Hey, that's strange, you're such a siscon, you're not coming along."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto was speechless, unable to understand why everyone perceived him as a sister-complex.

"...You know me so well, so you should know that I'm looking for you because I need something, right?"

"I know."

Shimizu Rei nodded. It was already strange enough that Akizuki had invited her to his home, but to specifically mention that Fuyuko wasn't home made it even more unusual and absurd.

"Then let me ask you a question, about etiquette."

Akizuki Makoto spoke softly, turning to look at Shimizu Rei, their eyes meeting.

"Ask, ask..."

Seeing that Akizuki Makoto was so serious and even turned around to look at her, Shimizu Rei subconsciously sat up straight, feeling very nervous.

I have a feeling that in this atmosphere, Akizuki Makoto is about to say something really extraordinary.

Moreover, ever since Akizuki Makoto said he wanted to ask her, he had been looking at her with a hint of hesitation on his face, and he hesitated several times before speaking.

This made her restless and unable to sit still any longer. She took the initiative and shouted, "Just ask! What are you waiting for?! Be a man and do it! Stop being so indecisive!"

She had never seen Akizuki Makoto show such an expression before.

Is it really that difficult for him to ask? Could it be...?

Shimizu Rei's heart suddenly raced, and unrealistic fantasies flooded her mind.

Is it possible—and I mean just a possibility—that Akizuki Makoto has been carefully considering his relationship with her these past few days and realized that he actually harbors some feelings for her as well…

"What did you do to Ji Ye that day?"

Upon hearing this, Shimizu Rei's breathing suddenly stopped, and her heartbeat also came to a halt.

Her shy, slightly smug expression turned blank.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, her heart began to pound violently again, even faster than before, as if it were about to leap out of her throat, making her chest feel uncomfortable.

"Ah, Cheng, what are you saying?"

She didn't understand what Akizuki Makoto was saying, she really didn't understand.

Why would Akizuki Makoto suddenly ask this? Did she reveal something?
That can't be right. She attacked Ji Yexue without anyone noticing. How could they suspect her?
Seeing the bewildered look on Shimizu Rei's face, Akizuki Makoto took a deep breath and asked again, "That day, when we came out of the barbecue restaurant, Himeya suddenly felt very unwell when she got into the car. Did you do something?"

He didn't actually have any concrete evidence, but he felt that Shimizu Rei had a motive and was the prime suspect.

Therefore, he could only question Shimizu Rei like this, trying to make her panic and admit it on her own.

However, Shimizu Rei had absolute confidence in the concealment of her abilities, and she could neither admit nor accept it.

Although Akizuki Makoto might have some crucial evidence to ask her this question, if she were to admit it, everything would truly be over.

Even in her dying struggle, she would wait for Akizuki Makoto to produce substantial evidence before she could admit it.

"Why would Acheng ask me this?"

Shimizu Rei suddenly stood up and shouted, "Haven't I been staying by A-Cheng's side the whole time? What have I done? Why are you doubting me!"

"Li, calm down."

Akizuki Makoto realized that he might have misunderstood, and quickly got up to try to comfort Shimizu Rei.

But Shimizu Rei seemed genuinely angry; her body was trembling slightly as she glared at him with intense fury.

"Acheng is really going too far!"

"They questioned and doubted me without any explanation!"

Do you really think of me as someone who hurts others?

The sharp and insightful questions startled Akizuki Makoto, who then felt guilty, wondering how he could have doubted Shimizu Rei.
Perhaps his success in catching Dongzi last time gave him more confidence in his judgment.

Shimizu Rei is clearly a normal woman; she couldn't possibly be abnormal. How could he doubt her?
"I'm sorry, Li, I just..."

Akizuki Makoto moved his lips, trying to explain his actions, but he seemed unable to explain why he would suspect Shimizu Rei.

He can't possibly say that he had actually witnessed superpowers and that both Touko and Himeyasu possessed superpowers, which is why he suspected Shimizu Rei, right?

That would only make things worse.

"Acheng, I really didn't expect you to question me like this. There must be a rift between us."

Shimizu Rei gave a bitter smile, tears welling up in her eyes. She was genuinely sad, not just putting on an act.

Clearly, Akizuki Makoto had no substantial evidence, nor had she been exposed.

This should have been a cause for celebration, but she felt incredibly sad because Akizuki Makoto suspected her.

Although she did indeed do the right thing, Akizuki Makoto had no substantial evidence, which immediately shifted the balance of power, and it became Akizuki Makoto's fault.

Just as she said, they questioned and doubted her without any reason.

"No, Li, I..."

"That's enough, I don't want to hear it!"

Shimizu Rei interrupted Akizuki Makoto directly.

Then, with tears in her eyes, she looked at Akizuki Makoto with a sorrowful and disappointed gaze.

Qiu Yuecheng unconsciously lowered his head under her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes, his heart filled with annoyance.

He regretted his rashness in questioning Shimizu Rei without any evidence.

Now look what's happened; Shimizu Rei's heart has been broken.

He could understand Shimizu Rei's feelings very well. After all, for Shimizu Rei, he was not only her childhood friend of more than ten years, but also the person she liked.

Being questioned by someone so close to him would make him feel bad, angry, and disappointed.

"Acheng, didn't I tell you this before?"

Shimizu Rei took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing the surging emotions within her for a moment, and slowly said, "I told you to be careful of that girl named Ji Ye, but you didn't believe me at all. You seemed completely infatuated with her and foolishly got fooled."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto couldn't refute it, but he didn't doubt that Ji Yexue had lied to him.

On this one point, he was absolutely confident.

Although Ji Yexue has a terrible personality, she would never be the kind of person to deceive him with such low-level means, and he could clearly sense that Ji Yexue's condition suddenly became very strange that day.

However, in Shimizu Rei's opinion, perhaps Ji Yexue had lied to him and wanted to sow discord between him and Shimizu Rei.

"Acheng, you really have no regard for me at all. You doubt me so easily, and you call me over so casually to question me."

"What do you take me for? Is it really as you say, more than family, like a younger sister?"

"Is this how you treat your family? Suspecting them without any evidence."

"You said you know me very well, so if you know me well, why do you doubt me?"

"..."

Akizuki Shiro pursed his lips, remaining silent and accepting Shimizu Rei's harsh criticism without uttering a single word of explanation.

He made a mistake; he lacked consideration and handled the matter poorly.

Seeing that Akizuki Makoto remained silent, Shimizu Rei felt that it was about time, so she wiped her eyes and wiped away her tears one last time.

That's all for now. I wish you happiness.

After saying that, she stormed out and slammed the door shut behind her.

But the moment she turned her back to Akizuki Makoto, all the anger and sadness on her face vanished, replaced by a sickly and twisted smile.

"Acheng, don't blame me for being despicable, because... I don't want to lose you."

"I'm sorry, I lied to you, I'm so sorry, but please forgive me, I just..."

"I just love you from the bottom of my heart, hopelessly, and I don't want to lose you or give you to anyone else."

Shimizu Rei admits that what she did was really despicable, but she was already at a disadvantage, not only because of the negative buff of being a childhood friend, but also because she could only stay in Tokyo for half a month.

So, even if you use some tricks, it can be forgiven, right?

(End of this chapter)