Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 197 Fear
"Fine, you should let me go after all. I can manage on my own!"

Seeing Akizuki Makoto coughing in front of her, looking pained, Shiraishi Rin couldn't help but panic and gently broke free from his embrace.

But even though he said he was breaking free from her embrace, he was still in a state of being pinned against the wall.

She leaned against the carriage, with Akizuki Makoto right in front of her. Although she had broken free from his embrace, the distance between them was still very close, almost like an embrace.

Akizuki Makoto didn't mention wanting to hug Shiraishi Rin again, but just told her to be careful.

"……Well."

Shiraishi Rin hunched over, looking up slightly at Akizuki Makoto, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

She didn't understand why things had turned out this way; being pinned against the wall by Akizuki Makoto was something she would never have dared to imagine before.

What is Akizuki Makoto really thinking?
What is his intention?
He had always deliberately kept his distance from her, but now he was actively getting closer to her.

Even if you ask, you'll be given the runaround, which clearly means they're hiding something.

Shiraishi Rin kept forcing herself not to overthink, but she couldn't control her thoughts.

"What is Akizuki-kun thinking?"

She muttered to herself in frustration, completely bewildered by the situation.

Fortunately, from then until the train arrived at Shinjuku Gyoen, Akizuki Makoto did not close the distance with her again—mainly because Himeyasuki had quieted down and did not give any instructions.

Ever since she realized that she had lost her composure and made Akizuki Makoto suffocate, Ji Yexue had quieted down and quietly climbed onto Akizuki Makoto's back.

Akizuki Makoto was relieved that Himeyasu was able to stay quiet, but at the same time he was also a little worried.

If Shiraishi Rin hadn't been there, he would have pleaded with Himeyasu to stop and not do such things again.

In this way, everyone is only hurting each other, and no one benefits.

However, Akizuki Makoto did not have the standing to make Ji Yexue back down, nor did he have the right to.

He simply wanted to protect Shiina Maki and didn't want her to realize that she had been betrayed.

If Shiina Maki knew that he and Shiraishi Rin were having a secret rendezvous and engaging in flirtatious behavior, he couldn't even imagine how heartbroken Shiina Maki would be.

He only hoped that Shiina Maki wouldn't notice until Ji Yexue was satisfied.

Although that was impossible, Ji Yexue's ultimate goal was to make Shiina Maki experience her pain.

……

Entering the café in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Makoto Akizuki found a quieter seat on the inner side.

After glancing at the menu, Shiraishi Rin said, "I'd like a latte, a Uji cake, and a crepe."

"I'll have a latte too, with a tortilla."

Akizuki Makoto also placed his order and handed the menu back to the waiter.

"Is this enough? You can order more if you like, Akizuki-kun."

"That's enough. If you eat too much, you won't be able to eat anything tonight."

Qiu Yuecheng smiled slightly. His original purpose was not to eat and drink, but to cooperate with Ji Yexue.

"Yes, yes..."

Rin Shiraishi nodded and continued, "It feels a bit strange, coming to a coffee shop with Akizuki-kun."

She was still worried about this matter and couldn't put her mind at ease, especially after being pinned against the wall and hugged by Akizuki Makoto on the train.

Thinking about what happened on the train, she felt a little guilty towards Shiina Maki.

If Shiina Maki finds out, she might not say anything, but she'll definitely feel resentful.

Even though it was Akizuki Makoto who took the initiative to ask for it, he still minded, and that wouldn't change because of who took the initiative or who was passive.

"Haha, I also think it's quite amazing."

Qiu Yuecheng smiled. If it weren't for Ji Yexue's request, he probably wouldn't have even considered such a thing.

At this moment, Ji Yexue, who had been quiet all along, seemed to sense his thoughts and whispered in his ear, "Go, sit next to her."

"..."

The moment Qiu Yuecheng heard Ji Yexue's words, his smile immediately froze.

Now, he and Shiraishi Rin are sitting facing each other, with a table between them.

Although their seats weren't single seats and there were chairs next to them, normally, people who aren't couples wouldn't sit together, would they?

No matter what, Ji Yexue's request is too unreasonable, isn't it?
If he did that, it would definitely scare Shiraishi Rin and she would question him.

"What, what's wrong?"

Shiraishi Rin also noticed that the smile on Akizuki Makoto's face was slowly disappearing, and couldn't help but feel a little confused and nervous.

"Ah, it's okay..."

Akizuki Makoto shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively asked, "Um, may I sit next to you?"

"Eh?"

As expected, Shiraishi Rin was immediately startled, and his eyes widened.

This kind of sudden fright has happened several times today, but she still hasn't gotten used to it.

Each time, she was shocked by Akizuki Makoto's unexpected remarks.

"Why?! Why?!"

After a brief moment of shock, Shiraishi Rin stammered a question, her whole being shaking.

"Do you hate it?"

Akizuki Makoto did not give a direct answer, but instead threw the question back at him.

Things like this are absolutely impossible to answer directly; you can only avoid them.

"It's not that I hate it, it's just...it's just..."

Shiraishi Rin quickly shook her head in denial. How could she possibly hate such a thing? She was just too shocked and confused.

"So, is that okay?"

Akizuki Makoto pressed his advantage, relentlessly pressing for answers and giving Shiraishi Rin no more chance to think.

If Shiraishi Rin continues to think about the questions, he will become even more passive.

"This this……"

Shiraishi Rin's face showed confusion and hesitation. After struggling for a while, she finally nodded gently and whispered, "Is...is it okay?"

Although I don't know why Akizuki Makoto is sitting next to me, he must have his reasons!

Akizuki Makoto probably wasn't what she thought; he probably just wanted to get close to her.

Yes, that's right, that must be it. How could Akizuki Makoto possibly want to get close to her?

Makoto Akizuki already has Maki Shiina, and he has always been indifferent to her.

Shiraishi Rin tried hard to convince herself not to overthink it, and finally accepted the fact that Akizuki Makoto had taken the initiative to sit next to her.

It's just sitting next to me, it's not a big deal, she's making a big fuss over nothing.

"Thank you, Shiraishi. You are such a kind and understanding woman."

Akizuki Makoto immediately smiled and thanked Shiraishi Rin from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time, he stood up, walked to Shiraishi Rin's side, and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Humph……"

Ji Yexue snorted coldly, her expression slightly unpleasant.

What a glib and despicable scoundrel! Calling her a reasonable and understanding woman? She's never been praised like that before. —Akizuki Makoto has never said she's a good woman.

"Excuse me, here is your order."

At this moment, a uniformed shop assistant brought over the food for the two of them, placed it on the table, and left with a smile.

"It looks good."

Akizuki Makoto had never tried this dessert before. The golden-brown pancakes were coated with honey and tasted sweet. The pancakes were also baked to perfection and had a wonderful aroma.

A bite of the crepe paired with a slightly bitter and rich coffee is a wonderful combination.

Rin Shiraishi is a sweet tooth, or rather, girls generally love sweet cakes.

At this moment, she no longer felt the tension of having Akizuki Makoto sitting beside her and was happily enjoying herself.

"Who told you to enjoy your meal so much? You better take the initiative and flirt with her!"

Seeing the two enjoying themselves, Ji Yexue couldn't help but feel annoyed. She couldn't stand seeing the two sitting together so harmoniously and naturally.

That's really something, Akizuki Makoto. He won't do anything unless she gives him instructions.

"..."

Faced with Ji Yexue's unreasonable request, Qiuyue Cheng seemed somewhat helpless.

No matter what, it would be too much to ask him to take the initiative to seduce Shiraishi Rin.

He completely misses the opportunity; if he takes the initiative to do anything, he'll only scare Shiraishi Rin.

"Look, there's cream on her lips, isn't there? Wipe it off for her."

Ji Yexue seemed to have seen through Qiuyue Cheng's thoughts and spoke again, guiding him to take action.

Fortunately, although Akizuki Makoto doesn't take initiative on his own, he is very obedient. He will generally follow her instructions, and even if it is a difficult task, he will hesitate for a moment before taking action.

Akizuki Makoto has decided to atone for Ji Yexue's sins, so he is willing to become a scumbag and a demon.

"You have cream on your lips, don't eat so fast."

Akizuki Makoto picked up a napkin, brought it close to Shiraishi Rin's lips, and wiped away the cream stains on her lips with an incredibly considerate and elegant gesture.

"..."

Shiraishi Rin stared blankly at Akizuki Makoto, unable to react for a long time.

When she realized what was happening, her eyes widened suddenly, and a surge of heat emanated from her body, rushing straight to the top of her head.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and even her earlobes turned red.

"Eh, eh? This, this..."

Rin Shiraishi muttered incoherently to himself, hurriedly turning his head to the side.

As expected, Akizuki Makoto is quite strange, isn't he?!
He wiped the cream off her lips so naturally and gently!
And what was with that inexplicably gentle tone just now?!
It's almost like they're dating?!

"I'm sorry, was that too abrupt?"

Akizuki Makoto knew that his actions had gone too far, so he immediately bowed his head and apologized.

"No, no, that's not the problem!"

Shiraishi Rin shook her head, but then immediately nodded, stammering, "No, no, it's a bit... abrupt... Ah... what am I saying?!"

I don't understand, I don't understand at all. Akizuki Makoto is really too strange.

She could no longer deceive herself, because it simply didn't make sense.

Akizuki Makoto is definitely not someone who lacks a sense of boundaries or tact; otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately distanced himself from her before.

"Calm down, take a deep breath."

Akizuki Makoto placed his hand on Shiraishi Rin's shoulder and patted her back, trying to calm her down.

But such behavior was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire, and Shiraishi Rin immediately stood up like a cat that had been stepped on.

She looked at Akizuki Makoto in horror, and could no longer hold back, so she asked the question.

"Akizuki-kun, what's wrong with you? You're so strange, so very strange!"

She could not ignore this strange feeling, no matter what.

"..."

Faced with Shiraishi Rin's questioning, Akizuki Makoto remained silent for a long time before sighing softly, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to get along well with you, Shiraishi."

In any case, he had no choice but to continue the charade.

He hadn't yet won over Shiraishi Rin's favor, and she was wary of him.

If he revealed his true intentions—that he wanted to cheat on her—Shiraishi Rin would definitely be scared away.

In that case, Ji Yexue's plan would fall through, and he would never see Ji Yexue again.

He didn't want to never see Ji Yexue again, so he could only apologize to Shiraishi Rin and Shiina Maki.

He has been hurting others all along, hurting someone for the sake of someone else, in a never-ending cycle.

But he couldn't help it; he was a sentimental person, or in other words, an indecisive and cowardly one.

But for Ji Yexue, he was already prepared to give up everything.

Even if it's exposed and discovered by Shiina Maki, he will still firmly choose Himeyasuki.

"What's the point of saying anything now, Akizuki-kun? What are you really thinking?"

Shiraishi Rin stared wide-eyed at Akizuki Makoto, demanding, "What do you mean by 'building a good relationship'? I don't understand!"

The Akizuki Makoto standing before me was so unfamiliar, so out of place.

Is this really the Akizuki Makoto she knows?

The Akizuki Makoto she knew would never say such frivolous things.

It would be fine if Akizuki Makoto had stopped dating Shiina Maki, but isn't it a bit strange that he still wanted to maintain a good relationship with her while they were already dating?
Shiraishi Rin couldn't understand why Akizuki Makoto would suddenly have such a thought.

"Don't you believe me?"

Akizuki Makoto gave a wry smile, then sighed softly, "But this is what I truly believe. I want to get along well with you, is that not allowed?"

"No, no, absolutely not! This just won't do!"

Shiraishi Rin kept shaking her head and said, "I don't understand what Akizuki-kun means by 'building a good relationship.' Isn't our relationship already good enough?"

They're already friends, right? If they get any closer, wouldn't that be ambiguous?

No matter how naive or ignorant she may be, she still knows what it means to be closer than friends.

If it were two months ago, during summer vacation, when they were all still living together in dormitories, before things fell apart like this, she would definitely have readily agreed.

Even if it means being dragged into a chaotic situation, making things even more complicated.

But now that everything has been settled, how could she possibly agree?

"Akizuki-kun, what are you thinking? What are you planning to do?"

Shiraishi Rin looked at Akizuki Makoto's face with fear and said, "It's so scary, Akizuki-kun. You said you wanted to get along well with me, but you didn't feel that way at all."

Finally, she noticed something was off.

That is...

Akizuki Makoto's eyes were never on her.

Although they were looking at each other, the scenery reflected in Akizuki Makoto's eyes was extremely distant, as if he were looking at someone else.

The claim that he wanted to build a good relationship with her was a lie; it was definitely not what he truly meant.

(End of this chapter)