I loaded the dream game

The gently shaking legs stopped, and the girl pursed her lips

As expected, humans are very greedy creatures.

She thought to herself.

...So, what is your next wish?

……

After carrying the tired and asleep Shu back to her room and entrusting her to the embarrassed Feng, Xia Zhi closed the door and blocked out the noise outside.

Glancing in the direction of the living room where the sounds of play and laughter were coming from, he sighed slightly.

When there are too many people, things tend to get noisy. Plus, neither Sonoko, Fuu nor Yuna are quiet people, so it looks like the noise will last until late at night.

I'm going to be late for class tomorrow morning again.

Although it's not nice to say this as a teacher, it's a rare day and it's okay to miss a day of class. Just give them a day off.

Without joining in the fun over there, seeing that it was getting late, Xia Zhi planned to take a shower first and walked towards the bathroom.

However, when he passed by the door of his room, he found that the door was not closed tightly.

Xia Zhi was slightly stunned. Through the half-open door, he saw the light-blonde girl in the room, bathing in the moonlight and looking up at the starry sky.

"Garden?"

What are you doing here?

The girl who heard the voice turned around and saw the black-haired boy at the door, and a happy smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Brother Xia Zhi~"

"Aren't you going to join them?" Xia Zhi came and sat down next to her, asking curiously.

"I'm a little tired." Sonoko shook her head, and then naturally leaned her head on his shoulder.

That's really rare.

Normally, she is the one with the most energy, right?

Xia Zhi thought to himself as he reached out and gently stroked the hair of the girl next to him.

The girl narrowed her eyes and made comfortable sounds, as if she had a kitten.

"Don't treat me as a pet." Yuanzi raised her head, wrinkled her nose and said dissatisfiedly.

She's been discovered. Can she read minds?

Xia Zhi thought about it, then used more force to ruffle her hair: "Of course she's not a pet. Yuanzi is my hero."

In the past, even a simple sentence like this would have made the girl very happy.

However, when she heard these words, she lowered her head. The shadow of her bangs obscured her expression, and it was unknown what she was thinking.

"Yuanzi?" Xia Zhi called her in confusion.

"Well, nothing." Sonoko shook her head, regaining her original expression, and looked up at the night sky outside the window.

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Xia Zhi."

Feng and the others had already expressed their thanks in this way during the day.

Even if you want to express your gratitude, you don’t need to say it to everyone.

compared to

"Are you satisfied?" Xia Zhi asked.

"Sonoko's youth has no regrets."

The girl replied in an exaggerated tone.

You haven't graduated yet? Don't say such old-fashioned things.

Xia Zhi glanced at her.

"I lied to you."

Sonoko smiled at him, then looked down at her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, and lowered her voice, "As expected, there is still a little regret."

"Regret?" Xia Zhi tilted his head slightly.

"...If you don't express your feelings to your youth, you will end up with regrets, right?"

The girl spoke in an exclamatory tone that was not suitable for her age. I don't know where she learned it from.

"You are still young, there will always be opportunities in the future."

Rather, she can now enjoy as much youth as she wants, right?

"But, Sonoko doesn't want to wait until that time." Sonoko suddenly raised her head and said while looking at his profile.

After all, no one is completely satisfied.

So, there is nothing we can do about it, right?

If you want happiness, you have to hold on to it tightly.

This is what the boy himself told her.

"Brother Xia Zhi." At some point, even the voice became dry.

"Ok?"

Sonoko took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.

"I don't want to be just your hero forever..."

My heart can't stop beating.

...Ah, so it's such an embarrassing thing.

Sonoko thought.

I thought that after we had been together for so long and had become so close, I would be able to say this naturally.

At this moment, I still feel nervous.

How did Mio-sister and the others do it?

If I had known this earlier, I would have asked them for advice.

She was usually lively and cheerful, but at this moment she felt her face burning and her mind was in a mess.

This won't work, you have to say it out loud.

She thought so.

but……

At this moment, I felt a warm touch on my hand.

When Sonoko came to her senses, she found that her hand was already held by the boy.

Brother Xia Zhi seemed to have said something?

She couldn't hear clearly, as the girl's mind was completely on the hand holding hers.

It's magical, just by being held like this, all the tension and anxiety in my heart disappeared.

...That's it, all you have to do is speak out what's in your heart.

She moved her fingers awkwardly, found a suitable position and clenched them tightly, so that her palms were pressed tightly together without any gap, and their body temperatures blended together.

Taking a deep breath again, the girl's delicate cheeks flushed, she raised her head again and stared into his eyes, expressing her feelings in a voice that was no longer trembling.

"...Occasionally, can you let me be your garden?"

……

When Xia Zhi returned to the living room, the party was over.

The girls seemed to have gone to sleep after playing tired, and the living room, which had been noisy, became much quieter. It seemed that they had helped to clean up before leaving, and the living room, which should have been a mess, now looked clean.

In the middle of the living room, a figure with long silver hair sat on the sofa, looking at the green-haired girl sleeping on his legs with gentle eyes, and gently stroking her long hair.

"Shh..."

Seeing Xia Zhi coming back from outside the living room, Mio gestured to him to lower his voice and blinked.

"Why don't you go back to your room and sleep?" Xia Zhi walked lightly to her side and touched Cong Yun's head with his hand.

The divine girl showed a relieved expression, rubbed his palm, and her breathing quickly became steady.

"Sure enough, it still takes you, Xiazhi." Mio couldn't help but sigh.

It sounds like I have some strange ability.

"Where is Yaye?" Xia Zhi asked.

The miko who serves Cong Yun probably won't leave her god here alone and go back to sleep, right?

Mio glanced at the sofa across from her.

Only then did Xia Zhi notice the small figure wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, squeezed together with several stuffed dolls, and he almost didn't notice it.

He thought for a moment, then walked over and picked up the little witch from the sofa. Just like the impression the girl gave, she was so light that one could hardly feel her weight.

Xia Zhi subconsciously compared her with Yuanzi... As expected, Yuanzi was a little more important, after all, she was a little older.

Because there was no room for Yaye at home, Xia Zhi moved her to Congyun's room.

Mio also came in holding Cong Yun and gently put them on the bed together with the girl.

When she wakes up in the morning and sees herself sleeping in the same bed with her Lord God, she will definitely be shocked.

Xia Zhi could probably imagine the expression of the young witch at that time.

Walking out of their room, he looked out the window. The sky in the distance was already turning pale.

"Do you want to go back and rest?" He looked at the girl beside him.

Mio shook her head: "I can't sleep."

"Then let's go out for a walk." Xia Zhi suggested after thinking about it.

Mio naturally would not refuse such a proposal.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I took a walk like this alone with Xia Zhi.

"...That child, Sonoko, is really bold."

Walking on the empty streets in the early morning, Mio couldn't help but sigh.

Everyone was still in the living room at the time, and they all knew where she had disappeared to.

“It reminds me of myself back then.”

As if she remembered something, the corners of her mouth raised slightly.

"I proposed to you, Xia Zhi, even though I thought I knew everything and yet I actually knew nothing."

Mio looked into the distance, her azure eyes staring at the night that was about to end, letting her silver-white hair flutter in the wind.

Her profile seemed to emit a hazy glow in the morning light.

Delicate and pretty facial features, fair and smooth skin, and long silver hair cascading behind her like a waterfall, reflecting the crystal clear and holy light in the sun.

If such a beautiful girl who looks like a man-made dream proposed to you, anyone would be unable to resist saying yes, right?

Xia Zhi thought.

But that was not the case at the time.

“… Then I was rejected.”

Mio said softly, turning her head slightly to look at the boy: "That was my first heartbreak, right?"

"It's not really a broken heart, didn't I invite you out on a date?"

"Eh~ the gap is too big."

"Didn't you agree anyway?"

"After all, I was the one who was dumped."

I've already said that I haven't dumped you. Xia Zhi thought helplessly.