The Gemini Princess wants me to confess my feelings!

Her pretense didn't last even half a class.

"It's a 'blank voice'... a 'blank voice' means you're just squeezing your throat to make a sound."

"Sinking Qi to the Dantian... What does dantian mean, and where is it?"

"My belly, my belly, put your hands on your hips and feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. In the beginning, to feel it more clearly, you can try to contract and then expand your belly."

"What do you mean you've gained weight?"

"Alright, let's practice like this. Next, open your mouth wide, engage your abdominal muscles, and make a 'ha' sound."

"You don't need to speak so loudly; the key is to ensure proper breath control."

"Why did it stop?"

"...What do you mean by 'it's embarrassing to open your mouth wide'?"

Half an hour later, looking at Kirihara Akira, whose face was now visibly flushed, Kisaragi Shiori gave an awkward smile.

Am I too stupid?

Kirihara Akira rubbed her cheeks, quickly recovered, shook her head, and said, "On the contrary, you are very talented."

"You don't need to take care of me."

"This isn't flattery," Kirihara Akira said sincerely. "You have a strong grasp of concepts; you understand everything instantly. Aside from being a bit too proud, you're not a big problem. You must train regularly, right? You have an absolute advantage in lung capacity and breath control; it's obvious at a glance."

"Ah, um." Ruyue picked up the fruit and vegetable drink, took a sip, and said, "I go to the gym often."

Kirihara Akira, feigning ignorance, continued, "Most importantly, you have a voice bestowed upon you by heaven."

Shiori Kisaragi blinked, stuck the straw out of her mouth, and said with a mischievous grin, "Are you complimenting my voice?"

"Of course, no one in the world should question your looks and voice."

"Ew—" Kisaragi Shiori made a disgusted sound: "Kirihara-kun, you're so sweet-talking. Tell me honestly, how many girls have you deceived?"

Kirihara Akatsuki said coldly, "What I mean is, aside from your appearance and voice, everything else about you will be questioned to some extent, right?"

...For example, intelligence. Kisaragi Shiori realized, "Hey!"

"Just kidding," Kirihara Akatsuki said, sounding somewhat nostalgic.

His recent blush wasn't due to a lack of self-control, but simply because he was reminded of the past when he was mentoring those newbies who had just entered the industry.

They don't have many scruples when training them; they're all like springs that have been sworn to be unbreakable. The harsher you scold them, the stronger they bounce back. But this doesn't work on Shiori Kisaragi. What if you scold her away? So he felt really stifled.

Unaware of his thoughts, Kisaragi Shiori slumped wearily onto the table, her exaggerated breasts distorted by the pressure.

She let out a long sigh, releasing the frustrations typical of working-class people.

"Can't you be a little more mindful of your image?" Kirihara Akira rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What image do I have left in front of you?" Kisaragi Shiori sighed again.

Kirihara Akira said, "You still need to maintain your image. For example, your outfit doesn't make you look like someone who works in music; it makes you look like someone who's gone crazy at work and is overflowing with resentment."

Shiori Kisaragi remained prone, only turning her face towards him, and asked curiously, "What kind of attire should someone who works in music wear?"

"If you're into rap, this outfit makes you look too highly educated," Kirihara Akira said. "If you're into serious music, this outfit makes you look too formal, more like a manager than a singer. Change into something more casual, something a little more natural than what you'd wear on a date."

Kisaragi Shiori paused for a moment, then asked, "What should I wear on a date?"

Kirihara Akira's eyes widened, as if to say, "You're asking me?"

Kisaragi Shiori buried her face back down.

"So, the trial class is over. How did it go?" Kirihara Akira relaxed, crossed her legs, and asked.

"You have a greater talent for being a teacher than I do," she said, not holding back her praise.

"Have you made up your mind?"

"I'll learn to sing from you," she said.

"Hmph, it sounds like I'm begging you to learn, that's not right of you." Kirihara Akatsuki glanced at her sideways.

Kisaragi Shiori abruptly raised her head and demanded, "Then what are you going to do?"

"Besides teachers, what else do people often call those who impart knowledge and skills?"

Kisaragi Shiori widened her eyes, looking annoyed, and said, "Is this really necessary? I'm your teacher!"

"Let's each talk about our own points."

"I won't call out, it's too embarrassing!"

She struggled fiercely, but all she saw was Kirihara Akira's ambiguous smile.

For work, all for work... Shiori Kisaragi gritted her teeth and cried out, "Master...Master."

Kirihara Akatsuki beamed with joy, but Kisaragi Shiori jumped up as if to hit him, but luckily he dodged quickly.

At that moment, he received a text message. Upon seeing the sender, he narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned to Shiori Kisaragi and said, "That's all for today. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to warm up your voice. Today I taught you breath control, which you have to practice every day."

"Okay, you too. In the future, when you encounter problems, don't act recklessly like you did today."

Kirihara Akira waved his hand and turned to leave.

......

......

It was already dark outside. Kirihara Akira went downstairs but didn't go far; instead, she waited where she was.

Before long, the Kirihara family's black car slowly pulled up beside him. He opened the door and got in, with Mori Shizue sitting in the back seat.

The two children, one on the left and one on the right, divided the world into two separate realms.

"Mr. Kawasaki, drive slowly today," Shizue Mori instructed.

"Yes."

Kawasaki was the old gentleman who picked up Kirihara Akira in Tokyo that day. It was said that he had been serving the family since the end of the time when the lady's father was in charge. Although he was a servant, he had an absolute say, and sometimes even Mori Akari had to respect his opinions.

Kawasaki was in charge of the security of every adult in the family; he was responsible for setting up the airtight network of informants and security measures.

Kirihara Akira was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "This seems to be the first time I've seen you outside of my home."

Mori Shizue placed the book on her lap, like a flower blooming quietly.

She said softly, "We're not in the same class, and I don't like crowded places."

"So, are you in any clubs?" Kirihara Akira regretted asking the question as soon as it left her mouth, feeling that she had asked a very unwise question.

Mori Shizue didn't answer immediately, and for some reason, Kirihara Akira felt that she seemed... embarrassed?

She finally answered, "Detective agency."

Kirihara Akira craved her neck forward and almost lost her balance.

The detective and this girl don't seem to fit together quite well, do they?

"They wanted to help the police solve cases and get involved in social cases." Shizue Mori turned her head away, a little ashamed, and said, "But the school tricked them into becoming a volunteer club. Under the guise of mystery activities, they tricked students into doing volunteer work. Helping neighbors find where their cats are hiding is also considered mystery."

Kirihara Akira paused for a moment, opened her mouth, and then smiled: "The school is quite creative."

"Later, when the former president was about to retire, he realized he had been fooled for two years and finally turned the place into a detective novel enthusiasts club... although volunteers were still doing it."

Shizue Mori said, "Some people also create their own mystery novels, and I write mine too."

Literary creation is a form of self-expression. To be honest, Kirihara Akira found it hard to imagine that this girl would express the thoughts in her head to others.

She said, "I've tried writing, but I always feel that the plots are too clichéd."

After thinking for a while, Kirihara Akira finally translated it into Japanese: "Ten years of reading and five revisions, every word seems to be written in blood. Ten years of hard work is extraordinary, just as life is, so too is a work of art."

Mori Shizue suddenly turned to look at him, her eyes calm as a lake, as if trying to see through Kirigawa Akira's heart.

Kirihara Akira always felt that she knew a lot of things, about this family, and about her sister.

Therefore, after a moment, he decided to make a harmless test.

"The bodyguard who always follows the second young lady, isn't his name Kurokawa?"