I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Then, as if all her strength had left her body, Souji leaned against Aoto's chest and buried her head in Aoto's right shoulder.

"This is what I mean by 'special friends'..."

"Let me make this clear beforehand..."

The chief's voice had a hint of coquetry.

"There's nothing dirty on your face this time."

After saying that, Souji seemed to be too ashamed to look at Aoto any longer, and buried his face in Aoto's shoulder.

"I... only dare to say these things and do these things to you when I'm drunk..."

The commander's voice muffled in Qing Deng's chest.

"So... I want to take this opportunity to tell you everything I've wanted to say for a long time..."

"Tachibana-kun...I...I like you..."

"I've forgotten when it started, but every time I think of your name, my heart races; every time I see your face, my breath quickens uncontrollably..."

Seeing you happy makes me happy.

"When I see you looking unwell, my heart aches."

"This is the first time in my memory that I've paid so much attention to a man's every smile and gesture; the first time I've met a man in my dreams so frequently..."

"It's a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but... Tachibana-kun, I've really fallen for you..."

"The kind of 'love' that makes me want to cook miso soup for you for the rest of my life."

"Before my sister returned to Hino-juku, she suggested that I marry you, saying things like 'Tachibana-kun also likes you,' and 'Tachibana-kun said he's busy with his career and has no time for family matters, otherwise he would be willing to marry you'..."

"I know my sister's personality too well. She's practically obsessed with getting me married. Based on my understanding of her, you, Ju-kun, definitely didn't say anything like that. Those words were all just my sister exaggerating."

"So... I don't expect that we can love each other."

I don't expect you to accept my feelings.

"I just... simply wanted to let you know that I like you."

"If you don't know how to respond... or don't want to respond to my feelings, that's okay."

"I don't care... as long as I can lean on you tonight, I'll be content..."

Souji took a deep breath and shifted into a more comfortable position in Aoto's arms... Her face, buried deep in Aoto's shoulder, was now tinged with happiness, as if she were in the warmest and happiest place.

However... her eyes, hidden beneath her eyelids, still unconsciously showed signs of tension and unease.

At that moment, the clouds diagonally above Qingdeng's head shifted slightly.

The clouds shifted westward as a whole, as if a small crack had appeared in the sky.

The clear, silvery moonlight pierced through the "gap in the sky" and shone precisely on Aoto and Souji.

The two, gently enveloped by the moonlight, seemed to be in a small boat quietly drifting in the middle of a lake.

At this moment, Qingdeng felt goosebumps all over his body.

His heart would relax and contract intermittently, and a peculiar spasm spread throughout his limbs and bones.

Perhaps it was because all the blood was rushing to his head, but Qing Deng felt the remaining alcohol in his body churning wildly.

"Miss Okita..."

Qingdeng forced out a sound from his throat.

What should I say and do now?

Souji asked her if their current "close friend" relationship would continue... How should she answer that?

These problems... whatever!

For some reason, Qingdeng felt an urge to stop thinking about these complicated and troublesome issues.

Forget about these stupid questions that are either true or false.

Follow your heart's desire.

Act according to your current thoughts and desires.

So, what are Qing Deng's inner thoughts right now?

He really wanted to hug Souji tightly.

The body moves with the heart.

The thought had just arisen, probably partly due to the influence of alcohol. Without saying a word, Qing Deng gently extended his left arm, wrapped it around Souji's thin back, and gently put his arm around Souji's shoulder.

Souji's petite body trembled slightly in Aoto's arms.

Instead of resisting Qingdeng, she snuggled closer to him and slipped her left hand into his free right palm, their fingers intertwining tightly.

Souji's hands are so small and so cold...

From a physical standpoint, Souji's hands, which had been exposed to the cold wind for a long time, were undoubtedly chilly.

However, there are two places on Qingdeng's body that are the warmest right now.

One place is a heart beating rapidly at an excited frequency.

Another place was the right palm that was being tightly gripped by the commander's icy little hand.

"Miss Okita..."

Qingdeng's voice became uncontrollably tinged with intense tension.

Moonlight, alcohol, the atmosphere of New Year's Eve, Souji's kiss and confession... all of these things gripped Aoto's heart, and at the same time, caused a certain emotion hidden deep within Aoto's heart to burst forth all at once.

In that instant, Qing Deng understood why he hadn't refused as readily as he had when Kanazawa Tadatsugu proposed when Okita Hikaru said, "You and Tsukasa should get married."

She also understood why she felt so heartbroken after learning from Hikaru Okita that Souji liked her.

At this moment, Qingdeng's mind was made up.

He hates procrastination.

I dislike complicated and unresolved romantic relationships.

He prefers a decisive, swift, and decisive approach!

"Ms. Okita."

Aoto tightened his grip on Souji, as if afraid she would slip away from his arms.

They made some very bold and ambiguous moves... but that's far from enough.

Qingdeng was not satisfied with this.

He decided that right now, right here, he would pour out all the emotions that had just awakened within him!

"Miss Okita, I like you too."

Qing Deng brought his mouth close to Souji's ear, expressing his truest feelings for Souji in a clear and definite tone.

"Like you, I also started to feel more than just friendship towards you at some point."

"I like you so much."

My emotions exploded.

She poured out all her feelings to Souji.

"..."

The commander did not reply.

She silently lifted her head from Qingdeng's shoulder and looked into his eyes.

There was no longer any tension or trepidation in her eyes, only shyness, embarrassment, and sweet tenderness.

A sweet and tender feeling that melts Qingdeng's bones.

That look in my eyes speaks volumes.

……

Click, click, click...

The pocket watch tucked into Qing Deng's clothes faithfully fulfilled its duty of telling time.

The moment Qingdeng said "I like you so much," the hour, minute, and second hands overlapped exactly on the number "12."

He left completely in 1860.

A new year and a new future have begun.

The world spins, carrying countless thoughts.

The old calendar was torn off.

The legends and history have only just begun.

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It's almost the end of the month, please vote for me!

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

The author hates works where the male protagonist is like a eunuch, padding out hundreds of thousands of words with ambiguous relationships with the female protagonists.

Therefore, my male protagonists will only become more and more carnivorous.

A male protagonist like Qing Deng is really satisfying.

Realizing that he had feelings for both Kinoshita Mai and Sanako, he immediately confessed his love to them and vowed to marry them both.

After realizing she also liked Souji, she immediately confessed. No hesitation whatsoever.

It was so satisfying. Qingdeng himself was satisfied, and I enjoyed writing it too.

The writing pace of this book has always alternated between "cutting and cutting" and "slow and steady."

So starting tomorrow, it's time to start "cutting, cutting, cutting"!

******