After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

However, they did not originally come to watch the fireworks.

This secluded corner gave them an undisturbed and peaceful atmosphere, as if the noise of the world was shut out.

Hinasaki didn't speak, she just paced back and forth.

Riki silently followed Hinasaki, also without making a sound, simply accompanying her as they circled around the trees.

A night breeze blows, bringing a touch of coolness and carrying a faint scent of grass and trees.

Lixi was a little distracted. She never thought that she would choose to quietly accompany the other person at such a time.

In the past, she probably would have already walked up to Hinasaki and questioned her directly, and it wouldn't have been impossible for her to grab the other party's collar.

It seems... my tolerance level has increased quite a bit since I got together with Xiaoyue?

Hmm... no, this should only apply to Xiaoyue, right? As for other people... I still seem to get furious quite often.

For example, that pink-haired girl...

When Lixi thought of Aine, the image of her "generous" smile immediately came to mind.

Hmm... as expected, I'm still not quite used to her.

"Lixi...don't you have anything to say?"

Hinasaki finally broke the silence, stopped walking, and slowly spoke.

Her voice was low and soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible unease, as if she could finally no longer bear the silent oppression.

Li hope paused slightly, looked up at her, and asked with a thoughtful expression and a hint of indifference in her voice, "If I ask, will Xiao Yue tell me the truth?"

Hinasaki gazed at her quietly, then nodded gently, her expression soft yet firm. "Yes... I will tell you."

Li hope's lips curled up slightly, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes, and she said softly, "In that case, even if I don't ask, you'll tell me on your own, right, Xiao Yue?"

"..." Hinasaki shook her head, "You really have Ritsuki under your thumb."

As she spoke, she slowly turned around, her hands hanging naturally behind her back, slightly turning her back to Lixi, as if trying to conceal some complex emotions. "Lixi... after we parted ways just now, I ran into Taozi."

Lixi paused slightly upon hearing this, her eyes flickering, a sense of unease rising within her. She looked at Hinasaki's back as she stood there, and questions began to form in her mind.

"Peach?" Li hope's voice lowered slightly, tinged with a cautious inquiry, "Did you... say something?"

Hinasaki was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, her eyes seemingly filled with some indescribable complex emotion. "Yes... we talked a lot."

Lixi frowned slightly, a sense of unease gradually spreading in her heart. She quickly stepped forward, wanting to walk to Hinasaki's side and try to close the distance between them.

However, Hinasaki's voice suddenly rang softly in her ear, carrying a hint of hesitation and helplessness, yet her words were so clear that every single one was etched into her heart.

"Momoko, she..." Hinasaki's voice softened, as if she was thinking about how to start, before slowly uttering a few words, "She kissed me."

Those five words struck Lixi's heart like a thunderbolt. Her steps froze instantly, her body stiffened, as if she had been frozen in place by a spell.

Disbelief appeared in his eyes, his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he found that his throat was blocked and he could not make a sound.

At that very moment, a firework shot into the sky not far away, its brilliant red tail trailing a dazzling arc across the night sky.

In the final moment before the fireworks burst open, a streak of red light flew through the gap between Riki and Hinasaki, like an invisible blade, silently cutting an insurmountable distance between them.

With a loud bang, fireworks burst brilliantly in the night sky, their red light illuminating their figures.

Lixi stood there blankly, the glow of the fireworks casting crisscrossing shadows on her face, reflecting the shock and astonishment in her eyes.

Side Story: A Trip to Hikami Mountain - Chapter Thirty-One: The Two Who Are Strange

"peach……"

"You kissed me..."

These words echoed in Shiina Tatsuki's ears like a heavy hammer, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Her pupils dilated slightly, disbelief flashing in her eyes. Her gaze remained fixed on Hinasaki, as if trying to find a hint of a joke in the other's expression.

Lixi's heart sank to the bottom. All the sounds around her seemed to be blocked out. She couldn't even hear the ear-piercing sound of fireworks shooting into the sky or the booming sound of them exploding.

"moon……"

"moon?"

Li hope murmured softly, his voice trembling slightly.

"What...did you just say?"

She could hardly believe her ears, as if hoping the other person would refute what they had just said and tell her it was just a misunderstanding.

However, Hinasaki's silence weighed heavily on Shiina Tatsuki's heart, as if a boulder was blocking her chest, making it difficult to even breathe.

Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, and her chest heaving violently with her rapid breathing.

"Was it... Taozi who forced her?" Lixi finally spoke, his voice low and tinged with suppressed anger.

Every word seemed to have exhausted her strength; the anger and resentment in her tone were obvious, yet deeper down, a cautious hope was revealed.

Or...would it be better to describe it as a prayer?

Yes, she was praying.

She prayed that Hinasaki would tell her that all of this was Momo's sudden action, an accident without any warning.

As long as Xiaoyue can say that, the trembling and anger in her heart can be soothed, and perhaps she can feel a little better.

Lixi's gaze was fixed on Hinasaki, his eyes filled with stubborn determination, yet he couldn't hide the deep-seated vulnerability beneath.

At this moment, she was like a piece of transparent glass, so fragile that no one dared to touch her. Her eyes shone with a pleading light, as if a single affirmative answer from Hinasaki would dispel all her doubts.

Hinasaki looked at her silently, a flutter in her heart.

The sight of Li hope at that moment, a mixture of vulnerability and stubbornness, pierced her heart, making her almost unable to bear to tell the truth.

She unconsciously bit her lower lip, a hint of hesitation and struggle appearing in her eyes.

"Lixi...I..." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, and her gaze became increasingly uncertain.

As long as they go along with Riki's wishes and push all the blame onto Momoko Kurosawa, she can continue to lead Riki on this path.

After all, it was Peach's sudden action that complicated everything.

If we say it this way, this conflict and struggle can be attributed to a sudden misunderstanding, all the burdens can be easily returned to Peach, and even... Lixi will feel relieved.

Hinasaki could almost imagine that after she said those words, Riki would breathe a sigh of relief, and the two of them would walk side by side, smiling at each other again under the approaching fireworks, as if nothing had changed.

"If I just say that... everything will go back to normal," Hinasaki Tsuki silently told herself.

The words welled up in her throat, almost about to spill out. However, she hesitated to speak.

If she truly only wanted to maintain the status quo, then she wouldn't hesitate or waver when facing Peach.

But that wasn't the case. She was filled with conflicting emotions, knowing that some things could no longer be hidden.

She even considered that perhaps she could wait until the performance after the celebration tonight to reveal the truth.

But the thought vanished in an instant.

One should strike while the iron is hot, for the second attempt will be weaker and the third will be exhausted. While there is still a sliver of determination in my heart, now is the time to be honest, otherwise I am afraid I will procrastinate forever.

Finally, Hinasaki took a deep breath and made up her mind. With the courage still fresh in her mind, she decided to tell Ritsuki the truth this morning and never look back.

"It was Momo who forced me..." Hinasaki said slowly, her voice low and restrained.

A glimmer of light flashed in Lixi's eyes, as if he had grasped some kind of hope for a fleeting moment. But this glimmer was short-lived, shattered instantly by Xiaoyue's next words.

"If I say this... will it make you feel better, Riki?" Hinasaki's voice was gentle, but it carried a hint of helpless sorrow.

Her gaze was fixed on Lixi, and her words fell softly, like an invisible needle piercing through all expectations.

Li hope froze slightly, the light in her eyes dimming little by little, her expression seemingly frozen. In that instant, the surrounding air seemed to become heavy and oppressive, even breathing felt suffocating.

After a moment of silence, Li hope finally spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly: "Could you... tell me in detail?"

Hinasaki remained silent, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. Finally, she nodded gently and whispered, "Mm..."

Then, she slowly recalled every detail of what had just happened and recounted everything that had occurred.

Her voice was calm, yet carried a hint of weariness; every word seemed to be drawn from the depths of her heart, leaving her with an indescribable heaviness.

----------------

Fireworks continued to bloom in the night sky in the distance, one after another bursting open, their colorful lights exploding across the night sky, dyeing half the sky like a dream and illuminating the entire street of the celebration.

The booming sound of fireworks echoed in the air, and the surrounding crowd gasped in amazement. Laughter and cheers mingled together, as if the whole world was immersed in the revelry of this celebration.

However, Hinasaki and Shiina Tatsuki did not raise their eyes even slightly.

They stood in the light and shadow of the fireworks, their faces sometimes illuminated by the faint firelight and sometimes hidden in darkness, silent to each other, as if they were in a world completely isolated from their surroundings.

A cool night breeze gently swept by, and the fragrance of flowers mingled with the aroma of celebratory snacks filled the air, but these warm details seemed irrelevant to them.

Lixi's face was pale, her eyes were lowered, and her hands clenched and unclenched as if she wanted to grasp something but didn't know where to start.

Five different fins VIII Baring fins} Flowing diamond-Dream Hina Satsuki's eyes revealed a deep and complex emotion as she silently looked at Riki, without speaking or explaining.

The lights and shadows of fireworks danced around them, but at this moment, their hearts seemed to be trapped by the heavy reality, isolated from the festivities, leaving only silence and unspeakable resignation.

"..."

Shiina Tatsuki remained silent, his lowered eyes revealing no emotion.

She thought she would be angry.

She must be very angry.

She thought she would question Hinasaki relentlessly, just like she did when Crychic disbanded that day.

However, she now finds herself unusually calm, even strangely calm.

Is she angry?

Of course I'm angry.

Yet she was also very calm at this moment, as if anger and calmness, two contradictory emotions, were intertwined in her heart, balancing on a delicate dividing line.

After listening to Hinasaki's story, she took a deep breath and remained calmly angry.

Is there a problem with what was done in the month?

No. She made a calm and decisive decision, completely blocking any future possibilities for Momoko Kurosawa.