Comet Dragon, breaking into the gravity field

When she woke up, the heavy objects that she had taken off her shoulders in the dream climbed back along her body, leaving Toyokawa Shoko unsure how to face the rest of her life.

She reached out and took the glass jar. The cool touch slightly awakened her somewhat dulled sense of touch.

The ancient dragon hadn't told her how to use it, and she was hesitant to open the jar.

Just by appearance, it looked like the exquisite merchandise displayed in the windows along the street during Christmas, attracting the attention of passers-by. However, it was this light and gorgeous feeling that made Toyokawa Shoko feel even more uneasy.

If you want to get something, you have to pay something.

She didn't think she had the conditions to trade with it, nor did she think that the ancient dragon was really kind enough to be willing to help her.

but……

The power to change the status quo is now in her hands.

The scene of her conversation with Hachiman Kailing a few days ago is still vivid in her mind: although the seemingly cold but actually easy-going bassist not only did not make any requirements for the band she planned to form - but also took the initiative to offer suggestions, Toyokawa Shoko always felt that it was the credit of Naruse Ritsu as the recommender.

Is there nothing she can do with her own strength?

Temptation hung like a lamp above her head, or like a moth buzzing in her ear.

However, the first step into the unknown is always frightening, and no matter how much she denies it, Toyokawa Shoko cannot eliminate the lingering uneasiness in her heart.

After tidying her clothes, she walked through the small house and saw her father sitting upright beside the low table. The empty bottles and cans that were casually thrown on the tatami were now neatly placed aside.

On the low table, a slightly undulating envelope lay peacefully.

"Where did you get the money?" Toyokawa Shoko asked in surprise.

"Hmph, don't underestimate adults!"

Hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko looked around the room again and counted the number of bottles and jars under the sweaty gaze of the adults.

After a few seconds, she turned around and asked, "Just saving the money for buying wine - this is what a father should do, right?"

"Gurgh..."

Seeing the anthropomorphic father being beaten into silence, Toyokawa Shoko sighed. Seeing that he had finally behaved like a human being, she finally chose to accept this clumsy kindness.

"I'll take it. But let's make it clear in advance that even if you don't spend it all, I won't give you the remaining money back to buy alcohol."

First step, success!

The next step is to find out who Xiangzi went out with.

If it's a girl, there's no need to worry. What if it's the boy I met before...

No! It's impossible!

How could I have such an idea?

The lovely Xiangzi must not be handed over to him!

Inside, there were turbulent clouds, but on the surface, she remained calm. Not noticing the strangeness on his face, Toyokawa Shoko simply replied, "I'm going to the bookstore alone."

"A bookstore? Bookstores are great." The middle-aged man's heart rate and blood pressure both stabilized. His face was warm and he urged enthusiastically, "Xiangzi, why don't you go with your classmates and friends? Young people should socialize more."

"No need, I'll run into him anyway."

……he?

The father of the "challenger" keenly caught the key words and his expression froze.

Seeing him suddenly look up, Toyokawa Shoko, who knew his father's character well and saw that he was unusually normal today, explained with a little more patience: "You know him."

"I know?"

After his alcohol-paralyzed brain took a turn, the temporarily reliable adult reviewed his recent interpersonal relationships and suddenly thought of the most terrifying possibility.

"Could it be that……"

"It's Ritsu Naruse, haven't you met before?"

"What--!?"

The speculation was confirmed, and Pope Toyokawa X (Francis Bacon ver.) broke his voice on the spot, almost unable to control the soul that was pulled out.

After a few seconds, when his soul returned to its place, the father who had suffered a critical blow shook his body and supported himself with his hands on the yellowed tatami.

——"I'm going out."

He wanted to say something, but seeing that his daughter had already packed everything, he could only lie down with a sigh, staying in the dark and damp corner.

Unlike her father who was in melancholy, Shoko Toyokawa's mind was now full of thoughts about her future conversation with Ritsu Naruse.

She was rarely indecisive, but this time, Toyokawa Shoko felt genuinely lost. However, she wasn't one to destroy flowers like some people, plucking petals at every turn.

When exactly did the figure of Ritsu Narose quietly appear in her heart?

Shoko Toyokawa thought that her heart had been completely closed after experiencing such a huge change. Bound by unspeakable secrets and pathetic self-esteem, she would never have a closer relationship with anyone again.

Working will make the body tired, and physical fatigue will make the mind dull. The dull thinking will paralyze her brain and make her stop meaningless thinking.

But even so, that person still occupies a place in his heart.

Is this feeling love?

Shoko Toyokawa didn't dare to make a conclusion.

But she couldn't deny that she cared more and more.

A faint buzzing sounded in her head, and she was unaware that the bottle of scale powder in her bag was sparkling.

Was it her own wishful thinking, blinded by the relationship she had hardly experienced in recent days; or did he really have strange thoughts about her... She had to find out.

Just think of it as a preview of the future. Only by understanding this can she figure out the choice she should make.

Standing at the crossroads of fate, she must make up her mind, facing the temptation from an unknown party and the future she has planned.

Like a gambler who has put all her eggs in one basket, no matter which path she chooses, there is no turning back. Therefore, no matter how Ritsu Naruse responds to her feelings, she must choose to face it head-on.

The weak Shoko Toyokawa is dead.

The numerous possibilities that emerged surged in her mind like a tide, and Toyokawa Shoko was confident that she could face any of the outcomes.

When you come near the bookstore, you can notice a significant increase in the number of people.

There is a signboard about one meter tall outside the store. In addition to the advertisement of today's protagonist, it also contains information such as event time, discounts, etc.

As she entered the shop, the gentle sound of piano drifted into her ears. After just a few notes, Toyokawa Shoko knew it was a solo piano version of a piece she had composed earlier.

A joyful smile was about to appear at the corner of his mouth, but was forcibly pressed back by the owner of the body, becoming a solidified arc.

She tightened her grip on her bag and scanned the store, trying to spot Ritsu Narushe. But after a long search, she couldn't spot the man she was meeting amidst the bustling crowd.

Is it backstage? In the staff room? Or hasn't arrived yet?

Walking aimlessly, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly heard a commotion from the crowd not far away, filled with a jubilant atmosphere that she could not understand.

Soon, the crowd dispersed from both sides like Moses parting the sea, and she saw the person she had been looking for slowly leaving his seat.

When he was away from the crowd, Shoko Toyokawa walked over from another direction.

"What were you doing just now?"

"Playing cards. I'm using the Spacetime Dragon deck." As if unsurprised by Toyokawa Shoko's appearance, Ritsu Naruse took out the card box from his pocket and shook it. "And by the way, I'm going to kill a few three-hit Duelists using heavy pits and mainstream bully entertainment decks."

She didn't understand his pride, but she didn't know how to start a conversation. At this point, Toyokawa Shoko realized that she was far from prepared.

Noticing her strangeness, Naruse Ritsu asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"I..." The momentum that was rising in her heart not long ago suddenly weakened. Toyokawa Shoko hesitated for a moment and temporarily decided to delay the time of launching the general attack.

"I'm a little curious, do they know that you are the author who came here today?" Shoko Toyokawa casually dealt with the issue with a new topic, standing beside Ritsu Narose and watching the lively scene at the other end of the store.

"They're all fans who previously initiated offline duels in my Twitter comment section," Naruse Ritsu said, flashing the delighted smile typical of a card gamer. "They didn't realize they'd already experienced my fan service."

"And I'll change my clothes when it's time for the event. As long as I don't tell them, they probably won't notice. In a few days, I'll post updates and @ them one by one, and then you can enjoy their chest-beating and clown-like performances in the comment section~"

As they walked and talked, they were almost at the staff area when Naruse Ritsu suddenly spoke up, "If there was anything you couldn't say before, you can say it here."

After looking around to make sure no one was disturbing them, he added, "The staff lounge isn't very busy, so it's quiet here."

"That's it..."

It turns out he had already seen it.

Toyokawa Shoko fell silent, but time did not stop moving forward while she was silent. The soothing background music gradually faded away, and the voice of the staff slowly came out from the store's radio.

If you don't speak up now, you may never have the chance to speak up again.

But how should she start?

Her gaze finally turned to the person in front of her. Seeing that he was still waiting patiently, Toyokawa Shoko finally uttered a hoarse voice that surprised her:

"I--"

Feeling a little hot on her face for some reason, Toyokawa Shoko had to turn her head and look at the brown wall next to her. It seemed that the wood grain on it had a special attraction.

The tension in her heart gradually increased, and just as it was about to reach its peak, it seemed to reach a certain threshold, causing her mind to go blank.

Not sure if she was controlling her body or her body was controlling her, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly looked directly at Naruse Ritsu and asked:

"Maybe this makes me seem a little narcissistic, but I think for a girl with a bad personality like me...if you weren't attracted to my looks, why would you be willing to approach me? And why did you help me so much?"

Upon hearing this, Ritsu Narose looked shocked.

No, am I that vulgar?

Although I have the habit of marrying people based on appearance, I won’t just pounce on any pretty person I see!

"You know, our first meeting was completely accidental, and the subsequent meetings were also because I found it very pleasant to work with you." For the sake of his own image, and at the same time not letting the other party misunderstand that he had ulterior motives, Naruse Ritsu carefully chose his words: "What's more, I also want to--"

"Don't answer me with 'Nagasaki Suyo' as an excuse." As if knowing what Naruse Ritsu was about to say, Toyokawa Shoko interrupted him presciently. "If you really knew her, you should know that she definitely doesn't want to see me talking to you."

"Well, I don't think Su Shi would be so stingy." The corner of his mouth twitched, and Naruse Ritsu added: "Besides, we haven't done anything shameful, so there's no need to care so much."

"But I care!"

Finally unable to bear the uncomfortable atmosphere, Toyokawa Shoko bit her lip and looked up at Naruse Ritsu.

"You approached me on your own accord, using rhetoric like 'cooperation' to lure me into meeting you...and then, after we met, you continued to contact me without my permission. You clearly don't understand what I've been through, yet you keep predicting exactly what I'm thinking..."

He was not frightened by this almost furious reaction, but another puzzling idea slowly formed in his mind.

"Am I misunderstanding something? Xiangzi's attitude seems to be that he wants me to hate you?"

"What do you mean? It sounds like I like you..." Her face froze, and Toyokawa Shoko tried to fight back with an indifferent attitude.

"I just feel like you seem to be angry with me... or to be more precise, with yourself." Spreading his hands, Ritsu Narose looked at the little blue octopus in front of him that seemed to have entered the red-temperature state.

"That's it! That's why I hate you for that!"

Her usual elegant and dignified demeanor was gone, but her current look was not hysterical - at least Ritsu Naruse could not hear any disgust in it.

After all, if she really hated me, she would have left long ago based on her personality...

……

……No way?

Suddenly, a guess arose in his heart that made him not know how to react.

Seeing his obviously changed expression, Toyokawa Shoko sighed with relief.

It looked like he probably knew.

This is better, at least I don’t have to say it myself.

But seeing his reaction, why do I feel a little unwilling?

Is it because he didn't respond immediately?

Her breathing had begun to tremble, and Toyokawa Shoko pursed her lips: "I've said everything I wanted to say..."

After a slight pause, she chose to swallow the last word "goodbye", trying in vain to prove something.

Turning around, Toyokawa Shoko saw Nagasaki Suyo standing at the entrance of the staff passage, looking at her with a strange look.

There were no words, and the two people, only ten meters apart, stared at each other silently.

81. You really are so high and mighty :)

Among humans and even many intelligent creatures, possessiveness is one of the more common desires, and this situation is often more obvious in adolescents.

It's like when a model maker gets a model he loves so much, he's not shy about showing it off to others. But if he were to see someone else show off the same toy he just got, he'd be filled with jealousy.