Mygo, are you all yanderes?

Although the building was brightly lit, Nagasaki Motoyo remained uneasy, cautiously observing her surroundings.

"cough."

A deliberately suppressed cough, like a thin thread, clung to her ears, causing Nagasaki Motoyo's already tense thoughts to tighten abruptly. She looked at Kusano Akira, who was less than a meter away from her, only to see that he seemed not to have noticed anything.

A faint touch came from my right hand, as gentle as cotton wool brushing against my skin, yet it carried a hint of probing and caution.

Nagasaki Motoyo looked down and saw a hand outstretched in front of her, the well-defined fingers slightly curled, as if trying to grasp something but not daring to exert force, as if doing so would frighten someone.

Looking up again, Kusano Akira seemed oblivious to everything, his gaze fixed straight ahead, showing no reaction whatsoever, yet his back was taut like a pine tree.

"……"mustached

Having deciphered the true intention hidden behind the other person's actions, Nagasaki Motoyo stared at the hand still suspended in mid-air, her nails unconsciously digging into her palm until several small red crescents remained before she released her grip.

Finally, after Kusano Akira's ears turned slightly red with embarrassment due to Nagasaki Motoyo's prolonged silence, she reluctantly made a move.

With two slender fingers hooking the edge of the boy's sleeve, the delicate feel of the fabric fibers traveled through her fingertips. Nagasaki Motoyo quietly turned her face away, lowering her head slightly as if to bury her face in her collar. Even her steps became stiff, like a robot walking.

A blush slowly crept onto her face as she felt incredibly ashamed of her actions, but her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own.

At first, she only held the cuffs demurely with two fingertips, but gradually, like a trumpet vine, she became increasingly audacious, gripping the fabric with her entire hand. With each step, she would sometimes even 'inadvertently' brush against the other person's hand.

...That's so unreserved. (Ling)

Nagasaki Motoyo harbored resentment inwardly, her teeth gently biting a soft spot inside her mouth, her hands hanging at her sides showing no sign of loosening their grip. (Mai)

In a situation that should be serious, she acted so slowly and deliberately... well, it was just wrong.

Should I let go? I should let go, right? That's what I should do. After all, I'm not actually that close to the other person, am I? And we agreed not to be like Xiao Mu and Xiao Deng.

But they couldn't even muster the slightest thought of letting go.

……

...It must be because he didn't want to let Kusano Akira down.

Yes, that's right, that's exactly it.

The other party has made such a clear expression of goodwill; if I don't react at this moment, how awkward would it be for him?

She did it all because she wanted to save face for the other person; it was definitely not because she herself was unwilling to let go.

Well...should we do one more?

His gaze was fixed on Kusano Akira's excessively pale hands, and his breathing unconsciously slowed down.

What would it feel like to hold them all?

She felt it when she leaned against him; Kusano Akira's body seemed a little warm because of running.

His hands must be very warm at this moment...?

It might feel nice to hold?

Speaking of which, didn't you just intertwine your fingers with his? What did it feel like? I seem to have forgotten, should I... try to recall?

So, we'll try to experience it again?

……

…………

........................

After glancing at Kusano Akira's hand out of the corner of his eye for a while, Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly slammed her head against the elevator wall. The dull thud echoed in the small space for a long time. Kusano Akira, who was selecting the elevator floor, was startled and quickly turned around to look at Nagasaki Motoyo, who was covering her head.

"what happens?!"

"……fine."

Covering her head, Nagasaki Motoyo uttered these words, her hair falling to the side of her face due to gravity, obscuring her expression.

"Huh? No, what is this...?"

Kusano Akira leaned closer, trying to see what was happening, but Nagasaki Motoyo immediately turned her face away.

Chapter 1:

Chapter 119, Section 117: Nagasaki Motoyo Seems to Understand the Reason (2k)

"Wait, what are you doing...?"

Seeing that the other person was still avoiding him, Kusano Akira frowned, pressed her face down rather forcefully, and then brushed her hair away from bottom to top, revealing her pretty face that was tense.

A red mark appeared on her smooth forehead, standing out even more against her porcelain-white skin.

"Are you...fighting with this wall? Or do you think you're an airbag or something?"

"...Don't worry about it."

Nagasaki Motoyo gently brushed away Kusano Akira's tentative hand, her movements tinged with annoyance, but her tone was even calmer than before.

She lowered her head again, and the hair that had been swept aside fell down again, blocking the somewhat annoying light from the elevator.

[Su Shi, you're all grown up now. It's time for your mother to tell you about the secret techniques of our Nagasaki family!]

"Mom, what are you saying? Did work go badly today? Why are you saying things like this as soon as you get home? Please put down what you're holding."

[Hmph, Su Shi, watch closely! This is a skill I learned from my long experience in society. With this trick, no matter what troubles you have, they'll all disappear!]

[Mom, didn't you just say this was the Nagasaki family's secret technique? How did it turn into your social skills? Were you really tired from all the socializing today? Why don't you lie down first? I'll go make you some hangover soup...]

【Pay close attention!】

【Mother!!!】

"..."

Memories of the past flooded her mind, and Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes softened with regret.

As a single-parent family, her mother spends most of her time working hard to give her a better life, so she rarely has time to spend with her.

Therefore, Nagasaki Motoyo cherishes these few precious moments of companionship, and she is well aware that her mother always makes sure she is in good condition before going home, so as not to worry her.

This was the only time her mother had ever acted out while drunk, so she remembered it very clearly.

Nagasaki Motoyo is now only grateful that her memory is still pretty good, allowing her to recall this matter and this method at such a time.

Although it was the product of her mother's drunken tantrums and was obviously a terrible idea, it was surprisingly effective. After the impact, her mind cleared up considerably, and she no longer automatically added a filter to her eyes when looking at Kusano Akira.

She was afraid that if she kept watching, she would become the second Gao Songdeng.

"...So, Su Shi, you really aren't a normal person after all, are you?"

Kusano Akira scratched his hair helplessly, his gaze towards Nagasaki Sosei Shichi became subtle, and a regretful smile appeared on his lips.

"...?"

What do you mean by 'I'm not a normal person either'?

Upon hearing Kusano Akira's words, Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly looked up, her tightly furrowed brows resembling the wrinkled wings of a butterfly. The sweat that had been on her forehead had dried, leaving only her forehead exposed to the air, which brought a slight coolness. Her deep blue eyes were filled with doubt.

She admitted that her behavior just now did indeed deserve the title of "weirdo," but she didn't quite understand the "also." Did Kusano Akira have other strange people around him?

"And there are lights."

"...Ah, the lamp."

Upon hearing the name Takamatsu Akari, Nagasaki Motoyo immediately understood.

Rubbing his temples, Kusano Akira felt a headache coming on whenever Takamatsu Akira was mentioned.

"You said you saw what happened this morning, and you also know that she and I are childhood sweethearts, which means you heard a lot of things, right?"

"heard it."

"So you should have heard it too—she said she wanted to be with me."

"...If it's Xiaodeng, then it's really strange. I often can't understand her behavior either."

"I agree, her behavior is indeed strange, but for her to be with me is a bit too outrageous."

Kusano Akira's throat bobbed slightly as he swallowed twice. The long run and conversation had made his throat drier than the sand in the center of the desert. Waves of dry pain surged through him, and even his voice became hoarse, no longer clear and melodious as before.

"You see, it's true we're childhood sweethearts, but it's been many years since we last saw each other, right? And I'm suffering from amnesia; it's hard to say whether I'm the same person she knew before."

"Would she really make such a light decision about her life's most important event just because of this? No normal person would do that—but she would."

"And the strangest thing is her reasoning. She said she didn't like me, but then she said she wanted to be with me and marry me? Because that way I wouldn't run away?"

"……"land

Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes darkened, and her usually bright and lively gaze lost some of its luster, as if the other person's words had struck a nerve. She remained silent for a long time, then quietly tightened her grip on Kusano Akira's sleeve, leaving marks on his clothes.

"Yes, even if we get married... it's hard to say."

"No matter what you do to try to keep someone from leaving, you can't stop them from leaving."

"..."

Kusano Akira looked at the girl's pale profile, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. He then leaned closer to her, his fingertips secretly slipping into her palm. The moment their knuckles intertwined, the warmth conveyed a silent comfort. He quickly scratched her twice with his fingertips, then pretended not to notice her odd behavior and spoke casually.

"I told you the idea behind the lamp was flawed, didn't I? After all, if someone is destined not to leave, why would you need to try to keep them?"

"..."

As the voice faded, Nagasaki Motoyo slowly shifted her lowered gaze to the face of the person beside her. The moment their eyes met, Kusano Akira suddenly raised his eyebrows, blinked his right eye lightly, and then revealed a sunny smile.

"Maybe."

Perhaps seeing the other person's deliberate act, Nagasaki Motoyo's lips curled up slightly, and the gloom in her heart seemed to be dispelled a little. But then she deliberately put on a serious face, shifted her gaze from the other person's face to their clasped hands, and chuckled softly.

She was beginning to understand why Wakaba Mutsumi and Takamatsu Akari's feelings for this person had grown so quickly.

If he really is a jerk, that's fine, but if he isn't...

"..."

"Ah, here we are."

Just as the conversation was ending, the elevator doors opened as if on cue, and with a ding, Kusano Akira took the initiative to walk forward.

"..."

Stepping out of the elevator, you can see Kusano Akira's house at a glance. The moment your eyes meet his, Nagasaki Motoyo's body trembles as if she has been electrocuted, and she silently moves closer to Kusano Akira.

Chapter 1:

Chapter 120 (Chapter 118). Mortis: Security First (2k)

If Nagasaki Motoyo remembers correctly, when she ran away with Kusano Akira, they were in such a hurry that they didn't have time to close the door of his house.

Now, at the end of her sight, the sturdy and reliable door had rejoined its frame, quietly guarding its rightful place.

The fear that had finally disappeared thanks to courage and the ambiguous atmosphere just moments before returned, climbing up her spine like a spider crawling along its web.

Nagasaki Motoyo's throat bobbed with difficulty. She almost curled up and hid behind Kusano Akira, releasing his slightly warm fingers. Then, like a drowning person seeing tree roots floating on the sea, she tightly wrapped her arms around his arm before peeking her head out again, as if this could give her some sense of security.

"..."

The warm touch traveled up his arm to his brain, carrying the softness and trembling unique to a young girl. Kusano Akira's face stiffened for a moment because of the sudden attack, and the movement of his hands and feet began to become unnatural. His breathing was also stuck in his chest due to tension. He didn't know whether to continue walking or turn around to check on the situation of the people behind him.

"Su Shi, you should stay here. I'll go open the door myself. I've done enough to get this far."

His voice carried through the air, causing a slight ripple. Kusano Akira suppressed his restless emotions and spoke to Nagasaki Motoyo with feigned composure. However, his deliberately lowered voice was unnatural, but fortunately, his hoarse voice masked it, preventing the other party from noticing.

"No, this way it will be easier to carry you around later..."

Nagasaki Motoyo shook her head, her molars grinding together, her gaze fixed like a nail on the tightly closed door. ￣＊

"Don't worry about me, just keep going."

She tightened her grip on Haneoka's school uniform, leaving taut marks on the bright, elegant fabric.

"OK then."

Kusano Akira walked to the door, his fingertips hovering above the keypad, gently tapping. Nagasaki Motoyo stood on tiptoe, her neck tilted forward, and every 'beep' sound as she entered the password felt like a tap on her taut nerves.

She held her breath, her mind focused to an unprecedented degree. When Kusano Akira entered the last number and the door opened, her pupils contracted. She lowered her heels, crouched slightly, and assumed a posture ready to run away at any moment.

"Mortis? Are you there? Come out for a second."

With long strides, Kusano Akira led Nagasaki Motoyo into the living room and turned on the light switch that was placed in front of the bedroom door. The white light illuminated the living room, which Nagasaki Motoyo had never seen in its entirety before.

Under the white light, the room seemed particularly deserted, especially when it was just the two of them and there was no sound except for Kusano Akira's shouts.

The sound echoed in the empty space. After two seconds of silence, Mortis came running out with small, fawning laughs.