Mygo, are you all yanderes?

If Ye Mu remained silent, she would simply put the popcorn she was about to bite into back at him.

"...Actually, it wouldn't be a problem to eat one more, that's what I think."

As if she hadn't heard him, Wakaba Mutsu ate the popcorn.

"Wakaba Mutsu, your evil is simply intolerable to Heaven. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and let the flame of justice burn again on this thorny land..."

"...Today is coming to an end again."

Ignoring Kusano Akira's menacing gesture as he aimed his finger bone at her temple again, Wakaba Mutsu's eyes dimmed slightly, and she softly uttered these words.

"I think we don't have to end it."

Kusano Akira walked up to Wakaba Mutsumi with a smile, squatted down, and looked at her face, which was full of reluctance.

“We can stay out a little longer, or you could like to come to my house? Don’t worry about Su Shi today, you can come whenever you want.”

"..."

Upon hearing Kusano Akira's words, Wakaba Mutsu's eyes flickered, but were immediately covered by even greater melancholy. She gently shook her head, resolutely rejecting Kusano Akira's suggestion.

"No, I'd rather not."

"They're already tired of my family? Could it be that I'm next?! Damn it, do people's tastes really change over time? The day Mumu hates me won't be until at least ten years after I die..."

"No."

With his middle finger and thumb clasped together in a circle, Wakaba Mutsu flicked Kusano Akira's forehead, who was muttering to himself about things like "novelty," "old flames are not as good as new ones," and "he must have a new love."

"I'm very happy today, thank you."

If Ye Mu hides her disappointment, she touches the corner of her mouth with her slender fingers and reveals a faint smile.

"Why are you suddenly saying that again today? Really..."

Kusano Akira braced himself on his knees, and after a slight effort, stood up, somewhat embarrassed, and looked away.

"I suddenly felt like saying this."

This is the truth.

Ever since watching the performance and chatting with Kusano Akira, Wakaba Mutsu had been constantly on edge, feeling like she was being spied on.

It was this strange sense of crisis that made her feel that if she didn't say this now, she wouldn't have another good opportunity to say it later.

"……puff."

Kusano Akira stared intently at Wakaba Mutsu with a serious expression. After meeting the other's questioning gaze for a while, his serious expression suddenly relaxed, and he burst out laughing.

"why are you laughing."

"What I'm laughing at is the way the two of us get along."

Kusano Akira pointed at Wakaba Mutsu, then at himself, a joyful smile curving his lips.

"You were chasing me before the movie, and if that CK Hack drummer hadn't come over, you probably would have been chasing me for a while longer. But now the atmosphere between us has become so... warm? Or rather, reserved? Don't you think that's strange?"

"...It is indeed very strange."

"Right? It's not just strange, it's so strange it's laughable. What a bizarre way of getting along! Don't you find it funny?"

"It's alright."

5. "That's a pity, I can only enjoy this kind of happiness by myself."

After chuckling softly twice, Kusano Akira turned towards the station and gestured to Wakaba Mutsumi to follow.

"Let's go. Since you don't want to play any longer, I'll take you home."

"……Need not."

Wakaba Mutsumi rejected Kusano Akira's proposal.

"Hmm, what's wrong? Are we really going to drift apart? You're not even willing to do that anymore?"

4. "No, it's just... I have something to do today and need to go somewhere else, which will take up a lot of time."

Ai Ruoye Mu actually wanted Kusano Akira to continue escorting her home, since it was a long way from here to her house and would take quite a while. At least it would allow Kusano Akira to spend more time with her.

However, according to what the maid said during the day, there is a high probability that Minami and the others will go home today. If Minami happens to see her walking with Kusano Akira, there will definitely be endless troubles and questioning.

Motokay was truly terrified of her guardian.

“ho…”

Squinting, Kusano Akira tried to discern any trace of pretense on Wakaba Mutsu's face, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a single flaw. He could only show a somewhat regretful expression.

"Alright then, if you have something to do, I won't see you off."

"Well, I'll go first."

Seeing that Kusano Akira had given up, Wakaba Mutsumi turned around and walked decisively toward the station.

"Wait."

"What's wrong……?"

Kusano Akira's shout came from behind. Wakaba Mutsu turned around in confusion and saw something blurry being thrown in front of her.

As Ye Mu hurriedly caught the object, Kusano Akira's next words reached her ears.

"I bought this before I came here, specifically to give it to you. I was planning to tell you after I dropped you off at home, but since you said you didn't need me to take you home today, I'll just have to take it out now. Consider it a souvenir of our first official trip together?"

Following the coolness from her palm, Ruo Ye Mu looked down and saw a green crystal earring, the color of an emerald, lying quietly in her hand.

"..."

Clutching the earring tightly, Ruoye Mu was about to step forward and give Kusano Akira a hug, but before she could make a move, Kusano Akira's next words came through.

"I don't know what's popular among girls right now, so I specifically asked Aiyin about this. I've been looking for this for a long time."

"...Chihaya Aine picked it?"

"No, she only gave a general recommendation. I selected the items myself after careful consideration."

Hearing Kusano Akira say this, Wakaba Mutsumi's furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

"I really like..."

"But the inspiration for giving you the gift actually came from Deng. Do you remember the stone you saw at my house before? That was actually a gift that Deng and I gave each other when we were little."

"If Gao Song Deng has one, then our Xiao Mu should have one too, so I came up with this idea."

"..."

Ruo Yemu is not usually one to show her emotions, but even so, she couldn't quite control her expression at this moment.

What's wrong with this person? Doesn't he understand romance at all?

"I'm leaving!"

The voice, which should have been as pure and serene as an orchid in a secluded valley, was now tinged with personal emotion. Ruo Yemu strode heavily toward the station and never looked back.

"Take care—"

Waving and calling out to Wakaba Mutsu as she walked away, Kusano Akira only revealed a shrewd smile after she was completely out of sight.

The flag was successfully raised.

Author's Note: Two chapters for now, more to come — I'm trying my best to reach 8k, but there's a good chance it'll only be 6k. I didn't feel like writing much today.

Volume 1: Chapter 175. The Super Workaholic (2k)

With his fingertips supporting his chin, Kusano Akira let out a smug chuckle as his slightly stiff fingertips brushed against the corner of his lips.

Ever since that day when Takamatsu Akira clearly expressed her ulterior motives towards him, Kusano Akira has been wary of her, and has also become wary of Wakaba Mutsumi, who, although she hasn't done anything, is showing a similar tendency.

If you can pull down a flag, you must pull it down. If you don't, the friendship will drift further and further away from you. For your own sake, even if it's a misunderstanding, Kusano Akira will never show mercy to any event that could potentially damage the friendship.

Wasn't that exactly what happened just now? Did you really think he didn't hear what Ruoye Mu was about to say? Although his hearing has indeed deteriorated compared to before, he is still a musician. How could he not hear such a small sound? Besides, Ruoye Mu's voice wasn't exactly quiet at the time.

He deliberately interrupted Wakaba Mutsuki before she could speak, and then, in a very tactless move, brought up Takamatsu Akari and Chihaya Aine to shatter Wakaba Mutsuki's earlier emotional state.

See how effective that is? Ruo Yemu left without even saying a final goodbye, not even bothering to look back at him.

As the saying goes, you can never truly understand someone else without experiencing a real argument. Just like a torn muscle that has been repaired is stronger than before, arguments or minor conflicts make friendship all the more precious.

If he could guarantee that the argument wouldn't actually cause them to part ways, Kusano Akira would really like to have two arguments with his friend that wouldn't affect their relationship.

Isn't Ye Mutsu just someone who can ensure that you won't part ways because of arguments? Although he still doesn't quite understand why she cares about him so much, Kusano Akira doesn't really want to care about that aspect.

The worst-case scenario couldn't be something like Takamatsu, whose thinking has gone astray, who has developed somewhat distorted feelings for him, and whose actions are frighteningly powerful. Could Ruoye Mu really be chasing after him with a knife?

That's impossible, unless she has a second personality.

"...Hey, turn around."

Just as Kusano Akira was smugly reviewing his actions, a chilling voice, even more piercing than Wakaba Mutsu's, seemed to freeze the surrounding air, appeared behind him, and a finger gently poked his back.

"…Lixi?"

Kusano Akira turned around following the source of the sound, and after seeing the person behind him, he paused for a moment before saying the person's name with some surprise.

At the end of his line of sight, Shiina Riki stood behind him, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Today, she was still wearing her usual casual clothes: a standard blue skirt, a black shirt, and a white jacket. Her fair and beautiful face was flushed with a slight pink, and a few drops of sweat trickled down her forehead and onto the floor. Judging from her slightly heavier breathing, she seemed to have come running.

‰※×肆潵¤←舞露∵☆寺刺猬曺代购): "Why are you here? I thought you were still preparing for work at this time."

Seeing Shiina Tatsuki here, Kusano Akira was surprised, but still showed a genuinely happy smile.

In the band, in a sense, his favorite person to be with was Chihaya Aine, followed by Shiina Tatsuki.

Although Shiina Tatsuki looks like a fierce person, her attitude towards him has always been surprisingly good. She is also very serious and has never caused him any trouble. Apart from not being able to find common topics of entertainment, everything else is great when you are with her.

He felt that some people might be captivated by Shiina Tatsuki's appearance and temperament when they first met her, and therefore might not be very good at dealing with her. However, if they spent more time with her, they would definitely not be able to dislike her.

This sounds a bit like finding a backup plan, but Kusano Akira still really likes the feeling that as soon as Wakaba Mutsu left, someone else is right there by his side.

"...Is that how I am in your mind?"

Shiina Tatsuki — No, when 'Shiina Tatsuki' heard Kusano Akira's first words to her, which were based on a stereotypical view of her, she immediately wanted to refute them, but then swallowed her words back, her cold voice turning somewhat dejected.

It's no wonder that Kusano Akira has this stereotype about her; if you think about it carefully, she really is always working, working no matter what others are doing.

Hey Lixi, let's hang out! You're the only one from our band we haven't hung out with yet.

Find someone else to join you; I'm working. (Alcohol)

Okay, then.

【————】

[Hey Lixi, Lena's going to high school! Want to plan a surprise for her? I've booked a room and a huge matcha cake, let's scare her!]

【You haven't had enough of her biting you yet, have you...? Sorry, I'll have to trouble you with this. I still have some music to play...】Part Three

[If your face is already pale, you shouldn't be working anymore, just go.] 5

[Wait, don't pull me, let me calm down...] Six

【————】

[Lixi, let's go get some ramen.]

【I need a job... How did you know where I live?!】

How about I ask Xiangzi for it?

[How could Xiangzi... Oh, she knows Maki... How awful...]

Let's go eat ramen together.

I'm not going...

I even came all the way to your house and you still didn't come? This is so hurtful.

Don't pretend in front of me. I'm not like Deng or Su Shi, who will put up with you. Watch out or I'll beat you up.

Wow, wow, wow (perfunctory), that's amazing—I won't leave until you agree! Wow, your bed is so soft, can I roll around on it?

[Aren't you already rolling around on the ground?! Get out! You're trespassing!]

【Maki-nee agreed.】

[Gurgle...!]

【————】

Happy graduation, Lixi! Happy graduation, Hailing!