I have bound two systems.

Ijichi Hongxia nodded. It was indeed like that. The contrast was huge, but the result was satisfactory enough that the previous uneasiness was nothing.

However, the other three people had no idea what the two of them were talking about, and they all looked confused.

Ijichi Hongxia didn't explain and simply wiped her eyes with a tissue.

Although her emotions were far from calming down, at everyone's kind urging, she clasped her hands together, made a wish to the cake with candles on it, and then blew out the candles in one breath.

After everyone's cheers and applause died down, she first looked at the person she was most familiar with, Yamada Ryo, feeling both expectant and a little embarrassed.

"Since we've prepared to this extent, then, then... there should be that, right?"

Yamada Ryo smiled subtly, and suddenly became devilish at this moment. He silently took out a gift box wrapped with a bow from behind him, showing an evil smile like an uncle who led an ignorant girl to fall. He put the gift close to Ichichi Hongxia's eyes and gently rubbed her chin and cheeks.

"Oh~ What's the matter? If you don't explain it clearly, I don't really understand."

"That is to say... that is to say..."

Ijichi Hongxia's face flushed, her breathing frequency became strange, and she became more and more embarrassed.

Yamada Ryo continued to guide her.

"Well, tell me what it is~ Tell me quickly, uncle-san, so that I can really help you... um!"

"Don't bully Hong Xia, you mean-spirited guy."

"You are the bad guy, aren't you? You were so close to making Hong Xia show that shameful expression. Aren't you looking forward to it?"

Yamada Ryo covered her head in dissatisfaction and cast a resentful look at Suzumiya Chisato who tried to stop her.

"Don't expect it. You can play this kind of shameful game in private after I leave."

"嘁~"

Yamada Ryo gave up reluctantly and handed over the gift politely.

After getting permission, Ijichi Hongxia opened the gift and found a clay doll that looked very much like herself.

"Did you make this yourself?"

"I have tried, and I would love to give you a positive answer, but unfortunately, my hands are not suitable for doing anything other than playing musical instruments."

The implication is that it was custom-made by another professional.

But when it comes to gifts, it doesn’t matter what they are or whether they are handmade, only the thought behind them is what matters.

So Ijichi Hongxia happily hugged her and thanked her.

Afterwards, Kita Ikuyo and Goto Ichiri also presented the gifts they had prepared.

Kita Ikuyo gave a set of beautiful hair ties, while Goto Ichiri gave a cute mug.

Finally it was Chisato Suzumiya's turn. After Ichichi Kouka opened it, she found out it was a pair of wireless in-ear headphones.

"I once heard you complain inadvertently, Hongxia, that the headphones you're using have been making intermittent noises recently, so I thought this might be able to help you. Happy birthday."

The pragmatist Chisato Suzumiya congratulated normally.

Ijichi Hongxia fell into deep thought, she recalled the situation the other party had mentioned.

I did say something similar one night in a recording studio under the stars.

But, was Suzumiya-kun present at that time?

It’s been a while, and he can’t remember it at all, but he remembers it so clearly…

"Thank you, Suzumiya-kun."

"You're welcome."

"Ah, it's from Audio-Technica. It looks like a new model. It shouldn't be cheap."

Yamada Ryo came over, put his chin on Ijichi Kouka's shoulder and looked at the gift in her hand.

"The price is not important, as long as it works well. The store owner said that the quality and sound of this headset are very good. If it breaks down, you can always go to him for repair or replacement. I'll send you the store address later."

"Ah, yes."

All in all, today's surprise birthday party was perfect from every angle.

I don’t know why, but Ijichi Hongxia seems a little dazed from time to time.

Maybe it’s because we were too happy, everyone thought so.

…………

Volume Two

The meaning of Chapter 1

Monday, May 30th.

After the morning class meeting, Chisato Suzumiya, who was on duty today, followed the teacher to move the thick exercise books back to the staff room. When she came back, she saw Touma Kazusa, who was looking out the window with her chin propped up out of boredom.

Because of her mother's illness and her boyfriend's confession to her, all these messy things happened together, which made her miss school for several days. So when she suddenly returned to her seat from the back door of the classroom after an early class today, the other students in the class secretly looked at her.

Before, because of Chisato Suzumiya, her aura, which was like an iceberg and made people feel cold all over when they got close to her, had dissipated a lot. She became a little more girlish and approachable. Several cheerful girls had become very familiar with her, and they could chat with each other half-jokingly and occasionally eat together during lunch break.

But today, because they hadn't seen each other for several days, and she looked expressionless, the girls she was more familiar with didn't dare to approach her and talk to her.

But Chisato Suzumiya didn't think so much at all.

Kazusa was finally able to return to school, which in a way was a move on her part to completely send out a signal of reconciliation.

He didn't care and walked straight to her table.

"and……"

"Goto-san will go to the music classroom today as usual, right?"

Without giving Suzumiya Chisato a chance to say hello first, Touma Kazusa, after noticing the other person approaching, took the initiative to ask her own question.

The girl blinked her calm eyes and waited quietly for his answer.

Although she acted quite harmless and her expression was peaceful enough without showing any sharp aggression, she started to confirm Goto Ichiri's whereabouts as soon as she returned to school, which made Suzumiya Chisato somewhat uneasy.

So he did not answer her question immediately, but lowered his head and looked naturally downward, through her neckline with a tie, and saw the necklace chain he had given her yesterday.

Well, she kept it with her.

Touma Hesa ​​narrowed her eyes and followed Suzumiya Chisato's gaze slowly to her chest. Combined with his meaningful smile and the actions he did to her when she was in a daze when they were kissing last night, she misunderstood his meaning. Her eyes showed a hint of weakness and her ears turned unnaturally red.

"You are stupid."

I also said this.

"?"

Although Suzumiya Chisato was confused, she was not angry about her harmless misunderstanding.

"Are you specifically asking about Yili's whereabouts because you want to talk to her?"

With the corner of her eye raised,

"I asked you first."

"Yes, she will go. After all, she doesn't have many friends to talk to. Besides going to the music classroom, she spends her lunch break in a dark place under the stairs where few people pass by."

"Oh."

Touma Kazusa got her own answer and returned to her original position, put her hand on her chin, turned her head and looked out the window again, as if there was something in the empty sky outside that made her very curious.

Chisato Suzumiya pulled out her own chair and sat at her table.

"Kaza hasn't answered my question yet."

"I really want to talk to her."

"Well...can you tell me first what you plan to talk to her about?"

Touma and Sa turned around.

"Are you worried that I will target her after seeing her at noon, and you feel bad for that?"

No, why are you so angry when you say this...

"No, I just want to know more about Kazusa. I want to know everything about you, that's all."

Touma and Sa stared at him seriously for a while, but finally turned their heads away and replied "No comment".

The class bell rang at this moment, and Chisato Suzumiya didn't feel comfortable asking any more questions.

Afterwards, Touma Kazusa returned to her original state, burying her head on the desk and sleeping soundly. After all, her goal has changed now, and her academic ability level is no longer important to her.

She slept like this until lunch time, then she stretched and sat up, following Chisato Suzumiya to the music classroom.

"What time did you go to bed last night?"

Chisato Suzumiya had tried several times during get out of class breaks and concluded that Kazusa was not pretending to be asleep, but was really asleep.

"About four o'clock."

"So late? Practicing piano?"

"That's why I was late this morning. If my mom hadn't called me, I would have had to take another day off today."

Dong Ma He Sha covered her mouth with her hands and yawned.

"I have to race against time to make up for the wasted time as soon as possible. After all, if I participate in the competition at my current level, I will undoubtedly just be considered as making up the numbers. Studying doesn't matter, but I don't want to lose to others in piano. To me, winning the silver medal would be a failure."

This fighting spirit is indeed worthy of praise, but in addition to this, Suzumiya Chisato also keenly captured another word,

"Contest?"

"Yes, there will be a youth piano competition in Tokyo in a month. I have signed up for it. I remember I told you about it."

"No, you didn't."

"Oh, that's what I forgot."

Touma and Sa looked indifferent.

"You guy..."

Chisato Suzumiya reached out her hand in dissatisfaction and ruffled Hesha's inky black hair.

The two of them went upstairs and walked into the music classroom while playing and joking.

Touma Kazusa had only been away from school for a few days, and the place was still the same as she remembered it.

The window was half open and the wind blew the curtains.

She walked over to the piano and ran her fingers lightly over the surface, lifting it up to examine it more closely.

"Don't worry, I'll clean the piano for you every day, so there won't be any dust."

Touma and Sa understood that he was deliberately speaking well of the other party, but did not say it out loud. Instead, they asked when the other party would come here.

"It's not like you don't know Ichiri. Most of the time he brings lunch boxes from home, but he occasionally goes to the store to buy bread. Maybe he's almost there."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the music classroom was pushed open and Goto Ichiri walked in as usual.

But the moment she saw Touma Kazusa, she suddenly became panicked. Under the pressure of the other person's cold and sharp gaze with his arms folded across his chest, her whole body began to tremble like a sieve.

Some people actually have chattering teeth when they are nervous.

Touma and Sa thought silently.

Goto Ichiri's reaction somewhat eased her anger. After all, compared to the guy named Kasumigaoka who came to provoke her that day, her current performance was quite weak.

"Yes, I'm sorry! I'll disappear right away!"

Goto Ichiri reacted quickly and without trying to test Touma Kazusa's reaction, he quickly bent down to apologize and tried to turn around and slip away.

Although escape is shameful, it is useful. This is the philosophy of life that she has been adhering to for many years.

"Wait, I have something to tell you."

Touma and Sa called her and turned to Chisato Suzumiya at the same time, signaling him to leave for a while as they wanted to talk alone.

Suzumiya Chisato was not very happy to do so, but he also understood that if he insisted on staying here, the effect might be counterproductive, so he nodded in agreement with Kazusa's words, and as he left with his back to Kazusa, he gave Ichiri a subtle look that told him not to be too nervous and to cheer up, and then closed the classroom door.

He had no intention of eavesdropping. He knew that even if Hesha didn't want to tell him the content of their conversation, Yili would definitely tell him everything without reservation. Therefore, without any worries, he lay on the window in the corridor and looked at the scenery in the distance.

About ten minutes later, the sound of piano was heard from the music classroom. Then the door of the classroom was opened, and Goto Ichiri walked out cautiously and came to the side of Suzumiya Chisato.

She pinched the hem of her skirt, her expression showing both relief at having escaped death and confusion and doubt at having felt lost.

All in all, it's very complicated.