Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

The little fish bounced twice on the wet paper and was then poured into the bowl of water by Wan Ye.

Unfortunately, it seemed a little slow. Although the fish was caught, the paper net was torn.

"Wow!!" China's eyes lit up.

Zheli's previous moves had been too casual; she'd only felt they were impressive, but they hadn't left a deep impression. Now, Manye's every move was so powerful, Qiannai couldn't help but applaud again.

Zheli was equally generous in his praise, "As expected of Manye. You are much more magnanimous than me."

"Haha. But the net is still broken. Compared to Mr. Manager, I am still far behind."

The boy looked down at the torn paper net and the goldfish looking around in the bowl.

Go with the wind, travel far away like clouds...

After returning to the mortal world after a long absence, he seemed to understand the knife in his hand even better than when he was walking alone in the wilderness.

The noisy clamor in his ears was like a big pool of water, and he only needed to make a gentle cut to bring himself and the little fish to a small world far away from the hustle and bustle.

Although I am still in the bustling city, it feels even quieter than when I was living in the universe.

If his knife could be lighter than this small paper net, perhaps he could be closer to that "empty and pure" state of mind.

Chapter 77: Breaking the Ice

"This is delicious..."

Shoko Toyokawa blinked her big eyes.

After the hot dumplings are baked to a crispy aroma, they are drizzled with sweet soy sauce and sprinkled with seaweed powder, which makes the aroma overflow. When you bite into them, you can see the steam slowly rising under the night sky and bright lights, contrasting with the thin smoke from the oven.

A moment ago, she thought she would be out of place in this place that seemed to have nothing to do with her life.

However, as more and more people came onto the road leading into the city, as she stood at the edge of the festival venue and looked out towards Inazuma Castle, as this city, which had once been shrouded in silence under the moon, gradually became decorated with lights, just like the outlying island port she had seen not long ago, as if it too had been infected with some belated enthusiasm at the end of summer—

She suddenly felt that all her worries seemed insignificant compared to the vast world before her.

"Thank you for the compliment, little girl." The stall owner laughed.

Xiangzi turned to Wakaba Mu and said, "Mu, would you like one too?"

“…….” Mu blinked.

The light golden eyes were tinged with a hint of fire, clearly reflecting the dumpling handed to him by Xiangzi, as well as the smile on the face of the girl against the light, which was so bright that it seemed as if it had never disappeared.

————I’ve always been looking forward to it.

'That Wakaba's daughter', 'Minami's daughter'

The name "Ruoye Mu" seemed to have never belonged to her since she was born.

Just, just follow the will of your family to study, commute, and do whatever they want to do.

Her parents would occasionally praise her for being well-behaved, but she was just a "doll," unsure of where else to go besides obeying orders. That life was boring, its end predictable, yet it was bound to be "right": all she had to do was become "Wakaba's daughter" or "Minami's daughter," and the life of the girl named Wakaba Mutsu would be safely "completed."

however.

'Mu! I want to form a band!'

At the music festival in Tsuki no Mori, the girl in front of her had said this to her with the same bright smile. Then, Xiangzi immediately met with Nagasaki Suyo and asked Mu to go to RiNG to wait... At first, Mu just thought that "Xiangzi's childhood playmate" should do this.

Just like she spent her entire life fulfilling her obligations as "Wakaba's daughter".

just.

Since when, this band seems to have become something more than just that.

It was as if, apart from that guitar, there were other things in the world that truly belonged to me.

But...as expected, I'm still scared.

Do I really exist? Are my thoughts correct?

When I play music, sing loudly under the spotlight, and show my face——

"Ah! So she is the daughter of Mori Minami!"

——Am I just a part of shaping “Wakaba Mutsu”?

Obviously, playing the guitar always makes me feel peaceful, and makes me feel that I really exist here, even if it is just temporary. However, playing the guitar in a band gradually makes me lose that comfort.

It seems that "Wakaba Mu" is going to take away my last stronghold.

So, I said -

"I've never had fun playing in a band."

I don't understand why Toyokawa Shoko could be so passionate. I don't understand why she still believed in the dream she once made after her family suffered a tragedy. I don't understand why such a passionate heart turned into a smoky rain in an instant.

But "I" know that on that evening, and many evenings after that.

From this girl, and another girl.

The brilliance of them, like the sun, the moon and the stars, should never be desecrated by the puppet-like "I".

...But...

As expected, I am still so envious.

Why the light in them never dies. Why the spark can be reignited countless times.

"why."

Why can you still laugh so happily now, Xiaoxiang?

"Eh? 'Why'?" Xiangzi couldn't help but be stunned.

She subconsciously glanced down at the Mitarashi dango in her hand. The sweet soy sauce had formed a glass-like glaze on the surface, shimmering and reflecting the light from the surrounding lanterns, or even each other's faces.

She paused for a moment and then took a step forward.

"Because I wanted Mu to try it too. It's that simple," she said.

In one hand he held a bamboo skewer with a dumpling missing from it, and with the other hand he handed a complete skewer of dumplings to Mu.

Under the same festival lights, the green-haired girl looked as serene as ever. Like the gentle breeze after a long summer night, or a distant stroll along a riverbank, a flash of fireworks streaking across the sky, and finally, you.

"Yes, can you give it to me?" the girl asked softly.

"Yeah. Oh! It's no big deal, just take it." Xiangzi raised his eyebrows, feigned annoyance, and pried open Mu's palm, handing her the string of dango. "As a Nascita employee, I asked the store manager to convert part of my salary into Mora. It's enough money for shopping today."

"Oh? I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

Shiina Riki walked out of the crowd and heard Xiangzi's bold words as soon as he came in.

"We bought some grilled corn, and you... Hey! Aren't there only two bunches?!"

Li Xi held three fragrant corns in his hand and stared at Xiangzi with wide eyes.

It was clearly Shoko Toyokawa's own suggestion that since they didn't have enough time to stroll around, they might as well each pick out something they wanted to eat, and then share the food and enjoy this rather short celebration efficiently.

It turns out that this woman is so selfish!

Xiangzi looked at the skewer of dumplings in his hand, one of which had been bitten off, and then looked at Mu's. "Oh. I forgot..."

Gao Songdeng walked slowly closer, looked at Mu curiously, and then looked at the dumpling in her hand.

"Xiao Mu. Dumplings, are they delicious?"

"..."

Mu finally seemed to come to his senses, drove away the flames in his eyes, and regained his former calmness.

She looked into Gao Songdeng's eyes, which were as peaceful as a lake, and paused for a moment, as if thinking. But then she said nothing, just put the dumpling to her mouth and opened her mouth -

“Hmm…Hmm…”

Gudong.

The girl lowered her eyes as if to feel the sweet taste lingering on her tongue. After a few seconds, she raised her head and said, "Delicious."

"Is that so? That's great—eh?"

Deng opened her eyes wide. She found that Wakaba Mu was handing the remaining dumplings to her.

"Eat the lanterns too," Mu said. "They're delicious."

then.

"Ah."

The girl narrowed her eyes and smiled faintly.

“Ah—woo… huhu.”

When you bite open the slightly cool shell, you will find the still warm and soft rice underneath, followed by a sweet taste that fills your mouth.

Connecting the memories of this moment.

Chapter 78: Under the Summer Night

"Huh? Why does it feel like everyone is gathering over there?"

"Haven't you heard? There's a special performance this year."

"Performance? I'll go and join in the fun."

"..."

Baodeng Zheli withdrew his gaze from the people on the street.

Fengyuan Manye also heard the idle chatter of passersby and smiled at Zheli: "It seems that Miss Su Shi and the others' performance has become a hot topic."

"I heard that Miss Kamisato has done some special publicity. Even those who just casually attend the celebration like in previous years can know about it from the notice board." Zhe Li pointed to the front of the street.

"Miss Kamisato... you're the 'White Egret Princess', right?"

Manye remembered that he had indeed seen many promotional advertisements when passing by the place, but he hadn't looked closely. Clearly, the store manager and his crew were all newcomers to Inazuma, yet they had secured such a staggering amount of publicity in less than a month... Although he had considered himself quite appreciative of their uniqueness, it now seemed as if he had underestimated them.

"Even the company's CEO likes this performance so much, I'm starting to look forward to it too."

"Just wait and see." Zhe Li raised his lips and put his hands on his hips. "Their performance won't disappoint anyone."

"Oh, is that so? Then I'll have to look forward to it." "Meow!"

At this moment, a gentle voice and the meow of a cat came from beside him. Zhe Li turned his head and looked at the girl with a slightly cold look in her eyes, but a gentle smile on her face, and a kitten in her arms. He smiled and waved:

"Hello, Ms. Chiori. And Kirara."

"Hello, Mr. Manager." She nodded and turned to Manye, "Who is this?"

"Let me introduce you. This is Fengyuan Manye, and now--" Zheli paused for a moment.

The two of them could be called friends, but their relationship was not particularly deep. For a moment, she really didn't know how to introduce him. After all, technically speaking, Manye was now an unemployed vagrant... and it was a bit strange to just say "regular customer".

Seeing Zheli's embarrassment, Wanye smiled and stepped forward, saying, "My name is Fengyuan Wanye, a wandering ronin."

"...Ronin." Chizhi's gaze lingered on the boy for a moment, then quickly withdrew her scrutinizing gaze. She nodded slightly and said, "My name is Chizhi. Right now, um, I'm working as a seamstress—"

"You may be a ronin, but your clothes are quite tasteful."

Qianzhi once again looked him up and down and gave his final comment:

"He looks like a wanderer, but he also retains a sense of noble elegance. I like it very much."

"Ah, haha..." Manye blinked and smiled in slight surprise, "Thank you, Miss Chiori. This is the first time I've been praised for my fashion sense."

Ever since the day he started his vagrant life and wandered in the mountains, Manye had never cared about his clothes.

First, there are the loose hakama that is easy to move in, then the multi-layered clothing that is easy to put on and take off to adjust to different weather conditions, and then there are the shoulder pads and leg guards that can provide the minimum protection for the body while wearing light clothes, plus a hat and a scarf. This is his daily attire.

Using mountain stream water to maintain your appearance is the greatest respect you can show to others. How can you spare the energy to consider your clothing style?

"Huh? Aren't they specially matched?" Zhe Li looked over with a surprised look.

Recently, Su Shi started choosing clothes for him and matching them with his outfits, so Zhe Li gradually understood the intricacies of dressing. Especially since Su Shi was self-taught, the knowledge he taught him was more simple and easy to understand. Now, he can understand why Qian Zhi praised Manye's outfit with just one glance.

"This..." After hearing Zhe Li say this, Wan Ye couldn't help but lower his head and look at his clothes.

He was just casually putting on a comfortable outfit. Besides, if he wanted to match his clothes, he had to have some options. He was wandering the wilderness, with no clothes and no money. How was he supposed to match his clothes?

"This is the beauty of talent." Qianzhi joked.

Or maybe it was just the game designer's will, Zhe Li thought to himself.