Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

Deng was at a loss, "Eh, ah, uh..."

Zheli, who had been watching the two's interaction with a smile like an old father, saw that Deng seemed to be really embarrassed, so he clapped his hands and called a halt. "Alright, alright, Su Shi, stop bullying Deng. Otherwise, she'll run away."

"Hey! How could I bully Xiao Deng?" Su Shi tapped her cheek with her finger, glanced at Zhe Li, and muttered softly, "Biased."

“Is this also called partiality?”

"Just kidding." Su Shi quickly showed a teasing smile.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around again.

This abrupt action made Gao Songdeng, who was slowly following the two of them, stop and look up at her in confusion.

"It's late too—"

Su Shi first said something that didn't seem relevant at first, then fell silent. When Gao Songdeng opened his mouth, seemingly at a loss, he suddenly smiled and said:

"Xiao Deng, do you want to go to dinner with us?"

"————."

Gao Songdeng stared at Su Shi's face intently.

Even though they were in the brightly lit corridor, her overly bright smile seemed to be shrouded in a shadow.

Like a mug full of cracks, it seemed as if it would shatter into pieces at any moment.

It's extremely frightening.

"I...I eat at home..."

The girl lowered her head, held on to her straps, quickly walked a few steps around Su Shi, and then suddenly stopped.

Deng turned around quietly and nodded slightly to the two of them: "Well, then... I'll go back first."

After saying that, she didn't wait for the two to respond and walked towards the elevator as if she was running away.

"..."

Su Shi watched her retreating figure from afar, her overly bright smile fading slightly. Her expression was one of confusion, yet also of relief: as if, under all the circumstances, something had finally happened that was exactly what she wanted.

She breathed a sigh of relief—then suddenly paused and looked up hastily at the people around her.

Baodeng Zheli smiled and looked at her quietly, as usual.

Su Shi was speechless for a moment.

So Zhe Li had no choice but to speak softly: "Then, should we go back too?"

"...Yeah, yeah!" The girl forced a smile.

As if trying to hide his anxiety, he hurriedly took a few steps forward.

Only an extremely thin back figure was left.

……

They took the tram back to the Moon Forest, and walked together in the fading sunlight.

As if she finally realized that she could no longer hide her emotions, Su Shi had been in a depressed state since leaving Sun City. But as long as Zhe Li tried to say something to her, she would immediately try to force a big smile.

It makes people feel a little sad.

So Zhe Li stopped talking to her and let her lick her emotions in silence.

But that doesn't seem to be the most suitable solution.

Because the silence was like a knife cutting her throat, the shadow on the girl's face became even heavier.

'……All right. '

A man made up his mind.

In this breathless silence, he finally opened his mouth -

"Deng, I've returned home."

"..."

Su Shi seemed to be also immersed in the heavy silence, and even if he wanted to speak, he seemed unable to do so.

She said a little later, "Hmm... What happened?... Didn't she go back early?"

The man next to her still looked up and forward.

Only a deep, sorrowful voice transcended this silent world, causing anxious ripples in her overly cold heart.

"So, you don't have to force yourself anymore."

“——…….”

The girl stared blankly at the scenery in front of her.

The afterglow of the setting sun corrodes the old cement, dyeing the dead ashes of modernity with the brilliance of flames.

"...Why do you know?"

She asked knowingly, as if expecting an answer that would maintain her self-esteem.

but.

Zhe Li just turned around slowly and looked into Su Shi's eyes seriously.

"Because your eyes are not smiling."

Su Shi subconsciously pulled the corner of his mouth open, "That kind of thing...how can you tell——"

"I can tell."

The man slowly stretched out his hand, hovered in front of the girl's eyes for a moment as if asking, and then gently touched her cheek.

In that intense warmth that seemed to burn her, the man's usually gentle gaze seemed sharper than ever before, piercing into her heart without any scruples.

"This face, always, always looks like it's about to cry."

“——————.”

Ah, ah…

Su Shi was breathing heavily.

"I won't... cry..."

The thick fingertips moved gently, leaving subtle marks on her face.

Time and again, it was too gentle, as if trying to wipe away tears that didn't even exist.

The man in front of me was smiling in the twilight.

"it does not matter."

He said.

"I can cry now."

He says--

"I am here."

"Eh……?"

…Just a moment.

When the burning tears finally burst out, the eyes that had been overly tired could no longer close the floodgates.

Drop by drop, it condensed into a line, and the overwhelming heat instantly destroyed the girl's effort to maintain an expression. She seemed to be stunned by the tears that burst out of her eyes. After several seconds, she frantically tried to shake off the man's hand.

But she only tried to take a half step back——

She was hugged deeply by the man.

“————…….”

Until I heard the man's calm breathing.

Until the tears completely soaked my clothes in the warmth that surrounded the whole world.

Until she found herself subconsciously craving the warmth from the other's neck.

Su Shicai spoke softly and quietly, "Zhe...li...?"

"Can you tell me now?"

and.

The man's voice was as quiet, peaceful, and unrestrained as always.

"What exactly makes you so sad?"

Adrift and helpless—like white clouds that will be blown away by the wind, like ripples that will return to dead silence.

It's like, if I close my eyes, I'll disappear forever...

"..."

Su Shi listened silently.

Also crying silently.

More, silently shouting——

“…I’m…so scared.”

"When I saw you talking to Xiao Deng, I felt like you were going to be snatched away..."

Obviously I was here first.

"When I saw Xiaoxiang smiling at you, I felt that you didn't want to pay attention to me..."

I have obviously tried very hard to learn from you and help everyone.

——But why, you didn’t even say a word of praise to me.

Why, they still get your attention first...?

"I am really scared……"

I really don't want them to occupy the recording studio.

I really don’t want them to order from Zheli.

I really don't want them to appear in Nascita.

If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have joined the band.

...That feeling was like an unquenchable flame, burning her heart with pain.

Hotter than every tear that falls.

"...I'm afraid I'll become someone you hate..."

She almost murmured.

“I’m afraid I won’t be myself anymore…”

So, she—

Try to act calm and relaxed.

Try to become a mature and stable person.

Trying hard to balance the different opinions among the band members.

Try your best to help everyone move forward.

[However, I still can't bear the feeling of wanting to have you all to myself.]

“…I hate myself like this…”

She cried out, her voice hoarse.

Even though I was shouting with all my might, I felt like my body was falling straight down.

So cold. So cold. So cold…

“——…….”

So she hugged the person in front of her with all her strength.