Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

On Ruoye Mu's side, there was also obvious hesitation on his face.

"Eh?"

By the time Sanjiao Chuhua realized the truth of the situation, it was too late.

"Okay, come on, tell me what happened and what the outcome is, right?"

"Please stay away from my husband for the next month."

"Mu, your punishment is up for discussion, but failing to report the crime is also a serious crime."

"as well as--"

Shoko Toyokawa stared closely at Hatsuka Mikado and Mana Junta in front of her.

"Do you have the awareness of being a member of this family? You are capable of doing such a thing."

"Hasn't Xiangzi done anything wrong?"

Sanjiao Chuhua suddenly said with his head down.

"I am Xiang's wife. My rights in this family are unlimited."

-

Finally, after Sanjiao Hatsuhua glared at Toyokawa Shoko fiercely, this trial that was not really a trial ended.

11 Entanglement and the Weight of Life

【How's Hibiki going? 】

At noon, Goto Ichiri sent such condolences to Iruma Hibiki after experiencing a very complicated inner struggle and panic.

This is a bit too much for her as she doesn't often interact with others.

Worrying about whether he would offend Hibiki Iruma or not use the proper honorifics, Goto Ichiri took a very long time to type this simple sentence.

"Don't worry, I'm completely fine. Everything's fine. My grandma's condition isn't out of danger, but it's stable at least. How's Pochi-chan? Is everything okay over there, Pochi-chan?"

[Ah… I don’t know whether to say yes or no…]

Goto Ichiri replied. She was currently curled up alone in a narrow stairwell. This narrow space, which was just big enough for her, gave her a great sense of security at the moment. In front of her was her lunch box.

It is actually a bit troublesome to dine here, after all, there are no tables or anything like that, but for Goto Ichiri, this place is a kind of paradise.

"It's just like usual, the band rehearsal is going well... As for Kita, Nijika seems to have made some progress and is writing a new song. As for school, I still haven't been able to talk to my classmates recently..."

Goto Ichiri said a lot.

When she finally reacted, she realized that this was inappropriate.

「Pochi-chan, you're working really hard. That's great! Come on! Speaking of which──」

[I'll send you a new sheet music in a while, Pochi-chan. It will be a new work of the 'Alien Composer'.]

【Really? ! 】

Goto Ichiri looked at the screen in front of him excitedly.

Yes, really.

Iruma Hibiki was quickly confirming because he knew that if he hesitated for a moment, Goto Ichiri would immediately fall into a vortex of self-doubt and be unable to extricate himself.

When the chat with Goto Ichiri ended, Iruma Hibiki saw a letter from Toyokawa Shoko. Her letter didn't contain much content, only a smiling expression of herself.

The smile is very cute, and also has a slight deep meaning.

Iruma Hibiki was a little confused, so he confirmed it as if to confirm:

What's wrong? Liu? 紦韭切 (Eight) 濡卄俬澪〤吾君羊)

However, Shoko Toyokawa did not respond to this message.

Then, for the whole afternoon, Toyokawa Shoko did not show up, but Nagasaki Suyo had been sending him emails non-stop since she woke up.

Facing Nagasaki Soyo Iruma Hibiki felt a little troubled.

Is there anything you'd like to do in Kyoto? Or where would you like to go?

So he asked this.

It’s not that he felt annoyed, but rather that at this moment he felt that having Nagasaki Suyo chat with him was a good medicine for his current situation.

but--

He was also a little terrified of the situation. He felt that he could not bear such a weight, a weight that seemed to be handing over his entire life.

[There's no place I want to go. If I had to say, I'd probably go to be near Hibiki.]

Nagasaki Motoyo's response was as natural as ever. Even Iruma Hibiki had a premonition that she would respond like this, and he didn't find it strange at all.

[Hiragi, can you continue to tell me about your past life? ]

In response to Nagasaki Motoyo's words, Iruma Hibiki was silent for a while.

【Um. 】

Then he agreed.

He had hidden secrets and bitterness for more than ten years, and now, he finally had someone to confide in. This feeling...

Iruma Hibiki didn't know how to describe it.

Peace of mind?

Relieved?

Or is it a kind of resentful catharsis?

The emotions that should not be forgotten and are entangled with the reality that has to be accepted now make Iruma Hibiki and Nagasaki Soyo, who also retains some memories of the past, have a deep resonance and dependence.

until--

It was roughly 40 minutes after school in Tsukinomori.

A reply letter from Shoko Toyokawa.

Can I call Xiang now?

The conversation with Nagasaki Suyo had to come to a halt for a moment.

Iruma Hibiki actually felt a little reluctant to leave.

As for Nagasaki Suyo, she was too sensitive to what happened to Iruma Hibiki at the moment. Even a pause of just a few seconds made her notice something strange.

【Is Xiang in trouble? 】

So she asked quickly.

【It's Xiangzi's call. I need to leave the world for a while.】

Iruma Hibiki spoke frankly to Nagasaki Suyo, without hiding anything, nor was there any need to hide anything, even -

This is something that should definitely be made clear.

Nagasaki Motoyo, wearing only pajamas and a blanket, curled up in the quilt, looking at her phone and curling up slightly. The fear brought by the unfamiliar environment has not dissipated, and at the moment, no matter what, being with important people cannot provide enough sense of security to suppress this fear.

The contacts from her mother actually started last night.

This was the first time that Nagasaki Suyo went to such a far place alone. It was not that her mother did not care about her, but she was too busy to do anything most of the time.

This time, Nagasaki Suyo's behavior was, in a sense, tantamount to running away from home.

This made her mother worried, but also felt guilty and at a loss. She didn't know how to face Nagasaki Suyo. She felt that she owed Nagasaki Suyo, her most important daughter.

That was a debt that could not be compensated by working harder and giving her better living conditions.

But even if she knew, she was helpless.

Just like now, facing Nagasaki Suyo who ran away to Kyoto alone, she had no idea what to do and just kept sending messages:

[Su Shi, did you eat well? When do you plan to come back?]

【Sushi, what are you doing in Kyoto? 】

[Sushi, are you in love? What kind of person are you in love with? Is he from Kyoto?]

[Sorry, Sushi, it’s Mom’s fault…]

Looking at this news, Nagasaki Suyo hesitated for a long time, and finally made up her mind the moment Iruma Hibiki disappeared.

She needed to have a good talk with her mother.

It was just like the past, when my mother would come home every day and lie on my lap.

Anyway—

She is probably no longer needed by Iruma Hibiki now.

Hibiki Iruma agreed to what Shoko Toyokawa had said, but only explained that he would need to check and accompany her every half an hour. After confirming that there was still a lot of saline solution left for her grandmother and there was no need to notify the nurse to change it, Hibiki Iruma left the ward, walked through the corridor, and came to the larger lobby in front of the elevator.

In the lobby of the hospital, you can often see patients with unsteady gaits taking a walk, and some people stare out the window all day long.

Iruma Hibiki had become somewhat accustomed to this kind of scenery. He came to an empty corner and then took the initiative to call Toyokawa Shoko.

"Xiang, hello."

When the familiar voice came, Iruma Hibiki also smiled slightly.

Then there was some disbelief——

[This girl is actually my lover. ]

This little happiness made him feel incredible, and at the same time, it also caused some subtle throbbing in his heart.

"Good afternoon, Xiangzi."

Hibiki Iruma greeted Shoko Toyokawa.

Then——

It was probably after the initial happiness that Hibiki Iruma noticed the emotions hidden in Toyokawa Shoko's smile. Today's Toyokawa Shoko is not as naive and romantic, nor as self-centered. It is better to say that -

She has some concerns.

She wrote her emotions on her face in a subtle way.

Such a thing naturally could not be hidden from the careful Iruma Xiangwuyi Qiba LingVII/>Ryuichi.

12 Late Confession and Excessive Concern

"Does Hibiki know that Nagasaki Suyo has taken leave?"

After a brief greeting, Shoko Toyokawa went straight to the point. Perhaps it was because her girlish impatience and anxiety had reached its peak. She was not a generous girl and could not share her lover with anyone.

If Nagasaki Suyo wanted to possess a part of her lover, she would have to at least go beyond her corpse.

Although such emotions may not be so terrifying as to reach the level of life and death.

But if——

If Hibiki Iruma and Suze Nagasaki were always unclear about each other, she...

Just thinking about it, Toyokawa Shoko felt like crying. The throbbing deep in her heart was like being in a room full of thorns. Every beat would hurt her, and then she would be scattered on the blanket covered with glass shards, trampled, crushed, and her heart was covered with blood and flesh.

Compared with such suffering, perhaps the topic of life and death is not so excessive.

When she was young, Shoko Toyokawa went to see Shakespeare's opera "Romeo and Juliet" with her father.

When Romeo learned that the person he loved would never marry, he said:

She has already vowed to give up her love, so if I live now, it is no different from being dead.

So the initial fantasy and throbbing of love sprouted and burst out in the heart of the little Toyokawa Shoko at that time, and then when she grew up a little, it became what it is today.

At that time, only a few fragments and notes remained of the stage plays I had watched in my seat.

Romeo's words, "Juliet is the sun," seem a bit too corny and exaggerated now. After all, even love words like "The moon is so beautiful" are a bit outdated in this era.

But anyway——

Shoko Toyokawa was looking forward to such a love relationship. She also felt that she would definitely meet her lover and stay with him for the rest of her life until death. If the other party left, her existence would have no value.