Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

What is the right way to say it?

At this moment, these three questions emerged in Iruma Hibiki's mind.

Naturally, these questions will not be answered in the subsequent thinking.

"Su Shi and I must have had a fight. I don't know if it can be considered resolved, but I think we have made it clear..."

Iruma Hibiki responded somewhat bitterly.

perhaps.

indeed.

In Hibiki Iruma's opinion, there are often situations where people can't even be friends after breaking up.

Someone once said to him in a joking tone:

"You don't even dare to break up with her, and you still dare to say you like her."

In this case.

Of course, that conversation happened too long ago, and Iruma Hibiki could no longer recall the man's face.

But whatever.

Do you want to break up with Nagasaki Suyo?

When this question arose, Iruma Hibiki felt a sense of inexplicable sadness.

Yes, this is the situation now...

Maybe breaking up is better than being unclear.

but……

"Hibiki likes Suyo?"

"Eh?"

Faced with Wakaba Mu's subsequent questions, Iruma Hibiki was stunned for a moment, and then immediately showed a defensive look.

"I liked you before, but after we broke up, it's gone..."

really?

When this problem arises.

Iruma Hibiki was also questioning himself.

Doesn't he like Nagasaki Suyo anymore?

"Feel sorry."

Wakaba Mutsu suddenly apologized, which made Iruma Hibiki even more panicked.

"Mu, I have already made it clear to Su Shi, so——"

"Ok, I know."

Ruoye Mu nodded, but there was still no expression on his face.

This made Iruma Hibiki suddenly feel powerless.

Until the final parting, the two did not say anything else, and Iruma Hibiki's mood gradually calmed down because of Wakaba Mu's words.

Then, he felt extremely sleepy, so he chose to go home immediately and take a quick rest before Shoko Toyokawa got off work.

And speaking of it.

If nothing unexpected happens, he and Shoko Toyokawa will be alone in a room again tonight.

At the end of last night, Toyokawa Shoko said:

With a hint of reverie, Iruma Hibiki was finally completely overcome by sleepiness.

When I woke up again, the sun was already setting outside.

Iruma Hibiki quickly took out his phone, and the group chat fell silent.

Yes, in the band’s group chat, if Nagasaki Motoyo is not there, everyone tends not to chat much, and occasionally when Shiina Riki says something, no one knows how to respond.

So it is natural to remain silent at this moment.

Iruma Hibiki opened the chat box of Nagasaki Suyo, but it was silent and there was no message at all.

Somewhat abnormal.

Iruma Hibiki was a little worried.

But in the end, he still endured it and made that decision. If he were to contact Nagasaki Suyo now, it would be too cruel...

Iruma Hibiki made this decision.

It's just after 5 o'clock now.

He slept for less than three hours.

Although I am still a little tired, I feel much better than when I came back.

Iruma Hibiki quickly changed her clothes and then took her school uniform and the documents she would need for tomorrow's classes.

【Hiroshi, are you having fun? 】

[Well, I'm pretty happy. Although there were some minor issues, they were all resolved, so it's not bad.]

Then he responded to Ijichi Hongxia's condolences.

[Senior! I will definitely be at the performance! Oh, and next week, can you teach me guitar? I also want to invite Pochi-chan over so we can have a study session together!]

Then there's Kita's side.

Iruma Hibiki thought about next week...

【okay. 】

So he agreed to Kita.

Thinking of the welcome party with Kita and Goto Ichiri, he felt a little more courageous and faced the moment when the activities were announced to be suspended.

Of course, before that, he had to go and spend the night with Shoko Toyokawa.

At this time, Wakaba Mu's previous question once again disturbed Iruma Hibiki's mind, but this time Iruma Hibiki just shook his head, dispelled such thoughts, and focused his attention on the next meeting.

He carefully adjusted his clothes to make himself look inconspicuous but clean.

What should I bring when we meet?

Iruma Hibiki thought for a moment.

In the end, I decided to buy a plate of hot taiyaki with red bean paste at a nearby restaurant before Shoko Toyokawa got off work.

In this kind of weather, it would be very comfortable to eat a hot dessert. Iruma Hibiki also liked the hot red bean soup in the vending machine when he was in Rinkai Park in winter.

As for drinks——

Just plain hot milk.

Toyokawa Shoko should have a good rest tonight, and it is not appropriate to force herself.

Thinking this way, Iruma Hibiki quickly made a decision.

Then he set out on the road to the appointment.

The things he bought were also bought smoothly on the way following the navigation. It was actually still early when Iruma Hibiki arrived downstairs where Toyokawa Shoko worked.

The flow of people coming and going just reached its peak at this moment, and the crowd near the building was a little noisy, so Iruma Hibiki chose to wait for Toyokawa Shoko by a wall in the distance that looked relatively empty.

【I arrived at Xiangzi.】

In order to prevent Shoko Toyokawa from not being able to see him, Hibiki Iruma took a photo of his location and sent it to her.

The chats I replied to earlier with Ijichi Hongxia and Kita have all been replied to.

"When Xiang returns to class tomorrow, she'll definitely be a big hit! Our previous performance seemed to have caused quite a stir in the school!"

Ijichi Hongka was excitedly sharing her previous achievements with Iruma Hibiki.

The performance of several people in the class that was posted online received an unexpectedly good response, and many people even asked online which school the performance was held in.

That's how I passed the time.

Suddenly, someone rushed into Hibiki Iruma's arms.

"Hiroshi, I'm off work."

It's Toyokawa Shoko.

As soon as she got off work, she threw herself into the arms of the young man standing in the corner by the wall, amidst the surprised gazes of her colleagues.

72 The Beginning of Living Together

"Xiang, how's everyone doing over there?"

A look of happiness appeared on Toyokawa Shoko's face as she ate the hot, steaming taiyaki in small bites. There was no place to put the opened red bean soup in the corner where they were resting, so Iruma Hibiki helped Toyokawa Shoko hold it in her hands for a while.

"Yeah, not bad."

Iruma Hibiki responded.

Then the next moment he changed his tune.

"I was confessed to by Su Shi..."

Then he suddenly said this.

"Eh?"

And Toyokawa Shoko's actions also paused for a moment during this conversation.

"I refused, and our relationship seems to have become strained... To be honest, I haven't figured out what to do next."

Iruma Hibiki turned his head and looked at Toyokawa Shoko who was dazed and took another bite of Taiyaki.

"Hibiki, did you refuse?"

"Well, rejected."

Iruma Hibiki replied decisively, then sighed.

"Did Sushi do anything else?"

"Something else?"

Iruma Hibiki asked back.

At this moment, Shoko Toyokawa was in a state of stammering.

"Like hugging Xiang, or holding Xiang's hand or something like that."

Then she stared at Hibiki Iruma's face very seriously and silently. It was a little cute, but also a little scary...

Iruma Hibiki didn't answer at first.

In other words, he doesn't know what the correct answer is now.

A strange silence fell between him and Shoko Toyokawa.

"what……"

By the time Iruma Hibiki was about to speak, Toyokawa Shoko already knew the answer to this question. She turned her head and ate the taiyaki in her hand. The hot red bean filling overflowed, and she showed an angry expression.

"I told you before, Xiang is not allowed to hold hands with others..."

Then Toyokawa Shoko murmured softly.

But at this moment, with such whispers, there was only a sigh left in her heart.

In other words, Toyokawa Shoko never questioned her own little possessiveness in the past, but at this moment, now, everything has changed.

For Toyokawa Shoko, deep in her heart at this moment, there was a trace of sadness for being in such a miserable state, as well as a small feeling of worry that she had never had before.

She began to question whether she really had the qualifications to say such words to Hibiki Iruma.

She lowered her head and looked at the hot Taiyaki in her hand.

Yes--

Today's work is far from perfect.