All she remembered was the tingling sensation that shot from the tip of her tongue to her heart when the amusing boy gently poked a cotton swab into her body, like being lightly shocked by a tiny electric bulb.

This must be love! Yao Lena thought to herself.

She took the transparent stone out of her pocket. It was offered by the younger brothers when she passed by the group of stray cats this morning. Sunlight refracted through the stone's surface, creating dappled patterns of light.

Suddenly, Lena felt a little restless.

***

Meanwhile, in another classroom in the same building, Shiina Tatsuki was tapping his head against the desk, as if he were fishing.

The new song she's been working on lately has been driving her crazy, much like a web novel author experiencing writer's block, making her extremely frustrated.

She was half asleep when a piece of white chalk hit her desk with a loud "thud," waking her up abruptly.

"Shiina Tatsuki!" The teacher on the podium pushed up his glasses, his voice booming like thunder across the classroom, "Your drool is practically dripping."

Li hope hurriedly wiped the corner of his mouth with his school uniform sleeve, and the classroom immediately erupted in laughter. Even Hatsune, who was sitting diagonally in front of him, turned her face away and chuckled quietly with her shoulders twitching.

She was blushing and about to apologize when the teacher waved her hand and softened her tone: "I'm not asking you to answer a question—the first-grade homeroom teacher just called the office to ask if you know where Lena went?"

"Huh?" Lixi's drowsiness vanished instantly, her eyes widening in surprise. "Why are you asking me? I'm not her guardian!"

The teacher smiled and said, "Isn't it you who's in charge of taking care of Rakuna?"

In less than a week, Kaoru Nai made a name for herself in the high school (at least among the teachers) with her unconventional personality.

Li hope wondered where this rumor came from, and then asked what had happened.

"The homeroom teacher said that when Le Nai was in the second class break, she climbed out the window by stepping on the ledge, and her schoolbag was still safely in her desk. She didn't even bring her textbooks."

Li hope covered his forehead, feeling a throbbing sensation in his temples and an itch in his teeth—that restless wildcat!

***

At the window of Haneoka Girls' Academy, Yū Hanami rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the cherry blossoms outside.

A spring breeze carried pink and white petals in, which clung to the cuffs of his school uniform like fine snowflakes.

At that moment, he looked exactly like a quiet and handsome man.

The whispers of the girls nearby were like the buzzing of bees: "Ah, Toyokawa's profile is so beautiful, his nose is so high and straight, and so high."

"Unfortunately, he already has a fiancée, that is, Shoko Hachimi."

"I heard she used to work on construction sites, carrying bricks and mixing mortar. She was always covered in sweat. How could she be a good match for Toyokawa-kun?"

"He must have used some dirty tricks to force her into marriage, otherwise, given Toyokawa's qualifications, why would he choose her?"

Banai raised an eyebrow, a secret sense of smugness creeping into her heart, having overheard someone speaking ill of her fiancée…

He almost wanted to say it along with them!

Hey, twisted Xiangzi chef.

Just as he was about to turn back to his seat, a small, fluffy head popped out from the windowsill with a "thump." Its heterochromatic blue and gold eyes stared straight at him. It was Yao Lenai, with a cherry blossom petal still stuck to the end of her hair.

"How did you get here?" Banai was startled and quickly reached out to pull her in, afraid that she would lose her balance and fall.

He glanced down at her school uniform; the collar was smudged with dirt. "Skipping class?"

When Yao Lena didn't answer, she stuffed the transparent stone she was holding into his hand.

The stone, warmed by her body heat, resembled a small teardrop, with faint, cotton-like patterns inside. "Here you go."

Her eyes sparkled, as bright as the stars in the night sky: "They shine when the sunlight shines on them, they're beautiful."

Banami squeezed the stone, feeling the warm, smooth texture spreading from his fingertips. He couldn't help but smile: "Thank you... I like it very much."

Although he didn't know why Lena would suddenly give him a gift, was it a thank-you gift from the last school celebration party?

The boy wasn't sure, after all, the cat's main appeal was its whimsical and imaginative nature.

Before he could ask any more questions, Yao Le Nai had already turned around and climbed onto the water pipe outside the classroom like a nimble wildcat. Her movements were extremely quick. She touched the water pipe with her toes and flipped her body onto the cherry blossom tree next to her. The branches swayed under the weight, but she still landed steadily on the ground.

This series of movements left Banami somewhat dumbfounded; even he might not be able to be that skillful.

Are all the girls on BanG Dream! really monsters?

During lunch break, Chu Hua invited everyone to go out for ramen. Of course, they sneaked out. Banami was still thinking about the stone and didn't go with them.

He first went to the gymnasium, then circled around to the equipment room on the playground, and finally, in a small open space on the back hill, he smelled a strange fragrance—the smell of burning grass and trees mixed with the aroma of burnt protein.

He parted the waist-high foxtail grass and sure enough, he saw the small figure squatting by the fire. Yao Lenai was poking at the fire with a stick, on which were several dark things strung. The flames licked at them, making a "sizzling" sound.

"What is this?" Banami walked over and squatted down next to her, the warmth of the fire making his cheeks feel cozy.

He noticed that Yao Le Nai's fingers were covered in black ash, and her nose was also smeared with cigarette ash, making her look like a little kitten that had just stolen a meal.

"Silkworm pupae." Yao Le Nai picked up a skewer and handed it to him. The silkworm pupae on the branch were roasted until they were blackened, but they gave off an enticing aroma. "Delicious, here you go."

Looking at the charred silkworm pupa, Banai did not hesitate. After all, as a member of the province of great foodies before his transmigration, he had eaten a lot of silkworm pupae. He took a small bite. The outer skin was a bit crispy, but the meat inside was very tender, with a smoky flavor and a faint salty aroma.

"It would taste even better with some salt and pepper," Hanami commented.

Kaoru Nai immediately smiled knowingly. She had once given the other person matcha candy, but the other person was scared away because it was actually very delicious.

So, Rakuna and Banami shared the silkworm pupae.

"Interesting boy, what's your name?" she couldn't help but ask while eating.

"My name is Banami Yu." Banami teased her with a smile, reaching out to wipe the soot off the tip of her nose. "By the way, will you be able to remember it this time? You can't even remember Riki's name, can you?"

"See you, Banana." Rakuna nodded emphatically, then pointed to the soil beside her and wrote stroke by stroke, "I'll remember."

The girl said, whether she was telling the truth or not.

His fingertips merely brushed across the damp soil, leaving behind crooked yet earnest handwriting, like a kitten marking its territory.

Seeing that he didn't seem to care much, Banai covered the fire with mud to prevent it from starting, and then asked, "You skipped class to come here, right?"

Lena tilted her head: "What is skipping class?"

As expected, Banami took her hand and walked towards the Astronomy Club—it was quiet there, and the teachers wouldn't notice.

In the Astronomy Club's activity room, Banami asked Rakuna to sit at the table while she went to the window to call Riki.

After hanging up the phone, Banai turned around and threatened the girl: "Lixi is very angry now and is coming to take you back right away."

Lena looked up, tilting her head with a blank expression: "Why are you angry?"

Banami walked over helplessly, gently patted her head, and ran her fingertips through her soft hair: "Never mind, you're fine the way you are."

The moment his palm touched Yao Lenai's head, the girl's body jolted, as if tickled by a feather. She looked up, her eyes misting over, watery and full, like a startled yet expectant kitten.

It's... that feeling, that electric shock feeling.

"Funny boy, can you pat my head again?" Yoro's voice was soft, with a hint of pleading.

Although Hanami was puzzled, she did as he was told. He placed his palm on her hair and gently ruffled it.

Rakuna's cheeks were slightly flushed. She suddenly leaned over and gently licked Banami's cheek with the tip of her soft tongue—the moist touch carried a hint of cicada pupa fragrance.

"What are you doing?" Banai was startled and quickly took a half step back.

“Mark it,” Yoru Nai said seriously.

Cats like to mark their territory so that other cats won't dare to approach.

Before Banai could ask any more questions, Rakuna took a cotton swab out of her pocket and put it in his hand.

Then she lay on the table, stuck her butt out, her tail (in her imagination) held high, turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling: "Interesting boy... no, I mean, Banami, come on?"

Banami was completely dumbfounded: "Come...come what?" He was holding a cotton swab in his hand, having no idea how this child's brain was working.

Just as Yoro opened her mouth, about to say something, the door to the activity room was kicked open with a bang.

Lixi stood in the doorway, her hair standing on end, her eyes wide like saucers, staring at the scene inside. She almost roared, "What are you two doing here?!"

Clearly, Riki saw a cat lying on the table, while Banami was holding a stick-like object (though it was very thin).

Banami quickly said, "No, Ritsuki, you've misunderstood!"

Yoruichi blinked and said, "I'm searching for the feeling of love with Hachiman."

Then, both Banami and Riki were shocked, literally.

Chapter Ten: The Real Cat Stealing Fish

Yoru's words, "Do what lovers do," were like a thunderbolt, leaving Banami's mind buzzing.

No, why did it suddenly turn into the feeling of love?

Do we have this relationship?

And do you really know what love is?

He watched as Li Xi gripped the binoculars stand beside him with such force, looking as if he were about to use it as a baseball bat to kill him at any moment. He felt incredibly wronged; he was truly in deep trouble now, and there was no way he could clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

"Wait a minute, Riki-chan, calm down. You have to believe me, I'm really innocent." Banami hurriedly backed away.

Li hope sneered, tossed the stand aside with a loud bang, and said, "She's been calling you 'Banai-mi,' do you think she'll remember my name?"

She turned and glared at Yao Lenai, her tone tinged with disappointment, "Tell me! What's my name? Think carefully before you answer!"

When Lixi said this, her tone was a little sour. Why?! I was the one who took care of her first!

For a moment, Li hope didn't even know who she was jealous of.

Yoro blinked her highly distinctive heterochromatic eyes, her gaze lingering on Li hope's face for three seconds before tentatively speaking, "Wipe..."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Li hope jumped up in anger, reaching out to pinch her cheek. "You know I'm not called Matcha Candy!"

"Uh... Saki-chan?" Kaoru's cheeks were pinched out of shape, and she mumbled a change of words, her eyes still filled with a hint of "Did I answer correctly?"

Lixi covered her face and squatted down in despair—she shouldn't have had any expectations of this stray cat's memory.

However, Li hope immediately asked, "What's the name of the person next to me?"

Has he become something else entirely? Banami thought to herself.

Rakuna immediately replied, "An interesting boy, his name is Hachimi!"

The tone was light and cheerful.

Then, Li Qingtian looked at Banami beside him with a calm yet terrifying gaze, as if to say, "What else do you have to say? If you have nothing to say, I'm going to serve you with a guillotine."

When Banai opened her mouth, she looked at Yoro Nai for a moment and then at Li hope for a moment. Her usual eloquence was suddenly rendered speechless.

"Lanna-chan, don't mess with me, it's really going to kill someone! I'm really not a lolicon!" No matter how shameless he is, he wouldn't lay a hand on this little girl.

"I originally thought you liked the type of people like Motoyo and me, until that pink-haired guy told me that you actually really liked what Motoyo looked like when she was a child. I didn't believe it."

She paused, her tone full of disappointment, "I never expected this... Banami Yuu, you actually kept it a secret from us and secretly became a lolicon!"

Li hope said somewhat angrily.

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Banai was completely enraged. He slammed his fist on the table, his voice so loud it knocked the cotton swabs off the table. "You can insult my character, but you absolutely cannot insult my taste! What I like is... mature, curvy, like Sosei, and like you!"

Banai was angry, really angry, that someone would actually question his faith as a follower of the Great Thunder Cult!

However, the image of Xiao Su Shi suddenly flashed into his mind, and his confidence inexplicably weakened by a fraction.

Big... probably.

"Hana, do you... not like me anymore?" Kaname suddenly tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and pitiful, like an abandoned kitten.

So cute! Banami felt a sudden surge of tenderness, just like when she was touched by Xiao Sushi under the hydrangea.

Ah, Yorena, my light of life, my fire of desire, my original sin, my soul.

No...no, Banami, the lolicon soul that was stirred up by Motoyo is stirring.

This is a step that cannot be taken.

Just as he and Lixi were at an impasse, Yao Lena, who was standing next to him, suddenly felt bored.

She glanced at the two arguing people, then at the open window, her eyes lit up, like a wildcat finding its way out. She tiptoed and climbed over the windowsill, her movements so swift that she left no trace.

"Ah, wildcat, wait!" When Lixi realized what was happening, she only saw Yoru Nai's figure disappear behind the cherry blossom tree. She was so angry that she wanted to chase after her, but was stopped by Banami.

"Don't chase her, she runs faster than Xiao Nai."

Banami sighed and quickly explained, "Even if I really had some ulterior motive, I wouldn't use a cotton swab, would I? Who are you looking down on!"

Lixi stopped moving.

In fact, she knew in her heart that although Banami was sometimes a bit unreliable, her character was definitely not a problem—after all, with Rakuna's unrestrained and free-flowing thought process, she was the deepest victim and knew better than anyone how much that stray cat could "harm people".

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