Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Aine took it with surprise, looking at the cup lid that was easily unscrewed. Then she looked at Kujo Renji's hands, which had distinct joints and didn't look particularly strong. Her eyes were filled with surprise and a little bit of admiration.

"Xiao Xiang is amazing! He's so strong!"

“It’s just a matter of skill.”

Aine took a big sip of the sweet strawberry milk and sighed contentedly. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up again and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"What kind of comics did Xiaoxiang like to read before?"

As if she felt that her words were a bit abrupt, she added:

"Well, isn't it, uh, quite popular lately, that kind of body swapping or soul swapping kind of thing? Have you seen it, Xiaoxiang?"

She asked cautiously, secretly observing Kujo Renji's reaction.

Ever since the last conversation on the river bank and her own wild thoughts about "soul exchange", she has become particularly sensitive to this topic and is particularly curious about "Xiangzi's" opinion on it.

Jiujo Renji's action of picking up the food paused for an almost imperceptible moment.

Soul swap?

Could it be that she noticed something?

Or was it just because she herself had been obsessed with this kind of comics recently and she mentioned it casually?

Although there were some ripples in his heart, Kujo Liansi's face remained calm.

He put a piece of pickled radish into his mouth and chewed it slowly, giving himself a few seconds to sort out his thoughts and expression.

Then, he raised his eyes and looked at Aine, his tone so calm that it seemed as if he was just discussing an ordinary literary topic:

"Yeah, I've heard of it. It seems to be one of the more popular fantasy settings in recent years."

His answer was noncommittal, showing neither particular interest nor any disgust or strangeness.

"Right, right!"

Aiyin didn't seem to notice the momentary tension in his heart. When she heard "Shoko"'s response, she immediately nodded excitedly, as if she had found a soulmate.

"This setting is super interesting! Imagine waking up one day and finding yourself transformed into another person. You have to live a completely different life and have to hide it from everyone around you. Just thinking about it is so exciting!"

She reeled off a few classic scenes from the comics she'd read, the hilarious daily moments brought on by the contrasting personalities of men and women, the shared struggle to protect each other's secrets after swapping bodies, and the ultimate understanding of each other after experiencing different lives...

When she got excited, her little fangs were faintly visible, her gray eyes sparkled, and she was completely immersed in the fantasy world she described.

Kujo Renji listened quietly, occasionally nodding symbolically to show that he was listening.

His eyes fell on Aine's face, which was beaming with excitement, but his mind was analyzing rapidly. Aine's reaction seemed natural, more like an ordinary manga fan sharing his interests, without any signs of hesitation or suspicion.

Maybe... I really am overthinking it?

“…And…”

Aiyin's mouth was dry from talking, so she took a big sip of strawberry milk to moisten her throat. Then, with a hint of curiosity, she looked at Kujo Renji and asked, "Xiaoxiang, do you think... in reality, does this kind of... soul swapping really happen?"

coming!

Kujo Renji's heart sank suddenly!

This issue is much more dangerous than simply discussing the comic subject matter just now!

Is she really just curious, or is she testing me intentionally or unintentionally?

A strong sense of vigilance rose again, but he knew that at this moment, he couldn't show any abnormality. He had to give a sufficiently "normal" and "reasonable" answer to dispel any potential doubts.

He put down his chopsticks, leaned back slightly on his chair, and calmly met Aine's curious eyes. There was even a faint, gentle smile on his face, like a teacher looking at a child's whimsical thoughts.

"In reality?"

He repeated it softly, his tone somewhat thoughtful:

"What do you think, Aine? Our consciousness, our thoughts, our memories, all of these things make up 'our' existence. What do they rely on for existence? It's this body made up of flesh, blood, bones, nerves, and especially our brain, isn't it?"

He didn't give a direct answer, but guided Aine to think.

"If the soul can truly detach from one body and enter another as easily as changing clothes... then how should the concept of 'I' be defined? Is it that ethereal soul, or this unique body that carries all my experiences and perceptions, that constitutes 'I'?"

His voice was not loud and his speech was slow, with a rational, almost philosophical tone of inquiry, cleverly leading the problem from "possibility" to "definition" and "logical paradox".

"From a scientific perspective, consciousness is the product of complex neural activity, closely linked to our brain structure and physiological functions. The idea of ​​transferring one person's complete consciousness intact to another brain, or in other words, allowing two consciousnesses to swap between different bodies, is probably something that only exists in the rich imagination of humankind and in the creation of literature and art."

He concluded with a gentle yet firm tone, carrying an unquestionable "common sense" judgment.

He attributes soul swapping to a beautiful and interesting "fantasy", something that belongs to the realm of stories and dreams, and is clearly distinguished from the cold, physical world of reality.

After listening to Kujo Renji's clear and logical analysis, Chihaya Aine blinked, seemingly convinced. The curiosity and a hint of inexplicable anticipation on her face about whether soul swapping actually existed gradually faded.

Then, she seemed to suddenly realize how "fantastic" the question she had just asked was, and her cheeks suddenly turned red again.

She lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, and then couldn't help but burst out laughing. The laughter was a little silly, but also carried a feeling of relief.

"Hehe... that's true!" She raised her head, scratched her long pink hair in embarrassment, and smiled foolishly: "Sure enough... this kind of thing can only happen in comics! How could it happen in real life! I think too much, haha..."

She laughed so hard that her shoulders shrugged slightly, and she looked as if she was both amused and embarrassed by her unrealistic fantasy.

Seeing Aine's obvious relief and the fact that she felt her previous thoughts were silly and naive, Kujo Renji's heart finally settled down.

Just now, I was just asking casually because I was obsessed with comics and had some girlish fantasies.

That nervousness and anticipation might have just come from her subconscious hope that those interesting comic plots could find some confirmation in reality, and after he "rationally" denied it, she felt that her idea was ridiculous.

It was an unintentional remark, he judged.

The subtle tension between the two of them, caused by the sensitive topic, disappeared with Aine's silly laughter.

The atmosphere has returned to the relaxed and casual atmosphere that should be expected during lunch time.

"Okay, let's eat quickly, otherwise the curry will get cold." Kujo Renji picked up the chopsticks and said in a natural tone, calmly changing the topic completely.

"Uh-huh!"

Aine nodded vigorously, picked up the spoon again, and continued to work happily on her delicious plate of fried chicken and curry rice, as if the little episode about the soul swap just now was really just a little episode.

However, at the moment when she lowered her head to eat, there seemed to be a trace of indescribable loss in the depths of her gray eyes, which she herself had not even noticed...

At this moment, Chihaya Aine caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

At the cafeteria entrance, a petite figure with short gray hair was holding a tray, looking around vacantly, as if searching for an open seat. It was Takamatsu Deng.

Almost at the same time, Kujo Renji also saw her.

"Ah! It's the light!"

Aine immediately waved her hand excitedly:

"Light! This way, this way!"

However, the moment Gao Songdeng saw the two of them, her body visibly stiffened. A trace of panic flashed across her eyes, and she subconsciously wanted to turn away, as if she had seen something that made her extremely uneasy.

It was a reaction that was a mixture of surprise, helplessness, and... some kind of indescribable inferiority and escape.

Countless chaotic thoughts instantly popped up in Gao Songdeng's mind. Just when she was about to lose control of the urge to turn around and run away, a calm and gentle voice called out to her:

"lamp."

It was Xiangzi's voice.

Gao Songdeng's feet seemed to be nailed down, and he froze in place.

She raised her head slowly and somewhat in disbelief, and saw "Xiangzi" looking at her with calm eyes, without the impatience or rejection she had imagined.

"There's a seat here. If you don't mind, come sit together."

Jiujo Renji nodded slightly at her and extended an invitation.

Gao Songdeng was stunned. She never expected that "Xiangzi" would take the initiative to invite her.

Aine beside her also reacted and quickly echoed enthusiastically:

"Yes, yes! Deng, come and sit down!"

Gao Songdeng felt her mind go blank. She didn't know how to react. Should she refuse or accept? She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, her heart full of struggle.

Finally, under Aine's expectant gaze and "Shoko's" calm watch, she still took somewhat stiff steps, walked over slowly, and sat down across from them.

She kept her head down, not daring to look at Xiangzi's face. She only muttered softly, almost inaudibly, "Sorry to bother you..."

The atmosphere at the table suddenly became a little subtle with the addition of Gao Song Deng.

Chihaya Aine noticed the unusual silence. She looked at Deng, who was poking at the rice, as if burying his face in the bowl, and then at Xiaoxiang, who was still eating calmly, as if nothing was wrong. She felt the need to liven up the atmosphere.

"Um... Deng, you ordered the hamburger set meal today too? Was it delicious?" Aine tried to find a topic.

"Well...it's okay..." Gao Songdeng responded in a low voice, still not daring to look up.

"Speaking of which, our band has been rehearsing a new song recently. The lyrics you wrote are really great! Li Xi keeps praising them!"

Aine tried hard to steer the conversation towards the area that Deng was good at.

"No, no, no..."

The sound of the lights became lower.

Aine felt like she was at a loss for words, but the atmosphere still didn't ease up.

She glanced secretly at Xiaoxiang, hoping she could say something.

At this moment, Gao Songdeng's heart was already overwhelmed by surging emotions.

She sat here, eating at the same table with Aiyin and... Xiaoxiang. This should have made her happy, but her heart was filled with bitterness and self-blame.

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and the more inferior she felt. She felt like a child who had done something wrong.

She even felt that Xiaoxiang might have invited her to sit down just out of politeness, or... for Aiyin's sake?

Just when Takamatsu Deng was immersed in the vortex of self-denial and almost couldn't help but escape again, a bony hand gently pushed a small plate of delicate-looking dessert - a small matcha mousse cake - in front of her.

"?"

Gao Songdeng raised his head blankly and met the calm amber eyes of "Xiangzi".

“The dessert in this set meal tastes pretty good.”

Jiujo Renji's tone remained gentle, without any unusual emotion.

"I don't really like matcha. If you don't mind, would you like to try it?"

His movements were natural and his tone was indifferent, as if he was just sharing a portion of food he didn't eat.

But for Gao Songdeng, who was sensitive and fragile at the moment, this small gesture was like a ray of warm light, instantly penetrating the heavy haze in her heart.

Xiaoxiang, she doesn’t hate me?

The pair of eyes that were always lowered and timid, now slightly opened because of this sudden "kindness", flashing with disbelief and a hint of emotion?

She looked at the green cake in front of her that exuded a faint tea fragrance, and then looked at the calm and gentle profile of "Xiangzi" opposite her. The long-standing guess in her heart seemed to be confirmed more firmly at this moment.

As expected... Xiaoxiang is still so gentle at heart. The reason she left CRYCHIC must be... it must be because I'm so bad, I let her down, I'm holding everyone back...

Yes, that's the only explanation.

I seem to have stayed where I am.

To Gao Songdeng at this moment, this gentle "charity" was more like a silent contrast, which made her feel more inferior, but also made her more convinced of the "reason why Xiangzi left."

Kujo Renji pushed the piece of matcha mousse in front of Takamatsu Deng. His movements were natural and smooth, without too much extra emotion.

In his opinion, this was just a simple act of sharing - he really didn't like the bitter taste of matcha, and seeing Takamatsu Deng's absent-minded and unable to eat look, perhaps a little sweet food could make her feel better.

However, when he saw Takamatsu Deng suddenly raise his head because of this small action, his eyes first flashed with disbelief, and then quickly filled with a complex emotion mixed with touching, self-blame and a kind of "as expected", Kujo Renji couldn't help but complain silently in his heart.

....No way?

It's just a piece of cake, is it necessary to make such an expression?

And...what was that flash of self-denial and "it's my fault" in her eyes just now?

Kujo Renji looked at the short-haired girl in front of him, her head lowered, her fingers nervously pinching the edge of her plate, her whole body exuding an aura of "I'm sorry, I don't deserve it." Then he thought of Wakaba Mutsu, who always hugged a cucumber, lived in his own world, and whose mood swings were extremely difficult to detect...

It seems like the walls of your hearts are equally thick.

He suddenly had a sense of absurdity.

Why do I feel that the members of the CRYCHIC band that Shoko Toyokawa used to be in are almost as amazing as Ave mujica?

Xiaoxiang, you really have the physique to attract gods and men.

It feels like everyone at a table can open Eva.