Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

The two sat down and began to enjoy their dinner. As Kujo Renji savored the food, he thought about how to naturally lead the conversation.

"This miso soup has a unique flavor..." he praised sincerely, "It has a spice I haven't tasted before."

Su Shi's eyes lit up: "Did you notice? This is a special seasoning my mother brought back from overseas. She said it was a specialty of a small country."

"Does your mother often go abroad?" Kujo Renji asked casually.

"Yeah." Su Shi nodded: "Her job requires her to travel frequently, and sometimes she's gone for several months."

There was a hint of loneliness in the girl's voice that Kujo Renji could hardly detect.

"What does she do for a living?" Kujo Renji continued to ask, while observing Su Shi's reaction.

A trace of sadness flashed in Su Shi's eyes, and she gently put down her chopsticks:

"She's... a business executive, or so she told me."

Kujo Renji noticed the hesitation in her tone: "It sounds like Su Shi isn't sure either?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure what she does. When I was little, I thought she was just an ordinary office worker. Later, I learned that her position gradually rose, but she never told me her specific responsibilities."

Nagasaki Suyo looked down at the almost untouched food in front of her, her fingertips gently stroking the rim of the cup. After a pause, her voice became even softer:

"She only comes home a few times a year, and the last time we saw each other was three months ago."

These words seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his heart, with a fragility that he would never show in his daily life.

The moonlight shone on her through the floor-to-ceiling windows, reflecting the loneliness that flashed across her eyes.

Jiujo Liansi's heart moved.

Corporate executive... This identity is very suitable for covering up other activities. It is no coincidence that the letter from the Canglong Society appeared in her study.

Seeing that Su Shi was in a low mood, Kujo Renji collected his thoughts, gently put down his chopsticks, and reached out to hold Su Shi's hand.

This action surprised Su Shi a little. She raised her head and met the eyes of the girl with blue hair and twin ponytails.

"Sushi..."

He spoke in the gentle voice of Toyokawa Shoko, his tone revealing a rare fragility and sincerity:

“Although our situations are different, I know what it feels like to be alone.”

Jiujo Liansi gently tightened his fingers, feeling the warmth from Su Shi's palm.

On the transparent panel in front of him, the skill of Negotiation Interpretation was emitting a faint light.

Su Shi's eyes widened slightly, obviously not expecting "Xiao Xiang" to say such a thing.

The moonlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving Su Shi's profile a silver outline. She slowly raised her head, a glimmer in her eyes.

"The scariest thing about this feeling is that it makes you start to doubt whether you are worthy of being loved and understood. But Su Shi, please believe me, you are worthy. Your gentleness, your strength, your care for your friends... these all make you a unique and precious being."

Kujo Renji continued, his voice soft but firm:

"I appreciate your concern and honesty today..."

"Although there were some misunderstandings between us because of my sudden departure, I hope you know that no matter what happens, you are always my important friend."

Su Shi's breathing paused slightly, and the light in her eyes grew brighter. These words touched the softest part of her heart, the part that longed most for understanding.

The blue-haired girl in front of him closed her eyes slightly and placed her hand on her chest. Nagasaki Suyo felt the "thump, thump" sound coming from her fingertips. The rhythm of the heartbeat was transmitted between the two of them, forming a silent resonance.

"When we feel lonely, we tend to build walls to protect ourselves... I've fallen into that trap myself."

Jiujo Renji said softly, his voice paused:

"But then I realized...it was these walls that stopped others from getting closer."

"Su Shi, you don't always have to be the perfect person who takes care of everyone. It's okay to let others take care of you sometimes."

The girl opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Nagasaki Suyo in front of her:

"If you need any help or just want to talk to someone, you can always contact me. You don't have to swallow every worry or say 'it's okay' to every problem."

Her voice was low and warm, like a lamp lit in the night.

“We don’t have to bear it all alone.”

These words seemed to touch a secret corner of Su Shi's heart.

Her eyes were slightly red, and water shimmered under her eyelashes. She lowered her head, her long hair falling like a waterfall, covering half of her cheek, but she couldn't hide the sob in her voice, and even her words were a little unclear:

"Thank you, Xiaoxiang... I feel the same way. I'm really happy to see you today."

........

The atmosphere was quite good after Kujo Renji's monologue.

The atmosphere would have been even better if Ms. Toyokawa hadn't realized something was wrong and started making a sharp explosion in her head.

After dinner, Kujo Renji politely declined Su Shi's invitation to stay overnight, saying that he still had some things to deal with.

"Then I'll take you to the station."

Su Shi suggested, her voice full of reluctance. She twisted her fingers together unconsciously, staring at the girl, as if begging for more time together.

"no need."

Kujo Renji blinked and responded in Toyokawa Shoko's unique gentle tone:

"You've made so many delicious dishes today, you must be very tired. Have a good rest, I can go back by myself."

Su Shi's expression dimmed slightly, but she quickly forced a smile and nodded.

The two walked towards the entrance, each step a little slower than usual.

"Wait a moment!"

Su Shi suddenly said, and walked quickly into the kitchen. A moment later, she came back with an exquisite insulation box:

"I packed up the remaining desserts. You can take them back and enjoy them."

She handed the thermos box to the girl, as if hoping that this small gift would make the connection last a little longer tonight.

"Thank you."

Kujo Renji took the thermal box, and his fingertips accidentally touched Su Shi's fingers, feeling the other person's slight trembling.

Su Shi stood at the door, his hands clasped tightly against his chest, his eyes full of reluctance.

The two said goodbye at the entrance, and Su Shi watched "Toyokawa Shoko" leave reluctantly.

The girl was obviously deeply moved by the "heartfelt" words just now.

Kujo Renji even suspected that if he asked to sleep with her tonight, Nagasaki Suyo would agree with a blushing face.

"Xiaoxiang, please be careful on the road, okay?"

"Ah."

The moment the elevator door closed, the smile on Kujo Renji's face gradually disappeared.

He fell into deep thought.

Although he had long wanted to investigate the real cause of his car accident, he did not expect that the first clue about the Canglong Society would appear in such a place.

Is there no coincidence in life?

Although it is not certain whether Nagasaki Motoyo's mother was involved in the "murder", her existence is obviously related to the "evil spirits" in the upper echelons of the Canglong Society that he was not aware of.

Being close to Nagasaki Suyo also makes it easier for him to investigate this matter...

When our cooperation with Yamamoto deepens, we can ask him to investigate this matter.

"Tell me honestly, what exactly do you want to do by approaching Su Shi?"

In my mind, I heard the somewhat exasperated voice of Toyokawa Shoko.

His thoughts were interrupted, and Kujo Renji laughed:

"Isn't she your friend? What's wrong with me exchanging feelings with your friend?"

"Are you exchanging feelings? You clearly, clearly..."

Halfway through her words, Shoko Toyokawa didn't know how to organize her words.

Thinking about what Kujo Renji had told her at the beginning about the reason why he accepted Nagasaki Suyo's invitation, she felt a little dizzy.

This isn't an exchange of feelings, this is clearly sexual attraction!!

"You are not allowed to attack Su Shi, no, no! Otherwise I will..."

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiujo Renji was speechless.

Although Nagasaki Suyo really fits his aesthetic, it's not to the point where he wants to pursue her the first time he meets her.

The main reason he approached the other party was to investigate matters related to the Canglong Society.

"I'm not interested in high school students."

Hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko was a little skeptical.

"real..?"

"I'm lying. I was turned into a vegetable by a truck."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft... You're occupying my body now. You want to die, but I don't."

Hearing the other party say this, Toyokawa Shoko breathed a sigh of relief.

The elevator reached the first floor and the doors slowly opened. Kujo Renji stepped out, the cool night breeze blowing towards him, dispelling some of the thoughts in his mind.

He looked up and saw that the lights on the floor where Nagasaki Suyo's home was located were still on.

The light seemed warm and distant in the night, just like the genuine emotional connection he had just briefly experienced—beautiful, but ultimately irrelevant to his goals.

"Nagasaki Suyo..."

Jiujo Liansi whispered to himself, but the sound was quickly blown away by the night wind.

In any case, he has found the first clue, and the next step is to follow the clues and get closer to the truth step by step.

And Nagasaki Suyo, both as a friend of Toyokawa Shoko and as a possible source of information, will play an important role in his plan.

"What are you thinking about?" Shoko Toyokawa keenly noticed his contemplation.

"Nothing," Kujo Renji replied, walking towards the street. "Just thinking about what to do tomorrow."

"Don't you still need to check out that livehouse in Kitazawa?"

"Oh yes."

Because of the Nagasaki Suyo incident, he forgot about the meeting with the person in charge of Livehouse.

Take out your phone and write a text message on it.

[Sorry, something delayed me today. I'll come back tomorrow.]

The contact on the other end of the text message seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

The moment I received the message from Jiujiao Liansi, I replied

【It’s okay, just come back when you have time. 】

........

At STARRY in Shimokitazawa, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, night has fallen, but the lights inside the livehouse are still bright.

The daytime performance has ended and the staff have left one after another, leaving only a few familiar figures in the bar area.

Ijichi Xingge was lying on the table, her long golden hair scattered on the dark wooden table, forming a sharp contrast.

Her usually vibrant red eyes now looked tired and anxious, and her fingers kept sliding across the screen of her phone. The screen displayed a new message:

[Sorry, something delayed me today. I'll come back tomorrow.]

Ichichi Xingge scratched her hair irritably, and a few strands of golden hair slipped through her fingers.

She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and quickly typed a reply:

【It’s okay, just come back when you have time. 】

After sending the message, she slammed her phone down on the table, making a dull thud.

"Is it the new boss again?" a woman with long straight black hair asked from behind the bar.