Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

...

Many parents and school buses have gathered at the gate of Yugaoka Girls' College waiting to pick up their children.

Mortis hid behind a cherry tree on the opposite street, his long light green hair inconspicuous under the cover of pink cherry blossoms.

She gripped the trunk with both hands, her nails almost digging into the rough bark.

Although the temperature was pleasant, she felt waves of cold sweat seeping from her back, soaking the shirt of her uniform.

"calm down..."

Mortis kept repeating these words to himself like a mantra, but he couldn't stop his heart from beating faster and faster.

That suffocating feeling of fear returned, even though "Shoko Toyokawa" had not yet appeared.

"Jingle Bell--"

The crisp bell for the end of get out of class echoed in the campus, followed by the cheerful noise of students.

Mortis held his breath, his golden eyes fixed on the school gate, as if some terrifying monster was about to walk out of there.

The students walked out of the school gate in twos and threes, their uniforms looking like blooming flowers in the sun.

Mortis's eyes roamed over each face, searching for that familiar shade of blue.

Then she saw it.

Her blue twintails stand out in the crowd, her amber eyes are as calm as water, and her steps are elegant and calm.

"Toyokawa Shoko" walked out of the school gate, holding a few books in her hands and a faint smile on her face. She looked like any ordinary high school girl.

But at that moment, an unprecedented fear washed over Mortis like a tide.

It was not ordinary fear at all. It was a trembling from the depths of the soul, as if something was silently screaming: Danger! Run away!

Mortis' pupils suddenly contracted and his breathing became rapid and painful.

Her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, as if they were frozen.

—Run! Run!

Instinct screamed in her ears.

Just as "Shoko Toyokawa" was about to glance towards the tree where she was hiding, Mortis finally regained control of his legs.

She turned suddenly and ran desperately in the opposite direction like a frightened rabbit.

The world turned into a blur of colors in her eyes, and the only sound in her ears was her own thunderous heartbeat.

She didn't know how long she had been running or how far she had run until her legs ached and her lungs felt like they were on fire.

Mortis suddenly stopped and gasped for breath, only then he realized that he had run into a cafe without knowing when.

"Miss, do you need anything?"

The waiter's questioning voice brought her back to reality. Mortis muttered an apology, ordered a glass of water, and stumbled towards the restroom.

Locking the cubicle door, Mortis leaned against the wall, his legs finally giving way and he slid down to sit on the floor.

The feel of the cold tile through the thinness of her dress did nothing to ease the burning fear within her.

"What the hell..." she muttered to herself. After finally coming to her senses, her voice was filled with self-blame and anger: "What am I afraid of?"

Her long light green hair became messy due to running, and a few strands of hair stuck to her sweaty cheeks.

Mortis brushed them aside with shaking fingers, trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"Just a little Xiang..."

She closed her eyes and tried to find her courage.

But the cold glint in those amber eyes lingered, like a nightmare seared into the depths of her memory.

"He's just a guy who took over someone else's body!"

Mortis clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. The pain brought her back to consciousness.

"What do I have to be afraid of? What can she do to me?"

The air in the cubicle seemed to freeze, and only the buzzing of the fluorescent lights in the bathroom echoed in my ears.

Mortis took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. After repeating this several times, the suffocating fear finally subsided.

"Mortis, you're such a coward...!"

She seemed to be encouraging herself, and the trembling in her voice had eased a lot:

"I can't take advantage of a mere Toyokawa Shoko, okay? If it weren't for Xiao Mu, I wouldn't bother paying attention to her."

She stood up, patted her wrinkled skirt, and straightened her messy hair and clothes in front of the mirror.

"Forget it, let's go back today and come back tomorrow."

Mortis said to himself in the mirror, trying to sound relaxed yet firm:

"She didn't see me anyway, so it's going to be okay."

Taking a deep breath, she reached out and opened the compartment door.

——Then, her heart almost stopped beating.

"Toyokawa Shoko" was standing at the entrance of the bathroom, her amber eyes looking straight at her, with a half-smile on her lips.

That's the look a predator has when it looks at its prey.

Toyokawa Shoko spoke softly, her tone rising with a hint of curiosity: "If...Ye Mu?"

Mortis felt dizzy.

...

Kujo Renji had already noticed the light green figure hiding behind the cherry tree.

In fact, from the moment he stepped out of the school gate, he felt some strange gazes - that subtle feeling of being stared at by a prey, he was too familiar with it.

His amber eyes were as calm as water. He pretended to be indifferent as he walked out of the school gate, but his eyes were always fixed on the cherry tree.

The distance was a little far, but the long light green hair against the pink cherry blossoms was still too conspicuous for him.

——Wakaba Mu?

This was unexpected.

Her sudden absence from the last rehearsal had already aroused his suspicions, and now, she unexpectedly appeared outside his school...

The corners of Jiu Tiao Lian Si's mouth rose slightly, but his face remained expressionless.

He deliberately slowed down his pace and adjusted his position so that his eyes could "accidentally" sweep in that direction.

Interestingly, just when his sight was about to reach there, the figure suddenly ran away like a frightened deer.

This wasn't a normal reaction. When Ye Mu had calmly questioned his identity in the piano room that day, he hadn't shown a single ounce of fear. And now, this almost instinctive escape...

--interesting.

Jiujo Renji didn't hesitate and immediately followed. He adjusted his speed calmly, neither too fast to attract attention nor too fast to lose sight of his target.

He saw the light green figure turn into a cafe and then hurried to the bathroom.

Kujo Renji didn't answer. He stood at the door of the cafe, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Something is wrong... not only the behavior is abnormal, but also the temperament... is different.

The running posture was too lively, completely different from the quiet and introverted temperament of Wakaba Mu in his memory.

It's like a completely different person.

Kujo Renji suddenly remembered something, and a flash of realization flashed across his amber eyes. He chuckled, walked into the cafe, and headed straight for the restroom.

As a cafe near the school, the decoration here is simple and bright, and the warm lighting creates a soft atmosphere.

He stood at the bathroom door, as if waiting for something.

Sure enough, in less than three minutes, the compartment door opened.

The figure with long light green hair stood there in a daze, his golden eyes filled with fear.

"Ruoye...Mu?" He spoke softly, his tone rising, revealing a hint of curiosity and vigilance.

The other person's face turned pale in an instant, as if he had seen a nightmare.

Jiujo Liansi smiled slightly, feeling 80% confident.

"Long time no see." He said gently, with just the right amount of concern in his tone: "It looks like you haven't fully recovered yet?"

Obviously confused by the sudden friendliness, the other party nodded stiffly, his long light green hair swaying slightly with the movement.

"I...um." Her voice was very soft, and she was obviously trying to imitate Wakaba Mu's taciturn tone, but her tone was a little stiff.

Jiujo Renji pretended to be surprised: "You are here alone? Since we have met, why not have a drink together."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked towards a window seat. He could sense that 'Ruoye Mu' was hesitating whether to run away, but in the end, she followed him.

Mortis sat stiffly in his seat in the cafe, his muscles tense and aching.

She couldn't believe that she actually sat down with Kujo Renji instead of turning around and running away.

Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to leave, but her body was unable to move as if it was under a spell.

"What flavor do you like?"

Jiujo Rensi handed over the menu, her voice surprisingly gentle. Those amber eyes held none of the cold murderous intent she had felt before, but instead a hint of concern.

This frightened Mortis even more. She searched frantically in her mind for how Ruo Ye Mu would answer such a question, the girl who was always brief and quiet in her memory.

"It will be all right."

She lowered her head, trying not to let her voice tremble, and at the same time, she deliberately imitated Wakaba Mu's calm and almost cold tone. But she felt that this performance was extremely lame, like a preschool child playing a role-playing game.

To her surprise, Kujo Renji ordered hot chocolate for her instead of coffee.

How did he know? Ruoye Mu really didn't like the bitter taste of coffee, but could it be that Toyokawa Shoko had told him this detail?

This small surprise made Mortis' heart skip a beat. She instinctively felt a little uneasy, but she couldn't decipher its meaning.

"We were all very worried when you left suddenly last time."

Kujo Renji's voice brought her back to reality. Mortis felt like she had grabbed a lifeline and immediately made up an excuse to go along with the topic.

"I'm sorry... I came to apologize."

She tried her best to keep her voice from lingering, remembering that Ruoye Mu always spoke briefly and concisely. But she knew how badly she was acting—even if Ruoye Mu had apologized, his voice wouldn't have been so timid and flustered.

"No need to apologize."

Kujo Renji smiled and shook his head. This action made his blue hair sway gently, shining softly in the sunlight.

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?"

Mortis panicked. She had woven herself into a web of lies, and now she had to continue weaving it.

Symptoms? What symptoms? What should I say? Fever? Headache? Stomach pain?

Possibilities raced through her mind, but none of them seemed believable enough, or she couldn't come up with specific details.

"A little... feverish."

The moment she uttered the answer, she regretted it. It was too vague, and it sounded like a lie. So she quickly added, "My stomach isn't feeling well either."

Damn it, this is even worse. Xiao Mu never stammered or stammered like this. The other party must have seen something was wrong.

Mortis's hands were clenched into fists under the table, her nails digging into her palms. The pain was the only way she could stay conscious.

"is it?"

Unexpectedly, Kujo Renji's expression became more worried, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was really concerned about her health.

"Have you seen a doctor? Could it be gastroenteritis?"

Mortis was stunned. This kind of genuine concern was completely unexpected. According to Wakaba Mu's memory, Toyokawa Shoko, while not cold, had never shown such meticulous care for Xiao Mu.

"Nothing serious..."

She shook her head, a crack in the fear in her heart beginning to appear. This 'Toyokawa Shoko' really seemed to care about Wakaba Mutsu.

This was in stark contrast to the terrifying aura she had felt in the spiritual space before.

—Am I wrong, or is he acting?