Can Lixi look at me alone?

"...This is too...unacceptable, I can't stand it. Let's throw it away..."

Her blue, watery eyes flickered, and while Li Xi was still pondering where to eat where there would be fewer people, she picked up the pink envelope and the love letter from the trash can.

After reading it briefly, Yuzuki put it back in the envelope with peace of mind.

It's really cheesy; the whole thing is about how much I like it, but not only is there no signature, not even the name of the person I'm confessing to. There's only a time and a place…

It's perfect as an excuse for not being able to find outdoor shoes.

Jieyue put the envelope in her pocket and walked over to Lixi with a troubled look on her face.

"Sorry, Lixi, you must have been waiting a long time, right?"

Li Xi waved his hand to indicate that there was no need to apologize, glanced at her shoes, and after finding that they were exactly the same as before, assumed that she had not brought indoor shoes.

As for why she had to wait a while... Lixi didn't think about it.

"Let's go to the sheltered spot in that teaching building."

I can share a bento box with Riki-chan now... I'm so happy!

Suddenly, Yuzuki felt a sense of anticipation. Could they share a set of utensils? Could he feed her mouth-to-mouth?

No, you can't think like that. That would cause trouble for Riki-chan…

Riki, who had already arrived at the destination, sat down in a chair, and opened her bento box, glanced at Yuzuki's empty hand.

"Does Yuzuki prefer using a spoon or chopsticks?"

I love everything from Lixi-chan.

"Hmm... a spoon, perhaps?"

A spoon is more convenient than chopsticks, and it's perfect for watching Lixi eat.

Hmm... Lixi's lunchbox is adorable too, it looks very delicate. The space is very well designed, Lixi-chan has great taste!

Jieyue put a spoonful of rice into her mouth and chewed.

Too much water was added.

Lixi's lunchbox contained three dishes and some fruit.

The combination of two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish made Jieyue frown in displeasure.

How could Riki-chan eat something like this? After tasting each one and finding that they were all far inferior to what she made, Yuzuki put down her spoon.

A gentle smile remained on her face, so Lixi didn't notice anything amiss.

"Lixi's lunch was delicious. Who made it for Lixi?"

Li Xi turned her head away, a little embarrassed.

"I did it myself..."

I forgot about that, and thought I could make something similar to my sister's. But the taste was barely passable.

Is Yuzuki angry?

The pink-haired girl suddenly stuffed a large mouthful of food into her mouth, which startled Lixi.

"Um... if it doesn't taste good, there's no need to eat like this. Just eat this little bit and buy some more food after school..."

After chewing and swallowing the food in her mouth, Yuzuki excitedly licked the grease off the corner of her mouth.

"No, Lixi's cooking is delicious."

Knowing what her creation tasted like made the drummer feel a little better; at least she had a friend to comfort her…

Not bad either.

"You don't need to comfort me, why don't you eat some more?"

Sharing your homemade dishes with friends can definitely make you feel good.

Jieyue tried her best to eat every half-cooked potato she found.

That way... Riki-chan won't get to eat these...

"Actually, I can cook too. Lixi, why don't you try it tomorrow?"

Seeing the innocent look in her friend's eyes, and remembering that she usually lives alone and had bought a lot of groceries yesterday, Lixi agreed.

Friends should share things.

Phew... Riki-chan agreed... agreed!

Today, I must make Lixi's favorite food when I get home!

But what does Riki-chan like to eat...?

"As for me, I don't really have any particular likes or dislikes. I just make enough for a bento box."

I still don't know what Riki-chan likes to eat... She must be worried I'll get tired, right? Riki-chan is truly my angel!

Since that's the case, I'll just do everything I know how to do for Riki-chan... We can talk about the keyboard later, I'll go buy some things later...

No, that's not enough... I need to learn some new dishes!

Li Xi Jiang must eat the best...

I'll order some rice and seafood online later. As long as I have the money, it can be delivered tomorrow.

Whew…

I cook for Riki-chan myself, and Riki-chan will eat every bite of the food filled with my love...

Just thinking about it made Yuzuki tremble with pleasure.

"Yuzuki? If it doesn't taste good, then don't eat it...?"

The black-haired girl patted her shoulder worriedly.

"Ah, it's okay. Lixi made it very well. With a little more practice, it will definitely be delicious."

You don't need to comfort me like that...

Lixi nodded. Although it wasn't particularly delicious, she was already happy to be able to eat with her new friends.

"Thank you, Yuzuki."

The pink-haired girl put down her spoon; she had almost finished eating. Even with the buff from Li Xi's cooking, she couldn't eat anymore.

Lixi, who had only intended to have a light meal, put down her chopsticks, took the spoon from her, and washed it.

Taking this opportunity, while ordering imported rice and seafood on her phone, Jieyue found the love letter she had retrieved.

Sorry, classmate who sent the love letter.

After quickly placing the order, she held the love letter in her hand, looking somewhat troubled as she waited for Lixi to return.

"Yuzue, are you getting ready to go back...?"

Ah, Riki-chan is so fast... I like it!

"Lixi's back... This seems a little troublesome..."

Looking at the smiling girl in front of him, Lixi sat back down next to her and took the envelope she handed him.

Yes...a gentle and beautiful girl like Yuzuki must be very popular, much more so than me...

"I put it directly in the shoe cabinet, so... that's why Lixi waited for me for a while at noon."

Li Xi crumpled a corner of the love letter.

Please give me some votes!

Love you guys!

Volume 1 Crychic!!!: Chapter 6 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn

"Was this written to Yuzuki?"

After all, they were all put in the shoe cabinet for the month of the wedding...

"Maybe...?"

He blinked his clear blue eyes at her and then tilted his head and smiled.

"However, some of the content inside is... Lixi, maybe you shouldn't read it?"

What should Lixi do if this makes her feel disgusted?

Realizing this too late, Yuzuki hesitated whether to take the envelope back.

"…ha?"

The black-haired girl, who felt nauseous after reading half of the letter, wanted to crumple it up and throw it in the trash, but she should at least ask Yuzuki's opinion.

However, this kind of thing is really...

A girl who hadn't been to school for two years and was in poor health was given a love letter just because she was a little gentle with someone?

This is way too much!

"Yuzue, have you thought about how to handle this?"

Maybe, just maybe Yuzuki likes this kind of thing...? Although the possibility is small, I can't make decisions for others.

"Um... I'll probably go to that place to reject him..."

The timid Yuzuki crumpled up what she was holding into a ball of waste paper and threw it into the trash can.

"Since Yuzuki doesn't like this either... then why go to that place?"

Lixi-chan... Lixi-chan is protecting me!!

Suppressing her excitement, Yuzuki gently rubbed her thigh.

"Well... but it's still someone else's good intention..."

You're clearly troubled yourself, so why bother worrying about others?

"It's alright, there's no need to take his feelings seriously. After all, Yuzuki doesn't want to go either... right?"

She grasped Yuzuki's soft, slender wrist and pulled her up from the bench.

"Let's go, we only have two classes this afternoon, then we can go home."

Lixi-chan looks so cool protecting me...

No... I'm going to blush...

Lixi's hands are so soft and warm...

"Sorry, I did it subconsciously."

The silence that followed made Yuzuki realize that her behavior had been somewhat offensive, so she quickly let go and apologized.

Please, Li Xi-chan, have more of these subconscious reactions...??

I really like it!

"It's okay, um... after all, it's Lixi. So it's alright, okay?"

Lixi patted her head.

"If you're so gentle, you'll easily get bullied."

If I could be bullied by Riki-chan...?

"It's okay, because I believe Lixi won't bully me, okay?"

His right hand, still wet with water droplets, swept across the back of her neck, hidden beneath her hair, the icy touch sending a shiver through her body.

"I can bully you too, you know?"

What should I do at this moment? I absolutely cannot show that I'm happy... but I can't be angry with Riki-chan either...

"Oh... I was just startled. Lixi didn't bully me, okay?"

I just can't do anything with you.