They are really too low!

Didn't she say she wouldn't accept anyone's charity or help?

She's already eager to show off the gift she just received.

If you feel a bitter taste in your mouth, is it because you just drank lemon water?

She had no right to stop Toyokawa Shoko, even though she spent more time with Hoshino Mi than Toyokawa Shoko, and even though she met with Hoshino Mi more often than Toyokawa Shoko, Hoshino Mi never gave her a gift.

Because Hoshino was a friend of Toyokawa Shoko from the beginning, he had a better relationship with her.

"This is such a hassle. I don't want his things at all," Toyokawa Shoko sighed. "Should I just tell him that I've already given them to Mutsu?"

Wakaba Mutsu paused for a moment, then fell silent.

"No...no need, it's a gift from him to you." Wakaba Mutsu looked down at her toes, which seemed to be the first place she had ever seen Hoshino Mi.

"Xiao Mu, he gave me a game console." Toyokawa Shoko seemed to have a headache. "You know my situation. I don't understand what he's thinking. Do you think I have time to play games with him?"

If Ye Mu remained silent, she had never played games with Hoshino Mi before. She had clearly said last time that she wanted to play too, but Hoshino Mi had never played with her.

Chapter Ninety-Six: Still Cares

Wakaba Mutsu felt that Toyokawa Shoko was showing off, and that feeling was not wrong.

Toyokawa Shoko did indeed deliberately bring up the gift, but at the same time, she didn't mention a word about the unpleasantness between her and Hoshino Mi, as if the two of them were getting closer and closer.

As expected, Wakaba Mutsu, who was initially happy, showed a rather disappointed expression.

However, Toyokawa Shoko was not happy at all. She had only mentioned it a few times, yet it had made Wakaba Mutsu so upset.

Does Wakaba Mutsu care that much about Hoshino Mi?

The more she thought about it, the more awkward Toyokawa Shoko felt. They should have been the closest of friends, childhood sweethearts, but now there was another boy involved.

If she hadn't recommended Wakaba Mutsumi to Hoshino Mi back then, wouldn't things be different now...?

Toyokawa Shoko was startled by her own thoughts. How could she be thinking such nonsense? She should be happy that Ruoye Mutsu could get along well with Hoshino Mi.

After all, since growing up, Wakaba Mutsu has become taciturn and is no longer the cheerful little girl she used to be, which is worrying.

If Hoshino could turn Wakaba Mutsumi back to normal, she would be overjoyed.

But what does this fluttering feeling feel like?

Toyokawa Shoko wanted to cover her chest, but in front of Wakaba Mutsu, she hid the impulse well and suppressed her displeasure.

"Does Xiaomu also want to play games?" Toyokawa Shoko asked tentatively.

Ruo Yemu nodded first, then shook her head with a slight hesitation.

Sometimes, even Toyokawa Shoko didn't know what her childhood friend was thinking; her expressions were too ambiguous.

“If Xiaomu wants to play, I can teach you.” Toyokawa Shoko seemed to have forgotten what she had just said, and a smile appeared on her face. “Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since we played together.”

"Xiao Xiang...didn't you say you didn't have time?" Ruoye Mu finally spoke.

“High school students can only work part-time, and the number of hours they can work each week is actually not very many.” Toyokawa Shoko counted the days. “After buying groceries and returning home, I cook dinner, catch up on my homework, and the rest of the time is my personal time.”

As Ruoye Mu listened to her recount those trivial matters, for the former young lady, this month's experiences were almost equivalent to her sixteen years of life experience.

Neither Wakaba Mutsu nor Toyokawa Shoko had ever heard of such a small thing as supermarket discounts. If it weren't for Hoshino Mi, a seasoned player in the lifestyle category, Toyokawa Shoko would probably have had to figure it out on her own for a long time.

"Although I don't have much time, I think it should be fine to spend some time with Xiao Mu today."

As she was speaking, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly paused, realizing that her story was exactly the same as Hoshino Mii's.

"I don't have a game console." Wakaba Mutsu was a little flustered. Hoshino Mi had never given her a gift. If she had to say, she had eaten food that Hoshino Mi had treated her to.

“It’s alright, I’ll bring it next time.” Toyokawa Shoko smiled. “I can’t just sell the gift he gave me, so let’s play with it together.”

"Yeah." Ruoye Mu nodded slightly.

This reaction was different from what Toyokawa Shoko had imagined. Not to mention that she immediately showed a happy expression, she should at least have shown some anticipation, right?

Toyokawa Shoko bit her lip. She knew what Hoshino Mi and Wakaba Mutsu had done. Both of them had told her about their guitar practice, including playing with children in the park.

It doesn't sound like a big deal, she could do it herself, so why does she feel such a strong sense of frustration?

After finishing the last sip of coffee, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes darted around, as if she were drunk.

She no longer knew why she had come here. Was she planning to ask about Nagasaki Motoyo, or had she finally found an excuse to inquire about the progress between Wakaba Mutsumi and Hoshino Mi?

"Xiao Mu, what do you think of Nagasaki and the others?" Toyokawa Shoko suddenly asked.

Ruoye Mu was surprised; this unexpected question made her ponder for a moment.

Even after the band breaks up, do you think we'll still be friends?

"Yes, friend."

"That's it..."

Toyokawa Shoko remained silent, her expression calm, as if she had never asked the question at all.

……

As soon as Ruoye Mu returned home, she lowered her head, because her mother was sitting on the sofa.

"Oh my, Xiao Mu is back?" The young mother looked surprised. "Where did she go today? Was she with Xiao Xiang again?"

"Hmm." Wakaba Mutsu was somewhat uneasy.

"Hey, I remember your band ended, right? Am I mistaken?" Mori Minami was even more surprised. She remembered that the Toyokawa Group had recently suffered a blow, and that live-in son-in-law had also been unlucky.

At the time, she specifically asked Wakaba Mutsu about Toyokawa Shoko's running away from home and the disbandment of their band. Because of this, Mori Minami comforted her daughter.

“It’s over,” said Ruoye Mutsu. “I’m just chatting with Xiaoxiang.”

Mori Minami suddenly realized, and then asked with interest, "Is that child alright? Should I help her talk to someone and ask her to go home early?"

"Xiao Xiang, I don't want to go back yet." Ruo Ye Mu lowered her head.

"What a temperamental child," Senmina sighed, then smiled. "Luckily, my little Mu is very well-behaved. Mu came over here and let me hug her."

If Ye Mu didn't move, it was Sen Mina who took the initiative to step forward, hugging her daughter into her arms while stroking her daughter's head.

"I had a tough day at work, and I was a little worried when I got home and Xiaomu wasn't there," said Senmina. "I'm relieved to see Xiaomu back."

Throughout the entire process, Wakaba Muku remained stiff, like a delicate, motionless doll in Mori Minami's arms.

"Minami...can you let go now?"

"Hey, Xiao Mu, can't you hold me a little longer?"

"..."

Despite saying that, a short while later, Mori Minami released Wakaba Mutsumi.

"As expected, Xiao Mu is still the most obedient. I feel much better today."

If Ye Mu didn't respond, Mori Minami sighed helplessly. Anyone who saw this scene would think that this gentle mother was also having a headache over her daughter's personality.

"I'm going to call the producer later, Xiao Mu, please don't speak loudly, okay?"

Hearing this, Ruoye Mu nodded with a sigh of relief, then slowly took a few steps back. Finding that Mori Minami really didn't stop her, she cautiously turned and left.

Once out of her mother's sight, Wakaba Mutsu immediately rushed back to her room.

Because of Minami's request, she did not close the door to the room, but only slightly closed the door, and then lay down on her bed.

As Ruoye Mu was thinking about what had happened today, she couldn't quite understand it.

Why did Toyokawa Shoko suddenly receive a gift from him?

It's normal for friends to receive gifts, especially since it was just a game console.

But she didn't have such a gift.

Is it because she and Hoshino Mi aren't considered very good friends?

They had only met last month and didn't know each other well. If Hoshino Mi hadn't brought Kasugano Sora and the others to see the band's performance, she wouldn't have known that he had a childhood friend and a younger sister.

Such a relationship was not very close, but Wakaba Mutsu thought of Toyokawa Shoko.

Like Toyokawa Shoko, she hadn't known her for very long, so why did she receive a gift?

The two seemed to have played games together before, at his house, but Wakaba Mutsu didn't know where his house was.

If Ye Mu felt the lemon juice she had drunk that afternoon still tingling slightly on her lips, she could still remember the expression on Toyokawa Shoko's face when she talked about the gift.

It seemed like they were complaining and venting, but there was no expression of disgust, only disdain, the kind of disdain between friends.

Some people's complaints stem from genuinely considering the other person a friend, which is why they unconsciously start making sarcastic remarks.

Wakaba Mutsu was envious; it seemed that Toyokawa Shoko and he had a better relationship than she did.

But why is this? We're all friends, so why does she seem like she's a million miles away?

Aside from the guitar, Hoshino Mi would almost never discuss anything else with her, such as music theory and composition. She could ask her those questions, but Hoshino Mi would only talk to Toyokawa Shoko.

Wakaba Mutsu stared at the ceiling. He still had his childhood friend and younger sister, two very beautiful girls.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that the only connection between her and Hoshino Mi is the guitar.

If you don't even have a guitar, will you, like Crychic, go your separate ways?

Ruo Yemu was startled. Even though she was scaring herself, her heart was beating faster and faster, because there had been previous examples of this outcome.

But why does she have to think so much?

It's just a guy, and a guy I just met, so it shouldn't matter, right?

To be honest, her relationship with him was just that of ordinary friends. Does she feel it's a pity?

Will he feel uneasy and jealous because of his relationship with Toyokawa Shoko?

When she came to her senses, Wakaba Mutsu had already taken out her phone, and the chat page was also Hoshino Mi.

So, the girl bit her lip but couldn't help sending it out anyway.

"Wakaba Mutsumi: Are you writing songs?"

A moment later, Hoshino seemed quite surprised by her initiative today.

"Hoshino: I wrote it and showed it to Toyokawa-san today. She gave me a lot of suggestions."

When Mokuro noticed his address to Toyokawa Shoko, he unconsciously pulled his legs together, his smooth, delicate skin brushing against the sheets and blankets.

"Wakaba Mutsumi: Can I take a look?"

Hoshino: Of course.

"Hoshino Mi: I'll post a photo, but this sheet music isn't what I wanted; it's more like practice."

Hoshino: So, please be a little gentler, Ms. Komugi.

Ruo Yemu felt a little embarrassed. He was calling her Teacher Xiaomu again, and he never learned his lesson, which was a bit annoying.

However, upon seeing the sheet music he sent, Wakaba Mutsu still perked up.

Upon discovering that the entire piece was covered in alterations, the obvious handwriting and compositional style immediately reminded her of Toyokawa Shoko.

Ruoye Mutsu pursed her lips. Fortunately, she also saw the part that Toyokawa Shoko mentioned that had a lot of her personal style, which made her feel a little better.

"Wakaba Mutsumi: Let me fix the guitar parts for you."

Hoshino Mi: That's possible, but that's just...

"Wakaba Mutsu: Xiaoxiang isn't as good at guitar as I am. Her modifications to the guitar are too minor. I'll do it."

Hoshino: Sure, can I ask Komugi-sensei to do the next song too?

"Wakaba Mutsu: It's okay, I've got your back."

After sending the message, Ruoye Mu hugged her doll and buried her face deeply in it.

It turns out it's so easy to say it, and it's so easy to get him to agree.

After a while, Ruoye Mutsu picked up her phone again.

"Wakaba Mutsumi: You...were you talking to Sho about the music today?"

Hoshino: We talked quite a bit.

"Wakaba Mutsumi: Didn't we talk about anything else?"

Hoshino: Did she tell you?