Will the plagiarism girl be a substitute for the preference for women?

Has Xiangzi returned?

The person who once invited her to form a band, the person who shed tears of empathy upon reading her poems, the person who once helped her out of her withdrawn heart and showcase her singing voice on stage...

Once upon a time, on a rainy day, that became the past.

That day, Xiangzi arrived soaking wet and announced his withdrawal from Crychic.

After that, even though he was only one class away from his former teammates at school, they became like strangers.

Each time they passed each other, Xiangzi ignored them.

And the lamp, too, was like a fishbone stuck in my throat.

And so, almost a semester passed...

Now, however, Xiangzi is taking the initiative to find the lamp.

The lamp's heart was already filled with excitement.

Ding-dong!

The bell finally rang to signal the end of get out of class.

"Should we go find Qian first...?"

Before Ai Yin could finish speaking, Deng, with one hand on her chest, walked towards the front door on her own.

"Small……"

As Deng walked out the front door, Xiangzi also happened to walk out the back door.

No, that's not right...

Xiangzi's expression remained icy and cold. He still didn't look directly at the light, calmly walking around it and heading towards the stairwell.

It remains the same, so close yet so unattainable.

The lamp went from being full of anticipation to being surprised, and finally lowered its head in disappointment, a wave of bitterness welling up in its heart turning into a bitter expression between its brows.

At that moment, another person walked out from Class B and took Deng's hand.

Chapter 14 Chain Four

When mania drove China to reply to Shoko and Aine with deception...

China then fell into a state of helplessness and depression.

She almost managed to tell Aine the truth.

I was almost able to put my mind at ease and stop worrying about concealing the truth.

But that stubborn desire to conceal it, to "definition" the lamp as his old friend, still surged up.

She could understand that pretending to be Xiangzi's sister stemmed from curiosity about Xiangzi's background; and that pretending to be an old friend with Aine was a "pledge of allegiance" to form a powerful alliance with her.

She could lie and say that she and Akari used to be friends, and that she was looking after Aine's feelings back then. Why would she continue to hide it now? She couldn't even keep it a secret for half a day.

It seems that this persistence in "creating a past of friendship with others" stemmed from a desire to fill the void of having few friends in the past.

Why... can't I let go of this attachment?

I will soon be able to make a lot of money and resources by copying articles, then why would I have to worry about not having friends?

China questioned the manic maniac, but she also knew that many of his thoughts couldn't be understood using normal thinking.

She only vaguely sensed her own obsession with the lamp.

A shared, unwavering desire to understand and appreciate each other as "outcasts" living in the world.

But there are also differences among different kinds.

People who are not talkative and not good at socializing can break out of their closed-off inner world through hard work and guidance from others.

But what about someone with volatile emotions? Besides using resources to win over others, are there any other ways?

Manic, please stop viewing others as inferior to yourself.

Time passed, and China twirled her pen, listening to some of the lesson content, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Or perhaps you write down the melodies of some songs in a notebook and imagine how to mix them together.

Just before the end of get out of class, the student in front of me passed the note over from under his desk.

"After class, find a quiet place and explain things clearly."

Xiangzi wrote on it.

Clearly, Qianna's previous reply that "my family wants me to shine in the band" was somewhat nonsensical to Xiangzi.

If she had to interpret it, she would see it as a provocation.

Not long ago, Xiangzi was kicked out of the family and forced to leave the band due to financial difficulties.

If China has information in this regard, then what she says might lean towards provocation.

However, after writing this passage, Chika remained in a melancholy state, which contradicts the intended meaning.

The truth can only be known after asking around.

Xiangzi didn't want to get involved in family matters anymore, but if the other party wouldn't let it go, no amount of refusal would help.

When the bell rang, Xiangzi was the first to leave her seat. She knocked on Qiannai's desk and walked towards the door.

Chika was exhausted from the manic episode. After Shoko walked four or five steps away, she sighed, stood up, and followed her.

Then, she saw Xiangzi stop at the door, seemingly having met someone but deliberately avoiding eye contact and taking a detour.

Who is it?

China walked to the door and saw a dejected-looking man named Deng, who looked as if his legs would give way and he would kneel down at any moment.

An instinctive protective urge made China hold onto the lamp's hand, and then she frowned as she looked at Shoko.

Xiangzi stopped and turned around, as if he saw his past self and the lamp.

Ai Yin also stepped out the door and witnessed this scene.

At that moment, all four of them stood still, without saying a word.

Their hearts seemed to be caught in a whirlpool, their thoughts stirred up in chaos.

Aine remembered what China had said: Akari had a friend in Haneoka who resembled her, Shoko.

Unexpectedly, China transferred to the same class as Shoko.

However, Xiangzi just ignored the light and left, doesn't that mean their relationship has broken down?

Ai Yin thought to herself that, in order to maintain a sense of mystery, she had deliberately told Deng that "a friend" was in the next class and would come to play with her after class.

Did Deng think that "friend" was Xiangzi, and that Xiangzi wanted to get back together with her, which is why she was so happy and expectant just now?

However, reality dashed Deng's hopes.

Thinking of this, a gloom seemed to hang over Aine's heart.

She caused the lamp to have such a height difference.

I just wanted to keep the light a surprise, but it backfired and resulted in this scene.

When she returned from London, she was determined to start a new life and leave behind the shadow of her time studying there.

So, the start was so unfavorable...?

As for China, she didn't know what Aine and Akari had said to each other.

But she knew that the root of all the problems was herself.

Although her self-blame and inferiority were like sharp daggers piercing her heart, China did not show her low spirits on her face when facing the dejected Tama.

This was one of her few opportunities. A rare moment when she could set aside her sense of inferiority and hold someone's hand as a comforter, offering solace.

When the lamp was ignored by Xiangzi, and then held by Qiannai, who looked similar to Xiangzi, he felt an extremely subtle and indescribable feeling.

It's as if a person's "present" has passed by, while her "past" remains beside her.

Should we chase after that person's "present" or continue to stay with the "past"?

But... Chika and Shoko are not the same person.

Chika can only be Chika.

On the other side, watching the two shake hands, Xiangzi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

And she kept convincing herself that her past weakness was dead.

Wouldn't it be great if someone could take my place, give me the result I wanted, and help me break free from the past?

If you want to "shine in the band," then form a band with this kid!

Xiangzi kept trying to convince himself, but he could never overcome the soft side of his heart.

She wanted to say, "China, let's go somewhere where no one is around and talk things out," but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She just silently watched China's hand holding the lamp.

The four people seemed to be bound together by heavy chains, and if no one spoke, they would remain stuck there forever.

Ultimately, China, who believed she had caused this situation, took on the role of the one who would break the deadlock.

She gently touched the lamp with one hand, which was holding it, and patted the back of the lamp with her other hand, softly speaking into the lamp's ear:

"Cheer up."

"I'm going to check some things with Xiangzi. See you after the next get out of class."

"Hmm..." Deng's face flushed slightly.

Then, Chika followed Shoko into the stairwell.

After Chika broke the deadlock, Aine took the opportunity to adjust her mindset and explained to Akari:

"I'm sorry, Akari-kun. The friend from the next class that I was referring to was actually Chinatsu-kun."

"I didn't know about your relationship with Xiangzi back then, nor did I know she was in the next class."

"And then..." Aine stopped speaking.

And the lamp was also pondering.

Chinatsu... my friend...

We've only known each other for a short time, is it okay for us to call each other friends?

But if it's Chika, then it's definitely possible.

Chapter 15 What if our situations were reversed that day...

"Student Deng?"

As the lamp was deep in thought, Aine waved her hand in front of her eyes, pulling her back to reality.

"You and Xiang..."

Aiyin was about to ask about the matter between Deng and Xiangzi, but then she thought that it was probably a difficult thing for Deng to talk about.

Besides, Xiangzi had just ignored the light, which was like tearing open a wound that hadn't scabbed over. Ai Yin thought it best not to ask, so as not to rub salt into the wound.

What could possibly happen to cause one person to ignore another?

Aine was filled with confusion, which was also what China wanted to ask Shoko.

Currently, Chika and Shoko are in the hallway between the first grade and the first floor, and few students pass by except during school hours.

Both of them had something they needed to confirm with each other.

Chinatsu was the first to speak.

"What happened between you and Deng? You saw how disappointed she was after you ignored her, didn't you?"

Although Chika asked the question first, her question answered some of the questions that were on Shoko's mind.

It seems that China is unaware of what happened to her over the past year.

So, the note that was passed back earlier, which said that the band would shine brightly, was not a provocation, nor was it a sarcastic remark about her leaving the band.

"Have you known the lamp before? Is this important to you?"

Xiangzi asked in return.

She planned to say in the next sentence that she was ignoring Deng in order to sever ties with her and avoid implicating Deng because of her.