Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

She feels much worse now than when she was wrongfully forced to leave CRYCHIC.

Chapter Three: Mother (Mu) Currently/Offender

In fact, Miku Miku herself knew that such behavior was hardly honorable.

Using someone else's secrets to blackmail him into staying by your side... It feels like the kind of thing a supporting character in a teen romantic comedy would do when they can't find an excuse to keep the main character and have to resort to this tactic.

But looking at the boy whose arm she was holding but who couldn't utter a single complaint or grudge, and Xiao Mu whose eyes were fixed on the point of contact between their bodies, an indescribable sense of pleasure still rose in her heart.

This was the first request that Miku Miku made to him, using Akatsuki's secret as leverage.

Since Hatsune Miku is in her hands, then Hatsune Miku wants him to be by her side at all times whenever she wants him.

Calling it a request would be too harsh; she simply hoped that the two of them could remain as close as ever, and that Xiao wouldn't push her away during that time—that was all.

Of course, Hatsune Miku doesn't deny that making such a request first is actually the work of the evil part of her seemingly gentle and considerate personality.

Just as the mischievous personality of Metis exists within Mutsu, Hatsune Miku, who seems gentle and understanding, also has a side that wants to be willful and selfless.

To stage this scene in front of Xiaomu, the most important person in Xiao's heart, shows that she has a bit of a bad intention.

However, the results were good.

Seeing Mutsu's increasingly serene expression as he looked at her and Akatsuki's intertwined arms, Hatsune felt a sudden surge of joy for no apparent reason.

Although she didn't want to be the kind of woman who was prone to jealousy and rivalry, and disdained using underhanded tactics to force Xiao to side with her—

But it feels so good to keep quiet about things that you should say.

“I am Xiaojun’s best friend. Of course, I feel that our relationship can no longer be simply summarized by the word ‘friend’.”

Hatsune smiled but still didn't let go.

Being able to openly display her presence in front of the most important person in Akatsuki gave her a strange, exhilarating feeling, like asserting her dominance.

Moreover, even if Mu is the most important person to Xiao, things have come to this point and she is no longer a threat to her position.

After all, as the "aunt candidate" for this boy who traveled from the future, her relationship with this nephew was somewhat different—

Regardless of what Mu thinks, in Xiao's eyes she is destined to only be the image of the mother who adopted him and brought him home.

"Xiaojun knows everything about me—and vice versa. How should I put it? I feel like she's more of a confidante than a friend."

From this point of view, Mu is no match for her.

"Right, Xiaojun?"

The blonde girl smiled slightly and tilted her head, handing over the decision-making power of the conversation to the boy who had remained silent.

What's wrong with Hatsune Miku today... She keeps saying very aggressive things.

Akatsuki wasn't exactly oblivious to begin with, and with Hatsune's subtle, almost obscure movements and expressions, he could roughly guess why this girl had deliberately linked arms with him in front of Mutsu after returning to the lounge.

Yeah, that's definitely the kind of mentality I'm talking about.

Like a child who gets the best, one-of-a-kind toy doll, he immediately runs to other girls to show it off, showing off his little vanity.

Even though Hatsune Miku usually seems mature and sensible, she can be like a childish kid in certain situations.

Letting her be herself once in a while isn't a big deal, the most important thing is...

He still had his weaknesses firmly in her hands.

Just thinking about this, no matter how much she wanted to explain the situation amicably, Xiao could only manage a weak smile and agree with what Hatsune had just said.

"That's right, we have a pretty good relationship."

However, seeing Muna's increasingly complicated expression, Akira refrained from saying much out of a sense of self-preservation.

"...I don't know either."

Mu blinked, looking somewhat disappointed as if she didn't know enough about Kazama's interpersonal relationships.

"It's not Xiao Mu's fault, is it? Don't worry about it. I know Xiao Mu and Xiao Jun get along very well. It's great that the three of us can be bandmates."

Hatsune smoothly picked up the topic, and it has to be said that she is really adept at social graces.

Mutsu's expression was still somewhat erratic, which made Hatsune, who still had a smile on her face, feel an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

Okay, of course she knows that this behavior is childish.

However, being able to unabashedly display her dominance in front of Mu also unconsciously boosted her already limited courage and confidence.

Hatsune knew a secret about Akatsuki that even Mutsu didn't know, and he was even willing to agree with her for this secret, never mentioning it to Mutsu.

In this way, Xiao would probably grant her many other requests and do other things together because of this.

It's only a matter of time before Xiao Mu surpasses his position in his heart...

Just as Hatsune was secretly delighted, she didn't notice—

"..."

Mu, who had remained silent, did not back down; instead, he stepped forward and grabbed the sleeve of the boy's other hand.

"—"

Her unexpected action not only stunned Kazama, but also froze the smile on Hatsune's face.

"As long as Xiao is happy, that's all that matters."

Throughout the entire process, Mu did not glance at Chu Hua at all; her eyes were fixed on the somewhat bewildered boy.

Yes, Wakaba Mutsu just wanted him to be happy.

"However, Xiao seems to have some concerns."

She tilted her head. Mu, who seemed dull and dull, was actually incredibly observant. At least, she could sense that something was wrong if Xiao's expression was even slightly unnatural.

"Are you okay?"

Her concern for him was not the kind of thing that developed gradually over time, like that for Chu Hua and Su Shi.

It's more like an innate talent.

—At that moment, Xiao hesitated a little about whether to reveal her secret to Muye.

Since Chu Hua already knows her true identity, even if there's one more person, the situation won't get any worse, right?

"Xiaojun will be fine, after all, I'm watching over him."

— But while he was hesitating, Chu Hua, who reacted quickly, immediately nipped the idea in the bud.

She smiled faintly, took Xiao's arm, and stepped back, forcing Mu to release her grip on the boy's sleeve.

"We just made plans to have dinner together, so I won't keep Xiaomu from going home. See you next time?"

With a smile, Misaka Hatsuka found a perfect excuse to leave with Kazama.

"..."

Mu, who was not good with words, did not try to persuade Xiao to stay. He just stood there and stared at Xiao's back with longing.

Upon hearing this, Miaomeng, who was outside the door, immediately joined forces with Hailing to pull the tearful Xiangzi aside. The three of them huddled in a corner and watched as Kazama and Hatsuka walked out of the lounge side by side.

Then, they heard unexpected information from the conversation between the two.

Those were the words that came out of Chu Hua's mouth.

"Xiaojun, would you like to come to my house?"

Hai Ling raised an eyebrow, Xiang Zi almost fainted from anger, and Miao Meng was a little dumbfounded.

Wait, so these two were really having an in-team romance?

Chapter Four: Please don't cause any deaths!

Before today's performance, Miaomeng was just watching the somewhat twisted love triangle between Kazama Hatsuka and Mutsu with a "let's have some fun" attitude—at most, you could add Shoko, who is gradually becoming marginalized.

The cliché of two girls fighting over a boy is probably just a way to generate buzz for the band's official debut.

Even if Kazama Kazumi was serious, Nyanmu always felt that Hatsuka, that scheming guy, hadn't given his all in this "love triangle."

If she had to pick one of the three who might use this relationship for publicity, in her eyes, Chu Hua would be the perfect candidate.

A smart girl will naturally try to gain more traffic and attention. Although this may involve taking advantage of Xiao Mu and Xiao, Miao Meng does not think that Chu Hua is hypocritical or pretentious in doing so.

On the contrary, as a companion, she quite liked girls who were quick-witted.

The next question is when Hatsuka will be able to lure Kazama, who is not only good-looking but also incredibly talented, into the spotlight. It's a bit of a waste for him to have a face that's good enough for him to debut as an idol and amazing skills, yet he's always been behind the scenes.

And since we're going to promote the on-screen couples within the team, we definitely need to put this on the agenda.

Miaomeng believes that Chuhua will have this plan.

Therefore, she never took their entangled and lingering relationship too seriously, and even occasionally stirred things up by making sarcastic or provocative remarks.

"Xiaojun, would you like to come to my house?"

Still watching with a detached, spectator's mindset, she hid in the shadows and overheard Chu Hua blurting out those words to the boy beside her.

and many more.

Miss Meow Dream, who was originally not very serious, instantly calmed down after hearing these words.

Shouldn't Hatsuka and Kazama be a business couple?

Even if two people do have a good personal relationship and are the kind of friends who can chat easily... it's unlikely that people of the opposite sex are close enough to take each other home, right?

Miss Miaomeng remained silent, but she started racking her brains and her gaze became suspicious as she stared at the two figures walking in opposite directions.

"Ha... Is this an order that must be obeyed?"

Kazama didn't refuse outright; instead, he went along with what Chu Hua had said, his words carrying a hint of resigned helplessness.

"If Xiaojun doesn't think this is a difficult suggestion to accept. Ah, and we also need some time to catch up... don't we?"

"Sigh...you're right."

The two walked away side by side, and Miaomeng, who had been hiding in the dark corner, was finally able to peek out from around the corner with Hailing, whose expression was quite subtle.

"Are those two serious?"

Miao Meng looked incredulous, while Hai Ling continued her conversation without batting an eye.

"A lone man and a lone woman, like dry tinder/fiery passion, spending time alone together, and they're also newly formed bandmates."

Although Hai Ling seemed indifferent to these matters, she was actually observing everything around her.

"Sigh, I hope they're prepared so no one gets killed."

"No!! Absolutely not!!! This kind of thing is absolutely not allowed!"

Having finally broken free from Hailing's grasp, Xiangzi became extremely anxious upon hearing these words. She pushed away the hand that had been pressing against her lips and shouted out her principles with all her might.

"Well, but we shouldn't interfere in these kinds of things unless we're the parties involved. After all, it seems like the two of them are just being consensual."

Hailing disapproved of Xiangzi's attitude and even silently voted against it.

"Could it be that Toyokawa-kun intends to break up the couple?"

"This kind of thing is detrimental to the group in every way! And if this news accidentally leaks out, the media that are watching us will definitely make a big deal out of it!"

"Hey~ But those two aren't even officially together yet. And if there really is something going on between them, wouldn't forcibly breaking them up actually backfire?"

Miss Meow Dream suddenly laughed, though her laughter seemed somewhat malicious.

"In my opinion... we should just wait and see, and maybe provide them with some cover."

"Eh?!"

Of course, this was not the answer Xiangzi wanted at all.

"How...how could this be! If Mujica is affected by this..."

"Relax, relax, Shoko-chan. Akatsuki-chan hasn't shown her face at all yet, so even if they're photographed together, they'll just be seen as ordinary club members. If they are ever discovered, I'll just stir things up and create a love quadrangle."

"What—this is even worse! Why is it a love quadrangle? Mutsumi definitely doesn't have those kinds of feelings for Kazama-kun! I can guarantee that!"

"Oh dear~ Xiangzi-chan, you probably don't know what Xiaomu is thinking. Besides, being infamous is still being famous~ I don't mind making our group even more famous, okay?"