My love game with them that will lead to certain death

Yukino's stunned eyes were full of confusion and astonishment, which was normal, after all, she had probably never seen Goto before.

"Well - let me introduce you."

In order to keep the current situation firmly in his own hands, Ming Hai cleared his throat and spoke immediately.

A friend came with a stranger to meet him, and although Ming Hai didn't feel awkward at all, considering the mood of the other two girls present he decided to do something to adjust the atmosphere.

"This is Goto Ichiri, a junior who is one year younger than me. I met him when I was working part-time in Shimokitazawa. He is a hardworking genius with superb guitar skills. Although he is a little shy and a little afraid of strangers, he is actually very gentle and kind, and he is especially reliable at critical moments!"

"No, that's not the case at all..."

"This is Yukino Yukinoshita. She is the club leader at school and the one who asked me out shopping. She is also a well-known beauty at Sobu High School. She looks like a pretty girl who keeps people at a distance, but she is actually a very cute, especially cute, especially cute cat lover upon closer inspection...!"

"Okay, that's enough."

He praised the shy Pochi-chan to the point of embarrassment, and at the same time succeeded in making Yukino turn her head away with a blushing face - Ming Hai easily saved the awkward meeting between the three people by acting as a conspicuous bag.

"Goto-san seemed to want to buy something, so when I mentioned that I was going shopping with you, the chief, I was thinking about whether I should ask her to come along. But since we made the appointment in a hurry, I forgot to tell you in advance - sorry, sorry."

The curly-haired boy clapped his hands together very sincerely, obviously making a heartfelt apology.

"So no matter what Ms. Yukinoshita wants to do today, I will do it as compensation for my arbitrary behavior without notifying you in advance...!"

And in order to prevent Yukino from getting really angry, he even took out double insurance.

"……Really."

As expected, Yukino, who was originally feeling somewhat ashamed of Minghai's "cat-obsessed" remarks, had a change of expression after hearing this.

"Whatever I say... Narumi-kun will do it."

The look in her eyes that she gave me contained some tentative meaning.

Regardless of whether the girl in front of him is the same person as Yukinoshita Yukino who had gone through life and death with him in the simulation, but in general, judging from the current situation, she is somewhat interested in him.

Ming Hai is not the kind of unromantic guy who would turn a blind eye to the kindness and curiosity of girls. Rather, as long as it does not cause trouble, he also enjoys this heart-warming event that seems like the development of a youth love comedy.

"Ah, although I may not be able to do things beyond my ability, but as long as the minister tells me to, I will do my best to do things within my ability. Even if you accidentally kill someone and ask me to help collect the body, I will immediately go buy you a cold storage room, okay?"

"That kind of thing is too heavy or unnecessary-if you do that, Narumi-kun, I will definitely be the first to report you."

He was talking in such a fanciful tone again, but this familiar joke brought a long-lost smile to Yukino's face.

"Well, let me think carefully about what I should let you, Narumi-kun, accompany me to do... Why don't we go to the movies before choosing a gift?"

"Movies? Good suggestion. What new movies are in theaters recently?"

"Ah, these two must be very close."

Pochi-chan sighed secretly in her heart. Although she did not join the conversation throughout, as an outsider, she saw it most clearly.

It has been like this since “last time”.

Obviously, I am the person closest to him in the dream, but there is always someone else who is close to him.

"There's no need to look closely, this senior is obviously a beauty..."

She had a cold expression and her emotions were only affected by the boy, and her every frown and smile were caused by him.

She must take it very seriously... maybe, like me, she has very complicated feelings towards the boy in front of her.

However, Pochi, who "last time" could frankly prove his relationship with Narumi by saying "we were close childhood friends", can only call him "Koumi-senpai" now.

They are not even competitors who hate each other but treat each other as equals, but just seniors who are far away.

But, even so.

Or rather, it is precisely because of this that their relationship will not be worse than “last time”.

So what's the reason not to fight for it?

"As for movies, that seems to be a good one."

Pochi-chan spoke up while trying hard not to sound shaky.

"The recently re-released music biographical film, Bohemian Rhapsody... seems pretty good, doesn't it?"

She could see that movies were a common hobby between Narumi and Yukinoshita.

Then, based on this, if I were to bring in another hobby that Ming Hai and I share—

"..."

Yukinoshita was stunned. She was originally thinking about what kind of movie to choose.

Ming Hai, who was sandwiched between the two people, looked around. He seemed so confident just now, but now he seemed a little unsure.

Chapter 65 I'm Not Here to Break You Up

Ming Hai Toru firmly believes that proper movie-watching experience can enhance a person's sentiment and literary literacy.

It's like when you chat with the girl you like about poetry, songs, life philosophy, you'll have topics to discuss instead of just coming up with something resembling something because of lack of knowledge.

The post-movie sharing session of post-movie impressions is also essential. After all, Ming Hai also likes to absorb other people's opinions and ideas. As he is used to watching movies alone, he will basically visit some movie review websites on the way home after the movie to check reviews to kill time.

This daily routine changed a little as his relationship with Yukinoshita Yukino gradually warmed up.

Although they still went to the movies alone, they had more and more discussions about movies.

"Speaking of Edward Norton, his performance in 'Primal Fear' was indeed more amazing."

"That was the work that made him famous, but I still prefer his performance in Fight Club... Oh, I remember he also took over a Woody Allen movie, which one was it?"

"Everyone Says I Love You? But I still prefer Woody Allen's movies like Deconstructing Harry and The Purple Rose of Cairo..."

The above conversation was not uncommon in their communication. Occasionally, Toru Narumi would be secretly surprised at the unexpectedly rich reserve of movies that Ms. Yukino had - after all, she didn't look like someone who would waste time watching movies. She might be more likely to be a nerd.

Anyway, having inherited the term "enthusiastic movie lover" from the first simulation, he was not averse to this kind of topic and was rather excited and relieved to meet people who shared the same interests with whom he could communicate.

After all, as long as it's not for the purpose of showing off, no one can resist talking about the things they really love with like-minded people.

But even Yukino, whose interests and hobbies overlap a lot with Narumi, sometimes finds it difficult to keep up the conversation.

"As expected... Queen is really amazing. It's no exaggeration to say they are the best...!"

Yukino walked out of the cinema side by side with Narumi and Pochi, holding the ticket stub of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in her hand, and looked at the two people beside her who looked extremely excited with some confusion.

Although she knew very little about rock music, she had heard of some popular bands, but they were basically from the 1980s, 1990s, or even the 1960s and 1970s. In this era when rock music is half-dead, it is rare to hear their songs.

"Ah, it's no exaggeration to say that this is the greatest music biography movie... Although I prefer Nirvana and Oasis, it is undeniable that Queen is too unique!"

So, to be honest, Miss Yukinoshita was a little confused about what they were talking about.

The curly-haired boy, who always showed excitement like "it's hard to find a soulmate" in front of her, now showed his true feelings to the pink-haired girl while talking about things he only half understood.

This strange feeling of "I don't seem to be special to him" gradually spread in my heart, and even took root deeply, exuding a bitter and sour feeling.

What kind of feeling is this...?

Yukinoshita Yukino slightly tilted her delicate fair face and very tactfully remained silent beside the two people who were in high spirits.

"But speaking of biographical movies - this isn't the first one I've seen. Minister Yukinoshita, do you remember?"

But just when Yukino was about to remain silent and indulge in her own emotions, not speaking to ruin the harmonious conversation between Minghai and Pochi.

The boy's gentle laughter brought her mood back from the low point.

"I watched The Social Network and A Beautiful Mind, which you recommended to me before. They are also considered biographical films, right?"

"Is he intentionally throwing the topic to me...?"

Yukino was stunned for just a moment, then nodded in response to Narumi's smiling gaze and Pochi's curious look.

"...Ah, that's right. Including the "Catch Me If You Can" you mentioned earlier, Narumi-kun. I also watched it when I got back - that should also be considered a biographical movie, right?"

He must have seen through the reason why she was so worried.

It's so unfair. All her emotions are exposed in front of him, but Yukino finds that she can't touch his true heart.

He would always smile lightly, as if it was no big deal, and resolve all her worries with a relaxed tone, without revealing any weaknesses or soft spots.

A cunning person.

At the same time, he is also the first person you want to rely on and seek help from.

It is hard to deny that Toru Narumi is indeed like a reassurance to Yukinoshita Yukino.

"Koumi-senpai and Yukinoshita-senpai, have you watched so many movies? Wow, that's amazing..."

Although Pochi likes to hide her thoughts and feelings, she is a bad liar - the admiration she shows now is not false.

Moreover, she was naturally extremely sensitive to interpersonal communication, and she actually noticed that just now, Narumi inadvertently pulled Yukinoshita Yukino into their conversation - although Pochi was a little frustrated about having to share such a moment with others, the boy's calm gentleness made her fall in love with him even more.

"He can take everyone's emotions into consideration without making the atmosphere awkward. Such a person, Xiao Hai, is simply an angel...!"

So Pochi-chan calmly accepted the fact that "Angels will of course be popular" and took it for granted.

"I can only watch movies, not make them. It's nothing special. If you have any movies you want to watch, you can tell me the genre and I can recommend some to you."

Ming Hai smiled and waved his hands, easily using the same topic to connect the two people who were originally unrelated to each other into the same conversation.

"But if you're talking about enthusiasts, you can ask the director next to you, Yukinoshita. As long as you're interested, she can give you a very long list of movies."

"You don't have to describe me as some kind of arty know-it-all who likes to show off how many niche movies he's watched."

"You know I didn't mean that~"

"Well, after all, if Narumi-kun wants to show off, I probably won't be able to beat you."

The words were on the tip of Yukinoshita Yukino's tongue, but she didn't say the fact, "After all, it was because of you that I started watching movies."

After all, expressing your true feelings in this situation will only make people feel heavy and confused.

"So, what did you come here to buy, Goto-san?"

After calming herself down a bit, the black-haired girl brought the topic back on track. She was always aloof, but she smiled at Pochi, who appeared as Narumi's friend, as gentle as a melting iceberg.

"If you don't mind, please let me provide some reference opinions as well."

She did not disappoint Ming Hai's intentions and showed rare friendliness and initiative towards Pochi.

Chapter 66: A Family of Three (Questionable)

When you first meet Yukinoshita Yukino, you will be scared away by her cold and sharp temperament.

When you see Yukinoshita Yukino again, you will be touched by the tenderness hidden beneath her appearance which is as cold as the snow in severe winter.

After getting completely familiar with Yukinoshita Yukino, you will probably understand that she is just a child who is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, who wants to use a hard shell to protect her soft self from getting hurt.

Ming Hai Toru, who had been through life and death with her in the simulation and witnessed all her miserable and frustrated states, has already reached the third level, but Pochi-chan, who had only just met her, is still in the stage of reversing her first impression.

"What would you like to buy, Goto-san? If it's some clothing or school supplies, I might be able to give you some suggestions."

The black-haired girl who seemed serious and aggressive when they first met actually showed a rare friendly smile, which surprised not only Pochi but even Narumi.

"When we first met, Yukinoshita wasn't this friendly to me."

However, this was just a small complaint in his heart. Minghai still knew the fundamental reason for Yukino's emotional change.

It's just because Goto Ichiri was a friend he brought with him.

"Thank you, thank you, Senior... But I..."

Pochi-chan felt a little embarrassed and a little timid - after all, she didn't want to buy anything in the first place, it was just that senior Liang misunderstood her meaning and brought her here on his own initiative.

She looked at Ming Hai who was standing beside her for help, and the latter immediately understood what she meant and took over the conversation.

"Pochi-chan just wanted to come along and go shopping, but it was Ryo that insisted on dragging me over here."

He stood in front of Pochi and explained with a smile. Yukino, who had a calm smile on her face, visibly froze when she heard the familiar name.

"Liang...ah."

Then, it changed into another very subtle expression.

"You mean the whimsical bassist you traveled with around the world, right?"

What's with that tone, Ms. Yukinoshita?

"It turns out that Goto-san isn't enough as the sudden addition to this trip. There's also Yamada-san whose thoughts are totally unpredictable. You really are extra popular, Narumi-kun."

And why is there such a weird smile on his face while looking so sarcastic? It's a bit creepy.

"I don't mind that at all, but next time could you at least give me a heads up before you just stuff your closest friends into our itinerary?"