They are in the music show, but I am a stranger to them

It seemed that only in this way could Aiyin feel a sense of security, and only in this way could the bitterness and grievances in her heart be completely released.

Facing this scene, even though Chen Qi felt a little pain, he did not utter a single cry of pain. He just stroked Aiyin's soft long hair, comforting her again and again.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm always here."

"You can hold me for as long as you want, and you can cry as long as you want. I won't run away again."

And it was unknown how long it had been, but gradually, a large area of ​​Chen Qi's clothes on his chest was wet by Aiyin's tears, and Aiyin's crying gradually calmed down under the seamless embrace between the two and Chen Qi's repeated comforts. The arms that had been locking Chen Qi also showed some signs of relaxation.

"……sorry."

"Hmm?" Chen Qi blinked at Aiyin's sudden apology, and Aiyin, who buried her cheek in his chest, finally spoke out her inner words after venting her emotions.

"I'm sorry... Brother Qi... I... I did something that was wrong to you..."

"I shouldn't have shown off the song Brother Qi gave me at school... I shouldn't have admitted in front of everyone that this song was written by me..."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Brother Qi... please forgive me..."

Ai Yin, who was leaning against Chen Qi's chest, kept repeating the words "I'm sorry" and "Forgive me" in a crying voice. As she spoke, she leaned against him again and sobbed softly again.

"…What? That's all."

However, Chen Qi, who had already wondered whether his whereabouts had been exposed and was mentally prepared to face the four girls he had let down alone, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Aiyin's words.

Facing Aiyin who was crying in his arms, Chen Qi's expression was half-smile, but he still took the initiative to comfort her:

“So, it’s because you sang the song I wrote, “Tada Kimi ni Harure”, at school, and other students thought it was your original song, and you tacitly accepted it, but now you’ve been exposed?”

"If that's the case, there's no need to cry so hard, right? When I saw the message you sent, I thought you were so upset that you wanted to hang yourself, and I was afraid that I would come back too late to save you."

"Woo..."

Facing Chen Qi's words, Ai Yin, who was in no mood to joke with Chen Qi at the moment, could only pout her lips aggrievedly and continued to bury her cheek in Chen Qi's chest.

Chen Qi also knew that this was a sign that Aiyin's emotions were gradually calming down, so he gently stroked Aiyin's pink hair and counseled her:

"Don't worry, Aiyin. Since I said I'd give you this song, it's yours. There are so many big stars out there, but they don't necessarily write every song themselves. Don't they all say that those songs are their own?"

Aiyin: "But, that song was obviously composed by you, Qi-ge. I just..."

"——That's right, but since I gave it to you, it's a song for both of us, so no matter which of us it is, we can say that this song is ours." Chen Qi also patted Aiyin's little head, giving her another shot of adrenaline, and smiled:

"So promise me that you won't get stuck in a rut, okay?"

"If it really doesn't work, I'll go to Yugaoka Girls' College with you tomorrow. You bring those classmates who question you to the school gate, and I'll tell them in front of all of them that this song belongs to you. How about that?"

Of course, even though he said that, Chen Qi actually didn't dare to go to Yuqiu, otherwise he was worried that he would be discovered by Gao Songdeng... Of course, he didn't think Aiyin would really agree.

And the fact was just as he expected. Under his guidance, Aiyin gradually broke free from her emotional breakdown. Although she still showed no signs of letting go, Chen Qi knew that Aiyin's condition had stabilized a lot.

"Brother Qi...you are so good to me."

"When have I ever been mean to you?" Facing Aiyin's coquettishness, Chen Qi just let Aiyin manipulate him as usual, and smiled faintly:

“Okay, now that you’ve figured it out, can you please let me go first? I’m all sweaty and my clothes are soaked by your tears, Aine. I need to take a good shower and change my clothes.”

"--don't want."

However, to Chen Qi's surprise, the moment he finished speaking, Ai Yin rejected his request with righteous words. Ai Yin not only rejected Chen Qi's request, but even her arms that were hugging Chen Qi could not help but tighten a little.

At this moment, Aiyin in Chen Qi's arms stopped crying. Instead, her voice was filled with a hint of joy and tenderness. She said to Chen Qi in a coquettish tone:

"Today, I will hold Brother Qi the whole time... I only feel safe when Brother Qi is by my side."

Chen Qi: "...At least, let me take a shower? I stink."

“No way.” Upon hearing that, Aiyin had no intention of letting Chen Qi go. Instead, she buried her face a little deeper, to make sure that from Chen Qi’s perspective, he wouldn’t be able to see her now red cheeks.

"Everything about Brother Qi...I like it the most."

——Ain said this very softly, almost as soft as a mosquito. She even doubted whether she had said it at all. It was natural that Chen Qi could not have heard it.

But Aiyin's current actions have put Chen Qi in a dilemma...

He could only pray that the Chihaya couple would not come in at this time, otherwise they would see their daughter lying in his arms. He would have a hard time explaining how a tenant like him could have done something to their precious daughter...

As for now, I will compromise a little and let this sister act coquettishly for a while.

Just as Chen Qi was thinking this, suddenly, a shrill doorbell rang in the ears of Chen Qi and Aiyin without any warning, which made their hearts skip a beat and they were immediately awakened.

Because at this moment, they all subconsciously thought about who would come to visit at this time... That was definitely the person they all least wanted to face.

……

"Everyone, are you sure you have brought everything?"

Outside the door of Chihaya's house, under the guidance of Nagasaki Suyo, Takamatsu Deng, Riki Kazumu, each brought their own gifts of apology and came to the door.

And Takamatsu Deng, who was carrying the guitar that Aine had left in the studio, also looked at Chihaya with curiosity and said softly:

“Is this… Aine-chan’s house? It’s so big.”

"So, Qi, you're going to live here too?"

"It's pretty close." Shiina Riki, who was standing by, also held a bag of gifts in each hand, one for her and one for Takamatsu Deng. After looking around Aine's house, she also said to Takamatsu Deng beside her with comfort:

"Don't worry, Deng, even if your brother isn't here, we'll definitely find him."

Sushi: "...Everyone, I don't want to spoil your fun, but today, our main mission is to apologize to Aine, remember?"

Nagasaki Suyo, who already knew that Chen Qi was indeed here, was not as concerned about this matter as Takamatsu Deng and Li Xi. Although she also wanted to meet Chen Qi, she knew better that in the past six months, Aine's position in Chen Qi's heart was probably no worse than theirs.

Therefore, Su Shi wanted to maintain a good relationship with Aine as much as possible, especially in front of Chen Qi.

"..." On the side, Ruo Yemu, who was holding the gifts she brought, just looked calmly at the brightly lit cottage in her sight. She seemed a little uneasy in her heart, but now she could not change anything, so she could only pray silently.

While everyone had different expressions, on the other side, Mrs. Chihaya had already gone out to greet them. Soon, when she noticed the four beautiful girls standing outside the door, the housewife showed a somewhat confused expression.

"Excuse me, who are you...ah, isn't this Nagasaki-san?"

"Hello, Madam Chihaya."

Seeing Mrs. Chihaya coming, Nagasaki Motoyo, who had visited before, once again showed her perfect etiquette and greeted her in a much sweeter voice:

"I just visited you last time, and I'm sorry to bother you again this time. Is Chihaya-san at home?"

"We are all friends from the same band as Chihaya-san. We had a small misunderstanding before, so this time, we are here to apologize to her."

Mrs. Chihaya: "Apologize...Is that so? No wonder that kid has been hiding in Kosaki's room."

"Xiao, Xiao Qi?"

However, Mrs. Chihaya's habitual address once again stimulated Takamatsu Deng, who had just calmed down a little. The next moment, before Mrs. Chihaya even opened the door to the courtyard, Takamatsu Deng took the initiative to come forward and asked Mrs. Chihaya excitedly:

"Well, that - may I ask if the 'Xiao Qi' you mentioned is a 19-year-old youth named Chen Qi?"

"Hey? Does this classmate also know Xiao Qi?"

Looking at the very excited Takamatsu Deng, Mrs. Chihaya asked puzzledly while opening the door.

As soon as Takamatsu Deng stepped into Chihaya's house, he immediately came to Mrs. Chihaya. With the pure and pitiful eyes of a little animal, he raised his head and stared at Mrs. Chihaya, and asked expectantly:

"Excuse me, where is Qi now? Where should I go to find him?"

"Hey? As for Xiaoqi, I heard the door open earlier. He should have come back and is in his room, right?"

Mrs. Chihaya pointed to a small house not far away as she spoke, and as soon as Takamatsu Tomori got the accurate information, he immediately ran towards the house.

"Deng!" Seeing this, Li Xi hurriedly followed Takamatsu Deng's footsteps, and Su Shi and Mu also apologized to Mrs. Chihaya, and then they all quickly walked towards the direction of the cabin.

...Why do I feel like these kids didn't come to apologize to Aine at all, but are more concerned about Kokichi? Mrs. Chihaya looked at the backs of the four girls leaving, and she was a little unsure...Should she, as an adult, get involved in her daughter's matter?

No... forget it. People of my age have their own worries. I probably don’t need to worry too much... right?

On the other side, Gao Song Deng hurried and finally arrived in front of the cabin as soon as possible. Deng, whose physical strength was not particularly outstanding, also put his hand on the door handle impatiently after a few gasps.

However, even though she was about to see the person she had been thinking about day and night, Gao Songdeng became a little nervous for some reason. She only felt that her palms holding the door handle were sweating, and even her heartbeat began to accelerate, and her cheeks began to turn red.

Qi, is he really in this room? Can I finally see him? Am I dreaming?

But, what should I say when I see Qi? Also, what is going on between him and Aine-chan? Can I ask Qi such questions?

Especially... I had done something very excessive to Aine-chan before. When Aine-chan left, not only did I fail to speak for her, but I also kept questioning her - I behaved even worse than when Qi left half a year ago.

“Yes, yes, I should apologize to Aine-chan first. No matter what, apologizing is the most important thing.”

"Guitar, yes, return the guitar to Aine-chan, maybe we can get back together."

As his reason and emotion were constantly competing in his brain, Takamatsu Deng turned Aine's guitar, which he was carrying on his back, and hugged it in his arms. Then, after taking a deep breath, he finally plucked up the courage and turned the doorknob.

"Click."

"Aine-chan, I'm Deng... I can come in--"

However, the moment Gao Songdeng opened the door and stepped into the room with a guitar in her arms, the scene in front of her made her speechless immediately, and even her originally excited expression became completely stiff.

In front of her, the good friend who was the first to lend a helping hand to her when she was in the most difficult time was hugging her long-missed brother intimately in a manner that she had never done before.

It was as if she wanted to merge into one with him, and the gap between them was almost non-existent.

In front of Deng, the moment she spoke, Aiyin and Chen Qi both looked at her in a daze. At this moment, their eyes were filled with extreme surprise and even horror.

"Tomorin...?"

"--boom."

However, at Aine's somewhat unbelievable voice, Takamatsu Deng's hand, which had a dazed expression, suddenly loosened, and the guitar in her hand, which originally belonged to Aine, fell to the ground without any hindrance, making a dull sound.

Behind Deng, Li Xi, Su Shi and He Mu also came into the room shortly after. Soon, when the three girls saw Ai Yin hanging on Chen Qi, they all showed the same daze and confusion as Deng.

...You guys really found it.

At this moment, after a brief surprise, Chen Qi, who was not too surprised by such a result, revealed a bitter smile.

Chen Qi quietly looked at the four girls who had reunited with him. He knew that today would probably be a sleepless night...

Chapter 41: Brother and sister reunited, Chen Qi's mine removal plan

"Chen Qi, you...you are actually here?"

In the dead silence, the first person to react and break the silence was Shiina Tatsuki, who was the most outspoken and had the worst temper among the group.

However, when she saw Aiyin holding Chen Qi tightly, with tears in the corners of her eyes, and a confused and surprised look on her face as if saying, "How did you find this place?", she became so angry that her face turned red and her whole body was boiling.

However, the angry Li Xi did not get angry at Ai Yin, but instead shouted at Chen Qi, whom he met for the first time in half a year, with a red face:

"You! What on earth have you been doing for the past six months?!"

"Do you know! We-Deng have been looking for you for the past six months! So what are you doing?!"

“You, Chihaya Aine! What the hell is going on?! What on earth have you been doing for the past six months—wuwuwuwu!!”

However, before Lixi could even finish her words, a piece of whole wheat bread was suddenly stuffed into her mouth, and she was suddenly unable to ask any more questions.

But soon, after Lixi spat out the whole wheat bread in her mouth, her reproachful gaze immediately turned to Nagasaki Suyo, who clapped her hands and did not intend to explain anything, and Wakaba Mutsu, who was responsible for handing the bread to Nagasaki Suyo and had an expressionless face.

"Li Xi, sometimes you have to consider the occasion when speaking. Now is not the time for us to speak."

Su Shi did not give Li Xi a chance to speak again. All her attention was now focused on Chen Qi and Ai Yin, who wished she could grow on Chen Qi's body.

She knew very well that the focus of this conflict was not her, nor Li Xihemu, but Chen Qi and his sister Gao Songdeng, with whom he had lived for more than ten years.

In other words, the center of this conflict is who is more important, Takamatsu Deng or Chihaya Aine, in Chen Qi's heart now.

One was Takamatsu Deng, with whom he had been for more than ten years and were as close as real siblings. However, half a year ago, they were suddenly separated because of something that no one knew except the siblings.

Especially in the past six months, Takamatsu Deng, who lost his most dependent brother, has been immersed in memories and remembrances almost all the time.

Half a year later, Takamatsu Deng, whose longing for his brother had almost reached its peak, suddenly ran into his brother being intimate with another girl. It is conceivable how big a blow Takamatsu Deng felt.

The other one is Chihaya Aine, who has also spent half a year together. No one knows how her relationship has progressed, but judging from her actions, her intimacy is almost comparable to that of Chen Qi and Takamatsu Deng.

Coincidentally, the way she addressed Chen Qi also included the word "brother".

Although it may be just a romantic interest between a young couple, the shocking effect this word brought to Takamatsu Deng is incomparable to any other words.

And now, the two "sisters" are standing under the same roof, and it is even such an embarrassing situation. How should Chen Qi, the brother, deal with it?

“——Aine, please let me go first, okay?”

"Brother Qi..."

However, the moment he saw Gao Songdeng again, the bitter expression on Chen Qi's face suddenly disappeared, and his tone seemed calmer than everyone present had expected.

However, Chen Qi's calm words made Aiyin feel a little uneasy... She looked at Gao Songdeng, who had a dazed expression and was staring at Chen Qi infatuatedly, and then looked up at Chen Qi, whose eyes had not stayed on her for a moment since the light appeared. Not only did she not let go, but she hugged Chen Qi even tighter.