Who says meal replacements can’t be eaten as meals?

The air seemed to freeze for a brief moment, and the cheerful atmosphere came to an end quietly.

"Su Shi, I'm very worried about you..." Ruo Ye Mu lowered his head and said in a low voice.

"It's Nagasaki Suyo again! How can I have time to take care of her now?" Xiangzi asked back excitedly, slapping his right hand on the table with a dull sound. Then, as if realizing Miss Sakuya's identity, he took a deep breath and spoke to Mu again:

"Mu, I should have told you not to tell me about that person's Line message anymore, right?"

Mu kept his head down and explained in a low voice: "So... I didn't ask on Line..."

"That's enough. Don't talk to me about her anymore." Toyokawa Shoko interrupted Mutsu who was halfway through speaking. She stood up and looked at Ichinose Sakuya, who was sitting across the table with her hands on her knees, acting like a good boy, with some confusion.

"I'll take my leave today."

Chapter 40 The cake has not been eaten yet

The afternoon sun was still lazy, the leaves were swaying outside the window, and the melodious music in the Yuze Cafe was gently swaying in the air, making the awkward string more obvious. Most of the Earl Grey tea left in the teacup was still steaming warm, but the atmosphere suddenly dropped to freezing point.

The sun shines through the leaves, casting patches of light and shadows on Xiangzi's pretty face, which looks quite embarrassed. Mu, who hasn't been in touch for a long time, actually asked her out again because of that entangled woman of Nagasaki Suyo. If Sakuya wasn't here, it would be fine, but after saying these words to her sister, it's not suitable for her to stay any longer.

What a pity that half a cup of black tea was wasted.

"I'll take my leave today." Toyokawa Shoko stood up and walked towards the door without hesitation.

Mutsu remained silent as usual, and Sakuya also remained quiet, which was rare. For a moment, the only sound in the air was the soft sound of round-toed leather shoes hitting the wooden floor.

Da, da, da, da——

When Xiangzi took the fourth step, a pair of hands hugged her from behind.

"Eh--?"

A gentle but irresistible force came from the waist, and the whole body fell into a warm and soft embrace.

Ichinose Sakuya hugged Toyokawa Shoko who wanted to leave.

This was the first and only time since the two met that Ichinose Sakuya used a slightly tough attitude to stop Toyokawa Shoko's behavior.

During their relationship, Sakuya-san has always followed the "Special Rules for Toyokawa Shoko" that she had figured out. There was no special reason, it was just that Sakuya-san was afraid of pain and didn't want to be poked all over when hugging the little hedgehog.

But today was different. Maybe it was because of her sister's past? Maybe it was because of Xiao Mu's distraught look? Maybe it was because of the turmoil in Xiangzi's golden pupils? Or was it just the natural intuition of the little village girl? In short, Ichinose Sakuya stopped Toyokawa Xiangzi in the most direct way with a feeling that she herself did not quite understand.

Sakuya's well-developed body served as a good cushion. In the sunlight, her light blue and flaxen hair intertwined with each other, as if they had merged into one. The two of them sat down together on the sturdy wooden chairs in the coffee shop.

The sudden feeling of imbalance made Xiangzi scream out, his body leaned back, and his hands subconsciously stretched back to support his body. At the same time, he felt a soft and elastic touch on his palms and the back of his head. The clear floral fragrance mixed with the smell of foundation after drying in the sun surrounded Xiangzi.

"What are you doing? Sakuya, let me go..." Shoko quickly realized that he was lying there, and withdrew his hands in shame and anger, struggling to escape from Sakuya's arms.

"I won't let go!" An inexplicable feeling surged in her heart, and Sakuya tightened her armband again. She could feel Xiangzi's slender belly through her clothes with her hand, and she rested her head on Xiangzi's shoulder, completely locking the little hedgehog in her arms.

"Because... Xiangzi hasn't eaten cake with me today!"

"Eh? Just for such a inexplicable reason?" Miss Xiangzi, who thought she understood the little country girl's train of thought very well, once again helplessly held her forehead with both hands, and used her small hands to cover her blushing cheeks.

"I really lost to you..."

The crisp sound of shutter clicks interrupted Xiangzi's confusion. Not far away, the waitress Miss Eve was smiling and holding up a pink and white Polaroid camera, clearly recording the girls hugging each other.

"What a touching friendship, a true samurai!" White-haired Miss Eve placed the photo on the table with emotion. The color printing ink faithfully recorded Miss Xiangzi's rosy face, making it even hotter.

Ruo Yemu didn't say anything, but just picked up the mango juice and took a sip, with confusion in his golden eyes.

"Xiang, it's great to make friends." Miss Mu said as she looked at the photo of the two of them cuddling together on the table.

Miss Xiangzi has become famous to the tips of her ears.

"How long are you going to hold me? Put me down quickly!" Xiangzi patted the soft flesh under his body. The feeling was good, but Miss Xiangzi was in no mood to sympathize with it at this moment.

The series of actions just now seemed to have exhausted all of Sakuya's courage. At this moment, Sakuya realized what she had done and her face turned red. Her voice became weaker and weaker, like a morning star. "If you let me go, Xiangzi... don't run away."

Are you shy now? If Sakuya's little head wasn't right next to her ear, Ms. Xiangzi probably wouldn't have been able to hear what she said. If you're so shy, why don't you let go!

After all, there was nothing he could do about Miss Sakuya. He reached out and patted the wooden head of the person beside him, and said in surrender: "Okay, I won't leave, let go."

Carefully putting down the little hedgehog in her arms, Ms. Sakuya moved to the inner side near the window, staring at the American coffee whose ice had completely melted.

What to do~

What did I just do...

Now that I’m going to be scolded by Xiangzi, I should... not be too angry, right?

There was still a lingering sense of wonderful touch on his hands, and his nose was filled with the scent of shampoo left in Xiangzi's hair.

Why should I hug her up there?

Now, it was Miss Sakuya's turn to want to escape.

Toyokawa Shoko sat outside with her arms around her shoulders, looking at Sakuya who was hiding in the corner and acting like an ostrich. She felt angry and amused at the same time. Wasn't she so majestic just now? Why was she silent now?

Why were you so aggressive just now when you were clearly feeling extremely embarrassed?

Angrily, she lightly kicked Ms. Sakuya, who was pretending to be a potted plant, under the table, and Toyokawa Shoko said angrily:

"Why did you keep me here? Explain it now."

"Would you like to have some cake?" Sakuya said in a low voice with her eyes squinted.

"There is more." Xiangzi said firmly.

"I don't want Xiangzi and Xiaomu to quarrel." Miss Sakuya blinked twice and carefully pushed the tiramisu in front of Xiangzi.

Ruoye Mu's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.

"I will handle the peace issue myself, don't worry." Xiangzi held his forehead helplessly for the umpteenth time today. Seeing Sakuya's cowardly look, he really couldn't get angry. "Anything else?"

"Also... you seem very tired, Xiangzi." Ms. Sakuya looked up at Xiangzi, then lowered her head again, poking each other with her index fingers. "Xiangzi said it himself... only by getting enough rest can you be fully prepared to face possible accidents..."

Am I being taken care of? Surprisingly, I'm not angry... It's all the fault of that idiot Sakuya.

Suppressing her complicated emotions, Toyokawa Shoko took the spoon in one hand and cut off a corner of the mousse.

A dessert spoon filled with brown tiramisu appeared in front of Sakuya. She raised her head blankly and turned to look.

Toyokawa Shoko looked at him impatiently and spoke in a familiar voice that he heard many times every day:

"Open your mouth."

Chapter 41: Is the cake sweeter if you feed it?

There are only wrong names, no wrong nicknames.

A name often represents the good wishes of parents and elders, while a nickname mainly depends on the moral level of one's friends.

At least, for Toyokawa Shoko, Miss Sakuya is really easy to please...

After simply feeding her a small piece of tiramisu, Miss Sakuya fell into a happy state emitting a warm glow. The previous entanglement and uneasiness were swept away. She smiled and huddled in the corner, laughing foolishly.

Picking up the unfinished cup of black tea and sipping it, Xiangzi turned his head to look at Wakaba Mu opposite him. Although he looked no different from usual at first glance, as Mu's childhood sweetheart, Xiangzi could still see some clues from his small movements.

The fingers holding the juice cup were curled tighter than usual, the body leaned forward slightly, the lips parted at a not-so-obvious angle, and the pupils were trembling noticeably.

These little actions can all be summed up as one emotion – shock.

Didn't I just feed Sakuya? Is there any need to stare at me like that? I didn't say anything when Sakuya fed Xiaomu just now.

The red teacup was gently put down, making a clear sound of tea sets clinking, in order to cover up his embarrassment.

"What's wrong, Mu? I really shouldn't have gotten angry at you just now." Xiangzi's voice was indeed filled with apology.

Wakaba Mutsu.exe paused for a moment, then shook his head and replied in an emotionless voice:

"I just didn't expect... Xiang could have such a close friend..."

"Indeed, I think so too. Sakuya should be considered a special case." Toyokawa Shoko had long been accustomed to Mu's way of speaking, so she was not angry, probably.

Suppressing the blue veins that unconsciously bulged on his forehead, Xiangzi turned his head. Sakuya was still smiling silly at the black coffee in front of her, and Xiangzi couldn't help but chuckle.

Sakuya is definitely different to me.

It's incredible that he is just an idiot who makes people worry. He is afraid of being blamed by me, but he still has the courage to do such a thing.

In comparison, the twin sisters who looked almost identical gave her a headache. Could the difference in personality between sisters be so exaggerated?

Imagining Nagasaki Suyo lying on the table with a clear and silly smile on her face, Xiangzi felt a chill and felt that he would probably never see such a scene in his lifetime.

It seems that education and growth environment have a greater impact on people than scientific theory predicts, or is it simply that Sakuya is too clear-headed?

Shaking his head, Xiangzi decided to make peace with Nagasaki Suyo and make things clear today.

"Mu, you probably understand my situation. In my current situation, I really don't have the energy to continue dealing with Nagasaki Suyo and... Crychic's affairs. Obviously, everyone in the band has gradually accepted the current situation, so why does Suyo insist on holding on to the past? This is really too ugly."

After finding the key words, Sakuya-san finally came to her senses. She sat up straight and eavesdropped, her ears pricked up beneath her chestnut hair.

"It was indeed my fault at the time, but... it's been so long, everything is different now, so let it be." Xiangzi's voice sounded a little melancholy, but he quickly adjusted himself and returned to his usual calmness. "If Su Shi comes to you to ask about me next time, just say that I'm dead."

"what?"

Wakaba Mu opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

So the sound naturally came from Ms. Sakuya who was watching the show nearby.

Although I know that my sister is a bit clingy, what on earth did she do to be disliked to this extent by her ex-girlfriend...ex-teammate?

Is it possible that there are people who would insist on bombarding others with messages every day after being clearly rejected?

After successfully earning Shoko's eye roll, Miss Sakuya quickly lowered her head and continued to stare at the Bushido drink, which was no longer cold at all. Her expression was serious, earnest, pious and focused, just like Newton looking at the apple tree and wondering why apples fell to the ground instead of flying into the sky.

Thinking gradually evolved from the source of all things in the universe to the realm of Tao. One gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, the Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao, the name that can be named is not the real name. Even Lao Tzu could not express it accurately in words, and words came out from Ichinose Sakuya's wise little mouth:

"Ah? Ah... this coffee is real coffee."

Then, Ms. Sakuya, a philosopher who had realized the truth of the world, was beaten by Toyokawa Shoko, an ignorant citizen who did not want to reveal her name.

Ruoye Mu laughed out loud, then quickly covered his mouth with his hands, but his curved eyebrows clearly showed that the owner could not hide his smile.

Toyokawa Shoko withdrew her right hand that had just completed intimate contact with Sakuya's head, turned her head to glare at Wakaba Mutsu and sighed.

Because of a stupid country girl, the emotions that I had finally built up were almost gone. In front of Sakuya, the topic could never be serious. Although I was not happy about it, I finally agreed to go out and relax with Sakuya. Maybe I was infected by the stupid girl to some extent. I will work harder next week.

"Forget it, Mu, you're not the type to lie. Let's stop here for today. I don't want to mention anything about that person anymore."

After saying this, Xiangzi picked up the dessert spoon that was stained with stupid bacteria, skillfully cut a small strip of tiramisu vertically and put it into his mouth.

The soft cake melts in your mouth, and the mascarpone cheese and coffee juice are mixed together to bring a rich aroma. The sweetness is not too much, and the light bitterness brought by the coffee neutralizes the saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the mousse. It is indeed a luxurious dessert full of petite bourgeois flavor.

"It's so delicious." Xiangzi couldn't help but exclaim after relaxing.

"This one is delicious too~" Ichinose Sakuya was still determined to do something evil, so she picked up a relatively intact piece from the remains of the Black Forest cake and handed it to Shoko.

Miss Sakuya's eyes were burning. I will not fall down until I have accomplished my great goal of making Xiangzi fat!

So, Ms. Xiangzi's delicate eyes met Sakuya's natural gray-blue pupils, and she saw herself in the reflection of the pupils. The dark circles under her eyes that were exhausted and unable to be covered, the thin eyebrows that gradually stretched out as she grew up, the entangled and unable to let go crychic in her eyes, including memories, black and white hair accessories brought from the old days, and the corners of her mouth that were slightly raised simply because of tasting desserts. Finally, these brilliances were reunited in the girl's smart eyes to become a clear gray-blue color of the morning, exuding pure joy and love.

"I really can't do anything about you." Toyokawa Shoko smoothed the long light blue hair hanging down beside her ear with one hand, and took the silver spoon handed to her by Sakuya into her little mouth.

The sun has just begun to set and there are still many days ahead.

Chapter 42: The Astronomy Department is always slow

High school students are always thinking about when tomorrow will start, while office workers are wondering why today can't end quickly. However, at this point in time, the mood of both is roughly the same.

It’s the end of April, the last school day, and tomorrow begins the ten-day Golden Week!

4月29日——昭和之日、5月3日——宪法纪念、5月4日——绿之日、5月5日——儿童节，再加上假日前后的周末和今年的补休，羽丘很干脆的给正值青春的女子高中生们在日历上划出了长达十天的长假。

The sun is warm and the spring breeze is gentle. The astronomy department in Yuqiu still exudes a lazy atmosphere of peaceful time, as if everything has moved very slowly.

Today, for once, Ichinose Sakuya did not lie in front of the long wooden table with some paint peeling off and fight with homework. In the setting sun, the GB-4 looked like Andromeda was wearing a thin violet veil, and the low yet lively bass sound swayed in the air.

Miss Sakuya was in a very good mood with her bass in her arms. After much persuasion and trying her best, she finally succeeded in convincing her sister to go back to Uji with her to enjoy the vacation.

After preparing gifts for her grandparents, Ms. Sakuya also took some time to visit a musical instrument store in Tokyo, even though it was right next to RiNG.

I bought Mio the limited edition bass strap she always wanted. It has a tumbler-shaped cat pattern with tempura, cherry blossoms, and fried salmon decorations painted on it. The overall color is dark green with a few auspicious cloud patterns.

Because it's so cute, I accidentally bought a white pair of the same style.

If it's a law, how about using stickers to fool people? Anyway, that guy is not the kind of person who cares about these things.

Thinking about the small town of Kyoto which she had just left a month ago, she hummed along with the beat of the music. Ms. Sakuya's voice was much lower than the original singer's and most of the lyrics were hummed in falsetto, successfully turning a fast-paced rock pop song into a country tune.

"Sakuya, are you in a good mood today?" Takamatsu Deng was scribbling in his notebook, a little curious.