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

"Why does Tsumugi-san say that?" asked Nagasaki Suyo.

"Eh? You mean..."

"Why do you say words like blue hair, golden eyes, and playing the piano? I'm just simply curious." Miss Su Shi, who had no work attitude at all, took her hands off the counter and crossed them together unprofessionally. The tip of her left thumb slid along the tip of her right index finger.

"Maybe I've seen too much? They're a pair of girls that I really like. Sorry, I forgot that Su Shi-san isn't interested in this."

"I'm interested." Su Shi answered immediately. "I've seen classmates intertwining their fingers when passing homework to each other in the Moon Forest, and it always makes me excited."

"Huh? That's great." Miss Tsumugi was obviously happy that she had found someone who shared the same interests with her.

"So where did you see that, Tsumugi? The pair of girls you like." Miss Su Shi arrogantly took out her cell phone during working hours.

"Just search for the magical conch on SNS..." Miss Tsumugi was still immersed in the excitement of seeing a real girl, and said casually without much concern.

Nearing noon, the sun shone dazzlingly on the mobile phone screen, passing through the LCD screen and hydrogel film and then refracted onto Miss Su Shi's gloomy face.

Type in the keyword and press Enter, and the first thing that pops up is the overlapping picture of the girl that can make Miss Su Shi's pupils tremble.

A girl with long flaxen hair tied in a ponytail sat on a black piano with a blushing face, her hands hanging limply, her slender fingers made look even more moist against the distinct black and white keys of the piano. Her school uniform was almost pulled open to her chest, and her tie was gone. Her white shoulders and collarbones were exposed to the air, and if you zoomed in, you could see strawberry marks of varying light and dark.

The other blue-haired girl with twin ponytails was impeccably dressed, with a solemn expression as if she was playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 at the Kyoto Concert Hall, and she wore her school uniform like an Armani slim-fitting tuxedo. The performance was at the climax of the rapid leaps of the scale, and the pianist stood up excitedly, relying on his excellent finger flexibility and strength to manipulate two instruments with completely different timbres at the same time, and even his teeth were working hard. Judging from the confused look of the girl below him, she must have been fully immersed in it.

Nagasaki Suyo's pupils contracted and her fingers paused slightly.

Is this me and Xiangzi?

No, it's Shoko and Sakuya! ! ?

No, no, no, it's just that the yuri artist happened to draw a similar character.

After a long silence, Nagasaki Suyo clicked save.

The follow button with a blue border turned into "Following". I didn't even bother to look at the related recommendations that popped up automatically by the system. I simply locked my phone. After all, I was still at work.

Chapter 56: The weather is fine, suitable for a nap

The dim light in the room, which was small compared to the luxury houses in Tokyo, made people drowsy. The beams of light that pierced into the eyes from the gaps in the curtains were a bit annoying. Nagasaki Suyo turned over and wrapped herself in a thin quilt.

I wanted to fall asleep again, but my biological clock was beating my forehead mercilessly. The scene in my mind kept flashing by: the blue side ponytail, the soft golden eyes, the casual conversations during class breaks, the wonderful time we spent together in the music classroom - the scene suddenly zoomed away.

The girl who looked like him ran briskly to Xiangzi, leaned over and took his arm. The two of them smiled silently, just walking side by side on the street where cherry blossoms were falling, and walked farther and farther away...

"Eh--?"

Nagasaki Suyo stretched out her hand in confusion.

"If they left together... why am I still here?"

She stared at the palm of her hand in a daze. The five fingers were clearly visible and the nails had just been trimmed. It was her own hand.

"Isn't that me...?"

The low ponytail and the familiar cherry blossom hair accessory magnified before my eyes like a close-up in a movie.

Shoko and——Sakuya!

Nagasaki Suyo wanted to chase after him, but she could only watch the light in her palm fade away little by little.

"Don't go! Don't--"

The picture shattered like a mirror, and the feeling of weightlessness of falling downward came, and Nagasaki Suyo woke up.

The quality of my sleep last night was very poor. I didn’t even know when I closed my eyes. This is almost impossible for me who is used to going to bed early and not staying up late.

But it did happen.

I groped for the phone with my fingertips and after searching around, I found it was right next to my pillow.

The LCD screen faithfully displayed her haggard appearance, with untidy long hair, slightly red eyes, and dark circles under her eyes that had not been seen for a long time.

The notch screen flashed green, it was the phone's facial recognition. The screen lit up, and the page displayed was the forum where he had registered overnight, the browsing page of the works of 'Magic Conch', the latest version - the one about the eldest lady and the little country girl.

My eyes are rolling with soreness. The time on the upper right is already 10:12 in the morning. The battery is only 18% left. I have to get up and cook for Sakuya...

He propped up his body with his right elbow, but his left hand, which was gripping the sheets, suddenly tightened.

why?

He had ruthlessly left Crychic at that time, causing everyone to scatter, so why was he entangled with Sakuya now?

Toyokawa Shoko...are you going to take away even the last bit of warmth I have?

A similar character design by the artist? How could such a lame excuse make sense? There were too many similar coincidences, whether it was the familiar look or the school uniform similar to that of Yugaoka, the flaxen-haired girl's headdress was even exactly the same as the one she bought on the day she and Sakuya went out together.

So...why, why didn't Sakuya tell me anything——

The door bolt clicked softly, followed by the girl's familiar voice:

"Sister, are you up?"

Miss Sakuya tiptoed into the room with a glass of warm water and saw her elder sister sitting up with her hair messy. She looked like herself who had stayed up all night to finish her holiday homework and was late for class the next day.

"Since you're up, at least tell me. Come, have some water."

Nagasaki Sushiro mechanically took the light blue mug and sipped it. The water temperature was just right, a couple of degrees higher than her usual habit, but it made her feel at ease. The water flowed across her dry and flaky lips, and Miss Sushiro slowly came back to her senses.

While thinking, the trance caused by insomnia and headaches also faded away, and the touch, vision, and hearing became real again.

The teacup was placed on the bedside desk, and his fingertips were tightly crossed.

Sakuya will never leave me.

There must be a special reason, at least before this...

"If you feel uncomfortable, just sleep a little longer."

Ichinose Sakuya hugged Nagasaki Motoyo from the side.

Bending her knees and kicking off the panda slippers that were two sizes too big, barefoot Sakuya-san adjusted the angle and used her own weight to pull her sister back to lying down. The not-so-big pillow was divided up in an instant, and the tiny fluff that was stirred up floated freely in the sunlight.

The bed in Ichinose's house is not as good as the memory foam mattress in Tokyo. It is just the most common IKEA brand, economical and of decent quality. The ordinary Double size makes the distance between two people very close.

After a slight rebound, Su Shi tilted his head, and you could see the watery gray-blue eyes blinking smartly, like the clear sky you had seen inadvertently before. Without any extra thoughts, he came over to you like a child who wanted to play with you.

"It's been a while since we slept together." Ms. Sakuya probably felt a little hot being so close, so she moved her waist and leaned back so that their breath would not touch each other's skin.

"Well...it's been five years." Miss Su Shi's eyes were a little dim, and her voice was still a little hoarse from just waking up.

"The weather is nice today. How about we take a nap together after such a long time? When we wake up, we can go eat Nakamura Tokichi's matcha soba and shaved ice..." Sakuya really missed the unique taste of Nakamura's matcha.

"Sakuya..." Suyo raised her hand, wanting to hold it down, but ended up pinching her sister's soft cheek. "Just be quiet and let me hold you for a while."

She wrapped her arms around Sakuya's soft waist and buried her face in her sister's chest. After doing these actions, she whispered softly. "Is it okay?"

"Sister sometimes acts like a child," Miss Sakuya joked with a chuckle, patting her sister on the back.

"Sakuya...you won't leave me, will you?" Su Shi suddenly tightened her arms around her waist, like a little girl helplessly hugging the only doll that belongs to her.

"Well, I won't." Ichinose Sakuya said softly and firmly, running his fingertips along his sister's well-maintained hair.

"Did Sister have a nightmare last night?"

No one responded. I could hear Su Shi's even breathing in my arms. It seemed that he was sleeping peacefully.

"Really? This is so itchy, sister..." After complaining softly, Miss Sakuya simply closed her eyes and took a lazily nap in the warm sunshine and leisurely atmosphere.

Nagasaki Suyo's cheeks were a little rosy, and the scent coming from her nose was laundry detergent, sunshine, and a hint of floral scent. Her beautiful eyes opened and closed again.

Yes, no matter what, Sakuya will never abandon herself.

Until conclusive evidence is found, let's pretend we don't know about it.

And, Xiaoxiang...I will come to find you.

Outside the small window is Uji's unchanging clear sky, and on the other side of the window are two sisters sleeping in each other's arms, just as before.

Chapter 57 contains Matcha map with random wild cats

As for restaurants in the four districts surrounding Uji City in Kyoto Prefecture that have signboards and good reputations on SNS, Ichinose Sakuya can say without hesitation that she knows a thing or two about them.

Of course, I used my dad’s bank card.

[Nakamura Tokichi Main Store] is a specialty restaurant full of Uji local flavor. It is the first choice for takeaway souvenirs and a popular check-in spot on the Internet. The circle-cross sign faces JR Uji Station, and tourists leaving the station can basically see it from a distance. For a while, they are in a dilemma of whether to eat first and then shop, or shop first and then eat.

The main dishes are various matcha desserts, but they don't focus too much on sweetness, but instead work hard on the rich aroma of matcha itself. The matcha soba noodles in the store are also considered to be a specialty of Uji. The light green noodles are topped with shredded radish and chopped green onions that have absorbed enough broth, plus pre-fried salmon chunks. The multi-layered taste is truly unforgettable.

The specifications are mid-to-high-end. Locals occasionally order some to try out the new products, while outsiders line up every day to get ripped off. It can be said that the food is popular with both locals.

However, as a qualified local, Ichinose Sakuya has only been here a few times, firstly because the average queue time is boring and free for an hour, and secondly because the prices are too expensive even if she uses her father's credit card. Although the old shop on the corner of the shopping street is not as good as Nakamura's in terms of quality and quantity, at least there is no need to queue, and the grandmother who makes ice cream scoops will occasionally give an extra scoop. The wise Miss Sakuya has long seen through those capitalist consumption traps.

So, today, the wise local brought his sister into the trap through the main gate, and made the shocking statement that I would treat them all, which made Nagasaki Suyo wonder if the kid was dreaming or was guilty and wanted to bribe him?

Following the waitress wearing a long scarf walking in the store, Nagasaki Suyo took the lead:

"You're suddenly so generous today, are you fed up with the dinner I made for you?"

"That's not true! I'm devoted to minestrone soup." Miss Sakuya said righteously, and only lowered her voice when the waiter turned around in surprise. "It's true that I haven't been back for a long time, but it won't hurt to eat it once in a while."

"Besides, I have to bring some local specialties back to Tokyo. The 'matcha roast' from this restaurant is just right. I've been a supporting musician recently, too. Although I've only been there twice, the senior gave me 30,000 yen as a reward." Spreading out her five fingers and counting the number of people she had to give gifts to, Ms. Sakuya couldn't help but feel sad about her own piggy bank.

"What? A part-time job that pays 15,000 yen? That sounds too suspicious." Miss Su Shi said "suspicious" but her tone was calm. After all, there were many more outrageous commissions in Tsuki no Mori.

"What did senior Meow Meng say about image fee and mental damage compensation? I don't understand it either, but it was forced upon me, so I should give it up if I didn't want it." Ms. Sakuya has always been indifferent to acquaintances. Although senior Meow Meng seemed a little unreliable, she was still very satisfied with the compensation she gave.

"What is 'Matcha roast'?" A familiar young female voice came into my ears.

"'Matcha bake' is bake made with matcha, a bit like a small piece of butter cake, very unique~" the local continued to explain.

"I want to eat." Kaname Rakuna naturally sat next to Miss Sakuya, leaned over, and glanced at the colorful menu together.

"Okay, what flavor do you want... No!" The cat's furry head rubbed against her arm, and Miss Sakuya, who was calculating how much pocket money she could save, suddenly woke up. "When did you come, Lena?"

"Just now." Miss Stray Cat pointed at the waiter not far away and continued in the same tone: "They asked me if I knew anyone."

When I looked up, I could see the waitress's business-like smile. It was obvious that a free cat would not queue up.

Sakuya gave the waitress an awkward smile, then turned around and ruffled the cat's messy white hair. "Are you coming to Uji with your family?"

"Grandma is at the shrine on the mountain. No problem." Le Na's blue and yellow heterochromatic eyes were still staring at the matcha dessert on the menu, as if he was assessing his appetite.

"Sakuya, is this also your new friend? What's her name?" Miss Motoyo suddenly put down the menu in her hand, put her hands on her chin, smiled, squinted her eyes, and looked at the girl with short white hair who suddenly appeared.

Didn't my sister just go to Tokyo to study for a month? Why did a girl I didn't know suddenly show up? And she was so intimate...

"Yes, yes... It's a friend, the guitar-playing Lena I met at RiNG. Lena, this is my sister Suyo, are you saying hello?" For some reason, Miss Sakuya suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure.

Rakuna looked up at Sakuya in confusion, then turned to look at Nagasaki Motoyo. She tilted her head and thought for a while, then spoke in a tone without any emotion.

"Hello, woman with bigger breasts."

The noisy environment seemed to pause for a moment, and the sound of a plate falling to the ground was heard from the next table. Then the conversation continued, and the Nakamura family returned to its previous bustle.

"Ahem~ Sister, how about some matcha shaved ice?" Miss Sakuya coughed lightly and pretended nothing had happened.

"I want soba noodles, pudding, and this bamboo container." Le Nai pointed at the menu quickly with her little hand.

"Hey~ I have to bring some back to Tokyo, so I can't order so much. Although I also want to eat this bamboo tube ice cream..."

Seeing her sister's pitiful look as she felt sorry for her wallet, Miss Su Shi, who was still struggling with their relationship, sighed helplessly and raised her hand to signal the waiter to take her order.

"Just order whatever you like. After all, you are Sakuya's friend. I'll pay for it, and you can use your own money to buy souvenirs."

"Then I want 'Matcha Roast'." The white-haired cat was obviously very happy that the sponsor had suddenly doubled his money.

"Be sure to say thank you to people properly in the future, little Lena." Miss Sakuya helped Lena smooth her messy hair and spoke softly.

Maomao nodded, and her tone finally became more calm. "Thank you, chest-woo"

"Please give me an extra portion of 'Uji Kinori', I'd like the matcha honey flavor." Covering the cat's mouth with one hand as it struggled to open its mouth, Ms. Sakuya ordered an extra portion of the summer special with cold sweat.

The matcha ice cream in a bamboo tube was served first, and as expected, it was used as a sacrifice to appease the cat.

The bamboo tubes that had just been cut down a few days ago still had a hint of emerald green, and there was light frost on the bamboo. Crushed red beans and pure white water chestnuts floated on the surface along with huge balls of matcha ice cream.

Watching Rakuna finishing the dessert in small bites, Ichinose Sakuya suddenly became curious.

Would it be funny if I stole Little Lenai's Buffy?

Chapter 58: Just Think of It as Being Licked by a Cat

There are many memories of spring. The more literary ones are the entrance ceremony, the cherry blossoms in full bloom, the swallows returning from the south, and the black tea and Japanese confectionery tasted under the blue sky. These are the sun hats that support all the comforts of early spring for girls. And the heartbeat of a girl is the new green of spring, which withers and turns yellow, and then peeks out again when the spring breeze blows.