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

Chapter 182: Good Children Make People More Reassured

Because she was going out to play with Wakaba Mutsu, whom she was not very familiar with in theory and had not actually spent much time with, Ichinose Sakuya took the rare opportunity to dress up properly.

First, she carefully trimmed her ten fingernails, which were not too long, then carefully cleansed her face and put on makeup, applying a little foundation, at least to ensure that at first glance she would give people a clean, lively and youthful image.

Her hairstyle was still the familiar low ponytail, with the hair hanging beside her ears and in front of her forehead neatly combed. She even borrowed perfume from her sister and sprayed it on the area just below her wrists. The scent of milk mixed with figs made the country girl herself sniff it twice in fascination. She then bit her lips and chuckled narcissistically, admiring her reindeer-like agile and innocent temperament in the mirror.

"I'm so beautiful." Miss Sakuya said to herself with her hands on her hips, contentedly.

"You're wearing pajamas and talking to yourself in the mirror early in the morning. Aren't you too relaxed, Sakuya?" Nagasaki Suyo, wearing an apron and holding a fragrant spatula in her hand, knocked on the door with one hand and said impatiently.

The stupid sister occupied the dressing table in her room early in the morning. If she hadn't gotten up earlier, she would probably still be fighting with Sakuya who was calling her to get up.

"Okay, I'll be right there." Ms. Sakuya replied while tidying up her dressing table.

"Aren't you just going out to play with Xiaomu? Why do you dress yourself up so youthful and beautiful? People who don't know would think you are going on a date." Nagasaki Suyo said unhappily, with a hint of curiosity in her tone, guessing that Sakuya has also reached the age where she loves beauty.

"Because Mu-chan is so cute." Ms. Sakuya put her index finger on the tip of her chin and recalled the delicate face of the doll girl. "If I don't dress up properly, I feel like I won't feel confident even when we walk together~"

Nagasaki Suyo didn't say anything, her eyes narrowed slightly, the spatula moved slightly, and she silently stared at her sister whose expression was very similar to that of Kasuga's cat.

It shouldn't be the case...Sakuya should like Xiaoxiang.

"Don't look at me like that. I might even meet Xiaomu's parents today." Ms. Sakuya raised her hands in surrender and said innocently. "The agreed time is after Xiaomu finishes piano lessons. If I run into uncle and auntie, I have to leave a good impression."

"Why are you so concerned about Xiao Mu?" Su Shi muttered softly, turned around and walked towards the restaurant. "Breakfast is ready, come and eat quickly."

"But I haven't cleaned up yet." Sakuya turned around to look at the bottles and jars placed randomly, and shouted towards her sister's back.

"Come and eat." Su Shi repeated, not bothering to explain further.

She was also planning to go out later, and based on the most basic social etiquette, she had to put on some light makeup.

"Good~"

======

"Okay, let's stop here for today." The piano teacher listened to the concerto played by YAMAHA S7 with satisfaction, and announced the end of the class only after the last string sounded.

The rhythm is cheerful and the melody is pleasant. Even if it is played only by the piano, one can get a glimpse of the happy mood in which Schubert wrote the music.

"..." Ruo Yemu nodded slightly. He was still not used to speaking, but his light golden eyes revealed an unconcealable joy and anticipation.

"You've made great progress today. Since I started teaching you, I've rarely heard joy in Miss Mu's piano playing." The teacher, who is nearly 30 years old, praised her generously. "Did you encounter any good things recently?"

"Yes, we are friends." Ruoye Mu looked up at the clock and answered briefly.

"Well, see you next week. Don't keep your friends waiting for too long."

"...Um."

...

The scorching summer sun released light and heat to the earth without restraint. The air was filled with visible wrinkles and ripples. Ichinose Sakuya, who had specially worn a dignified long-sleeved shirt, felt like a fool. The only reason she had managed to hold on until now was thanks to the convenience store's air conditioning and the second discounted ice cream at half price.

It’s a bad start. This weather is definitely not suitable for playing outdoors.

The light green hair that was common recently appeared at the exit of the office building. Ms. Sakuya took great courage and stepped forward, standing in the sun and waving at the girl. "Xiao Mu, this way."

If Ye Mu's little head, which was patrolling left and right, heard the sound, he quickly met the gaze, put on a faint smile that was almost invisible, and ran forward in small steps.

"Are mom and dad busy at work?" Miss Sakuya, who was tearing the packaging bag of the popsicle, successfully avoided being seen by others and was very relieved. She wiped the sweat from her forehead without any image, and looked at Wakaba Mutsu in a navy blue dress with confidence.

The blue plaid skirt she wore when we first met was still down to her knees, with white pleats at the collar and a light-colored bow. She wore white gauze socks, small leather shoes, and a collar ring of the same color as her clothes around her neck.

She raised her head slightly, revealing a cute look like a puppy longing for a touch, and in the brief moment they met, Miss Sakuya, whose energy had been taken away by summer, was successfully revived.

When people see cute things, they can't help but smile.

"Yeah." Wakaba Mu nodded slightly, carrying a small bag and moving closer to Sakuya. She did not ask about the arrangements for the next half day. She was already satisfied just being able to stay together quietly.

"Let's decide today's destination while we're walking." Ms. Sakuya, who had already finished her share of ice cream, opened the packaging bag skillfully, tied it up so that the sugar water wouldn't drip onto her hands, and gently handed it to the well-behaved little cucumber. "Here, ice cream."

"......Thank you." The aroma of figs came along with the ice cream. Ruo Yemu took it with a little daze, and moved closer, reducing the distance between them from three steps to one and a half steps.

Today, Sakuya smells very much like Suyo.

But Su Shi is not so gentle. Even though they are in the same class, he is unwilling to accompany me, let alone take me for a walk without any purpose.

"It's good that Xiaomu didn't refuse. I thought the tutors were very strict and that we can't just eat things that make us fat." Ichinose Sakuya smiled and calmly took two steps to the edge of the road, widening the distance between them again.

She really liked the delicate and lovely Ruoye Mu, but getting so close to her rashly made someone who was trying to avoid her feel even more guilty.

Excluding pretending to be an older sister, her meetings with Xiaomu were very few and it would be better for her to keep a distance.

Wakaba Mu, who was trying hard to open his mouth wide and hold the ice cream, paused visibly, looked up in confusion, and then walked forward again pitifully.

"How about we go to the movies together? I think there's a new movie coming out today." Ms. Sakuya, whose forehead was covered in sweat, probably because of the direct sunlight, changed her position, moved to the inside of the sidewalk, and suggested in a low voice.

"..." Ruoye Mu didn't say anything, nodded his head again, and followed Sakuya's footsteps like a little duck.

The girl next to her was very close, quiet and well-behaved. Miss Sakuya vaguely sensed that something was wrong and observed her for a moment before she calmed down again.

It must be because I spend too much time with Hailing and Xiangzi. How could Xiaomu also like girls?

Chapter 183: Simple Smile

The weather is pretty good, the sky is clear and bright. Looking up, you will feel that the blue sky is farther away than usual. The plane trees beside the street stretch their bodies freely, and their leaves are very high. The afternoon sunlight shines through, casting soft, warm, swaying and colorful patches on the brick surface of the sidewalk.

Ichinose Sakuya walked ahead with his hands behind his back, swaying back and forth. He walked slower when he came across shade, and took small hops across areas of direct sunlight, just like a dog that got lost while out for a walk and simply continued running forward. Wakaba Mutsu followed behind him with a calm expression, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure from behind.

There aren't many popular movies showing in Tokyo right now, and there are only two or three that are suitable for high school girls to watch in groups. Ignoring the romance movies that she's not that interested in and the low-budget art films that are shown late at night, Ms. Sakuya still forced herself to give up the strange idea of ​​dragging Xiao Mu to watch documentaries like "Animal World".

"Which one do you like better, "Yellow Pepper" or "Spy Playing House"? " Ms. Sakuya turned slightly and handed her phone, which was adjusted to the theater film introduction interface, to Wakaba Mu, intending to hear the opinion of today's playmate.

It smells so good...

Wakaba Mu sniffed twice, the not-so-strong scent of figs mixed with the fragrance of flowers, rushing into her nostrils. Miss Mu lowered her head in shame, feeling a little embarrassed. She had once again hallucinated Sakuya as Sushi, which was really despicable...

Miss Sakuya just quietly watched the girl with light green hair suddenly stop and think about which one to choose with a little confusion.

"It's okay if Xiaomu can't choose." She changed her position, walked in front of Ruoye Mu, lowered her head and whispered to him face to face. "When we get to the cinema, we can just choose the one that's closest."

Ruoye Mu shook his head slightly, took a small step forward, and then pointed at the black comedy movie called "Yellow Pepper" and whispered. "This..."

"Oh..." Am I too close to Xiaomu? Our foreheads are almost touching...

Ms. Sakuya tapped the ground with her toes but did not move to retreat. She took the phone and opened the reservation interface.

"Then I'll reserve a seat in the middle. Xiaomu, are you one of those people who prefers real people to animation?"

Ruoye Mu shook his head, looked up and stared into the gray-blue eyes for a moment, then said, "I won't watch this one."

"...anything else is fine."

"Is there any actor you don't like?" Ms. Sakuya felt a little strange, but her finger slid smoothly back to the previous menu and clicked on "Spy Play House" which she wanted to watch more.

Compared to the black humor of adults going crazy for life, the heartwarming picture of a happy family is more exciting. There is also a big white dog on the cover that looks very easy to rub!

Ruoye Mu shook his head again, a little more than the previous two times, expressing his reluctance. "My mother participated in the performance of Yellow Pepper."

"The heroine?" Ms. Sakuya cooperated with her surprise and began to look through the cast list.

"......" Ruo Yemu raised his golden eyes and then lowered them, responding with a helpless tone. "...Guest appearance."

"That's amazing too. Why doesn't Xiaomu want to watch the movies his mother made?" Sakuya wondered.

"I've seen it." Ruo Ye Mu's answer was simple and effective, yet a little bit painful to look back on. The sad memory of being dragged by his mother to appear on variety shows since the premiere was awakened again.

Besides, I feel like it would be a bad idea to peek at Sakuya-chan in front of her mother...

Taking her eyes away from Mutsu, who said nothing but suddenly looked very sad, Sakuya-san put away her phone, distanced herself from him, and decided on today's activities in a spirited voice. "The target is the cinema, full speed ahead~"

"Yeah." Ruo Ye Mu also smiled, reached out and grabbed the cuffs of the long sleeves made of gauze, and walked behind him.

"Why do I feel like Xiao Mu is so close to me? He's always walking beside me." Ms. Sakuya turned around and asked curiously. "I don't mean to dislike you, it's just that Xiao Mu and I have only met a few times, so maybe he's not used to it yet."

"......" Wakaba Mu opened her mouth and realized that Su Shi might not have told Sakuya that she already knew that they would exchange school uniforms to go to school.

Does Suyo want to continue hiding this from Sakuya?

Ruoye Mu remained silent, still holding onto his sleeves, and followed in small steps behind the swaying flaxen ponytail.

"Sakuya, you smell nice today, just like Suyou." Miss Mu, who is not good at lying, tried to explain.

"Because I used my sister's perfume, I think it smells good even when I smell it myself." Miss Sakuya said happily after suddenly realizing it.

Xiao Mu must have mistaken me for my sister, which is why he clung to me like a puppy begging for a pat on the head.

The doll lady's mouth was slightly open, and it was unclear whether she was accelerating the heat dissipation or organizing her words.

"So sister and Xiaomu really have a very good relationship?" Sakuya slowed down her pace and took the initiative to get closer to the love-starved little cucumber.

"..." Wakaba Mu's silence lasted a little longer this time, until the two of them walked into the shopping mall with air-conditioning, and then he gently tugged at Sakuya's sleeve.

She nodded first, then shook her head reluctantly.

"It's both good and bad... They used to have a very good relationship, but now they have a conflict?" Miss Sakuya speculated.

Recalling Su Shi's recent neglect and exploitation, Ruo Yemu's light golden eyes drooped completely.

"Whatever was good before, it's not good now."

“No...it’s not that serious, right?” Ms. Sakuya covered her mouth with one hand. The little theater in her mind was already playing Crychic’s Abandoned 2.0.

My sister also scolded me, saying that I was flirting with girls outside every day and cheating on Xiaodeng and Xiaomu. It was really too much!

"I don't think the situation is as serious as Xiaomu thinks." Miss Sakuya, who was writing down the charges against her sister in her mind, couldn't bear to see Xiaomu's aggrieved expression. She half squatted down and gently poked Wakaba Mu's smooth and tender face with her fingers.

"My sister told me that she has been very happy in the Moon Forest recently, especially when she was with little Mu." Sakuya chuckled and pushed up slightly with her fingertips, causing Mu's expressionless face to reveal a smile that was more cute than funny.

"So cheer up, Xiaomu is so pretty, you should smile more."

"......Really?" Wakaba Mutsu looked at 'Nagasaki Suyo' in front of him with evasive eyes and asked unconfidently.

Can you really become happy by spending time with your boring self?

"My sister told me so herself." Ms. Sakuya withdrew her hand and patted her chest to assure.

Just like flower petals entering a spring pond, ripples appeared in the golden pupils. Wakaba Mu raised his head and imitated Sakuya's actions just now, pressing his two index fingers against the pale pink left and right cheeks respectively.

Their eyes met, fingers pushed up, and Ruo Yemu smiled simply, with pure happiness.

Chapter 184 Satisfaction

For Chihaya Aine, preparations for outings are very important.

Going out together is not something that can be confirmed with a few simple Line messages. It requires specific information about the destination, weather and traffic conditions, as well as the identity and closeness of the people traveling with you.

Aiyin, who had been practicing piano continuously and lacked social energy, booked the premiere of the first day early in order to share common fashion topics with her classmates in Yuqiu. Not only did she arrive at the theater half an hour early with great enthusiasm, she also put on makeup according to the beauty video newly released by Miao Mengqin. Now, she just had to wait for Su Shi to meet up and everything would be OK~

With her fingertips lightly tracing the smooth thermal paper, Ai Nei-san, with the corners of her mouth raised, decided to wait for Su Shi to come and then use the heart gesture to take pictures of the movie tickets together. Of course, she had to pretend to unconsciously reveal to everyone something worth showing off, such as watching a movie with the eldest lady of Tsuki No Mori.

"Hmm?" Chihaya Aine, who was browsing her phone with her head down, felt like she was being stared at by curious eyes, and couldn't help but look up and around.

Ichinose Sakuya anticipated the situation and withdrew his gaze in advance, quietly pulling at the sleeve of his clothes that was still being held by Wakaba Mutsu.

When I take Xiaomu out for a stroll to relax, I can meet acquaintances. Tokyo is really small.

Ruoye Mu looked up, not understanding what was going on, but still cooperated and followed closely at a distance of half a step.

"Xiao Sushi~ You're here so early." Miss Aine, who was thinking about Nagasaki Sushi all the time, put one hand on her waist and looked at the flaxen-haired girl who had become more lively with her light gray eyes that showed joy and confidence. "Have I changed in any way today?"

"Hmm... maybe it's a little cuter?" Ms. Sakuya put one hand on her chin, pretended to think for a while, and then praised.

“Sure enough, she’s cuter than usual!” Aiyin nodded. Miao Mengqin was honest and bought me a full set of cosmetics, which really worked.

"It's better for Aiyin to ask her sister about this kind of question herself." She shook her head, threw her ponytail to her chest and said with a chuckle.

Ruo Yemu, who was very close, looked a little innocent, and felt the hair brushing against his face for some reason, which felt itchy and a little fragrant, making people want to hold the lively ponytail and play with it in their hands for a while.

"It's really Saki-chan. Sorry, I thought Suze changed her hairstyle today." Chihaya Aine scratched her cheek slightly embarrassedly, then looked at the girl with light green hair beside her with some surprise. She was delicate, and more importantly, she looked familiar.

The light golden eyes and expressionless beautiful face are exactly the same as the special guest in the variety show broadcast a few days ago.

Miss Sakuya noticed someone's inquiring gaze and stepped aside to introduce the person. "This is my friend..."

"You are Wakaba, right?" Chihaya Aine took two steps forward excitedly. If she wasn't holding her cell phone and movie tickets, she would have probably held the other person's small hands with both of her hands.

"...Wakaba Mu." Miss Sakuya hesitantly introduced, pulling Mu back a little before continuing. "Do you...know each other?"

Wakaba Mutsu shook her head slightly, hiding most of her body behind Sakuya, with only half of her head sticking out. She was a little scared by this sudden enthusiasm.

"Ahem..." Chihaya Aine obviously realized her impoliteness and explained with a cough. "I saw Wakaba-san on the variety show channel that was promoting the movie a few days ago. I think she's even cuter in person than on TV."