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

"Summer rain always comes suddenly." After unlocking RiNG's new room, Ichinose Sakuya supported her fleshy cheek with one hand, turned her head to look out the window and murmured, feeling a sense of relief that the rain had finally come.

"Yes." Toyokawa Shoko also looked out the window and answered calmly.

It has been raining since school was over. It was a misty drizzle before we got on the train, but after we ran into RiNG hand in hand, it soon turned into a heavy downpour that soaked our socks. On days like this, RiNG's business becomes very quiet. Although it is the peak period for after-school activities, I can't see many students coming and going through the half-open window.

"Luckily I ran fast, otherwise the bass would have gotten wet in the rain." Ms. Sakuya lay on her back on the large and soft sofa as if she was at home, with her feet crossed, looking at the little blue-haired hedgehog who was familiar with the arrangement software through her drooping bangs.

"You're just short of holding the bass in your arms. The backpack itself should be waterproof, right?" Xiangzi complained casually, her pupils moving back and forth as she read the software updates and new tutorials. She hadn't composed music using a computer for more than a year.

"I can get wet in the rain, but the GB-4 absolutely cannot." Sakuya shook his head firmly, his eyes fell on the father's bass that he had opened for inspection, confirmed to be correct, and then casually put aside. Without natural sunlight, the violet satin surface was now a deep dark blue, like the color of raindrops hitting asphalt. "The neck is very easy to get wet and bend, and it would be even worse if it got moldy."

"Yes~Yes~" Xiangzi said casually, thinking about the arrangement part that needed to be improved today.

"Shoko, do you want to come and keep me company?" Miss Sakuya, who had nothing to do, stared blankly at the blue-haired lady who was working hard. Suddenly, she patted the sofa beside her and spoke.

"Still working." Xiangzi replied without raising his head.

"Then Xiangzi's job now is to accompany me." Miss Sakuya sat up slightly angrily, wanting to launch a long-range attack with the pillow under her.

"The rent of this composing studio shouldn't be cheap, right?" Miss Xiangzi said helplessly, lifting her bangs and sighing.

"It's okay. Because I used the coupons, student discounts, and Lixi's employee discounts, I was able to directly purchase a month's usage rights." Sakuya put her hands on her hips, feeling quite proud. She had followed Hailing around to support him, and now she was an absolute rich woman.

"What a waste." Miss Xiangzi looked at someone as if he was a sucker who had bought an annual membership card at the gym but had only been there a few times.

"Anyway, Xiangzi, come and accompany me." Sakuya patted the canvas sofa again, making a dull sound. "This is an order."

"Since it's an order, there's nothing I can do about it." The guest maid stood up gracefully, took a step, and then sat down side by side with her stupid master without any hesitation.

"Sleep with me for a while, even though it probably can't be considered a nap." Sakuya put his arm around Shoko's shoulders and lay down with her.

The room constructed with sound-absorbing materials was extremely quiet. The two of them looked for reflections in each other's pupils without blinking. The only sounds in the air were each other's breathing and the tapping of raindrops against the glass. The rain fell more heavily, stretching endlessly, from dots to lines, forming a dense silver curtain, blurring the entire sky and the vague sense of boundary.

"Does Xiangzi like rain?" Miss Sakuya turned her head and shifted her attention to the sound of the dripping rain.

"I don't like rainy days." Toyokawa Shoko answered with her eyes downcast, playing with her slightly larger hands.

"Why? Because it would be uncomfortable to get wet?" Sakuya hooked her fingers and continued to ask.

"That's one of the reasons. It's really not a good thing to have a formal suit that I only have one set get wet." Miss Xiangzi dodged the fingers and put her hand into the naturally drooping light blue hair. The black and gold hairband slid away with the light pinching of her fingertips, fell off, and returned to its original stripe shape.

“The days when I broke up with my mother and friends were also rainy days.”

"Wait, wait!" Miss Sakuya turned around worriedly and interrupted. This kind of heavy topic is definitely not suitable for casual conversation, right?

"I'm just kidding." Xiangzi, with his hair dishevelled, looked at the panicked look of the little village girl and said with a wicked smile.

"...I've fully understood that Ms. Xiangzi is not good at joking." Sakuya muttered softly and moved her body to a distance where both of them could easily sense her warm breath.

"Oh, what a pity! I will think of a funnier joke next time." Xiangzi smiled indifferently, but was also very happy.

"Rainy days do make people feel lonely and psychologically isolated." Toyokawa Shoko explained again, comforting the soft-hearted little village girl.

"I'm lonely." Ichinose Sakuya reached behind her head and plucked off the small cherry blossoms that were soaked by the rain, and put them together with two black and gold hair ties.

"I actually like rainy days." Sakuya stared at the slightly shaking golden pupils and spoke softly.

"why?"

She supported herself with one hand and sat up, her flaxen hair was thrown behind her, and the bass straps were adjusted to the familiar distance.

"Because I like to play the bass with the accompaniment of raindrops while enjoying the scenery outside the window. Rainy days make the scenery that we are used to seeing become completely different, and listening to the bass with the sound of dripping rain is also very soothing."

Toyokawa Shoko remained silent, quietly sitting up and resting her head gently on the shoulder of the person next to her. The hair of different colors was gently entangled, blending harmoniously in the rain, naturally and harmoniously.

“...What’s wrong?” Ms. Sakuya’s small hand on the bass strings trembled slightly, and she tilted her head to ask.

"What Sakuya said today sounded like lyrics. She's indeed a genius at writing lyrics." Shoko narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone full of joy.

"You can praise me more directly." Sakuya nodded in satisfaction.

"No, I'm just making fun of you." Xiangzi chuckled.

"That's too much. I was actually going to play the piano to comfort you." The ridiculed lyricist said bitterly.

"You are comforting me now, aren't you?" the malicious critic raised his hand and hooked the other person's nose, saying mischievously.

There was no more conversation between the two. They just stared blankly out the window again. The sound of rain echoed quietly. Then, Ichinose Sakuya picked up the bass.

The not-so-loud bass sounded, hidden in the dripping raindrops, and the gentle rhythm spoke of the purest love and happiness.

Toyokawa Shoko closed her eyes little by little, but the raindrops continued to fall gently.

Chapter 198 The rain is getting lighter

The sound in the composing room suddenly disappeared.

The rain was still continuing. A flash of white light appeared outside the window, followed by a rumbling thunder that was dull yet powerful. Toyokawa Shoko shook her body like a kitten and opened her eyes in a daze.

She first looked up and out the window. There were thick and gloomy black clouds stretching out. Behind the distant sky, there were flickering lightning, and thunder arrived soon after.

Miss Xiangzi shuddered slightly again, and snuggled into the arms of the girl who was hugging her. She buried her nose in the collar of the school uniform with the scent of flowers before she felt at ease.

I seem to have overslept before I knew it, and after opening Ableton Live I haven’t even created a new project yet...

She subconsciously began to reflect on her laziness, moved her legs, and tried to get up, but failed.

Ichinose Sakuya's sleeping posture does not look very elegant, and in fact it does not quite fit the image of Yamato Nadeshiko.

The flaxen-haired girl was sleeping soundly, her hair was tangled in a mess, her hands were loosely around the pillow lady's waist, and her legs under her school uniform skirt were unconsciously crossed, clamping her slender left thigh.

"Sometimes I really don't know if you did it on purpose..." Toyokawa Shoko sighed softly, came back to her senses from the slight fear, and carefully looked at the girl's sleeping face in the adjusted soft light.

Her mouth was slightly open and she was snoring softly, not quiet at all. Her pink lips trembled slightly with her breathing, but surprisingly, it did not cause any disgust to others.

Like a piglet.

Xiangzi had such an impolite thought and chuckled with his hands covering his mouth to prevent the silly laughter from disturbing his sweet dream. When he felt the soft touch of his lips with his fingers, he suddenly felt curious. Would Sakuya's lips be as stubborn as her words, or just as gentle and soft?

Golden eyes turned first, followed by cautiously extended fingers - the two that had just touched her lips.

The fit was very smooth, warm and soft, not as charming as she had imagined, and she did not feel much in her heart. Toyokawa Shoko just sat there in a daze, feeling the slightly moist breath, and was unwilling to move away for a long time.

The snoring gradually stopped, and the country girl, whose breathing was obstructed, frowned unhappily, shook her head, and lightly held the round tip of her finger in her mouth, sucking it twice unconsciously. She seemed to think the taste was not very good, and turned her head away again in disgust.

"Too...too ungraceful." Toyokawa Shoko scolded in a low voice in the tone common to young ladies, looking at the crystal stained fingertips in a daze, not knowing whether she was reflecting on herself or blaming the stupid girl who was half asleep beside her.

"What's wrong, Xiangzi?" Miss Sakuya, who was wondering why the chocolate bar in her dream had no taste at all, heard the noise, slowly opened her gray-blue eyes, and asked in a sleepy voice.

"Nothing, it's just that it's almost time for Sakuya to get up." With her fingers hidden behind her back and still staring at the girl's lips, Toyokawa Shoko said calmly. She really didn't expect that her family's education of her would be used in such a scenario.

"It's okay, I've finished my homework. Let me sleep a little longer." Ms. Sakuya, whose mind was becoming clearer, closed her eyes and said drowsily.

"Sakuya, you are like this..." Shoko seemed to be still saying something, but Miss Sakuya, who paid attention to the quality of sleep, had closed her eyes again and continued her even snoring.

"...I can't control myself if you do this." Xiangzi clenched her hands in confusion, then stretched them out and patted her blushing face.

Breathing in and out, she forced herself to look away from the girl's face, but it was just a drop in the bucket for herself who was in her arms. Toyokawa Shoko forced herself not to have any pink fantasies anymore.

Now is not the right time. She cannot be responsible for Sakuya's future life...

Toyokawa Shoko thinks a lot and comprehensively, and for the sake of future happiness, she is willing to endure temporarily.

And...even if I really want to do something beyond friendship with Sakuya, I should first get her consent.

Toyokawa Shoko closed her eyes in anger, and the plan vaguely emerging in her mind was gradually outlined. No matter how talented she was, she was just a high school girl with no background. The few ounces of silver she got from selling her youth could not build a future for the two of them.

The future is still ahead, vague, with no color or shape. Most people in Tokyo look down at their feet, thinking about how to live, but not what they want to do. Every day, people come to this city with dreams in their arms, some realize their true love halfway through, and some wake up from their dreams and leave.

After meeting, getting along with, and becoming familiar with Sakuya, Toyokawa Shoko began to think seriously about her future.

I want long-term companionship, I want a closer relationship... It's not just about that, but how the two of us can stay together with a smile in the future.

The asphalt road outside the window had completely changed color. The rain was getting heavier, making a continuous clicking sound through the glass windows.

Ichinose Sakuya quietly opened her eyes, and looked through the barely noticeable gap and the shadow of her eyelashes at the blue-haired young lady who was thinking with her eyes closed. Her wildly beating heart finally calmed down, and her ear frames belatedly turned a shy light pink.

Fortunately, Xiangzi didn’t kiss me...otherwise I would have to pretend that I knew nothing.

Pursing her lips slightly, Ms. Sakuya stole a glance at the petite blue-haired girl in her arms, her brows furrowed, looking distressed.

I held back my smile and my love for the little blue-haired hedgehog increased by three points. I was just a little bit away from admitting awkwardly that maybe I really liked cute girls.

"It would be nice if the rain would stop soon." After a short silence, Ms. Sakuya softly called out to the person in her arms and brought her legs back to her side properly.

"Summer thunderstorms might last for two or three days in a row." With her golden eyes opening and closing, Toyokawa Shoko shook her head slightly, not very optimistically speaking.

"In that case, Xiangzi, how about we make a bet?" Sakuya suddenly said, looking at the thunderclouds.

The country girl's unconventional thinking made Toyokawa Shoko, who was thinking about whether the band project could make money, stunned for a moment, and asked incomprehensibly. "Bet?"

"That's right, let's make a bet. Let's bet whether the rain will stop within an hour." Sakuya turned on the screen of his mobile phone, pointed to the time of half past five and said confidently.

"Gambling is a bad behavior, but I still feel that I will not stop." Xiangzi looked at the simple clouds and rain flowers UI on the homepage and shook his head again.

"Then I'll stop betting. Even though I'm bragging, my luck has always been good." Sakuya sat up with a somersault, but Shoko held his hair down again, and he lay down again in pain.

"It's not very convincing." A small smile appeared on Toyokawa Shoko's lips. She sat up and separated her tangled blue-chestnut hair strands.

It often rains in Tokyo in the summer, but there is rarely thunder. In Uji, however, there is often heavy rain from the northwest, which falls suddenly and then stops quickly. Although Tokyo's rainy season may also have two or three days of continuous drizzle, it is not yet the season with abundant rain.

The roar of thunder that had been brewing for a long time once again visited the small composition room. Sakuya stood up and closed the glass window. Now the room was completely quiet.

She was not sure whether the rain would stop within an hour. She just sat beside Xiangzi blankly, watching the girl adding sound tracks unskillfully and adjusting the timbre of each instrument one by one. The sound of rain and thunder faded away, but the unimportant dormant memories quietly awakened.

The first piece of music I memorized in junior high school, the title of the comics I enthusiastically read at Lu's house after school, the rock music that played on repeat all day, and the person who stared at the entrance of his house...

It's really hard for my little brain to still remember these trivial things.

Sakuya glanced at the side and saw Miss Shoko wearing headphones, listening to the sound of the virtual piano in a daze.

Did Xiangzi also remember something? Perhaps he would rediscover some bad memories—perhaps from his childhood, or perhaps from recent events—that he thought he had completely forgotten, but were actually carefully stored at the bottom of a locked box.

"Are you frowning because you're thinking about the past?" Sakuya poked the composer who was working hard and asked vaguely.

"I guess so." Xiangzi took off half of her headphones and spoke calmly. Before resolving the situation at home, she did not have the courage to completely accept Sakuya.

"Any bad memories?" Sakuya asked again.

"There are bad memories and happy memories, but recalling them will eventually turn into loss." Xiangzi said calmly, moving his hand away from the mouse and gently placing it on Sakuya's palm. "I can't go back to that place. I don't have the face to see the people there again. Just thinking about it makes me sad. I don't want to become a sad art student. It's better to forget everything and work hard to compose the current music."

"Oh..." Miss Sakuya gently pinched the rosy fingertips, feeling a little distressed but also understanding that Shoko did not need her comfort. Crychic made her sister obsessed with him, but Shoko was able to move on from the past through his own efforts. It was really amazing.

"Actually, I've been thinking about the future, or my dreams, recently." Maintaining a heavy and depressing atmosphere will only make people more negative. Toyokawa Shoko spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone, intending to change the atmosphere with the topic.

Ms. Sakuya tilted her head in confusion and gave me a silly look in response.

"It may be a little difficult to understand Sakuya's dream. To put it simply, it should be the band's plan." Xiangzi took off his headphones and said seriously.

"Is forming a band together Shoko's dream?" Sakuya changed sides and continued to tilt her head.

"I guess so." Xiangzi smiled.

“Then…” Ichinose Sakuya paused. The rain outside suddenly became heavier with the strong wind. The small composing room seemed to be separated from the world by the rain.

"...I'm always available to form a band with Xiangzi." The voice was soft, but clear and firm, and it reached the girl's ears from a distance where it would not be disturbed by the rain.

Toyokawa Shoko seemed to be under a spell as she digested the joy that had already been confirmed, and smiled woodenly.

"The band may not necessarily be successful. The practice will be very arduous and we will have to sacrifice our normal time. In the end we may just waste our time and youth. Is it okay?" Xiangzi asked again, holding Sakuya's fingertips tentatively.

"It feels harder than I thought." Sakuya scratched her head with her movable hands, but nodded. "Shoko, do you want to form a band with me?"

"Of course." Without thinking, Xiangzi answered quickly.

"That's no problem. Xiangzi can definitely do it." Miss Sakuya said firmly.

"You have more confidence than I do myself." Xiangzi chuckled, and his brows relaxed in satisfaction.

"Because Xiangzi works hard every day, I know this very well."

During the days when they were together, Xiangzi had been studying and playing the piano hard. When he was busy, he was so focused that he forgot to eat and sleep. He had to be pulled by her to take a short break. This was not just for Yuqiu's scholarship, but because he had a greater goal, so he was really motivated.

"Shoko will be fine~" Sakuya said confidently, looking at the little blue-haired hedgehog who became even more dazzling.

"Thank you..." Xiangzi turned his head unconsciously and said in a hesitant manner.

"You're welcome." After saying that, Ms. Sakuya once again moved closer to where she wouldn't be disturbed by the rain.

Afterwards, the vengeful little Sakuya accurately seized the opponent's weakness and blew gently into his ear.

"Stop it." Xiangzi said coquettishly, slightly annoyed.

"Eh, no reaction." Ms. Sakuya looked a little disappointed.

"I'm not Sakiya, so I'm not that sensitive." Xiangzi squinted his eyes and let the little village girl play.