The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Seeing everyone's thoughtful expressions, Hirashin smiled and patted Asuna, Karin, and Akane's heads. As for why Nel wasn't there... she didn't care at all. Just knowing that everyone was together today, would be together tomorrow, and would be together forever and ever was enough for her.

"If you're curious, why don't you just ask them?"

"Ask yourself. Do you, Pingxin, know Doraemon?"

"It's [Ripple], Ripple... But most of the time, species with less developed thoughts and emotions can only transmit a faint feeling. It's up to you to judge how it works. It's a skill that's easy to learn but difficult to master."

"Hmm~~~ How complicated—!"

"Haha, take your time... By the way, once you learn this trick, you can communicate with intelligent animals like cats and dogs to a certain extent. If you have a good relationship with them, you can even ask them to help you or even perform for you~"

Pingxin cast out today's bait, and the big fish took the bait happily.

“Really?!…Okay—let’s get better!”

Asuna started to "use her power" against the glass continuously. Her posture was quite cute, but it was hard to say how much power she used.

"Hara Rin, do you want to try it too?"

"...Um!"

Since they started dating, Hiraishin has also passed on the power of the ripples to Karin and Akane, after all, they can't afford to neglect one while focusing on the other. But for some reason, these two also have surprisingly good talents. It's unclear whether it's simply innate talent, or if they're just that receptive to Hiraishin's ripple energy.

Karin walked over to Asuna and whispered a few words to her. Then they tried it together, and this time they actually managed to do it. He patted Nel's head, and when she said "Huh?" and forgot to return, Hirashin made a surprise move and lifted her up onto his arm.

"Will it be clearer this way?"

"...Mind your own business~"

Nilu cursed with a smile, then began to read attentively.

While the aquarium wasn't designed so that children over 140cm tall wouldn't be unable to see things, it certainly wasn't as much as what you see now. It wasn't a shy princess hug, nor was it an awkward ride on her shoulders or head. It was also a kind of gentleness, and Nel could certainly sense it.

"...Azuna, what are you doing?"

If all three of them have something to do, then the remaining person must also do something.

But... you don't really want to "do" something here, do you? In a corner where Nilu couldn't see, a white, soft hand touched Ping Xin's body. It wasn't so much that the meaning was unclear, but rather that the "purpose" was too clear!

“I’m communicating…”

"communicate?"

"This child might have wisdom, don't you think, Master?"

Well... no matter what happened just now, Ping Xin's second brother has indeed reacted now.

“Stop it…!”

"Yeah... Hey☆~"

After being slapped hard on the drum, Zhu Yin finally showed some reaction. She withdrew her hand, even licking her fingertips. The glistening silk threads were clearly visible in the dim light. Noticing Ping Xin's gaze, she pushed her glasses up and smiled seductively.

It's obscene, I believe him...

"Mom, look, fish!"

"I know, this isn't all..."

Feeling the gazes directed his way suddenly intensify, not from the side of his eyes but from a fixed gaze, Ping Xin immediately began to wary his surroundings. There have been a lot of disobedient people lately, and perhaps they'll have to be punished later this autumn.

But after circling around, he found no suspicious individuals. So, following their gaze, he saw Asuna... and the school of fish that surrounded her even through the glass. Big, small, glowing, cute, scary, edible...

Fish of all kinds, regardless of species, gathered in front of her, and as her fingers moved, the sounds of the separated water and the fish swimming around became strong and rhythmic. Asuna, waving her fingers, was like conducting a symphony orchestra on the stage.

"Mom...is that the mermaid princess?"

...Princess?

Yes, she is indeed a princess.

Ichinose Asuna, a daughter blessed by heaven. But she is not a princess of the sky, a princess of the sea, or a Disney princess with many animal friends.

"Eh... Ping Xin?"

"The fish must be tired after swimming for so long. It's about time now, let's go eat together~"

"Okay~ Let's go find some delicious restaurants we haven't been to!"

...a princess who belonged only to him, Hei Nobu.

Chapter 23: The Shopping Street Sign Girl (Part 1)

"Welcome... Hey—Big Chief!?"

"Hmm? Ah... Just teach me my name normally, and you are...?"

"My-my name is Hayase Yuuka, O-..Asuka-san!"

Hayase Yuuka was a little excited when a character like an urban legend appeared in front of her. She also didn't expect that he actually had four girlfriends, and they were all so cute and had such great figures... at least three of them were like that!

Although she had heard of him before, for some reason, there were no photos of Ping Xin and his girlfriends on the Internet. She was not one to particularly enjoy gossip, so she had only seen him from a distance.

"Hello, Yuuka-san...are you working here part-time?"

"Yes, yes!...Ah—actually it's not a part-time job, I'm just helping out at the family shop!"

Nervous, very nervous, at this time Hayase Yuuka began to recall mathematical formulas in her mind.

"So, Ms. Yuuka, the hostess, can you recommend some dishes to me?"

"Yes! I personally recommend the [e^iπ+1=0]... No, I recommend the Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl)!"

"I see... Are you interested in mathematics? I think you were talking about Euler's equation, known as the most beautiful equation in mathematics, right?"

"Does Asuka-kun know this too!?"

Hayase Yuuka said a little excitedly.

"You know a thing or two, right?... Yuuka, you're actually interested in math. Most girls struggle with math—and, just call me by my name, Hiranobu."

"An ordinary girl..."

Her smile froze.

Thanks to her kind nature and the communication skills she developed while helping out around the house, Hayase Yuuka has a good relationship with everyone in her class, even though she's not the most prominent. However, because she helps out at the shop after school and on weekends, she often can't hang out with girls her age, and ultimately, her relationships remain more like acquaintances than true friends.

Hayase Yuuka had long been aware that her lifestyle and hobbies were indeed different. While she was happy to have her mathematical talent recognized, she also worried about being "abnormal"... As mentioned before, the environment in the East Country was quite exclusive. Therefore, for a sensitive adolescent who was not a middle school student, being called "unusual" was like being called "weird."

"Well, it's very special...especially cute, so I hope you can call me by my name, okay?"

"Cute!? Me, me..."

Frankly speaking, Hayase Yuuka has always been a very conservative type, and has never spoken a few words to boys of the same age in private, and of course she is also happy to be called cute.

Moreover, the person who said this was the notorious playboy Ping Xin, so his words were full of gold.

"But...your girlfriend won't be angry if you say that to her face, right?"

“…Cough, cough cough cough—”

Ping Xin, who was drinking water, choked when someone whispered something like this in his ear. Although it sounded normal to others, the moment he heard it, strange images flashed through his mind: electric cars, lollipops, and older brothers.

"Are you okay, Hirashin-kun? Could it be poisoned... Ugh—"

"Stupid, don't order these things in your own restaurant... I just suddenly remembered something happy and choked..."

Hayase Yuuka nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. However, she breathed back all the air she had exhaled, and then she realized that Hirashiko still had his hand on her face. She took a half step back and subconsciously wiped her mouth.

Did you drool on it just now?!

Will there be a taste in your mouth?!

Will I be hated...?

Although it was only their first meeting, a special feeling of intimacy made Yuuka care about Pingxin very much.

"stare--"

"Ah...yes! I'll take your orders right now!"

Yuuka didn't know why Asuna was staring at her, but after coming to her senses and feeling a little guilty, she immediately changed the subject... No, this is the real business, right?!

......

...

..

After ordering, Yuuka immediately fled to the kitchen. It was estimated that she would not appear again for a while. So the others started chatting.

"Pingxin Pingxin, is this the child you're looking for?"

"Well, since you're the one leading the way, then this child is probably..."

"What, what, Master... Is Ping Xin going to cheat?!"

Pushing up her glasses, Murokasa Akane said something not so smart.

"...!"

"If he dares, I'll... I'll beat him up!"

"At least you don't want to be told that to your face... And why are you stirring up trouble again, Akane? Is the explosion of interpersonal relationships also what you want to see?"

"Um...Um poke la (I was wrong)"

He only released her face after hearing Akane admit her mistake. He might be a common-sense person, but he's always deliberately doing things that defy common sense. While you have a slightly different "quirk," you should be careful not to provoke Hirayū. Otherwise, when your rage is full, Hirayū's breathless combo might knock you unconscious.

"So, Karin, don't worry... I originally asked Asuna to find a reliable person to join the academy. After all, we'll need an accountant to do our job later."

Unlike Liyin's strong personality, Hayase Yuuka is a gentle woman who is interested in mathematics and probably has some talent in it. So it seems that she is indeed a perfect candidate.

After hearing Hiranobu's explanation, Karin's grip relaxed slightly. Although she was still holding onto him, she wasn't as tight as before. I just hope you can be more careful about where you're holding...

"No wonder you suddenly said you wanted to take us out to play, you're still the same~"

"After all, it's more efficient to do two things at once, right? And I think it's fun to 'explore' new restaurants with friends on the weekends."

This is also the reason why I always hang out with Yamada Ryo. She is indeed a person who "knows the business", and it is always interesting to communicate with her and never makes people feel bored.

"Hello - is Yuka there?" After the five of them chatted for a while, a middle-aged man wearing a headscarf and looking to be in his late 30s walked in, shouting as he walked.

"Sir, what can I do for you, Yuuka?" Considering the possibility that he might have bad intentions, Pingxin naturally stopped him and asked.

"You...you..."

The uncle with the headscarf was very surprised to hear what Ping Xin said. He first looked at Ping Xin carefully from top to bottom, and then saw Asuna, Karin, Akane and... Nel couldn't see who were peeking over here.

"No, this is terrible! A major event—!"

The man in the turban ran out yelling. "It's a bit rude... but are you crazy?"

"Hey, everyone, come here quickly—"

Come here, what are you doing here? Gathering for a team fight?

"Yuuka's classmates are here to play! This is their first time! Come out!"

"..."

In an instant, a group of uncles, aunts, old men and women appeared from nowhere and rushed into the store. While examining the few people, they couldn't stop praising them. Their eyes were especially focused on Ping Xin, as if they were hinting at something.

"Yuuka is very popular in the class. Although some boys who only look at her face ignore her, when they grow up they will understand that women like Yuuka are the best—"

"Yeah, yeah! We all always say that no matter which family a boy is from, as long as he marries Yuuka, he'll have a good wife to help him, and he won't have to worry about work or life anymore!"

"So, are you here to find Yuuka to go out and play?"

"This child is always helping out around the house and often helps us when she's free. We never see her hanging out with her friends after school, on weekends, or during holidays. We're so worried!"

"Ahaha... Yuuka is such a nice girl! To be honest, we came here today to find her and bring her a message—"

Hearing that Pingxin was no longer chatting like before and had become serious and dignified, even the most enthusiastic uncle and the aunt who always loved to chat stopped talking and waited eagerly for him to speak.

If it's good news, they will celebrate and cheer together. If it's bad news, they will also give advice and suggestions to Hayase Yuuka. Although most of them do not have a high school education or above and most of their lives are confined to this shopping street, they will still do their best to do the best for her.