The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

花凛开始数质数：2、3、5、7、11、13、17、19、23......

This was a trick she'd recently learned from Hira Nobu. It was a technique that Hira, in Sensi mode, had suggested to her to help her memorize the concept of prime numbers. While it wasn't particularly useful to Karin, she felt a strong bond with him every time they counted, so it was a unique and reassuring method.

"Ordinary mail...ぴんしん...ping xin——"

Even though the pronunciation and arrangement were strange to her, they still stirred her heart. Simply saying his name felt like some kind of magical, tongue-twisting incantation, bringing wisdom, strength, and courage, filling her heart with faith and hope. This is perhaps how the brave warriors who embark on their journeys under the guidance of a sage, overcoming all obstacles, ultimately fulfill their destiny.

"Hara Rin...Hara Rin..."

Only heroes can defeat the Demon King, but can they truly transcend fate itself? A sudden thought struck Hua Lin. She now had a premonition that she was no longer in control, a sense of self-destructive shame welling up in her heart.

"...Hara Rin!"

A loud voice beside her woke her from her thoughts. A familiar voice, a voice that shouldn't be here, a voice that she should be happy to hear but didn't want to hear at this moment.

"...Asuna?...Why are you here? Where's Hirashin?"

Hua Lin was a little frightened. She was afraid of hearing the unacceptable answer.

"Huh? Ordinary mail, where is the ordinary mail?!"

She had come out for a stroll today on a whim, and meeting Karin was already a surprise to her. If she could also meet Hirashin and they could go play with Asuna together, she would be even happier and more surprised, her favorite surprise.

"...No, nothing. Asuna, are you passing by here by chance?"

"Yeah! I've heard there are a lot of interesting things here, so I came to take a look when I passed by today. I didn't expect to meet Hana Rin!"

"..."

This fact made Kadodade Karin feel at ease. As long as it was not "that answer", she could accept it.

"But Karin, why are you here? I remember when I asked you out yesterday, you said you had something important to do today... Did you make an appointment with Hei Xin, and why are you here?"

The question, pointing directly to the truth, made Karin's heart tighten. She had never felt so fearful, disgusted, and distant towards her friend as she did at that moment. If Asuna competed with her, she would have no chance of winning, so she lied and used dishonorable means.

Past experience taught her that it's best not to lie to Asuna, but today is of great significance to her——

No matter what, Hua Lin wants to meet Ping Xin, tell him her feelings, and entrust everything to him!

"I... didn't. I just... misjudged it."

So she chose to conceal and deceive, weaving this low-quality lie that others could see through at a glance. Her heart ached because Asuna was smiling——

"I see, so let's go play together!"

Asuna wouldn't doubt her friends. Compared to her, Hana Rin's words and actions were far too despicable. In front of Asuna today, all the emotions she had hidden in her heart, including inferiority, jealousy, fear, and love, burst out at once, leaving her with a mixture of emotions.

"No... I still have a part-time job later... Yes, a part-time job."

"...dressed like this, working?"

Asuna mostly follows her heart, which makes her seem very carefree and full of wild ideas. In short, she is very "innocent." But this doesn't mean she is stupid. In fact, she is blessed with a much smarter mind than most people in this world.

"...Asuna?"

Asuna's expression was unfamiliar to Karin. She had never seen her like this before.

"...Is Ping Xin's matter more important than me?"

Chapter 122: A breakup is always sudden, and the end of a secret love is even more silent.

What does it feel like to be in love? Ping Xin is thinking about this question at the moment.

Ever since he was born in this world, he always felt that he might not really exist. He also considered that this seemingly real world was just an illusion lingering before his death, a paradise created by the secretions in his brain. Otherwise, why would this world be so gentle?

Until the end, when he was hurt by this world and everything was taken away from him, he finally realized that this world was not a dream or a game, but a miraculous second life. But it was too late...

"It's too late... huh—"

Ping Xin looked up at the sun in the sky. The seats beside him were filled with "customers" who dared not make a sound. They had been eating for hours, but not a single one had left. At this moment, he was the only focus of the place.

"The only...ah..."

His past life was the worst for Ping Xin. His emotions overflowed, he thought, empathizing, but they only moved himself. There, emotions ran rampant, words lost their weight, and trust vanished. The casual "like" and "love" of others were no match for a sincere heart, so he learned to remain silent, understanding that "interesting solitude is better than hypocritical socializing."

Ping Xin had never thought about what would happen after "his" death before -

Will anyone remember his existence, will anyone shed tears for him, will anyone feel sad for him, will anyone mourn for him?

That probably wasn't the case. There might be people pointing and cursing at his corpse. His departure likely left no trace, completely different from how he arrived in this world. Here, he had family, friends, classmates, a lover... He had so much, so much more.

Perhaps some people want to go home, suddenly arriving in a strange world where they are unfamiliar with the world. But for Heishin, this is his home, his destination.

He has always been rational, because rationality can make him "brave", can help him solve problems, and can help him protect himself. But the flames of emotion burn his soul, making him always in a state of half-consciousness and half-madness.

The illusions seen by his incompletely burning soul and the expectations he shouldn't have had made him reckless, and the end result was hurting others like this -

"......elder brother."

"...Huh?!...I'm fine...really." Seeing his sister's concerned look, Ping Xin replied.

This is undoubtedly the most common lie a person has ever told in his life.

Seneca once said, "Many people never meet true love in their lives, and they just choose to find someone to feed each other because they are afraid of dying alone."

Heishin agreed with this and chose to live a lonely life. He would rather be alone with his headphones on and listen to music than spend time getting to know someone. But Asuka Heishin is different.

He wanted to live, to live a good and wonderful life, and to wait until his parents returned so that he could proudly introduce his friends, lover, and even new family to them.

Pingxin's kindness towards strangers comes from his good family education, while his kindness towards acquaintances is often a kind of fishing -

People often just want to lend a little love and get a lot of great love.

This time, however, the emotion was completely different. For the first time, he truly felt like he was in love with someone. It wasn't like the silent and ordinary companionship between family members, nor was it like the constant testing between acquaintances and friends who maintained a proper distance.

This feeling, love, is like an uncontrollable flame. Sometimes love is the light and heat that erupts from the collision of two hearts, but other times it is just a coincidence, like a thunderbolt igniting a fire on the ground, a one-sided burning. Will he be the latter today?

Ordinary people don’t know.

He still sat there, unmoved even as the sun rose and set, like a stone statue. Even in a packed cafe, Pingxin felt like the loneliest person on the planet. True loneliness isn't hidden in the mountains or forests, but rather lurks in the crowds. True loneliness is found amidst the hustle and bustle of a world devoid of human affection.

"..."

In his previous life, Ping Xin always thought he would die alone, and he always felt that someone was walking towards him through the crowd. But he didn't die, and he didn't even know his own end. Maybe someone was looking for him again, but she didn't come today.

"...Hour, let's go."

"...Yes, brother."

"Everyone, please go back. I will triple the salary as agreed. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Ping Xin said something but didn't say what he wanted to say, and left without looking back.

"...elder brother."

"..."

"...elder brother."

"..."

"elder brother!"

Ping Xin finally stopped and turned around and said, "What's wrong, Xiao Xiao?"

"...I think you need to calm down now."

"I don't think so, and I am calm now, calmer than ever before."

"but--"

Asuka Matoki wanted to comfort her brother but she didn't know where to start, so she ended up stopping herself from saying anything. In this world, no one can truly empathize with another person's sorrow. Even if a thousand arrows pierce his heart and make him feel utterly miserable, it is only his own problem.

"I'm fine, it's just... I woke up from the dream. As expected - people like me shouldn't expect anything without permission... I expect things without permission, and then I'm disappointed. Obviously, I hate people like that the most..."

"Brother...are you scared?"

“…Scared?! I—!…Maybe, maybe I really am scared…I’m really scared.”

"..."

Asuka Matobu could understand this fear, because she also loved someone but did not have the courage to take it one step further, the courage to accept the truth, and the courage to pursue the truth. But now it was not that she could not do it, there were some things that only she could do——

"...elder brother."

"......What's wrong?"

"...I like you."

Ping Xin paused. He had not expected to be comforted in this way.

"I like you too, Xiaoshi."

He smiled and didn't care.

"...I like you, brother."

"Okay, okay, I get it... I'm a little embarrassed to be so cheesy all of a sudden... Thank you, Xiaoshi, I feel much better now."

"..."

The two continued walking forward, and after opening the door, Alpha was already waiting at the entrance.

"Xiaoshi, do you have any plans tonight? If not, go to bed early. I still have some manuscripts to finish... Xiaoshi?"

At the entrance, Asuka Batoki hugged him from behind—

"...I love you, brother."

Chapter 123 I love you

"......Hour?"

Pingxin wanted to reply, "I love you too," as he had before, but now didn't seem like the time to be playful. He tried to use the ripples to sense his sister's emotions, but with his life experience as cold as a knife, how could he understand a girl's feelings? In the end, he was just confused.

"...I love you, brother."

Pingxin went to see where Alpha was just now but found that she had disappeared tactfully, so he held the little hand on his chest, the slightly trembling little hand.

"...Sorry, I'm a very stupid person, so I don't know-"

“It’s not like, it’s love. It’s not like, it’s love.”

"But...we are brother and sister."

"We are not related by blood, and it has only been a few years since we met."

"Worldly perspective..."

"I do not care!"

"...After Father and Mother return——"

"I had already obtained their permission. It would be more accurate to say that they were happy that someone could fall in love with their child and provide warmth, companionship, and protection on their behalf."

It turns out that they have been thinking about me silently... Pingxin suddenly had an urge to cry at this moment.

“…When did it start?”

"From the beginning."

"...Perhaps...it's just the suspension bridge effect or some other random emotion, such as gratitude, admiration, respect, etc. You are still too young now-"

"I can tell the difference very clearly, because you are my only one. And... you should be the one who knows best whether I have a grown-up brother or not, right?"

Feeling the lovely woman behind him hug him even tighter, Pingxin felt a warmth and softness unlike his own. While not as exceptionally developed as Asuna, Akane, or the previously encountered Rion Chozuki, this well-proportioned, well-proportioned female body was a testament to her growth and development.

Pingxin knew it best. After all, until a few days ago, the siblings would rub each other's backs and play in the bathtub together. He had always considered his sister a lifelong follower, forever needing his care. It had nothing to do with her physical development or age, but today...

How should the two get along after that?

While Ping Xin appears warm and forthright, a quiet yet easygoing person, he's actually withdrawn, stubborn, and never opens up. The only person he trusts most in this world, the one person he trusts more than himself, is his sister. Such trust should be built on mutual understanding and trust, but Ping Xin feels she feels so strange, so... passionate.

"...Is it okay, brother?"

Meganelle was intimately familiar with Hiranobu's physical stats, thanks to her exceptional talent and close interactions with him. However, her understanding was not as profound as that of Asuka Matoki, a human who had witnessed Hiranobu's defenseless state. Just as at this moment, she could sense Hiranobu's thoughts simply through subtle fluctuations in his body temperature and heartbeat.

"..."

Is it okay? What's okay? Ping Xin wanted to play dumb, but he knew this crude acting wouldn't fool his sister, the one he'd raised, or his family, who knew each other intimately. Besides, if he really wanted to play dumb, didn't he have a little... a little bit of primal desire in his heart?

Of course that was true, but he would never indulge himself here and tarnish their feelings for each other.