The next morning, Kirino Akane woke up when the alarm clock rang for the second time.
"I almost overslept..."
Actually it's still very early.
It's just that recently, in order to avoid Soya and Anko, she had to get up earlier and go to school to avoid meeting them on the tram.
I picked up the phone that was thrown at the end of the bed, and sure enough, there were several more unread messages.
She didn't click in, she got up and got out of bed.
After washing up, I walked into the kitchen, but I didn't see breakfast prepared on the dining table.
"Mom, why didn't you prepare breakfast today?"
"Who can bear to wake up so early every day?"
Kirino Keiko was still lying on the bed with her eyes closed tightly, "Don't bother me, go find Soya, he said he will make breakfast for you for the rest of his life."
"Mother--"
Kirino Keiko turned over and dropped her arm to the bed. When she picked it up again, there was a slipper in her hand.
"..."
Kirino Akane immediately exited her parents' bedroom and closed the door.
"never mind."
After leaving home, she went to the intersection below and looked at the conspicuous old Japanese-style house. Akane Kirino didn't stay too long and walked straight to the station.
She wouldn't go there, so she could only go to the convenience store at the station to buy a sandwich.
Fortunately, the lunch box was prepared last night.
She missed the first alarm clock and slept ten minutes longer than yesterday. However, because she did not have breakfast at home, the time when she went out was not much different from yesterday.
She decided to have breakfast while waiting for the bus.
When she arrived at the station, she walked into the convenience store and searched for a while.
"Ah, are there any rice balls?"
In the past, she would either have breakfast at home or go to her old house. It has been a long time since she went into a convenience store in the morning just to fill her stomach.
I bought a sandwich and a bottle of water. Akane Kirino took it in her hand and was going to sit on the bench on the platform to eat.
"..."
After passing the turnstile and walking onto the platform, she saw Hongzi sitting there, and Hongzi, who was holding a sandwich in his mouth, also saw her at the same time.
They looked at each other, both of them speechless.
Why?
Shouldn't Anko have breakfast with Soya at the old house and then go to school together?
Kirino Akane stood where she was, not taking another step closer.
"Ahem!"
Hongzi was still biting the sandwich in her mouth. In a daze, she almost choked herself before swallowing.
Kirino Akane also came to her senses, turned around and was about to leave.
"Akane!...Ahem!"
Hongzi immediately stood up, coughing and shouting, which made him choke even more.
She wanted to grab the water on the bench, but she couldn't grab it because she was coughing. The bottle fell to the ground and rolled three to five meters, and the water inside also flowed all over the floor.
"..."
What a clumsy person!
Looking at Anko who was holding the bench and coughing continuously, Kirino Akane stamped her foot and walked over again.
After taking the water with the lid open, Hongzi took two sips before letting out a long sigh of relief.
"Thanks……"
Akane Kirino said nothing, sat down next to her, opened her own sandwich and started eating.
Looking at her side face and the water in her hand, Hongzi stood up and walked towards the exit.
"I'll buy another bottle...ah."
Kirino Akane grabbed her wrist, "No need."
As she spoke, she picked up the bottle of water she had just opened and took a sip.
She let go of her wrist, and Hongzi stood for a while and then sat down next to her.
Kirino Akane continued to eat the sandwich, finishing the entire sandwich, and took another sip of water before speaking.
"Why are Hongzi going to school so early?"
Hongzi swallowed the food in his mouth, "Something happened..."
"What's the matter?" Kirino Akane turned to look at her.
Hongzi was silent for a moment, but chose to tell the truth.
"I don't want to go to school with Soya."
"Why?"
"Because I'm worried that Akane will see me."
"..."
She has already seen what she should see and what she shouldn't see, so what's the point of covering it up now?
Kirino Akane's eyes moved, and then she looked away, "What does it have to do with me?"
Hongzi looked at her: "Then why did Akane refuse to see me and Soya for so many days, and didn't reply to messages."
"It's my menstrual period and I'm in a bad mood." She turned her head and originally wanted to say, "It has nothing to do with Hongzi," but she couldn't say it out.
"Is that all?"
Hongzi had no intention of eating anymore, so she crumpled the remaining half of the sandwich into a ball and threw it into the trash can.
"It's just that." Kirino Akane was still stubborn.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"No."
Hongzi looked at her side face, "Then are we still friends?"
"..."
Kirino Akane pursed her lower lip and looked to the side without speaking.
In silence, the tram finally pulled into the station.
The two of them got on the bus together. There were not many people on the bus at this time, and there were still many empty seats.
Kirino Akane sat down nearby, and Anko sat next to her.
"Soya said that he needs to talk to Akane about the school festival."
"He told me yesterday."
"Do you want to talk?"
"casual."
"Then let's wait until Soya comes to school."
Kirino Akane nodded slightly.
They were speechless all the way until they transferred to Yamashina Station and the two of them sat together again until they reached school.
When climbing the long stairs in front of the school, Akane Kirino did not pull her as usual, but she also deliberately slowed down her pace.
The two separated at the back door of the classroom.
Arriving at her seat, Hongzi hung up her schoolbag and then lay down on the desk.
"Finally I can speak again..."
Although neither of them mentioned a word about the core of the problem, it was much better than the state of never getting a response.
She lay face down on the table until Soya and Asagiri Suzu also came to school.
He sat down in the seat in front and looked back at her hand stretched out on the table, "I thought you would come over in the morning. I have been waiting at home for a long time."
"real?"
"Well... I must have waited for at least five minutes."
Hongzi rolled his eyes, but then he couldn't help but think of the kitchen of Kirino's old house, and the various breakfasts he prepared in the past.
So hungry...I really want to eat.
I only ate half of the sandwich, but it wasn't enough.
Zong Gu glanced at her and said, "You seem to want to eat me."
Hongzi said weakly, "Can I?"
He stretched out his arm and put his wrist to her mouth.
"fool……"
She laughed and pushed him again.
Zong Gu was about to turn around when she grabbed him again.
"I came here with Akane this morning."
"……real?"
"Met at the station."
He looked at her for a while, "Did you say anything?"
"Akane said she ignored me and Soya during this period because she was in a bad mood."
"This seems like nonsense."
"The reason for my bad mood is my menstrual period."
"Hmm...did you avoid it?"
They didn't mention the core yesterday either.
"Akane promised to discuss the school festival with me and Soya," Anko said again.
"Um."
"What are Soya going to do?"
Soya glanced at her and said, "Just like what we are saying now, we will discuss the arrangements for the school festival first, and then slowly find an opportunity to talk."
Hongzi raised his head, looked at him for a while, and couldn't help but sigh.
"I don't know why Zonggu can still be so calm...I feel so anxious."
Zonggu put his arm across her desk and stretched his hand forward, "Let me feel it."
"……satyr!"
She kicked him and pushed his arm down.
"Haste makes waste. If you are too anxious, you will only frighten the enemy." Zonggu put his arm up again, but this time it was to support his head, "What I want is all of her. This time, I won't let it go again."
She ran away."
Hongzi looked at him and buried his head again.
"Qian and I's future rests on you."
"It's so heavy."
"Even if it crushes you to death, you still have to bear it. You asked for it."
"Of course, as a different person like me, I have to shoulder more responsibilities."
She raised her gaze, his face was calm, but his eyes were burning with the flame of desire.
"So, I deserve more, too."
Hongzi looked at him and was speechless for a moment.
"——Sotani-san, do you have time?"
Soya turned around and saw Asaka Shiina.
"What's up?"
"I want to discuss with you the arrangements for the school festival."
"good."
Soya turned around, and Anko lay on the table again, looking at him and Shiina Asaka.
The devil from hell is talking to an ignorant human being...
Her random thoughts were quickly interrupted by hunger.
So hungry...
During the morning class meeting, Shibasaki Makoto received the preliminary arrangements for the School Festival Deacon Cafe from Shiina Asaka and mobilized the students below.
"Students who are confident in their cooking can sign up with Shiina-san..."
He glanced down and said, "Well, we need two chefs. In addition, we need two classmates to serve as baristas, and one classmate to be responsible for the cashier..."
Anko poked Soya's back.
"Go and tell Shiina to arrange a job for me that will make more money, less work, and be closer to you."
"I'm dreaming."
After explaining a few other things, Shibazaki Makoto left the classroom, and the morning class began.
The first class was English, followed by physics. After two classes, with the bell ringing, Soya stood up together with other students.
"stand up--"
"salute--"
He bowed and stood up. Before he could sit down, he felt the head of the back seat pressing against his back.
"Hello……"
Before she finished speaking, she pushed forward again, and then her whole body fell down.
"Hongzi... Hongzi?"
Zong Gu supported her and suddenly became nervous.
Could it be that the power of the underworld has been exhausted?
She murmured.
"What?" He lowered his head.
"So hungry...so dizzy..."
"..."
Zonggu pursed his lips and breathed a sigh of relief.
Lifting the schoolbag and hanging it on his shoulder, he carried her on his back and walked out of the classroom.
"Kinoshita, I'll take Yoshikawa to the health room. If the teacher asks, remember to tell me."
"Ah, okay." The chairman of the committee, who was looking at his sister, was stunned and then agreed.
Carrying Anko on his back, Soya had just walked out of the classroom a few steps when Kirino Akane's voice came from behind: "What's wrong with Anko?"
He turned around and she noticed the schoolbag hanging on his shoulder again.
"You want to go back?"
"No, Hongzi is dizzy. I'll take her to the health room...Hold on tight. If she falls, just lie here."
"Well……"
Anko buried her head and didn't move, so Sogu lifted her head up again.
"Do you want to come over?"
Seeing Kirino Akane's silence, he didn't say much and turned around and left.
After hesitating on the spot for a while, she also followed.
After passing through the atrium and arriving at the health room on the ground floor of the special building, the health teacher Tsukishima Chiaki glanced up, and then his eyes fell on Anko behind Soya: "What's wrong?"
"I didn't have breakfast, I was starving."
"Ah, are you losing weight?"
"Yeah, it's heavy as hell."
"..."
In a daze, Hongzi gathered all her strength and bit him on the shoulder.
"It seems he's still awake. Let's put him on the bed over there first."
"OK."
Putting Anko on the bed, Soya wiped the saliva from his shoulder and took out a lunch box from his school bag.
"Eat a little first to fill your stomach...don't finish it all. This is my lunch."
"Um……"
Tsukishima Chiaki came over and checked briefly to confirm that there was no problem, then looked at another female student.
"So, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Kirino Akane shook her head subconsciously, and Sogu looked over, "Teacher, she came here with me."
"Yeah."
Tsukishima Chiaki nodded, returned to his desk, picked up his things and prepared to go out.
"Then let her have a good rest here. As for you two, you have to go back to class later - also, in principle, you can't eat lunch here. Remember to clean up after eating."
"I see."
The health teacher left, Akane Kirino walked over and sat on the empty bed next to her.
"Have you not had breakfast these past few days?"
Soya stood on the other side, holding a lunch box in his hand, across the bed from her.
"No." Hongzi held his lunch box, "I just ate a little less this morning."
"I'm losing weight."
"Go to hell."
"Two more bites will be enough."
"I'm still very hungry!"
Akane Kirino wanted to laugh, but quickly restrained herself.
"Give me."
She stretched out her hand, and Sogu looked up and handed the lunch box over.
"You go back."
She didn't look at him, took the lunch box, and sat next to Hongzi's bed, "As long as I'm here."
Zonggu raised his eyebrows and looked at Hongzi, and she nodded to him.
"Then I'll go up first."
"Um."
After passing through the atrium and returning to the main building, the preparation bell rang.
Soya quickened his pace and stopped when he returned to the back door of the classroom. He went to Class B next door to explain to the chairman the whereabouts of Akane Kirino.
As we hurriedly took our seats, the teacher had already entered the classroom.
"……Class begins."
Listening to the faint ringing of the bell again, Hongzi put down the lunch box in her hand.
"Um."
Akane Kirino took the bento and used her hands as a tray.
"Just put it on the quilt."
"I don't know how many people have slept on this bed. It's extremely dirty."
"Akane...I'm still sitting on the bed."
Kirino Akane finally smiled, but quickly stopped.
"I'll just take it."
"All right."
After taking a few more mouthfuls of rice, she saw Kirino Akane staring down at the food in the lunch box, and Anko remembered that she had only eaten a sandwich in the morning.
"Qian, please eat some too."
She came back to her senses and shook her head, "I won't eat it."
"I can't eat so much by myself."
Kirino Akane looked down at the lunch box in her hand.
He just emphasized that this was his lunch.
However, there is still a lot left here...
Hongzi picked up a piece of egg roll and said, "Would you like an egg roll?"
"Myself……"
The egg roll has reached my mouth.
"..."
After looking at her, Akane Kirino opened her mouth and accepted it.
"How is the taste."
"ordinary."
"Would you like another piece?"
"want."
Neither of them had eaten much in the morning, so they relaxed their appetites and quickly forgot what Soya said.
By the time both of us were almost full, there was only half a portion of rice left in the lunch box.
"Oops……"
Hongzi looked down at the lunch box, "I accidentally forgot about it."
Kirino Akane touched her belly and said nothing.
"It's time to clean up..." Hongzi prepared to get out of bed.
"Let me do it."
Kirino Akane packed the lunch box, along with the remaining half of rice, and put it back into Soya's schoolbag.
"Why did you take down your schoolbag too?"
"If you hold a lunch box at this time, if the teacher sees you, you will definitely be lectured."
After all, the school stipulates that lunch can only be eaten during lunch break.
Akane Kirino said oh and hung her schoolbag at the end of the bed.
Silence fell suddenly, and the two of them finished their lunch and didn't speak again for a while.
There are still more than twenty minutes until get out of class ends.
Hongzi sat on the bedside. Because of what Akane Kirino said just now, she didn't cover herself with the quilt much, but only spread it a little bit.
The legs were exposed, and on the left calf, there was a bruise that was not very obvious but could not be ignored.
After noticing it, Kirino Akane stared at it for a while, becoming more and more concerned in the silence.
"Is this also what I left when I fell in the underworld?"
"What...this? No."
Hongzi touched her leg and said, "It was more than half a month ago that I fell into hell. The bruises have long since faded. They were caused by accidentally hitting the table leg a few days ago."
"Oh...what a careless person."
She lowered her head, "Because I was thinking about Akane."
Kirino Akane glanced at her, trying to pretend she hadn't heard, but she still couldn't hold back: "When did it start?"
"What?"
"The matter between Hongzi and Soya."
"..."
Hongzi was silent for a while and then said: "If Akane is asking me about my feelings for Soya, then when we first went to Kyoto, I found that I had really fallen in love with him."
"Why didn't Hongzi tell me that night?"
"Don't tell Qian?" She raised her gaze, "Isn't it that Qian doesn't want to believe it?"
"that is because……"
"——It's because Akane also likes Soya and doesn't want me to really like him."
The silent person became Kirino Akane.
"Isn't it because of Akane's unwillingness to see Soya and I these days?" Hongzi said again.
"..."
Akane Kirino looked up at her for a while, her eyes flickering, not knowing what she was thinking.
At a certain moment, her expression suddenly darkened and her eyes dropped.
"I don't like him anymore. I will be angry just because Hongzi and Zonggu have been hiding this matter from me. I don't like him anymore."
Hongzi could tell she was lying even with her eyes closed.
"Stop fooling yourself."
"it is true."
Kirino Akane lowered her eyes, "What I like is the Soya who was honest with me about everything, not the current person who is full of lies."
But aren't you yourself lying now?
Hongzi took a deep breath and looked beyond her lowered head to the window.
During class time, the atrium was silent.
She was finally convinced that the unbreakable love and friendship between the three of them had intertwined into the current situation, and he really had no better way.