Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 117 Dongzi's Promise

At six o'clock in the evening, the bell rang precisely to signal the end of the club activities, echoing throughout the entire school.

As Akizuki Makoto finished packing up his tea set and picked up his schoolbag to leave, Ji Yexue walked up to him in a few quick steps and said with a smile, "Makoto, let's go back together."

"...Don't call me by my name so intimately, President Himeya."

Akizuki Makoto seemed to be intentionally keeping his distance from Ji Yexue, not only in his words and attitude, but also by moving his body to the side.

He and Ji Yexue were originally walking side by side, but after he moved, there was now a body length between them.

"Why are you arguing for no reason? Didn't we start addressing each other by our first names a long time ago?"

“When we were at your house before, it was a special case. Normally, our relationship isn’t close enough for us to address each other by name.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yexue frowned slightly. She felt that Qiu Yuecheng was acting strangely today, as if he was deliberately distancing himself from her and trying to sever ties with her.

Before this, he had never objected when she called Qiuyue Cheng by his name.

"What, are you getting all high and mighty now that you're a big writer?"

Ji Yexue curled her lips and said sarcastically, "Yes, you're famous now. You can run into people asking for your autograph just by going out for a walk. It's normal for you to be a little arrogant."

Although she knew that Akizuki Makoto wasn't putting on airs or trying to keep his distance from her because he was famous, she was still very unhappy.

They keep emphasizing that their relationship is very ordinary, and they can't even address each other by name. But so much has happened between them. Even if they're not close, you can't say their relationship is just ordinary, right?

"Whatever you think."

Akizuki Makoto was too lazy to argue with Hime Yuki, so he left the student council room after saying a few words.

Ji Yexue's face instantly turned ugly, and she couldn't help but want to explode, questioning Qiu Yuecheng about what had suddenly gone wrong. But after thinking about it, she held back and followed closely behind him.

"Did the president and vice president have a fight?"

"I guess the vice president is upset. It's all your fault for making fun of his relationship with the president in front of him every day."

After the two left, the student council members, who had been looking at each other in bewilderment, finally dared to speak up and discuss what had happened.

……

Why are you walking so fast?

After leaving the student council room, Ji Yexue caught up with Qiuyue Cheng and walked alongside him, then asked, "Are you in a bad mood today? You weren't like this a few days ago."

"Yes, I'm in a bad mood, so please don't talk to me for now."

Qiu Yuecheng sneered, thinking to himself, "Isn't Ji Yexue all too clear about whether he's in a good mood or not?"

Ji Yexue seemed surprised that Qiu Yuecheng would admit it so readily. She thought Qiu Yuecheng would keep it to himself and pretend to be nonchalant on the surface.

That's how Akizuki Makoto usually is. He pretends, no matter how bad his mood is or how many troubles he has, he won't show it on his face. If you ask, he'll say he's fine.

"Why are you in a bad mood?"

When Ji Yexue asked this question, following the atmosphere, her heart suddenly raced.

Although she had already guessed that her bad mood was due to her surprise attack on Akizuki Makoto this morning, which was something she hadn't done in a long time, she still felt uncomfortable if he said it out loud.

After all, she had resolved never to use superpowers again, to repent and atone for her past actions, but in the end…

I couldn't resist and succumbed to desire.

"Is that something you should be asking?"

Qiu Yuecheng snorted coldly, his attitude full of impatience and malice. After all, Ji Yexue was one of the culprits, and she asked the question knowingly, so how could he give her a good look!

Moreover, he was certain that Ji Yexue wouldn't dare to turn against him.

"you……"

As expected, Ji Yexue was about to explode, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to hold back, then smiled and said, "Why can't I ask? I want to help you solve your problems, is that not allowed?"

"No."

Akizuki Makoto shook his head and said calmly, "Because you can't solve it."

How can you be so sure I can't solve it? Is there anything I can't solve?

After Ji Yexue finished speaking, Qiuyue Cheng turned his head, smiled at her, and said nothing, but it seemed as if he had said everything.

Ji Yexue was stunned for a moment, not understanding the meaning behind Qiu Yuecheng's smile, but it felt like he was mocking her, or perhaps it was a helpless bitter smile.

"...Never mind, remember what you promised me, I'll pick you up on Saturday."

So she stopped dwelling on the topic of Akizuki Makoto's troubles and tried to change the subject to liven up the atmosphere.

But Akizuki Makoto only gave a curt "hmm," his reaction indifferent and perfunctory.

By this time, they had arrived on the third floor. Following Ji Yexue's directions, they went to the innermost part, which was the activity room of the handicraft club.

Besides Fuyuko and Shiina Maki, there are two other girls in the craft club who are Fuyuko's classmates.

Dongzi, who was still busy sewing in the activity room, seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up at the door, her face immediately showing joy.

"elder brother!"

She shouted happily, put down her needlework, and ran towards Qiu Yuecheng, throwing herself into his arms.

"Dongzi, how many times have I told you? This kind of childish behavior is forbidden."

Although Akizuki Makoto was being critical, he still patted Fuyuko's head and then patted her back, signaling her to let go.

"Um... I couldn't resist."

Dongzi playfully stuck out her tongue, smiling radiantly, trying to get away with being cute.

"Be careful next time, or you'll be punished by not getting any pudding when you get home."

After giving a warning, Akizuki Makoto continued, "Alright, pack up and go back. The school will close in ten minutes."

"Good~"

Dongzi nodded obediently and went back to tidy up her needlework and pack her schoolbag.

At this moment, Akizuki Makoto also greeted the other two members of the craft club.

They are sisters surnamed Fengling. I didn't see them when I went to find Dongzi yesterday. It seems they became friends with Dongzi after attending a social event.

"Brother, I'm all better now~"

Dongzi quickly packed everything up, ran to Qiuyue Cheng's side with her schoolbag on her back, naturally took his hand and held it tightly.

"Then let's go?"

Akizuki Makoto smiled, said goodbye to the Kaede sisters, and then took Touko's hand and turned to leave.

Shiina Maki, still inside the activity room, watched Akizuki Makoto leave, momentarily stunned.

It seems like she's being ignored?

When Akizuki Makoto greeted the Kaede sisters, he didn't greet her again.

She could understand why Qiuyue Cheng didn't greet her. After all, she was busy packing her things, and they knew each other, so there was no need for her to come over and say hello.

But she couldn't understand why, when Akizuki Makoto left, he not only didn't say goodbye, but he didn't even glance at her, completely ignoring her! "Aki... Akizuki-kun!"

Unable to understand, Shiina Maki picked up her schoolbag and hurriedly caught up with Akizuki Makoto, who was about to go downstairs.

"Ok?"

Hearing Shiina Maki calling him, Akizuki Makoto stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked, "What's wrong, Shiina-kun?"

Shiina Maki glanced at Hime Yuki, who was staring at her with a scrutinizing gaze and a faint smile on her face, her arms crossed, and said somewhat awkwardly:

"Um... shall we go back together? You see, we live together, don't we?"

"Yes, that's right. Let's do it together then."

Qiuyue Cheng nodded, his reaction indifferent.

After speaking, he turned his head back to the front and stepped downstairs.

His unusual attitude surprised both Shiina Maki and Hime Yuki.

Neither of them said anything, because they could both sense that Akizuki Makoto seemed to be in a very bad mood.

They understood why Akizuki Makoto was in a bad mood, so they didn't dare to make a sound and felt secretly guilty.

The sight of the four of them leaving school together was seen by many classmates who had also finished their club activities and were preparing to leave home. They were surprised and gossiped about it.

Upon arriving at the school gate, Ji Yexue and Qiuyue Cheng bid farewell to Dongzi and got into the car that was already waiting for her to go home. Unlike before, they didn't linger or play any tricks on each other.

Qiu Yuecheng was in a bad mood, so there was no need for her to provoke him. Going back sensibly was the best option.

"Dongzi, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"Anything is fine with me, Dongzi will eat it all, whatever my brother makes!"

"Yes, not being a picky eater makes you a good child."

Akizuki smiled and patted Dongzi's head, and Dongzi smiled back.

The two walked hand in hand intimately, and although there were three people walking, it looked as if there were only the two of them.

Shiina Maki didn't even get a chance to speak; she seemed to have no presence at all.

From beginning to end, Akizuki Makoto didn't look at her again, nor did he seem to want to talk to her.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, she didn't dare to speak to Akizuki Makoto and could only listen to their conversation silently.

Throughout the journey, she was filled with trepidation, so upon returning home, she didn't say a word before parting ways with Qiuyue and her brother.

It wasn't until they got home that Dongzi asked curiously, "Brother, did you have a fight with your sisters?"

How could she not notice that Akizuki Makoto's attitude towards Himeyasu and Shiina Maki was different from usual?

As the person who knows Akizuki Makoto best, she understands very well how her brother behaves when he's angry.

Clearly, the indifference and apathy he received along the way foreshadowed the extent of his anger.

After a moment of silence, Akizuki Makoto replied in a somber voice, "...They did something wrong."

"What did the sisters do wrong to make the brother so angry?"

Dongzi tilted her head, unable to understand. It was the first time she had ever seen her brother so angry, even angrier than the nights before.

"Like Fuyuko, they possess incredible abilities."

Akizuki Makoto turned around, squatted down in front of Fuyuko, patted her head, and said softly, "Fuyuko, you can't reveal this to your older sister. We know they have superpowers, understand?"

"Yes, Dongzi understands."

Dongzi nodded obediently. She was always very good at keeping secrets, which was why Qiuyue Cheng could tell her so confidently.

Moreover, Akizuki Makoto was genuinely frustrated, keeping their secret to himself, afraid to reveal it, and unable to reveal it.

This resulted in him being forced to watch helplessly as the two of them claimed to like and love him while simultaneously using their superpowers to commit illicit acts.

He could not accept such behavior.

Presumably, the two of them must have made up their minds to stop using their superpowers to do whatever they wanted to him, otherwise there wouldn't have been a period of peace.

But in the end, it was still defeated by desire.

No matter what the excuse is, once it's been used, it's been used. He won't and can't agree with it, much less understand it.

And that's the root of his anger today; he's disappointed in both of them.

He would never like a hypocrite, no matter what.

If you want him to accept their feelings, at least take the initiative to talk about what you did and admit your mistakes.
If you feel guilty, how can you talk about love and romance?
"Brother, are you very angry or upset?"

Dongzi asked softly, opening her arms to hug Qiuyue Cheng, and then said, "Dongzi... can help her brother. Brother just needs to tell Dongzi what to do."

If Akizuki Makoto were to speak, she could ruthlessly target Himeyasu and Shiina Maki.

Whether it's making their superpowers disappear, making them forget Akizuki Makoto, or erasing their feelings for him.

Not to mention that she now possesses the ability to directly alter reality, comparable to that of a god, she could have done the same thing using common sense even before.

"Dongzi, your brother doesn't need you to do anything."

Makoto Akizuki gently hugged Fuyuko and whispered, "I only hope that you will stop using that ability and treat people with sincerity. Only with sincerity can you gain true love."

"Is it sincere...?"

Dongzi muttered to herself, a barely perceptible sadness appearing in her eyes.

To this day, she still feels uneasy and confused about using her superpowers on Akizuki Makoto that night.

She knew it was wrong to do this and that it would make her brother angry, but she endured it for a long time because she was afraid that her brother would leave her again.

She needs Akizuki Makoto's conviction that it will never be weaker than anyone else's.

To separate her from her brother would be tantamount to tearing her flesh and blood apart.

She didn't ask for much; she simply wanted to live with her brother. That was all she wanted.

But what kind of brother lives with his sister all the time?
She understood this as well.

It was precisely because she understood this that she couldn't resist altering reality, making Akizuki Makoto believe that they were meant to live together and never be separated.

"Dongzi, you are the only one who must not lie, you cannot lie, and I will not lie to Dongzi either."

Qiu Yuecheng spoke softly, a strange sense of repression lingering in his heart.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but when he thought about what Ji Yexue and Shiina Maki had done, he wondered if Fuyuko would one day succumb to desire and give in to it.

The thought of that possibility made him unusually vulnerable; he felt terrified and his body even trembled slightly.

"...Yes, Fuyuko wouldn't lie to her brother."

Dongzi hugged Qiuyuecheng tightly and made a promise.

Now that her brother has made a promise with her, the lies from before don't count anymore, right?
From now on, she will not lie to her brother—absolutely not.

(End of this chapter)