Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 209

“...Hey, Makoto.”

After a fierce battle, Shiina Maki and Akizuki Makoto lay naked on the bed. Shiina Maki rested her head on his chest and whispered, "Um... I don't know if I should say this, but isn't Fuyuko being a little too clingy to you?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto looked at Shiina Maki with some surprise and asked, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"I just suddenly feel like Dongzi is being a little too clingy with you. Is this really a good thing?"

"..."

Akizuki Makoto fell silent, showing no intention of answering for a long while.

He didn't know how to answer Shiina Maki's question, and at the same time, he was thinking about why Shiina Maki would suddenly have this idea.

"Sorry, I asked a strange question. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

Shiina Maki noticed Akizuki Makoto's predicament, so she immediately apologized and decided not to interfere anymore.

"Well... that's probably how it seems to others, that Fuyuko is a little too dependent on me."

Akizuki sighed, somewhat helplessly, "I sometimes worry about this problem too, but there's nothing I can do. That's just how Touko is."

Now that things have come to this, he can no longer bear to say anything cruel to Dongzi.

Dongzi helped him a lot, always lending a helping hand whenever he was feeling down and needed assistance.

Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to tell her the words that encouraged her to be independent, just like he used to.

In fact, he had always known that Dongzi was not incapable of being independent, nor was she a useless person.

On the contrary, she is capable of anything, but because of him, she has become a useless younger sister who only relies on her brother.

He had spoiled Dongzi since he was a child, making Dongzi so dependent on him. It would be too cruel for him to force Dongzi to stop depending on him and break away from him now.

"But can't things continue like this?"

Shiina Maki said softly with some concern, "In a few years, Touko will be an adult. If she continues to rely on him, she really won't be able to break free and will have to take care of him for the rest of her life, won't she?"

“…So what?”

Akizuki Makoto suddenly changed his tone, saying with some annoyance, "Touko is my most important younger sister. What's wrong with relying on family? I don't think Touko is a nuisance either."

"No, no, that's not what I meant, I'm sorry..."

Shiina Maki was startled by Akizuki Makoto's reaction and quickly apologized.

"...It's nothing, I just got a little too excited."

Akizuki Makoto immediately calmed down, took a deep breath and said, "But that's really what I think. Even if Touko depends on me, it's fine. We're family. Shouldn't we rely on and support each other?"

"Or do you think Dongzi is a burden? Do you find her troublesome and bothersome about living with me?"

Faced with Makoto Akizuki's barrage of questions, Maki Shiina kept shaking her head, denying it, "I... I didn't think that way. I was just... just a little worried... I'm sorry, I said something strange. I won't mention it again."

“I will take responsibility for Dongzi’s matter. I am her brother and her guardian, so you don’t need to worry.”

"……it is good."

Shiina Maki nodded slightly, her expression revealing a hint of sadness and disappointment.

Seeing this, Akizuki Makoto felt even more frustrated, but at the same time he remembered that Ji Yexue would send him a message tonight.

So he let go of Shiina Maki, got off the bed, and searched for his phone among his clothes.

"Chengjun, what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for my phone."

Looking for your phone?

Shiina Maki was even more confused, wondering why Akizuki Makoto suddenly wanted to find her phone.

"It's so late, who is Cheng-jun contacting?"

She asked the question instinctively, but the moment she did, she regretted it.

In fact, she only needed to think for a moment to know who could make Akizuki Makoto remember to contact her even when they were being intimate.

"……Snow."

After a brief silence, Akizuki Makoto answered truthfully that he did not want to deceive Shiina Maki.

Presumably, Maki Shiina herself knows who he will contact.

"Yes, yes..."

Shiina Maki nodded stiffly, feeling even more lost and sad.

Even when she was being affectionate with her, she couldn't forget Ji Yexue. She had truly lost completely.

"I'm sorry, Xue told me this afternoon that she would contact me tonight."

As Akizuki Makoto spoke, he searched through all his clothes, but still couldn't find his phone.

He thought for a moment and realized he might have left his phone in the living room, so he said, "I think I left my phone in the living room. I'll go get it."

"Well, let's go."

Shiina Maki nodded, and after watching Akizuki Makoto leave, she couldn't help but bury her head in the blanket.

She tried hard to purse her lips, suppressing the overwhelming sadness that washed over her, and refusing to let herself shed tears.

It would be too embarrassing to cry now, and it would also trouble Akizuki Makoto.

"Cheng-kun, don't... don't go to her..."

"Why...why can't you have enough with just me?"

"I only want you... Having you is enough..."

Shiina Maki murmured to herself, tears welling up in her eyes and soaking the blanket.

As she wept silently, she suddenly heard the sound of a door closing from the entrance.

Without a doubt, it must be that Akizuki Makoto left, which made her even sadder.

Did you promise to spend the night with her, but then leave halfway through?
The sobs that had been suppressed suddenly spiraled out of control after realizing that Akizuki Makoto had left.

“Aaaaah…”

Shiina Maki hugged the blanket tightly and cried loudly. The lingering warmth of her body on the blanket and the faint scent that belonged only to Akizuki Makoto made her feel incredibly lonely and empty.

She suddenly felt like a worthless woman.

After all, Akizuki Makoto left without hesitation after their intimate moment, without even saying goodbye, which shows how strong his desire to see Himeyasu was.

Her only value might be this erotic body, but even this body couldn't hold onto Akizuki Makoto, not even for a moment.

This is the difference between first and second favorites; they are completely incomparable.

……

When Akizuki Makoto found his phone in the living room, his eyes widened after seeing the message from Himeyasu on LINE.

"Go downstairs"

The two simple words immediately made him panic, especially since the message was sent an hour earlier.

He almost instinctively ran to the entrance, frantically opened the door, and then slammed it shut, making a loud noise.

He wore slippers as he took the elevator downstairs, sending a message to Ji Yexue at the same time.

As the elevator bounced from floor to floor, it opened when it reached the first floor, and he rushed out impatiently.

When he arrived outside the apartment, he immediately saw Ji Yexue standing silently downstairs.

"Snow!"

Qiu Yuecheng shouted with delight as she ran to Ji Yexue, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry I'm late and made you wait so long." Without a doubt, Ji Yexue must be very angry right now; her cold expression said it all.

"Explain to me why it took you so long to come down!"

Although she already knew the answer, Ji Yexue still asked the question knowingly, because she wanted Qiuyue Cheng to say it himself, so that she could deepen her hatred and wounds.

"I……"

Akizuki opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

He couldn't tell Ji Yexue that while she was waiting, he was passionately entwined with Shiina Maki.

Therefore, he couldn't help but lower his head, not daring to look into Ji Yexue's eyes, like a guilty child who had been caught doing something wrong.

“It’s okay. I saw you go into Shiina’s house and then come out of her house.”

Ji Yexue smiled indifferently, her voice light and filled with a disdainful sneer.

"While I was waiting, you and she had a lot of fun, didn't you?"

"This……"

Akizuki Makoto was speechless, his face filled with a conflicting mix of embarrassment and a desire to defend himself.

He wanted to explain, but that was the truth; he couldn't explain it, nor could he excuse his actions.

"sorry."

In the end, he could only apologize, and that was all he could do.

"I don't care. Don't act like you've done something to wrong me. No matter how much fun you have with her, I won't feel anything."

"..."

"Alright, let's not talk about that. Let me tell you why I came to find you."

Upon hearing Ji Yexue's words, Qiu Yuecheng finally raised his head and looked at her with eyes full of hope and expectation.

"Let's go on a trip tomorrow."

"travel?"

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto paused for a moment before asking, "Where to?"

"I'll go to Hakone for a week."

"Okay."

Akizuki Makoto immediately nodded in agreement. Although he didn't know why Ji Yexue wanted to take him on a trip, he felt it was a good opportunity.

So, to confirm, he asked, "Is it just the two of us?"

"What, you want to bring Shiina along too? You two are really close."

Ji Yexue had a smile on her face, but it was filled with coldness, making it impossible to tell that she was smiling.

"That was not what I meant!"

Akizuki Makoto quickly denied it, explaining, "I'm just confirming. I'd also like to go together, just the two of us."

If it's just the two of them going together, then this trip would undoubtedly be their best chance to repair their relationship.

"Humph."

Ji Yexue simply snorted coldly and remained silent. She knew that Qiu Yuecheng hoped that only the two of them would go together.

However, she was in a terrible mood right now, so she naturally took the opportunity to make sarcastic remarks about Akizuki Makoto.

"Oh, right, shall I return the swimsuit you gave me? I'll go get it now."

As Qiu Yuecheng was speaking, he turned to go upstairs, but Ji Yexue immediately stopped him.

"No need, you can have that swimsuit, I don't need it anyway."

"but……"

Qiu Yuecheng looked troubled and was about to say something when Ji Yexue interrupted him again, saying, "Or is it that you don't want to take it? Do you think it's dirty and you find it disgusting?"

"Of course not, how could I possibly dislike it!"

"Heh, yeah, after all, you're a pervert."

Ji Yexue laughed, her voice full of teasing, "How does it feel to wear my swimsuit? Are you excited? Have you imagined what I'll look like wearing it?"

"This one……"

Akizuki Makoto's gaze became unfocused. He had indeed imagined what Ji Yexue would look like wearing it at first.

But as for excitement, there was no excitement; at most, it was a feeling of stimulation and transgression.

"abnormal."

Ji Yexue muttered a curse under her breath, looking at Qiuyue Cheng with a hint of disdain.

At this, Akizuki Makoto was immediately embarrassed, and blushed as he explained, "I... I did think about it, but I wasn't excited!"

"No need to explain, I know your true nature. You're a hopeless, perverted scumbag."

"No... I admit I'm scum, but the accusation of being a pervert is baseless."

"How dare you talk back?"

Ji Yexue crossed her arms and gave a cold laugh. Qiu Yuecheng immediately shut his mouth and stopped arguing.

If Ji Yexue could vent her dissatisfaction by scolding him a few times, then he wouldn't mind being scolded.

"Go back and pack your bags. We'll meet at Chiyoda Station at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

"it is good……"

Qiuyue Cheng nodded, but showed no intention of leaving, staring straight at Ji Yexue.

"you……"

Just as Ji Yexue frowned and was about to ask him why he hadn't left yet, Qiu Yuecheng suddenly spoke up, "Why did you come to stop me this afternoon? Didn't you want to make me suffer a public social death?"

"...Who told you to ask that?"

After a moment of silence, Ji Yexue turned her head away, clearly not intending to answer Qiuyue Cheng's question.

She not only stopped Akizuki Makoto from dying, but also, in front of everyone, she threw herself at him and kissed him while crying.

She can't explain the meaning of this behavior, at least not now.

"I know it's a difficult answer, but I just want to confirm one thing."

Akizuki Makoto smiled, his expression softening considerably, and said softly, "Xue, as long as you still love me, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yexue's body trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and said coldly, "Don't flatter yourself. When the trip is about to end, I will tell you why I did this, and I will also tell you something else."

"Yes, I will look forward to that day."

Akizuki Makoto nodded and didn't press further; he was looking forward to tomorrow's trip.

"Hehe, are you looking forward to it?"

Ji Yexue laughed inexplicably, and said meaningfully, "I hope your expectations won't be disappointed, after all, what I'm about to say is quite cruel."

She could already imagine the expression on Akizuki Makoto's face when she told him about it on the day the trip ended.

But it didn't matter anymore; she had made up her mind, and everything had reached its limit.

This was her last act of willfulness, and also her final wish.

Thinking of that day, Ji Yexue's expression couldn't help but become desolate and empty.

At that moment, she felt as if she might disappear at any moment.

(End of this chapter)