Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 211 Sleepless Nights

"Hey, Cheng-kun, is it alright now? Can I be happy now? Please give me happiness."

Shiina Maki asked anxiously, sitting up from the bed, reaching out her hands to hug Akizuki Makoto tightly, burying her head in his neck, and sobbing softly.

"I'm so lonely. Not being chosen is so lonely and sad."

"It makes me so sad that Rin-chan broke off our friendship, even though it wasn't her fault at all."

"But I... but while I'm sad, I also feel... it doesn't matter if we break up... because... she made a move on Cheng-kun..."

"She likes Chengjun, doesn't she...? She's using the excuse of repaying a debt of gratitude to try and get close to Chengjun, isn't she?"

"Haha, how presumptuous of me! How could I have thought that way? I'm so cynical, assuming such bad things about my friend..."

Shiina Maki muttered incoherently to herself, as if she had broken down, her heart filled with emptiness and loneliness.

She had been holding back for far too long, and all the negative and extreme emotions she had desperately suppressed and processed in the past were now surging back at this moment.

Boundless loneliness and darkness consumed her completely, and she had utterly collapsed.

"Maki, I will make you happy, but..."

Qiu Yuecheng paused halfway through his sentence. After a slight hesitation, he took a deep breath and said firmly, "But I also want to give Xue happiness. I will not give up on her and will continue to pursue her."

He couldn't guarantee that he could give Shiina Maki 100% happiness, nor could he guarantee that such a thing wouldn't happen again in the future.

He could only promise that he would do his best and try not to let anyone down.

"Tomorrow, I'm going on a week-long trip to Hakone with Yuki. I think this is the best opportunity for us to mend our relationship."

"Yeah?"

Shiina Maki murmured listlessly, then suddenly released her grip on Akizuki Makoto's hand and said softly, "Okay, go ahead. I'm sorry for saying so many things that have bothered you."

"I am not bothered."

Akizuki Makoto shook his head and continued, "In the future, if you have any complaints, you can speak them out freely. Don't suppress yourself."

It wasn't just him forcing himself to stay upright; Shiina Maki was forcing herself to stay upright as well.

Just as she said, if she complained to Akizuki Makoto whenever she was dissatisfied or unhappy, it would only trouble Akizuki Makoto and bring him to the brink of collapse.

If you try to hold on tightly to the happiness at hand, you will only lose what is truly important.

Akizuki Makoto is very weak; he will only choose the most pitiful person.

Now, Ji Yexue is much more pitiful than her.

Facing bankruptcy and heartbreak, the family's mental state became extremely unstable, and the family was at risk of suicide or other extreme actions.

It looked broken no matter how you looked at it, so Akizuki Makoto couldn't stand by and do his best to save Himeyasuki.

But how much better off can she be?
He watched helplessly as Akizuki Makoto was right in front of him, yet their true feelings remained unreachable and untouchable.

Moreover, she had been enduring Akizuki Makoto's cruelty and selfishness, watching helplessly as he cheated on her with Shiraishi Rin for his own selfish desires and to please Himeyasuki, thus destroying the friendship she cherished.

She not only did not condemn Akizuki Makoto, but even comforted and encouraged him.

How could Akizuki Makoto possibly understand her true feelings, her sincere heart?

Sometimes, she also wanted to give up on herself and simply become bad, entering self-destructive mode.

In this way, Akizuki Makoto won't go to Ji Yexue's side and will stay with her instead, right?
But doing this won't work; it will cause Akizuki Makoto to collapse as well, and it will lead everything into the abyss of despair.

That's how relationships are between three people. If they are all arrogant, unwilling to back down, and constantly at odds, then a balance cannot be achieved.

Therefore, Shiina Maki took the initiative to back down and was willing to compromise, but her patience had its limits.

"...Hey, Makoto, are you serious about that?"

Shiina Maki lowered her head and asked softly, "Do I really not want to suppress myself anymore? Can I really be willful now? Can I really stop worrying about things?"

"This……"

Akizuki Makoto's eyes widened slightly, a feeling of extreme unease and unease suddenly rising within him.

He had just opened his mouth to say something when Shiina Maki interrupted him, "Then let's not go on the trip tomorrow. Come with me. I don't want you to go, Makoto-kun. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen."

"Maki, you—"

Makoto Akizuki was immediately horrified; he had almost forgotten what kind of personality Shiina Maki used to have.

"Hehe, just kidding."

Shiina Maki suddenly laughed again, her tone cheerful, "Makoto-kun, have a great trip! Go to sleep now, you still have to pack your luggage tomorrow, right? If you're going for a week, you'll have to bring a lot of things."

"Ah... um."

Akizuki Makoto nodded, picking up where Shiina Maki left off, thus ending the previous topic.

He dared not continue the conversation, and he knew that Shiina Maki was not joking; she had really thought about it, but was just holding back.

"Chengjun, you should go back now. I want to be alone."

"This……"

"Please go back."

Shiina Maki's tone was firm. She reached out and pushed Akizuki Makoto's back, whispering, "If Makoto-kun stays here tonight, I don't know if I can let you leave tomorrow."

"...Good night, Maki."

After a moment of silence, Akizuki Makoto quietly said goodbye to Shiina Maki, then tiptoed out of the bedroom and quietly left Shiina Maki's house, returning to his own home.

"Haha, I'm such an idiot..."

After Akizuki Makoto left, Shiina Maki laughed self-deprecatingly, her heart filled with bitterness.

She clearly didn't want Akizuki Makoto to go on the trip with Ji Yexue, and she clearly knew how to persuade him to stay, but she couldn't muster the courage to do it.

She was terrified that if she acted recklessly, she would push Akizuki Makoto into a corner and cause him to bounce back from rock bottom.

If he breaks down, he might just abandon everything and be with Ji Yexue.

Wouldn't that be a losing proposition for her? So it's better to continue to compromise like this.

At least this way, she doesn't risk losing Akizuki Makoto, and she doesn't have to worry about being abandoned.

Although it was painful, it was nothing compared to being abandoned.

Shiina Maki loves Akizuki Makoto so deeply that she can't live without him.

"President Himeya, I really envy you. You have everything I don't."

Shiina Maki lay on the bed, muttering to herself, filled with envy and jealousy towards Hime Yuki.

Even though the Ji Ye family is currently facing a decline, it's still something she can't compare to.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; even if it has fallen into decline and bankruptcy, it still has enough wealth to last for generations, and both parents are alive and the family is happy.

Not only that, Ji Yexue also monopolized Qiu Yuecheng's favoritism, making Qiu Yuecheng constantly yearn for her.

As expected, she and Ji Yexue were mortal enemies, incapable of understanding or coexisting.

They came from two different worlds. If it weren't for Akizuki Makoto, they wouldn't even have had the chance to meet, let alone hate or be hostile towards each other.

……

After returning home from Shiina Maki's house, Akizuki Makoto did not go to his bedroom immediately. Instead, he sat on the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The clock on the wall had already pointed to one o'clock, but he felt no sleepiness whatsoever.

The drawbacks of trying to date two people at the same time are slowly becoming apparent.

Even if he succeeds in persuading Ji Yexue, so what?

After that, will he be able to maintain a balance between the two of them and ensure that they don't become jealous of each other?

Can you guarantee that he won't favor one person and neglect another?
He considers Shiina Maki his girlfriend and acknowledges the relationship, but if he were to date both Hime Yuki and Shiina Maki at the same time, he would definitely give more love to Hime Yuki.

Even he himself was well aware that there were different kinds of liking someone, and Ji Yexue was his absolute favorite.

If they were both crying and he had to choose, and could only comfort one of them, he would definitely choose Ji Yexue in the end.

"...I'm really confused."

Akizuki closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and didn't know what to do.

It's not a good thing for Shiina Maki to keep forcing herself like this. Sooner or later, she will lose her temper and explode, just like tonight.

But if she doesn't continue to suppress herself, he will be very troubled.

If Shiina Maki continues with that so-called joke tonight, he's sure everything will become a mess.

When Shiina Maki becomes self-destructive, her darkness is definitely deeper than that of Himeyasuki.

It wasn't until 2 a.m. that Akizuki Makoto sat slumped on the living room sofa. Only when he felt sleepy did he turn off the living room lights and go into the bedroom.

When he quietly lifted the covers and lay down in bed, Fuyuko, who had been sleeping quietly on the inside of the bed, suddenly hugged him.

"Brother, welcome back."

Then, Dongzi's soft voice gently rang out in the darkness.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

As he spoke, Akizuki Makoto reached out and placed his palm on Touko's little head, stroking it gently.

"I woke up when I sensed my brother was back, hehe~"

"Go to sleep, it's very late now."

"Yes, I want to sleep with my brother."

Dongzi nodded gently, her soft little face nuzzling against Qiuyue Cheng's chest, and whispered, "Dongzi thought her brother wasn't coming back, and she was a little lonely."

"Well... all sorts of things must have happened."

Akizuki Makoto gave a wry smile. He had originally thought he would be sleeping at Shiina Maki's place tonight.

"No, Dongzi wasn't talking about tonight. It was just now when Dongzi fell asleep and had a dream that my brother went to a very, very far place and never came back."

"What a sad dream, but dreams and reality are often opposites, aren't they? So I won't go far away, and I won't stay away forever."

"Um……"

Dongzi responded softly, hugged Qiuyuecheng tightly, and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, don't go to a far place, and don't separate from Dongzi again. Dongzi doesn't want to live without you anymore."

The reason why Makoto Akizuki feels that Touko hasn't grown up is because her heart is imprisoned in the past, imprisoned in that doting love.

Because she relies on her older brother, Dongzi feels that it doesn't matter if she doesn't grow up, and that relying on her brother is a very happy and joyful thing.

She didn't want to grow up, because growing up meant separation, and she didn't want to be separated.

"Yes, I won't leave."

Akizuki made a soft promise, remembering what Shiina Maki had said to him about Fuyuko that evening.

Dongzi is very sensible and doesn't cause any trouble. She is also easily satisfied.

She wouldn't fight or make unreasonable demands; all she wanted was to quietly stay by her brother's side and live together.

For her, home is where her brother is. He is special, completely different from everyone else, and is a bond that belongs only to her.

This feeling is pure and sincere, without any impurities.

"Brother, you must be very tired. Go to sleep, you'll feel better after a good night's sleep, everything will be alright."

Fuyuko's voice seemed to possess a kind of magic, causing Akizuki Makoto, who was only slightly sleepy, to feel his eyelids begin to grow heavy.

The feeling was like being hypnotized, and my consciousness gradually became blurred.

"Okay, let's sleep together, Dongzi."

Qiuyue Cheng mumbled incoherently, closed his eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

He had thought he might have trouble sleeping tonight, but he didn't expect to fall asleep so quickly.

"Good night, brother."

Dongzi lovingly reached out and stroked Akizuki Makoto's face.

She tilted her head back, kissed Akizuki Makoto's cheek, and then, like a docile and obedient kitten, nestled in his arms and fell peacefully asleep.

Just now, she used her power of words to make Akizuki Makoto sleep soundly.

If we don't do this, my brother will toss and turn all night again.

He will never be able to let go of this feeling; he will always be bound by the conflict between Shiina Maki and Himeyasuki, unable to break free.

Since that's the case, all she can do is use her own power to help Akizuki Makoto get a good night's sleep.

She rarely uses her own abilities anymore, because her brother has been working hard to gradually achieve his ideal future.

And it's time for her to step down; she shouldn't continue to distort her brother's common sense because of her own willfulness.

Many things happened today, whether for Makoto Akizuki, Yuki Hime, or Maki Shiina and Fuyuko.

While Akizuki Mako was peacefully asleep with Fuyuko in his arms, Shiina Maki next door was tossing and turning in agony.

Ji Yexue, far away in the port area, also found it difficult to fall asleep, sitting in the courtyard gazing up at the dark night sky.

The sky over Tokyo was pitch black and boundless, so deep it seemed capable of swallowing all light.

This sky is like the truest reflection of her inner world: dark, desolate, and boundless.

"...Makoto, are you asleep?"

Wearing a nightgown and kimono, Ji Yexue gazed up at the night sky, thinking to herself.

That night, she couldn't fall asleep; her restless mind made her completely unable to feel sleepy.

She couldn't help but wonder if Akizuki Makoto was also having trouble sleeping, or if he and Shiina Maki were already licking each other's wounds of loneliness and falling asleep in each other's arms?

(End of this chapter)