Mygo, are you all yanderes?

No matter how good an actor is, they will unconsciously show expressions when faced with sudden events, and those fleeting expressions can represent their true thoughts.

Shiina Tatsuki intended to capture that fleeting expression.

Shiina Riki couldn't deny that this was a bad idea. She didn't know why she suddenly came up with such a method, which was undoubtedly somewhat hurtful.

But this tactic will definitely work, and then we'll know what Kusano Akira is really like.

If Kusano Akira's immediate expression suggests that what he just said was a lie to Shiina Tatsuki, then Shiina Tatsuki can be wary of him.

However, if that is not the case, then Shiina Tatsuki will apologize to Kusano Akira.

When Kusano Akira heard Shiina Tatsuki's suddenly cold words, he was stunned for a moment, and his hand, which was originally reaching out to Shiina Tatsuki, stopped in mid-air.

However, he did not show either of the two expressions that Shiina Ritsuki had guessed. Apart from being stunned for a moment, his expression only showed a hint of wanting to say something but holding back.

It was as if he had faced this kind of thing more than once or twice.

Seeing Kusano Akira's micro-expression, Shiina Tatsuki knew that what Kusano Akira had just said to her was probably not a lie, so she took a deep breath and prepared to apologize to him.

Just as Shiina Tatsuki was about to apologize to Kusano Akira and tell him that she hadn't meant to, Kusano Akira, whom she thought had given up trying to persuade her, suddenly reached out his hand again and firmly grabbed Shiina Tatsuki's forearm.

"That's not OK."

"Eh?"

Shiina Tatsuki looked at Kusano Akira, who was holding her back, in astonishment. She hadn't expected that even after she had said such harsh words, Kusano Akira would still insist on not letting her go to rehearsal.

"Even if you're not close, you should at least take care of your health."

"Oh, well, I already said such awful things..."

"That doesn't matter, but don't neglect your health for the sake of rehearsals."

"..."

"The lamp will be sad to see you like this."

Kusano knew he couldn't persuade Shiina Tatsuki on his own, so he used Takamatsu Akari as bait.

"Um, it's really nothing. I just stayed up too late writing the score. The score is finished now, and I'll take a break after this."

"So, I really can rehearse, no problem."

Shiina Tatsuki suddenly felt a little afraid to look at Kusano Akira. The concern in his eyes made her feel both ashamed and embarrassed.

Even after saying such hurtful things, Kusano Akira was still thinking about her health.

However, she betrayed his feelings for her own bad idea and even began to doubt him.

Shiina Tatsuki felt somewhat sorry for Kusano Akira.

"Also, I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't telling the truth. We're... pretty close..."

Shiina Tatsuki hated his own mouth for being so clumsy, unable to utter the right words at crucial moments.

"Anyway, don't take what I just said seriously, it was all a lie! I'm leaving now!"

Seeing that she couldn't speak frankly, and that Kusano Akira hadn't given up on the idea of ​​stopping her from rehearsing, Shiina Tatsuki simply threw down those words, pulled her arm out of Kusano Akira's hand, and ran towards the practice room without looking back.

Only Kusano Akira was left, staggered a couple of steps by Shiina Tatsuki's suddenly pulled arm away.

Author's Note: 6k

As always, there will be a late update tomorrow.

Volume 1: Chapter 42. Takamatsu Akari's Fear

Kusano Akira had assumed that Shiina Tatsuki, who had looked so uncomfortable earlier, probably didn't have any strength left, so he confidently extended his hand to her.

Moreover, given the precedent of Toyokawa Shoko, Kusano Akira no longer held the previous belief that all girls were stronger than him.

Therefore, he was completely unprepared for Shiina Ritsuki, and he didn't even use much force with the hand that was holding her, thinking that he could easily hold Shiina Ritsuki back and prevent her from escaping.

However, he not only misjudged Shiina Tatsuki's strength and condition, but also forgot that his hand was now in a semi-injured state thanks to what happened today.

So Shiina Riki's sudden exertion caught Kusano Akira off guard, leaving her body and mind unable to react. She was pulled by her force, staggered a couple of steps, and almost fell to the ground.

"Tsk, I forgot she's a drummer..."

Kusano Akira rubbed his hands, watching Shiina Tatsuki run away in the distance, and complained softly.

4. Unwilling to admit that he was not as strong as a girl, Kusano Akira attributed Shiina Tatsuki's great strength to the fact that she was a drummer.

It's reasonable that someone needs to be a little stronger than a drummer, since the drummer plays drums intensely every day.

However, since Shiina Tatsuki was unwilling to stop rehearsing no matter what, Kusano Akira couldn't say anything. Just as Shiina Tatsuki said, they weren't very close—although Shiina Tatsuki's last words seemed to suggest that their relationship was closer than before, which was probably the result of his efforts.

Even though they were closer than before, Kusano Akira still felt that he couldn't persuade Shiina Tatsuki and could only let her do as she pleased.

Fortunately, Kusano knew Shiina Tatsuki's weakness—Takamatsu Akira.

Shiina Tatsuki really liked Takamatsu Akira, and Kusano Akira clearly noticed this. In fact, not only Kusano Akira, but everyone in the band—including the regular NPC, Shinji Rinko—knew this as well.

After all, every time Takamatsu Akari came to the practice room, Shiina Tatsuki would always greet her in a very agitated tone, and sometimes he would even stand up on purpose.

Sou also offered to take Gaosong Deng home every day.

While Shiina Tatsuki isn't usually rude, her typical tone can easily frighten some timid people. However, when speaking to Takamatsu Akari, her tone becomes excessively gentle.

For him, it was the complete opposite of what he did for others.

If Kusano Akira weren't blind, he would definitely be able to see how much Shiina Tatsuki cares about Takamatsu Akari.

Furthermore, when Nagasaki Motoyo first joined the band, she jokingly mentioned how much Shiina Tatsuki liked Takamatsu Akari.

Since Shiina Tatsuki's weakness is Takamatsu Akira, Kusano Akira has a lot of room to maneuver.

It just so happens that Takamatsu Akira and Kusano Akira have a good relationship and both value the concept of a 'band'. When the time comes, Kusano Akira only needs to mention Shiina Tatsuki's current situation to Takamatsu Akira, and Takamatsu Akira will definitely care about Shiina Tatsuki.

Then there'll be no need to worry about Shiina Tatsuki not taking a break.

Of course, Kusano Akira felt very apologetic for the fact that he had planned to deliberately distance himself from Takamatsu Akari but still had to use her to let Shiina Tatsuki rest.

He will make amends to Gao Songdeng after he has successfully prevented her from having any romantic feelings for him.

Now that Shiina Tatsuki and Chihaya Aine have already returned to the practice room before him, Kusano Akira, who is alone here, has no reason to linger here.

Although RIG's interior is always lit, not all the lights are bright white; some areas have a darker, dusky feel.

Kusano Akira is currently in this kind of lighting.

Kusano Akira hated this kind of lighting. It always reminded him of the times when he was alone at home, and once dusk fell, his empty house would be completely covered in a dark gold color.

Or perhaps it was when I was in elementary school, cleaning the four wards for the seven members; that's the color of the school campus back then. ≌』ba…zero”

In a typical family setting, this color would create a warm and inviting atmosphere, reminiscent of the scenes often depicted on television of a family of three enjoying dinner together in the glow of the setting sun.

However, Kusano Akira, who was always alone, didn't have a good feeling about this color, which didn't leave him with any good memories, and even found it quite annoying—whenever a program used this kind of lighting, he would immediately switch to another one.

So Kusano Akira had been enduring discomfort ever since he was with Shiina Tatsuki and Chihaya Aine, and now that the two of them were gone, he naturally felt a little more relaxed.

Unwilling to see the light any longer, Kusano Akira immediately followed Shiina Tatsuki's steps and headed towards the practice room.

When Kusano Akira opened the practice room door again and looked inside, Shiina Tatsuki had already sat back down in her seat, crossed her long legs, crossed her arms, and was looking in the direction of Chihaya Aine with a faint wicked smile on her lips.

Hearing Kusano Akira open the door, Shiina Tatsuki looked away from Chihaya Aine, nodded awkwardly to him, and then turned his head away again.

She felt incredibly embarrassed by what she had just done. She suddenly gave a cold shoulder to a guy she was on good terms with, then suddenly said something like, "Actually, we're on good terms," ​​and then suddenly ran away.

While running, she accidentally made him fall down — Shiina Tatsuki was so focused on running that she didn't dare look back at Kusano Akira, but she only guessed from the feeling at the time that Kusano Akira must have fallen down.

She originally wanted to go back and help Kusano Akira, but she felt too embarrassed, so her body only reacted by running away. By the time she wanted to go back, she had already missed the best opportunity.

Going back rashly would only make things more awkward.

Kusano Akira nodded to Shiina Tatsuki, who looked embarrassed, and then turned his gaze to Chihaya Aine, who was chattering away and talking to Nagasaki Motoyo.

To be fair, the soundproofing in the practice room is really good. Chihaya Aine's voice is so clear inside the room, but you can't hear it at all outside.

It was fine before I came in, but as soon as I came in, I heard Chihaya Aine and Nagasaki Motoyo, those two top-notch clip voices, exchanging clips.

Kusano Akira still thinks Chihaya Aine's voice is better. Although both are strange voices, Chihaya Aine's voice is not as affected as Nagasaki Motoyo's.

Every time he hears Nagasaki Motoyo's voice, Kusano Akira always feels some discomfort in his ears.

Although Kusano Akira didn't know what they were talking about, judging from Nagasaki Motoyo's unusually awkward and strained expression—not her usual gentle or mysterious smile—Chihaya Aine's words must have been incredibly impactful.

In order to figure out what Chihaya Aine had said that made Nagasaki Motoyo so nervous, Kusano Akira quietly moved closer to the two of them and pricked up his ears.

"Isn't this nickname cute?"

"You're right, aren't you, Su Shishi!"

Chihaya Aine grinned, showing off her fangs to Nagasaki Motoyo, her gray eyes still gleaming with a longing for approval.

As soon as Chihaya Aine entered the room, she couldn't wait to tell Nagasaki Motoyo the nickname she had given her, hoping that Nagasaki Motoyo wouldn't show the same embarrassed expression as Kusano Akira and Shiina Tatsuki.

She is very confident in her taste in naming things.

Unfortunately, Chihaya Aine's hopes were dashed.

Perhaps Chihaya Aine's taste in naming wasn't that bad; ordinary high school girls would also give their best friends such nicknames.

But at least Nagasaki Motoyo didn't really like that nickname.

It wasn't just a matter of disliking it; she felt the nickname was incredibly embarrassing, like a kindergarten kid or a first or second grader giving their best friend a nickname.

It sounds intimate, but it's really too embarrassing for Nagasaki Motoyo, an active high school student who has always maintained a mature persona.

It's not that she dislikes being called affectionate names; on the contrary, Nagasaki Motoyo has also fantasized about being given an intimate nickname by a close friend, and then calling each other that affectionately from then on.

However, if possible, Nagasaki Motoyo would prefer a more mature and composed form of address, as she really doesn't like the nickname 'Motoyo'.

And even if she's to be called that, she'd prefer it to be the people at Crychic who call her that, not Chihaya Aine who was on her expulsion list not long ago.

However, because of her plans and her long-standing gentle persona, Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't directly tell Chihaya Aine that she didn't like the nickname, otherwise her persona would be ruined. So she could only give an awkward smile.

Zero "Hahaha..."

"So, Su Shishi? Isn't she adorable!"

3 Hayaine asked again excitedly. She felt that Nagasaki Motoyo, who looked very elegant and whose profile picture was of cosmetics, would definitely understand her.

If Nagasaki Motoyo approves of her taste, she can act arrogantly in front of Kusano Akira, and Kusano Akira will no longer be able to use her taste as an excuse.

Ever since they met, Kusano Akira has always seemed worried about her taste. But when they weren't close, he would at least pretend. Now that they're more familiar, he's started criticizing her directly!

Chihaya Aine is determined to prove that her taste is absolutely exceptional! — At least superior to Kusano Akira's!

So she decided to find someone who looked to have good taste to be her helper.

She had originally planned to look for Shiina Ritsuki, since Shiina Ritsuki, despite her simple and straightforward style, always had a capable and androgynous look.

However, if you observe the details, you'll find that she is surprisingly someone who pays attention to her image.

Not only did her clothing unexpectedly suit her image, but she would even secretly apply lip gloss. If you had to pick a fault, the only thing you could criticize was her dark circles.

However, although Shiina Tatsuki's disdain was only for a moment, Chihaya Aine still keenly sensed it.

Since Shiina Ritsuki's approach is not working out, she'll try to find Nagasaki Motoyo, who seems to have better taste.

Chihaya Aine believes that Nagasaki Motoyo, as a fashionista personally recognized by her and the lady of Tsukimori, will definitely give a different reaction than Shiina Tatsuki and Kusano Akira.

"Well, ah..."

"Pretty, pretty cute... right?"

Nagasaki Motoyo, on the other hand, wore a bitter expression and managed a few forced laughs.

Just as Chihaya Aine thought, Nagasaki Motoyo put a lot of effort into dressing herself, so her aesthetic sense is indeed quite good. Although she wouldn't dare call herself a fashionista, at least she won't be told that her taste is terrible.

But that doesn't mean she understands Chihaya Aine's nickname.

When Chihaya Aine continued to press her for answers, Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't very well directly contradict her and say that she didn't like the nickname.

After all, even without considering her own plans and the needs of others, Nagasaki Motoyo felt that she and Chihaya Aine were far from being truly close.

You can't openly refute someone who isn't a close friend. What if they overthink it? Overthinking means the relationship is unstable. Nagasaki Motoyo has always adhered to this principle.

So Nagasaki Motoyo was caught in this predicament. She couldn't refuse Chihaya Aine's request, nor could she openly say that Chihaya Aine had excellent taste and that Nagasaki Motoyo liked it very much. If it were just the two of them, or at most Takamatsu Tama, Nagasaki Motoyo could say it without any guilt, since she was already quite adept at lying.

But Shiina Ritsuki was still there, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

She just hoped that someone would come to her rescue.

But who can help her out of this predicament?

According to Chihaya Aine, the nickname was something she and Takamatsu Akari came up with together, so it's impossible for Takamatsu Akari to use it—and since arriving at the practice room, Takamatsu Akari hasn't been very happy. She only looked up once when Kusano Akira came in, and spent the rest of the time fiddling with her stickers and stones.