Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"No, it's okay! I...I can drink quite well!"

Kawahara Kimoka patted her chest to assure him, but her body was a little shaky.

She stood up, her steps somewhat unsteady:

"I'm going to... go to the bathroom... and be right back."

She held onto the wall and staggered towards the bathroom.

Closing the bathroom door to block out the sounds outside, Momoka Kawahara leaned against the door panel, feeling like the whole world was spinning.

The scene before my eyes was blurry, as if it was seen through a layer of frosted glass, with double images.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

As a result, he stumbled, lost his balance, and fell to the ground with a thud.

Some bottles and jars of toiletries placed next to the sink were knocked over by her and rolled all over the floor with a crackling sound.

"MMK-san? Are you okay?"

Immediately, Ninai's concerned voice came from outside the door.

"No, it's okay, it's okay!"

Kawahara Ki Momoka responded quickly, trying to get up from the ground.

She tried to steady herself on the ground, but her hand landed on a white tile that looked no different from the other tiles.

However, at the moment she exerted force, the tile under her palm seemed to move slightly, and then her hand slipped, her body lost balance again, and she fell back in embarrassment.

"Ouch..."

Momoka Kawahara cried out in pain, rubbed her sore butt, and looked at the floor tile she had just pressed with some annoyance.

What's going on? Why are these tiles so slippery?

She subconsciously pressed it again and found that the floor tile... was loose!

"dong dong"

She drummed her fingers.

The sound when you knock on it...seems hollow?

"What the hell... This renovation is too shoddy..."

Momoka Kawahara grumbled a little, the alcohol making her brain a little dull, but at the same time it also aroused a kind of childish curiosity and stubbornness.

She stared at the loose tile, wondering.

Could there be something hidden underneath?

Once this idea came up, it grew wildly like weeds.

The drunken Kawahara Momoka was now much more active than usual. She had forgotten she was going to the bathroom and started fighting with the floor tile.

Not to mention, the floor tiles are embedded quite tightly, and even if they are loose, they are not easy to pick out.

But at this moment, Momoka Kawahara was like a child who was obsessed with taking apart toys. She used her fingers to pick at it, and used keys to pry it... After a lot of effort, her nails were almost broken, and finally with a "click", she lifted up the floor tile!

Under the floor tiles was a medium-sized square groove, and inside... there was something wrapped in black velvet.

"Hehe...yes, there really is one."

Kawahara Ki Momoka smiled proudly and reached out to take out the heavy, strangely shaped package.

She untied the velvet.

The next second, the drunken look and smile on Kawahara Ki Momoka's face froze instantly.

Wrapped in the flannel was... a... pistol?!

A completely black pistol with a cold metallic luster that definitely doesn't look like a toy model!

gun? !

This word was like a bolt from the blue, instantly splitting Kawahara Momoka's brain, which was paralyzed by alcohol, and making the blood in her body seem to solidify.

Cold sweat broke out all of a sudden, and he sobered up instantly.

No, no, no, this has to be fake, right? A model gun? Yes, it has to be a model gun!

But who would wrap a model gun in velvet and hide it under the bathroom tiles?!

This doesn't make sense at all! Furthermore, the texture of this gun, its cool touch, and its hefty weight—it doesn't look fake at all!

Momoka Kawahara's mind was in a mess.

Countless speculations and possibilities flashed through her mind, but she kept rejecting them.

The fear washed over her like an icy tide.

So, who is Miss Xiangzi?

Why is there a gun hidden in her house? !

Could she be...something dangerous? A gangster? A killer? Or...?

No, no, I must have drunk too much and am hallucinating.

Haha, there was no gun there. I just fell and got confused.

"MMK-san? What's wrong with you? You've been in there for a long time."

Nina's voice came from the door again, with a hint of worry.

Momoka Kawahara was frightened by the sound, her hands shook, and she almost dropped the gun on the ground.

With a clang, her self-comfort was completely shattered, and her heart sank.

She hurriedly wrapped the gun in velvet again, stuffed it back into the groove, and frantically tried to cover the floor tiles back.

"No, it's nothing!"

She stammered in response, her voice sharp and strained from the strain.

Oh no! Doesn't this tone sound too suspicious?!

Kawahara Ki Momoka wailed in her heart.

She took a deep breath, tried to make her voice sound normal, and added:

"It's really nothing! I just... uh... my stomach feels a little uncomfortable!"

It’s over, it’s over… the more you explain, the worse it gets… now it sounds more like a lie!

Kawahara Ki Momoka wanted to cover her face in annoyance, but she didn't dare to make too much noise.

Her brain, bombarded by alcohol and shock, was completely unable to think normally at this moment. She could only hope that the person outside the door did not hear the strangeness in her tone.

Fortunately, the people outside the door really didn't seem to notice her panic and fell silent.

Momoka Kawahara slumped on the cold floor, her heart pounding wildly and her back soaked with cold sweat.

She looked at the floor tile that she had barely covered back, but if you looked closely you could still see the gap.

This night...seems to be less than perfect.

.

Momoka Kawahara took several deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart, and then opened the bathroom door.

She forced a smile on her face, trying to appear normal, but her pale face, flickering eyes, and slightly stiff body movements silently betrayed her inner feelings.

"Momoka-senpai, are you okay? You don't look well."

Renai was the first to notice something was wrong with her and asked with concern.

"Ah? No, it's okay!" Taoxiang waved her hands quickly: "It's just... uh... I stayed in the bathroom for too long just now, and suddenly stood up and felt a little dizzy... I'm much better now! I'm much sober too!"

She tried to make her tone sound relaxed and natural, but it was obviously not working.

Kujo Renji just looked at her quietly, his amber eyes deep and calm.

The following time felt like an eternity to Taoxiang.

She felt extremely uncomfortable, and her previous cheerful and talkative demeanor was completely gone.

Nina was still talking excitedly about school and the band, but Momoka was no longer listening. Her mind was filled with the cold, black gun.

From time to time, she would secretly glance at Xiangzi, trying to find some clues from his face, but Miss Xiangzi always maintained that gentle and decent smile, and no one could see any flaws.

This only made Taoxiang even more frightened. The calmer it was, the more abnormal it was!

Finally, this "dinner party" which seemed full of horror to her was coming to an end.

Renai looked at the time and yawned, "It's getting late. I-I should go back!"

Because she lived next door, she said goodbye to everyone and went home briskly.

As soon as Jinna left, Momoka stood up like a spring and said anxiously:

"Ah, then I should probably go home too! Thank you so much for your hospitality today! The food is so delicious!"

She wanted to escape from this place immediately, the farther away from the gun the better.

"Let me take you downstairs." Kujo Renji also stood up and said in a natural tone.

"No, no, no! No need! Really, no need to bother!"

Taoxiang quickly waved her hands to refuse, almost speaking incoherently:

"I can go back by myself! It's very close! And... I'm almost sober now!"

"It's okay. I just want to go down for a walk."

Jiujo Renji's tone remained gentle:

"Besides, it's a bit late now. It's not nice to leave guests alone."

Looking into the other person's calm amber eyes, Taoxiang's words of refusal got stuck in her throat.

She had a feeling that if she continued to refuse, she would appear even more suspicious.

In the end, she could only bite the bullet and nodded stiffly: "Well... okay, thank you for your help."

The two of them went downstairs together. The lights in the corridor were dim and silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing.

Taoxiang's heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably again. She subconsciously kept half a step away from "Xiangzi" next to her, her nerves tense.

When they arrived downstairs of the apartment building, the evening breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness, which made Taoxiang a little more awake.

The streetlight cast elongated shadows of two people on the ground.

"Thank you so much today, Miss Xiangzi."

Taoxiang stopped and tried to make her tone sound more sincere:

"Not only did he help us out, but he also treated us to such a delicious dinner."

"You are welcome."

Jiujo Renji responded with a smile, the moonlight shining on his profile, softening his outline:

"I'm also happy to see Nina so happy. She just came to Tokyo, and it's a good thing to have a reliable senior like you to guide her in playing music."

Hearing the other party mention Nina, Momoka's heartstrings relaxed a little. Yes, Nina likes Miss Xiangzi so much, and Miss Xiangzi is so good to Nina...she can't be a bad person, right?

"Nina... she might be a little reckless, but she genuinely loves music."

"I can tell."

Jiujo Renji nodded:

"She's very talented, she just needs some guidance and encouragement. With you around, she should be able to find her direction faster."

He paused, then changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of concern:

"However, we still need to pay attention to safety when performing on the street. Even though the situation we encountered today turned out to be a misunderstanding, we should try to avoid it in the future."

"Ok, I know..."

Taoxiang considered her words carefully before speaking cautiously:

"I was a little impulsive today."

"So does Ms. Momoka."