Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Just when her thoughts were in a mess, Kujo Renji's next words completely hit her defenses.

"Mu, you don't have to work so hard. If you're not feeling well, you should rest well. We can talk about the band after you've fully recovered."

There was even a hint of moisture in the corners of his eyes, and that concern looked so real.

Mortis felt an incredible warmth well up inside him. This feeling of being cared for... was so unfamiliar.

The waiter brought dessert and drinks.

Jiujo Renji pushed the hot chocolate and mousse cake in front of him:

"Drink it while it's hot. Sweets are good for your mood."

Mortis carefully picked up the cup, feeling the warmth of the porcelain cup transfer to his palm.

She took a sip, and the sweet fragrance immediately bloomed in her mouth, and warmth flowed down her throat to her whole body.

——He actually remembered that I like sweet things.

No, that's not right. It's Wakaba Mu who likes sweet things, Mortis reminded himself.

But this distinction suddenly became blurred at this moment.

As time passed, Kujo Renji kept chatting about some light topics.

He asked her if she had read any new books recently and whether her courses at school were going well. These seemingly ordinary questions were filled with sincere concern.

Mortis realized that his shoulders were no longer tense, and the suffocating feeling of fear was gradually fading.

Her answers were still brief, but she was no longer deliberately imitating Wakaba Mutsu, but rather naturally revealed a part of herself.

Occasionally, she would even look up slightly and briefly meet those amber eyes.

There was no coldness and calculation as she had imagined, only warmth and care.

The sweet scent of strawberry mousse seemed to have magical power, gradually melting away her vigilance.

Mortis scraped the last bit of cream off the plate with his fork, a strange feeling rising in his heart.

——What if this is the real 'Toyokawa Shoko'?

When this thought came to her mind, Mortis herself was shocked. Her purpose in coming here was not to replace Wakaba Mutsu, nor to accept the "monster" that occupied Toyokawa Shoko's body.

She wanted to find the real Xiaoxiang and fulfill Ruo Yemu's wish.

But...

The sunlight from outside the window slanted in, gilding the tabletop. Soft piano music flowed through the cafe, and everything seemed so harmonious and beautiful.

Kujo Renji drank his coffee quietly, his eyes gentle and his posture graceful. That caring look, that gentle smile, that considerate behavior... these were all things Wakaba Mutsu had never received from the old Toyokawa Shoko.

A bold idea arose in Mortis' mind.

——If the current Xiaoxiang is the real Xiaoxiang, wouldn’t that be great?

"Xiao Xiang..."

She spoke, her voice tentative but no longer deliberately disguised: "You... have changed a lot."

Kujo Renji looked up, and that focused look made Mortis' heart beat slightly faster, but it was no longer because of fear.

She lowered her head and said in a very low voice:

"Xiao Xiang like this... is actually quite good."

Mortis said this softly, speaking from the heart. At this moment, she even vaguely wondered what Wakaba Mu was pursuing. Was it the real Toyokawa Shoko, or a feeling of being loved and understood?

If this 'new Xiaoxiang' can give Wakaba Mu the care that he never received, then...is it really that important to find the original Toyokawa Xiangzi?

However, the next moment.

"You're not Wakaba Mu, right?"

Kujo Renji's sudden words were like a bucket of cold water, waking Mortis from his warm fantasy.

Her expression froze instantly, and the fork in her hand landed on the porcelain plate with a crisp sound.

Fear washed over her again like a tide, stronger than before.

Her pupils suddenly contracted and her lips trembled slightly, but she could not make any sound.

.........

PS: This chapter has 10,000 words, which is considered a five-in-one.

Although the chapter has fewer words than yesterday's, there will be more updates today, at least four thousand words.

The 40,000-word reward has been paid off, so why not offer a small one-day reward?

Yesterday the monthly ticket count was 180... Today it is 200, and tomorrow it will be 10,000 as well!

Chapter 48 Mortis, why can't you replace Wakaba Mu?

The silence lasted for a few seconds, and the light music in the cafe seemed to be paused, leaving only Mortis' own heartbeat roaring in his ears.

Then, unexpectedly, Kujo Renji suddenly laughed. That smile was warm and bright, completely different from the creepy smile just now.

"Xiao Mu is so cute when he's scared."

He winked as if jokingly, his blue twintails swaying slightly with the movement, and a mischievous glint flashed in his amber eyes.

"This is a small revenge for what happened last time. It was you who said I was 'not Xiangzi' in the piano room that day."

Mortis' eyes widened instantly. She didn't expect the other party to suddenly change his attitude.

Her intuition told her that this was a dangerous sign, but she still forced an awkward smile on the surface.

"Ahahaha... Y-really?"

She laughed dryly, her throat tight, as if being strangled by an invisible hand. The fear in her heart did not diminish at all, and was even intensified by the other party's unpredictable attitude.

——He is playing a game of cat and mouse.

"correct."

Kujo Renji casually picked up the napkin, took out a pen from his pocket, wrote something on it, and then pushed it to the center of the table as if nothing had happened:

"Do you remember the concert we went to together in junior high school?"

Mortis was stunned. She did find a vague fragment in Wakaba Mu's memory—a scene where Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mu watched a band perform together. But what band was it? When? The details were already fuzzy.

"Remember..." she answered cautiously, afraid of stepping into a trap.

Jiujo Renji smiled slightly: "Can you still hum the song we sang that day?"

This question threw Mortis into complete confusion.

She didn't know what to answer because the details of the concert in Wakaba Mu's memory were too vague.

Just as she was racking her brains to find a safe answer, Kujo Renji had already stood up, gently folded the napkin with the words on it, and calmly stuffed it into the corner of her uniform pocket.

"I think some memories take time to come back in full."

He spoke softly, his eyes revealing something deep that Mortis couldn't decipher:

"Do you want me to take you back?"

The suggestion made Mortis's guard rise to full height once again. Staying with this dangerous being for even one more second? Impossible.

"No... no need."

She shook her head slightly, trying to maintain Wakaba Mu's calm appearance: "I... have something else to do."

"Ok."

Jiujo Renji nodded and did not insist: "Then take care of yourself."

He paid the bill and stood up to leave. Before leaving, he turned back and smiled at Mortis:

"By the way, Wakaba Mu-san... I'm really looking forward to seeing you at the next rehearsal."

There was something about that name and the subtle emphasis in the tone that sent a chill down Mortis' spine.

Even long after Kujo Renji's figure disappeared from the entrance of the cafe, Mortis still sat there, feeling as if he had woken up from a nightmare, his whole body drenched in cold sweat.

Kujo Renji left the café and stepped into the cool evening air.

The street lights light up one by one, casting a warm orange glow on the journey home.

His blue hair swayed slightly with his brisk steps, and his amber eyes flickered with unfathomable thoughts.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he had just completed a satisfactory task.

"Small-sighted!" Toyokawa Shoko's voice suddenly rang out in her mind, with obvious dissatisfaction, "You actually scared Mu!"

"Don't you think it's funny?" Kujo Renji asked with a smile, a hint of pride in his tone at a successful prank.

"Bad taste!"

Kujo Renji could almost imagine Toyokawa Shoko stomping her feet in her consciousness.

"Look how scared Mu is! She's so introverted and sensitive, and you said that on purpose!"

Kujo Renji hummed softly and glanced at the cherry blossom trees on the street, where the few remaining petals swayed gently in the wind.

"It's just a joke," he said lightly. "Besides, isn't this what you've always wanted to do?"

"What?" Toyokawa Shoko's voice was filled with obvious confusion.

"Let Wakaba Mutsudo talk, won't you?"

Jiujo Renji's tone suddenly became gentle:

"You once complained that Wakaba Mu was always too quiet and it was hard to guess what she was thinking. At least she said a few more words today, didn't she?"

There was a brief silence in the space of consciousness.

Toyokawa Shoko seemed to be thinking about the rationality of this statement.

"But..." she finally spoke, her voice weakening a bit, "You shouldn't use that method."

Kujo Renji smiled slightly, knowing that his strategy of changing the subject had worked.

He deliberately ignored Wakaba Mu's abnormal behavior and instead focused on how much she spoke.

"By the way," he suddenly changed the subject. "According to the rehearsal schedule Winwing sent me just now, rehearsal for next Monday is all day. Do you think I've practiced enough? Should I spend more time on the piano?"

"what!"

Toyokawa Shoko was successfully diverted from the topic.

"Of course you need to practice! A three-city tour is no small undertaking, especially when you're such a good player..."

She paused, as if realizing she was criticizing Kujo Renji's piano skills.

"Still mediocre, right?" Kujo Renji finished her sentence without a care in the world, even with a hint of self-deprecating smile: "Don't worry, after all, this is the first tour of 'Oblivionis'. I will try my best to avoid any mistakes."

Shoko Toyokawa seemed completely absorbed by the topic and began to talk incessantly about the band's rehearsal plans and performance repertoire.

Kujo Renji responded from time to time, but his eyes became deeper.

——Wakaba Mutsu... No, that’s not Wakaba Mutsu.

He confirmed this in his heart, but carefully isolated this idea in the depths of his consciousness where Shoko Toyokawa could not reach.

The poor imitation, the deliberate performance, the overt fear reactions... everything was conveying this message to him.

"...So I still need to focus on practicing the piano part, especially the middle section of the third piece. That legato needs to be smooth enough..."

Shoko Toyokawa was still chattering away, completely absorbed in planning the band's performance.

An almost invisible smile appeared on the corner of Jiujo Liansi's mouth.

His plan is unfolding step by step, and the mysterious man who calls himself Wakaba Mu may become an unexpected helper.

Of course, that's if she dares to contact him.

......