Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Kujo Renji responded without stopping his hands.

Compared to the beginning, he is now obviously much more skilled and can even pay attention to what Toyokawa Shoko is saying in his mind.

The rhythm is brisk and varied, the notes in the high register sparkle like pearls, while the notes in the low register are steady and powerful.

Jiujo Renji's fingers danced nimbly across the black and white piano keys, as if they were not made of solid material but rather the surface of flowing water. Her amber eyes were focused on the music sheet, and her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow in the sunlight.

Halfway through the practice, he suddenly felt a gaze.

Without turning around, he knew there were a few more pairs of prying eyes at the crack of the classroom door. Those gazes brushed his back like feathers, filled with curiosity and admiration.

"Someone is peeping." Toyokawa Shoko reminded.

"I know." He responded in his mind, his hands moving continuously as he continued to play the complicated piece of music.

As time went by, more and more people came outside the door, and whispers could be faintly heard through the crack in the door.

"Toyokawa-san plays the piano so well..."

"Her fingers are so beautiful, like works of art..."

"I heard she used to be a pianist in a band. No wonder she's so talented..."

These praises were like tiny waves, gently hitting Jiujiao Liansi's eardrums.

He remained calm, but inwardly he was wondering if his popularity was too high.

"How dare you say that." Shoko Toyokawa immediately retorted, with obvious dissatisfaction in her tone.

The piece was nearing its end, his fingers fluttering like butterflies in the final arpeggio, finally coming to an abrupt end on a loud chord.

The girls outside the door let out a small exclamation and admiration, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps, obviously afraid of being discovered.

After the piano music stopped, the classroom was silent.

Kujo Renji sat there, looking at the treetops swaying in the wind outside the window, thinking for a moment.

"We can't go on like this." Shoko Toyokawa suddenly said.

"Ok?"

"Being too popular can actually be a burden," Toyokawa Shoko's voice echoed in his mind, "especially if you need to practice piano so frequently."

Kujo Renji nodded, agreeing with the girl's judgment.

Excessive attention does bring two problems:

First, it would be easy for others to notice something unusual. After all, he is not a truly professional pianist. If others find that his progress is abnormal, it will inevitably arouse suspicion; second, the efficiency of practice will inevitably be affected in such an environment.

"We need to find a new place to practice," said Shoko Toyokawa.

"It's obviously not possible to practice at home," Kujo Renji responded mentally, "The soundproofing in that apartment isn't very good, it could easily disturb others."

He gently closed the piano cover and stood up. The sunlight through the window cast a golden hue on his blue hair, like the shimmering waves on the sea.

"Maybe we should move to a new place?" Shoko Toyokawa suggested with a hint of anticipation in her tone.

——I’m still a little afraid of haunted houses.

Jiujo Renji heard the girl's anticipation and found it a little funny: "Let's find a dedicated rehearsal room to practice first."

...

In the afterglow of the sunset, Chihaya Aine walked on the path leading to Hanegaoka Girls' Academy, her long pink hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

There was a hint of worry in her gray eyes, and her fingers unconsciously pinched the corner of her skirt.

Ever since she heard Nagasaki Suyo's "analysis" last time, a thought has been lingering in her mind - Xiaoxiang may not be as carefree as he seems.

"After all, that personality contrast is too great..."

Chihaya Aine thought silently in her heart, recalling the details of every time she spent with the blue-haired girl.

Could that gentle smile and considerate words be a way to hide some kind of pain in the heart?

"Soyorin's right... That label must be hiding something!"

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she should do something, even if it was just to show her concern.

As a kind-hearted high school girl, Aine decided to contact Toyokawa Shoko again to see if she could help her.

Just as she was immersed in her thoughts, a familiar voice came from the front.

“Aine-san?”

Chihaya Aine looked up and met a pair of amber eyes. A girl with blue twintails stood under the cherry blossom tree on campus. The sunlight filtered through the petals, casting dappled shadows on her body.

"Ah! Xiaoxiang!"

Chihaya Aine opened her eyes wide in surprise, then revealed her signature brilliant smile, with her fangs faintly visible.

——I met the other person just as I thought of him/her. This is what it means to be in tune with each other!

Kujo Renji smiled slightly and noticed that the girl's expression seemed to have a hint of unnatural tension.

He adjusted the position of the backpack he was carrying and took a few steps closer.

"Why are you still in school so late? What's the matter?" he asked in the gentle voice of Toyokawa Shoko.

Chihaya Aine was suddenly at a loss. She didn't expect to meet Toyokawa Shoko by such a coincidence, and she forgot all the lines she had prepared.

"I, I'm here to look for information! Yes, information!" She smiled a little too hard, quickly made up an excuse, and then quickly changed the subject: "Where's Xiaoxiang? Why aren't you home so late?"

"I'm practicing the piano," Kujo Renji replied softly, "I have a performance next month, so I have to practice intensively during this period."

"I see!" Chihaya Aine suddenly realized something, as if she had grasped a lifeline. "So, how's the training going? Do you need any feedback from the audience?"

Kujo Renji looked at the girl with a slight smile: "Do you know piano?"

"Uh..." Chihaya Aine scratched her head awkwardly, unconsciously showing her little fangs, "Actually, I don't quite understand, but I can applaud!"

Hearing this, Kujo Renji couldn't help but laugh out loud. This pink-haired girl always had unexpected reactions, which made him feel a little fresh.

"Practice is over, why don't we go have dinner together?" He suddenly suggested, sensing that Chihaya Aine might have something to say.

"Why did you invite her?" Toyokawa Shoko's voice sounded in his mind, with a hint of confusion.

"She obviously has something to talk to you about, so why not take this opportunity to find out more?" Kujo Renji responded in his heart.

Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up when she heard that, and she almost couldn't wait to say, "Great! I was just about to invite you! I recently discovered a super delicious ramen restaurant, the taste is amazing!"

Kujo Renji raised an eyebrow: "Really? Then go and give it a try."

The two walked out of the campus together and headed towards the commercial district along the street illuminated by the setting sun.

Chihaya Aine talked incessantly about the interesting things that happened in school, and Kujo Renji nodded in agreement from time to time, occasionally asking a question or two.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Chihaya Aine's observant glances as she spoke, and he knew that this seemingly innocent girl was not completely without thoughts.

Soon, Chihaya Aine brought Kujo Renji to a ramen restaurant with exquisite decoration.

Pushing open the glass door, the store is filled with the light aroma of soup. The decoration is mainly white and wood, exuding a bright, simple and modern feeling.

"This is it!" Chihaya Aine said excitedly:

“Their special clear broth ramen is amazing! The first time I tried it, it was like heaven!”

Kujo Renji's steps suddenly stopped, and his amber pupils shrank slightly.

This shop...isn't it the ramen shop that Shoko Toyokawa highly recommended before and that he just criticized harshly?

His facial expression showed a rare moment of relaxation, and the gentle smile on his face froze for half a second.

"What's wrong, Xiaoxiang?" Chihaya Aine keenly noticed the other party's abnormality and asked with concern.

"Nothing." Kujo Renji quickly adjusted his expression and returned to that gentle smile.

Toyokawa Shoko immediately became excited

"Look, look! I told you it was delicious. Everyone agrees it's delicious. Only you have a weird taste, so you think it's not delicious. You have no taste!"

"A high school girl's evaluation is not enough to prove anything."

The two found a seat by the window and sat down. After a while, the waiter brought two bowls of clear soup ramen.

Chihaya Aine couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks and looked at Kujo Renji expectantly: "Xiaoxiang, try it! This soup base is really amazing!"

Kujo Renji picked up the chopsticks and took a polite bite.

Even though he had previously described this bowl of noodles as "expensive and unpalatable," he now had to pretend to enjoy it. He narrowed his eyes slightly and revealed an admiring expression: "Well, it's indeed delicious."

"Hypocrisy!" Toyokawa Shoko scolded him in her mind. "Last time, you said things like 'the broth wasn't even cooked through' and 'this watery broth can't even be called ramen'!"

Kujo Renji sighed inwardly and decided to ignore the noisy voice in his head.

"right!"

Chihaya Aine nodded excitedly, her gray eyes sparkling.

"The owner of this shop is from Kyoto. Their ramen is light and elegant, not as thick as traditional ramen, which is more suitable for us girls!"

"Indeed." Kujo Renji smiled, but rolled his eyes inwardly, "Very unique."

The two ate noodles while chatting about school. Kujo Renji noticed that as the conversation deepened, Chihaya Aine's eyes gradually became hesitant, as if she had something to say but didn't know how to start.

Finally, after a brief silence, the pink-haired girl asked softly, "Xiao Xiang...how have you been lately?"

Kujo Renji raised his head and saw Kamichihaya Aine's concerned gaze, and his heart moved.

"I'm fine," he replied gently, observing the girl's reaction. "Why do you ask?"

Chihaya Aine lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of pink hair:

"I just feel like...Xiao Xiang seems to be worried. If there's anything bothering you, you can tell me! After all, friends are supposed to help each other!"

"It's really nothing..." He shook his head, gently stirring the soup in the bowl, letting the last few slices of chopped green onions swirl on the surface. He naturally turned the topic to the other person: "Aine-san, how are you doing lately? Is band practice going well?"

Chihaya Aine didn't seem to notice the change of topic. She bit her lower lip, a hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her vitality.

"The band is pretty good! Everyone is working hard." She showed her signature little canine smile, but there seemed to be a hint of worry hidden in her smile.

Kujo Renji keenly captured this subtle change in expression.

The girl tilted her head, her blue twintails swaying slightly with her movement.

"Is that so... That's good."

He said softly, his tone full of praise: "I saw the list a few days ago. Aiyin ranked third in the grade. That's amazing."

When mentioning grades, Chihaya Aine's expression suddenly became a little complicated.

She put down her chopsticks and her eyes fell on the little ramen left in front of her. The soup in the bowl was already a little cloudy, just like her current mood.

"Actually...I'm a little distressed."

She finally spoke, a hint of confusion in her voice:

"Although my ranking hasn't changed, my grades have actually dropped... maybe it's because I practiced too much in the band..."

Kujo Renji listened quietly. After the pink-haired girl finished speaking, he gently put down his chopsticks and thought for a moment before speaking:

“It’s really hard to balance studies and hobbies sometimes…” The girl’s voice was gentle, like a spring flowing through a dry riverbed: “But Aine, you know what? Sometimes we don’t have to strive for excellence in every area.”

Chihaya Aine raised her head, a hint of doubt in her gray eyes.

The sun was setting at this moment, and the light fell into the store. It was as if stars in the blue-haired girl's eyes fell into the abyss.

“Everyone’s energy is limited…”

She continued, her voice dripping with rare sincerity: "If band is something you're truly passionate about right now, then spending more time on it is nothing to feel bad about. Third place is already excellent, and you should be proud of yourself."

The confusion in Chihaya Aine's eyes seemed to be dispelled a little, and she pursed her lips.

"Besides..."

The girl tilted her head and laughed softly:

"Life needs balance, just like music needs rests. A piece of music without rests is like a life without respite; it will eventually lose its rhythm and beauty... There's no need to be too hard on yourself."

These words seemed to touch the softest part of Chihaya Aine's heart.

Her eyes lit up like the first rays of dawn shining into the darkness.

"Xiao Xiang is right... I might be taking this too seriously."

She raised her head and suddenly remembered the time when she was studying in the UK.

If only I had a friend like Xiaoxiang by my side to comfort me at that time.