Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"Eh?"

Seeing that the other party was about to leave, Chihaya Aine stretched out her hand, but her words of persuasion were swallowed by the automatic door and the lingering sound of the brass bell.

"Soyorin, wait, I'm not kidding."

The rhythm of Su Shi's shoes hitting the floor coincided with the music playing in the coffee shop. Seeing the other person's figure disappear at the door of the coffee shop, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but sigh.

"ね————"

..

Although she knew that she might have touched a sore spot for Nagasaki Suyo, Chihaya Aine still felt a little aggrieved.

After all, I am speaking according to the facts. It is impossible to make up a label to fool others.

"I wouldn't have said it if I had known."

Chihaya Aine couldn't help but sigh.

Holding the reference book in her arms, the girl still regretted her behavior during the day, and kept reviewing in her mind what she should have said better.

The crisp sound of heels hitting marble woke Aiyin from her deep thoughts.

But by the time I reacted, it was too late.

At the corner of the stairs, the girl bumped into the person who came.

--boom

Chihaya Aine hurriedly grabbed the handrail, her reference books scattering across the three steps. Through her bangs, the first thing she saw was a swaying blue.

"pain..."

When I rubbed my red nose and looked up, I saw amber pupils looking down from above.

She had blue shoulder-length twin ponytails and beautiful amber hair. She was wearing the same Hanaoka Girls' Academy uniform as hers. The scent of citrus shampoo mixed with some pine resin created a small vortex as she retreated.

"Are you okay...eh? Aine-san?"

The moment her name was called, Aine realized that her fangs were unconsciously biting her lower lip. The band logo she had just scribbled on the scattered loose-leaf paper was still etched on it, and her knees, wrapped in black stockings, were blocking her path.

Her hurried movement to pick it up overlapped with the other person's movement of leaning over, and her elbow felt the cool touch of the velvet fabric.

She looked up and realized that she had bumped into one of the few classmates she knew at school who was from another class.

"Xiao Xiang..?"

The other person's appearance at this moment was somewhat different from what Chihaya Aine remembered.

It seems... a lot more cheerful and sunny?

Considering that except for the first time, the next few times we met, he seemed to be worried about something.

Compared to before, the current Shoko Toyokawa is more...confident, judging by her expression?

Chihaya Aine didn't know how to describe it, but she quickly reacted:

"It's okay, it's okay. I was just thinking about something else. Sorry, sorry!"

"It's okay."

"Toyokawa Shoko" picked up the scattered reference books on the ground, put them back into Chihaya Aine's arms, and said in a gentle voice:

"Next time, remember to be careful when you pass by the stairs, otherwise you can easily get hurt."

"Um.."

Chihaya Aine felt a little embarrassed and was about to say thank you.

I saw a translucent label appear on the head of "Toyokawa Shoko" at some point.

Just like the labels that appeared on the heads of everyone she met today.

The diamond-shaped spots of light coming through the corridor window just happened to penetrate the girl's blue hair, and the content of the label above her head made Chihaya Aine freeze on the spot.

With the unspoken thank you still hanging on her lips, Chihaya Aine was like a music box doll with the pause button pressed.

In those violently vibrating pupils.

The label appeared before her, unfolding like a shadow.

【Kanto Underground Emperor】【Yakuza Arbitrator】【Black Gold Manipulator】【....】

It seemed that he noticed something strange about Chihaya Aine.

"Toyokawa Shoko" looked at her with some confusion.

In her eyes with dizzy pupils, the girl with so many "labels" on her head showed a gentle and concerned expression.

"Really...are you okay? Aine-san..."

...

PS: This chapter is 2.7K. I am taking a break today and will only update once. I will make up for it tomorrow.

Chapter 9 The Secret of "Toyokawa Shoko"

To be honest, when these labels were unfolded in front of Chihaya Aine.

She was a little confused.

In fact, since she awakened to this label this morning, apart from the initial impact it had on her...there was almost no impact afterwards.

After all, the appearance of the label did not affect her energy. She suddenly had a "new ability" that had more advantages than disadvantages. After removing the initial panic and fear of the unknown, all that was left was novelty and a little bit of superiority.

As an active high school girl, Chihaya Aine is somewhat fascinated by "urban legends" and "supernatural phenomena"... In addition, she herself is a little vain. After this ability was stripped of its unknown nature and put on a harmless coat, it undoubtedly became one of the topics of conversation she used to satisfy her inner desires.

She even imagined that she would use this ability to become the "super detective" Aine, helping the police solve many major cases and then establishing the Anon Tokyo Detective Agency...

Including the fact that she went to Nagasaki Motoyo to "complain" about this matter, there was also a sense of "showing off".

Of course, this is not pure showing off, but more like a desire to share a very strange and bizarre dream that I had one day and couldn't wait to tell my friends about it.

But when this strange dream really affects reality, that harmless veneer is torn off.

The fear of the unknown will resurface.

Just like this moment.

Looking at the series of terrifying labels above "Toyokawa Shoko"'s head.

A sense of absurdity and fear that her daily routine was "broken" lingered in Chihaya Aine's heart.

Chihaya Aine's fingers unconsciously grabbed the folds of her skirt, and her knuckles turned blue and white from the force.

She pulled the corners of her mouth and tried to show her usual energetic smile, but the faint red at the corners of her eyes made this expression seem shaky. When the other party reached out to help her, the girl suddenly shrank back, and she didn't even notice the dull sound of her lower back hitting the wall.

"Ha...haha, it's okay—"

As she spoke, the girl hurriedly put the reference books in order.

Crash! The whole stack of reference books suddenly slipped out of my arms.

Aine jumped up like a startled fawn, not even bothering to rub her bumped knee as she shoved her books into her canvas bag. Her hair fell behind her ear, obscuring her expression as she bit her lower lip.

"M-class is about to start!"

Having said that, the girl almost fled the scene with the reference book in her arms.

After the other person's back completely disappeared from the sight of the blue-haired girl with twin ponytails.

......

"Has she always been like this?"

Jiujo Renji looked at the other person's fleeing back and asked in his heart.

"Maybe she realized you're a demon?"

Although this sounded a bit sarcastic, Miss Xiangzi did not want to take the opportunity to mock the other party, but she really felt that her "future was worrying."

Sighing inwardly, Toyokawa Shoko continued:

"Don't be so fake smiling. You can't fake being gentle."

Hearing this, Jiujo Liansi couldn't help but frown.

Could it be that my fake smile just now was too obvious and scared the other person?

He is still confident in his ability to manage facial expressions.

When he was still young, the Kanto underworld generally described him as "gentle and refined", but later on, they gradually changed their descriptions to "smiling tiger" and "sugar-coated sword".

Later on...the evaluation of him was restored to "gentle and elegant".

Apart from anything else, at least when it comes to pretending to be gentle, Kujo Renji is quite experienced.

But why does Chihaya Aine have such an expression?

After thinking for a long time, until the bell rang, Kujo Renji put his thoughts aside and walked towards the classroom.

......

Inside the classroom.

Chihaya Aine was still a little absentminded, thinking about what had just happened.

“Aine…”

It was not until the third time the name rang in Chihaya Aine's ears that she raised her head as if in realization, and her eyes happened to meet the girl sitting in the front row.

The morning light slashed through the gap in the curtains, cutting the thin figure into two. The short, cold gray hair had curled ends, and the skin exposed between the hair on the back of the neck was so white that the blue veins could be seen. The eyes were like cherry blossoms falling into the morning mist.

"What's wrong?"

The girl's voice was filled with worry.

"It's fine."

Chihaya Aine waved her hand, and after a while, she seemed to remember something.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked:

"Xiao Deng and Xiao Xiang used to be in the same band, right? Can you tell me about her?"

Hearing this, the gray-haired girl was stunned for a moment, and after a while she spoke slowly:

"Xiao Xiang...she is a very gentle person."

Hearing the other party's answer, and thinking of the concerned look and words of "Toyokawa Shoko" when she helped her up just now, Chihaya Aine nodded subconsciously, as if agreeing with what the other party said.

But soon, she shook her head and said:

"No, no, I mean, what about Xiaoxiang's family background?"

Hearing this, the gray-haired girl seemed to be stuck on this question, with a hint of doubt in her eyes:

"Family background..?"

Seeing the other party like this, I probably can't ask anything.

Chihaya Aine interrupted the topic in time:

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore, Xiao Deng..."

She changed the subject in time and started talking about other things.

But more doubts arose in her heart.

Some of it was for his newly discovered abilities, and some was for Toyokawa Shoko.

In fact, the confusion about the former is greater.

The so-called "label" is nothing more than the embodiment of a person's greatest characteristic, or it can be a microcosm of the subconscious.

At least that's what Chihaya Aine thinks... Just like the people you meet on the subway, the labels you see can actually be judged by their appearance, looks, and various details.

And the label on Nagasaki Suyo...although it is different from that of others, it is information that I knew in advance.

Only on Xiaoxiang...

Either it's because you're under too much pressure and the so-called label is just an illusion, or the other person really is hiding some secrets.

Thinking of this, Chihaya Aine became a little hesitant.