Want to be human, but cube-like

In the usual context, that would be a normal physiological activity.

Alex can certainly breathe.

I glanced at my status subconsciously and saw that there were no bubbles like when you hold your breath, and I didn't feel suffocated because I was stuck in the block.

Why ask this?

She didn't feel like she couldn't breathe.

But just as Alex was about to answer Lena, she suddenly remembered herself sitting at the piano just now.

She hesitated for some reason.

Because, just now, while "using" that piano, she seemed to have experienced a fleeting, suffocating feeling, like an illusion.

And the sense of relaxation that comes from releasing the suffocating frustration.

Just as she had wanted to tell Aine, Alex had never actually studied piano.

This was the first time she had ever touched this instrument. In the past, the only music-related things Alex had ever encountered were record players and note boxes, and she certainly didn't know how to use them.

But just like drawing a sword, the moment Alex touched the piano, she learned all the sword techniques, and she also learned all the music theory related to the piano.

This is a talent she was born with. When she holds a wrench, she learns how to assemble and disassemble gears and machines. When she picks up a weapon, she learns how to wield it or unleash special abilities.

So, the moment she touched the piano, she naturally understood how to play the pieces.

Or rather, how to use this piano.

The downside is that she can only play fluently when she has the sheet music, at least for now.

If judged by someone knowledgeable in music, they would understand that this is by no means a qualified performance. Just as Alex herself understood it, she was merely mechanically "using" the piano as a tool that she could use.

Even so, Alex seemed to unintentionally release the emotions she had suppressed for so long through this tool.

Is this what you mean by "can't breathe"?

Did she notice?

"I have no idea."

Finally, Alex just shook her head and said.

During the performance, she almost emptied her mind, letting the flood of music theory knowledge guide her body to press the keys.

She even had a long-lost illusion that her mother was still watching her and manipulating her body.

This was indeed an illusion. After all, she could still regain control of her body from her instinctive playing through her own will. The resulting contrast and the sudden sense of loss were the source of that momentary suffocation.

But for her, playing music was by no means painful.

Because she seems to have found a way to slowly release her suppressed emotions.

Alex seems to have taken a liking to playing.

"It's getting boring."

Colona lowered her eyes and uttered these words.

"Eh?"

Then, she ran away right before Alex's eyes.

Sure enough, this little guy is really troublesome.

Completely unable to comprehend Lena's thought process, Alex raised her assessment of her danger level by one notch.

"Um, my name is Chihaya Aine. I just saw Alex standing there all alone, looking like she needed help, so I..."

Turn your attention back to the two people talking in front of you.

Just then, Aine was introducing herself to Shoko.

...Aine?

Alex, however, only grasped one of the key words.

"Mother?!"

She shouted it out almost instinctively.

In an instant, all three of them froze on the spot, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Because Alex called out "Mom" so loudly.

Even many people passing by heard the shout.

Xiangzi and Aiyin were stunned for several seconds before they reacted, and then they heard someone next to them saying something like, "Playing this big?"

"Wow... there are actually three people?"

"So who is that mom? That big, white-haired woman with the great figure?"

"No, that was the one who called out 'Mom' just now, wasn't it the one with the blue hair? She seems to have a more mature and composed demeanor... Even though she's the shortest, there's a surprising sense of contrast. Isn't that what's trending lately?"

Xiangzi's face immediately turned bright red.

It's angry.

"No, no, if you're talking about contrast, that pink-haired girl's figure is quite contrasting too, and that kind of obviously masculine attribute is quite suitable for the dominant side..."

Aine's face also turned red.

"But with three people together, it feels so chaotic... Ugh! Just thinking about it is exciting!"

"And she's clearly the one with the best figure, the most mature-looking appearance, and the seemingly most innocent personality; her expression..."

So cute! That's the most striking contrast, she's really good at it!

Xiangzi couldn't take it anymore. She turned around and walked towards the two girls who had been excitedly and loudly discussing things from the very beginning.

"You've misunderstood! We're not..."

"No need to say anything, we understand. We wish you happiness!"

But before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the two girls.

"Oh dear! The right thing to do in a situation like this is to leave the scene as quickly as possible!"

Once Aine had fully come to her senses, she stomped her foot in frustration, grabbed Alex's arm, and pulled her out of the mall.

"and many more!"

Seeing this, Xiangzi had no choice but to run out as well.

……

Alex was brought here, somewhat bewildered, to a bench by the roadside.

At this moment, Ai Yin and Xiang Zi were both sitting on the stools, looking weak and listless, their chests heaving as they breathed heavily.

"Huff...huff...Alex's stamina is amazing..."

Glancing at Alex's expression, which didn't even blush, Aine couldn't help but sigh as she calmed her breathing.

"By the way, whose mom were you calling just now?"

After she caught her breath, she continued to ask.

She and Xiangzi were both so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Alex's reaction, nor did they know why she had suddenly said something so surprising.

“Aine…”

Alex whispered something, then walked over, squatted down, and leaned close to Aine, gazing at her with her beautiful eyes wide open.

"It's my mother's name."

"Eh?!"

With a gasp, Aine leaned back slightly.

Is it a case of the same name?

She thought of it instinctively.

"What cough cough...!"

Shoko, whose physical strength was slightly weaker than Aine's, had just caught her breath and was about to speak when Alex's words made her choke and cough.

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 41 The Pink-Haired Lecher!

It doesn't look like it.

Alex, who was carefully observing Aine, thought to herself after some observation and comparison.

No, I should say that I can find a sense of familiarity in certain places.

But because of this, the feeling of something being foreign becomes even stronger in other places.

She and her mother have similar speaking habits and voices, but upon closer listening, you can find a big difference. Compared to her sweet and clear voice, her mother's voice is slightly raspy and has a strange stutter.

What Alex didn't want to admit was that Chihaya Aine's voice was indeed slightly better than her mother's.

Secondly, she and her mother have very different ways of handling things.

Both are equally cheerful and outgoing, and never stingy with their praise for others.

But she seems to be very good at taking care of other people's feelings. For example, when she touched her before, she would test her reaction first. Even when dealing with strangers who have a neutral attitude, like Renai, she is very gentle.

The mother, on the other hand, is more assertive and vents her frustrations more freely. For example, she might kill someone if she wants to, and then finish her sentence after killing the person.

Finally, as a mother who can dominate the world with just her commands and create and modify everything at will, she couldn't possibly be so fragile that running just a few hundred squares would exhaust her satiety and force her to sit down and rest.

If your mother had encountered that situation, perhaps the first thing she would do would be to wipe out all the creatures in that building? Or maybe she would simply ignore them because she doesn't care at all?

It's definitely not going to be like this, dragging her away in a sorry state.

Thinking about this, Alex was able to somewhat dismiss the strange thoughts that arose in her mind because Chihaya Aine looked too much like her mother.

Besides these, there was also that inexplicable sense of intimacy. It was this feeling that made Alex feel different emotions towards Aine than when she was with others, making her not resist getting close to her.

But Alex didn't understand what the source of this feeling of closeness was.

Is it because she has many similarities with her mother?

"Hoo... Alex, you mean your mother was also named Aine?"

After calming her breathing, Xiangzi looked at the pink-haired girl with a somewhat silly smile beside her and asked.

"What a coincidence!"

Before Alex could answer, Aine, who was standing next to her, opened her bright eyes and interrupted.

"Hmm...that's the name...and the voice sounds very similar."

Nodding, Alex gazed quietly at Aine's face and said.

Unfortunately, she didn't know what her mother looked like, otherwise she could have seen if she could find more similarities in Chihaya Aine.

So, is the difference in appearance that significant?

The two, unaware of Alex's thoughts, watched as she fell silent after mentioning only these two similarities, and wondered what was going on in their minds.

"So Alex is mixed-race? Now that you mention it, she does look a bit like it~"

Aine pinched her chin and began to observe Alex, who had come close to her.

"Hmm... I've heard that mixed-race people tend to be more good-looking, and Alex is very pretty!"

Seeing this, Xiangzi, who had just caught her breath, frowned again. She looked at Alex, who had no reaction and did not even resist being close to Aine, and a slight displeasure rose in her heart.

But Xiangzi immediately suppressed this strange feeling.

She didn't have the right to prevent Alex from having normal conversations with others.

Although Xiangzi himself did not consider this normal.

But recalling Alex's behavior when she was with him before, there was no sense of distance between them at all.

These two might unexpectedly hit it off?

This thought suddenly popped into Xiangzi's mind, but it also made him a little irritable.