The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Normally, she looks the most ordinary among the five, and she doesn't have a voice as outstanding as Mizukuri's, so sometimes people don't notice her at first glance.

But if you spend some time with the five members of Afterglow, you'll realize that if Mitakeran is their representative, then Tsugumi Hanazawa is their pillar. She's more mature and stable than her peers, often helping out at home while keeping up with her studies and diligently fulfilling her duties on the student council.

He has no flaws nor any special strengths, and unlike others, he doesn't make mistakes, nor does he flaunt his achievements. Of the five, Hiranobu and Mitakeran have the best relationship, but the one he admires most is Tsugumi Hanazawa, an ordinary hard worker, just like he once was...

I don’t know what kind of thinking and psychological struggle she has gone through, but all Pingxin should do now is to believe her.

"I see."

"Thank you! Even though Ping Xin plays better than me, if 'she' is really a fan of Afterglow... of us... I still want to play it myself!"

"Thrush, you're just too modest... You've done a great job so far, and you will continue to do so in the future."

"!"

Tsugumi Hanezawa took a deep breath and sat down in front of the piano.

"Ran-chan, let's play that new song—I'll leave the harmony to you all."

"I understand... Please listen to our new song - "Easy come, Easy go!""

"New music?"

My goodness, other people go to summer music festivals and want to show all their new songs to grab the attention, but you guys are actually hiding yours?!

"Ping Xin... smiled~"

"...Isn't it the same for you, Asuna?"

......

...

..

"Delta...Delta...wake up, I'm not old enough to drive yet."

"... Ping... Yes, Master."

"I see you seem a little tired lately. When they go to the beach, you can 'protect' them on my behalf and relax yourself."

"But--"

I patted Delta's head. It felt different from Mizukuri and Asuna's, a little rough. She must have worked so hard...

"I'll be at home for the next few days, so you can go without worry."

(It can't fit in so I put some of it here)

P.S.: The original plan was for the timid and cautious Hiranobu to assume Asuna had no reason to be there, mistaking her for bait, a decoy created by the ghost, and then to kill her with a single blow of ripple power, laced with full-throttle killing intent. Since ripple power had previously been proven to be effective, this special attack with a spiritual element was used to eliminate the ghost.

But Asuna's "unreasonable" actions are the charm of this character. It is a state of "doing whatever you want" that both the protagonist of the book and I yearn for. It is probably the feeling of taking action without looking back.

So when it came to the actual writing, the male protagonist did not rely on "rationality" to kill her, but followed his "emotions" (heart) to take his own actions. Doing whatever you want is also one of the themes of this work. Most of the stories are about the protagonist and other characters doing whatever they want, pursuing their own ideals and beliefs, and doing what they want to do.

Chapter 98 Before Night Comes

"Senior Nilu, listen to me! Yesterday, Ping Xin subdued that strange-looking little baby in an instant. Then it flashed and flashed~ Then we touched it together, and then it disappeared! Amazing, right?!"

“Yes, yes… Haha—”

Unlike the lively Ichinose Asuna, Miganelu is extremely sleepy now. Yesterday, she wanted to wait for Hiranobu to come back and sleep together, but she opened a game while waiting... and then "win a game and go to sleep". If Hiranobu hadn't played 2 vs 5 with her just now, she might not have been able to sleep today.

"Speaking of which, Nilu, have you finished your holiday homework?"

"Hmm—this one..."

"Okay, then we'll make up lessons with Asuna later. For now... let's go get some sleep."

Pingxin touched Nilu's head, and the latter woke up immediately after purring comfortably like a cat and quickly fled the scene.

"Senior Nilu, let's go take a shower and then sleep together!"

"Fuck you, I don't want to be nearly suffocated again—!"

"Wait for me..."

"...Be careful, there's no carpet on the first floor, it's all tiled. It would hurt if you fall."

"Hey hehe~~"

Asuna took off and then slipped. Pingxin caught her with ease, but because she was moving around in the air, she was "hit" by two round cushions, and her face was broken.

You were able to beat that Ping Xin until his nose bled. Asuna Takeshin, you are so powerful!

"...What's wrong with you? Why are you all looking at me like that? Is there something wrong?"

"...The problem isn't us, it's your head."

Sudden aggression?!

I thought my relationship with the rebellious red-haired lady had improved, but I didn't expect to suffer a double attack of verbal and physical attacks?

"But I also want to ask... Pingxin, what is your relationship with that girl... and the other girls before that?"

"Hehe~... Maybe they are all Pingxin's girlfriends~"

"Mocha! Even if I say so much, having so many girlfriends... shouldn't be possible?"

"Ahahaha, Ping Xin, you really have a way——"

"...scumbag!"

No, so why did they just declare me a scumbag? I do have that thought...but what were they thinking?

Besides Murokasa Akane, what are the thoughts of Ichinose Asuna, Miganelu, and the absent Kadotate Karin? Although it sounds like an excuse, he really wants a world where everyone can be happy and no one will be hurt...

"...Ping Xin-brother——"

"...Silence..."

"So it seems so~?"

"..."

"Okay, okay, let's do our homework first."

Ping Xin, lost in worry, paid no attention to the whispers of the others. September was approaching, and that was the time for the decisive battle.

......

...

..

The five members of Afterglow had been tutored by Heishin for two years, so the schoolwork was a breeze. After lunch, they played with Nel and Asuna, who had just woken up. They continued their hard work in the afternoon, finishing the remaining homework that day.

Now a few people are chatting——

"...I'm saying this now, but there's so little holiday homework in the East Country."

"Eh~~ Did Ping Xin-ge have a lot of homework before?"

"It's probably just heavy enough to affect my balance when I walk... A black handbag like yours won't fit in it at all. I used to carry a backpack, and sometimes I'd even carry a bag."

"Hmm...it sounds like a lot of hard work. No wonder Ping Xin is such a good student."

Tsugumi Hanezawa felt exhausted just by imagining it. Facing so much homework every day would not only be physically overwhelming, but most importantly, it would be a mental torture.

"But my grades don't seem to have anything to do with homework...at least not as much as you think. Plus, I don't have to do homework every day, and my grades haven't dropped."

"Come to think of it, Hirashin-nii seems to have always been number one...even better than Mocha-chan's."

"That's it~"

Aoba Mocha took a bite of bread. Studying? What is that? Something I don't care about at all.

"Comparing academic abilities across grades and schools is pointless. Now that you've finished your homework, what do you want to do next? If there's nothing you want to do, then pack up and get ready to go out tomorrow. I've booked a morning bus, so you should go to bed early tonight, okay?... Don't be like this senior here—"

"Good~"

Nilu, who was lying on his legs, seemed to have received the message in her sleep. She frowned and turned over to continue sleeping. Her sleep quality is really enviable.

"Speaking of which, what was that about yesterday? In the end, we finished singing and nothing happened. It's hard to feel at ease without a proper 'ending', right?"

"That's right...it would be nice if ghosts could emit white light like in the movies when they become Buddhas."

"You guys watch too many animations. How can there be so many special effects in real life?"

"Ping Xin brother talks about it as if he has seen it himself~"

"..."

"Wait, Brother Pingxin, please say something, say something!"

"I'm surprised you're so scared of ghosts yet you watch ghost shows every day, Himari." Hirayuko said nothing and used Ripple to seal Nel and Asuna's ears, all the while sporting a devilishly eerie grin. Perhaps because he's been a caring older brother for so long, everyone's forgotten he's actually a mischievous, dark-hearted person.

"Himari, what do those letters at the top of your homework book mean? Let me see, there are more... [u], [bo], [so], [a], [ta], [ma]... [また遊ぼう] (Let's play again next time)?"

Ping Xin, who was checking the homework of several people, frowned slightly and found that things were not simple.

"That's annoying, Ping Xin. You don't have to do this if you want to tease me... Really?"

"Well, really."

"..."

"Xiao Fei~ It seems that child has fallen in love with you~ As expected~"

Aoba Moka silently patted Uehara Himari's shoulder, which scared her again.

"I don't want this kind of love at all! Tomoe, help me!"

“..Eh?! B-But I don’t know what to do. What should I do…”

"thrush!"

"Even if you suddenly say that..."

"Ping, Ping Xin-nii——!"

Feimali rushed towards Pingxin but was intercepted in mid-air.

"Sorry, this place is full."

After all, there are two cute "kittens" lying on his legs now.

"Look at it from a bright side. At least she's not some evil spirit. Maybe she can even talk to you in your dreams, and then you can have her wake you up every morning."

"Why~ is~ this~?"

Chapter 99: The Promised Night

"...That's it."

"Haha, it seems like you had a very fulfilling summer vacation, Pingxin."

"I think it's a bit too full... Having said that, I was also lonely when I was in seclusion writing a book a few days ago..."

He lowered his head and took a sip of coffee. While the aroma was pleasant, he still didn't like anything too bitter. At times like this, he needed something sweet to neutralize it, like the girl before him. Gently shaking the coffee cup to dissolve the sugar cube faster, Ping Xin smiled at Hana Rin.

"...Aren't Asuna, Akane, and Nel-senpai with you?"

"That's great, but it's still missing something. For example—it's missing you, Karin."

"..."

While Kadodate Karin was silent, Hirayuko smiled and pressed the button on the table. The servant waiting outside the door immediately pushed a cart to bring the dishes.

"Sorry for the wait. This is today's chef's recommendation. Please enjoy your meal, sir and madam. If you need anything, please ring the bell. Now, I'll take my leave."

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

"Well... you've worked hard."

The attendant, dressed in black, bowed and slowly withdrew. Hua Lin's eyes wandered, her hands and feet unsure where to place them, even her hands trembling slightly. It was obvious that she was not used to the atmosphere today.

"...What's wrong? Didn't we often come here to eat before? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm just... worried that I might be a little too casual—"