The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"..." Ping Xin felt his ears itching, which was very strange. Because he could just talk casually like usual, and there weren't many customers at this time of year, so why did he do this? And a strange feeling made him hesitate. If he spoke casually... maybe -

No, there was bound to be something beyond his expectations. But so what? As a man who always held himself to high standards, how could he back down at a time like this? How could he forget his deep-seated romance? How could he refuse his friend's request?

"...Go ahead, Ryo."

"Well... the gift I want is—you."

"...Wait, wait, did I hear it wrong?" Visible panic appeared on Pingxin's face. He was wrong, very wrong!

He had just stood up in excitement, but then he sat down again as if realizing something, and then asked, "Or as expected, you only said half of the sentence just to tease me. That must be the case, right, Ryo!?"

"..." Yamada Ryo didn't answer him, but simply looked straight at him with her golden eyes, meeting Ping Xin's gaze. But in fact, it was already obvious, it couldn't be more obvious, but this was not an answer he could accept, so he could only wait, wait for a miracle.

And...did he wait for it?

"...It was just a joke, actually."

"Ahaha, that's right—"

Liar, this word appeared in both of their minds at the same time.

A joke that is not funny at all, a "lie" that is so true that it cannot be more true.

Although the topic was not pushed to the end, they both knew clearly that something had changed between them, forever——

"I'll be there on your birthday night, and I'll have a 'gift' ready by then... I'm waiting for your return gift."

"..."

Yamada Ryo got up and left, packing up the snacks he hadn't eaten before leaving. He actually didn't forget to eat at this point. What a person...

"So...what should I do?"

......

...

..

Because of this incident, Hirayuko didn't attend the Christmas ball he'd initiated, instead leaving it to Yuuka, Noah, and Liyin, who wouldn't leave them alone. As for losing another point in their bet, he didn't care at all. After all, he'd decided to "lose" the bet to Liyin from the start; the only difference was the length of time and the specific method (acting).

"Ugh......"

Melancholy, endless melancholy surged from his heart and floated in all directions, turning this space into a forbidden area that outsiders could not approach.

What will his tomorrow be like?

Chapter 81 Christmas Party

"Asuina, tell me..."

"What?" Asuna, whose name was called, looked confused.

"Tell me what I should do, what is the 'right' way to do it."

"Hmm... I don't know, but as long as Ping Xin likes it, then there must be no problem~"

"I see. That's a very Asuna-esque answer..."

Ping Xin turned his head and looked up at the sky, but all he could see was the ceiling with an expensive crystal chandelier hanging on it. He just kept his eyes open, motionless, without avoiding the strong light at all.

What was he thinking at this moment?

......

...

..

Time goes back a few hours ago——

"Welcome, Miss Mizukuri... and everyone else, please come inside."

"Ah...yes, excuse me for interrupting."

Delta was probably the most familiar of the shadow maids and the one closest to Pingxin, but she was also probably the one she spoke to the least. She suddenly showed up at the door today, unconcealed, to act as a receptionist. It felt strange...

After giving a stiff and polite answer, Mizukuri led the remaining members of Afterglow inside.

"Hey, Ran-chan, your body just froze~"

"No Roadsai, Mocha!"

Aoba Mocha chuckled, then began searching for her favorite things on the tables in the living room, like bread, bread, and more bread. Anyway, since she's so familiar with Hirashin-kun, even if she eats something secretly, she'll probably get a few words of criticism at most, so it's totally fine with Mocha-chan (me)~

"Ah, could this be... a limited edition item from Yamabuki Bakery?"

Aoba Moka's eyes lit up, and she attacked with an attitude and speed many times more active than usual during class, but her hand collided with someone's—

"...Hello, my name is Yamada Ryo, and I'm still Hira Nobu's 'friend'."

Now... or? Ah haha, I feel like there's something else going on, but Aoba Moka didn't think about it for too long. He immediately replied politely, "Nice to meet you. My name is Aoba Moka. I'm probably... his apprentice, right? But it's always been like this, so it's probably that kind of relationship~"

The so-called limited edition here is just a mass-produced machine, so the first meeting between the two foodies did not develop into a dangerous situation where two tigers meet and fight. Yamada Ryo even looked at Aoba Mocha eating bread with interest. After all, this was the first time he saw her in private except for the performance.

As expected, Ping Xin's friends are also interesting people...

"I know you. Your performance at the music festival was great, truly amazing." Even Liang, who is usually taciturn, would say a few more words when talking about music. If the other person is an "interesting" "like-minded" person, he might say a few more words, just like now.

"Hehehe, Mocha-chan has become famous without me noticing~" However, there is no arrogance on her face, but more of a sense of pride.

Because she is the one among the five people in Afterglow who can guess most clearly what Ping Xin has done, she can be proud and happy for her efforts, the sweat she has shed, and every tear she has shed to achieve what she has today, but she cannot regard this achievement as the result of her own efforts alone.

And for her, as long as the five of them can continue to function as usual, everything else is just a byproduct.

The two foodies, both with their own distinct personalities, enjoyed themselves quite well. After all, anyone who came here was someone Hirako approved of, so there was no problem; all they had to do was get along well. Uehara Himari couldn't wait to join the fray either. As for how much weight she'd gain from this battle, that depended on her performance tonight.

At the dining table where people can sit, there is obviously another "foodie" with a different style -

......

...

..

"Rinko...is this really not spicy?"

"Hmm...I think...it's delicious!"

While talking, Shirogane Rinko didn't stop eating. She continued to eat voraciously. Her face turned red because of her "excitement". Even her speech became fluent. It seemed that this food really suited her appetite...

After a few more seconds of hesitation, Minato Yukina finally reached for the unusually red plate of special Hokkien scallop curry, but was half-pulled, half-dragged away by Lisa Imai. Turning around, Yukina asked, somewhat puzzled, "Lisa, do you want to try this curry too? If so, we have more."

Yukina pointed at the steaming curry in the warmer... You should be skeptical about the spiciness of this curry! People's physiques can't be generalized. What's "delicious" to Rinko might be fatal to you, ykn!

Looking at her childhood sweetheart with a silly expression on her face, it was Lisa's mother who ultimately took on the responsibility of everything.

"Ahaha, I just thought... By the way, since Rinko likes it so much, then give this to her. Yukina, try the one I recommended~" Lisa Imai brought out a sweet and spicy curry that even a child could eat with a smile. For Yukina, who likes sweet curry but also wants to try spicy curry, this is the best choice.

"But..." Yukina hesitated, wanting to get to know her teammates better and, as Hiraishin had suggested, experience more, hoping to find inspiration for her lyrics and music. Perhaps that red curry wasn't as sweet as it looked, after all?

If she knew what she was thinking, even the (once) serious and aloof Hikawa Sayo would loudly complain, like... "Why don't you take a look at the 'spiciness label' marked below, Yukina-san!"

But it was obvious that she didn't have the energy to do that now, because ever since the relationship between the Hikawa sisters improved with the help of Hirayobu, her twin sister Hina basically pestered her every day, and sometimes she really felt that she was annoying enough!

But the fries she brought tasted pretty good...

At this moment, the two sisters of the Hikawa family, Hikawa Sayo and Hikawa Hina, were also taking this opportunity to eat French fries, hamburgers and other junk food. Although they usually tried not to eat them for various reasons such as health and weight management, since today was a birthday party...

Then you can enjoy the food, right?

Although I don't know how the cool and alert Sayo became what she is now, it's fun to watch her and her sister try various sauces on the fries, such as sea salt, ketchup, tartar sauce, meat sauce, spicy meat sauce, cheese meat sauce, etc., and even play with mixing and matching to find the Best Match.

She looks like she's having so much fun that she's completely oblivious to everything else. So, it's probably better not to disturb her, right?

Ping Xin, who was standing on the second floor, was silently peeking at the screen, with no intention of going downstairs.

You're really enjoying it, aren't you?

Chapter 82 Gift Exchange (Part 1)

When everyone had almost finished eating and the atmosphere was good, Ping Xin, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, appeared. He had a gentle smile like the older brother next door and his thoughts were always unpredictable, but today they became even more "exaggerated", even looking a little fake, as if he had tried too hard and had over-the-top special effects.

But considering that this is a rare birthday, this makes sense...right?

Although more careful people have noticed it, they will not point it out directly to their faces. After all, today is a day worth celebrating, so it is better to be happy until the end.

"Happy birthday to you~"

"Happy birthday to you~~"

"Happy birthday to you~~~~"

"Happy birthday to you~!"

Four girlfriends, ten band members, shadowy figures lurking in the darkness, even the domesticated cats, one black and one white, meowed in unison. Their voices, both large and small, combined to form the most sincere blessings for the birthday boy. Whether their professional vocal skills were wasted here was beyond question, but simply speaking as friends brought happiness and joy.

But...is he really happy now?

Is he really feeling joy in his heart?

Well, there should be -

Although at this moment his heart was still full of doubts, whether about himself, others, or the world.

But at least at this moment, he is indeed a blessed being, a loved being, and a being who can feel the existence of "self".

"..."

After a brief moment of contemplation, before anyone could become uneasy about the darkness, Pingxin blew out the candles. Alpha, who had been waiting nearby, then turned on the lights. Everyone applauded, laughed, and wished him well again, with "Happy Birthday" echoing in his ears.

Hei Xin couldn't tell whether this was a momentary warmth brought by the matches or a sweet dream created by his reality (the world) that succumbed to him. He simply showed the expression he should have shown at this moment -

Happy, joyful, happy, happy, excited, moved...

Ahhh, no matter what, this kind of [playing house] will soon be over, and the real [farce] will soon begin, right?

No one knows what he's thinking at the moment, just like no one knows he never makes a wish when blowing out the candles on his birthday. Because in his mind, everything must be earned by oneself, because as long as it's someone else, there is the possibility of "betrayal". After all, how can expecting others to give (handouts) compare to taking it with your own hands?

But not all the words in my mind are reflected on my face, and most of them will never appear in my mouth. Humans (me) are such hypocritical creatures, Pingxin thought.

But it is precisely because of this kind of "fakeness" that there is room for buffer between people. If the thoughts of all mankind become transparent in an instant, it will definitely cause a huge impact on the existing order and even the system.

Although he is a person who pursues the [truth], there is no one in this world who understands [falsehood] better than him and is better at using [falsehood] than him. After all—

He has been acting since he was a baby.

And now, he also has to do what "he" should do and say what "he" should say, like...

"Although Christmas is a Western holiday, and today it is only celebrated as an 'accessory' to my birthday, I still personally like it very much."

People sitting on chairs and sofas, at coffee tables and dining tables, even sitting on the floor or standing, all listened to him. Although their postures, expressions, and thoughts varied, their backgrounds, preferences, and identities varied, they all made the gesture of "listening."

However, not everyone likes this kind of lecturing, so he has to be as brief and powerful as possible, and preferably express his thoughts in an interesting way. Oh my, it really is a thankless job...

But even he himself did not realize that at this moment he revealed an unprecedented truth.

"...My favorite part is exchanging gifts - because in my opinion, humans are very selfish animals, and it is not an exaggeration to say that we are the most selfish animals in the world.

But my parents taught me that the meaning of Christmas is giving, and that it's precisely because of human selfishness that selfless giving is so great. Although it's become a simple holiday steeped in consumerism and stripped of its innocent dreams, I still intend to continue this tradition.

This is also a kind of romance, because this kind of thing is like fighting the whole world with one's own strength, so this is also a kind of Rock.

As Pingxin clapped his hands, Delta, who had been waiting at the corner, came over obediently pushing a cart. Following her were the "newcomers" and other maids pushing carts, each of which was loaded with boxes of different sizes, styles and packaging.

"Here are some gifts. Although they are all 'cheap things' I made myself, I think this is the only way to reflect the original meaning of exchanging gifts... because exchanging gifts is not just about exchanging physical objects, but more importantly, the thought behind them, the consideration for others—"

Expensive things are good, but they are only "expensive" in nature. Anyone with money and influence can get any amount. However, if we use the principle of "scarcity makes things valuable," then what ordinary people call cheap goods are probably the truly priceless treasures.

"Mizukuri, Aoba Moka, Uehara Himari, Udagawa Tomoe, Hanezawa Tsugumi..." Hirashin picked up different gift boxes from the cart and handed them to everyone in turn. "Everyone from Afterglow, you have performed very well this year. I hope you can continue to be 'as usual' after you enter high school."

Touched, warm, proud, wanting to cry... No matter how complicated the feelings in their hearts were, no one responded at this moment, even Aoba Moka, who usually loved to play tricks on people, just solemnly accepted the gift.

"Yukina Minato, Lisa Imai, Sayo Hikawa, Ako Udagawa, Rinko Shirogane..." Hirayobu handed the gifts to everyone again. No one questioned whether these gift boxes that didn't even have name tags on them would be distributed incorrectly, just as no one questioned whether Hirayobu would harm them.

"But is this really okay, because shouldn't we be the only ones giving you gifts on your birthday?"

It's a pity that Yuki has never been a guy who can read the atmosphere very well. After all, even that Ako-chan who usually speaks a lot of second-year words knows it—

This is not the place where you should speak out and ruin the atmosphere!

Chapter 83: Gift Exchange (Part 2)