The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Also, when I get excited, I tend to use nicknames, which is a bit of a hassle. It reminds me of a certain kindergarten kid who did the elephant dance... But that's okay, everyone is different, and so is I in everyone's eyes.

"By the way, please also take care of Toru-kun and... Enka's portions. I remember you made new friends before you left, so please pass on her portion as well... But it's still the same as before, okay?"

"Yeah...Okay!"

Keep it a secret... I feel like it's a little secret between the two of us. I wonder how surprised everyone will be when they find out? This is really the best prank~~

But Ping Xin showed a bitter smile behind her back. Some things are still difficult to deal with.

Sometimes people don’t want to face something not because they hate it, but because they can’t face it.

......

...

..

"...Hmm? Koito---...left."

He seemed to be running in a hurry, holding a large box in his arms. What on earth was he doing? And in a place like this...

"Ah, Miss Higuchi, what are you doing standing here?"

"No...nothing."

After her thoughts were interrupted, Higuchi Enka stopped worrying. After all, they should be able to see each other after returning. Koito had said before that she had something to give to them. I wonder what flavor of chocolate it would be this year...

"Is that so... Then come in quickly. After all, standing outside for a long time in this kind of weather is not good for your health." Ping Xin stretched out his hand, but his invitation to dance was ignored.

He shrugged and didn't care. At this point, this matter couldn't hurt him at all!

......I guess so.

"So...why did you call me out today?"

The two of them came to a familiar corner again. It seemed like this place was reserved for them. There was always an empty seat every time they came. Could this also be...

"No, no, no, this isn't a spot I specifically reserved. It's just a little thought I put into the design... You can't see this spot from the outside, but from here you can see most angles of the store. It's a very special spot, right?"

"......abnormal."

"Hehe, but shouldn't people here be exclaiming 'mind reading!' or something like that?"

Even though he was being scolded, he still had a smile on his face, even brighter than before. This performance really made Higuchi Enka feel helpless. It was the first time in her life that she had met such a difficult man.

"As for the reason why I asked you out... I think you should be very clear about it, Ms. Higuchi." As he said that, he took out a beautifully wrapped gift from his handbag, placed it on the table, and slowly pushed it over.

"...I'm very sorry, but please forgive me for not accepting your offer—"

She is very familiar with this trick, more familiar than ever!

First, she rejected him, then she made excuses like "You're not my ideal type," and finally, she made a few sarcastic remarks about his cowardly behavior of "not daring to confess in person and only using such clever tricks." The combo was gathering momentum...

"Oh, that's such a pity~" The tone of this sentence is very exaggerated, very exaggerated~

"..."

Somehow, seeing him like this made Higuchi Enka feel very unhappy. You were the one who was always pestering me, but now you act like you don't care after being rejected by me.

Am I just your entertainment? Am I nothing to you? Are the words I said before...!?

"That's a shame. I wanted to ask you to bring a gift to Ms. Asakura... Since you don't want to, I'll have to go find her myself. It just so happens that she hasn't been here much lately for some reason—"

"!"

Chapter 34: Equal Conversation & Reasons

Even though she was tricked into using a flash and ultimate by a basic attack, Higuchi Enka at least didn't reveal any major flaws on the surface... or at least she thought so. The brief exchange just now made her realize once again how troublesome the man in front of her was. To say he was as cunning as a fox was an understatement.

This place is like a fox, clearly an old fox that has become a spirit!!!

Feeling a little distracted, she took a sip of the macchiato coffee. Unlike someone who always ordered sweet coffee, she usually ordered bitter coffee. Today she just wanted to change the taste, but unexpectedly it helped her.

It’s a pity that her current mood is as bitter as the espresso under the milk foam. The white on the surface and the black at the bottom are just like her now.

But the man across from her, Asuka Ma, had been smiling and silent ever since she agreed to deliver the Valentine's Day gift. The two of them had remained silent ever since, simply drinking and savoring their own food, like a couple at odds... like a man and a woman—

"So...is this also your 'double plan', Mr. Fox?"

"Hmm...it's like 'Schrödinger's cat', who knows?"

Schrödinger's cat was in the box, and this time, the gift was also in the box. This experiment emphasizes the "observer" and "possibility," and the "result" just now was changed by the appearance of her "observer," and ultimately determined to be one of many "possibilities."

To put it simply, it is a satire on her that "it's all her own fault", is that what you mean?

After pondering it for a moment, she came to her own conclusion. Then, looking up at the man across from her, she found him still beaming at her. Even she herself didn't know what charm she possessed, or what merited his undivided attention. What a strange fellow.

Of course, the strangest thing was that he was in an unexpectedly good mood today, especially after she'd "rejected" him. He was so good he'd even started humming a little tune... Could he really be some alphanumeric player? Or was he simply happy that his "strategy" was working?

But the answer to this question is only known to Ping Xin himself——

"So... do you want to talk to me about the problem you were thinking about outside the cafe earlier? Seeing the way your brows are furrowed, let me guess... is your precious eldest daughter in trouble again?"

She wanted to retort that Koito was just her friend, but then she realized that such a reaction would only make him even more proud, like a fisherman who had caught a fish. So, she adjusted her attitude and said slowly, "...Actually, I saw her carrying a lot of things today, so I guessed—"

......

...

..

It's really amazing... Even though I was rejected directly, I didn't feel angry or annoyed at all, and I didn't reflect on myself at all. Instead, I felt a sense of familiarity and security as if I was back home. It was a wonderful experience.

And I don't know why, when I face Ms. Higuchi, I always feel like bullying her to make her break down and cry, but at the same time, I also feel like protecting her and not letting anyone or anything hurt her. It's strange.

And when I talk about Asakura or this "daughter" whose name I don't know yet, she always gives me a maternal feeling, like the old mother in the team who always worries about others. It's interesting.

“Hmm…?~~~~”

"...Are you listening?"

"Ah...yes, I'm here. What can I do for you, Ms. Higuchi?"

I'm trying to share the information I've collected these days and the anomalies I just discovered. You can even hum the song and still ask me if I have any questions?

But considering his nosy nature, it's probably okay if he doesn't say anything...

Tsk——

"Ah, it looks like you've finished your questions, Ms. Higuchi. Now, may I ask the next question?"

Last time she called him over and told him about her troubles. Although Pingxin didn't do anything in the end, she still owed him this "favor", so she came out so readily when she was asked out this time.

"If you get married, Ms. Higuchi seems like the type to help pay half of the family's mortgage..."

"...What is that, a compliment?"

"Hmm...I don't really understand, but it means something good."

I originally thought she would take on half of the debt in a divorce, and would repay her debt even if the other party was a loser. But then I thought about it, saying that before they even started dating was a bit unlucky, so it ended up being this weird.

"So my question is... are you going to try out the climbing frame today? It's the kind with safety measures, perfect, and the kids all say it's great!"

"..."

So what's the point of that climbing frame, anyway? It's ridiculously high, even adults would be surprised by how it got there. When Toru and that guy climbed up there, it was... such a nasty memory. It caused such a commotion that we didn't gather there for a while.

...When I think about this long-forgotten past event and how my friend Toru is still so free today, and even suddenly became an idol (trainee), it really gives me a headache——

Thinking of this, Enka frowned, then lowered her head and took a sip of coffee...bitter.

But the words that came out of her mouth were different from what she had thought in advance, "You are not a child anymore... How old do you think you are now?"

What the hell is this? There should be a better reason. I shouldn't have given him any more time to analyze and elaborate... I always feel like the strange things in his life have become more and more frequent since I met him, and even I feel the same way—

As expected, I hate this man, this man called Asuka Ma.

"Hmm... Is that really the case? No—I'm sorry, I slipped up." Pingxin took a sip of the milk tea in his cup and continued, "As for your question... I just had my birthday, but if you're just counting by the year, I'd be 17 this year."

"...cunning man."

He labeled her irony as a "problem" and then kept the conversation going forcefully and on his own. Are all so-called men like this?

No, Higuchi Enka knew very well that it wasn't like that. A few people gathered in a group in the classroom playing games or discussing pornographic books and things in 17V in a low voice, that was what a normal -year-old boy should be like.

What on earth did this guy go through to become like this?

Even though Enka still didn't want to admit it, she might, probably, perhaps, be a little curious about his experience... not interest, but curiosity!

"It's a rare opportunity to have such an equal conversation... Well, Ms. Higuchi, why don't you tell me about the opportunity that led to our 'meeting'—"

Why on earth would you rush to this half-abandoned old park in the middle of the rainy season without even an umbrella?

...Haha, a cunning and sharp man.

Chapter 35: Similarities

"...You'd know that even if I didn't tell you, wouldn't you?"

"After all, we have a lot in common in our personalities—"

The same pessimism, the same negativity, the same reality, the same passivity, the same negativity, the same sharpness, the same desire, the same fear, and yet the same...

"Really? ...I don't think so."

Higuchi Enka crossed her arms over her chest and straightened her back like a profile picture in a circle of friends. However, this action only made people feel that she was on guard and let people know that she regarded herself as the weaker party and the one at a disadvantage. Then she told her through the chat software.

The reason why he didn't say it here was because he was afraid of being beaten. After all, he was not a real M.

"Well, let's just leave it at that~" Ping Xin lowered his head and drank tea. Milk tea is also tea.

"..."

It was this attitude and this posture that made her heart feel uneasy and itchy.

"I want to hear from you the reason why you suddenly showed up on that rainy day, no matter if it's what I thought or what it has to do with Asakura."

You are so open and honest, yet so hypocritical. I can hear your truth, but I can't see through your lies. Yet, in front of you, I feel like I'm naked. Every subtle movement, every glance I take, every beat of my heart—all exposed before you.

Have we ever been equal? ​​... Perhaps in your eyes, we have been, but judging by what you just said, that's not the case. It's not oppression and oppression, nor oppression and oppression, but it's definitely not equality either.

In the end, we didn't even know who the other person was, or how we should interact with each other. It was the worst game of playing house ever.

"...What a difficult man."

"Thank you for your compliment." Ping Xin was not in a hurry. He drank some tea first and waited for her reaction.

But you said "equal", right? Since you want it so much, then I will give it to you... Using my own style, using the methods of a weak person like me, using the methods of a woman like me——

Let me see if I can tear all of you apart and tear everything that makes me unhappy into a mess!

"Well, okay... then let me tell you straight away, it's exactly what you think. Our meeting wasn't the romantic coincidence you expected, but just an unpleasant encounter."

"...Let me guess, it's because of Asakura's card?"

"You're as perceptive as ever... That's right, it's the black card she got from you, Mr. Rich Man. A high school girl suddenly has a lot of money and buys a lot of random things. Isn't that easy to arouse suspicion?"

Higuchi Enka was now more excited than ever, and her speech was incredibly rapid. Unlike her previous controlled demeanor, her rapid speech was logical and composed, not unlike a premeditated attack. It didn't feel like she'd stumbled upon a reincarnation machine, but rather a premeditated attack.

"I see... Are you worried she's met a strange old man or borrowed some weird loan shark?... Even if that's unlikely, she does seem like someone who could be easily deceived. I feel like she might be captured and made into a magical girl."

Ping Xin touched his chin and replied, if the other party became serious, then he would be serious too.

So what does this have to do with magical girls? Does it mean she's as gullible as any elementary or middle school kid? Higuchi Enka doesn't know, and she doesn't want to know. She subconsciously senses some malicious intent, and if she asks, she'll definitely hear something she'll regret.

"...Is this the extent of your reaction? Perhaps—"

"Maybe I don't love you that much? Well... I don't know either, because love is a feeling that is hard to explain, but it is a completely clear fact that I have a good impression and interest in you." Ping Xin didn't care about her childish provocation. In order not to be rude and laugh in front of her, he chose to order another cup of coffee. Perhaps today's words needed more bitterness.

...What's going on with this person?! Why is his reaction completely different from what I expected?!

"Want to know why?"

"...ha--?"

What was this person talking about? Was he sane? ...No, that was a stupid question. Seeing Hirayūnobu raise a second finger after the first, Enka knew that the price of pursuing this answer would be another new question.

"...Okay, I accept."

"Deal then... ahem, the reason is very simple, you may not even realize it yourself, Ms. Higuchi." Hirashin's face showed that "sly smile" that gave her a familiar feeling again, but he quickly returned to his expressionless state because of the bitter taste of coffee.

...something I didn't even realize?

So, let us sort out the process of our acquaintance -