[You chose Asagiri Mitsuki and decided to let her be your shield. During the two months of getting along, the girl tried to get closer to you more than once.]
[You know that Asagiri Mitsuki has no feelings for you, so you have no guilt about your behavior.]
[In July, a week before summer vacation, after a karaoke session, you called out to Asagiri Mitsuki.]
[Ai Komori looks at you, then at Mizuki Asagiri, and smiles with joy. She quickly leaves, leaving you space.]
[You and Asagiri Mitsuki are walking on the street at dusk. The weather is hot and you are both wearing only a thin T-shirt. She pulls at the collar to drive away the stuffiness inside the cotton T-shirt. A small white spot flashes in the corner of your eyes.]
[You invited her to a dim sum restaurant. The cool air from the air conditioner and the refreshing parfait drove away your hesitation.]
[You ask her if she wants to date you.]
[Your question is very strange. Asagiri Mitsuki noticed this keenly and asked you why you used such words.]
Memory scenes emerge.
The air conditioning in the dim sum restaurant was at a very low temperature. The cold air wrapped around Nan Youxi's body. The parfait melted on the tip of his tongue and in his stomach, and the coolness spread throughout his body.
He looked at Asagiri Mitsuki who was sitting opposite him. The girl's puzzled look reminded him of the upcoming confession. His heart beat faster and his body gradually became hot.
"Normally, shouldn't you say 'Please date me' or ask 'Would you like to date me'? It's a bit strange to use the sentence 'Do you want to date me'?" Asagiri Mitsuki stated her doubts.
"I said the first two sentences when I was in love," said Nan Youxi.
"Eh?" Asagiri Mitsuki put down the spoon in her hand, with a look of intense confusion on her face: "Saying something like this proves that Senior doesn't like me at all?"
"For now, yes."
"Can I ask the reason for your confession?"
"Because of Nao, Yuko, and Reina, I want to maintain my relationship with them."
"I don't quite understand, but am I the shield now?"
Asagiri Mitsuki frowned, her eyes fixed on Minami Yuxi with a look that seemed to be full of rebuke, but Minami Yuxi knew that she would not have such emotions. What she was about to do was no different from herself. This expression was just her performance.
"That's a good idea." Nan Youxi confirmed her judgment.
"I originally thought that you were an upright person," the smile on Asagiri Mitsuki's lips and the doubt on her brows disappeared, replaced by a stern face.
She stood up and walked out the door: "We don't need to interact anymore."
Nan Youxi didn't try to stop her, and didn't even look at her back.
He scooped a spoonful of ice cream, the coolness and sweetness spreading on his tongue, and he said vaguely: "I can also be a shield for Chaogiri, right?"
Asagiri Mizuki stopped walking and turned to look at Minami Yuki: "I don't know what you are talking about, Senior."
"Let me tell you a story," Nan Youxi pointed to the seat opposite, "Would you like to sit down and listen?"
Asagiri Mitsuki hesitated for two seconds, then she turned around and sat back in her original seat.
There were not many customers at this time, and the booth where they were sitting had wooden panels on both sides, so they didn't have to worry about being heard or seen by others.
After scanning the surroundings, her eyes stopped at Nan Youxi. She wanted to ask, but she was afraid that Nan Youxi was deceiving her and asking would expose her. She placed her hands on her thighs and clasped her fingers together tightly. She reflected on where she had revealed her flaws.
"This is a reasoning question, um, a social reasoning question." Nan Youxi lowered her head, concentrating on the parfait in front of her, as if she was really just telling a story.
"Our protagonist is a boy. He is in the prime of his youth, a good time for love. He meets a girl who is lively, cheerful and fashionable. The boy has a strong feeling for the girl. From her behavior, he feels that she also has feelings for him. So, after several dates, the boy confesses his love to the girl in the evening. The girl agrees and they live together from then on."
Minami Yuki raised her head and looked into Asagiri Mizuki's eyes: "The boy thought their relationship was going smoothly, and their relationship was happy and peaceful. However, one year later, after a night of lovemaking, the girl left without saying goodbye."
Asagiri Mizuki's expression changed. Panic flashed in her eyes. Her slightly dry lips opened and her tongue tip lifted a little. She wanted to say something, but then closed her lips again. Her palms began to tremble.
Minami Yuki continued, "The boy is very confused as to why a girl in love would choose to leave him. Does Asagiri know the answer to this question?"
Asagiri Mizuki's eyes began to waver. She first looked towards the table, then suddenly lowered her head to look at the tense fingers on her legs.
Her mouth was dry, she never expected that her lifelong disguise would be seen through by this boy who she had only been with for two months.
She could feel her heart beating violently, and what made her blood boil was panic, fear, and excitement.
The exposure of lies means the coming of the truth. Those who are waiting for the truth may not only be those who are deceived by the lies, but also the liars.
"Has Asagiri figured out the answer?" Minami Yuki held the spoon between two fingers and stirred the parfait, turning the white ice cream into a ball.
Asagiri Mizuki made her final struggle: "Because the girl is pretending, she doesn't like the boy at all, but she has to associate with him because of some hidden reasons."
"There is no hidden cause that directly pushed her to date the boy." Nan Youxi added, "All the clues are in the story. There are no other external factors."
Asagiri Mitsuki was like a person hiding in a house after the city was broken. At this moment, her thin wooden door was also knocked down by the enemy.
She was sure there was no escape.
"Because, the liveliness and cheerfulness at the beginning was just a disguise." She lay down in the seat and breathed a sigh of relief.
"According to the normal process, this is the story of you and me." Nan Youxi completely revealed the story.
"Yeah." Asagiri Mitsuki smiled, and that smile was the relief that came from finally being able to relax after being exhausted.
"Is that smile of yours a real expression or a disguise?" Nan Youxi looked at her.
"It's not like I don't have any feelings at all." Asagiri Mizuki picked up the spoon, scooped out a piece of half-melted ice cream, and put it in her mouth.
The seriousness on her face was gone, and her movements revealed a carefree attitude. She no longer cared about the manicure that she had been trying to protect. Her left hand was placed on the table, tapping on it with her pink nails.
Nan Youxi looked at her nails hitting the table: "I'm not very interested in your true face, but if you are willing to tell me, I can listen to it."
"We'll talk about it later."
"Now let's talk about the answer to the question just now?"
"Okay." Asagiri Mitsuki looked at Minami Yuki, "I need you to prove that I can also fall in love."
"Then we'll each take what we need."
The two men stretched out their hands and held each other in the middle of the dining table. It didn't seem like they were confessing their love, but rather like they had reached some kind of deal.
Holding Asagiri Mitsuki's soft hand, the images of Kazumi, Honoka and Sister Youta flashed through Minami Yuxi's mind. He thought that Asagiri Mitsuki was the most suitable one, and if he was with those three women, maybe sparks of love would really fly.
Thinking about the stupid things I did, I shut myself in for a while. Sorry for being late. There is another update tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)