Page 157
Page 157
[Aiyin: Soyorin is so troublesome]
[Su Shi: ...You're no better than me.]
That point cannot be denied.
Aine lay in bed, wanting to solve every problem she encountered, unable to ignore them at all. She could be called a troublesome woman, since she could easily survive if she just ignored them.
Living easily isn't difficult; you just need to give up enough things.
Whether or not one is happy is another matter.
She picked up her phone again and made a call.
"What?" Su Shi's calm voice came over, seemingly unchanged despite the fact that they were dating.
Let's continue to help each other out from now on.
"...Aine really knows how to talk a good game. If everyone in the world had Aine's mouth, it would definitely become a candy-like dream world, a utopia, right?"
There was a hint of a smile in his tone, so it shouldn't be a misperception.
Ai Yin laughed and said, "It would be really interesting if I had a mouth like Soyorin's all over."
"That would be terrible."
After ending the call, Su Shi put away her phone, stepped into the elevator, and returned to her home.
"I'm home." — She'd said those words countless times, but today there was still no response. But she didn't care; her mother always came home very late.
Moreover, she was very satisfied today.
Su Shi picked up a doll from the sofa and buried her face in it.
She didn't regret confessing her feelings, even though it wasn't perfect, the joy in her heart was genuine.
Clutching her doll, Su Shi lay on the sofa and closed her eyes. Memories from not long ago surfaced in her mind.
"Let's keep troubling each other."
Although it's just nice talk, it doesn't make people doubt its authenticity.
And the fact that I can't help but smile because of this makes me seem so childish.
She kissed the doll. It didn't feel very good; a real person is definitely better.
Su Shi sighed: "If I think like that, wouldn't I be no different from a real psychopath?"
It's another morning.
Aiyin greeted her classmates as she walked into the classroom.
Deng arrived a little earlier than her and was already seated.
Lixi and Sushi have been taken care of, all that's left is the lamp—Aine thought of this and felt that she was a bad guy who played with women.
No, she's the one who's been forcibly kissed all along.
Could it be that I'm the one being played? Ai Yin's mind raced with wild thoughts; it must be just her imagination.
"Good morning, Tomorin!"
The lamp looked up and said, "Ah, Aine... Good morning."
She lowered her head. During this time, she had been thinking about her relationship with Aine. Not particularly smart, she still hadn't been able to sort out her inner thoughts.
But just as Aine would not ignore their thoughts and feelings.
I have to respond too! The lamp clenched its fists.
"Aion!" Deng suddenly stood up and grabbed Aion's hand.
"etc...."
"We're in the classroom!" Ai Yin panicked, and the other classmates all turned to look at her.
But the lamp seemed oblivious to the fact that there were other people around, and desperately said, "I... I haven't sorted out my thoughts yet, but I have something I want to show Aine!"
What does the lamp want to show me? Ai Yin met the lamp's eyes. Since the lamp said so, it must be very important.
She just really hoped that Deng could sometimes be more mindful of the occasion.
If she suddenly says this in the classroom, her classmates might misunderstand and think that something happened between them.
"I understand, I'll be looking forward to it!" Aine said with a smile.
"Um...."
The lamp's expression softened, but it didn't let go of his hand.
Aine said embarrassedly, "Tomorin, you're still holding hands—"
"...It's been so long since we held hands, doesn't Aine want to hold hands?"
"I didn't say that!"
But there's a chance of being misunderstood... Oh well. Aine decided not to care. Let them misunderstand, anyway, she and Akari are in the same band!
That's what girl bands are all about!
During lunch break, Ai-yin and Tamamo came to the Astronomy Department.
If you were to ask which place on campus is the best place for them to be alone, it would definitely be this place.
"This... I want to give it to Aine."
Deng picked up a sketchbook from the table and handed it to Ai Yin.
Ai Yin thought it looked familiar: "Isn't this the picture book we drew before?"
"Hmm, I mentioned before that the picture book's plot was missing something important..."
Although the ending had been drawn, the lamp at that time still felt that something was missing and it was not satisfactory.
The lamp said softly, "I've figured out what's missing, and I've drawn it out and written it down. I hope Aine can see it—I've never been good at expressing myself, but I'll try my best to make Aine understand!"
She understood what was missing, but Aine didn't.
The answer must lie in the extra plot points in the picture book.
So Aine opened it.
The story remains the same as before: the pink dog, in order to fulfill a promise, contacts his friends, forms a band, and then travels to space together.
However, a few new images were added at the end.
Chain-like lines appeared on the band members who had traveled to the universe, linking them together and shimmering.
“Chain of Light?” Ai Yin immediately thought of the previous performance.
"Hmm. The universe itself has no gravity. If this band that goes to the universe doesn't connect with each other, it will fall apart and be attracted by the gravity of various celestial bodies, eventually never to meet again."
The lamp's voice was gentle: "But... unlike 'Chain Light,' what connects this band and gives birth to this bond is everyone's pure intention—the intention to always be together."
"Chain of Light" is a way for Aine to express her feelings to them, and for them to express their feelings to Aine.
Picture books, on the other hand, convey a shared, pure emotion.
“I like Ai-yin,” Deng said earnestly.
Aine blinked.
"I love it! It's my absolute favorite!"
"I love the way Aine smiles, I love the way Aine works hard and is serious, I love the way Aine hums a tune when she's happy!"
"I love the clothes designed by Ai Yin, I love the names Ai Yin gives, I love Ai Yin's warm hands, I love Ai Yin's gentle voice, I love everything about Ai Yin!"
Unable to organize her thoughts, she could only let out all her emotions at once.
"Wait a moment...."
Ai Yin hurriedly replied, as one "like" after another bombarded her, causing her to subconsciously react as if she had an allergic reaction, her face flushing red.
As the lamp drew closer, Aine's blush deepened.
"This is the kind of love that makes me feel so warm that I want to cry!" the lamp shouted desperately.
At that moment, Aine understood.
It turned out to be the case.
This is what Renai meant when she said, "It's not any other Aine that makes everyone cry."
The light has always been watching her, deeply engraving her true face in its heart. The others are the same; they all love the incredibly real "Chihaya Aine," and the genuine, unpretentious days they spent with her.
It is pure because it is without falsehood.
It is precisely because of its purity that it shines.
“So, don’t disappear,” Deng lowered her head and leaned against Aine.
"No, it's just that it's not just others, Tomorin says the same thing."
Aine hugged the lamp: "Soyorin wants me to be the one who gets angry, Riki wants me to be the one who can support each other, Rakuna wants me to be the one who goes with the flow, and Tomroin wants me to be the one who is pure."
In the end, everyone wanted the same thing.
She had never intended to continue with her previous plan and decision, and now that Dengxia had made the final decision, she had completely given up on that idea.
It's such a twisted relationship, yet they choose to let things take their course. It's strange.
But the strange things must continue.
Deng Anxin said, "Because everyone has the same expectations of each other."
If it were Riki, Suze, or even Rina or Akari who said those words, others would use their passionate bond skills to correct them.
"Aiyin no longer needs to worry about the band."
Having weathered one event after another, this band is stronger than ever.
Nothing can break the bond between them anymore.
“It’s still necessary to worry,” Ai Yin said.
"Eh?"
"Not worrying is also a kind of danger. But I'll feel much more at ease."
Others have already proven that even without entrusting everything to her, the band's problems can still be solved.
“I like Tomorin too!” Aine laughed.
"what"
Such a simple sentence, yet it fills my heart with boundless warmth.
Deng Xin's heart pounded, and she gripped Ai Yin's hand tightly: "I want to hold your hand forever."
"sure."
"...I want to hold you forever."
"of course can."
"I think--"
What would people say in this situation?
Dating? Marriage?
Something seems off... The only thing the lamp really wanted to say was...
"I want to become a human being who, together with Aine and everyone else, will welcome countless tomorrows."
The moment she said it, Deng was certain that this was the kind of human she wanted to become.
Ai Yin smiled broadly: "Then let's achieve it little by little! Accumulating it day by day, it will take a lifetime."
"Yeah."
As if suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly ran to the table and picked up a stone.
"Aine, this is for you." The lamp held the stone in both hands and handed it to Aine.
Just as Ai Yin was about to take it, she heard Deng whisper:
"Penguins...give stones as gifts to their mates. Although I'm not a penguin, this is...a confession."
chsdbacks