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Page 509
These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly freezing the air in the living room. Everyone, including Xiangzi, was shocked—no one expected that the boy, usually as gentle as cotton, would utter such cruel words.
Xiangzi, who was resting with his eyes closed, almost burst into tears, but he still slightly covered his fist, took a deep breath, and tried not to let his emotions get too agitated.
Hatsune, standing beside her, pouted, a regretful expression on her face. She thought to herself, "I should have been the one to say that! How did this man get to say it first?"
Mana Junda's mockery faded slightly, replaced by a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Miss Shoko is dead, and I will naturally be buried with her. But... since you've put it this way, you're still willing to invite me to dinner?"
Banami shrugged lightly: "She's not dead yet, is she?"
Su Shi, who was not far away, couldn't help but chuckle. Realizing that the atmosphere was not right, she immediately covered her mouth and showed an embarrassed expression.
Junda Mana paused for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter, her laughter carrying a hint of relief and a touch of amusement: "Hanami-kun, you're quite humorous."
"I'm just telling the truth."
At this moment, Aine had already brought over a clean set of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. Junda Mana no longer insisted, took the bowls and chopsticks, picked up a bite of green vegetables, put them in her mouth, tasted them carefully, and nodded: "Indeed, Chihaya-san's cooking is very good."
Aine's eyes were somewhat complicated. If it were in the past, she would have been moved to tears if her idol praised her or she had dinner with him.
And now, I dare not move, I dare not move.
"Waaah, to see my favorite CP collapse under these circumstances, what kind of misfortune has she suffered?" Aine thought sadly.
"Ms. Mana, let me double-check." After taking a big gulp of water, Bana put down her glass and asked, "In your rules, the only rule that Xiaoxiang can't eat is, right?"
“That’s right.” Junta Mana put down her chopsticks and looked at him with a half-smile. “Unless you are willing to do what I ask of you with Hatsune-chan, Miss Shoko will have to go hungry forever.”
“Xi will absolutely not do as you say!” Xiangzi immediately opened his eyes and retorted firmly.
Hatsune chimed in, her chest rising and falling slightly: "I... my heart only has one sun, Saki-chan!"
Banami nodded slightly and said to Junda Mana, "I understand."
After speaking, he stood up and, under everyone's gaze, walked step by step towards Xiangzi beside the sofa. Before anyone could react, he lowered his head slightly and gently covered Xiangzi's dry lips with his own.
Xiangzi's eyes widened suddenly, and her body froze instantly. The next second, sweet saliva slowly entered her mouth, sliding down her throat and slightly relieving the dryness in her throat and the emptiness in her stomach.
Hatsune, standing nearby, was furious. "Yana Miyu, how dare you do this in front of me! In front of me!"
After a moment of surprise, Junda Mana couldn't help but burst into laughter: "I see, I see, this is the purpose of your eating."
I even made a point of confirming the rules with her.
Indeed, Xiangzi hasn't eaten anything yet, he's just kissing, but he's managed to replenish some fluids. Although it's very inefficient, it hasn't violated the conditions given by Junda Mana.
Junda Mana wasn't angry; on the contrary, she admired him somewhat. Meanwhile, the other girls kept recalling the words the boy had said earlier.
I will absolutely not let anything happen to you.
Chapter 42 Can we skip the romance?
The night, like an ink-soaked velvet cloth, enveloped the rooftop of SUMIMI's detached dormitory.
Banami leaned against the railing, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers—he was someone who rarely touched cigarettes, and even on the most tiring days of his work, he never used tobacco to numb himself. But at this moment, the flickering light of the cigarette was the only refuge in the darkness.
He could leave the apartment at any time, but he voluntarily stayed here because of someone important to him.
The rooftop door swayed slightly, and Hanami turned her head, meeting Junta Mana's gaze. "Ah, Hanami-kun smokes?" she said with a hint of surprise, approaching slowly.
Seeing that no one responded, Banai simply asked, "Where are the others?"
“They’re all asleep.” Mana’s tone softened. “It seems they know you’re here; they’re not on guard at all and are sleeping soundly.”
Banai nodded and didn't say anything more. He didn't ask Mana to let Shoko go, nor did he show any anger. This calmness made Mana feel strange—if it were her, she would have cursed him out long ago if someone used Hatsune Miku as a threat.
"Um, could I have one?" Mana suddenly asked, her fingertips touching the cigarette pack in his hand.
Mana handed over the cigarette case, and she clumsily took one out, fumbled for a lighter, and pressed it several times, the sparks flickering and then going out. "Out of kerosene," Mana said, glancing at it.
"Can I borrow a light? I've been wanting to try this for a while." Mana smiled and turned her head, bringing the cigarette in her mouth closer to the cigarette between his fingers. The flame licked the cigarette, she took a deep drag, and immediately choked, bending over with tears welling up in her eyes.
Seeing her reddened eyes from coughing, Banai remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Xiaoxiang used to smoke, but he choked even more than you, so he hasn't touched it since."
Mana stubbornly put the cigarette back in her mouth, her voice still tinged with coughing: "Hanami-kun, do you know? I envy you."
The lead singer of a popular idol group said he envied him because he had nothing. It sounded absurd, but it was wrapped in an unyielding bitterness.
Do you know how lucky it is when the person you like also likes you?
Seeing the cigarette burning down to the filter, making him curl his knuckles, Banai said, "You're right."
He was never a particularly outstanding person; he was just slightly luckier than Mana Junta.
“Miss Xiangzi won’t last much longer.” Mana looked at the neon lights in the distance, her voice as soft as a sigh. “Even if you try to give her some water in that way, her body won’t be able to take it in a couple of days.”
Seeing that she didn't respond, Banai simply stubbed out her cigarette on the metal of the railing, sparks flying as it went out. "Miss Junta, is your goal really just to get revenge on Hatsune Miku?"
Mana didn't answer, but turned around and walked towards the rooftop door: "It's getting windy, let's go back."
As Banami watched her retreating figure, she said softly, "There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor later."
***
Two days passed slowly like this. Although Banami had been trying to help Shoko replenish some water through kisses, it was far from enough, and she visibly weakened.
Hatsune's gaze wavered as she looked at the person she loved.
After another gentle touch, Banami raised his hand and stroked Xiangzi's forehead. He spoke in a very soft voice: "Sleep for a while, get some rest. I'll stay here and watch over you. I won't let anything happen to you."
Xiangzi's consciousness was already somewhat hazy, his vision so blurred that he couldn't see the person in front of him clearly, but still, by instinct, he struggled to raise his hand and grasp his sleeve, saying in a weak, intermittent voice, "Xi...don't...don't listen to her...don't beg her..."
"Yes, I know." Banami gently patted her slightly cool hand. "Just sleep peacefully."
He stayed by her side until Xiangzi's breathing gradually became steady and even, and he fell into a deep sleep. Only then did he slowly get up and turn to look at Hatsune Miku, who had been guarding her not far away with an anxious expression.
"Miss Triangle, may I come to the next room to talk to you? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Hatsune bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with unease and hesitation, but she still nodded and followed him into the next room.
Just as she gently closed the door, shutting out the noise from the living room, she heard Banami speak bluntly, her tone so heavy it was almost suffocating: "Xiangzi can't hold on any longer. We have to find a way to get her something to eat today."
"You want me to do *that* with you?" Hatsune seemed to have been stung by a needle, taking a large step back and slamming her back against the door. Her face showed undisguised disgust and resistance. "You're the person I hate the most! Don't even think about it, absolutely not!"
The emotions that had been building up inside me for so long suddenly burst forth like a flood that had burst its banks, and I could no longer control them.
"I was the first one to like Saki! Ever since we were little kids, all I wanted was to be with her!"
I specifically went to a school in Tokyo so that I could form a band with her!
If you hadn't appeared, Saki-chan and I would have stayed together happily. We would have had our own band and a happy life!
Saki-chan is mine! She's mine!
She stared intently at Banami, her eyes brimming with hatred—just like when she saw Xiangzi's wedding photos on her phone, she clenched her fists, wishing she could tear the man who occupied the spot next to Xiangzi in the photos to pieces.
But Banami's voice suddenly turned cold, no longer gentle, each word striking her heart: "But now, Xiangzi will die here because of your mistake."
She stood frozen in place, as if all her strength had been drained away. Her hands hung limply at her sides, and the chill from her fingertips spread from her arms throughout her body.
She couldn't refute it—
Mana was the one who took direct action, but the root of all this was indeed her indecisiveness and selfishness; she was the one who dragged Xiangzi into this dangerous vortex.
Banami took a step forward, her tone softening slightly: "I don't care how much you hate me, Xiaoxiang has to have a meal today. I said I wouldn't let anything happen to her."
Hatsune's shoulders slumped completely. She slid down the door and sat on the floor, hugging her knees and sobbing, "I know... I know it's my fault... but I really can't do that kind of thing with you. Just being near you makes me feel uncomfortable..." Her cries were soft and desperate, filled with helplessness.
There's a term called "physiological liking," but Hatsune Miku is the opposite; it's called "physiological dislike." She loathes Hanami so much that she can't control herself.
"It's okay if you hate me, it's all for Xiangzi's sake, and I have a way."
Hatsune stared at the boy with slightly wide eyes. Then, to her surprise, Banami gently lowered his head and touched Hatsune's lips.
"Eh..."
She should have hated those lips, lips that would make her want to vomit, but... she found herself instinctively clinging to them.
"It tastes like... Saki-chan."
That's right, it's only natural that Banami's lips taste like Shoko's. After all, she's Shoko-chan's husband, and it's normal for her taste to linger on his lips after just kissing her.
Banami said softly, "It's okay if you hate me. Just treat me like Xiangzi. We're not doing this for love, but just to save Xiangzi."
After saying this, Banai gently put his arm around the girl's waist.
Hatsune's body stiffened slightly as she felt the man's presence. It was the first time she had been held like this by a man, yet his breath carried the scent of Xiao Xiang.
She trembled slightly as she said, "This is...my first time. If you're rough, it will make me hate you even more!"
She gently closed her eyes; all of this was for Xiangzi.
Hatsune Miku harbors a sense of sublime sacrifice within her heart.
Chapter 43 Physiological Liking
His consciousness seemed to rise slowly as if submerged in warm water. Xiangzi slowly opened his eyes, and in his blurry vision, the first thing he saw was Junda Mana's pretty face, with her smooth black hair falling over her shoulders, carrying a strange gentleness.
"Miss Xiangzi, you're awake." Mana said with a smile, her tone light as if she were chatting. "We've already arrived in hell."
Xiangzi frowned slightly, a wave of weakness washing over her. She raised her hand to push the person in front of her away, but her fingertips were too weak to move. "Don't make such cheap jokes," she said, her voice hoarse and dry. "Where is Xi?"
"Why do you think this is a joke?" Mana tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement and a touch of barely perceptible melancholy hidden in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Xiangzi's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition climbed up her spine, making her involuntarily tense up.
Mana said slowly, "You know what? When you kissed me just now, you actually had the drug I gave him between your lips and teeth—a drug with a strong hypnotic effect."
Xiangzi's pupils suddenly contracted, and her eyes widened abruptly. But Mana waved her hand with a smile: "Don't be nervous, he asked me to do this. However, I secretly replaced the pills with starch tablets." She paused, deliberately drawing out her words, "So, Miss Xiangzi, do you know why Hanami-kun did this?"
With a "buzz," Xiangzi's head felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer. She struggled to stand up from the sofa, but her body was so weak that she swayed. Junda Mana actually reached out and gently supported her arm.
"Is Yu in Hatsune's room right now?" Xiangzi's voice trembled.
“Miss Xiangzi is indeed clever.” Mana smiled, her eyes crinkling, but her tone was cold. “She guessed right away.”
Xiangzi had no energy left to argue with her, so he let her help him walk step by step toward Hatsune's room. The floor beneath his feet felt like it was filled with lead, and every step was so heavy it made his heart race.
As she reached the door, she raised her hand, about to push open the not-so-thick wooden door, when she heard Banami's voice coming from inside.
"No matter what, I will not let anything happen to Xiao Xiang."
The hand that was hanging on the doorknob suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to stop them?" Mana whispered in her ear, her breath brushing against her earlobe with a cool sensation. "You can still push the door open and go in now."
Xiangzi glared fiercely at the culprit beside him, his eyes almost overflowing with anger.
But the next second, she slowly clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, bringing a sharp pain, before she could barely calm herself down.
She sniffed, her voice thick with nasal tone: "Actually, from the very first day when Xi said those words to me, I knew things would eventually come to this."
“That guy… he’d do anything for me.” Xiangzi’s eyes grew redder and redder. “I know that. But I want to live, I want to stay with him, I want to find out why he divorced me, I want him to only have me in his heart from beginning to end… but all of this depends on me surviving first.”
She gave a self-deprecating laugh, her laughter tinged with bitterness: "I kept emphasizing that he shouldn't do what you said, but deep down I knew better than anyone that he would. He would agree to anything for me. I just... just wanted to shift the blame for this 'betrayal' onto him."
"In the end, the one who only thinks about himself is clearly me."
After saying that, Xiangzi stood frozen at the doorway, motionless. The dormitory door wasn't very thick, and the sounds from inside could be heard clearly—the two people's soft breathing, their quiet whispers, and the occasional suppressed soft noises.
Every sound was like a tiny knife, stabbing her heart repeatedly.
She recalled the first time she and Banami were intimate, in their small rented apartment, the light dim, the atmosphere warm and sweet. His movements were clumsy yet gentle, his eyes full of tenderness, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.
But now, she could only stand outside the door, watching helplessly as he did the same thing to another girl.
His already weakened body could no longer hold on, and Xiangzi's legs gave way, causing him to collapse onto the cold floor.
It hurts, it hurts too much.
But she bit her lower lip tightly, making no sound and not pushing open the door.
After a long while, Xiangzi raised her reddened eyes, looked at Junda Mana who was standing quietly beside her, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Aren't you... sad? Isn't Hatsune Miku the person you love the most?"
Watching your loved one being intimate with someone else in a room, even if it was all her doing, must have been painful, right?
Xiangzi couldn't understand how crazy this woman had become to do such a thing.
Mana's smile faded slightly, a barely perceptible pain flashing in her eyes, only to be replaced by obsession: "Whatever Miss Shoko thinks now, that's exactly what I think." She took a deep breath, her tone eerily calm. "The reason I didn't do as you said, and didn't actually put you to sleep, was not only to see your reaction, but also because if I were the only one watching, I probably would have cried from the pain."
"You...you're really crazy!" Xiangzi couldn't help but shout, his voice filled with disbelief and fear.
"Loving someone to the extreme, doesn't that mean you'll go crazy?" Mana asked with a smile, her eyes filled with a stubbornness that entwined like vines. "Miss Shoko, you don't understand this feeling, because you already have everything you want."
***
In the room, everything finally returned to calm.
Hatsune was as soft as a lump of mud, slumped in Yanami's arms, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, her eyes still carrying a lingering afterglow, and her breathing slightly rapid.
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