Before long, Lin Mu and Shiina Mahiru arrived at the apartment Asada Shino rented.
It was a relatively secluded small place, and the rent was the cheapest kind.
"Do you want to come up and sit for a bit?" At the stairwell, Asada Shino hesitated, looking at the two of them.
Shiina Mahiru shook her head, "Next time. I need to go back and cook too."
She saw Asada Shino's embarrassment; at this moment, Asada revealed a hint of inferiority again.
She probably feared that her room was very cramped and that if she and Mu-kun saw it, they might have other thoughts and look down on her.
Asada Shino felt a slight relief, yet also a bit of disappointment, when she heard Shiina Mahiru's answer.
Facing a dazzling girl like Shiina Mahiru, she was indeed full of inferiority.
But on the other hand, she also yearned for recognition and wanted to have a friend like Shiina Mahiru.
She tried to muster the courage to open up to Shiina and Lin Mu, which was why she wanted to invite them up to sit.
But she also feared that if the two saw her cramped and simple room, they would look at her with disdain.
Asada Shino was simply too sensitive. After being targeted for so long, everyone around her looked at her with the eyes of a murderer.
Over time, she herself came to believe she was an inferior "murderer."
Having rarely received kindness from two people, she couldn't help but start overthinking, becoming anxious about gains and losses.
Lin Mu also noticed Asada Shino's awkwardness. He couldn't help but sigh and asked seriously:
"Asada, let me ask you something. Do you know someone named Shinkawa Kyouji?"
"Eh? Shinkawa? Yes, I know him. He's a friend of mine at school."
One could even say he was her only friend.
"Why are you asking this? Is something wrong with Shinkawa?"
Asada Shino was quite puzzled.
Lin Mu then earnestly explained, "He's fine, but you're in danger."
"Yesterday, I helped you chase away those three scoundrels who were extorting you, right? After I questioned them, they told me that the story about you shooting a robber when you were little was spread by this person named Shinkawa Kyouji through the school network."
"If he's still your friend at school, then he definitely has ill intentions, so you need to be careful."
"It's better not to associate with him in the future."
Hearing this, Asada Shino was stunned.
She had never expected it.
The person who was willing to approach her when everyone else shunned her was actually the culprit who caused all her suffering.
Thinking that she had always believed Shinkawa was a good person and treated him as a friend, Asada Shino felt like a clown, being played for a fool.
Feeling sad, Asada Shino's eyes involuntarily welled up.
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, she bowed deeply to Lin Mu.
"Thank you! Thank you for telling me this, Lin Mu. I think I know what to do."
Lin Mu nodded, then took out his phone.
"Although you sound so resolute, seeing how you didn't even utter a sound when Kurata ordered you around, I really can't set my mind at ease."
"So, let's exchange phone numbers. If anything happens, just call me, and I'll rush over to help you immediately."
Hearing such caring words, Asada Shino's small face flushed, and she couldn't help but look at him with a hint of resentment.
"In your eyes, am I that useless? ...But still, thank you. Please, by all means, exchange contact information with me!"
After exchanging phone numbers with Lin Mu, Asada Shino watched as his and Shiina Mahiru's figures gradually disappeared.
Watching the two walk side by side, her heart was filled with envy.
So, Shiina Mahiru really wasn't dating Lin Mu?
Why were these two so in sync?
...
Back with Lin Mu, after saying goodbye to Asada Shino, Shiina Mahiru beside him had been pouting, not saying a word.
It was clear she was jealous.
Lin Mu boldly took her small hand.
Shiina Mahiru's cheeks immediately flushed, and she couldn't help but turn her head to glare at him.
"What are you doing?"
As she spoke, she instinctively struggled and began to look around, afraid of running into anyone she knew.
Lin Mu rolled his eyes at her, "What else could I be doing? Of course, I'm protecting you."
"Didn't you hear Yoko Saionji talk about the murderer being active recently?"
Shiina Mahiru's small mouth pouted slightly, implicitly accepting his act of holding her small hand.
But thinking of the look Asada Shino had given him just now, she couldn't help but feel a little sour inside.
So she spoke softly, "You and Asada seem very close."
Lin Mu immediately found it amusing.
Little Angel Mahiru's words were full of jealousy, which showed she cared about him.
This was a good thing.
"It's you two who seem closer, right? You just met and were already holding hands. Mahiru is my angel, and she can only be gentle with me, not with other girls or boys!"
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She was clearly jealous of his relationship with Asada, yet he was playing the victim first, complaining about her holding the other girl's hand just now.
They were both girls; was there any need to be jealous over just holding hands to comfort Asada?
She grumbled inwardly, but outwardly, she put on a stern face and said:
"Don't talk nonsense, I'm not your angel."
"If you're not mine, whose do you want to be? Mahiru, you won't be sleeping tonight." Lin Mu directly threatened her.
"Ah, you... what do you want to do?"
Shiina Mahiru's small face turned red, and she immediately panicked, imagining certain suggestive scenes.
"What else could I do?" Lin Mu sighed, raising his hand to ruffle her hair.
"I ran into Asada when I went out to buy groceries yesterday. You heard it just now; when I met her, she was being extorted."
"Three grown men, with hands and feet, called her a murderer, stimulated Asada with a toy gun, and stole the money she earned from hard work, calling it a 'loan.'"
"Mahiru, how can there be such bad people in the world?"
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru also couldn't help but frown, "I don't know either, but... hmph, you're not a good person either!"
He just said he wouldn't let her sleep!
He was simply too bad!
"Hehe, I'm a big bad guy, but no matter how bad I am, I wouldn't extort a girl, would I? Compared to them, don't I seem much better?"
"Hmph, better my foot! How can you still have the nerve to admit you're a big bad guy? You're thick-skinned!"
After retorting, Shiina Mahiru quickened her pace.
Her hand, which he was holding, showed no intention of letting go.
It was already past 9 PM, and she figured he must be hungry, so she wanted to get home quickly to cook.
Besides, he had already explained how he met Asada, so what was there for her to be jealous about?
The person whose hand he was holding right now was her, Shiina Mahiru.
However... she couldn't afford to not sleep tonight.
She still had to wake up early to cook.