The girl's scent faded as she pulled away, and I finally let out a breath. I really need to be careful; this girl has no sense of boundaries, I can't let her keep doing this.
The group filed out of the backstage area in a grand procession. Two men had been waiting outside for a long time. As soon as Peng Keming saw Li Shijia come out, he immediately greeted her enthusiastically.
"Baby, can the car fit this many people?"
Li Shijia counted on her fingers. "We're going for a late-night snack later. Including the girls, there are 8 of us in total. I'm afraid we won't all fit."
"The girls?" Peng Keming looked back, his eyes instantly lighting up with excitement.
"It's really Readymade... everyone is here." The young man was incoherent, and even his Japanese grammar was full of mistakes. "I love your songs so much!"
"?" The girls didn't understand what he was saying and raised their eyebrows slightly.
Li Shijia acted as a temporary translator. "Let me introduce you to the girls. This is Alex, a senior of mine and Nozawa's. And this is my boyfriend. He just said he likes you all very much and wants your autographs. I wonder if you girls would do us the honor?"
"Hi~ Hello, little beauties." Seeing so many beautiful girls, Alex couldn't wait to flash his standard eight-tooth smile.
"Hello, Senior~"
Oh my, that greeting was enough to make one's bones go soft. Every single one of them was so pretty. The most beautiful one was also the coldest, her wary and probing gaze constantly scanning him.
"Hi~" Alex also gave her an incredibly handsome smile.
"..." The girl turned her head away without even giving him a reaction.
Are kids these days all so full of personality?
After they finished signing, Alex shamelessly asked for one too. Watching the two men smugly tuck the autographs into their pockets, I realized belatedly that girl bands were also very popular with men.
"Miss Nozawa, here, this is for you." Alex handed it to me with a grin.
A cool and stylish autograph from Readymade, with a little heart next to it. So he had asked for it on my behalf?
He flicked his peach-blossom eyes. "I saw you dancing so happily earlier, so you must really like Readymade. That's why I'm giving this to you."
That was quite thoughtful of him. However, the lead singer lived right next door to me, so getting an autograph was a simple matter. Was this a case of "offering borrowed flowers to Buddha"?
"Thank you, Senior." I accepted it anyway. Judging by the handwriting, this one was written by Kusanagi. It wouldn't hurt to have one for my collection.
The girl stared at a man and a woman not far away. The man was hovering attentively around the woman, and the two were chatting happily. After watching for a moment, her gaze swept past them coldly.
"Sister Li Shijia." The girl's chilly voice came from nearby.
"Yes, what is it?" Seeing Kusanagi take the initiative to talk to her, Li Shijia was a bit surprised and couldn't help but soften her tone.
The girl's voice was light, and her cold face was incredibly beautiful. "Since the car can't fit everyone, I'll have to trouble the two seniors to take a taxi back. We'll just have a late-night snack with the sisters."
Did she mean she didn't want to be with the male seniors?
"Just with us?"
"Yeah."
But it made sense. A group of underage girls having dinner late at night; having two men there would indeed be inconvenient.
"But if they're here, they can help drive," Li Shijia leaned in and whispered to her.
The girl tucked a strand of her cool hair back. "Just with the sisters is fine."
She emphasized it twice. Does this child, Kusanagi, hate men?
"Baby, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you guys to take a taxi back." Li Shijia looked at the space in the car and shrugged. "Looks like it's a girls' night out, and the car's full."
"What! No way!" The two men cried out in disappointment—one because he couldn't eat with his favorite band, and the other because he couldn't eat with Miss Nozawa.
"Where's your chivalry? Why bother a bunch of young girls at their late-night dinner?"
Li Shijia dragged and shoved them into a taxi, which then sped off into the distance. The girl watched the departing car, her eyebrows arching upward imperceptibly.
Having sent them away, Li Shijia took my arm with a pleasant mood. "Men, they should be at your beck and call."
I couldn't help but laugh. "The'scumbag girl' is right."
The car soon got onto the highway, heading toward Ichome, the heart of Tokyo's most bustling Shinjuku District.
As Japan's largest red-light district, this tiny patch of land had everything for entertainment—restaurants, bars, and adult entertainment shops. Shinjuku was undoubtedly the perfect embodiment of Tokyo. But since it was my first time in such a place, as soon as I got out of the car, I was immediately dazzled by the restless neon lights. In this high-traffic traditional commercial area, there were even male hosts winking from giant billboards.
"Shijia, is it really okay to come here?" I asked her in a low voice. The excessive prosperity of Shinjuku made me feel uneasy.
"Oh, what are you thinking? They're minors, they can't visit host clubs."
"You and your smart mouth."
Several girls followed side-by-side. Momozawa suddenly let out a strange "Huh?" and pointed behind Kusanagi. "Jian, is your guitar broken?"
Kusanagi gave an "Mm." "The case protected it, so it's still barely usable."
There was a clear crack on the large, deep-black guitar case. The guitar inside was likely badly damaged.
"No wonder you didn't play while singing today."
"I can still use it for practice; it's fine."
"Don't you really like this guitar? We should go to a music store one day and see if they have the same model."
Only Inohara spoke indifferently: "You only have yourself to blame for being distracted. Thinking about nonsense all day long, you even managed to break your guitar."
"Mm," the girl responded flatly.
Was she admitting it? Hearing her respond like that, Inohara's expression became even more sour.
Kusanagi's guitar was broken.
Hearing the girls' conversation, I couldn't help but think of how, under the glow of Tokyo Tower, Kusanagi had held my hand and taught me how to pluck the strings. The guitar had produced a deep, clear sound, and my heart had felt a strange, subtle stir.
It's broken, what a pity. But out with the old, in with the new. She deserved a better guitar, the best and top-of-the-line kind.
How much does a guitar usually cost?
I couldn't help but steal a glance at her.
Walking through the main doors, Li Shijia had already booked a restaurant. Before sitting down, she suddenly hooked her arm around my shoulder. "Let me ask you something, does Kusanagi really like you?"
My hand holding the drink paused. The girls nearby had already started ordering: Hakata Ramen, grilled Mentaiko, grilled beef tongue, beef tripe hotpot, and various skewers like yakitori and pork belly.
I noticed Inohara ordering several bottles of Sake. I instinctively wanted to stop her, but since she seemed to be in a bad mood, I didn't say anything.
In the noisy environment, Kusanagi keenly caught my gaze. She looked up calmly and met my eyes.
One second, two seconds.
I couldn't help but look away.
"Why the sudden question?"
"Because I've been in Japan for so long, I'm very familiar with their thoughts and habits. Most Japanese people don't like intimate physical contact, especially a girl Kusanagi's age. But she's so close to you—she even hugged you directly." Li Shijia seemed to think of something and then said, "Is it because you live together that she sees you as an older sister?"
As an older sister?
"I used to always want my mom to give me an older sister." Li Shijia smiled, propping up her chin. "But my mom just said, 'You can only have younger sisters, not older ones!' I even threw a big fit over it. I only understood when I grew up."
Her words enlightened me. Perhaps my feelings for Kusanagi were just the care one has for a younger sister. Kusanagi's occasional physical contact might stem from her lack of familial affection and her longing for care and attention. She was, after all, a child who didn't like expressing her inner feelings.
Thinking about it this way, everything suddenly became clear.
I felt relieved, but at the same time, there was a faint, inexplicable feeling. I indeed didn't have a younger sister, not even a cousin. What it felt like to have a younger sister should be exactly what it felt like to be with Kusanagi.
A cool, fresh scent approached as the girl sat down next to me.
My back instinctively straightened. Uh, what's there to be nervous about when a younger sister sits next to her older sister?
"What were you talking about?" The girl spoke first. She also poured a cup of Sake, holding it with her slender wrist.
"Just chatting." I glanced at her sideways. This alcohol had a high percentage; she should only have one cup.
The girl was silent for a moment. From the corner of my eye, I could only see her dark, moist, downcast lashes.
"Miss Nozawa, is Chinese hard to learn?" She took a sip of the Sake, her short hair swaying coolly.
Why the sudden interest in Chinese?
"Chinese has many pictographs, and every character is difficult to write. There are also four tones and polyphonic characters. It's quite a complex language."
"I see." The girl seemed thoughtful. She put down her cup, her shoulder brushing against mine ever so slightly.
I composed myself. Seeing a flush already staining her fair face, I poured the Sake from her cup into mine. No more drinking allowed.
The girl's eyes flickered as she watched me drain her Sake, and she bit her lip restlessly. Her gaze fell on the Sake bottles not far away.
"There's plenty more over there, why steal a drink from mine?"
Oops. Out of habit, I didn't want to waste it, so I finished hers too. I was secretly annoyed with myself. I'd just said I'd keep my distance, so what was I doing now?
Fortunately, I had a quick wit. Remembering how she had stolen my beer before, I said righteously, "You stole so much of my beer before; what's wrong with me having one of yours?"
"So you've been nursing a grudge all this time. Goodness." The girl's tone was clearly full of teasing and banter.
"Miss Kusanagi, I've washed your clothes for four months and cooked for four months," I said with a fake smile. "I certainly should nurse a grudge."
"Is four months a long time?" she said. "I plan to have Miss Nozawa wash them for at least four years. No... forty years."
"..." Anyone can say nonsensical things.
"Fine, I can wash them for forty years. Let's see how you'll pay back that debt of gratitude."
The girl took a deep breath and was about to speak when Momozawa suddenly chimed in, "She won't pay it back. She wants 'lifetime usage rights' for Miss Nozawa~"
Lifetime usage rights. I mulled over the phrase a few times and felt something was off. Doesn't that just mean she wants me to wash her clothes for the rest of my life?
Momozawa gave Kusanagi a peace sign, her hands making small, continuous gestures.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
"..." The girl's eyelashes lowered further and further, and her ears grew increasingly red; she actually didn't refute it.
I replied calmly: "Fine, I'll start working on my career plan now, laying a solid foundation to be Miss Kusanagi's lifelong nanny in the future."
"Lifelong... nanny?" The girl's face darkened instantly. *Blockhead, hopeless. Drop dead!*
Kusanagi suddenly smiled, her tone icy: "It must be such a grievance for Miss Nozawa to be my nanny. Oh, right, find some time to wash all the winter clothes."
Wash winter clothes, in the middle of summer? My face darkened. Why did I get the feeling she suddenly had a problem with me?
"Miss Kusanagi, winter clothes are hard to dry, and it's a huge workload to wash them all."
"So?"
"There are so many winter clothes; I can't wash them all at once."
"I don't care. If you don't finish, you're dead."
"..."
*Tsk, tsk.* Li Shijia watched the two of them across the table, bickering again. A strange atmosphere. What on earth was going on with them? Why did she feel like something was off?
"Inohara, drink a little less." Kyoko was anxious and tried to take Inohara's glass away. "Drinking so hard, you'll get drunk easily."
Inohara turned a deaf ear, downing glass after glass as if venting her anger; there was no stopping her.
Kusanagi watched her drink like that, her gaze flickering, but she ultimately didn't step forward to stop her.
"Drinking alone is so boring. Come, come, let's all have a toast!"
Li Shijia and I tacitly raised our glasses. Inohara was the most difficult child among them—prideful and competitive. As their seniors, it was best for us not to ask any questions.
Inohara's face was flushed, and she said coldly: "Leave me alone."
"Alright, alright, let's toast together!" Momozawa grabbed Inohara and Kyoko, grinning as she shouted: "Ready Made is the best!"
"Congratulations on a successful performance!"
Everyone drained their glasses. The liquor was strong and pungent; I took a sip of water to wash it down and catch my breath.
Inohara's complexion was still poor; her beautiful face was flushed red as she stared fixedly at the glass in her hand, lost in thought.
"Nozawa-san, Shijia-san, thank you for bringing us out for a late-night snack, and thank you for taking the time to listen to our performance. Inohara isn't in a good state today, so I'd like to apologize to you seniors on her behalf. I'll toast you both!"
Kyoko stood up abruptly and downed a large gulp. Since she wasn't a drinker, her face flushed bright red, and she began to cough violently.
"You drank it too fast. Here, wipe your mouth." Li Shijia handed her a tissue. "Don't be so polite. We should be the ones thanking you for such a wonderful performance."
"We're also very happy that the performance went so well." I glanced sideways at the person in question, who was drinking away her sorrows.
Inohara remained unmoved, downing another glass as if she hadn't heard a thing.
"Inohara, please, don't drink any more..."
"This liquor is really strong. Stop drinking."
"Leave her alone. Let her drink." Kusanagi blurted this out, and the atmosphere, which had finally begun to ease, plummeted instantly.
"Kusanagi!" Kyoko said anxiously, "Don't add fuel to the fire. Inohara, she..."
"If she drinks until she throws up, it's her own fault."
*Bang!* A loud crash interrupted everyone's conversation. A large pile of shattered glass lay on the floor. The tall girl clenched her fists, her expression awful. She looked at Kusanagi with an expression of disbelief and hurt, biting her lip so hard it looked painful, and in an instant, tears flooded down her face.
The next second, eyes red, she bolted out the door.
Everyone looked at each other, stunned into silence for a moment.
"Kusanagi, you've gone too far." After a long while, Kyoko turned to face her, her shoulders trembling slightly. "You are the last person with the right to criticize her."
The hot pot broth simmered on the table, the fresh fish looked mouth-watering, and the skewers emitted an enticing aroma, but no one present had the appetite to eat.
The shards on the floor had been cleaned up, and new tableware had been provided. Even though it wasn't the restaurant's fault, the waiter kept apologizing and offered a complimentary cold drink.
Momozawa comforted Kyoko for a while. There would be no finishing this meal tonight.
Kyoko and Inohara were very close; they had known each other since they were children and had attended the same schools from elementary through high school. What on earth did those words mean?
Kyoko's face was pale as she sat to the side, silent.
"Nozawa, why haven't Inohara and Kusanagi come back yet? This area isn't very safe at night; there are a lot of pimps around."
Li Shijia's concern wasn't unfounded. Two high school girls in a red-light district like Shinjuku were in real danger; it would be terrible if they ran into any bad people.
I stood up and sighed. "I'll go find them."
Kusanagi had gone after Inohara with a cold face, but I couldn't figure out the reason for their falling out. I felt a faint sense of unease; her hostility toward me hadn't diminished.
Is that how friends act? I wasn't sure. But my sixth sense told me that Inohara's abnormal behavior was more or less related to me, though I couldn't figure out why.
I quickened my pace, searching the streets, my mind in a whirl.
The flickering neon lights of Shinjuku were ambiguous, and the street corners seemed to hold a hint of darkness. The play of light and shadow fell upon two figures in a corner, locked in a tug-of-war.
"What's gotten into you? Hurry up and go back."
Kusanagi frowned, grabbing the hem of Inohara's shirt to stop her from moving forward.
"Why do you care?" Inohara turned her head away. The alcohol was hitting her hard, making her unsteady on her feet. She leaned against the nearby wall, hit by a wave of dizziness, and fought back the tears.
But the tears wouldn't obey; they flowed down uncontrollably. This was the first time she had been this pathetic, losing her composure in public, and the culprit was right in front of her, showing not a shred of concern or pity.
"Stop crying."
After a long while, the girl finally softened her tone. She pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and reached out to Inohara's face. "I shouldn't have said that to you. I apologize."
The traffic flowed by as the two stood frozen, silent.
Inohara felt her touch—a force that was neither gentle nor comforting, but more like pity. Pity was the last thing she needed.
The alcohol clouded her judgment, and she decided to go all-in.
"You heard it, didn't you?"
"What?"
"That day, you heard it, didn't you?" Inohara's bloodshot eyes fixed on her, pressing her relentlessly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." The girl took a deep breath and looked away.
Inohara was quiet for a few seconds, then burst into laughter that quickly turned into wild, uncontrollable cackling. She laughed until big tears streamed down her face.
"Kusanagi, do you know that you're the worst at lying? You're especially good at pretending that nothing happened. Do you think that will make me give up on you?"
"Inohara!" The girl panicked and took two steps back. "Let me go!"
Inohara was a head taller than her; emboldened by the alcohol, she easily gripped the girl's wrists and pinned her against the wall.
"Can't it be me?"
Inohara laughed foolishly. With her height and long legs, she held Kusanagi firmly in her arms, burying her face in the crook of her neck, hugging her tightly despite her struggles.
"Inohara, if you don't let me go, we're finished." The girl's voice was as cold as winter frost.
"...Kusanagi, in your eyes, what am I, really?"
The tall girl was completely drunk. She clung tightly to Kusanagi's slender waist, terrified that if she let go, the person in her arms would vanish, and her hand brushed over Kusanagi's hair.
She had coveted this slender, delicate body for so long—a body that could unleash such immense energy. Despite her beautiful, seemingly fragile appearance, Kusanagi stubbornly and proudly resisted everyone. And those red lips that always spoke hurtful words—she just wanted Kusanagi to care about her most. She hated that Kusanagi was like this.
"You've always been like this... From the day we met, you've always had this cold attitude. You're like this with everyone. Back then, before we formed the band, we were so happy. You used to smile at me occasionally. You used to only smile at me. I was so happy, so incredibly happy. I once thought I was the only one who could make you happy. Kusanagi, when your parents remarried, I was the one who stayed with you, I was the one who took care of you. I was willing to do anything for you." Inohara murmured drunkenly. "It's you who changed. You gave what belonged to me to someone else..."
Kusanagi frowned and turned her face away to avoid Inohara's breath. "I've always considered you my best friend."
"Friend?" Inohara mumbled, confused. She chewed over the word repeatedly, her body trembling in pain. "Then, as a friend, is a hug too much to ask?"
"I don't like this." Kusanagi's throat tightened, and she clenched her fingers.
Inohara still showed no intention of letting go. She turned her face, her lips only a few inches from Kusanagi's soft cheek.
"It's not that you don't like this; it's just that you don't like me." Her hand left Kusanagi's waist and moved to her pale, slender back, her entire palm stroking it. It looked like she had loosened her embrace, but in reality, she was holding her firmly in place.
Kusanagi's patience was reaching its limit. Her face was as cold as eternal frost, and her body was stiff with intense resistance.
"What's the use of caring about her so much? She's going back to China." Inohara suddenly lowered her voice. "You're too obvious. You're worst at lying. But I want to remind you: of the two men who came tonight, one is Li Shijia's boyfriend. As for the other... whose boyfriend do you think he is?"
"What do you mean?" Kusanagi's pupils dilated, and a flicker of hesitation flashed in her eyes.
Unease and suspicion washed over her simultaneously; Inohara's drunken words pierced her like a knife.