blogombal Page 190
Page 190
"Hmm?" Taro turned his gaze to Eve and said, "If you have any worries, just say them!"
"It's not really a problem, maybe it's just my imagination..." Eve shook her head slightly, but still said, "I... I feel like Hina-san has some strange feelings about her..."
"She feels completely different from the usual Hina-san, like she's become a completely different person!"
"She also said some things that Hina-san would never normally say."
Taro raised an eyebrow slightly, and Aine's attention also focused on Eve. She was somewhat interested in this topic, after all, that strange dream...
Only Ruomai yawned boredly. Seeing that everyone else was so interested, she also consciously walked to a bench to listen in.
"Hina-san said... she has a bet with Momoi-dono." She hesitated, then closed her eyes and said through gritted teeth:
"She said that if she won the bet, she could ensure that Momoi-dono wouldn't date until her idol graduated."
"Eh!? Hina-san also likes the Admiral!" Wakame, who had been completely uninterested, stood up in shock.
“Yes! And it’s not just ordinary interest!” Eve confirmed seriously, then said, “Well then, I’ve said what I needed to say! Well then! See you tomorrow, Momoi-dono.”
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Taro waved his hand, letting Eve leave.
It wasn't until Eve had walked quite a distance that the other two, still standing there in a daze, heard Taro's words:
"What's wrong? You all look unwell." Taro's face remained expressionless, revealing nothing amiss. Aine waved her hand somewhat reluctantly and said, "Nothing..."
When Aine said she was alright, Taro nodded, believing her words. He then said, "It's getting late, you should go home and rest. Do you need me to take you both home?"
Normally, Aine would have been happy to agree, but she only gave a somewhat forced smile and said, "No, I have something to say to Wakame, so Taro should go back first."
"I see. Then I'll be going now." Taro nodded, turned around decisively, and left. *Moon-Ripple/*First Release
"Ha...don't be so decisive..." Aine watched Taro's figure gradually disappear and let out a heavy sigh.
Looking at Ai Yin's pale face, Ruo Mai tilted her head in confusion: "Little Ai Yin, what's wrong? Your face looks so pale."
"No...it's just that I feel there are more rivals than I expected." Aine sat on a bench, gazing at the artificial lake, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought.
"Originally, I thought it would only be Wakame, Toyokawa, and Sosei..."
"What do you mean? Do you mean I'm weak?" Ruomai sat down next to Aiyin nonchalantly, crossing her legs.
"Does Xiao Aiyin think she has a sure win against me?"
Faced with Ruomai's questioning, Aiyin chuckled twice but did not answer, her meaning quite clear.
She really didn't think Ruomai could beat her. She felt that she had far more advantages than Ruomai in every aspect, especially the information advantage that came from her other self in another timeline, which made her invincible among her peers.
"Hmph—" Ruomai snorted coldly, then pinched Aiyin's cheek again, continuing the battle that had just ended with Aiyin's escape: "So, why did the feeling of a sure win suddenly turn into this?"
"Waaah—" Ai Yin struggled for a while before finally breaking free from Ruomai's clutches, looking at Ruomai with tears in her eyes and a hint of resentment: "Because, there are just too many unexpected rivals."
"Judging from what you're saying, it seems you discovered something at the meeting that day." Ruomai crossed her arms, looked down at Aiyin, and said disdainfully, "Then tell me. What did you discover?"
"Hmm...it's not a big deal." Aine rubbed her cheek, tilting her head to think, "That day I discovered people who had feelings for Taro: Minato-senpai from Roselia, and Mitake-senpai from Afterglow. Now it seems Hina-senpai is one too..."
“Hmm~ It is indeed a formidable enemy when it comes to a woman’s charm.” Ruomai switched legs and crossed them, then thought for a moment and turned to ask Aiyin, “But it doesn’t have to be as if we are facing a formidable enemy.”
Aine gave a wry smile, then looked at Ruomai and asked softly, "Um, Ruomai, do you remember when I confessed to Taro after our first live performance?"
"Ah~ Of course I remember, so what?" Ruomai asked, feigning nonchalance and confusion. She spread her hands, looking helpless, and said:
"For a long time after that, I was helping you out. I thought you must be a very proactive person to confess so quickly, but I didn't expect that there would be no follow-up after the confession."
Aine gave a helpless, bitter laugh. She looked at Ruomai and asked, "Then, Ruomai, do you remember why Taro rejected me?"
Before Ruomai could answer, she blurted out the answer herself: "It's age..."
#19 Conflict
"It's about age..."
After Aine uttered this answer, neither of them felt like saying anything more.
The air fell silent again. After a long while, Ruomai suddenly stood up and said with a sudden realization, "So that's how it is. Xiao Aiyin has some concerns about this aspect."
She turned around and looked back at Aine: "So, we're the same age, so we don't need to care. But those seniors—those incredibly charming seniors—if you confess, you'll have the upper hand, right?"
Aine nodded slightly. This was indeed her arrogant thought, after all, she had confirmed that Taro had been moved by her.
This was an advantage he had gained. And Taro had indeed promised him that he wouldn't date anyone until he came of age.
However, the problem is that if someone confesses their feelings during this period, Taro will definitely remember it and unconsciously compare the two.
She wasn't absolutely certain of winning.
Ruomai sighed and looked at Aiyin with a strange expression, wondering if her energetic bandmate had been possessed by someone else.
So she could only take a deep breath and yell, "You idiot! You should stop now!"
Upon hearing this, Ai Yin looked up in astonishment, staring in disbelief at the confident Ruomai.
Yue—衣翅栮散球泗镹七鏾si She put her hands on her hips and said in a tone that looked down on Ai Yin, "I'm telling you! You're usually so smart, how come you're acting stupid here?"
"Huh?" Aine was a little confused; she didn't know why she was being scolded.
"Yukina Minato? Hina Hikawa? Ran Mitake?" She listed the names of Aine's perceived rivals one by one, giving a disdainful smile: "Although they are all quite charming, but—"
She lowered her voice slightly, then said angrily in an even more contemptuous tone, "But in matters of the heart, they are already destined to be the undisputed losers."
Ai Yin's pupils contracted slightly, even more confused as to why Ruomai could be so confident. As a self-media creator, Ruomai should know better than she did the allure of those people, especially since they were adults...
Ruomai, without changing her contemptuous demeanor, said, "They knew Momoi Taro before we did, and even liked him before we knew him."
"But even now, as adults, they still haven't succeeded. So what does that mean? They're just complete losers."
"Even if they come to their senses, I—am not afraid at all." Ruomai placed her hand on her chest and said earnestly:
"I am Ruomai—writing about young wheat. Wheat only becomes stronger after being trampled, so I will never give up no matter what."
"Whether it's matters of the heart or surpassing Momoi Taro, I will never give up."
She raised her head, a hint of the same aura that Momoi Taro had when he was practicing: "Aiko, what you want, I will take it with my own hands. As for whether you want to give up, that's your business."
"And your arrogance! How could anyone know which way a tennis ball will land after touching the net? I don't think Xiao Aiyin can beat me."
After saying that, she didn't wait for Ai Yin and stepped past her.
What an idiot! No matter how outstanding the other side is, do you have the right to choose to give up? You should have understood this from the very beginning.
Ruomai glanced back at Aiyin from afar, then turned her gaze forward again and strode away with determination.
After Ruomai left her words, Aiyin slumped onto the bench, staring blankly at the lake.
She gave a bitter laugh, realizing how foolish she had been. Her gaze hardened once more.
"I'm such an idiot," she repeated to herself, using the chair for support as she stood up.
She understood what Ruomai meant: she had no right to stop. And why was she lacking in self-confidence?
She herself is Chihaya Aine from the Dong Brothers—such difficulties are simply something she can easily overcome.
She slammed her fist into a nearby tree, making a loud "bang".
Hearing the sound, Ai Yin looked at the tree that her pink cream bun had ravaged with a bit of fear and felt a little guilty.
"Haha... This has absolutely nothing to do with me, it was definitely here originally." She looked at the fist mark that appeared on the tree and gave a guilty laugh.
Then, after looking around to make sure no one was watching, she nimbly left the crime scene.
It must be said that Taro Momoi's training is always effective, perhaps even overly effective.
Momoi Taro slowly walked home from outside when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and looked at it; it was an unfamiliar number.
Taro answered the phone, and after a brief chat, he smiled and put his phone in his pocket.
"Finally here—" Taro muttered to himself, but didn't think much of it. He continued walking home.
As they approached their own residence.
From afar, he saw a beautiful girl with long black hair walk out of her house, her expression not very pleasant.
Taro raised an eyebrow slightly, walked towards the girl, and said in a stiff and distant voice, "Isn't this Anhe? What's wrong with your expression?"
Upon realizing that Momoi Taro had arrived, she instantly concealed her distressed expression and flashed a bright smile:
"Oh, isn't this Mr. Momoi? You're back so late today."
Seemingly aware of her cuteness, she made various expressive faces, trying to distract Momoi Taro with these expressions and polite words.
"Is it because of work? That's really busy. You need to get some rest."
"To be honest, it's because of work." Taro frowned slightly, answering her question before reprimanding her, "Don't answer questions with questions! You should answer other people's questions properly!"
"What is Mr. Momoi saying? I don't quite understand~" She casually made a few funny faces, but was greeted with the same calm expression as before.
Seemingly realizing that her proud act of feigning ignorance was probably useless in front of this man, she lowered her voice slightly and said, "I'm sorry, this has nothing to do with Mr. Momoi. I'll be leaving now!"
After saying that, she hurriedly tried to escape from Momoi Taro's side.
"ah--"
After jogging for a short distance, she didn't notice the pebbles on the side of the road. She stepped on one of the pebbles and instantly lost her balance.
She instinctively swung her hands, trying to maintain her balance, but it was obviously to no avail. Just as she was about to fall headfirst onto the concrete road, she suddenly felt something pull her hand.
Then, a pulling sensation came over her body, and the concrete ground receded rapidly in her eyes.
Then, she nestled into a warm and solid place, and the handsome profile of Momoi Taro came into view, which made her face involuntarily flush slightly.
However, before An and Subaru could even fully grasp what was happening, their bodies were suddenly subjected to a force that caused them to stagger back a few steps.
She looked in the direction from which the force came, and saw that Momoi Taro had raised his head and looked down at her, his hand outstretched into a palm.
Clearly, he was the one who pushed him away.
This made her realize something: she was clearly a beautiful girl, so why was she being treated so roughly?
Although she was furious, she couldn't really do anything, so she could only bow softly and say, "Thank you..."
"No, it's alright, just be careful when you walk." Taro bent down and picked up the pebble that had tripped her. It was a very pretty pebble. He picked up the stone and placed it in An and Subaru's hands.
"This pebble is destined to be with you. Although the fragments of fate are always scattered everywhere, as long as you cherish them, they can definitely become a special kind of fate."
After saying that, Taro turned and left, continuing his walk towards home.