Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 43

Even with such a trivial gesture, Yuan Xudou could sense that Ruoye Mu's attitude towards him was gradually improving—although he still maintained that indifferent demeanor, a hint of a smile would always appear in his slightly dark golden eyes during conversations.

The two weren't particularly close, and they hardly ever communicated in private. Finally, Ruo Yemu took the initiative to send him a text message, but the content was about a cucumber patch.

A lush, verdant patch of stems hangs with small cucumbers that, though not yet ripe, look quite appealing—but that's not the point.

The key question is, what exactly is she trying to express?

When face to face, even a single syllable is enough to judge emotions. Even without speaking, one can barely infer Wakaba Muku's meaning from subtle, almost imperceptible facial expressions. However, even Gen Xudou has not yet evolved to the point where he can understand others' inner thoughts through electromagnetic waves across a screen.

Is it to share one's daily life, or simply because one has seen something they like?

Let's start by saying hello.

"harmony"

"Did you grow these cucumbers?"

"Looks pretty good"

Compared to those varieties that are supplied year-round in greenhouses, whose quality is only passable and whose prices are extremely high, the cucumbers in the pictures sent by Ruoye Mu are clearly growing well, and their taste is probably not bad either.

It would be great for making cucumber salad or pickling, and it's also a good choice to pair with sushi—since his purpose for going out at this moment was to buy groceries, his thoughts subconsciously drifted towards cooking.

After a short while, Ruoye Mu replied with an inexplicable "hmm".

...Mu seems very happy now.

Yuan Xudou retracted his earlier statement—although separated by a screen, he seemed to be able to vaguely sense the other person's feelings from the brief characters, and could even imagine the serene smile that appeared on the girl's beautiful and lovely face.

However, it was clear that Wakaba Mutsu was unaware of this. After a few seconds, realizing that her reply was too ambiguous, the girl quickly added a message.

"Xu Dou, what are you doing?"

So, was the cucumber just a starting point to get the conversation started?

It's a bit of a pity about Yuan Xudou.

However, it is indeed a bit early now. Naturally grown cucumbers will not be ripe until at least May. We can ask for some to take home and cook then.

Composing himself, he found a bench by the roadside and sat down, focusing on talking with Ruoye Mutsu.

"Not doing anything."

"We're preparing lunch now; there are no plans for the afternoon."

He wouldn't have come out to buy groceries himself if he hadn't had some free time today.

If you're asking this, do you need something from him?

His deep, clear, dark eyes seemed to see through the screen, reflecting the image of Ruoye Mu in the boy's eyes.

— Her slender, fair fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard, her elegant brows furrowed slightly. She hesitated, deleting and revising, before finally mustering the courage to send the message after a long while.

"afternoon"

"Can I come to Moon Forest?"

I want to see you.

The last sentence was quickly withdrawn and changed to "I want to talk to you".

Even when communicating via mobile phone, it's still possible to say such ambiguous things.

Without paying too much attention, Yuan Xudou sent an "OK".

Succubus Xiao Mu (likely to be gone.jpg)

Chapter Sixty: The Upcoming Wakaba Mutsu Special

After buying the ingredients for lunch and dinner, Yue returned home and, as usual, prepared a sumptuous and delicious meal.

After finishing her meal, Nagasaki Motoyo, who was already used to it, consciously cleaned up the leftovers on the table.

Although it's slightly reversed from the norm, this is indeed how the division of labor works at home—Yuan Xudou is in charge of cooking, while she helps out by tidying up the dishes.

After all, the boy's cooking skills were indeed better than hers, and there was nothing wrong with admitting that.

"Xu Doujun, are you going out today too?"

Just as Nagasaki Motoyo was about to carry the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen, she saw Genji Koto adjusting his clothes in front of the full-length mirror and casually asked him something, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

There was nothing he could do; Xiangzi had found all sorts of excuses to get Xu Doujun to go out more than once or twice.

Fortunately, she was still quite sensible, only going out twice a week at most, which was barely within the range that Nagasaki Motoyo could accept. The girl then tacitly accepted the fact that Genji would occasionally go out to accompany other girls.

At worst, with the boy's permission, she could still message him anytime to chat, so she wouldn't feel too lonely. In any case, she was determined not to make the mistake of stalking Yuan Xudou again; not only was it impossible to hide, but it was also practically useless.

Moreover, she could also take this time to do some decorating at home... and maybe give Yuan Xudou a surprise when he comes back.

"Ah."

I changed into some casual clothes and tidied up my short, wispy hair in front of the mirror.

Yuan Xudou, who was also used to this kind of conversation, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes with his palm and answered casually in a gentle voice.

"Mu invited me out for a visit."

So, Nagasaki Motoyo, as usual, gave a perfunctory reply.

"Oh, it's Mutsumi-chan... Wait, Mutsumi?!"

Halfway through her sentence, the girl suddenly realized that the subject was a bit off and raised her voice. For a moment, she even forgot to maintain her gentle and charming tone, and her voice showed a clear wavering.

A violent turmoil surged within her light blue, lake-like pupils. Shocked by the news, Nagasaki Motoyo nearly dropped her cutlery, causing her to fumble and almost spill the dishes onto the floor, creating a pool of shattered porcelain.

"what happened?"

Yuan Xudou tilted his head slightly and looked at the flustered girl.

Having finally regained her balance, Nagasaki Motoyo didn't have time to worry about the soup she had spilled. She took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

"No, well... I'm just a little surprised that Mutsu-chan would take the initiative to invite someone out."

"I didn't expect that either."

Gen Xudou nodded slightly, indicating that he shared the same view as the girl.

For him, this was an unexpected situation he had never encountered before. But since Wakaba Mutsumi, who was usually quite solitary, had suddenly come to him out of character, he couldn't easily refuse.

Looking at the boy's expression, Nagasaki Motoyo understood something.

So, it wasn't arranged in advance, but rather due to an unexpected situation...?

She secretly invited Xu Doujun out one day without telling anyone. If she hadn't kept the fact that she was basically living at his house from everyone, the rest of the band would never have realized that Ruoye Mu had invited Yuan Xu Dou. Mu, who usually keeps a low profile, is actually so cunning!

Of course, it's also possible that she was judging Wakaba Mutsumi by the standards of Nagasaki Motoyo; the girl might simply have been acting on a whim that day.

In any case, since it wasn't something we were prepared for in advance, it means the risk is low and acceptable...

...that's weird.

Trying her best to suppress the strange feeling and slight grievance rising in her heart, Nagasaki Motoyo unconsciously bit her lower lip, trying not to let her emotions show. She tried to keep her voice gentle, whether in response to the boy or in trying to convince herself.

"...After all, Mu-chan usually seems to dislike talking to people, so it's a good thing that she's taking the initiative to talk to people now... It's normal for you to agree to her request, Xu Dou-kun."

"only……"

As expected, I couldn't force myself to show my hypocritical side in front of him.

Nagasaki Motoyo lowered her eyes, her light blue gaze swirling quietly in her pupils, blurring into a wave of sorrow.

A distorted numbness spread through my fingertips, and the anticipation I had for the night was overshadowed by a surge of unease, giving way to an overwhelming sense of disappointment.

"...There was only Xiangzi before, but now there's Mu..."

Even knowing it's inevitable, it's hard not to feel down when it actually happens.

Even if it's an inevitable outcome, we'd like to postpone it as much as possible.

But that was just her unrealistic vision.

"..."

Lost in a daze of disappointment, she seemed to hear Yuan Xudou's soft sigh.

He walked up to the girl, took the plate from her hand, turned around and put it in the sink, then washed his hands, which were covered in spilled soup, under the tap.

Then, Yuan Xudou turned his head, his handsome eyes lowered, and quietly wiped the dirt off her hands with a clean handkerchief he took from the kitchen counter.

"...I'll be back for dinner today."

During this process, the boy with his eyes downcast spoke in a low voice.

Then, a gentle voice, carrying a soothing tone, rang out, softly touching the girl's eardrums.

"……real?"

"Ah."

Nagasaki Motoyo felt her heart come alive again.

Although this might seem like she's too easily coaxed... there's nothing she can do, since the one who's coaxing her is Yuan Xudou.

Ultimately, it was just a lack of security in the girl's heart. She realized that her life might be getting worse, so she couldn't help but feel sad. But now that she finds things are suddenly getting better, those feelings naturally disappear.

"Then, come back soon?"

"I will."

So, the two shared a restrained hug as a farewell before their departure.

Well, it's mainly because Yuan Xudou is quite restrained.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The afternoon sun casts floating shadows on the back of the building, and through the shade of the trees, patches of light, interspersed with white and gold hues, sway and ripple with layers of brightness.

In the shadow of the school building at the entrance of the Moon Forest, Gen Xudou found Wakaba Mutsu, with whom she had arranged to meet.

"Mu."

Hearing his call, the girl, who had been sitting quietly on the bench by the door like a still doll, beautiful and delicate yet with an inorganic quality, raised her head and looked up with her light golden eyes that complemented the glow of the sunset.

The doll transformed back into a human, and a vibrant, life-giving aura returned to the girl at that moment.

Then, she slightly parted her pink lips, and her ethereal and delicate voice gently drifted between them.

"Xu Dou".

Ruoye Muku greeted the boy's arrival with soft, gentle words.

Despite it being her who initiated the invitation, her reaction upon meeting him was quite cold, showing no joy whatsoever at the prospect of seeing the person she longed to see. If it weren't for the fact that Ruoye Mu's delicate white hands, resting on her lap, slightly tightened her skirt upon seeing him, revealing the nervousness hidden beneath her calm expression, anyone would probably think that she was completely indifferent to this "date" that neither of them perceived as such, yet it was the reality.

...But, was your first reaction upon seeing him not surprise, but nervousness?

After a moment's thought, he understood why the girl was nervous.

Although it's the weekend, it's not just Wakaba Mutsumi who comes to the entrance of Tsuki no Mori. If any clubs or small groups arrange to meet here during the holidays, a boy and a girl pair would stand out conspicuously in front of the girls' school.

As a former child star, Mu was already a minor celebrity at school. Moreover, with Su Shi's "suspected boyfriend" by his side, the fact that the two were spotted together was bound to trigger all sorts of strange rumors.

The reason Ruoye Mutsu initially chose to meet him here was probably because she couldn't think of a better place at the moment; it was a landmark they both knew. RiNG was relatively too far away, and it was obviously not worth making a special trip there for this.

Based on her body language alone, he could roughly deduce what the girl was thinking. Considering her taciturn personality, the understanding Yuan Xudou took the initiative to ask her to move to another location.

"Shall we talk somewhere else?"

Touched by what he thought, Ruoye Mu's eyes showed a hint of surprise for a moment.

But soon, that surprise was replaced by a subtle joy, which illuminated the girl's clear eyes.

She nodded silently and obediently followed Yuan Xudou's footsteps.

Chapter 61 "Can you help me find 'Wakaba Mutsumi'?"

The shimmering waves, illuminated by the sunlight, reflect a mirror-like, sparkling brilliance.