Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 31

In the coffee shop, Wakaba Mutsumi's words reminded the girl, causing her to give up spying on the two.

It wasn't that she didn't want to know the relationship between Genjiro and Toyokawa Shoko.

Instead, Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly realized that even if she knew about the relationship between the two, and even discovered that Toyokawa Shoko really liked Minamoto Kōto, what could she do?

Should she act as his girlfriend and rush up to him, demanding an explanation? Or should she keep it to herself and wait for Yuan Xudou to come home, then force him to choose between her and Xiangzi, and never have anything to do with Xiangzi again?

No matter what you do, it will inevitably hurt yourself, the relationship between him and the band. You can't even choose between the band and Yuan Xudou, and you greedily want to keep both sides, so what right do you have to ask the boy to choose?

Motoyo Nagasaki can accept her own burdens, but she can never accept being so selfish towards the person she likes, using their feelings for her to hurt them in return.

...So, is she just supposed to watch helplessly as Won Heo-doo and the other band members get closer and closer, and situations like today become more and more frequent, until she finally loses everything she should have had?

Nagasaki Motoyo looked up and gazed out the window at the stars that were lighting up one by one in the dark night sky.

However, the bright stars and moon could not illuminate the darkness deep within the girl's light blue pupils.

"...As long as we can possess Xu Doujun before everyone else, that's fine, right?"

She spoke calmly, her face expressionless.

Dark thoughts slowly welled up from the bottom of her heart, binding the girl's soul like tightly bound chains.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems quite feasible to do so.

Yuan Xudou trusted her a lot, and she would always eat the food she brought without hesitation.

All I need to do is buy some date rape drugs and add them to the breakfast I occasionally bring him... no, maybe I don't even need date rape drugs, just an aphrodisiac would be enough...

I'm sure I'm qualified to be Xu Doujun's partner... Given our current relationship, even if I did that, he would eventually forgive me and take responsibility.

As long as I get that "first time" beforehand... no matter how close other women get to Xu Doujun, I will never be...!

With a loud bang, Nagasaki Motoyo slammed her head against the balcony door, the force so great that her fair forehead flushed crimson.

"……I can not do it."

As if oblivious to the pain, the girl pressed herself against the glass, her bewildered words turning into a hazy mist on the cold surface.

“Those heavy, dark things… I have entrusted them all to Xu Doujun.”

With something to rely on, Nagasaki Motoyo was no longer able to do such a thing.

Unless one day, the boy actually tells her "I hate you" out loud, negates the promise they made, and crushes all her hopes... then, she would probably be insane, and would do something that demeans her own body and insults the boy's trust, desperately trying to keep him.

Given Gen Xudou's personality, that day will never come.

Things are far from reaching their most extreme point... Yuan Xudou and her bond remains strong, their relationship hasn't deteriorated, and it's even warming up in their daily interactions...

Nagasaki Motoyo convinced herself to give up those dark and twisted thoughts, but she still couldn't shake off the anxiety in her heart.

The gloomy-faced girl opened the balcony door and silently gazed at the brightly lit city below, its lights reflecting off the stars in the night sky.

Such a beautiful night view, yet it couldn't bring her even the slightest bit of relief.

Nagasaki Motoyo opened her mouth, letting the evening breeze that tousled her hair carry her unexpressed, bewildered murmurs into the vast sky, hoping without any hope that her heartfelt words would eventually reach the person she longed for.

"...Xu Doujun, what should I do?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The One Person I Just Don't Want to Lose

"...Xu Doujun, what should I do..."

The empty murmurs echoed in the desolate night, gradually swallowed up by the howling wind.

Just as the girl stood on the balcony, feeling the cool evening breeze for a while, which slightly eased her pent-up emotions, she prepared to return to the living room to continue waiting for the important person to come home.

The door behind me clicked as a key was inserted into the lock and slowly turned.

Nagasaki Motoyo instinctively wanted to turn around, but after turning half of her body, she suddenly stopped as if she had remembered something, and then turned back as if nothing had happened, continuing to lean against the balcony railing.

I really wanted to see him, but when the time actually came, I couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.

Fearing she might detect something unusual about him, worried about seeing him suddenly become different... these conflicting thoughts made the girl afraid to turn her head away.

...Moreover, she also wanted to know how the boy would treat her after what happened today. That's why she used this somewhat awkward method to cautiously probe him.

Although she didn't turn around, Nagasaki Motoyo quietly pricked up her ears, blocking out all other sounds around her and focusing intently on the movements behind her.

I can hear it.

The door was opened and closed again, and someone picked up men's sneakers and put them in the shoe cabinet. Then, the sound of shoes walking on the tiles echoed.

This change, however, instantly filled the spacious room with a warm and tranquil atmosphere.

The soft, yet firm footsteps slowly spread from the entrance hall into the living room, paused briefly, and then headed straight for the balcony where the girl was.

Breathing, footsteps, atmosphere—everything Nagasaki Motoyo sensed clearly told her that Genjiro was walking towards her step by step.

Like a bright flame, even without seeing it with your own eyes, the ever-flowing warmth clearly proclaims its existence to everyone.

In the end, that light and warmth quietly stopped behind her.

The voice, as always, was calm and gentle, breaking the tranquility of the moonlit night.

"Su Shi, why are you standing on the balcony?"

"I just think the night sky is especially beautiful tonight~ Xu Doujun, look, there aren't usually so many stars in the sky."

Noticing that the boy still maintained that familiar friendly attitude and even showed concern for her, Nagasaki Motoyo breathed a sigh of relief, brought up the reason she had just thought of, and responded with a smile.

She raised her arm, as white as moonlight, and her gentle, light blue eyes blinked, pointing to the shimmering Milky Way in the sky.

So, Yuan Xudou stepped forward, walked to the girl's side, and together they looked up at the stars in the night sky.

While the boy was admiring the stars, Nagasaki Motoyo secretly turned her head and quickly scanned his handsome face with her eyes, carefully examining every detail from his forehead to his neck.

There were no red marks, no teeth marks, and no signs of fingernail scratches. Further down, the clothes were neat and tidy, without any wrinkles or creases.

She was completely relieved, withdrew her gaze, and then truly turned her head to face Yuan Xudou.

Just as Nagasaki Motoyo wanted to ask Genjiro to leave the somewhat chilly balcony with her and return to the warm and bright living room, the boy, who had sensed her gaze, turned around and met her eyes.

"Su Shi."

Before the girl, Gen Xudou spoke softly.

"You went to Yuzawa Cafe today?"

"—!"

The moment those words reached her ears, the girl understood them.

Before the question of 'why she was discovered' arose the overwhelming fear that gripped Nagasaki Motoyo's heart, making it difficult for her to breathe.

The girl's pupils instantly lost focus, widening unfocused. Her cherry-colored lips trembled, but even a normal whimper was caught in her dry throat, only a weak and faint gasp escaped her lips.

Just by looking at her expression, Yuan Xudou understood that his intuition this afternoon was correct.

Su Shi, without him noticing along the way, secretly followed him to Yuzawa Cafe and spied on his meeting with Toyokawa Shoko.

Yuan Xudou stepped back and turned to face her.

With just a tiny movement, Nagasaki Motoyo felt as if her heart had been torn in two by the distance that had been created. Her panic completely spiraled out of control, bursting forth with urgent and trembling words.

"No...! I didn't mean to follow you...!"

　The shimmering light of Er Yingying overflowed from the corners of her eyes, and her hoarse shouts shattered the tranquility of the night.

"I didn't think Xu Doujun was untrustworthy...! It's all my fault, my thinking was flawed—!"

The two were only a step apart, yet the girl, who was screaming at the top of her lungs, seemed to have her feet glued to the ground, not daring to take a single step, and even lacking the courage to reach out and grab the other person's clothes.

Nagasaki Motoyo was afraid. If she moved forward, Genjiro would continue to retreat until they completely severed ties. If she reached out, Genjiro would dodge her pleas and utter a cold rejection.

The deep-seated fear of losing her family resurfaces and begins to gradually consume the girl's heart.

"...Don't hate me...Don't leave me..."

Not daring to look up at Yuan Xudou's expression, she lowered her head, letting the strands of hair on her forehead cover her eyes, and desperately pleaded.

The girl was fully aware of just how terrible her behavior had been and how utterly she had trampled on the boy's trust.

If she directly asked Xu Doujun what had happened today, she would definitely tell her, right? However, she chose to hide in the shadows and spy on him to find out what he had done.

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't think she deserved to be forgiven for her behavior, but she absolutely didn't want to lose the boy. At this moment, all she could do was say things that she herself found ridiculous, trying her best to keep him.

"I just……"

I just don't want to lose you...

Please, without you, I...

"——Su Shi."

However, Yuan Xudou's face did not show the disgust or rejection that the girl had imagined.

Faced with Nagasaki Motoyo's breakdown, he called out softly. But the girl, immersed in her own grief, did not hear the comfort in his words.

So, Yuan Xudou thought for a moment, then stepped forward and hugged her.

Like comforting a lost child or caring for a weak wounded soldier, he embraced Nagasaki Motoyo, gently stroking her brown hair, letting her tremble before him. Then he lowered his head and whispered soft words in her ear.

"Don't be afraid...don't be afraid, I don't blame you."

Chapter Forty: No matter who it is, they will not let go.

"……well?"

A gentle yet firm embrace, whispered words close to her ear—Yuan Xudou pulled Nagasaki Motoyo out of her sorrowful reverie in the most direct way.

She stood there, stunned, all the thoughts of despair and pain in her mind easily driven away by the real, tangible touch.

The girl instinctively raised her hand and hugged the other person's back.

It wasn't until the glistening tears that lingered at the corner of her eye finally slid down her cheek and left a damp stain on Genjiro's shoulder that Nagasaki Sose realized what was happening and hastily wiped the tears from her face with one hand.

"Calm down?"

The words, gentler and softer than ever before, as if worried about disturbing the fragile girl in his arms, were finally able to reach Nagasaki Motoyo's ears clearly.

Hearing that voice made it clear that he wasn't revealing his knowledge of Nagasaki Motoyo's stalking out of a sense of questioning or investigation.

"……Um."

Having understood that fact, the unease that had been raging in the girl's heart gradually subsided.

Instead, he felt a warmth that naturally flowed from every inch of his skin as he was embraced by Yuan Xudou for the first time.

From the hell of sorrow and despair to the heaven of joy and satisfaction, the intense emotional fluctuations left Nagasaki Motoyo momentarily unable to regain her senses, and she could only let her mind, overwhelmed by happiness, produce simple answers.

Nagasaki Motoyo blushed and nodded.

Having confirmed that she had indeed broken free from her delusions and was no longer so absorbed in her inner world that she couldn't hear anything, Yuan Xudou gently released her hand and continued with the words he had been interrupted from saying.

"I don't blame you, I just want to talk to Su Shi..."

Before he could finish speaking, the girl, who had suddenly lost his embrace, frantically grabbed his clothes.

Her soft blue eyes, still glistening with tears, rippled with unease, more delicate and fragile than ever before, like a whispered reluctance from a cracked piece of porcelain.

"...Can't we hug a little longer?"

Normally, the girl wouldn't have had the courage to make such a request. But after pleading so desperately, in this moment of emotional vulnerability, she felt she could be a little more willful and speak her mind more directly.

Perhaps this is a form of self-abandonment. Since the worst aspects have already been revealed, it seems that showing more of one's humility, gloom, and heaviness doesn't matter much anymore.

With this reckless thought in mind, Nagasaki Motoyo tightly grasped the boy's clothes.

"...It's a bit difficult to talk when we're hugging."

Yuan Xudou frowned, looking somewhat troubled, but did not explicitly refuse.

"Then... from behind, is that alright?"

Faced with Nagasaki Motoyo's unusual persistence, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Yuan Xudou walked behind the girl, reached out, and wrapped his arms around her waist.