Does gravity make me stronger?

Page 234

"Ah, so that's how Aine-chan sees Hachiman. I never realized it before."

"Haha, my affairs are not important."

Aine shyly touched her flushed cheeks, using the opportunity to calm herself down.

"But I still don't understand what Aine-chan meant by what she just said," Takamatsu Akari asked earnestly.

"Tomorin, think about it. Hikigaya is from Chiba, but he's currently studying in Tokyo. Normally, he would consider a university in Tokyo, right?"

Takamatsu Akari: "As for university, I haven't thought about that yet, but as for Hachiman, he'll probably go to a very good university."

Su Shi: "Really? I think Hachiman will go back to Chiba after that."

"Going back to Chiba or staying in Tokyo are both possibilities, but because of Yukinoshita's appearance, I might consider going back to my hometown school more."

"What if Hikigaya doesn't study at university in Tokyo and has to go back to Chiba? Won't he be very lonely then?"

You're the only one who's lonely. /]」4〔贰％"啾0〕⊙肿≌】ｚHuAnｑN：吧？

Nagasaki Motoyo thought to herself, but then she had to agree with what Aine had just said.

If Hachiman were to go to university in Chiba in the future, Shoko wouldn't know, but she would definitely go with him.

Back then, not only could we not attend the same school, but we could also move out and live together, leading a healthy, albeit embarrassing, shared living experience.

But this makes it inconvenient for her to go home and be with her mother.

In her heart, her mother was just as important as Hachiman; she couldn't do without either of them, so she tried her best to keep Hachiman in Tokyo to attend university.

Thinking about it this way, although the impact is small, Yukinoshita could indeed become the X factor.

Nagasaki Motoyo instinctively wanted to place her hands on the table, but then suddenly realized they were in a gymnasium, so she could only awkwardly cross her hands.

Takamatsu imagined it for a moment, but it didn't seem to move him at all.

"Back then, we could have just gone and looked for Hachiman."

"Tomorin, studying at two different universities is really troublesome. I've heard that many couples break up because of long-distance relationships."

Wait a minute, what kind of couple are you with?

Almost blurted it out, Nagasaki Motoyo was very grateful for her self-control.

Takamatsu Akari: "However, we don't have that kind of relationship with Hachiman, and if Hachiman doesn't mind, I can go to Chiba to see him every day."

If it were anyone else saying they were willing to take the train between Chiba and Tokyo every day, Aine would definitely scoff.

But if this person is a lamp...

It's really possible.

Nagasaki Motoyo said coldly, "So, Aine-chan, what exactly are you trying to say? Are you trying to stop Hachiman and Yukinoshita from continuing their relationship?"

She paused slightly, her long, flowing hair obscuring her dark face.

"No, that won't do. It will put Hachiman in a difficult position. Oh, right, how about Yukinoshita cuts ties with Hachiman herself?"

Then, she shook her head to herself.

"It still won't work. Doing it this way will make things very complicated later."

Hearing Nagasaki Motoyo say these things in such a serious tone, Aine sighed, clearly startled.

Is Soyorin angry? She looks a little scary right now.

She quickly explained, "Soyorin, that's not what I meant. I just wanted everyone to tell Hachiman more about the benefits of staying in Tokyo."

"..."

Nagasaki Motoyo, who was in a state of chaos and evil, froze for a long time, racking her brains to figure out how to salvage her lost composure.

When she spoke again, even her voice trembled slightly.

"I'm sorry, I was overthinking it. I apologize."

"It's okay. We know Soyorin cares about Hachiman. Nobody wants to never see Hachiman again after graduating high school, right?"

They will only be able to see each other every day after graduating from high school, but it's better to go along with what Aine said at this point.

"Ah."

Nagasaki Motoyo nodded obediently.

Aine encouraged everyone: "Then let's work together during this time to get Hachiman to consider applying to universities in Tokyo!"

...

Backstage area.

The performance is about to begin.

To ensure the success of the performance, many staff members were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water, yet they still couldn't make the process perfect.

Therefore, no one would pay any attention to a man and a woman walking in a corridor that is only accessible to staff.

In a daze, they arrived at the door of the room that served as the performers' dressing room without any trouble.

There are several lounges, and I heard that the one in front of us is the outermost and also the narrowest.

However, since the room only needs to accommodate four team members, the space should be sufficient.

Before opening the door, Hachiman and Yukinoshita exchanged a glance.

There seemed to be starlight twinkling in the azure eyes beneath the snow, but Hachiman only glanced at them before quickly looking away.

"Did I open the door?"

"Um..."

The sound beneath the snow trembled slightly, but it might not be noticeable unless you listened very carefully.

But when he saw that a "nervous" label had appeared in the status section of the panel, Hachiman couldn't help but chuckle.

This guy isn't mature and calm enough to handle all sorts of situations...

What are you laughing at?

Looking at Yuki with a cold gaze, a hint of doubt followed the tension.

"No, it's nothing."

Yukinoshita didn't press the matter further, but instead knocked twice on the door with a blank expression.

"Dong dong!"

"Please come in!"

Hongxia's loud voice came from behind the door.

Under the watchful gaze of the snow, Hachiman gripped the handle, his heart pounding with tension just before he turned the lock.

Quickly suppressing his unease, Hachiman twisted the door open with ease.

"Yo!"

He greeted them as cheerfully as possible, trying his best not to let his nervousness affect the others in the room.

Inside the room, a pile of luggage was placed in a space of about ten square meters, while the four members of the band stood in the open space in the center.

"Hachigaya-san, Yukinoshita-san...!"

Goto Ichiri was still standing in the far corner, but now that he was wearing a gray-black team uniform, he actually looked like a team when he stood with the other three.

Yukinoshita smiled warmly: "Excuse me, everyone, it's been a long time."

"Who is it? Is it a fan who came to support us? They're really enthusiastic, they even tracked us backstage."

Yamada Ryo clutched his flat chest, spouting nonsensical and mindless nonsense, and deliberately messed up his originally neat collar a little.

"But give up, I'd rather die than submit... Ouch, that hurts!"

Hongxia's sharp rap on the head completely silenced the guy.

"Sorry, Liang is really excited right now."

After disciplining the oddballs in the team, Nijika finally greeted them properly: "Hachigaya-kun, Yukinoshita-kun, good afternoon. I'm really touched that you came to see our performance."

This is the truth, not just polite words spoken in a perfunctory manner.

Yukino came all the way from Chiba, and this is the second time she has come.

To have such devoted fans right from the start of the band's formation is truly a stroke of good luck.

"You're welcome. Besides, my primary purpose this time is to mentor Goto-kun. Watching the performance is just a way to relax."

"Hey, hey."

Hachiman curled his lip; Yukinoshita really doesn't understand social etiquette...

But at the same time.

He seemed to notice something noteworthy in Yukinoshita's words.

The first purpose was to guide Goto-kun?

So besides the cultural festival, does she have other things to do?

Hachiman was too lazy to care about the specifics of the matter, so he couldn't possibly use his inner voice to forcibly read Yukinoshita's thoughts and actions.

Nijika awkwardly touched her nose: "It's okay, anyway, we're just happy that Yukinoshita-san came, right, Kita-chan, Pochi-chan?"

Yes, that's right.

Kita nodded radiantly, clenching his fist.

"The thought that a girl like Yukinoshita would come to see our performance, even if it's just a side trip, gives me even more courage!"

"why?"

Yukino tilted her head in confusion, seemingly not understanding Kita's feelings.

Ichiri Goto: "As for me, I will try my best to play songs that will not disappoint everyone."

Nijika exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, it's rare to see Pochi-chan so confident. This is all thanks to you, Yukinoshita-kun."

"It has nothing to do with me."

Yukinoshita shook her head again, her expression straightforward, and then turned to face Goto Ichiri.

"Goto-kun, no matter how this performance goes, you have already fulfilled the promise between you and me, so please do your best. I believe this performance will bring you great improvement."

Although she said these words in a calm tone, as the person involved, Goto Ichiri knew how much effort she had put in for the performance during this period.

A pang of sadness gripped her heart, and a misty scene appeared before her eyes.

"Yes, thank you, Master Yukinoshita."

"Wait a minute, Master, what's going on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I took it upon myself to consider Yukinoshita as my mentor." The touching scene that had just begun to unfold was shattered by these words.

Goto Ichiri immediately lowered his head, and his newly formed confidence vanished.

I'm so stupid, I messed it up again...

“I said.”

Hachiman, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally intervened at this moment.

"Yukinoshita, I think Goto-kun called you 'master' because he was grateful for your help."

He tried to patch it up, but Yukinoshita showed no mercy.

"I only offered some suggestions. Ultimately, it was Goto himself who accomplished all of this. Instead of calling me 'master,' you should be more confident in yourself."

It's an undeniably correct argument, one that even Hachiman finds difficult to refute.

Now it all depends on how Goto Ichiri interprets it.

Nijika tugged at Hachiman's sleeve, drawing his sidelong glance.

Seeing that Hachiman had noticed her actions, Nijika whispered with a grin, "Hachiman, Yukinoshita seems just as awkward as you used to be."

“Hey, that’s not how I am,” Hachiman firmly denied.

Upon hearing this, Hongxia puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction: "No way, Hachiman has always been this troublesome. Do you know how much effort we put into getting you to accept our offer?"

"...Well, how should I put it? I'm really sorry."