Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 73

With a straw in her mouth and a lazy posture, she looked more like a wealthy young lady enjoying a vacation than the others who had just left the sea and seemed a bit flustered.

Despite the teasing, Shiina Tatsuki quickly got up, picked up the prepared towels, and distributed them to everyone.

"Where's the light?" Yuan Xudou wiped the water from his temples and casually asked about the whereabouts of the girl who was not there.

"She went to collect seashells, she should be back soon... Look, isn't this her?"

Shiina Tatsuki tilted her head towards the beach.

Turning around, I saw a gray-haired girl carrying a small plastic bucket, wearing a straw hat and a cute swimsuit, swaying as she walked towards me.

"Let me make this clear first, it's not that I didn't go to keep the light company. I only rested here for a few minutes," Shiina Tatsuki explained.

Yuan Xudou did not respond, but only sighed softly.

In the city, I like to collect pebbles, but at the beach, it turns into collecting seashells... It seems I can't shake this habit.

He recalled the glass jar under his bed, which was already on its third iteration, and suddenly felt that he could foresee what would happen next.

The next moment, as he expected, Takamatsu, who had walked up to the boy, picked out a plump, clean, and shiny shell from the bucket, and handed it over with her soft, amber eyes blinking gently.

"Xu Dou, this is for you."

The others were already used to it. After spending so much time together, they all understood that this was a way for the girl to express affection. Few others received this "honor," but the boy would bring a stone home every few days.

Naturally, he couldn't refuse such a kind offer.

"But I don't have room on me right now... I'll leave it with you for now, and give it to me when we get back to the house."

Chapter 103 Returning from the Seaside

There are many games to play at the beach, but if you really want to list them all, it doesn't seem that many.

Swimming, beach volleyball, building sandcastles... If you try to finish all of these in one day, you'll probably have to spend the next two weeks holed up in your mansion, spending your vacation in a way that's pretty much the same as being at home.

In fact, out of boredom and curiosity, in this secret realm where no one is supervising and as long as the six of them don't divulge anything, the news will never reach the outside world... they might do things that are inappropriate for their current age, but perfectly natural for their relationship, things that are not healthy.

Having exchanged their first kiss and experienced such a wonderful and pleasurable sensation, Gen Xudou is now unsure whether his rationality can withstand the temptation.

...In short, let's try our best to prevent things from escalating to that point.

During their outing, Toyokawa Shoko brought some good news—a little further out on the shore, there was a fully equipped private yacht with autonomous driving capabilities, so when they got tired of the beach activities, they could go out to sea for fishing or something similar.

Even Nagasaki Motoyo could only sigh at the "enjoyment of the rich."

Her family was only moderately wealthy; the gap between them and a large conglomerate like the Toyokawa family was simply too great.

When the sun was high in the sky and the air was gradually becoming scorching hot at noon, the group, feeling hungry, changed their clothes, packed their bags, and slowly returned along the same route.

After the sweat and seawater evaporated, a thin layer of white frost formed on their skin. Avoiding the blazing sun that was about to reach its zenith, releasing its most dazzling and scorching rays, the group moved through the shadows of the forest path.

—So, an adventure into the dense forest seems like an option, but you have to be prepared with strict mosquito prevention measures, otherwise you might not have any pleasant memories and will only remember the feeling of being bitten.

Back at the mansion, the girls, who were sticky from exercising all morning, immediately rushed into the bath. Yuan Xudou simply washed his hands and went to the kitchen to prepare ingredients for lunch.

After a while, the girls, who had finished showering and changed into loose yukatas, flooded into the kitchen. He handed over the remaining work to Suze and quickly took a shower in the bathroom.

A moment later, Yuan Xudou returned to the kitchen and began cooking while instructing the other four girls on how to cook, as previously agreed.

For beginners, stews and soups, which don't require high levels of skill or precise control of heat, are more suitable.

—It's a pity we didn't go fishing, otherwise a fresh fish soup for lunch would have been quite nice.

Most of the fish in the freezer are already refrigerated and cut up, some even with the bones removed... This is very convenient, but it means they can't be used to make soup.

He opted for a second choice and made some lotus root soup—while miso soup is certainly a soup that suits his daily taste, it's never a bad thing to try a new recipe once in a while.

Fortunately, the girls, who had taken home economics classes and had a basic understanding of cooking, didn't make small mistakes like mixing up salt and sugar or cutting their hands while chopping vegetables, at least they didn't make things worse. The meal, which should have been prepared precisely and quickly by the well-coordinated Minamoto no Koto and Nagasaki Motoyo, became slightly chaotic due to the involvement of others.

Xiangzi was the most enthusiastic, always wanting to join in and learn something no matter what was happening; Lixi had a proper attitude, obediently following instructions and assisting; Muhe Deng was relatively detached, often standing next to Yuan Xudou and watching, but he just watched and never asked any questions.

The busy young man, whose forehead seemed to be sweating again, simply finished teaching them the simple recipes and then told them to go to the hall to wait for their meals—which was actually a subtle way of telling them to leave.

After doing that, the environment became much quieter, allowing him to focus on finishing the remaining steps.

After lunch, it was time for a free afternoon break. Everyone agreed that it was foolish to do anything like outdoor sports in the midday sun. Even in the suburbs, the summer sun at one or two o'clock was enough to make a person listless and droop like withered weeds in just a few minutes.

Not wanting to go out and with no group activities planned, everyone went off to find something to do after the disbandment was announced.

Takamatsu Akari, who didn't sleep well last night, went back to her room to catch up on sleep. She was very energetic this morning, but now she's very tired again. Nagasaki Motoyo also made the same decision.

Shiina Tatsuki and Toyokawa Shoko wanted to soak in the bath to relieve their fatigue, but Wakaba Mutsu, contrary to his usual behavior, did not follow them. Instead, he chose to accompany Genji Koto to the lounge on the first floor.

As the girl in emerald green entered the room, Yuan Xudou glanced around at the furnishings.

—Although it's called a lounge, it's more accurate to call it an entertainment room. The space is slightly larger than the bedrooms, but there are no beds, only rows of tatami mats and square, hard bamboo pillows.

If you gently rub it a few times, you can smell a slightly astringent fragrance unique to plants.

He suddenly felt a little glad he hadn't used these during the pillow fight. If thrown with the right force and angle, they could indeed be classified as "weapons."

Next to some of the tatami mats against the wall, there were several gaming machines of varying styles and ages. From PS5 and SWITCH to arcade games and Butterfree, everything was available, with game discs and cartridges neatly arranged on a nearby cabinet. At a glance, he even spotted quite a few well-known titles from around the turn of the millennium.

In addition, there are cabinets along the walls specifically for books and board games. From classic masterpieces like "The Tale of Genji" to works by modern authors such as Natsume Soseki and Haruki Murakami; from typical games like "Monopoly" to niche board games with extremely complex rules... everything is available.

Once again marveling at the thoughtfulness of the wealthy family, Yuan Xudou reached out and ran his fingertips over the rows of books that were tightly touching.

He looked at the girl who had been silently following him, her dark golden eyes indifferently fixed, as if she had no interest in these dazzling array of entertainments.

"Mu, is there anything you want to play?"

Just like her expression, Ruoye Mu shook her head gently.

The boy was not surprised and continued to ask questions.

"Then come play with me?"

"Yes." She nodded without hesitation.

Sure enough, there was a reason why Wakaba Mutsu, who usually didn't seem to care much about games or reading, came to go to the lounge with him first. She didn't care what games they played, but playing with him was important.

As he pondered, his finger hovered casually over a two-player puzzle game.

—It's okay, he has nothing to hide from Mu... In situations where the two are alone, whether it's a heart-to-heart talk or a frank conversation, the boy feels perfectly comfortable.

Pulling the disc out of the cabinet, Yuan Xudou's expression remained as calm as ever, the silver and iridescent surface of the disc reflecting his features.

Besides, Mu is a trustworthy person who wouldn't gossip.

Chapter 104 Ruo Yemu’s straight ball

...Actually, it just means being a tight-lipped person, unwilling to say a word.

She doesn't initiate conversations with Wakaba Mutsu; she keeps everything bottled up inside, revealing nothing to anyone. Even if someone asks, it depends on the closeness of the relationship and the level of understanding; otherwise, she's likely to be met with a blank, dismissive response or an answer completely contrary to her true thoughts.

Just like now—half an hour has passed, and the two of them have already completed a small part of the game, but Wakaba Mutsu sitting next to him has not said a word.

Even though it was obvious at a glance that her mind wasn't on the screen in front of her, and she was just casually holding the controller to cooperate with his operation... the girl just silently and absentmindedly spent this time without saying a word.

Finally, after reaching a save point along the way, Yuan Xudou pressed pause first.

He got up from the tatami mat and looked at the girl who had put down the controller with him, her expression unchanged.

He told her to "wait for me," and when she nodded obediently, he walked out of the room.

A moment later, the boy returned to his room carrying two glasses of freshly squeezed mango juice with ice.

Mu liked mango juice, Xiangzi and Sushi preferred black tea, Lixi was fond of coffee, and Deng didn't have any particular preferences. Through their long-term interaction, he had already figured out the girls' tastes.

Incidentally, he also prefers fruit juice. It's healthier and doesn't contain caffeine, an unnecessary and addictive stimulant for him.

He handed the glass to Wakaba Mutsu and sat down cross-legged next to the girl again.

Just then, Wakaba Mutsu, whose throat was also a little dry, took the cup and held it with her fair and delicate hands, sipping the sweet and delicious juice in small sips.

Xu Dou is good at taking care of people. Xu Dou is a good person.

The slightly cool and smooth texture glided down her throat, and her expression relaxed considerably, her delicate and pretty eyes revealing a hint of intimacy.

Noticing the change in the girl's expression, Yuan Xudou didn't rush to speak. After taking a few sips of mango juice, he leisurely put the glass aside and adjusted his tone to a gentle inquiry.

"Mu, would you like to have a chat?"

His dark, lustrous pupils gently gazed at the girl's calm profile, creating a soothing and tranquil atmosphere.

Clearly preoccupied, Ruo Yemu remained silent for a moment, put down the half-finished juice, and nodded slightly.

"Xu Dou".

The usually calm and reserved voice now betrayed a hint of tension between the words.

She gazed at the boy's open-mindedness with her bright, light gold eyes.

"...Do you like Su Shi?"

...This is a difficult question to answer.

It's not that the answer to the question is difficult to give, but rather that asking the question itself touches on a very sensitive topic.

This time, it was Yuan Xudou's turn to remain silent.

After a long pause, he answered softly.

"……Yes."

Having done so much, from hugging and kissing to kissing, it's no longer something that can be excused by being just friends or even bandmates.

Liking someone is liking someone; there's no need for coyness or denial. Unlike Xiangzi, he didn't use strangely implied descriptions to mask his true feelings. His hesitation in answering was simply because he couldn't bring himself to tell his companion, Mu.

Upon hearing the other party's admission, Ruoye Mu did not show any signs of being downcast or upset. She simply tilted her head slightly and asked the question that had been bothering her the most.

"So, you really did it...?"

"...?"

Even with Yuan Xudou's way of thinking, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

A few seconds later, he realized that Ruo Yemu was referring to what happened last night.

...I never expected that Mu would be the first to discover it. The boy thought with mixed feelings.

He wasn't surprised that the affair had been exposed. After all, the six of them lived in the same house and saw each other every day. The two who had gotten carried away couldn't possibly resist doing it only once. In the long run, it was bound to be exposed sooner or later.

But what does "did" mean?

They just kissed. Although it was a little too intimate and intense, it was still within the acceptable range for their age... I hope Mu doesn't think they did something out of line.

He glanced at Wakaba Muku with a slightly surprised look in his eyes, seemingly not expecting that the seemingly honest, quiet and reserved girl would have such radical ideas in her heart.

...It seemed he had misunderstood; those pure, clear golden eyes didn't reveal any strange, impure thoughts. Perhaps the "did" that Mu spoke of was different from what he subconsciously understood.

"Ah."

Since they've already admitted to liking each other, there's nothing to be ashamed of saying it. Yuan Xudou nodded readily.

This time, Wakaba Mutsu's expression finally changed.

She slowly lowered her head, her hands moving somewhat uneasily in front of her knees, before finally hesitantly reaching out to him.

He was slightly surprised by the girl's behavior, but soon Yuan Xudou took the initiative to reach out his hand, hooked his fingers with hers, and then held hands.

A warm, reassuring feeling emanated from her palm, dispelling the hesitation that had been weighing on the girl's brow.

She asked lightly.

"Xu Dou, do you also like Xiangzi?"

"Ah."

"Would you like her that much as you would marry her?"

"……Yes."

"..."

He felt the girl's soft fingers in his hand involuntarily tightening their grip.

Xiangzi and Su Shi were almost on the other side... but he was still stuck in the same place, watching everything happen.