And Kinoshita Mai happened to appear far away from Chishiya.
If it was a coincidence... then it would be too much of a coincidence.
While the general manager was thinking to herself, Kinoshita Mai, who was walking in a hurry, almost disappeared from her sight.
The director raised his head and looked forward, looking at the beautiful figure that was about to be "engulfed" by the flow of people in the distance, and then looked at the pocket watch in his hand.
In an instant, a strong hesitation appeared on the Souji's cheeks.
This hesitation went away just as quickly as it came.
In just two breaths, Souji gritted his teeth, squeezed Aonto's pocket watch in his hand, and then chased after Kinoshita Mai's back...
…
…
Edo, a certain river embankment——
"arrive……"
While Kinoshita Mai glanced at the embankment in front of her, she lowered her head and glanced at the note in her hand.
"This is it..."
"Mr. Kiryu, I want to go out to buy something"--after using this as an excuse to get permission to go out, after a hurried journey, Kinoshita Mai finally arrived at her destination: a certain land adjacent to the
The Great River of Edo: The embankment of the Kanda River.
Because the embankment is in a remote location, it is rarely visited by people. Looking around, not a single pedestrian could be seen.
But this is another river embankment with quite good scenery.
The area is wide, the terrain is flat, and there are many large trees planted that Kinoshita Mai can't name, and they are growing particularly lush in the current hot summer.
To the east of the embankment, and directly in front of Kinoshita Mai, is the quietly flowing Kanda River.
The rhythmic sound of running water makes people feel calm unconsciously after listening to it.
Kinoshita Mai looked straight at the beautiful embankment in front of her... A faint red glow swept over her cheeks.
——Qingdeng invited me here... What exactly does he want...?
Kinoshita Mai thought to herself, while looking down at the paper in her hand again.
This was exactly the piece of paper Aoden secretly slipped into her palm when she followed Kiryu and others out of the wedding yesterday.
On the piece of paper, there was only a very simple sentence written in neat handwriting:
(Ms. Kinoshita, if you are free tomorrow, please go to AAAA in XX Town at 8:00 tomorrow...)
Kinoshita Mai was so shocked by Aoden's unexpected paper invitation that she was in a trance last night.
Why invite her to this place so suddenly and mysteriously?
Is there something important you want to say to her?
Or do you want to ask her to go somewhere to play?
The information revealed on the piece of paper is really too little... I am afraid that these doubts can only be answered after meeting Qingden at the place written on the piece of paper.
Want to keep an appointment?
This question is not difficult to choose for Kinoshita Mai at all.
In order to clear up the confusion, and also because of... her feelings for Qingden, Kinoshita Mai's heart had been beating violently due to nervousness and anticipation since last night.
A young man asked another young woman out to meet in a secret way by passing a piece of paper... This kind of behavior in this era is very easy to imagine.
——Qingdeng, could he be thinking...
The white Shiraki she witnessed at the wedding of Kondo Isamu and Matsui Tsune, which was so white that it exuded a sense of sanctity, condensed into a concrete shape with fine lines in Mai Kinoshita's mind.
Every time she thinks of this, Kinoshita Mai's face will turn red.
If Qingdeng really wanted to show off to me...
How many children will we have in the future?
When you talk about private meetings, you will think of that kind of thing, then you will think of reproduction, and then you will think of how many children you will have in the future - the imagination of a girl with dreams can always make such a leap at this level.
Out of this association, out of this "what if?" mentality, just before going out, Kinoshita Mai changed into the clothes that she thought looked best, and used the makeup techniques that Kiryu taught her.
I put on a beautiful makeup.
She hopes to greet the important moments of her life with a beautiful image.
When Kinoshita Mai arrived at the place written on the piece of paper, it was about 10 minutes before the agreed time... Because she arrived early, there was no one around except for the trees.
The moment she stepped onto the embankment, Kinoshita Mai felt that her hands and feet were beginning to become a little unruly - she didn't know how to swing or position her limbs.
Kinoshita let out a "ha" sound, turning her inner tension and anticipation into a sound. Then, while pretending to be calm, she stood upright under the shade of a big tree, turning her head and looking around uneasily.
The fingers of his hands folded in front of him were restlessly intertwined.
The white and tender feet without socks are grabbing the flat wooden clogs with red buttons,
At this moment, Kinoshita Mai found a puddle next to her left foot - this was the remaining water from the rain last night and this morning.
The water in the puddle was quite clear, and Kinoshita Mai's pretty face was clearly reflected in the calm water.
Kinoshita looked at the left and right sides, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her upper body, her face close to the small puddle, and used the reflection of the water to arrange her hair to confirm whether there was anything strange on her face.
Just then——
Pasha, pasha...
The sound of light clogs scraping against the ground came from behind.
--coming!
Mai Kinoshita, who thought it was Aoto's arrival, shook slightly, then quickly turned back.
However... just as she focused her gaze behind her, her entire body suddenly seemed to be under "petrification magic". Every muscle in her body instantly became as stiff as stone, even the lines on her face.
They all became tense.
A calm word with a neither salty nor bland tone was like a sharp blade cutting towards Kinoshita Mai.
"...Miss Kinoshita, why are you here?"
Familiar female voice...
For Kinoshita Mai, a female voice has a very special meaning and status...
"Miss Chiba...?"
Kinoshita Mai looked at the beauty in front of her with disbelief, the owner of the female voice just now: Sanako Chiba!
Sanako, who was standing in front of Kinoshita Mai at this time, was in the "form of a noble lady": an exquisite blue kimono, a white obi embroidered with beautiful cloud patterns, and a blue sheath with a blue handle for self-defense inserted into her lower waist.
The waist is low, and the feet covered with clean white socks are pedaling on a pair of flat wooden clogs with blue buttons.
Meeting an unexpected person in an unexpected place... Kinoshita Mai's face was instantly filled with a look of shock.
And the same goes for Sanako.
Although Sanako tried her best to remain calm, the shock hidden in her eyes was vaguely visible.
This silent confrontation with a suffocating atmosphere lasted for nearly 20 seconds.
"Qianye, Miss Ye..."
Mai Kinoshita, who was the first to speak out, stammered.
"You, why are you here...?"
"..."
Sanako did not immediately answer Kinoshita Mai's question.
She pondered thoughtfully for a moment, then raised her hand and took out a piece of paper from the sandwich between her belt and kimono that looked familiar to Mai Kinoshita.
"Ms. Kinoshita, did Tachibana-kun stuff this piece of paper into you too?"
"Eh?"
Kinoshita Mai was startled, and then quickly raised the piece of paper in her palm that was "the same style" as Sanako's.
Not only were the two women's pieces of paper identical in style, but even the content written on them was exactly the same.
"What's going on...?" Kinoshita Mai murmured.
Qingtou... made an appointment with himself and Miss Chiba at the same time?
He wants to attack me and Miss Chiba at the same time... No, how is that possible? It's too outrageous.
As soon as this ridiculous idea popped up in Mai Kinoshita's mind, she rejected it on the grounds that "Aoden wouldn't do such a thing."
"who knows."
When she saw the exact same piece of paper in Mai Kinoshita's hand, a strange color flashed between Sanako's beautiful eyebrows...but this strange color was quickly covered up by Sanako.
Sanako put the piece of paper back into the kimono and obi, and continued with a cold expression:
"When Mr. Ju comes, we will know what is going on."
That's it... As soon as Sanako finished speaking, someone's breath came to them in a rapid rhythm.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Mai and Sanako turned their heads to look in the direction from which the male voice came, and looked at Qingden who had just arrived.
Aoto, Sanako, and Mai Kinoshita...a man and two women, the three of them looked at each other and intertwined with each other.
Seeing the two girls arriving, Qingdeng suddenly looked relieved and nervous.
"Tangerine-kun."
At this moment, Sanako was acting decisive and strong.
As soon as Qingteng showed up, Sanako asked him quickly and bluntly before Qingteng could take any rest:
"Miss Kinoshita and I were suddenly invited to this place. Do you have something to tell us?"
There was a sharp reverberation deep in Sanako's tone of voice, like a sharp blade cutting sharply.
Kinoshita Mai stood upright as if she had come to her senses, her expression was tense, and she exuded a reserved aura.
Qingden felt Kinoshita Mai's gaze that wanted to ask questions.
Kinoshita Mai pretended to be calm, trying to be considerate and not ask questions, trying hard to hide it so that doubts and other strange emotions would not appear on her face.
But this attitude of pretending to be mature actually portrays her true heart.
Her complicated and unspeakable eyes had betrayed all her true thoughts.
"..." Qingden silently cast an embarrassed look at Sanako.
It's shameful to say that Sanako's "head start" just now disrupted Qingden's rhythm...
Qingdeng was already very nervous.
Ever since he left the imperial examination hall, Qingdeng felt a little more nervous every time he got closer to the agreed-upon river embankment.
After being aroused by Sanako's preemptive question, the tension accumulated in Qingto's heart instantly "exploded", running along Qingto's chest and neck, and straight into his brain.
In an instant, my head went blank.
He had prepared a lot of docile opening remarks in advance...and now he can't remember any of them!
correct.
Not just a prepared opening.
The carefully planned steps, the meticulously designed words he wanted to say to the two girls... all of these disappeared without a trace from Qingdeng's mind in just an instant.
——Forget it! Just can’t remember it!
Qingden gritted his teeth and squeezed his hands that were naturally hanging on his sides.
After all... In this kind of situation, it seems that it is unnecessary to go through all the red tape about what is and what is not!
Qingdeng exhaled all the turbid air in his lungs with a "ha" sound.
Now that the matter is over...just rely on your momentum and emotion to land on the ground in one breath!
There is no strategy...or rather, there is a strategy, but because I am so nervous now, I can't think of any of these strategies.
Just make up your mind.
He just let his momentum and his emotions for the two women drive his body.
Stop thinking about the messy, troublesome things.
Ms. Okita is right.
I am a decisive person.
I have always been proud of my resolute and decisive approach.
I am a person who hates twists and turns and likes to "frontally attack" things.
Lao Shizi's opening remarks and carefully designed words that were thought out in advance...just disappear if they disappear! If you can't remember it, you can't remember it!
Just follow your own desires.
Just follow your own thoughts and act!
Qingdeng spread his feet slightly and planted his feet firmly.
Take a deep breath and let the energy settle in your Dantian.
Then... he looked into the eyes of the two women in front of him and spoke loudly:
"Miss Mai Kinoshita! Miss Chiba Sanako! I like you!"
Qingdeng's voice echoed in the quiet river embankment where no one passed.
There was silence all around.
The wind blowing from the distance gently swayed the branches of every big tree on the river embankment, as well as the tips of Mai Kinoshita's and Sanako's hair and the hem of their clothes.
But the two women were unaware of all this.
Even Sanako, who had always been calm and composed, lost control of his expression at this moment.
She and Kinoshita Mai's eyes widened, and they stared blankly at Ayoto with shocked glances, as if their souls had left their bodies.
They subconsciously thought Qingdeng was joking with them.
However, Qingdeng's expression at this moment was filled with determination.
There is no room for joking... Qingden is serious.
Before the two girls came to their senses, sonorous and powerful words full of emotion emerged from Qingdeng's lips and teeth again.
"Ah Wu, to be honest, when I first met you, I thought you were very difficult to get along with."
Qingden turned his attention to Kinoshita Mai.
Kinoshita Mai, who felt Qingto's gaze, suddenly trembled a few times.
"Introverted and afraid of strangers."
"When I talk, I don't dare to look at people, and my voice is as low as a mosquito's moan. And I don't know how to pick up other people's topics. It's so tiring to chat with you."
"Except for being cute, you don't have any merits worth mentioning - this is my first impression of you."
"But gradually, as I spend more and more time with you, I discover more and more charming things about you."
"Your kindness, your warm-heartedness...all make me feel intoxicated."
"When I come back to my senses, you already occupy a very important position in my heart."
Qingdeng continued to say words that were completely out of his mind.
Because the mind is blank, the brain has lost its basic thinking ability.
I am unable to study my words carefully word for word.
At this moment, Qingdeng was not so much "speaking"... as he was pouring out his passion.
"Miss Sanako too!"
Qingto tilted his head and shifted his focus from Kinoshita Mai to Sanako.
It was his turn to be called... Sanako showed a rare expression of being at a loss.
"My first impression of you, Miss Sanako, was also very bad."
"Always have a cold face, as if you are rejecting people thousands of miles away."
"Chatting with you is more tiring than chatting with Ah Wu."
"In fact, for a while, I didn't even want to deal with you."
"But also, in the process of slowly becoming friends with you, I found many 'glitters' in you that I had never noticed before."
"These 'sparkling' places on your body attract me deeply."
"Unconsciously, I can no longer treat you as an ordinary friend."
Qingdeng no longer knew what he was talking about.
The voice doesn't feel like my own, but the person speaking is indeed me.
After pouring out all the accumulated emotions in his chest, Qingdeng paused and pursed his lips.
He wanted to give the above-mentioned release of his heart the strongest note and have a perfect ending.
But for a moment, I couldn't think of suitable words.
Emotion and reason are engaged in the final battle.
At this moment, Qingden suddenly recalled the discussion he had with Komaki Goro yesterday about the "Unparalleled Sword" and the "Living Sword" - the last bit of rationality, under the onslaught of the overwhelming sensibility, Completely eliminate bait.
ha……
Qingdeng let out another long breath.
After vomiting until there was nothing left to spit out and his lungs ached, Qingden inhaled hard——
Let your emotions drive you.
Bearing the sight of the two girls, he burst out all his emotions.
"I want to protect you forever with my sword!"
Affectionate words full of characteristics of this era...
After shouting the last syllable, goosebumps suddenly spread all over Qingden's body.
All the pores in my body seemed to relax at this moment, which was more comfortable than taking a hot bath with a suitable temperature.
There is a sense of pleasure and joy as all the chaotic consciousness in the mind is blown away by a cool wind, and the messy lines are straightened and smoothed one by one.
Qingdeng only felt that his heart was relaxing and contracting for a while... This kind of tender and sweet spasm made people want to stop.
I finally said what I had been holding in my heart since the fireworks display ended...
Do you like Kinoshita Mai or Sanako? Have you ever thought about marrying which one of them?
Qing Deng gave his answer today, here and now.
It's a pity that the person who asked him this question and the people who were listening at the time are not here.
Qingdeng has done and said everything he can and can say.
Next... I just wait for the two women's answers.
At this moment, Qingdeng's mood miraculously returned to calm.
He looked at the two girls calmly, letting the wind and time blow by his side.
Suddenly, the wind strengthened.
The strong wind caused the hems of the clothes of the three people to sway.
Sanako raised her green-white fingers with an elegant movement, holding down the messed up hair on her temples, while looking at the lower right corner of her field of vision with evasive eyes.
The eyes showed embarrassment, confusion, and a stubbornness that seemed to suppress some emotion.
"Orange, Mr. Orange..."
Sanako, who remained calm despite being kidnapped by the anti-barbarian group, now showed the confusion and childishness of a lost child.
"Sorry... I have no plans to get married for the time being..."
Sanako, who always speaks in a very orderly manner, actually stutters...
"Besides, besides, I only regard you as my important friend now..."
"Even regardless of my own desire to get married... I don't think my family will allow my future husband to marry another woman as a concubine."
After saying that, Sanako glanced at Mai Kinoshita beside her.
"Why am I a concubine?!"
Sanako's behavior of directly identifying her as a concubine made Kinoshita Mai very unhappy.
But she didn't have time to argue with Sanako now.
After giving Sanako a vicious look, Kinoshita Mai turned her attention to Aoi Tochi.
The moment her eyes met with Qingto's, Kinoshita Mai's eyes softened.
From the "severe glare" directed at Sanako just now, it became full of shyness and resentment.
"Qingdeng, you also have such... such deep feelings for me, I'm so happy."
"but……"
When Kinoshita changed the subject, she lowered her head and stared at her petite toes.
"My grandma will definitely not approve of my future husband marrying another woman as a concubine after marrying me..."
After finishing her words, Kinoshita Mai looked like she was about to start a tit-for-tat confrontation with Sanako, and once again gave Sanako a vicious look... but was ignored by Sanako who was focusing on Aoto.
Aoto listened to the two women's answers with a normal expression, and then solemnly said a series of answers that neither Sanako nor Mai Kinoshita expected.
"I know."
"Miss Sanako, I know that with the Qianye family's family status, your future husband will never be allowed to marry other women."
"A Wu, I also know that if I tell your parents what I just said, your parents will most likely draw their swords to chop me."
"But I don't want to give up!"
When Qingdeng shouted the words "I don't want to give up" word by word, the perseverance and confidence shown in his voice were unprecedented.
"I want to be your family, and I want to protect you with my sword...I will never take back my determination!"
"I've made up my mind!"
"I want to become stronger than anyone else! Become more outstanding than anyone else!"
"I will soar to the sky! Let you and your families accept me!"
The force was almost tearing his throat... as if he wanted people in the distance, the gods and Buddhas in the sky, and the ghosts and monsters on the ground to all hear his voice.
Sanako opened her red lips in surprise.
Soon, the surprise turned into an expression full of confusion, doubt, and a little... joy.
"Tangerine-kun..."
She lowered her head, looked at the ground in front of her feet, and said:
"No matter how good you become, I can't accept that you have other women besides me... Yes, I'm sorry... I want to leave first..."
After saying that, Sanako turned around and left quickly as if running away.
The moment she turned around, Qingden could faintly see a hint of crimson brushing against the tips of her small ears.
Although she was wearing a women's kimono that was inconvenient for movement, Sanako's feet were extremely fast.
After a while, there was no longer any blue color in the field of vision of Qingdou and Kinoshita Mai.
Qingden silently turned his eyes to Kinoshita Mai.
"Qingdeng..."
Kinoshita Mai looked at the direction Sanako left, then looked at Qingden in front of her, biting her lower lip lightly.
"I also...can't accept your marrying another woman besides me..."
"I, I, I want to calm down a little! I'm leaving now too!"
Kinoshita danced around in a hurry, and bowed to Qingto in a hurry, then she and Sanako trotted away from the river embankment.
Qingdeng calmly glanced around in the direction the two girls left, then closed his eyes, looked up to the sky, and let out a long breath.
He didn't regret what he had just done... Not only did he not regret it, he felt very lucky.
Qingdeng now feels like he has lost half of his weight, and his body and mind feel so relaxed that he is almost floating in the sky!
This is the way to go along with his style: never be sloppy, and do what you want to do and do frankly!
The reaction of the two women basically did not surprise him.
Although Japan is still in the feudal era where polygamy is allowed, families with a better family background will hope that their future sons-in-law can only stay together with their daughters.
"Next...you have to work hard!"
Qingdeng smiled and cast a scorching gaze full of seriousness and confidence towards the sky above his head, which had just cleared after the rain.
…
…
There was no longer any sight of the two women on the river embankment, so there was no need to stay for long.
After Qingdeng tidied up his clothes and emotions, he left and prepared to return to the training hall.
Because Qingdeng had just focused all his attention and emotions on releasing his mind, Qingdeng didn't realize until he left that there was a small audience who witnessed his recent feat.
The Souji leaned against the big tree calmly, with the fingers of his hands behind his back tightly intertwined, the instep of his right foot pressed against the heel of his left foot, and his eyes gazing up at the blue sky revealed through the gaps between the branches.
"...That's right."
The Souji lowered his head and looked at the black handkerchief held in his left hand.
"After all... I'm just a good friend..."
call……
A sudden breeze blew.
The branches above the chief executive's head swayed in the wind.
The faint shadows filled with light spots caused by the blowing of the wind well concealed Souji's expression at this time...
…
…
On the way back to the Imperial Examination Hall, there was a place that we must pass through - a deserted trail.
Qingdeng, who was in a happy mood because he had successfully told the two girls what he had always wanted to say, turned into the must-see place on his way back to the Trial Guard Hall after a leisurely walk.
The scenery is the same as always.
The dirt road is as bumpy as ever.
As always, there were no pedestrians, not even a human voice could be heard.
Everything is so "as usual".
However... just when Qingdeng reached the middle of this uninhabited trail, "unusual" suddenly appeared!
In an instant...the next thing really happened in an instant.
Qingdeng suddenly felt someone coming from behind... No! It was a beast-like breath!
As if he was being stared at by some giant beast, cold sweat suddenly poured out, soaking the clothes on Qingden's back.
Qingdeng's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly turned around like a reflex and raised his right hand to reach his left waist, holding down the handle of Dingguishen's knife.
I saw behind Qingdeng, at some point, there was a man in black carrying a wooden knife and wearing a low-brimmed bamboo hat.
"The response was pretty good."
said the man in black.
*******
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I hate the kind of eunuch-type, monk-type, herbivore-type male protagonists the most. (Leopard Mania.jpg)
Seeing how brave and decisive the orange character in this chapter is, please be sure to vote for this book! (Leopard Head Cries.jpg)
PS: This chapter is also the first time to mention the title of this volume: "Power to the Sky".
