Chapter 100 Jade Fox Festival (3)

"Yueyue-chan, go slower!"

Jiuhuayue was walking quickly up the stairs in front of her, and with every second that passed, Hiiragi Rinka felt that she was getting farther away from her.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not catch up to the end of her white dress.

Rinka Hiiragi didn't even get halfway when she couldn't walk any further.

She paused, doubled over, and breathed hotly.

"Get up."

Hearing the voice, the exhausted Hiiragi Rinka barely raised her head and saw Jiuhuayue's hand stretched out to her. The light of the lantern reflected on her snow-white fingers, and her light pink nails were neatly trimmed.

"Thanks."

Rinka Hiiragi reached out and held her hand, and Jiuhuayue led her up the mountain.

It is surrounded by the sounds of birds and insects, and on both sides are ordinary dense wild forests. In addition to the green, there are also faint traces of the tall cedars on the Golden Mountain.

The stairs are long and go up all the time.

Xiaoyue's black hair or her white dress, both look so unique in Rinka Hiiragi's eyes at this moment.

The two of them walked all the way to the main hall of Matsumae Shrine.

As long as you stand under the outermost torii, you can see the ancient and huge jade fox statue in the main hall. Many tourists gathered in front of the temple.

"Yue-chan, you seem to be very familiar with this place."

"I used to come here often." Jiu Huayue stared at this ancient and simple hall.

"Before? Didn't Xiaoyue just transfer here from Tokyo?"

Jiuhuayue did not answer what Rinka Hiiragi said, but asked her another question: "Rinka, what do you think of this shrine?"

"Matsumae Shrine? I remember my history teacher said that the history of Matsumae Shrine in Sapporo should not be too long. When Sapporo was designated as the economic center of Hokkaido, the Matsumae family moved from Matsumae County and built this shrine in Kanazawa Town."

“But it’s been hundreds of years.”

"That's right, Yue-chan, why are you asking this?" Hiiragi Rinka spoke softly, afraid that she would ask something wrong and make Yue angry.

Jiuhuayue smiled and said, "Rinhua, you don't have to be so restrained."

She then replied: "I quite like this."

".Ah?" Hiiragi Rinka was shy and didn't understand what she was talking about.

Jiuhuayue stared at the shrine: "This shrine looks both old and young. I like this mature and appropriate feeling. It's very tasteful."

"is it?"

"Rinka doesn't think so?"

“I didn’t feel it”

Hiiragi Rinka didn't understand why Satsuki suddenly said that. She then looked towards the shrine, where tourists gathered in front of the main hall, ringing bells and making wishes in groups of three or five in front of the money box, and then burning incense to the Jade Fox God.

Almost everyone who comes to the mountain will pass through the Torii gate on their way here, but the two of them were the only ones standing there stupidly.

This made Rinka Hiiragi even more confused. Why did Xiaoyue come here?

"Let's go to the observation deck in the back hall. It's usually not open to tourists, but I know there's a path that leads directly there."

".Not so good."

Jiuhuayue smiled at Hiiragi Rinka and said, "If you are caught, you will inevitably be scolded. In serious cases, you will be spanked with a ruler."

“Would it be bad to do this?”

"It's not good, but I hate rules. Sometimes I just want to be willful! I can do whatever I want."

Jiuhuayue said this, and then took Hiiragi Rinka by the hand and entered the bamboo forest on the side.

It is a quiet and remote place with a small stream running through it. Small jade fox statues can be seen everywhere on the edge of the dead leaf cliff.

The jade fox statue, which was originally solemn and somewhat cute, now looked cunning and terrifying in the darkness.

If Xiaoyue wasn't around, I wouldn't dare come here.

Hiiragi Rinka couldn't help but think.

At the same time, she felt that Jiuhuayue's hand holding hers became much warmer and tighter.

"Xiaoyue just said that she doesn't like festivals?"

“I don’t like crowded places.”

"But this is a contradiction." Hiiragi Rinka said, "If Xiaoyue doesn't like crowded places, then why would she want to participate in the festival? And when Xiaoyue and Mr. Fujii arrived at Otaru Station together, didn't she seem to be in a good mood?"

Jiu Huayue looked forward: "Yes, why am I so conflicted? What's even more conflicted is why I came to the festival and deliberately ran to such a deserted place."

"Xiao Yue."

"Just keep walking."

Jiuhuayue's question made Hiiragi Rinka even more confused.

Her legs were already aching from walking so much, and Xiaoyue's sandals were covered in mud, with the straps leaving two marks on her fair, flawless skin.

The two of them came to the observation deck of the shrine together. The night wind was very strong here, and looking down from here, the entire Teine area was in sight.

The Kaneyama town below was brightly lit at night because of the festival.

The lights of Kanayama-cho, Teine-ku, and Sapporo further away are reflected in the darkness, like stars in the sky.

There is no doubt that the setting is stunningly beautiful.

"so beautiful"

Rinka Hiiragi just stood there, holding on to the handrail, and couldn't help muttering to herself.

"Pretty."

"Yeah, super beautiful!"

Hiiragi Rinka couldn't help but sigh. She turned sideways and found that the night wind had blown Jiuhuayue's long hair. She reached out and lifted the hair beside her ear. Her purple eyes were so unique above the stars on the observatory at night.
"If we don't break the rules, will we not be able to see such beautiful scenery?"

"Yeah," Hiiragi Rinka nodded subconsciously in response.

"I like it this way. The more something restrains me, the more I want to break through it. I hate the secular world."

Hiiragi Rinka looked at her profile again.

Xiaoyue is really beautiful.
"I like you very much, Rinka." Jiuhuayue said for no reason.

"Eh?!"

Hiiragi Rinka's face immediately turned red with embarrassment, the girl avoided his gaze, and her heart became restless.

"Xiao-Xiao Yue, are you... confessing to me all of a sudden?"

"Confession? Of course not, just what's in my heart."

This, this, this. These words!

It's obviously worse!
Rinka Hiiragi had never heard anyone say this to her before. She had never had any long-term friends since she was born.

Xiaoyue suddenly said to herself
Like yourself or something
She could hardly imagine it, and because of these words she had never heard before, she felt joy and excitement in her heart.

Although Xiaoyue is very beautiful and handsome.

She's the kind of girl who can blush at the sight of her
But she doesn't think that she and Xiaoyue have that kind of relationship.

Hiiragi Rinka didn't know what to say for a moment, so she could only anxiously take out a handful of candies that she had secretly hidden on her body, picked out the best one, and handed it to Jiuhuayue.

"Thank you."

Jiuhuayue accepted it and put it into her mouth. Her cheeks were facing the night breeze from the mountains and her eyes reflected the lights of the festival.

Saying
If I give Xiaoyue candy, it won’t be considered that I have agreed to her, right?
How to do.

She had no idea how to handle a girl's confession. It would be wrong to agree, but she was afraid of hurting the girl if she didn't agree.

"Rinka likes to do things that are different from ordinary people. For example, even at this age, she still likes to collect candies. You also made an illustrated book, right?"

"Um"

"Very unique, and in the eyes of others, very strange. Such people will not be understood by most people. But they are very unique. This is why I said I like you, Rinka."

"I see."

For some reason, Hiiragi Rinka breathed a sigh of relief.

She thought it was a confession.
"I never thought I was unique before. But as time went by and I grew up, I realized that I had different heights, eyes, family identities, and talents from many people that I didn't even know where they came from.

"Because of these, I have become the most unique and most anticipated person in Takarazuka."

"Takarazuka?" Hiiragi Rinka was extremely surprised, and confirmed that she had heard correctly, "Is it the Takarazuka I was thinking of?"

"I grew up in Takarazuka School. I was the youngest to enroll, the youngest to become a full member, and the youngest to become the head male role of the Moon Group."

Jiuhuayue's eyes were calm and her snow-white dress fluttered in the wind.

There was a hint of disgust in her calm tone.

".It really is, it has always been the most special one."

Rinka Hiiragi didn't respond, but she could hear the annoyance in Xiaoyue's words.

"Is this related to your coming to Otaru City, Xiaoyue?"

"Rinka, you are very smart. I returned to Otaru for this reason. More importantly, I want to become more ordinary."

"Unique. Isn't that good? At least Xiaoyue is also very unique in my eyes."

"not good."

"."

"Uniqueness represents my specialness, but being special also makes me have many demands that do not belong to me. I hate this kind of shackles. But sometimes, being unique is also good. At least now, I want to be a unique person in a place."

Hiiragi Rinka suddenly thought of something, "Xiaoyue, are you talking about the trumpet?"

Jiuhua Yue looked at her with a little surprise, "Rinhua, you are really smart."

Hiiragi Rinka was very happy to be praised: "After all, I see you practicing the trumpet alone on the rooftop every day. I have never really understood what kind of goal could make Xiaoyue in such a state. I have some doubts."

Jiuhuayue retracted her gaze and nodded: "Yes, Linhuani is right. I am on my trumpet and I really want to be a unique person."

"But being famous on the trumpet is the same as your status in Takarazuka, Xiaoyue. You are the center of attention and are very popular."

"Who said that?"

"Hug, sorry."

"I don't mean to blame you, Rinka. I just want to say that you misunderstood."

"Understand. Wrong?"

"Yes, I practiced the trumpet hard, not only because I like music, but also because I want to be someone who stays with Mr. Fujii.

"Rinka, you know about the past of Mr. Fujii and Mr. Akai, right? They would practice by the Otaru Canal every day after school. That's great. I want to be like that, too."

"Knowing is knowing"

Jiuhuayue looked at the galaxy formed by the lights below, and the wind blew her hair back.

"Rinka, I like Mr. Fujii."

Hiiragi Rinka listened patiently, but she didn't react for a moment.

"Ehhhh?!"

"Surprised? Actually, I just realized how I feel."

"No, you can't do that."

Hiiragi Rinka couldn't believe it.

Xiaoxiaoxiao. Xiaoyue!
What is she saying?
Like, like Mr. Fujii?

How could I like Mr. Fujii?
That's Mr. Fujii.
And more importantly, she actually told me such an important secret!

"No problem. I hate uncertain thoughts, so I can say with certainty that I like Mr. Fujii right now."

"If I remember correctly, Mr. Fujii is much older than us."

"I know. Even so, even if no one understands or refutes me, I will still say that I like him. I—"

"Yue-chan?"

Maybe Jiu Huayue felt that talking like this was not comfortable at all.

She suddenly placed her hands on the handrails and shouted loudly, vigorously, and with all her might toward the night sky outside the observatory:

"I—! Jiuhuayue—! I'm sixteen years old! I'm a high school girl—!"

The girl covered her mouth again.

"Do you guys know that I like Mr. Fujii! Yes, Mr. Fujii from our class! He is a middle-aged man who is very serious in school but sloppy in life!

"Teacher Fujii! Uncle! I like you!!!"

The night wind still howled on the hilltops.

Jiuhuayue’s cries seemed to echo among the mountains and forests.

Hiiragi Rinka's heart was filled with emotions.

She never thought that Xiaoyue could be so bold.
What if someone hears?
Shouldn't things like this be kept secret?

Afraid of being known, afraid of being rejected, afraid of not being understood by others.

But Xiaoyue
Xiaoyue should be such a person.

She said she hated rules. It was because of this mood and this motivation that she dared to express her inner thoughts so freely, right?

At this moment, Rinka Hiiragi actually felt that Xiaoyue was so shining in front of her.

"Wow! It feels so good!"

Jiuhuayue smiled and readily withdrew her hands from her mouth.

Xiaoyue actually has this side.
I have always thought that Xiaoyue was the one who treated everyone arrogantly.

I really like Xiaoyue expressing herself this way
When will I be as bold as her?

"Rinka, you are the first person to know my secret."

"Thank you Yue-chan for telling me this," Hiiragi Rinka mustered up her courage, blushing, "May I know why Yue-chan is willing to tell me this?"

"Rinhua, what are you talking about?" Jiuhua Yue looked puzzled. "Aren't you my friend?"

"friend."

"I met you at school that day, and after you answered my questions, we've been friends ever since. I was also curious as to why you don't talk to me more often, even though we have a pretty good relationship."

"."

Xiaoyue usually speaks coldly at school. Do I have a good relationship with her?
Hiiragi Rinka was very happy.

Jiuhua Yue looked at the artificial galaxy below the observation deck and said with a smile, "So I will definitely not lose to Qiansui in the selection of trumpet players. Rinhua will support me, right?"

"Um"

Rinka Hiiragi likes the current Satsuki very much and nodded subconsciously.

But then she realized what to do with her other good friend, Chitose?
She still remembered what Qiansui said to her that night.

She said she had been working on this trumpet for almost ten years. She talked about her past experiences and how important her brother, Mr. Fujii, was to her. He was her only one.

Hiiragi Rinka was conflicted.

Who should we support?
It’s really hard to choose.

She didn't have any good solution for this kind of thing.

We can only take one step at a time and then see what happens.

"Let's go! Rinka, let's go back to the shrine and worship. I want to make a wish."

"it is good."

Rinka Hiiragi sighed inwardly, she could only place her hopes on the Fox God.

Lord Fox God, please do not let Xiaoyue and Qiansui fight.

We must make sure they get along well with each other!

"What is Rinka thinking about?"

". I was wondering why Yue-chan suddenly came here, just to talk to me alone. I was wondering."

"You're talking about that, of course it's because I don't want to see Chitose hugging Fujii-sensei."

"what?"

"Hmph, I hate it! Why can she just hug Mr. Fujii as she pleases by pretending to be her sister? I don't want to see that at all."

Hiiragi Rinka finally understood.

It turns out that Yue-chan is jealous.

(End of this chapter)