Chapter 153: Old Love Resurfaces
Fujii Itsuki has always wondered why humans are human.

Morality, society, thinking, creation.
These elements should all be included in the category of "human beings".

If you meet a cute puppy that sticks to your feet on the road, and it suddenly dies.

Fujii Itsuki thought that most people would show sadness.

So why would people have such thoughts about a creature that has nothing to do with themselves and is even a different species?
Fujii Itsuki's answer is simple: emotion.

Human emotions are often much richer and more complex than those of animals.

And be laid back enough to feel other people’s emotions.

So after hearing what Muzi said to him, Fujii Itsuki was no longer angry about what happened in the past.

in contrast.

Understanding her, feeling her, and sympathizing with her have become the main theme now.

"Ugh"

I sighed in my heart.

I thought to myself that I should do something.

Akai Muzi lowered her head for a long time, and in the silent silence, she suddenly felt her head became much heavier.

It's a pair of hands.

When she lowered her head, these hands gently touched and rubbed her slowly.

At first, Akai Muko gently shook her head as the hands moved, but then she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Really? You think I'm your landlord?"

"Now it seems that there is actually no difference between you and her."

"I think I'm much more mature than her."

"But the weakness in my heart remains the same."

"."

Akai Muzi still kept her head down, and Fujii Itsuki's action of touching her head looked more and more like he was comforting a child.

It's obvious that they are not lovers yet.

This feeling is so awkward.

Really.
We are both of such age now, and I am an adult who has been in society for a long time.

But why do I still like him to touch my head now?
Do you like him treating you like a child?
Or do you prefer to become a little kid in front of him?

Akai Muzi clenched her hands on her knees, and as he touched her head, she suddenly remembered the self-abased little girl in the past and couldn't help but wipe her eyes with her palms.

She thinks it's a bit of both.

After taking a deep breath, Akai Muzi quickly returned to her normal state.

"It's the first time I saw you cry."

"Is it."

Seeing that her mood had improved, Fujii Itsuki withdrew his hand and sat up straight. "I think that no matter how old a person becomes, there is always a childish heart buried deep inside."

"Where has your theory been demonstrated?" Akai Muzi turned her head and looked at Fujii Itsuki who was also kneeling beside her.

"Don't many adults like to play with children? No matter how childish the children are, they will play with them. This is a manifestation of childishness. Oh, yes, some people do this to make up for their childhood. They play with children to take care of the past self who did not have a childhood."

"Then Ah Shu, you just..."

"That's what I just thought."

Akai Muzi stared into his eyes for a long time, suddenly pouted her lips, and punched him directly in the chest.

"Why did you hit me?" Fujii Itsuki covered his chest and looked at her.

"Scumbag."

"Is it a scumbag?"

"Do you do this to everyone?"

Fujii Itsuki thought carefully.

The images of Chitose, Matsumae, and Kuka flashed by one by one.

There were more than one scene where they threw themselves into his arms and enjoyed themselves.
".Hiss. It seems to be true."

"You don't plan to change?"

"It can't change."

Akai Muzi became dissatisfied and puffed up her face like a little girl, "That's why I said you are a scumbag."

"It's just scum."

"Shu, did you have dozens of girlfriends when you were in college?"

"I'm still a virgin!"

".But I've never seen a man who can talk about scum so easily."

"So you don't want me to comfort you?"

Fujii Itsuki's rhetorical question rendered Akai Muko speechless. She lowered her head and clenched her hands in front of her grandparents' tablets.

".That's not the case. On the contrary, I'm very happy to receive your comfort just now."

Fujii Itsuki saw Akai Muzi's face that looked like a little girl's temper, and couldn't help but sigh: "Your life has been hard enough, and you haven't met anyone who takes care of you along the way. How can I just stand by and watch when I pass by and see this?"

“Spreading emotions randomly”

"But don't you need it?"

As Akai Muzi listened, she smiled to herself.

"Yeah. It seems that I am greedy. I should be grateful to you for taking care of me. If I continue to expect you to take more care of me, I will be letting you down."

"So you've thought it through now, right? Are you planning to give up pursuing me?"

Akai Muzi did not answer this question immediately, but asked another question:
"Shu, am I a puppy you picked up on your life's journey? You only have sympathy for me."

"It doesn't count."

"What kind of answer is that? It's too ambiguous."

Fujii Itsuki closed his eyes:
“Humans are leisurely animals, and precisely because they are leisurely, they are full of emotions. There is nothing wrong with using sympathy as an opportunity to get to know you, and then contact you, trust you, and accept you.

"At the beginning, I did sympathize with your situation, and you were indeed a 'puppy', but after I got to know you and agreed to confess my love to you, you became a complete person next to me. This cannot be replaced by a shallow word like 'puppy'.

“In short, you mean a lot to me.

"Besides, why don't you tell me if you have low self-esteem or something? I don't care if your hands are rough or your clothes are pretty.

"You are my first love."

"As expected of a student of literature," Akai Muzi opened her mouth wide.

“It’s just a superficial truth.”

"No, I'm talking about your ability to pick up girls. It seems that many novelists are good at picking up girls, such as Junichi Watanabe who wrote Paradise Lost."

"Because writers need to understand the emotions of the characters in the book when reading it, so they have a more delicate grasp of their thoughts. But I am very innocent."

"What am I to you now, tree?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

"certainly."

"An old first love that has not yet come to fruition."

Akai Muzi's eyes suddenly widened, and a long word popped out from her lips under the repression:

"you--"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Fujii Itsuki paused, his eyes still closed.

At the moment, he really doesn't dare to look at Muzi's face.

Because as soon as he saw Muzi's face, he seemed to go back to the past, remembering every afternoon they spent together in high school.

I remember the day when she secretly ran up to me from behind, stuffed the chocolates she had made in advance into my mouth, and said to me with a smile, "Today is Valentine's Day!"

At that time, they were both still young high school students.
The biggest worry is how to cope with the next exam.

My biggest expectation is to go somewhere together after school.

ah.
Another time, I took her on the dean's bicycle.

Because he wanted to take her back to see the dean, he was discovered by the police on the way.

In Japan, it is illegal to sit on the back seat of a bicycle.

So he had to ride his bicycle with Muzi on the back and use all his strength to ride back to the welfare home.

It seems like I haven't felt that kind of anticipation for a long time.

I want to go everywhere and have fun everywhere.

Is it because of losing Muzi?
"Shu, why don't you open your eyes?"

".nothing."

"Do you understand what I just said to you?"

"of course."

"Shu, you can call me mean or scheming. I just want you to understand how I see you. You are my 'first love', and the term 'first love' is not just a saying to me."

".Muzi, you haven't answered my question yet."

"You speak first."

"Why should I say it first?"

"You tell me first, so I can be ready to give you an answer."

"."

Akai Muzi stared at him.

She was feeling anxious.

Even though he already knew what kind of answer Fujii Itsuki would give him, he was still a little uneasy when it actually happened.

"I would definitely say no."

"Can you, tree, separate everything from me?"

".As long as you can let go of your feelings for me."

"After hearing what I said, do you think this is possible?"

'It seems impossible'

"And we will still be colleagues in the future, working in the same school and the same wind band.

"I will still accept your invitations, go out for drinks with you, and listen to your complaints about work stress every week.

"I will still substitute for you in class and visit the dean occasionally.

"If I'm sad, I'll ask you to come out for a drink. If I tell you about my troubles, will you refuse to comfort me?"

"."

List the things one by one.

All Fujii Itsuki could say was to sigh.

He knew that he was a soft-hearted person. Akai Muzi smiled and said, "Do I know you too well?"

"Then let me make it clear, I have already rejected you, and now I always regard you as my best friend. It's just that we had some past in high school, and I still have some feelings for you now."

"Shu, you can refuse if you want, but that won't stop me from pursuing you and helping you share some of the pressure from work."

"Muzi, you——"

"Hmm, cunning, huh~"

Fujii Itsuki was helpless and said to Akai Muko who was laughing:

"Did you prepare this answer just now?"

"That's right. When I knew that you still had some feelings for me, Shu, I thought of this answer. Whether you refuse or not, my choice will not change."

"Even if it causes you pain?"

"Is it painful?"

"Isn't it painful? I promised Chitose."

"You take care of her, but I don't get any less comfort from you?"

"."

Fujii Itsuki was speechless.

He didn't quite understand why Akai Muzi could make the emotional struggle between the two women sound so light-hearted.

He was puzzled.

At once.
It was like she didn't care at all that she cheated.

This may be a bit biased.

But that's the feeling it gives people.

However, Fujii Itsuki understood after a little thought.

muzi
Muzi doesn't consider Qiansui as an opponent at all!

She also treats Chitose as her younger sister.

Even though she said that she had accepted Chitose, she didn't think that Chitose could take away any of his feelings for her.

Mean adults.

".Anyway, I only consider you Akai as a friend. We have to keep a good distance."

"But we haven't had any intimate actions during this period, right?"

"."

The atmosphere gradually improved, but Fujii Itsuki felt more stressed.

On the one hand, he realized that he still had feelings for his old friend.

On the one hand, he realized that Muzi's feelings for him were too deep.

The tea in my hand was gone without me noticing.

"Okay, let's not talk about these things. Anyway, Shu, you can't change anything, you can't even hate me. In this case, let's not think about these things anymore. How about we talk about Xiao Xinchun's birthday?"

"Be careful of Haru?"

"I just thought she was pretty cute and couldn't help but call her by a nickname."

this.
It’s up to you, Muzi. You can call Matsumae whatever you want. It’s between them.

".What happened to her birthday party?"

"Tree~"

"Why are you shouting so meaningfully?" Fujii Itsuki subconsciously looked at her more.

"You don't know, do you?"

"Know what."

"Xinchun's birthday party is not a simple birthday party. She is the eldest daughter of the Matsumae family, and you know the influence of the Matsumae family in Hokkaido~"

Fujii Itsuki is not stupid.

Know what Muzi is hinting at.

Matsumae Shinharu also seemed to have said that her birthday party was held for her by her family, with the purpose of gathering some celebrities from Hokkaido and even Tokyo to get to know each other.

This isn't actually a birthday party for Matsumae.

This is a birthday party for the little princess of Hokkaido.

"What's going on?"

"It's a birthday party for the Matsumae family. There must be many celebrities attending. As guests personally invited by the little princess of Hokkaido, how can we embarrass her?"

"you mean"

"Can you dance ballroom dancing?" Akai Muzi didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

"Obviously, no. Will you?"

"I spent years in American bands, don't forget that. Those people who call themselves upper class like to invite us to play as supporters."

"Um"

Fujii Itsuki fell into deep thought.

What Muzi said makes a lot of sense.

Even though I was invited to Matsumae's birthday party, I can't just keep eating at the party, right?
He wanted to go up and play the violin, but the Matsumae family had already arranged for musicians, so he definitely couldn't steal the limelight.
"Then Muzi, will you teach me now?"

"Right on my mind."

"Where do you teach?"

"That's it. I'll tidy up the room."

"Row."

Fujii Itsuki was not a pretentious person. After helping Muzi tidy up the bedroom, he began to learn ballroom dancing from Muzi.

"First, stand face to face with me."

"."

"Stretch out your hand, put it against my mouth, and hold me."

".Are you sure you're not taking advantage of me?"

"What are you talking about! This is a formal social dance. Men express their care and interest in women, reflecting the culture and cultivation of both parties. Come on, hold my hand."

Good man, do you want to be dirty?

Fujii Itsuki and Akai Muko raised their hands at the same time, one raised high and the other stretched straight at the chest. At the same time, the raised right hand was in a state of actively holding the woman's hand.

"Okay, put your left hand under my arm and hold me."

It was already somewhat ambiguous, but I didn't expect that I would have to hug her.

".Are you sure this is ballroom dancing?"

"Isn't that what ballroom dancing is all about? Okay, listen to me, lift your left foot. That's right. And lift your right foot. That's right. One tap, two tap, three tap. Very good, very good."

Fujii Itsuki had never danced this kind of dance before and didn't know how to dance it at all.

But now, after being taught a few times by Muzi, I actually feel the same way.

Men and women hold each other's hands and cooperate with each other.

This dance step is like a boat, carrying both of them and floating on the water.
It feels really good.

I can also feel that the woman is cooperating with me, welcoming me, and leading me.

Although he was still a virgin.

But I also have to say that I feel an inexplicable pleasure from SEX.

The basic teaching lasted more than ten minutes.

Fujii Itsuki knows some of the simplest forward, backward and sideways moves.

"Tree."

"Ok?"

"Look at me. The most important thing in ballroom dancing is eye contact."

"Two people drifting on the sea, staring at each other affectionately before dying?"

".? What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you say that we can only dance this dance well if we rely on each other?"

"When did I say that? But it doesn't matter. Okay, let's have some snacks next time, how about that?"

"Row."

When it comes to learning something, Fujii Itsuki is never careless.

Everything is following Akai's teaching and guidance.
But like this, holding each other's hands, the man and woman were almost face to face, looking at each other, dancing in a small room. It was hard for Fujii Itsuki not to feel something different from her cheek so close to him.

"One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four."

Immersed in the swaying dance steps, Akai Muzi's serious face seemed to become more familiar at a closer distance.
[Ashu!]
[Ashu, here, this is your breakfast today.]
[Ashu, do you want to go out and play together during the summer vacation? Let’s go hiking together! ]
[Ashu, this starry sky is so beautiful, why didn’t I notice it before?]
[Ashu, it's okay, I support you! Besides, it was the fault of those seniors in the first place.]
[Ashu, woohoo! Go, go, go! Come on! Come on! You must come first! ! ]
Are these revolving lanterns?
Holding Akai Muzi's hand, she turned around with her face sideways, and Fujii Itsuki and her eyes met.
At this moment, the young girl wearing Futaba High School uniform appeared before him.

Her hands were still as thin and limp as before.

Her face was still as familiar as before.

So much so that the height of the people in front of me seemed to have returned to the past.
It was as if I was back to that night when she tucked her hands into her skirt, then leaned on my shoulders, and we looked at the stars together with a smile.

"Tree? What are you staring at?"

It took Fujii Itsuki a long time to come back to his senses. He immediately pretended to be fine and smiled at Akai Muko in front of him:
"No it's nothing."

"Why don't you learn it quickly? Be serious."

"Why are you so attentive?"

"What do you think?"

"He must be plotting something bad against me."

".You're just a jerk! But I must have my reasons for doing this. Who are you going to dance with at the dance?"

"Then I'll definitely find someone I know. I won't dance this dance with a stranger anyway."

"Who can you dance to? Who can you be familiar with?"

Fujii Itsuki paused.

wait a minute.

It seems like Muzi is the only one left?

"Oh, by the way," Fujii Itsuki suddenly remembered something, "Muzi, if you go to the party, who will you dance ballroom dancing with?"

"Are you jealous?"

"Just curious, just curious."

"In the United States, it's normal for girls to dance with other girls in the same dormitory."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, if you don't believe me you can check it out."

(End of this chapter)