Chapter 337: Sudden Strong Wind - About Asuna Mai (13)
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Thanks for your hard work!"
The short drama training came to an end, and the six people picked up their luggage and left the campus that had become colorful.
Asu Mai was walking at the back, her eyes fixed on Toru Watanabe who was discussing with Miki Kujo what to eat tonight.
Perhaps because a typhoon was coming, the sunset was extremely colorful, and Watanabe Toru's profile was tinged with a faint halo.
"Watanabe-kun, Watanabe-kun, how about we go eat mutton again today?" Aoi Ikki suggested with saliva in her mouth.
Watanabe Toru turned around and said, "No, that would be repetitive. Our goal in the Human Observation Department is to try all the delicious food in Tokyo."
“I don’t remember when I set this goal.”
"As deputy minister, I think it is reasonable to set a short-term goal for the community."
"As a minister, I don't think it's reasonable or sensible."
"So what are my rights as deputy minister?"
"Listen to me."
"And listen to me."
"Counselor, don't you take care of these two?"
“Student autonomy.”
First, I chat with Kiyono Rin, and then after a few sentences, Kujo Miki joins in; sometimes the order is reversed, I chat with Kujo Miki first, and then Kiyono Rin joins in.
From time to time, he would pull Koizumi Aona in under the pretext of asking for help.
This is the daily routine these days.
Asu Mai kept staring at Watanabe Toru.
"Senior, look, the tree is full of hanging things!" Ikki Aoi suddenly shouted.
She looked at the huge oak tree, whose lush green branches were already hung with colorful ribbons.
After just a second, she looked away and continued to stare at Toru Watanabe, who was looking at the oak tree.
"Let me see," he said, craning his neck, "the tea ceremony club's promotion, the kendo club's promotion, and our class's promotion."
"It also says 'Watanabe-kun fried rice'. Someone, don't let down all the girls in the school." Qingye Rin said sarcastically.
"Do you look down on the graduates of Totsuki Academy?"
"If you're lying, make it more realistic," Kujo Miki said nonchalantly, "You said Totsuki Academy is a high school, so how could you be a graduate?"
"I mean the junior high school department."
Unlike others, for Asu Mai, other people's voices have always sounded unreal since she was a child.
She exists in this world, but is separated from this world by a layer, as if she has always been in a transparent glass bottle.
Her father was having an affair with a young female subordinate in the company. When she saw her mother was sad, she knew she should go up to comfort her, but she could not understand her mother's feelings at all.
Her parents were preparing to divorce and asked her who she wanted to live with. She looked at them and said: Mother.
At that time, her mother hugged her tightly and said a lot of things as if she was grasping all hope. She had a blank expression on her face while being hugged.
The reason she chose her mother was simply because her father did something wrong. She had no sympathy for her mother, nor because she loved her mother more.
Family affection is so thin that it can only stain the outer wall of the glass bottle occasionally, but is soon washed away by the rain of time.
Nothing can get into the glass bottle.
Asu Mai has been staying inside, that vessel that is like her inner self, empty of anything, just an empty shell.
After her father left the family with nothing, she and her mother sold their house in Setagaya Ward and moved to Yotsuya.
She and her mother began to live alone, without becoming closer and rarely talking.
Not long after, her mother suddenly became happy. She didn't ask why until her mother said she was going to remarry and asked her if she had any objection.
No objection, anything is fine.
So, she had a new father, her mother had a new husband, and soon, their child was born.
Her mother, who used to talk to her occasionally, shifted her attention to her younger sister. She lived in this family like an outsider, just like the potted plant at the edge of the corner of the balcony.
She was neither disappointed nor happy about it.
When her parents asked her to go out for dinner or to go out for fun, she would go.
Her parents took her younger sister out to eat and play without telling her, so she was left at home alone watching TV and reading.
To her, the two things were the same thing, there was no difference.
Asu Mai doesn't cling to anyone.
I was lonely yet not lonely, strong yet seemingly weak, but in fact I lived a fine life for seventeen years, until May 28th last year.
It was a sunny day after two consecutive rainy days.
At noon, she had lunch with Asako Hanada, whom she often invited, on the elevated corridor on the fifth floor.
I have musical instruments and a music stand next to me, ready to practice after dinner.
Toru Watanabe was walking over from the teaching building and was about to pass by here on his way to the club building.
She didn't notice that it was Hanada Asako who suddenly stood up that made her aware of Watanabe Toru's arrival.
By ordinary people's standards, Toru Watanabe is a very handsome boy.
Asu Mai had no interest in appearance, no, in people, in everything, and was about to lower her head and continue eating.
"Senior Hanada, good afternoon." The boy greeted with a smile.
She was about to lower her head, but suddenly stopped and let out a mesmerizing smile.
'What a nice smile. ' She couldn't help thinking.
The glass bottle sank into a colorful dye vat, leaving only the bottle mouth outside.
The next moment, Watanabe Toru seemed to realize something and quickly put away his smile.
For some reason, as if it sensed something, the glass bottle sank completely, and colorful colors suddenly poured in from the bottle mouth.
No, not a dye vat.
It is placed on the balcony, and the sun shines through. The light warms the body of the glass bottle and reflects rainbow-like colors on the inner wall.
It should be such a warm, clean and bright feeling!
From then on, the world no longer mattered.
She, who was not obsessed with people, finally found the happiness she wanted. She wanted to understand this boy and absorb all the colors of his soul to fill the empty shell called "Asuka Mai".
The voices of other people were separated by the glass, and only Watanabe Toru's voice was heard, like a whisper into the mouth of a bottle. Every word and every breath moistened her heart like mist.
Want to be with him.
Asu Mai wants to be with Toru Watanabe.
Probe slowly and attack passionately.
Before the school trip, she misunderstood that he was going to confess his love to her, and on the train going home, she stood in front of the train door.
The glass reflected her plain face, and she looked at it and imagined the school trip in her mind.
That was her first fantasy about the future.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tram door, a faint smile on her plain face.
She gently played with a strand of hair that fell by her ear.
But that's not the case.
Toru Watanabe rejected her, saying that she was a mean man who was only interested in money, and he grabbed her neck with both hands, saying that he would kill her.
Asu Mai closed her eyes quietly and felt helpless and lonely for the first time.
She didn't blame Toru Watanabe, nor did she care what kind of person Toru Watanabe was.
At that time, she still missed the warmth of Watanabe Toru's hands that were pinching her neck.
By the time I got to this point, dinner was already over.
Asu Mai didn't remember what she ate, but someone seemed to have talked to her. She also forgot how she responded, probably just said "hmm".
The only thing she remembered was that when everyone was clinking glasses, her glass clinked with Watanabe Toru's.
This was the happiest thing that happened that day, except for Toru Watanabe putting cuffs on her.
Only after they parted in the elevator and left Toru Watanabe did she truly enter the night.
When she returned to the room, the decoration inside was very warm, and there was nothing less or more of what Watanabe Toru had bought for her.
Putting her luggage aside, placing the roses and scripts from the past two days on the table, she knelt down on the sofa to rest.
According to the book, she loves Toru Watanabe, but she can't tell whether it is love or not.
I don’t care how bad he is to me, as long as he is with me;
I don’t care how many girlfriends he has, as long as he is with me;
Does loving someone mean that your soul can only be comforted by being with him?
The love we see in books and on TV doesn't seem to be like this.
Asu Mai hugged her knees and stared at the champagne-colored roses on the table for a long time. She didn't feel happy at all when receiving the flowers he sent her. Is this an expression of love?
But looking at him, my mood naturally became happy.
Take long, even breaths;
Long, strong legs;
A rare but always memorable laugh, whether light or heavy;
Careless conversation, unable to distinguish which words are true and which are false;
Not too light, not too heavy, each step is very steady;
Dry, occasionally messy but very stylish hair.
I like every part of him, I like everything about him, I can't live without him.
Asu Mai remained in a bent knee position and fell onto the sofa.
I don’t have relatives, I don’t care about relatives, and it doesn’t matter if relatives don’t care about them;
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have friends, don’t care about friends, and are ignored and isolated by friends;
Toru Watanabe was special to her, he was everything to her.
She, Asu Mai, is a person who has nothing and wants nothing except Toru Watanabe.
"thorough……"
When she closed her eyes, every word Watanabe Toru said to her and every time he hugged her tightly, would emerge deep in her heart.
I spend all the time without Toru Watanabe by my side reminiscing about the past.
That's good, she is already very satisfied.
…
After dinner, Toru Watanabe went up to the sixth floor.
When I opened the door, I saw warm lights on in the room, but I didn't see Mai Asu to greet me.
"Senior?" He changed his shoes and walked into the living room.
Asu Mai was curled up on the sofa, sleeping peacefully.
Toru Watanabe walked lightly to the sofa and looked at her sleeping face quietly.
It is rare to see Mai Asu sleeping. When they are together, if he is awake, she must be awake too.
Her pretty face, her soft thin lips, and her long hair falling down her shoulders made her look very fragile.
Watanabe Toru simply sat cross-legged on the floor, his back against the low table, and looked at her quietly.
The weather was still hot and humid. As she slept, sweat broke out on her forehead, and her bangs stuck to it, revealing an uncomfortable expression.
Toru Watanabe turned his head to look at the table, gently pulled out the script from under the rose, and fanned her carefully.
Although weak, the cool and continuous breeze made Asu Mai fall into a deep sleep again.
"Hmm~" With a slight nasal sound, Asu Mai's long eyelashes trembled and she slowly opened her eyes.
"woke up?"
"Tetsu?" Asuhi Mai sat up, "When did you come?"
"Not long, maybe... half an hour?" Watanabe Toru said uncertainly without looking at the watch.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Why did I wake you up? Is there something wrong?"
"I want to stay with Toru for a while longer. Sleeping is a waste." Asu Mai slid down the sofa, sat on Watanabe Toru's lap, and put her hands on his shoulders.
Looking at Asu Mai who said these words in a calm tone, all kinds of emotions surged in Watanabe Toru's heart.
These emotions intertwined and converged into an unshakable belief:
I must give Mai a happy future.
Toru Watanabe put aside the script and put his arms around Asuka Mai's slender waist.
"There's still a lot of time. We have many, many half hours. Besides, for me, it's a pleasure to watch my senior sister sleep. Let me be willful to you occasionally."
"Yeah." Asu Mai stared at Watanabe Toru.
After looking at each other for a while, they kissed each other, a very short kiss.
"So warm." Asu Mai whispered about the feeling of the kiss.
"Mm, so warm." Watanabe Toru kissed her again.
The two of them hugged each other tightly, entangled like a silk thread, inseparable.
The only way to untie this thread is to cut it directly.
…
Monday, the 57th Kamikawa Culture Festival.
"I watched TV this morning and it said a typhoon seemed to be coming."
"Really? Does it have to be at this time?"
"But it seems to be fine today. It won't land until the evening. Hopefully it will pass overnight."
"What about the stall outside?"
"Put it away after school. Whether it can be done tomorrow depends on whether the typhoon has gone away and the school's arrangements."
The students came earlier than usual and discussed the typhoon while preparing to open the store .
"Our play is on the next day. What if a typhoon comes and we can't perform it? We've been rehearsing for so long." Ikki Aoi said worriedly in front of the blackboard.
"Do what you should and what you can do, and don't worry about other things." Qingye Rin wrote slogans and menus on the blackboard.
Miki Kujo draws pictures of dishes on the blackboard.
This is all about the two young ladies’ participation in class activities.
At this time, Class 4, Grade 2, had been arranged into a dining room - next to the atrium window, a concave cooking table was formed with tables.
Guests come in, order at a podium, and take their seats at numbered tables.
The student on the podium will send the menu and number of the customer's order to the cooking table.
After the chef was done, the boys and girls acting as waiters - dressed in maid outfits, brought the dishes to the table.
The drinks were barley tea bought from the supermarket, sold separately in bottles, and charged 50 yen per cup.
The five chefs on duty for the first round and three kitchen assistants are already in place in the cooking area.
"Watanabe-kun, just tell me what ingredients you need~"
"Thank you, Kimura-san."
"Are you ready? Let the guests in!" shouted the student in charge of receiving guests at the door.
"Okay!" the female squad leader also shouted back.
Most of the first guests were girls, with only a few boys.
"What can I do for you? There's a menu on the blackboard~" said Aoi Ikki, who's in charge of the cashier, "Oh, Watanabe-kun is in charge of the fried rice~"
"What is this black thing?"
“Soy sauce fried rice~”
"Soy sauce? Hmm - or mushroom fried rice."
"Okay, one serving of mushroom fried rice. What do you want to drink? Free drinking water, 50 yen for a cup of barley tea~"
"Barley tea."
"In order to allow everyone to try a variety of delicacies, the fried rice portion is very small. Do you want another serving of fried noodles or grilled sausage?"
"No thanks, I just want to eat Watanabe-kun's fried rice!"
"Please take seat number one. The fried rice will be ready soon~"
Another classmate handed the order of mushroom fried rice to the kitchen helper, who then delivered it to Toru Watanabe.
Toru Watanabe picked up the egg and cracked it with one hand.
Stir-fry the egg yolks in the pan, add the sausage and corn kernels, then add the rice and diced mushrooms.
Keep stir-frying until steam comes out and the rice jumps in the pan, then pour in the light soy sauce bought from Zhonghua Supermarket.
Finally, turn to high heat and stir-fry vigorously. The fried rice and ingredients are clearly separated, pouring down from the sky like a waterfall.
"Wow! Watanabe-kun is so handsome~~" The female staff on duty and the female customers who came to the store all took out their mobile phones to take pictures.
Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and serve after you smell the green onion fragrance.
"I'm sorry for the poor service!" Toru Watanabe showed off the brightly colored mushroom fried rice with golden egg rice and green chopped green onions.
The cultural festival has begun.
