Chapter 223
Looking at the various small fruits and vegetables growing well around him, he secretly affirmed the grower's intentions.
In his eyes, whether it's planting, flower arranging, tea ceremony, kendo, Piano, guitar, violin, or anything else, aren't they all used to cultivate the spirit and purify the soul?
As long as the process brings you joy and insights, other people's opinions are completely unimportant.
People nowadays are always too materialistic, focusing on the outcome of everything, which is putting the cart before the horse—but for a rich Young Master like him to say that, it's really infuriating.
With more than an hour until school ended, he looked around, found a quiet seat, took out his phone, and began processing his messages for the day...
Ding dong ding dong~
As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school term, Class 1-A of Grade 11...
"Little Mū Little Mū!"
Wakaba Mū finished packing her belongings and was about to leave for the club, a voice called out to her.
She turned to look at the person who had spoken in a somewhat feminine voice, a beautiful, mature-looking girl with blue eyes, who was also her former bandmate— Nagasaki Sōse.
"Hmm?" She tilted her head expressionlessly, expressing her confusion.
"Um," Nagasaki Sōse, clasping her Hands, her fingers intertwining, "Can I take up a little of your time before the club activity starts?"
Seeing her like this, Wakaba Mū guessed what she wanted to say. Although she was a little resistant and wanted to take care of her flowers and plants as soon as possible, her personality was not strong enough to refuse the other party's request.
"Um."
"Thank you!" The brown-haired girl seemed delighted, clasping her hands in a cheer. "Then I'll head over now. The location is the small pavilion in the courtyard; I'll wait for you there!"
Watching her quick steps as she left the classroom, Wakaba Mū hesitated, her upper and lower eyelids, which framed her golden eyes, trembled slightly.
After standing still for more than ten seconds, she walked with slightly heavy steps toward that familiar place.
Even if you ask me, I can't answer you, Sōse.
That was Xiang's decision.
After a conversation that ended without any resolution, Wakaba Mū, feeling relieved, arrived at the Horticulture Club's territory.
Although her expression remained as calm and composed as a doll, her heart felt as if it had been squeezed by a cold, sinister aura and then released, feeling relaxed yet unable to completely forget the heaviness of the moment.
As the images of the cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants she had personally watered and fertilized came into view, her eyes softened, and she briefly emerged from the atmosphere she had just been in.
"Gui An! Little Mū!"
"Greetings! Senior Wakaba!"
"Good day, you're a little late today. Is something the matter?"
"Greetings~ Wow~ Little Mū is so cute!"
"Exactly! She's just like a beautifully crafted doll!"
"Be Kokoro! Little Mū is the apple of our Horticulture Club's eye!"
"Hey~ It's too cunning to only allow the Club President to touch it!"
"..."
My newly calmed mood was shattered again by the familiar, noisy voices of the crowd.
"Greetings."
She nodded slightly to the few people who greeted her, placed her schoolbag on her usual shelf, picked up her usual water bottle, and walked out of the small room that served as her clubroom.
The others seemed unfazed, used to her cute yet aloof demeanor.
She filled an outdoor tap with water, walked to her designated planting area, and watered the various small vegetables that seemed like extensions of herself, peacefully enjoying the warm sunshine.
Some of them have already grown quite well, and according to the planting books, they should be ready to mature soon.
The thought of picking them before they turn yellow and wither in a while filled her with the joy of a bountiful harvest, but also made her feel a little lonely.
In a regular school, given that she had only been enrolled in the first year of high school for a short time, they should have only just begun loosening the soil and sowing seeds.
But this is the Tsukinomori, where she has been studying since she was a child. She knows this place better than she knows her home.
She's been attending this campus since the first year of junior high, so she doesn't need to worry about the start date when she wants to join a club—yes, with Saki.
[Note: Xiangzi is さきこ(sakiko), and Mu is usually called saki without adding child]
Thinking of the disbanded band and her childhood sweetheart who had left and was no longer by her side, she momentarily forgot to move the watering can, letting the plant in front of her absorb the excessive water that was about to drown her.
"You can't get distracted when watering plants. They can't live without water, but too much love can drown them." A gentle, unfamiliar voice rang out from nearby.
Wakaba Mū came to her senses, she picked up the kettle and looked at the person who had come.
Wearing the same school uniform as her—that's for sure—with long white hair shimmering silver in the sunlight, fiery red eyes that seemed to set the white hair ablaze, and skin as smooth as a snowfield, her perfect looks were in no way inferior to her own... she was someone she had never seen before.
"Are there any other beauties like this in the school that I've never seen before?" she wondered.
Ogura Asahi felt helpless. He had finally waited for her. Everyone else had arrived, and he had thought she wasn't coming today. She had given him quite a fright.
"Greetings~" He looked at the spot where she had just watered the plants. "Do you enjoy gardening?"
Wakaba Mū remained silent at first. She wasn't used to talking to strangers either. Although it was the same with acquaintances, she was even more uncomfortable talking to strangers.
After a long pause, she pouted her cute little mouth and said, "Well... I can't really say."
"But, calm."
"And... being unable to speak is the same."
Well, another child with communication difficulties, but thankfully, he's quite experienced in this area.
His brain automatically translated her answer, and he nodded slightly. "Really? I think so too. Compared to humans, who are complex and unpredictable, these plants that can't speak are much easier to understand."
"As long as you water them, fertilize them, remove pests, and let them get some sunshine, they will grow very vigorously. Hard work will pay off, and expectations will be stable!"
"And just like practicing guitar or arranging flowers alone, you feel a sense of peace when you're cultivating them~ It's really great for cultivating your mind and body, right?"
Wakaba Mū looked up at him, her eyes trembled slightly, and she was surprised that he had said so much.
"Mm." She nodded in agreement.
"I also enjoy raising animals, not just plants, but also some small animals—do you come here to water them every day?" He used this as an excuse to get closer to the topic.
That's not exactly a lie, is it? He has many Sakura trees and various flowers on his roof and in his yard, and he keeps dozens of cats in his cat café, although he doesn't take care of them all himself.
"If it doesn't come, it withers."
"Indeed, this is probably the only inconvenience in raising livestock; if you don't take it seriously for even a day or two, it can have disastrous consequences."
"But, I'm happy."
"Seeing them grow strong and healthy really does make one feel cheerful."
"... false."
"That's true! Compared to humans wearing fake masks, still vegetables are much more real~"
"..."
Wakaba Mū paused slightly, stopping what he was doing. His large, emotionless eyes, seemingly able to see through people's hearts, met her gaze, and he spoke slowly:
"Who are you, fake?"
"..." Ogura Asahi blinked innocently, looking at this delicate, almost inhuman, icy beauty. She hadn't expected her flaw to be discovered so quickly.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. This beautiful doll in front of us, who seems as slow as a Slowpoke, is actually the most terrifyingly talented actress in the world.
Even as a child, she could completely crush her actress mother. Now, although she no longer wants to play with others and just wants to be herself in peace, that keen intuition and talent still exist in her instincts.
Although his demeanor was natural enough to fool 99.99% of people, there was still a hint of forced pretense; it seemed she had keenly noticed something about him.
In this world, even the accomplished Yōkadō Sakuri is just a younger sister in front of her.
He sighed inwardly, thinking, "That's why I don't want to play with you Bang Dream. Can't you be a little more reasonable?"
You can't get by among you guys without some special skills, right?
Then, thinking about how even the incredibly skilled Wakaba Mū was ultimately ruined by Teacher Taishō, he really... wanted to immediately punish that cowardly "lunatic."
"Ah! Speaking of which, I haven't introduced myself yet. My Ogura Asahi, nice to meet you!"
"..." Wakaba Mū's eyes did not look away, but rather furrowed almost imperceptibly.
It was as if she was saying that this wasn't what she wanted to know.
"If it's convenient, could I ask your name?" Ogura Asahi shamelessly continued to try and start a conversation.
So what if you realize something's wrong? Do you have the courage to go to the Student Council or report it to the police?
"... Wakaba Mū." Wakaba Mū responded softly.
"Oh, so it's Mu Zimi-chan! She's so cute, her looks are just as good as mine, she deserves a compliment!"
"..." Wakaba Mū blinked blankly. She had been praised by countless people, but she had never heard of such a way of praising someone.
"Hmm... it seems you won't be at peace unless I explain, but I don't really want to bring this up." Ogura Asahi lowered her head, looking troubled.
His brain was working frantically, searching for the best solution at this moment. After reviewing her information, he pieced together a passable answer.
"How about this? As a way of thanking you for letting this matter go, I'll give you a gift."
"Gift?"
"Hmm, I think it's a nice gift~ But not today. How about I take you another day when we meet?" he coaxed with a smile.
"Bribe?"
"Uh... People with dirty minds in the secular world do like to use this word, but we are people who have transcended base desires, so let's use a different way of saying it."
He carefully chose his words: "You can think of me as a mysterious, elusive Elf."
"Elf?" Wakaba Mū asked in confusion, looking him up and down.
Judging solely by appearance, she does indeed resemble Elf.
"Hmm! Miss Elf sensed the troubled aura of a child today, so she came over... What's troubling you, Mu Zi Mi Jiang?"
"..." Wakaba Mū remained silent, shifting her gaze back to her vegetables.
Ogura Asahi was very patient, watching with her calmly and patiently. You can't be patient with a child like that.
After a long silence, she finally answered, "I can't say."
Fall!
Ogura Asahi stumbled on the spot, looking at her with a rich expression. "After thinking for so long, this is the answer you've come up with?"
"Oh, I see..."
"Feel sorry."
"There's no need to apologize. Everyone has their own circumstances, just like me!"
"Hmm." She nodded, her reply becoming increasingly brief.
If she could tell, she would have told Nagasaki Sōse long ago.
Xiang said he didn't want her to tell anyone her information, so she couldn't tell anyone.
Ogura Asahi looked at her with a slightly bitter expression. If it weren't for the script in his hand, who would know what you were thinking?
No wonder people call you "Mouth Man"!
Being pressured more and more by other people's affairs, your already limited space for survival is squeezed step by step, and you are also subjected to unwarranted accusations, eventually suffocating you until you are shattered like a doll—what's the point?
This child's talent in acting is a perfect 1000 out of 100.
But on the path of personality and self-discovery, we haven't even taken the first step from 0 to 1 yet—no, being able to stop acting and abandon all acting roles except for one particular one, shouldn't that be considered taking a small step?
Is it due to family or parental reasons? Or is it a side effect of excessive talent, just like him?
No, shouldn't it be both? Ogura Asahi glanced sideways.
Chapter 278 To Get Her Lips
Since that's the case, he can no longer stand idly by.