[Comprehensive Manga] Live with a smile

After Natsume went downstairs with the drunken cat teacher in his arms, he saw the Fujiwara couple looking at him with very subtle expressions.This expression seemed a little surprised and unexpected, and some elders felt relieved that the child had grown up, which made him a little confused.

"Akashi, what did you talk about with your aunt and uncle?" Hugging Mr. Cat, he was about to sit next to the Fujiwara couple, but after being glared at by the two, he sat down next to Xiki for no apparent reason.

Xi Ji didn't feel that he said anything wrong at all, and he didn't realize that he had hit the sky casually. He shook his head with a teacup in his hand and said with a smile that he just chatted casually.

Natsume, who didn't know why, was a little creepy in the eyes of the Fujiwara couple, and even began to wonder if he was wearing the wrong clothes.

"Ahem, let's start explaining now." After confirming that everyone was present, Xi Ji clasped his hands together and announced with a smile.

First of all, she took out a business card of her own from her pocket, put it on the table and pushed it towards the Fujiwara couple, and said: "Maybe I didn't introduce it clearly enough before. I am the daughter of the Akashi Zaibatsu, the so-called Miss Qianjin." , and I also hold a lot of shares in listed companies. You don’t need to know too much about this, you just need to know my personal financial strength, and you don’t need to lie to you.”

"The purpose of my coming here is also very simple, that is, I hope Guizhi can follow me."

"Eh?" Natsume, who was the first to think something was wrong, quickly said, "Akashi, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"

Xi Ji flicked his hair, and a formulaic smile bloomed on his soft and angular face, "I hope he can have a better life, receive a better education, and embark on a better life. Guizhi is very special to me Existence, I am willing to die for him. Similarly, I will never force this matter, if you say no, I will give up, but I may go to the original place."

The Fujiwara couple, who always felt that the amount of information in this passage was equally overwhelming, thought for a while, and then looked at Natsume with that strange look, which made him feel uncomfortable.

"Wait a minute, Akashi, do you know what you're talking about?" Natsume said immediately after hearing it clearly: "Although thank you very much for your kindness, I have no plans to leave Uncle and the others. I live very well in Yahara, no It takes a lot of trouble from you."

"I know." Xi Ji looked at him.

Natsume still said: "And you should tell me before making such a decision..."

"I said, I know."

It was only at this time that Natsume noticed that there was no smile on Xi Ji's face, but that he was staring at him very seriously with a blank expression.Her hands on her knees were clenched into fists, trembling slightly, implying the master's nervousness.

Being so watched by those pink pupils, Natsume didn't know how to react, she closed her mouth and hugged Mr. Cat who was still talking nonsense.

"I know that my behavior is very excessive and strong, and it's rude to announce such a thing in front of your family without your consent." Xi Ji paused, her eyes slightly flushed, "But I don't I know what I can do for you. You are very important to me, I want the best for you, always be there where I can see, so that I can protect you at any time, the best thing is to always have me in your world ..."

Xu Shi said the last few words so much that she couldn't stand it, Xi Ji sniffed, wiped her eyes sadly, and blurred the makeup on her face.

It's over, causing the girl to cry.

Looking at Xi Ji's red eyes, Toko Fujiwara could feel her sincerity, and said, "Although Kishi won't follow you, it would be great if you could stay."

Shigeru Fujiwara next to him watched the little girl sobbing nervously, and nodded accordingly.

"Auntie? Uncle?" Natsume, who always felt that the couple seemed to have made up something incredible, was also a little flustered. It would be better to say that he was the one who was the most confused about today's matter from beginning to end.

The Xi Ji in his impression still stays in his memory, the little girl with blank eyes who scolded him on the river bank for why he wanted to save her.Even if she had saved her life in the past, Natsume felt that she had paid off all the favors she had given her in Hakata last time.When we meet again in the future, it will be just an acquaintance, maybe an ordinary girl who can talk about the future and the past together.

But what Xi Ji did today really scared him.

Speaking of which, the number of times they have met can be counted with a slap, and the time they spend together is so short that it doesn't even last a day.He couldn't understand why Xi Ji valued him so much.

He didn't know the darkness and bloodiness hidden behind Xi Ji, but from Natsume's point of view, it was Xi Ji's actions today that caused him trouble.

"I know you don't like what I said, and you won't agree. I still stubbornly came here to do such a stupid thing. Maybe I'm really an idiot." Xi Ji showed a wry smile helplessly.

She practiced repeatedly at home for a day yesterday, and continued to repeat it for a day, constantly guessing what answer she would get.In the end, she found that no matter how she looked at Natsume's perspective, it was impossible for her to agree, because it was impossible for her to agree to a person who had only met a few times to move out of her current home and go to a distant place.

But she still wants to try.

The clothes and makeup were carefully prepared for this day, each gift was selected for a long time, and even if Natsume really wanted to move to Tokyo, she even looked for a house.The school district room is close to the school and the subway bus station, there are also supermarkets and parks nearby, and there are no neighbors who make noise in the middle of the night.

"I'm sorry..." Natsume didn't know what to say, obviously he was not wrong, but the words of apology still came out.

"No, you don't need to apologize to me, I'm the one who caused you trouble. Ah, thank you." After taking the tissue from Toko Fujiwara and briefly wiping away her tears, Yuki straightened her posture and said again: " Thank you also for raising Natsume. If there is anything I can help you with in the future, please feel free to tell me, I will definitely do my best."

I always feel like an idiot today, and I almost have no strength to call my name.

The Fujiwara couple looked at each other, and then at Natsume who was a little at a loss, his eyes were full of kindness.

Fujiwara Toko said first: "Although I don't know what happened between you, if there is a misunderstanding, you might as well sit down and talk about it. There can't be only one way to solve the problem. You can stay and think about it first. There is still a problem at home. I have some snacks, I'll bring them over."

After speaking, she stood up and went to the kitchen.Next to Shigeru Fujiwara also added: "We all know that Takashi is a good boy, and we also believe that he will not do bad things casually. If the little girl here really wants to be with Takashi, why not have a good talk with him?"

Hearing this, Xi Ji also vaguely felt that the Fujiwara couple had misunderstood something serious.

She began to sort out the conversation between herself and the Fujiwara couple from the moment she entered the door, and then suddenly realized that she was talking about things more and more strangely, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she immediately explained: "Well, say it again, Natsume saved my life in the past, and I'm here to repay him!"

After hearing Xi Ji's explanation, Natsume was also a little confused.He missed the most important explosive speech, and he felt like he couldn't keep up with the rhythm of the topic.

Shigeru Fujiwara took a sip of tea very calmly, acting like an enlightened parent.

"Yeah, I understand. Any misunderstanding between young people can't be solved, just communicate more."

But it seems that this performance does not seem to understand!

Xi Ji's face was flushed, half from crying just now, and half from embarrassment at what she said.She pulled the corner of La Xiamu's clothes and asked in a low voice, "Did I cause you any trouble?"

Natsume shook his head, he didn't quite understand what was going on now.After all, when Xi Ji came here, he just set off a thunderstorm, and then cried to himself, saying that it was not troublesome, but he couldn't follow Xi Ji's logic.But looking at Xi Ji's current state, it seems that he has returned to his usual state, and he doesn't have that strange formulaic expression anymore.

On the contrary, the cat teacher in his arms sneezed suddenly when he smelled Xi Ji's approaching, muttered and opened his eyes, and was startled when he saw Xi Ji.

"Why are you here, you dead woman?!"

From a physiological point of view, there was nothing wrong with this sentence, and Xi Ji himself couldn't find any refutation. It was Natsume who lightly punched Mr. Kitty before he came back to his senses.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Cat. It feels good to see you still in good spirits." Xi Ji poked Mr. Cat's head, watching him very disgusted and wanted to avoid him, but he was fat and fat in Natsume's arms. Can be poked passively, with a very unhappy expression.

Perhaps it was because of seeing Mr. Cat that Yuki suddenly remembered that the biggest obstacle between him and Natsume was their worldview.

Natsume belongs to the monster side.He has many monster friends, has enough spiritual power, and spends every day smoothly and peacefully with human friends and monster friends.

Xi Ji belongs to the fantasy side.She is inhuman and bears the darkness that cannot be told to outsiders. She is often laughing with her friends one day, but will face a life-and-death struggle the next day, using death in exchange for the flow of time.

It is true that Yuki can protect Natsume, but Natsume cannot be protected by Yuki.

She pulled Mr. Kitty out of Natsume's arms, lifted him up high, so that his fat belly could be seen in full view, and scolded Xi Ji for hurting him with his clumsy hands.

"..." Looking at Toko Fujiwara who came over with refreshments, Yuki blinked, as if she had returned to the original expressionless state, and asked: "Sorry for making a somewhat impolite request, can you let me stay at your home today Park overnight?"

"Eh?!"

The night in Yayuan is very quiet. This rural town has a different charm from the bustling city, and you can even hear the sound of croaking in Tanabe.

Natsume's original plan was to read books all day today, or watch TV with uncle, help aunt run errands, and then fall asleep early.

But all of this was disturbed by Xi Ji's sudden visit, who was a little emotionally agitated, and even at the time when it was time to fall asleep, he opened his eyes and thought about her.Even the monsters who used to come here at night to ask for the names of friends, for some reason none of them came today, giving him enough time to think.

"Mr. Kitty, what do you think of Akashi today?" The lights in the room had been turned off, and he was still puzzled as he watched the moonlight pouring in from the window.

The cat teacher who huddled up by the bed yawned, and said with a lack of interest: "Who knows, I think she is quite normal today."

"Did you miss the main event..."

However, as Teacher Cat said, after that uncontrollable crying, her state did return to normal.Just like the last time we met in Hakata, she smiled like a little sun, and told Natsume a lot of interesting things about herself, and then chatted with her uncle about current affairs, and also helped her aunt make dinner.In all respects she looked like an ordinary visitor.

If not for the first thing.

After thinking about it, she was sure that she must have overlooked something important, Natsume, and decided to go out to the kitchen to drink a glass of water.

Keeping the voice to a minimum, being careful not to disturb the Fujiwara couple, Natsume lightly turned on the kitchen light, and was surprised to find that there was already a person standing there.

Wearing a white nightdress, Xi Ji looked at him sideways while holding a glass with half a glass of tap water in it. His other hand was placed by his side. He couldn't see clearly from the angle, and seemed to be holding something.

"Good evening, Natsume." After returning to his original state, Yuki was no longer obsessed with Natsume's name, and nodded to him like an ordinary friend.

At this time, Xi Ji's state was too stable, which made Natsume feel that what he had imagined before was a bit hypocritical.At this moment, Xi Ji is his friend, so he doesn't need to think about these times any more.So he simply nodded, said hello, opened the refrigerator and took out barley tea.

Xi Ji put the cup into the sink, turned sideways to keep Natsume from noticing her left hand, watched his series of movements, and seemed like a real lady when she calmed down.

She finally stayed at Natsume's house, and told Seijuro very seriously that she was just sleeping at a friend's house, and don't think about it.Since the last time he found out that Seijuro felt that he had slept in Atobe, Yuki was a little afraid that Seijuro would make up some weird things in his head.

"It's so late, can't you sleep?"

"Natsume, do you hate me?"

"..." x2

When the two sentences collided, both of them were a little taken aback.

Natsume, who was the first to react, waved his hand first, and the corner of his mouth curled up in a gentle arc, "I don't hate you, Akashi. It's just that I was really shocked today."

Xi Ji also replied blankly: "Oh, I'm just a little thirsty, so I'll come out and drink some water... Thank you, thank you for not hating me, I kind of hate myself today..."

It's really embarrassing to do something that you already know is impossible, and to cry and get red-eyed after failure.

She can't say what she thinks of Natsume, and she doesn't want to recall her feelings during the day.It always felt as if there was something terrible that had been suppressed in her heart that was roaring and tearing at herself, as if it was going to drag her into an endless swamp.

"No, how should I put it, it's better to say it clearly than anything else. Compared to hiding it, I think it's pretty good now." At the end, Natsume smiled a little shyly.

"...Yes." Xi Ji lowered his eyes halfway, unable to see clearly what he was thinking.

For some reason, looking at Yuki like this, Natsume felt as if he had seen the abandoned small animal that he met on the side of the road before.

It opened its big wet eyes and begged everyone who passed by to take it away, but in the end, it always failed to hope, and curled up in the cardboard box in disappointment, as if it had completely given up on this matter.

Natsume couldn't bring the critters home or give them any real help, but at least he could.

He put his hand on Xi Ji's head and rubbed it gently.

Even though Xi Ji is taller than him now, he can still recall the desperate face of that wet girl in the long river of memory, looking just as helpless as now.

Xi Ji was taken aback by the warmth above his head.

She raised her head slightly to look at Natsume, his face still had a familiar gentle smile, the same as back then, as if it could affect everything in the world.

Immediately afterwards, she felt her eyes heat up, and tears poured out and hit the floor in big drops, as if she couldn't control herself, she grabbed the corner of Natsume's clothes and began to cry silently.

She has not cried for a long time.

Since her death, she has completely cut off the relationship with "crying". The last time she cried was in front of her father's hospital bed, but she didn't expect to cry twice in front of Natsume today. It was really embarrassing.

"Woo... Natsume, really... really thank you for saving me back then..."

"Well, it's nothing, after all, you can't watch people do stupid things."

"Um……"

In the end, Yuki bid farewell to Natsume who went upstairs after drinking water, rubbed his red eyes from crying, put on a spirited smile, and signaled to Natsume that he was fine.

Hearing the sound of Natsume closing the paper door, Xi Ji breathed a sigh of relief, and let go of the hands that had been behind his back.

——It was a sharp boning knife.

If possible, she really didn't want to use the things from the Fujiwara family, but she had prepared so many when she came, but she forgot today's death props.

She can't let Natsume see her standing in the kitchen with a knife in the middle of the night. She has worked so hard to be a sunny and upright person in front of Natsume. If she is found out, she will never be able to continue to approach Natsume up.

"I'm sorry... Although you saved my life back then, I was still wasting my life..."

"thorn"

Blood splashed, the tingling sensation spread from the wound to the whole body, and the brain seemed to be blank.

The warm and viscous touch overflowed from the palm, and dripped on the kitchen floor, blooming blood-colored flowers, mixed with the smell of iron.

Before dying, Xi Ji recalled his day and let out a long sigh.

...What should I do, is she really tempted by Natsume...

The author has something to say: If Natsume goes downstairs again, he will encounter a very shocking scene: the girl he thought had a mental illness and a previous record of suicide actually committed suicide in his kitchen after being rejected by him.

Looking back at what Yuki Hakata was thinking, I knew that she only valued Natsume, for Natsume she really dared to do anything, it was almost faith.

She has always had the paranoia and madness of the past endless loop in her heart, but it was relieved and hidden after meeting Natsume and Lily. The crying at the beginning of this chapter is the cause of paranoia. Her personal heart is actually quite fragile.

The head-touching at the end really made Xi Ji feel emotional in the sense of being in love.Yes, Xiao Jing is just infinitely close to this feeling, but not.

The Natsume line madman I'm talking about is actually the Yuki madman! (I can't think of it!)