People are in Sobu, the back table is Yukinoshita

Chapter 22, the smile is the soul (9/13)

After a while at the table, several people were full of wine and food.

"Uncle and aunt, then I'll go first and not disturb your rest."

"What's the matter, Yu Yi is being polite, anyway, we live so close together, why don't you stay here to play for a while?"

Kato Megumi's father tried to persuade him to stay.

"Let's not do it today, there are still some things to deal with at home."

Chiba smiled and shook her head to decline.

Hearing this, Kato Megumi's father nodded.

"That's fine, I won't keep you. Anyway, our two families are only one step away. You Yi remembers to come and play often."

"Well, yes, uncle, aunt, and Xiaohui, I'll go first."

Chiba walked to the door and said hello.

"Well, remember to come and play with Yuyi in the future. Xiaohui usually doesn't have many friends, but now it's all over. With Youyi here, we feel relieved."

Kato Megumi's mother came out of the kitchen and said with a smile on her face.

"By the way, what about Xiaohui?"

Kato Megumi's father suddenly said.

"I'm here... Dad..."

Kato Megumi's voice came from beside him.

Kato's father: ...

"Look at my concentration... Hey, forget it, Xiaohui, go and see Yuichi off."

"No, no, it's only a few steps away."

Chiba hastily refused...

After opening and closing the door, I went home... What else can I get...

"It's okay, didn't you just say that you want egg pancakes, come on, Xiaohui, give it to you."

Seeing this, Kato Hui's mother turned around and went to the kitchen to bring a plate of egg pancakes to Xiaohui.

"That... myself..."

"Let's go, senior."

Just as Qianye wanted to say no, Megumi Kato interrupted him.

"...Then, trouble."

"Well, it's okay, the big meal tonight still has a lot of credit from the seniors."

Kato Megumi shook his head and said, putting on his shoes.

………………

"Please come in, there is nothing special at home to entertain Xiaohui, Xiaohui, you can do whatever you want."

Chiba took the omelet and said to Xiao Hui who was sitting on the sofa.

"Well, it's okay, I just had dinner and I don't have any appetite."

Kato Megumi shook his head and said, then looked at Chiba's house with interest.

Although it is simpler and colder, the various furniture in the room are exceptionally clean and tidy, and there is no peculiar smell in the air that is said to be unique to boys' rooms on the Internet. On the contrary, it is much fresher.

After a while, Qianye came over with tea.

"Please use."

"It's troublesome."

Kato Megumi took the tea and took a sip gently.

"Well, senior's skill in making tea is not bad."

Feeling the faint scent of tea in his mouth, Megumi Kato said with some surprise.

"Well, let's lose it a little bit, I learned something before."

Chiba shook her head and chuckled.

In fact, because I have to stay up late, in order to make refreshing tea, health tea and other teas... I deliberately learned a little...

"Actually, I also thought about learning how to make tea, and I even planned to join the tea art club in the school, but in the end it was nothing."

Holding the tea in his hand, Megumi Kato murmured calmly.

"Is it also for neglected reasons?"

Seeing Kato Megumi's expression, Chiba asked softly.

Kato Megumi nodded.

"Well, that's right, but in fact, I had already prepared to be ignored at that time, but I thought it would be fine as long as I entered. After all, I thought that as long as I entered, I don't need others to pay attention, just stay and watch That's fine, but I didn't expect that even my own application was not noticed."

"This situation... is really..."

Listening to Xiaohui's words, Qianye shook her head lightly.

"However, I just didn't pay much attention to it. After all, since I was a child, apart from crying when I was neglected when I was a child, I also see it now, so I don't make myself emotionally fluctuate much."

Feeling the warmth from the cup in his hand, Megumi Kato said softly.

It was obviously too calm to speak in a calm tone, but Qianye could feel a helpless struggle from it...

I want to make myself normal... but there is no way... I can only sink deeper and deeper... I can't do anything...

In the end, the self who cannot change the status quo can only change his mentality, as long as... this is fine... as long as this is enough...

"However, as my mother said just now, I should be happier now, after all..."

Having said that, Kato Megumi looked at Chiba.

"Compared to other people, senior seems to be able to find me normally, maybe, this is enough."

Chiba Yuichi: ...

That's enough... What a small request... Xiaohui... Have you given up hope for this...

"Huh... There is always a way, but it's just not the time yet, Xiaohui, sometimes, the time for a change may come all of a sudden, so it's better not to give up."

Chiba looked at the girl with some pity.

"Method... change..."

Hearing Chiba's words, Kato Megumi murmured.

"Maybe... But, for me who have lived for so many years, it doesn't matter anymore. Even if no one finds me, I still live like this. Besides, isn't there a senior who can find me~"

At this moment, Qianye suddenly felt that the face of the girl next to her seemed to emit an extremely dazzling light.

this smile...

"senior?"

Seeing this Chiba staring at herself in a daze, Kato Megumi felt her heart beat a lot faster.

"Xiaohui, can you smile?"

After reacting, Qianye said to Xiaohui with a serious face.

"laugh?"

Kato Megumi bent his little head.

"Hmm! Laugh! Of course, Xiaohui, who is full of doubts, also has a very cute feeling ~ but it is not as eye-catching as when she smiles."

Chiba looked at Megumi Kato and said with a light smile.

And after the scene that suddenly penetrated into his mind just now, he seemed to understand something.

"If you're smiling now...um..."

Kato Megumi seems to be brewing.

"Are you laughing? Senior?"

"No, Xiaohui's expression is very calm."

"now what?"

"no change……"

"Eh……"

"……no change"

"Sure enough, it's so difficult to smile..."

Kato Megumi murmured as if giving up.

"But why did senior make me smile?"

Kato Megumi looked at Chiba with some doubts.

"Because, the moment Xiaohui laughed just now, even I was almost captured by Xiaohui."

Chiba said with a serious face.

"Catch something... It feels like senior is saying that he is a small pet, but if senior really becomes a small pet, I will definitely treat it with care~"

"...cough cough...this analogy is not quite correct..."

Why does it feel like you've turned dark, Xiaohui...

Chapter 23, Smile, Deep into the Soul (10/13)

"Start from the shaping of expression changes?"

Hearing Chiba's explanation, Kato Megumi murmured with some doubts.

"Yes."

Chiba nodded.

"I found that Xiaohui, your expression seems to have always been very calm except for the occasional unintentional changes. You neither express happiness nor sadness, and you will always have this plain appearance."

Chiba stared at Kato Megumi's face and said to her.

"But, I've always come here like this."

Sensing Chiba's gaze, Megumi Kato blinked and looked at him.

"That's why you need to change... I think the reason why you have attributes that are easy to be ignored has a lot to do with your personality. Xiaohui, your expression is called calm, but it's ugly. Do you know what it's called?"

"what is it call?"

Kato Megumi asked curiously.

Qianye Youyi waved his hand: "Facial paralysis!"

Megumi Kato: ...

"If senior says that, even I will be angry!"

"Well, that's it, Xiaohui, although your tone is meant to be angry, but your expression is still so flat, and you can't feel the emotion and expression changes brought about by your anger at all."

Chiba spread her hands and said helplessly.

"Well... then... what should I do..."

After listening to Chiba's words, Kato Megumi also understood some problems.

"Well... now... the most important thing is to mobilize your emotions. To put it bluntly... it's um... let you learn to laugh and cry."

Chiba: That's probably what it means...

"Laughing and crying?"

Kato Megumi murmured softly.