Chapter 159: Communication
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Night.
Even though opening her eyes only revealed the dark ceiling, Hitori’s ears still seemed to echo with the songs they had just practiced.
They had practiced so much today that even Nijika started feeling worried, but Hayato explained, “Training hard without getting injured can boost confidence. Let’s practice a bit more today.”
No one would object to Hayato’s suggestions when he was serious.
Hitori knew very well that it wasn't just because he was reliable.
It was also because everyone liked him.
She quickly recalled the looks on everyone’s faces when the older sister and Hayato were talking earlier in the day.
Regarding their reactions, she felt a bit relieved and a bit scared.
Relieved because others would also help stop Hayato from getting close to others.
And scared because… they might not be like her, needing to wait to grow up before they could be with Hayato.
She was afraid they also had possessiveness and would approach Hayato first and claim him.
What should she do next?
She looked at the dark room, thinking, her clear blue eyes blinking slowly.
Suddenly, there was a soft rustling of bedding beside her.
Hitori turned her head and saw Kita had turned over to look at her.
In the dark room, Kita’s eyes also held worry.
Her voice was much softer than usual, and she said gently, “Gotou-san, what’s wrong? Can’t you sleep?”
“No, um… I can’t sleep.”
Hitori didn't know how to explain her current feelings, nor was it appropriate to share her worries, so she simply replied in response to Kita words.
Kita glanced at the book Ishikawa Hayato had given her yesterday, placed it by the bedding, and said slowly and softly, “Gotou-san, let’s chat.”
Hitori hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
But after she nodded, Kita remained silent for a long time.
In the semi-dark room, Kita lay on her side, her gaze fixed diagonally on the bedding or the floor, staring for a long time.
Ryo and Nijika, further away, seemed to be sleeping very deeply.
There wasn't a sound.
Hitori waited quietly for a while, then suddenly panicked.
'Was she supposed to find a topic? No… she couldn’t do it!'
Just then, Kita raised her gaze and spoke, her voice very slow and soft.
“Gotou-san, you probably already know, but I still wanted to tell you in person.”
Hearing her remorseful tone and conflicted feelings, Hitori immediately understood what she was going to say.
Hitori also composed herself and quietly waited for her to continue.
“Ishikawa-kun... Hayato-kun and I are dating.”
Hearing this unsurprising news, Hitori was neither surprised nor sad. She only felt annoyance at herself and resentment that she wasn't as mature as Kita.
“Hmm, it’s fine.”
After being open, Kita felt much better, and she had already known the outcome, so she quickly let go of her struggle.
Instead, she asked about Hitori’s situation.
“Speaking of which, why isn’t Hayato-kun dating Gotou-san?”
“Because I’m not mature yet…”
“What is that… that sounds like such a bad reason.”
Kita immediately showed her displeasure, but as soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had said the wrong thing.
A rare hint of resentment appeared in Hitori’s eyes, but it was only for an instant.
Hitori quickly lowered her head and pulled up the blanket, looking like she didn't want to chat anymore.
Kita was dumbfounded.
She was trying to speak up for Hitori!
“Gotou-san! Don’t be angry! It’s my fault~”
She quickly tried to persuade her repeatedly, and only then did Hitori slowly emerge from the bedding again, but she still looked a bit angry and avoided looking at Kita.
“Hmm…”
Hitori responded with a touch of tsundere.
Kita now understood Hitori’s level of concern for Ishikawa Hayato, but her tone still carried a smile, and she very brightly set the topic.
“Then let’s think together about how to make Gotou-san appear more mature in front of Hayato-kun.”
Only then did Hitori look at Kita.
After a moment's thought, she nodded.
However, a doubt lingered in her mind: why was Kita suddenly choosing to help her?
Seeing Hitori’s reaction, Kita was very happy.
She rolled over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her arms on the bedding, looking very enthusiastic.
Looking at her smiling face, Hitori felt as if she had seen the sun in the dark night.
After shielding her eyes and adjusting for a while, she slowly and plaintively turned over in Kita’s excited gaze, also lying on her stomach on the bedding like Kita.
'Ah, why is Kita suddenly so excited…?'
She regretted the decision she had just made.
But what came next was her most regrettable moment.
“First, let’s do a mature makeup look! That will immediately charm that pervert.”
“No, that’s still…”
“We also need to change clothes… How about trying a small dress like Ohtsuki-san wore today?”
“No, no, no, no…”
Hitori began shaking her head violently.
As Kita started making suggestions on her own, deciding for Hitori, Nijika’s voice suddenly came from beside them.
She said wearily and lazily, “You two, you’re so loud…”
“Ah, sorry~”
Kita smiled, turned around, and burrowed back into her covers.
Her practiced movements stunned Hitori.
Hitori also slowly lay back down.
She took out her phone, lit up the screen, and glanced at Kita.
Kita understood her meaning, picked up her phone from beside her, and set it to silent.
As Kita finished setting it and switched to the Line interface, a message popped up.
“Kita, why are you helping me like this?”
Kita froze, then looked up at Hitori, but the other person was already quietly looking at her.
Hitori, who usually seemed weak and a bit strange, had an incredibly serious gaze at this moment.
Although her face showed some timidity, that seriousness was so strong that Kita felt like her back was against a wall.
There is no way left to retreat.
She hesitated, then lowered her head and started typing on her phone.
“Because… I feel like I’m going to become a bad person if this continues.”
She sent it and watched Hitori receive and read the message.
But after a moment, Hitori looked up at her with a puzzled expression.
Kita’s second message also went through, and Hitori went to read it.
“My relationship with Hayato-kun will only last until he starts dating anyone else in the band. Now it seems everyone is restless, so it’s time for me to withdraw. However, I want to cheer on Gotou-san because Gotou-san is the person I think is most suitable for Hayato-kun.”
When Hitori saw the last sentence, her face flushed. Suppressing the joy in her heart, she typed on the screen.
“Ah, in that case, Hayato would be sad, wouldn’t he?”
“Gotou-san, you underestimate that person too much… but he might be disappointed.”
Hitori read the message and hesitated for a long time without replying.
Before she understood the reason, she was willing to accept Kita’s help. But after understanding, she couldn’t accept such purposeful help.
“Kita, I think I’d still rather decide for myself. Whether it’s becoming more mature or liking Hayato, I want to choose how to do it.”
Kita showed a surprised expression after reading the message.
She then glanced at Hitori, who was timid but firm.
A few seconds later, she quickly typed on her phone.
“Then I will cheer for you.”
“Thank you. Also, thank you, Kita, for telling me so much. So, no matter whether Kita is still with Hayato in the future, I’m fine with it.”
Kita exited the chat interface with Hitori and glanced at Hitori.
Seeing the gentle expression in Hitori’s eyes, she returned a smile.
After lying straight, Kita took one last look at her phone screen.
Below her chat window with Hitori were numerous heart-fluttering conversations she had with Ishikawa Hayato.
Looking at the LINE chat window labeled Ishikawa Hayato, and recalling their recent flirty interactions during the conversation, she couldn't help but think of all their recent flirtations.
Even during practice breaks.
Thinking about it, she felt her face begin to heat up.
She quickly turned off her phone and laid down straight, looking at the ceiling.
She had been very happy with Ishikawa Hayato recently, so happy that she even thought about asking him to only look at her, using something precious to persuade him.
But the scene she witnessed during the day woke her up.
It made her step back from the brink of becoming a bad person.
At this moment, her only remaining consideration was whether or not to let that bastard get his way.
This was a difficult choice, and she was not in a hurry to decide.
She then thought of the unrequited bundle of love next to her, enduring.
Thinking back on her conversation with Hitori just now, Kita couldn’t help but vent to Hayato Ishikawa.
Saying she wasn’t mature, wasn’t Hitori’s thinking already very mature?
And Kita noticed Hitori’s composure and determination beneath her fragile exterior.
That genuine sense of stability—which she felt she could perceive even more clearly than she could with Hayato Ishikawa.
She racked her brain, trying to think of the most suitable word to describe it.
Leadership ability.
That’s it, that’s why she felt the two of them were so similar.
This special quality that both of them possessed was truly dazzling.
Kita let out a long sigh in her heart.
Meanwhile, beside them, unnoticed by the two, Ryo silently fell asleep after the sounds stopped, while Nijika still had her eyes open.
Her eyes held a look of terror.
'Kita and Hayato are already dating?! Since when???'
Ryo! Ryo wouldn’t, would she?'
'And what were the two of them doing with their phones just now? They weren’t chatting, were they?'
Nijika suddenly had the illusion that everyone in the band, except for her, had fallen into Ishikawa Hayato’s hands.
She suddenly felt that she was in danger.
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