This is where I met Di Qingdeng.
And Kinoshita Mai happened to appear far away from Chishiya.
If it was a coincidence... then it would be too much of a coincidence.
While the Souji was thinking to herself, Kinoshita Mai, who was walking in a hurry, almost disappeared from her sight.
The director raised his head and looked forward, looking at the beautiful figure that was about to be "engulfed" by the flow of people in the distance, and then looked at the pocket watch in his hand.
In an instant, a strong look of hesitation and hesitation appeared on Souji's cheeks.
This hesitation went away just as quickly as it came.
In just two breaths, Souji gritted his teeth, squeezed Aonto's pocket watch in his hand, and then chased after Kinoshita Mai's back...
…
…
Edo, a certain river embankment——
"arrive……"
Kinoshita Mai glanced at the embankment in front of her and looked down at the note in her hand.
"This is it..."
"Mr. Kiryu, I want to go out to buy something" - after using this as an excuse to get permission to go out, after a hurried journey, Kinoshita Mai finally arrived at her destination: a certain land adjacent to the The great river of Edo: the embankment of the Kanda River.
Due to its remote location, the embankment is rarely visited. Looking around, I couldn't see any pedestrians.
But this is another river embankment with quite good scenery.
The area is wide and the terrain is flat. There are many large trees planted that Kinoshita Mai can't name, and they are growing particularly lush in the current hot summer.
To the east of the embankment, and right in front of Kinoshita Mai, is the quietly flowing Kanda River.
The rhythmic sound of running water makes people feel calm unconsciously after listening to it.
Kinoshita Mai looked straight at the beautiful embankment in front of her... A faint red glow swept across her cheeks.
——Qingdeng invited me here... What exactly does he want...?
Kinoshita Mai thought to herself, while looking down at the paper in her hand again.
This was exactly the piece of paper Aoden secretly slipped into her palm when she followed Kiryu and others out of the wedding yesterday.
On the piece of paper, there was only a very simple sentence written in neat handwriting:
(Ms. Kinoshita, if you are free tomorrow, please go to AAAA in XX Town at 8:00 tomorrow...)
Kinoshita Mai was so shocked by Qingdou's unexpected paper invitation that she was in a trance last night.
Why invite her to this place so suddenly and mysteriously?
Is there something important you want to say to her?
Or do you want to ask her to go somewhere to play?
The information revealed on the piece of paper is really too little... I am afraid that these doubts can only be answered after meeting Qingden at the place written on the piece of paper.
Want to keep an appointment?
This question is not difficult to choose for Kinoshita Mai at all.
In order to clear up the confusion, and also because of... her feelings for Qingden, Kinoshita Mai's heart had been beating hard with nervousness and anticipation since last night.
A young man asked another young woman out to meet in a secret way by passing a piece of paper... This kind of behavior in this era is easy for people to imagine.
——Qingdeng, could he be thinking...
The white Shiraki she witnessed at the wedding of Kondo Isamu and Matsui Tsune, which was so white that it exuded a sense of sanctity, condensed into a concrete shape with fine lines in Mai Kinoshita's mind.
Every time she thinks of this, a blush will appear on Kinoshita Mai's face.
If Qingdeng really wanted to show off to me...
How many children will we have in the future?
When you talk about private meetings, you will think of that kind of thing, then you will think of reproduction, and then you will think of how many children you will have in the future - the imagination of a dreaming girl can always make such a leap at this level.
Out of this association, out of this "what if?" mentality, just before going out, Kinoshita Mai changed into the clothes that she thought looked best, and used the makeup techniques that Kiryu taught her. I put on a beautiful makeup.
She hopes to greet the important moments of her life with a beautiful image.
When Kinoshita Mai arrived at the place written on the piece of paper, it was about 10 minutes before the agreed time... Because she arrived early, there was no one around except for the trees.
The moment she stepped onto the embankment, Kinoshita Mai felt that her hands and feet were beginning to become a little unruly - she didn't know how to swing or place her limbs.
Kinoshita Mai said "ha", turning her inner tension and anticipation into a sound. Then, while pretending to be calm and standing upright under the shade of a certain big tree, he turned around and looked around uneasily.
The fingers of his hands folded in front of him were restlessly intertwined.
The white and tender feet without socks are grabbing the flat wooden clogs with red buttons.
At this moment, Kinoshita Mai found a puddle next to her left foot - this was the remaining water from the rain last night and this morning.
The water in the puddle was quite clear, and Kinoshita Mai's pretty face was clearly reflected in the calm water.
Kinoshita looked at the left and right sides, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her upper body and put her face close to the small puddle. She used the reflection of the water to arrange her hair and confirm whether there was anything strange on her face.
Just then——
Pasha, pasha...
The sound of light clogs scraping against the ground came from behind.
--coming!
Mai Kinoshita, who thought it was Aoto's arrival, shook slightly, then quickly turned back.
However... just as she focused her gaze behind her, her entire body suddenly seemed to be under "petrification magic". Every muscle in her body instantly became as stiff as stone, even the lines on her face. They all tensed up.
A calm word with a neither salty nor bland tone was like a sharp blade cutting towards Kinoshita Mai.
"...Miss Kinoshita, why are you here?"
Familiar female voice...
For Kinoshita Mai, a female voice has a very special meaning and status...
"Miss Chiba...?"
Kinoshita Mai looked at the beauty in front of her with disbelief, the owner of the female voice just now: Sanako Chiba!
At this time, Sanako was standing in front of Kinoshita Mai in the "form of a noble lady": a delicate blue kimono, a white obi embroidered with beautiful cloud patterns, and a blue sheath with a blue handle for self-defense inserted into her lower waist. Her waist is low, and her feet wearing clean white socks are stepping on a pair of flat wooden clogs with blue buttons.
Meeting an unexpected person in an unexpected place... Kinoshita Mai's face was instantly filled with a look of shock.
And the same goes for Sanako.
Although Sanako tried her best to remain calm, the shock hidden in her eyes was vaguely visible.
This silent confrontation with a suffocating atmosphere lasted for nearly 20 seconds.
"Qianye, Miss Ye..."
Mai Kinoshita, who was the first to speak out, stammered.
"W-why are you here...?"
"..."
Sanako did not immediately answer Kinoshita Mai's question.
She pondered thoughtfully for a moment, then raised her hand and took out a piece of paper from the sandwich between her belt and kimono that looked familiar to Mai Kinoshita.
"Ms. Kinoshita, did Tachibana-kun stuff this piece of paper into you too?"
"Eh?"
Kinoshita Mai was startled, and then quickly raised the piece of paper in her palm that was "the same style" as Sanako's.
Not only were the two women's pieces of paper identical in style, but even the content written on them was exactly the same.
"What's going on...?" Kinoshita Wu murmured.
Qingtou... made an appointment with himself and Miss Chiba at the same time?
He wants to attack me and Miss Chiba at the same time... No, how is that possible? It's too outrageous.
As soon as this ridiculous idea popped up in Mai Kinoshita's mind, she rejected it on the grounds that "Qingto would not do such a thing."
"who knows."
When she saw the exact same piece of paper in Kinoshita Mai's hand, a strange color flashed between Sanako's beautiful eyebrows...but this strange color was quickly covered up by Sanako.
Sanako put the piece of paper back into the kimono and obi, and continued with a cold expression:
"When Mr. Ju comes, we will know what is going on."
That's it... As soon as Sanako finished speaking, someone's breath came to them in a rapid rhythm.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Mai and Sanako turned their heads to look in the direction from which the male voice came, and looked at Qingden who had just arrived.
Aoto, Sanako, Kinoshita Mai...a man and two women, the three of them intertwined with each other's inquiring eyes.
Seeing the two girls arriving, Qingdeng suddenly looked relieved and nervous.
"Tangerine-kun."
At this moment, Sanako acted decisive and strong.
As soon as Qingteng showed up, Sanako asked him quickly and bluntly before Qingteng could take any rest:
"You suddenly invited Miss Kinoshita and I to this place. Do you have something to tell us?"
There was a sharp reverberation in the depth of Sanako's tone, like a sharp blade cutting sharply.
Kinoshita Mai stood up straight as if she had come to her senses, her expression was tense, and she exuded a reserved aura.
Qingden felt Kinoshita Mai's gaze that wanted to ask questions.
Kinoshita Mai pretended to be calm, trying to be considerate and not interfering, and tried hard to hide it so that doubts and other strange emotions would not appear on her face.
But this attitude of pretending to be mature actually portrays her true heart.
Her complicated and unspeakable eyes had betrayed all her true thoughts.
"..." Qingden silently cast an embarrassed look at Sanako.
It's shameful to say that Sanako's "head start" just now disrupted Qingto's rhythm...
Qingdeng was already very nervous.
Ever since he left the Trial Guard Hall, Qingdeng felt a little more nervous every time he got closer to the agreed-upon river embankment.
After being aroused by Sanako's preemptive question, the tension accumulated in Qingden's heart instantly "exploded", running along Qingden's chest and neck, and straight into his brain.
In an instant, my head went blank.
He had prepared a lot of docile opening remarks in advance...and now he can't remember any of them!
correct.
Not just a prepared opening.
The carefully planned steps, the meticulously designed words he wanted to say to the two girls... all of these disappeared without a trace from Qingdeng's mind in just an instant.
--never mind! Just can’t remember it!
Qingden gritted his teeth and squeezed his hands that were naturally hanging on his sides.
After all... In this kind of situation, it seems like there is no need to deal with all the red tape that exists and does not exist!
Qingdeng exhaled all the turbid air in his lungs with a "ha" sound.
Now that the matter is over...just rely on your momentum and emotion to land on the ground in one breath!
There is no strategy...or there is a strategy, but because I am so nervous now, I can't think of any of these strategies.
Just make up your mind.
He just let his aura and his emotions for the two women drive his body.
Stop thinking about the messy, messy and troublesome things.
Ms. Okita is right.
I am a decisive person.
I have always been proud of my resolute and decisive approach.
I am a person who hates twists and turns and likes to "frontally attack" things.
Lao Shizi's pre-planned opening remarks, carefully designed words...disappear, just disappear! If you can’t remember it, then you can’t remember it!
Just follow your own desires.
Just follow your own thoughts and act!
Qingdeng spread his feet slightly and planted his feet firmly.
Take a deep breath and let the energy sink into your Dantian.
Then... he looked into the eyes of the two women in front of him and spoke loudly:
"Miss Mai Kinoshita! Miss Chiba Sanako! I like you!"
Qingdeng's voice echoed in the quiet river embankment where no one passed.
There was silence all around.
The wind blowing from the distance gently swayed the branches of every big tree on the river embankment, as well as the ends of Mai Kinoshita's and Sanako's hair and the hem of their clothes.
But the two women were unaware of all this.
Even Sanako, who had always been calm and composed, lost control of his expression at this moment.
She and Kinoshita Mai's eyes widened together, and they stared blankly at Ayoto with shocked glances, as if their souls were out of body.
They subconsciously thought Qingdeng was joking with them.
However, Qingdeng's expression at this moment was filled with determination.
There was no room for joking... Qingden was serious.
Before the two girls came to their senses, sonorous and powerful words full of emotion emerged from Qingdeng's lips and teeth again.
"Ah Wu, to be honest, when I first met you, I thought you were very difficult to get along with."
Qingden turned his attention to Kinoshita Mai.
Kinoshita Mai, who felt Qingto's gaze, suddenly trembled a few times.
"Introverted and shy."
"When I talk, I don't dare to look at people, and my voice is as low as a mosquito's moan. And I don't know how to pick up other people's topics. It's so tiring to talk to you."
"Other than being cute, you don't have any merits worth mentioning - that's my first impression of you."
"But gradually, as I spend more and more time with you, I discover more and more charming things about you."
"Your kindness, your warm-heartedness...all make me feel intoxicated."
"When I come back to my senses, you already occupy a very important position in my heart."
Qingden continued to say words that were completely out of his mind.
Because the mind is blank, the brain has lost its basic thinking ability.
I don't have the energy to study my words carefully, word for word.
At this moment, Qingdeng was not so much "speaking"... as he was pouring out his passion.
"Miss Sanako too!"
Qingto tilted his head and shifted his focus from Kinoshita Mai to Sanako.
It was his turn to be called... Sanako showed a rare expression of being at a loss.
"My first impression of you, Miss Sanako, was also very bad."
"Always have a cold face, and look like you are rejecting people thousands of miles away."
"Chatting with you is more tiring than chatting with Ah Wu."
"In fact, for a while, I didn't even want to deal with you."
"But also, in the process of slowly becoming friends with you, I found many 'glitters' in you that I had never noticed before."
"These 'sparkling' places on your body attract me deeply."
"Unconsciously, I can no longer treat you as an ordinary friend."
Qingdeng no longer knew what he was talking about.
The voice doesn't feel like my own, but the person speaking is indeed me.
After pouring out all the accumulated emotions in his chest, Qingdeng paused and pursed his lips.
He wanted to give the strongest note to the above-mentioned release of his heart and have a perfect ending.
But for a moment, I couldn't think of the right words.
Emotion and reason are engaged in the final battle.
At this moment, Qingden suddenly recalled the discussion he had with Komaki Goro yesterday about the "Unparalleled Sword" and the "Living Sword" - the last bit of rationality, under the onslaught of the overwhelming sensibility, Completely eliminate bait.
ha……
Qingden took another long breath.
After vomiting until there was nothing left to spit out and his lungs ached, Qingden inhaled hard——
Let your emotions drive you.
Bearing the sight of the two women, he burst out all his emotions.
"I want to protect you forever with my sword!"
Affectionate words full of characteristics of this era...
After shouting the last syllable, goosebumps suddenly spread all over Qingden's body.
All the pores on the body seemed to relax at this moment, which was more comfortable than taking a hot bath with a suitable temperature.
There is a sense of pleasure and joy as all the chaotic consciousness in the mind is blown away by a cool wind, and the messy lines are straightened and smoothed one by one.
Qingdeng only felt that his heart was relaxing and contracting for a while... This kind of tender and sweet spasm made people want to stop.
I finally said what I had been holding in my heart since the fireworks display ended...
Do you like Kinoshita Mai or Sanako? Have you ever thought about marrying any of them?
Qing Deng gave his answer today, here and now.
It's a pity that the person who asked him this question and the people who were listening at the time are not here.
Qingdeng has done and said everything he can and can say.
Next... is to wait for the two women's answers.
At this moment, Qingdeng's mood miraculously returned to calm.
He looked at the two girls calmly, letting the wind and time blow by his side.
Suddenly, the wind picked up.
The strong wind caused the hems of the clothes of the three people to sway.
Sanako raised her green-white fingers with an elegant movement, holding down the messed up hair on her temples, while looking at the lower right corner of her field of vision with evasive eyes.
The eyes showed embarrassment, confusion, and a stubbornness that seemed to suppress some emotion.
"Tangerine, Orange-kun..."
Sanako, who remained calm even when being kidnapped by the anti-barbarian group, now rarely showed the confusion and childishness of a lost child.
"Sorry... I have no plans to get married for the time being..."
That Sanako, who always spoke in a very orderly manner, actually stuttered...
"Besides, besides, I only regard you as my important friend now..."
"Even regardless of my own desire to get married... I don't think my family will allow my future husband to marry another woman as a concubine."
After saying that, Sanako glanced at Mai Kinoshita beside her.
"Why am I a concubine?!"
Sanako's behavior of directly identifying her as a concubine made Kinoshita Mai very unhappy.
But she didn't have time to argue with Sanako now.
After giving Sanako a vicious look, Kinoshita Mai turned her attention to Aoi Tochi.
The moment her eyes met with Qingto's, Kinoshita Mai's eyes softened.
From the "severe glare" directed at Sanako just now, it became full of shyness and resentment.
"Qingdeng, you also have such... such deep feelings for me, I'm so happy."
"but……"
Kinoshita Mai changed the subject and lowered her head, staring closely at her petite toes.
"My grandma will definitely not approve of my future husband marrying another woman as a concubine after marrying me..."
After finishing speaking, Kinoshita Mai looked like she was about to start a tit-for-tat confrontation with Sanako, and once again gave Sanako a vicious look... but was ignored by Sanako who was focusing on Aoto.
Aoto listened to the two women's answers with a normal expression, and then solemnly said a series of answers that neither Sanako nor Mai Kinoshita expected.
"I know."
"Miss Sanako, I know that with the Qianye family's family status, your future husband will never be allowed to marry other women."
"A Wu, I also know that if I tell your parents what I just said, your parents will most likely draw a knife to chop me."
"But I don't want to give up!"
When Qingdeng shouted the words "I don't want to give up" word by word, the perseverance and confidence shown in his voice were unprecedented.
"I want to be your family, and I want to protect you with my sword...I will never take back my determination!"
"I've made up my mind!"
"I want to become stronger than anyone else! Become more outstanding than anyone else!"
"I will soar to the sky! Let you and your families accept me!"
The force was almost tearing his throat... as if he wanted people in the distance, the gods and Buddhas in the sky, and the ghosts and monsters on the ground to all hear his voice.
Sanako opened her red lips in surprise.
Before long, the surprise turned into an aura of confusion, disbelief, and a little... joy.
"Tangerine-kun..."
She lowered her head, looked at the ground in front of her feet, and said:
"No matter how good you become, I can't accept that you have other women besides me... Yes, I'm sorry... I want to leave first..."
After saying that, Sanako turned around and left quickly as if running away.
The moment she turned around, Qingden could vaguely see a hint of crimson brushing against the tips of her small ears.
Although she was wearing a women's kimono that was inconvenient for movement, Sanako's feet were extremely fast.
After a while, there was no longer any blue color in the field of vision of Qingden and Kinoshita Mai.
Qingden silently turned his eyes to Kinoshita Mai.
"Qingdeng..."
Kinoshita Mai looked at the direction Sanako left, then at Qingden in front of her, biting her lower lip lightly.
"I also...can't accept you marrying another woman besides me..."
"I, I, I want to calm down a little! I'm going to leave now too!"
Kinoshita Mai hurriedly bowed to Qingto and saluted, and then she and Sanako trotted away from the river embankment.
Qingdeng calmly glanced around in the direction the two girls left, then closed his eyes, looked up to the sky, and let out a long breath.
He didn't regret what he had just done... Not only did he not regret it, he felt very lucky.
Qingdeng now feels like he has lost half of his weight, and his body and mind feel so relaxed that he is almost floating in the sky!
This is the way to go along with his style: never be sloppy, and do what you want to do and do frankly!
The reaction of the two women basically did not surprise him.
Although Japan is still in the feudal era where polygamy is allowed, families with a better family background will hope that their future sons-in-law can stay together only with their daughters.
"Next...you have to work hard!"
Qingdeng smiled and cast a scorching gaze full of seriousness and confidence towards the sky above his head, which had just cleared after the rain.
…
…
There was no longer any sight of the two women on the river embankment, so there was no need to stay for long.
After Qingdeng tidied up his clothes and emotions, he left and prepared to return to the training hall.
Because Qingdeng had just focused all his attention and emotions on releasing his mind, Qingdeng didn't realize until he left that there was a small audience who witnessed his recent feat.
Souji calmly leaned against the big tree, the fingers of his hands behind his back were tightly intertwined, the instep of his right foot was pressed against the heel of his left foot, and his eyes were staring up at the blue sky revealed through the gaps between the branches.
"...That's right."
Souji lowered his head and looked at the black handkerchief held in his left hand.
"After all... I'm just a good friend..."
call……
A sudden breeze blew.
The branches above the head of the general manager swayed in the wind.
The faint shadows filled with light spots caused by the blowing of the wind well concealed Souji's expression at this time...
…
…
On the way back to the imperial examination hall, there is a place that must be passed - a deserted trail.
Qingdeng, who was in a happy mood because he had successfully told the two girls what he had always wanted to say, turned into the necessary place to return to the Trial Guard Hall after a leisurely walk.
The scenery is the same as always.
The dirt road was as bumpy as ever.
As always, there were no pedestrians, not even a human voice could be heard.
Everything is so "as usual".
However... just when Qingdeng reached the middle of this uninhabited trail, "unusual" suddenly appeared!
In an instant...the next thing really happened in an instant.
Qingdeng suddenly felt someone coming from behind... No! It's like a beast!
As if being stared at by some giant beast, cold sweat suddenly poured out, soaking the clothes on Qingden's back.
Qingdeng's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly turned around like a reflex and raised his right hand to reach his left waist, holding down the handle of Dingguishen's knife.
Behind Qingdeng, at some point, there appeared a man in black, carrying a wooden knife and wearing a low-brimmed bamboo hat.
"The response was good."
said the man in black.
*******
*******
I hate eunuch-type, monk-type, and herbivore-type male protagonists the most. (leopard.jpg)
Since the character in this chapter is so brave and decisive, please be sure to vote for this book! (Leopard head crying.jpg)
PS: This chapter is also the first time to mention the title of this volume: "Power to the Sky".
(End of chapter)
