Are you, as meal replacement users, ready for the consequences?

Page 52

Shiina Tatsuki stopped at the crossroads, suddenly feeling that this was all there was to her life.

A failure to achieve anything, competitive and belligerent, mediocre and unremarkable, with a bad temper, daydreaming in class, spacing out after class, and speaking recklessly...

Just like parasites in society, dying in some dark corner might be the best ending for them.

"Xiao Ning... slow down..."

"Hurry up, or I'll miss the tram! Didn't Zayu-deng say he'd come out to see me off?"

"Then... okay..."

Two dazzling figures ran across the zebra crossing, rushing towards Shiina Tatsuki. The joyful atmosphere could be felt even from a distance.

"this…"

Lixi took a step back as the unpleasant memories of Ring resurfaced in her mind.

The cheerful girl running towards the setting sun, and the person biting their finger and refusing to let go of the purple clay... their figures gradually overlapped, so much so that Shiina Ritsuki thought of that phrase again and again.

Have I atoned my sins?

"Ah, please stop... ah..."

As Takamatsu Akari and Toyokawa Ningko drew closer and closer, Riki's desire to escape grew even stronger.

But her legs went weak again, just like they had been in the hospital.

"Pfft, Little Lamp, why don't you speed up? You're such a clumsy penguin. Aren't you supposed to be a marathon penguin?"

Ningzi held the cute little sheet music in her hand, and she said:

To prevent you, a nobody, from becoming too sentimental and unable to properly embrace the new future, I'm taking this back and storing it for a while before returning it to you.

They got their hands on the sheet music using an excuse that probably no one would believe except for the light.

There weren't many pedestrians passing by, and Ningzi gazed in the direction of her home.

Originally, I wanted to play at Deng's house until dark, but out of concern for Mutsu, this ticking time bomb, I decided to go home early so that I wouldn't be a naughty child that people would hate.

Will Mu wait for me downstairs today? Doesn't she have her own life? Doesn't she need to take ballet lessons or learn to play the piano?

It's true, Mu is a bit like a clingy little dog.

"me…"

Lixi's bag fell to the ground, and she collapsed to the ground as the bag fell.

She looked at the two people so close to her, and couldn't say a word.

It was as if someone had cut her throat and stuffed stones into her mouth.

"Hey, isn't this Riki-chan? Riki, are you taking the train? Let's go together."

"Huh? What? Wait, this isn't the way I came..."

Ningzi pulled up the paralyzed Shiina Ritsuki, grabbed his hand, and ran forward.

Holding a black puppy and a gray penguin, I really felt like a zookeeper, responsible for walking the animals every day.

"Xiang... Ningzi, let go of me..."

Lixi was forced to run towards the station with the two of them. She greeted Gaosong Deng awkwardly, but Deng just nodded to her while panting.

"Huh? Let go of you?"

Ningzi, who was in a good mood, turned her head slightly and stuck out her tongue at Lixi.

"Don't even think about it. It would be too embarrassing for Li Xi to squat down in public. Could it be that Li Xi is the kind of terrifying female demon king who likes to expose herself?"

"That's impossible, and I didn't expose myself... Don't talk nonsense..."

Lixi clearly lacked confidence when talking to Ningzi; if someone else had said that to her, she would have already started to retort enthusiastically.

But... whenever he saw Toyokawa Ningko's face, his mind went blank, and he couldn't say a single word.

All I could do was offer a few slightly sarcastic remarks, almost like I was being coquettish.

Lixi tried to break free with a little force, but when she realized that Ningzi's hand holding her wrist didn't seem to be using much strength, Lixi backed down.

What if I accidentally hurt Ningzi...?

Lixi's eyes dimmed slightly.

I really should go to hell.

"Well, what was Riki-chan doing just now? She was just standing at the intersection, lost in thought."

On the tram platform, Deng stared blankly into the distance, while Ningzi stood next to Lixi and casually put her arm around his shoulder.

"fine…"

Huh? This piece of junk.

Ningzi is in an extremely good mood right now, for no particular reason... maybe it's because she has a better grasp of lighting?

Now that we've seen Lixi again, it would be a shame not to have a proper conversation with her.

Although Lixi was a little taller, Ningzi still embraced her without any awkwardness.

"Well, if something's bothering you, just tell me... After all..."

Toyokawa Neko lowered her voice and whispered in Shiina Tatsuki's ear:

"Lixi, I still forgive you like that, you haven't already forgotten, have you?"

Treating me like Xiangzi is truly heinous; there will be consequences, and I won't forgive you easily.

"I...I haven't forgotten, I'm sorry..."

"Okay, okay, no need to apologize. Just grant me one request and I'll forgive you."

"What request?"

"I haven't decided yet, but..."

Ningzi pointed to the approaching tram and pulled back Takamatsu Tō, who was standing nearby.

"Follow us for now, although I don't know where we're going."

Ch68. She's so pretty, I'm so disgusting.

"Lixi?"

"Um…"

"Li Xi~"

"Uh-huh!"

On the tram, Shiina Riki, who had been dragged there in a daze, was tugging at the hem of her skirt in a bit of a panic.

What exactly does Ningzi want me to do? She keeps calling my name but doesn't say anything.

I have absolutely no clue what to do; my mind is a complete mess and I can't think of anything clearly.

Little Lamp's expression...

Leaning forward, Li Xi casually glanced to her side.

Lixi sat on the far right of the row of seats on the right side of the tram, Ningzi sat in the middle, and Deng sat on the far left.

The lamp is... Ah, the lamp's face is so red, it even seems a little excited?

Deng has never been this happy in front of me before. There have been a few times... like after the Crychic performance went smoothly, everyone cried tears of joy backstage... Ah, did Deng smile that time?

There were no other passengers on the tram, and the rather large carriage was occupied by three girls.

Toyokawa Ningko loved this kind of environment the most; she even felt a surge of heat within her.

This place looks like a great spot for a music party.

Transparent car window, partially obscured, two female companions, JK (high school girl), rock music enthusiast, quiet environment, restless self, spring.

It would be such a waste not to do something about it.

The body, which was originally leaning forward, gradually leaned back, and the back pressed against the red leather seat.

A soft sensation emanated from behind, and Ningzi tentatively stretched her arms out to the sides, placing them on the shoulders of the two of them.

"Well."

Lixi felt as if she had been electrocuted, and she couldn't help but cry out the moment Ningzi's hand touched her shoulder.

"Oh, I just saw some animals outside and got scared... I'm sorry."

Shiina Riki was trying to explain something, but all she saw were the suspicious looks in the eyes of the two people beside her.

Especially the lamp, which was also put on Ningzi's arm, but it didn't react at all, as if it were completely used to it.

Am I overreacting?

Li Xi awkwardly covered her mouth, not daring to make the slightest sound.

How she wished she could slap herself to death for letting Ningzi drag her along when she could have escaped!

"Lixi, relax, I'm not going to eat you."

A slender, pink finger traced circles on Lixi's shoulder, following her pale, haggard skin, from her collarbone all the way down her back, seemingly enjoying the play.

"Hey, Riki-chan's corpse is still rock hard. Didn't I tell you to relax? Your corpse feels really uncomfortable to touch."

Toyokawa Neko paused deliberately, then leaned close to Shiina Tatsuki, breathing hot air into the poor victim's earlobe:

"Or," the volume gradually decreased until only Lixi could clearly hear the seductive whisper, "does Lixi-chan want to disobey me?"

"No... I'm sorry..."

Relax, body, just relax already...

Lixi could feel the wound on her finger starting to hurt; the wound, which had only scabbed over a few days ago, was red as if it were still bleeding.

It was as if Ningzi had bitten him again.

Raising her amber eyes, Takamatsu looked at Li Xi with a puzzled expression: "Li Xi..."

Li Xi seems a bit strange today. Is he still worried about Xiao Ning taking her medicine?

Lixi is also a child trapped in the past. Perhaps, more than himself, Lixi needs to overcome his past self through the "trial".

"Inhale—exhale—exhale—exhale—"

Lixi didn't know how to calm herself down and relax quickly. She tried to take deep breaths, but felt her body getting more and more tense.

"Well, so Lixi is a nobody who can't even relax. She's really stupid. Do you need me to teach her?"

"No need, I'll try again..."

Li Xi dared not refute, and felt a deep-seated fear of refuting Toyokawa Ningko.

She was really afraid that if she didn't handle some small things well, Ningzi would have another suicidal thought and want to end her life.

A poor child, willing to give up his precious life without hesitation to apologize for his sister.

And yet, this child was attacked by Shiina Tatsuki.

"I...I'm sorry...I'll relax..."

With his body taut like a puppet with its strings cut, Li Xi leaned back and collapsed completely into Ning Zi's arms.

Forget it, I'm tired, it doesn't matter anymore.

Anyway, this is probably how my life will be.

The setting sun outside the window cast its malevolent rays upon Lixi, making her feel as if her skin and organs were on fire, and the fuel that was adding fuel to this flame was her own sinful soul.

My soul is about to be burned as firewood... It doesn't matter anymore. Maybe my soul had already dissipated outside the hospital room that night.

He almost caused the death of a girl, caused an older sister to lose her beloved younger sister, and caused a group of friends to lose their close companions.

Hmm...why would you feel the need to apologize on behalf of your sister?

If it had been Xiangzi who came that day, and if I hadn't spoken to the wrong person, I wouldn't be feeling so bad now.

Toyokawa Ningko, what kind of person are you? If you were any worse, I might feel a little better.

"Hurry up, we're here. Stop lingering in my arms like a spoiled brat."

"Huh? Oh, I'll get up right away."