"Hey!", After waiting quite a while like that, still not seeing Umiri return to normal, Taki couldn't help crossing her arms and voiced her dissatisfaction, "What are you spacing out about?"
Umiri turned a deaf ear.
The girl's gaze went straight past behind her, not shifting for a long while.
'What on earth is going on?'
Taki grew even more puzzled in her heart, followed her gaze, turned around, and met a pair of light pink pupils.
A girl as cute as a small animal stood behind her at some unknown point, slightly tilting her head, revealing a confused expression.
Shiina Taki: "..."
'Oh no!'
GAME OVER!
[T/N: Guys, after grinding hard for months I have finally reached the latest chapter of this novel. It is currently ongoing and author is releasing chapters very slow, so next chapter will depend upon when the author Releases it. As soon as the new chapter is released I will translate and publish it immediately. So stay tuned~ and in the mean time try my other novels.]
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Chapter 270: Impossible, Absolutely Impossible!
"Taki... how could you be here?"
Facing Tomori's confused and puzzled gaze, the expression of the black-haired girl clearly stiffened for a moment.
The worst ending still ended up happening, secretly tailing and being caught red-handed. For a mature big sister, this might just be a minor issue that could be casually brushed off with a laugh, or even without lying, simply saying she came here with a friend for fun would suffice.
But for Taki, who already had a guilty conscience, trying to remain calm and talk and laugh with ease was still too difficult.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Yahata Umiri, Taki's friend."
At the critical moment, it was still the reliable Umiri who stepped forward and picked up the awkward conversation.
This mature-looking bassist young lady, though still a student, whether in dress or impression, seemed more like a seasoned socialite, which made the shy Takamatsu, a junior high student, little reserved.
The girl instinctively hid behind Kaito, clutching the corner of his clothes for help. Watching from the side, Mortis couldn't help but puff up her cheeks, her little mouth pouting enough to hang an oil bottle, and she unyieldingly occupied the other half of her brother's back.
Kaito didn't mind these small details, letting the two girls grab his clothing corners. He just looked at Yahata Umiri in front of him and slightly nodded, "Kurumizaka Kaito. Nice to meet you, Yahata-san. Please take care of me."
Mutsumi followed immediately, "Wakaba Mutsumi."
Then he looked at Mortis, who was still locked in a silent competition with Tomori, hesitated a bit before saying, "Mortis, my... younger sister."
Yahata Umiri recognized her identity. As the daughter of a famous female star, Mutsumi had appeared on many programs with Mori Minami and had some degree of fame.
'But how come I never heard that Mori Minami actually have a pair of twins?'
'Forget it, such details aren't important.'
Umiri didn't dwell on it for long.
Compared to celebrity gossip irrelevant to her, something else now was obviously much more interesting.
Without showing it, she withdrew the gaze that had landed on someone's face. The bassist young lady raised the ticket in her hand and naturally said, "I heard the dolphin show here is pretty good, Taki and I just came in too. Since we happened to run into each other, want to watch together?"
'Happened to?'
If he hadn't already noticed these two were sneakily tailing them, facing this calm-faced Umiri who exuded a cool beauty vibe, he might really have believed her nonsense.
Kaito was silent for two seconds but in the end didn't expose the clumsy lie.
'Let's just pretend what you said is true.'
He nodded indifferently, "Well, that's really quite the coincidence."
As for Umiri s proposal to watch the dolphin show together, Kaito thought about it and didn't refuse.
Although he didn't care about such trivial matters, having two little tails following him always felt a bit strange.
Since they took the initiative to show up, he was also curious, 'What exactly are these two up to?'
Thus, the already crowded aquarium group became even larger after welcoming two new members.
Mortis clearly wasn't happy about this.
One lightbulb was already annoying enough, now there were two, making it impossible for her to make any moves.
But seeing that Mutsumi didn't mind, if she was the only one to object, it felt like she'd lost somehow.
'Damn it! Where is this unwillingness coming from?'
The conflicted Mortis in the end didn't say much, just held her brother's arm even tighter and stared warily at the girl named "Yahata Umiri," completely ignoring Taki beside her.
In her mind, Taki counted as a half-familiar person, and she was also awkward in personality.
More importantly, she was basically a hardcore lamp guardian, her whole heart fixated on stealthily watching Tomori. Without a doubt, she was the least threatening one.
If someone told her Taki would sneak off?
'Impossible! Absolutely impossible!'
But Yahata Umiri was different.
Not only did Umiri possess a rare dignified aura among girls, her looks could truly be described as "graceful," and paired with that black leather jacket that couldn't hide her shapely, curvy figure.
'This is a major threat!'
Umiri clearly noticed the girl's wary gaze and raised her eyebrows slightly.
But the mercenary lady didn't say anything, merely ignored it and walked to Taki's side, gently nudging her still-petrified friend with her elbow.
"Taki, weren't you really looking forward to the dolphin show here? You even studied the route in advance, lead the way."
"Huh?"
Finally snapping out of it, Shiina Taki seemed to awaken from a dream. Faced with Umiri's offered step down, she couldn't even bother worrying about the fact that it was her first time here and quickly nodded, "Oh! Y-Yes, that's right, I remember the dolphin hall is this way"
Randomly picking a direction, she had just taken a step when her sleeve was pulled.
Takamatsu Tomori tilted her small head, looking even more confused, "But... this is the way to see the orcas."
Shiina Taki: "..."
Fortunately, Takamatsu Tomori didn't think much of it, just assumed she had made a mistake, which made Taki breathe a true sigh of relief and redirect herself toward the correct path.
[Ten Minutes Later]
Inside the dolphin performance hall, behind a massive curved glass wall was a deep blue, crystal-clear water area.
The audience seats were tiered, and by now, more than half were already filled. The murmurs of conversation mixed with the aquarium's signature damp atmosphere.
Kaito and the group found a spot with fewer tourists to sit down, and the seating was subtly spaced: Mortis and Tomori sat closely on either side of him, while Mutsumi, who was a step late, had no choice but to sit beside Mortis.
Umiri and Taki sat in the row behind, the reason they gave was simple, sitting higher, better view.
However, since ten minutes ago, the latter's posture had looked rather stiff.
Taki's gaze occasionally flicked toward Kaito and Tomori's direction, then quickly darted away, as if there were needles on the seat.
Umiri, on the other hand, was perfectly calm, even curiously examining the venue's structure and the gradually brightening lights. Only occasionally, her gaze would unintentionally sweep past that slender figure in front of her.
"Brother, look! Dolphins!", Mortis excitedly pointed at the pool. After all, she had a childlike heart. Seeing creatures she'd never seen before, she had already forgotten her earlier vigilance toward someone.
In the distant pool, a few sleek gray shadows glided swiftly through the water, stirring up ripples.
Takamatsu Tomori was also drawn in, her amber eyes widening slightly, and her clear pupils reflecting the shimmering water.
The girl unconsciously gripped Kaito's hand, her gaze unwavering.
This small action made Taki's feelings complex. She silently stared at the scene, her gaze falling on the hands the two had clasped.
Kaito's hands were very good-looking, long, smooth, with distinct joints, strong yet gentle, enough to fulfill any hand fetishist's poetic imagination.
But such a beautiful hand, at this moment, was held by another even more delicate small hand, like a pearl gathering dust, a flawless jade with a tiny blemish.
It made Taki unable to tell for a moment
'Who... Am I supposed to envy?'
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Chapter 271: The Incompetent Taki
The dolphin show was still going on.
But Shiina Taki was absent-minded. Even though she forced herself to keep her attention on the performance, before long, her gaze would uncontrollably fall on those two figures in the front row sitting close together.
The light shining on his side profile, Kaito's outstanding facial lines, and that natural closeness between them all of it made her feel like she was the outsider.
"Tch!", She let out a very faint tongue click, shifted irritably in her seat, tried to look away, but couldn't stop herself from sneaking glances back.
Yahata Umiri saw her friend's restless state clearly and shook her head in secret.
She even kind of wanted to take out her phone, snap a photo of Taki right now, and title it 'On the Self-Training of a Loser in Love'. It would no doubt become valuable material for teasing her for a long time.
Of course, that was only a thought.
Even if she was a loser in love, once she blew up, she still had a certain degree of intimidation.
'But still'
'Can a man really be this beautiful?'
Her eyes skimmed lightly over that unforgettable figure's back, and Umiri felt a little understanding of Taki's feelings.
In the face of such ultimate purity and beauty, how many could really turn a blind eye? Like moths chasing light, knowing they'd be burned by the flames, yet still throwing themselves forward, sweetly willing.
Although Taki's behavior was a bit too pathetic she was, after all, one of her few friends.
Miss Umiri thought for a moment and decided to do something.
She nudged the girl beside her lightly with her elbow, leaned in a little, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, said seriously, "I just remembered a science video I saw before Taki, do you know how dolphins reproduce?"
Taki snapped back to herself, tilted her head in confusion, "Huh?"
"It's said that dolphins' courtship rituals are quite complicated."
Yahata Umiri ignored her puzzled face, her gaze on the pool not far away, "The males have to show off their strength, wisdom, and singing voice. Only after fierce competition can they win the females' favor."
Facing the big-drum band member's blank look, she paused, then said meaningfully, "In a sense, it's quite similar to humans, isn't it? Hesitating and standing still will only make you a loser in love. Commonly called, a defeated dog."
"W-wait a second!", Taki finally reacted, her cheeks turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye. She instinctively lowered her voice, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Who are you calling a defeated dog?"
"Don't be in a rush," Yahata Umiri's tone was calm, as if she were saying "Nice weather today", "I was only explaining dolphin behavior to you. Or is it that, Taki, your mind went somewhere else?"
"I!", Taki was choked speechless, and she couldn't explain herself either, otherwise wouldn't that just be confessing on the spot?
Seeing her fuming to the point of nearly getting internal injuries but not daring to talk back, looking like a total pushover, Miss Bassist's expression stayed composed.
But if someone who knew her well were here, they'd notice that in those jade-green eyes, a faint smile flashed.
The commotion in the back row wasn't big. Even though the two of them were already speaking in low voices, it was still impossible to escape Kaito's perception.
But he didn't take it to heart, just thought it was friends bickering, and kept his attention on the dolphin show.
According to research, dolphins' intelligence is comparable to a six— or seven-year-old child. They are very clever animals, especially friendly toward humans, and will even actively rescue sailors who fall into the sea.
But cleverness sometimes also means mischief. Like six— or seven-year-old kids, at that age where they're teasing cats, chasing birds, and annoying everyone.
Following the music in the venue, a particularly mischievous dolphin suddenly leapt up, slapped the water hard with its tail, and deliberately splashed water toward the audience.
This sudden move caused many of the people in the front rows to let out cries, their bodies more or less sprayed with water.
Kaito reacted instantly, almost instinctively leaning sideways and raising his arm to shield the girl beside him.
The cold water droplets mostly fell on his arm and shoulder. He could've blocked it with spiritual power, but thinking about how many eyes were in the venue, he chose not to be too flashy.
The short-haired gray-haired girl stared blankly at the boy right next to her, his sleeve soaked for her sake, and the smooth line of his jaw, her heartbeat skipped a beat.
"Onii-chan! Are you okay?", On the other side, Mortis also leaned in, but she found it more fun than anything, even though her own bangs got a little wet. She busied herself reaching up to wipe the water off Kaito's face.
Sitting a bit farther away, Mutsumi, and Taki and Umiri in the back row, escaped unscathed thanks to their seats.
But the big-drum band member didn't feel any relief.
Looking at the faint blush on Tomori's cheeks, and Kaito's completely unhesitant protective posture, it was as if her heart had been stuffed with ten lemons.
Umiri timely handed her a tissue, "Here."
Taki came back to her senses, took it in puzzlement, "Thanks, but I didn't get wet, I don't need it."
"I know," Umiri nodded, her face expressionless, "That's for you to wipe your tears with." [T/N: Burn ]
Shiina Taki: ""
'And here I thought this girl had a sudden burst of conscience!'
The big-drum band member, stabbed in the chest yet again, was unusually furious.
By the time they came out of the aquarium, half an hour had already passed.
