Though Kinoshita Momoko's mind still held strange thoughts, all negative emotions had vanished the moment she saw Hong Shuangyu. To her, simply seeing Hong Shuangyu was enough; nothing else mattered.
Suddenly, the food in Kinoshita Momoko's hands seemed to grow more delicious, and she ate even faster than before.
Slowly, Kinoshita Momoko, who had just been eating with a sorrowful expression, now reverted to her old self, happily stuffing her face with a joyful smile.
Meanwhile, Hong Shuangyu and Hong Xue next to her found Kinoshita Momoko's behavior strange.
Upon arriving on the rooftop, Hong Shuangyu had seen Kinoshita Momoko crying. Though a little worried and wanting to ask her about it, he decided it was better not to meddle, especially with Hong Xue present.
However, Hong Shuangyu himself didn't know that Kinoshita Momoko's recent peculiarities were entirely due to him, and her crying just now had also been because of him.
So, from the moment Hong Shuangyu arrived, Kinoshita Momoko had been secretly casting aggrieved glances at him, occasionally looking at Hong Xue with envy.
Perhaps it was because the three of them were eating together, but Kinoshita Momoko felt herself eating much faster than before. A large bag of food was quickly consumed by her inexplicably restored appetite.
After eating, Kinoshita Momoko lay down contentedly as usual, rice grains still clinging to the corner of her mouth, enjoying the lingering satisfaction of the meal with a blissful smile.
"Ah~ I'm so full~ I haven't eaten this much in ages~ Are Little Xue and Little Yu not done eating yet?"
Kinoshita Momoko said blissfully, as if the sorrow from moments ago had never touched her.
But Hong Shuangyu and Hong Xue beside her had not finished. They continued to repeat the actions of feeding and being fed. Hong Shuangyu, busy eating, couldn't speak, while Hong Xue simply ignored her.
So Kinoshita Momoko sat up, looking aggrievedly at the two who seemed inexplicably more affectionate than usual, and softly pouted:
"You made me like that... and now you're ignoring me..."
Kinoshita Momoko spoke very softly, so Hong Shuangyu and Hong Xue didn't hear her mumbling. But Hong Xue seemed to sense Kinoshita Momoko's gaze.
Hong Xue paused her movements and turned to look at Kinoshita Momoko, her face turning cold:
"What is it? Do you have a problem with Little Yu and me not being finished?"
Seeing Hong Xue's icy expression, Kinoshita Momoko, though accustomed to Hong Xue's demeanor and aware that Hong Xue harbored no ill will at the moment, still feigned fear, shrinking her neck and whispering:
"Of... of course not..."
Seeing Kinoshita Momoko look so timid, Hong Xue decided not to bother with her further and turned back to continue feeding Hong Shuangyu.
The moment Hong Xue turned away, Kinoshita Momoko made a face at her, sticking out her pink tongue.
Bleah, bleah, bleah... Hmph! You tyrannical, brother-obsessed president! I want to talk to Little Yu too!
As Kinoshita Momoko made a face at Hong Xue, Hong Xue, with her back turned, didn't see it. However, Hong Shuangyu was facing Kinoshita Momoko.
Hong Shuangyu saw Kinoshita Momoko secretly making a face at Hong Xue, which startled him so much that he instantly spat out the meat and rice Hong Xue had just put into his mouth.
Pfft.
After spitting it out, Hong Shuangyu immediately covered his mouth, looking at Hong Xue in front of him. Since Hong Xue was very close to him, she was inevitably sprayed in the face.
Hong Xue's face was now covered in rice grains sprayed by Hong Shuangyu. Sprayed in the face, Hong Xue stared blankly at Hong Shuangyu, looking somewhat disbelieving.
Hong Shuangyu quickly reached out to clean the rice from Hong Xue's face.
"Sorry, Sister."
But before Hong Shuangyu's hand could reach Hong Xue's face, she suddenly grabbed it. At this moment, Hong Xue's face inexplicably flushed, and she stammered:
"It's... it's fine... don't blame Little Yu... And... no, no, no... you shouldn't waste food, okay, Little Yu... This... this is what Sister worked very hard to make... So, so, so... let Sister eat it..."
Before Hong Shuangyu could respond, Hong Xue suddenly and swiftly scraped off all the rice grains from her face and popped them into her mouth. After eating, she ignored Hong Shuangyu's astonished gaze and continued to stammer:
"Let's... let's continue eating, Little Yu... Don't... don't look at Sister like that... Sister just doesn't want to wa... wa... waste food..."
Hong Xue spoke with a bright red face, uttering completely unconvincing words. Hong Shuangyu, however, simply kept looking at her with a disdainful gaze, saying nothing, effectively conveying "you know what I mean."
"....."
Finally, Hong Xue couldn't bear Hong Shuangyu's disdainful gaze and had to cover her flushed face, saying:
"Aargh! Stop looking at Sister like that! Sister momentarily lost her senses! Don't look at me like that, Little Yu!"
Behind them, Kinoshita Momoko watched Hong Xue in shock. It was her first time seeing Hong Xue in such a shy state. Amidst her shock, she also thought to herself:
Ugh, Little Xue is truly a brother-complex type, how perverse!
While Kinoshita Momoko felt the same disdain as Hong Shuangyu, deep down, she was extremely envious that Hong Xue could do what she had just done.
After covering her face and feeling shy for a moment, Hong Xue suddenly remembered something. She then turned and glared fiercely at Kinoshita Momoko. Why had Hong Shuangyu suddenly spat out his food? From the direction of his gaze, she knew Kinoshita Momoko must have done something!
So, to cover up her own perverse behavior just now, Hong Xue immediately used Kinoshita Momoko to divert attention.
"Mo! Mo! Ko!"
Seeing Hong Xue approaching her with a fierce expression, Kinoshita Momoko began to panic:
"Eh! No... it's not my fault! You just wanted to eat it, Little Xue! Don't blame me!"
Kinoshita Momoko's words only made Hong Xue angrier. Hong Xue swiftly rushed to Kinoshita Momoko's side, and with a quick hand chop, forcefully struck her on the head.
Thwack!
"Ow! Why me!"
Kinoshita Momoko could only roll around on the ground, clutching her head. After venting her frustration on Kinoshita Momoko, Hong Xue ignored her and returned to Hong Shuangyu's side to continue feeding him:
"Come, Little Yu, let's continue."
Hong Shuangyu could only spare a sympathetic glance for the rolling Kinoshita Momoko before continuing to eat the food Hong Xue picked for him.
....
Under the clear blue sky, the three on the rooftop continued their daily routine as usual.
#
After finishing the meal, Hong Shuangyu lay gently hiccuping on Hong Xue's soft lap, while Hong Xue tenderly stroked his hair. Kinoshita Momoko sat some distance away, hugging her knees and pouting with an aggrieved expression, softly muttering:
"Little Yu was the one who spat out his food... but I'm the one who got hit... She's the one who wanted to eat it... but I still got hit..."
Hong Xue seemed to sense Kinoshita Momoko's resentment and shot her a fierce glare. Kinoshita Momoko was startled by Hong Xue once more and cowered in the distance, hugging her knees and trembling.
After some time passed, Hong Shuangyu fell deeply asleep. Hong Xue slowly and gently stroked Hong Shuangyu's hair, while Kinoshita Momoko boredly drew circles on the ground nearby, still pouting with a very aggrieved expression.
Suddenly, Hong Xue stopped stroking Hong Shuangyu's hair. She carefully took out her phone from her pocket, checked the time, and let out a sigh so faint it was almost inaudible. Then she looked at Kinoshita Momoko next to her and quietly said:
"Momoko, come here."
Hearing Hong Xue's voice, Kinoshita Momoko trembled all over, then turned her head, clutching her skull, and slowly approached Hong Xue, pouting as she asked:
"Wh... what is it...?"
"Why are you clutching your head?"
Hong Xue frowned, looking at her.
"Be... because..."
Kinoshita Momoko spoke half a sentence, then dared not continue, only slowly lowering her hands. She stopped about a meter from Hong Xue.
Seeing Kinoshita Momoko like this, Hong Xue felt a moment of speechlessness, but she didn't dwell on it, only sighing and saying:
"I have to go to work. You watch over Little Yu."
Though Kinoshita Momoko had roughly guessed what Hong Xue was going to say, hearing that Hong Xue was going to work, she almost forcibly suppressed her urge to jump for joy and the uncontrollable smile tugging at her lips. So, at that moment, Kinoshita Momoko appeared unchanged in Hong Xue's eyes.
"Alright! No problem!"
Kinoshita Momoko patted her chest, responding as she usually did to Hong Xue.
"Don't do anything strange to Little Yu, alright? If I find out... just prepare to meet your end."
"I won't do anything to Little Yu! You still don't trust me after all these days!"
As she said this, Kinoshita Momoko felt a faint pain in her heart.
"Also, it seems some undesirables have recently set their sights on Little Yu, wanting to defile my Little Yu. If you encounter them, don't overthink it, just go for the kill."
As Hong Xue said this, her entire demeanor turned somewhat menacing.
"No problem! Leave it to me! Any small fry, I'll take them out in a second!"
Kinoshita Momoko still patted her chest as she spoke. Although she said this, Kinoshita Momoko would, of course, not casually kill someone.
Seeing Kinoshita Momoko's strangely confident air, Hong Xue felt a little odd, but what Kinoshita Momoko said was the same answer she always gave whenever asked for a favor.
Over all these days, Hong Xue's trust in her had gradually increased, as nothing had ever happened to Hong Shuangyu when she wasn't around.
Hong Xue carefully lowered Hong Shuangyu's head from her lap, using a few cloths as a pillow, then stood up.
After one last look at Hong Shuangyu, Hong Xue said:
"He's in your hands, Momoko."
"No problem!"
Kinoshita Momoko patted her chest again.
And after Hong Xue reached the doorway, she still looked back at Hong Shuangyu one last time before leaving the rooftop.
Kinoshita Momoko watched Hong Xue leave, sitting motionlessly beside Hong Shuangyu.
.....
After waiting for half a minute, Kinoshita Momoko stood up and walked to the rooftop railing, watching Hong Xue gradually leave the school in the distance.
Once Hong Xue had left the school, Kinoshita Momoko felt her heart suddenly pound intensely.
She turned to look at Hong Shuangyu sleeping nearby.