Chapter 209, Rumors (Update )
"You can't breathe when you're smiling—... Just kidding, I just want you to smile and—why aren't you smiling."

Her Highness the Princess looked down at him for a few seconds, then used the index fingers of both hands to pull her face apart and put on a smiling expression: "You can breathe."

"This is just a joke on the Internet," Zhuo explained.

The purpose of this joke is to take advantage of the rebellious psychology and curiosity that are engraved in human bones. When you say something with certainty, others will think of denying it and try it out for themselves, so they will laugh.

"Which one."

"I forgot. Maybe I saw it on the news."

"I mean friends." Zero asked.

"Friend." Utsunomiya Shuo stretched out a hand and pried apart Zero's two index fingers, preventing her from forcing a smile.

"I understand." Zero nodded.

"Yeah." Zhuo didn't explain anything else. He didn't have many friends, and only two friends of the opposite sex.

There was a wailing sound coming from the playground downstairs, as if someone was venting his sorrow, or maybe he was just hit by the ball.

But the sound seemed too loud, and it was hard not to suspect that he was trying to attract the attention of the girls in his class.

But Zhuo felt that the voice was somewhat familiar.

It seems to be the boy from before.

Have you reached the playground yet?

Ling seemed to have heard it too. The two of them kept silent, just staring at each other's faces.

After a while.

"Are you going to the convenience store to buy something today?" Utsunomiya asked, "Or are you saying 'I have to leave for a while for something'?"

'I have to leave for a while due to something', this is the reason why Zero disappeared.

"Go home early today." Ling shook his head.

"Well," Utsunomiya Shuo sat up again, rubbed his numb face, and said, "Remember what I mentioned to you before, to check the matter of Minamoto Chisei's retainers, and then let it go. In fact, I was looking for someone at that time, and my main purpose was to find myself a girlfriend. Her name was Yabuki Sakura."

"And then?" Zero looked at him calmly.

"I saw her yesterday, too."

"and then."

"I talked about some things and I had a good impression of her."

"What's wrong."

"She is as beautiful as you," Utsunomiya Shuo thought for a moment, "She has no expression, and her skin is as white as snow... a bit like you."

"Really?" Ling asked lightly, still very calm, as if this was just an insignificant episode and he didn't take it to heart.

"It's fake," Utsunomiya Shuo shook his head and said, "It's far worse than you."

After hearing Zhuo's answer, Ling did not respond. He raised his hand which had been on his knee and gently pushed Utsunomiya Zhuo.

No push.

Obviously he didn't dare to use any force.

Utsunomiya Zhuo was stunned: "You pushed me."

Zero nodded: "I'll push you."

A moment of silence.

"Domestic violence." Utsunomiya Shuo commented.

After hearing this, Zero reached out and pinched Utsunomiya Shuo's face.

He used a little force, but because of Utsunomiya Shuo's personality, the expression on his face could not be seen.

……

The next day in physical education class.

sunny.

"Have you heard that Romanov seems to have a boyfriend?"

There were more than three or five girls gathered together, and Zhuo froze when he heard what they were discussing.

"Ah, that's what Taiquan said. He said he saw the two of them behaving intimately with his own eyes."

"Yeah, yeah. Romanoff-san has absolutely no intention of dating anyone else. Is it because he's already been dating someone for a long time?"

"I heard from Taiquan that the man went home with Romanov after school, and they might have lived together for a long time." It must not be an illusion, as it seemed that all the classmates in the class sitting in the audience were looking in his direction. Even Kanda Tomokazu and Kiritani Jin, who were sitting next to him, actually cast a straight look in his direction.

"Why do you do this?" Zhuo complained to Ren.

It's reasonable for Kanda to have only a vague idea. Didn't you, Kiritani Jin, think so a long time ago? Why are you pretending to have "sudden enlightenment" now?

"I haven't said it yet." Ren gave a hateful smile.

"Whatever you say."

"alright."

Faced with Zhuo's low and flat denial, Ren could only smile bitterly and skip the topic, then suddenly looked in a certain direction of the playground.

Kanda on the side remained silent, analyzing the situation in his mind.

"Hey Zhuo, did you confess to me yesterday while I was asleep? How come the world has changed so much overnight?" Tongya said while looking over there.

In the past, although "Princess" and Utsunomiya Shuo were discussed, no one thought that the two were in a relationship. At most, they were just the queen's servants... although this also made some boys very angry.

But overall, it was pretty calm.

This storm seems to be a bit big.

No wonder Ren said that.

"It's not me who confessed." Zhuo complained speechlessly.

He was the one who confessed. That’s right, the classmate who confessed yesterday was named Taizen, Susano Taizen.

"What about the 'I admit I like you' thing I heard yesterday..."

"You're having a nightmare."

"Why is it a nightmare?"

"It could also be a wet dream."

Zhuo just wanted to prove that he could write a letter like that, so he just wrote a confession... Besides, those words couldn't really be considered a confession.

"You are amazing." Ren said.

"You are the only one who talks too much." Zhuo said coldly.

Faced with Zhuo who was as cold as ever, Ren did not get angry but laughed instead.

"The news about you spread at school~" Ren reminded again.

"I heard and saw it without you telling me." Zhuo rolled his eyes.

"What I mean is, don't be careless. Don't underestimate the jealousy of adolescent males."

"……Oh."

……

"Your story has spread all over the school~"

Home.

After dinner, Zhuo sat at the dining table, on the sofa, and sighed to Ling who was sitting next to him. Ling also understood the meaning of his words, but there was no emotion.

I guess she was one of the parties involved.

Perhaps this is the power of facial paralysis.

"I heard."

After a few seconds, Zero responded calmly.

It was only after thinking about it that Zhuo understood what Ling meant: she meant that she also heard those people's discussions during the physical education class.

"What I mean is, don't be careless. Don't underestimate the jealousy of adolescent females!"

Utsunomiya Shuo sighed in the same tone as Kiritani Jin.

“I heard that, too.”

Zero responded calmly.

Zhuo: “…” It turned out that he didn’t hear other people’s discussions, but rather heard the private conversations between the boys.

Today, after Ling had dinner with Zhuo at his house, he kept looking over here vaguely while sitting on the sofa. He didn't stare blankly like usual. It must be because of this.

　Thanks to brother 20220703153922263 for the 500-point reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)