To lift high

"What are you talking about the most understanding couple in the world?" Miku puffed out her face, "Obviously there's no tacit understanding at all."

The game is very simple at first, and they both have a lot of fun. But sadly, the difficulty gets higher and higher as the game progresses. Of course, Naoki has no problem, but Miku is in a hurry, and in the end, she is "Unfriended".

"How can there be so many tacit understandings for the first time?" Naoki complained, "It's like the Black Soul series. The one who can pass the level with their life for the first time, of course must be a cheat."

After a pause, Naoki said:

"Try again, I'll give you a buff."

"Eh?" Miku was curious, "What buff?"

Naoki said: "At this time, the buff effect of mind-to-heart connection should be very good."

"Mind to heart connection..." Miku hesitated, "Is it really possible to do something like that?"

The most incomprehensible thing in the world is the human heart.

A philosopher once said that people's sorrows and joys have nothing to do with it. Many people don't even understand themselves, let alone relate to others.

"You will know if you try it." Naoki looked at Miku.

Miku blushed slightly, "...Try it."

The four eyes face each other.

Miku's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slightly lifted her chin with a blush.

Naoki leaned down and kissed Miku's icy soft lips, and the sweet taste and aroma of matcha soda immediately permeated the tip of his tongue.

After a while.

"No, that can't be done…" Miku's face was as red as fire, laying down on the futon breathless, "I'm going to run out of breath."

"Let's jog with Ichika at night." Naoki sighed disappointedly, "Your lung capacity is dropping again."

"If I run, I will feel uncomfortable if I sweat and don't shower, and it's hard to take a shower every day." Miku bit her lower lip. "...Lung capacity is very poor, don't kiss me in the future."

Naoki said in a meaningful tone: "You don't think so in your heart."

"Eh?"

Miku was shocked, and immediately realized that the world had changed.

To be precise, an invisible bridge seems to have been built between her and Naoki. The consciousnesses of the two people were linked together. There is no need to speak, just a movement in the heart, and thoughts will float in the other person's heart.

"Is this sharing thoughts?"

Miku had a surprised expression, and what she was thinking immediately appeared in Naoki's heart.

"That's right." Naoki conveyed his heart, "I like Miku."

Miku quickly turned her head away, her ears stained red, and in the connected state, she could easily tell if the other party was being insincere or lying.

The fact is that Naoki has no lies in his heart, only likes that make his heart beat faster.

"Stop talking." Miku turned her face away "Quickly play a game."

Naoki continued: "I like Miku."

"You still say."

Miku turned around.

"You obviously still want to hear it in your heart." Naoki said. "And no matter how much you listen, you won't get bored."

"...That pisses me off!"

Her little thoughts were clearly expressed, Miku's face was red like fire, and her pale index finger poked Naoki's waist lightly: "Quickly try the game."

Naoki nodded, and restarted the [Overcooked Kitchen] round.

Let's start this game.

The mind linking buff is simply amazing. Naoki and Miku didn't need to talk or look at each other. They could feel each other's thoughts just by sitting together, and they worked closely together without breaking.

"The expression of water and milk flowing into harmony...should be a feeling like this?"

Miku thought subconsciously in her heart.

In her connected state, Miku quickly 'sees' Naoki's inner thoughts.

"As we all know, the ancients didn't drink milk, so the milk here is actually..."

"Reckless Asakawa, don't think obscene things in your heart!"

"Where is the widely circulated idiom so obscene?"

"That is clearly obscene."

This was Miku's first time using this kind of game to play, it felt very new, and she became addicted without knowing it.

...

Time flies.

I don't know how long.

Miku turned to look at Naoki, and couldn't help but say: "Why don't you play anymore?"

"It's getting dark." Naoki put down the joystick, "Get some rest."

Miku raised her eyes and looked out the window: "It's already dark?"

"It's dark." Naoki complained, "After playing for two hours, it's already 6 PM."

"It's been a long time playing." Miku felt her wrists and shoulders ache.

Naoki looked at Miku: "Come here, let me massage your shoulders for you."

"Don't want to."

"That's not what you said in your heart."

Naoki got up and walked behind Miku, and started massaging her shoulders and neck.

The person who likes to massage the shoulders and neck the most is Ogata Rizu, followed by the Quintessential Quintuplets. Because the load is too heavy, it is inevitable to have back pain and shoulder pain at the end of the day.

Massage done.

"It is late." Miku reluctantly said, "I'll be back."

Under the same thought, Naoki naturally understood Miku's thoughts: "If you don't want to come back, don't come back."

"No." Miku shook her head "If I don't come back, everyone will laugh at me."

Naoki said in his heart: "The five of you are the same, don't laugh at anyone..."

"Reckless Asakawa." Miku approached in displeasure "Guilty, harakiri!"

After turning off the kotatsu, Naoki got up and walked towards the entrance, took a scarf and tied it for Miku.

Miku raised her face, her eyes met each other, and a small thought could not help but emerge from the bottom of her heart:

"I want to be hugged and held aloft."

Naoki was dumbfounded, with a clear expression on his face: "Understood."

Miku always has a cold expression at ordinary times, but she also likes to kiss, hug, and hold her up high even when she doesn't see her!

"That is not me." Miku blushed "That was just a passing thought, that's not what I wanted."

Don't deny it, your true mind can't fool anyone, you just want to be hugged and held high!

Because of that, the person who loves hugging and cuddling the most is Ichika. When the two of them ran at night together, every night was no exception.

Hugging and holding Miku high, really not.

Miku quickly opened her eyes wide, and her cheeks puffed out:

"Night run, you and Ichika..."

Naoki didn't give Miku a chance to speak, and wrapped his right hand around Miku's waist, and immediately hugged Miku.

Kiss, hug and hold on high, do what you say!

Unfortunately, not long after, the cell phone rang.

"Put me down." Miku hugged Naoki's neck, she was panting and lying limply in Naoki's arms, "Someone called me."

Naoki put Miku down.

"It's Ichika's call."

Miku took out her phone, looked at the caller ID, then made the call.

"Miku, are you at Asakawa-kun's place?"

Ichika's voice came from the phone.

Miku: "😐"

Even without asking, Ichika can guess where she is, and the key point is that she can't deny it.

"Nino and I just got home." Ichika continued, "Just now I went to the supermarket to buy ingredients, and saw fish on sale, so I bought it. Would you like to come and eat together, Asakawa-kun?"

Naoki agreed: "I'll go there with Miku later."

"Then hurry back." Ichika said "It's getting dark outside."

Miku hung up the phone, looking at Naoki with irritated eyes.

The state of mind-to-heart connection has been closed, Naoki thought for a while and said: "You want to continue hugging and she lifts high?"

"No continue." Miku couldn't help but get annoyed, "Ichika definitely called me, but I didn't say a word from beginning to end."

"Talk slowly when you get back." Naoki took his school bag and scarf, "Go outside."

Miku looked wary: "What did you do with your school bag?"

Naoki looked straight: "Study together at night."

Miku: "...I can't believe it."

Speaking of studying together, it's clear that Naoki wants to stay the night.

After tying the scarves and locking the doors and windows, Naoki and Miku exited together.

Night had really fallen.

As the night wind blew, Miku shivered slightly.

"Your hands are very cold."

Naoki grabbed Miku's hand.

"Hands are always cold in winter," Miku held back quietly, "No wonder your hands are so hot. Go, hurry."

....

20 minutes later.

Naoki pressed the doorbell, and soon there were footsteps behind the door. Itsuki came to open the door, and a cold wind blew, making his hair flutter:

"Cold, come in quickly."

"I'm back."

Miku stepped to the entrance.

Naoki followed Miku, closed the door gently, then handed a shopping bag to Itsuki: "This is a gift bought especially for you."

"Hah?" Itsuki took it curiously, and looked inside, "What gift is this?"

"Meat buns."

"Too much." Itsuki complained, "Who would give meat buns as a gift?"

Naoki untied his scarf, "Do you want one?"

Itsuki held a grocery bag in his hand: "...Of course."

Returning from a winter trip, she was short on money and could barely afford meat buns. Tomorrow she only brought meat buns to school to replenish energy.

"Asakawa-kun, where's my gift?"

Ichika sat in front of the TV, holding a hippo cushion in her arms, and turned to look at Naoki.

"Milk tea." Naoki handed over several cups of milk tea, "One cup for each person, take whatever flavor you want."

"Thank you, Asakawa-kun~"

Nino and Yotsuba were wearing aprons and were cooking, Naoki walked over to have a look, and couldn't help but say, "That's ugly."

Yotsuba nodded in agreement: "It's really ugly."

Miku walked over curiously: "How ugly."

"Don't always say bad." Nino complained, "Ichika bought it, I don't want to buy it at all."

"You hate eating it now, but you won't hate eating it later." Ichika lay down on the kotatsu, "Anglefish sashimi is delicious."

"I haven't eaten it yet." Itsuki shook his head, "I only know it appeared in the [One Piece] manga. There is a lantern in front of his forehead, also known as a lantern fish. It would disguise itself as a lantern at night to trick sailors into rowing, then devour it in one bite."

In fact, it is almost impossible. The angler fish is a deep-sea fish. However, all deep-sea fish have a characteristic, that is, after they float to the surface, their body will not be able to withstand the changing pressure, and their internal organs will burst and die!

"Asakawa-san, can a fish like this really shine in the deep sea?" Yotsuba asked curiously.

"Of course." Naoki said, "But to be more precise, it's not that it's shining, but the symbiotic bacteria on its forehead that's shining."

"I can't, the skin is too hard." Nino handed over the knife, "Stupid Asakawa, you cooked it."

It's not that the skin is tough, but that you think it's ugly and don't want to touch it with your hands!

"I come."

Naoki takes over as head chef.

This thing didn't have scales on its body, and its skin was rough, a bit like a frog's, no wonder Nino was reluctant to touch it.

"That's also a fish, why is the anglerfish so ugly." Nino was disgusted "Those who don't know think it's a monster."

"Because there is no light at the bottom of the sea." Itsuki tilted his head "Is it ugly and no one can see it?"

"It's just an anglerfish, a representative of beauty among anglerfish." Naoki complained, "You've never seen a really ugly anglerfish."

It's ugly, but very tasty.

"Want sashimi or hot pot?" Naoki asked.

Japan has always had a tradition of eating anglerfish, and its status is tied with that of pufferfish. There has always been a saying "Kansai pufferfish, Kanto anglerfish". The name anglerfish is a transliteration of the Japanese name.

Nino: "Sashimi."

Miku: "Eating hot pot in winter is also delicious."

Itsuki: "Make copies of everything."

Naoki stared at Itsuki silently: "You want everything, that's too greedy."

Itsuki said: "You have no right to call me greedy!"

Naoki cut them with a single knife, slicing through the frog-like skin of the fish, and several of the girls showed expressions of physical discomfort.

"No, I can't stand it."

"Really ugly."

"The puffer fish is ten times prettier."

Several girls slipped out of the kitchen one by one, and in the end only the Yotsuba remained.

Naoki looked calm and unfazed, he waved the kitchen knife in his hand like flowing water, and quickly divided the anglerfish into two halves, one for the sashimi and one for the hot pot.

"I leave the rest to you." Naoki looked at the Yotsuba.

"No." Yotsuba took half a step back, "Since you already did it, then finish it directly, the slime tastes really disgusting, I don't want to touch it anymore."

"Since you left it to me…"

Naoki opened his hand towards the Yotsuba.

"Eh?"

Yotsuba stunned, her face slightly reddened, she looked out silently and saw that everyone was drinking milk tea. She took a small step forward, and gently hugged Naoki's waist.

"I'm done cuddling."

Yotsuba blushed and took a half step back.

"You made a mistake." Naoki said speechlessly "I asked you to help tie the apron."

Yotsuba: "😐"

...

Half an hour later.

The Quintuplets and Naoki sat around the table, the lights were bright, the plates were steaming hot, and the anglerfish made into sashimi as thin as cicada wings, it looked quite attractive.

"Ittadakimasu."

Itsuki couldn't wait to pick up chopsticks and eat a piece of sashimi, his eyes suddenly lit up: "The flesh is firm, firm but not loose, full of elasticity, and very delicious. Knife skills and sauces to match are just fine."

"Just say it's delicious." Nino couldn't help but moan, "Are you a food critic?"

Ichika smiled and said: "You want to eat in the future?"

"I want to eat." Itsuki was the first to make a choice.

It doesn't matter how bad it is, the important thing is that it tastes good.

Yotsuba: "It's really good, and tastes on par with fugu."

Nino: "It's okay... Next time, let the stupid Asakawa do it."

Naoki said speechlessly, "Why is it still me?"

"Because you have a lot of experience."

...

After dinner, it's time to study.

Naoki and the Quintuplets sit in a circle around the kotatsu, eat oranges, read and study together, and go jogging with Ichika around 8 p.m.

The night is getting darker.

Like the previous inn, some people slept on tatami in the living room.

"Do you want to go to the dream world to see your aunt tonight?" Naoki looked at Itsuki.

"I just saw mom a few days ago, forget about today." Itsuki quickly shook his head, "Let's sleep."

Naoki said: "It's okay, you can sleep as long as you want."

Itsuki : "😐"

How did he feel left out?

"I remember what the aunt said in the dream world." Naoki said slowly, "Kids who stay up late will be punished, so hurry up and sleep."