The Handshake Continued

The queue in the third column was significantly longer than that in the eleventh column.

Hua Hua's popularity was already quite high in the early stages of his debut.

Thanks to the front-row position of the group Ikuta Erika, Ikoma Rina, and Hoshino Minami, her piano talent, vocal ability, cheerful personality, and her unpretentious comedic talent on variety shows, she gained a considerable fan base at her first nationwide handshake event.

While their lineup may not be on par with top members of the "Big Three" like Mai Shiraishi and Nanami Hashimoto, it's certainly not one you can just grab whenever you want.

Xia Mo was in the middle of the queue, surrounded by young people of similar age. This time, he didn't encounter any overly friendly nerdy guys. The people around him were quietly scrolling through their phones, occasionally glancing up at the queue's progress before looking down again.

No one turned around to talk to him, and no one discussed what to say later. Xia Mo was left to wait quietly by herself.

The queue moved slowly forward. He looked up and, through the gaps in the crowd, saw Huahua at the end of the queue—

She sat behind a folding table, wearing a white uniform, her hair loose and not in a bun. She was smiling, her eyes crinkling as she smiled, just like usual, yet somehow different.

Feiniao's smile is the kind of warmth that shines from within, while Huahua's smile is the kind of energy that makes you forget you're in line.

She held a fan's hand, saying "thank you" in a louder and more lively voice than Asuka.

Yumiko Iwase next to her was also shaking hands, her movements faster than Hana's, and her smile more standardized, like a well-functioning machine.

Xia Mo moved forward a few more steps. Hua Hua raised her head, her gaze sweeping across the queue—her eyes paused for a moment.

Her mouth opened, closed, and then opened again. Her eyes were wide open, like two shiny coins that had just rolled out of a vending machine.

She wanted to shout something, but seeing the staff around her and the fans still queuing, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Hua Hua blinked hard, as if to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and then the corners of her mouth curved up, much wider than before.

She lowered her head and continued shaking hands, the queue moving forward. One by one, the people in front of Xia Mo stepped forward. Hua Hua's hand extended, she shook it, released it, and moved on to the next person.

Like the bird, she always had a smile on her face, but Xia Mo noticed that after shaking hands with each person, her gaze would go over that person's shoulder and look in their direction.

Summer is finally coming to an end.

He took a step forward and stood in front of Hua Hua.

She wore light makeup, which was more refined than usual, but the slight wrinkles on her nose when she smiled were exactly the same as before.

She stretched out her hand, and Xia Mo reached out and grasped it. Her palm was warmer than Fei Niao's, and her grip was stronger.

"You're here?" Whether she'd communicated with Asuka beforehand or not, Hana also chose to speak to Xia Mo in Chinese, though her voice was still considerably louder than Asuka's. "Didn't you say you were going to shake Asuka's hand first?"

"There are fewer people on her side, and she's already finished shaking hands," Xia Mo said.

"Haha, you can't say that, or Feibiao will start arguing with you again," Huahua laughed heartily.

"It's just a fact, so it's not my fault I'm not popular..."

"Fine, fine." Hua Hua waved her hand helplessly.

"How many tickets did you buy?"

"forty."

"How many?"

Hana's eyes widened again. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but Iwase Yumiko next to her was holding the hand of the next fan and didn't notice. Hana lowered her voice even further.

"Did you spend all the money?"

"Yeah, I saved it up for a long time," Xia Mo said, "but it was worth it."

Hua Hua lowered her head, looking at the two people's clasped hands, and remained silent for a moment. Suddenly she smiled, her eyes crinkling, a smile different from the one she had given to the fans in front of her earlier—not a sales pitch, but the kind of smile that said, "You're hopeless."

"Don't do that again," she said. "It's not like it's just this one time."

"Then I'll save up again next time."

"Time's up, please let go." The staff member next to them seemed to understand their conversation and patiently reminded them.

"Let's talk after I finish shaking hands with Asuka," Hana said, letting go of his hand.

Xia Mo nodded, preparing to leave the queue as instructed by the staff.

"I'll come find you with Asuka after this is all over," Hua Hua added, "Where do you live?"

"I'm staying at my dad's house."

"So, it's still the same place?"

"Um."

Hua Hua nodded and concluded in Japanese, "Please continue to support me, Hua Hua!"

Xia Mo waved and was led to the left by the staff. After walking a few steps, he looked back. Hua Hua was waving at him, and Iwase Yumiko next to her was also smiling and nodding at him.

Hua Hua waved her hand so loudly that the people queuing next to her looked over.

He didn't look again, turned around, and walked out of the line.

Xia Mo stepped out from the third row and stood at the edge of the venue, leaning against a pillar, waiting for the huge procession to continue.

Thirty flying bird cards and ten flower cards have all been used up. For Xia Mo, all she has to do now is wait patiently until their handshake event is over.

The lights in the venue shone from the direction of the stage, casting a long shadow at his feet. He was the only one standing there in the huge venue, waiting.

There were four boxes of pineapple cakes in his backpack, made by his grandmother, wrapped in two layers of newspaper and then in a plastic bag. The boxes were square and made his backpack bulge. The backpack strap slipped off his shoulder once, but he put it back on.

The crowd in the venue gradually thinned out. Staff began clearing the queue, and the last few fans hurried past.

Xia Mo stood by the pillar, watching the last few people shake hands, watching the members leave the handshake area, and watching the staff start to tidy up the folding tables and signs.

His phone vibrated.

He picked it up and saw it was a message in the group chat. It was from Hua Hua: "We won't be finished for a while! Why don't you go first? We can meet near your house, so the other members don't see us and cause trouble!"

The bird didn't speak, but the dialog box showed "read".

Even meeting someone requires utmost caution; is this the lack of freedom one experiences after entering the entertainment industry?

Xia Mo put her phone back in her pocket, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out of the venue.

Meanwhile, the idols who had just finished their handshake event slumped in the lounge without any regard for their image, groans of pain echoing throughout.

"I'm so tired today, I feel like my face is going to cramp up if I keep sitting like this!" A certain mayonnaise person complained bitterly, rubbing his face.

"Who told you to be so popular, Mai-sama, right, Nana-min?" Seeing her close friend acting all affected, Matsumura Sayuri quickly stepped forward to soothe her gently.

Looking at the two clowns in front of her, Hashimoto Nanami was already exhausted and had no desire to play along, so she could only lie down and continue to rest.

"By the way, this is the first nationwide handshake event, why don't we all go celebrate together after it's over?"

Seeing the listless members, Sakurai Reika, who had become the interim captain, thought for a moment and then made a suggestion.

"Great! Great! What are we going to eat?" Hearing that there was an activity to participate in, the girls, who were already starving, instantly forgot their back pain and leg pain, and responded enthusiastically.

"Of course, we'll go eat barbecue together! It would be even better if we could order some sea urchin!" the captain said, gesturing excitedly.

"Then it's settled, let's go to that shop we always go to...? Asuka, Hana, what are you doing?"

Seeing Asuka and Erika sneaking away, preparing to leave, Sakurai Reika cast a suspicious glance at them.

"You guys go ahead, I'm not going. I'm tired and want to go home," Asuka replied calmly. The members all knew that she had never been very interested in parties, so it was perfectly normal for her to say that.

"Haha, I have some personal matters to attend to after today, so I won't be going to the party. I hope you all enjoy your meal," Hua Hua said with an awkward smile, waving her hand as she ran out of the lounge with Fei Biao under the puzzled gazes of the crowd.

"Why aren't you going out to eat? What's wrong with Hua Hua today?"

"Is this still Erika Ikuta? Has she been possessed by some filthy thing?" the poisoning sisters asked naively.

"Don't say such scary things!" A certain Shiraishi cowardly mayonnaise alien's face fell, and he patted his silly friend and complained unhappily.

If you keep saying that, I'll be scared when I walk alone at night.