"And... others don't know this, but the reason my father went to prison was for financial fraud. That money was indeed used to treat my congenital illness. In a sense, my happiness was built upon the suffering of many others."
"Is the story over?" Li Wu asked.
"Mhm."
Raiden Mei lost her usual craziness and liveliness. She hung her head, her smile strained.
She seemed to anticipate a change in Li Wu's gaze. She was afraid that, like everyone else, Li Wu would change once he knew the truth, so she didn't dare look him in the eye.
"Then let's go home."
Li Wu took the initiative to grab the box full of takoyaki from Raiden Mei's hands. He popped the cold takoyaki into his mouth one by one.
Originally, he had just treated this like watching a drama, wanting to understand the background story. But as more details emerged, Li Wu suddenly realized something clearly.
Those "bad taste" bullying incidents in the comic's plot, those "humiliation scenes" he had casually written into the panels—to the creator sitting in front of the screen, they were just a few lines of text, a few storyboard sketches.
But to the girl walking beside him right now...
They were countless moments of newly kindled hope being trampled into the mud. They were countless honey-coated promises turning into curved blades stabbing her in the back.
And they were like the takoyaki in the box: turning from warm and delicious to cold and hard to swallow.
"It's cold. Let's buy another portion when we get back." Raiden Mei didn't respond to Li Wu's suggestion to go home. She tried to snatch the box from Li Wu's hand, but Li Wu held it high above his head.
Raiden Mei stood on her tiptoes, stretching her fingers desperately, but couldn't reach it.
"Are you pitying me?"
Raiden Mei's gaze sharpened as she stared at Li Wu.
Seeing this, Li Wu didn't immediately slip into "actor" mode like before. Instead, he casually skewered another takoyaki and popped it into his mouth to chew.
"Pity? Not at all. Plenty of people have gone through experiences like that. I haven't eaten takoyaki before. I just had a hot one, so now I want to taste what it's like when it's cold."
"Cold takoyaki tastes bad. It has a weird flavor..."
"Indeed, it tastes bad."
"Then why are you still eating it?"
Raiden Mei was confused. Her voice involuntarily rose in pitch; she completely failed to understand the logic behind Li Wu's actions.
Eating it even though it tastes bad—isn't that masochism?
She wasn't stupid. Saying he didn't pity her while doing something pitiable for her—hypocrite!
Just as a war raged in Raiden Mei's mind, Li Wu calmly explained: "If I don't taste how bad it is when it's cold, then even if I eat the hot ones, I might not be that happy. Now that I know how awful it tastes cold, the next time I eat it, I'll know to cherish the moment properly and not let the ending become as bad as last time."
"You said you used to be an idiot. I actually think the you back then just hadn't tasted the coldness yet. You thought that warmth was a given, that promises should be like takoyaki fresh out of the oven—maintaining that temperature forever."
"But maintaining heat requires conditions; it requires energy. Without those, growing cold is the norm. A person who makes promises lightly often won't fulfill them. People who are truly willing to fulfill promises almost never make them verbally. But once they make one, they no longer care about the consequences or the cost."
"Now you've tasted it. You know how terrible, how unpalatable cold takoyaki is. That's why next time you get a hot one, you'll feel happy. Because you know what it used to be like, so you can truly feel how good it is now. It doesn't have to be like this; it can be better. It doesn't have to be so terrible."
"As for what you said about your happiness being built on others' suffering, I can't agree with that. It's not just you; everyone is like that. I won't forgive you on behalf of those victims, but there is one thing I am certain of: in the future, you will have the chance to atone."
Li Wu's eyes were filled with determination as he spoke, as if he was certain this would happen.
He wasn't lying. As long as he suppressed the Herrscher personality, he could save the millions of people in Nagazora City from disaster.
It would be difficult, because the masterminds were all looking forward to the birth of the Third Herrscher.
Thinking of this, Li Wu paused. After half a second, he said, "You actually still want to be forgiven, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have said all that. After all, we're all ordinary people. Even if we didn't cause it directly, as long as it's related to us, we'll feel a bit of guilt. But if you die before you can atone, no matter how uncomfortable or guilty you feel, it won't have any meaning."
"Since you'll owe something no matter what you choose, you might as well pick the one you like."
Raiden Mei's lips moved, but no sound came out. The blockage in her chest seemed to be smashed to pieces by these few casual sentences.
She stared blankly at Li Wu, looking at the unrestrained calm on his face. This wasn't the Li Wu she was familiar with, the one with traces of acting.
Why?
Li Wu suddenly raised his hand, and before Raiden Mei could react, he gently flicked her forehead. "Just listen. Anyone can say pretty words. So ignore all that for now. Let's go home. Let's eat hot food together at home."
"Don't wait until things get cold to remember them."
Raiden Mei stood rooted to the spot, looking at Li Wu's back, then glanced back at the misty stall behind her.
She slowly raised her hand and touched the forehead that had just been flicked.
There was no warmth there; it didn't hurt or itch.
Make no promises, only care about the present, huh...
Raiden Mei lowered her head and let out a very, very soft breath. Then she quickened her pace to catch up, walking half a step beside him, and very naturally linked her arm with his.
Just like before, yet different from before.
Can I believe him once? Just this once...
No.
The color in Raiden Mei's eyes darkened once again.
I can't believe him. Pale words without action are no different from empty checks.
She had fantasized countless times about those checks being cashed, but reality dealt her a heavy blow. None of the empty checks she received during her time as a rich young miss were ever cashed after her fall from grace.
Is Li Wu's acting getting better, or is he really showing his true feelings?
Raiden Mei didn't want to think about it. She was afraid that if she thought too much, she would see through his hypocritical disguise and find it unbearable...
Then let's maintain this relationship. Even if it stays twisted, it doesn't matter.
As long as he's still looking at me, that's enough.
"Mhm. Let's go home."
Under the gradually brightening streetlights, the shadows of the two were stretched long, then shortened, then stretched long again, until they finally disappeared.
[Raiden Mei's understanding of you has deepened.]
[Raiden Mei has begun to truly think about everything related to you.]
Back home.
After making dinner, Li Wu didn't eat with Raiden Mei. Instead, he took out his phone and walked toward the balcony.
He had to confirm the matter regarding the sedan driver.
"Master, aren't you eating?"
Raiden Mei walked to the balcony door and asked softly.