Miko sniffled and said aggrievedly:
"Mom hasn't come home, she didn't reply to messages, and her phone couldn't be reached…"
"It's Mom's fault." Yotsuya Touko patted Miko's head and said gently, "On my way home from work, I was hit by a child riding a bicycle at an intersection, and my phone broke, so I couldn't reply to messages and made Miko worry… Where's Kyosuke?"
Miko whispered:
"I already told Kyosuke to go to sleep."
"That's good." Yotsuya Touko breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
Natsuki walked to the bedside and said softly:
"How is Auntie doing now?"
"My calf bone is fractured, and it was just bandaged. I was about to ask the nurse to borrow a phone, but I didn't expect you two to come… Strange, how did you know I was at the hospital?"
"We were lucky, we met a witness…" Natsuki vaguely said, "What about the guy who hit Auntie?"
"I let him go back first." Yotsuya Touko waved her hand, "That child is just a junior high student. His face was pale with fright at the time, and he kept apologizing. After he sent me to the hospital, I let him go back."
"Alright." Natsuki nodded lightly, "Anyway, Auntie is fine, so we are relieved."
The consequences of hit-and-run versus actively taking responsibility for compensation are completely different, and Natsuki naturally chose to respect Miko's mother's wishes.
A moment later.
"Mom, Natsuki and I are going back. We'll bring Kyosuke to see you tomorrow."
The hospital has dedicated caregivers, and they wouldn't let Miko stay overnight. After a while, a nurse came to urge them.
Miko had no choice but to reluctantly get up. Before leaving, she left her phone with Yotsuya Touko, and then left with Natsuki.
"It's very late now, be careful on your way home." Yotsuya Touko urged, "Natsuki, send me a message when you get home."
"Don't worry, Auntie." Natsuki held Miko's right hand and said seriously, "I will definitely take good care of Miko."
Being held hand in front of her mom, Miko's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she whispered:
"You… Mom is still here!"
"Stop messing around." Natsuki said nonchalantly, "Let's go back quickly, don't disturb Auntie's rest."
Clap!
Miko couldn't help but raise her arm and lightly patted Natsuki.
He even played the victim first, clearly he was the one disturbing Mom's rest!
Natsuki turned his head to complain, "Auntie, Miko is taking advantage of me."
Miko: "…"
Shameless!
Too shameless!
Who is taking advantage of whom anyway!
If Mom knew about those things you've done, she would definitely help me beat you!
"You two should go back quickly." Yotsuya Touko just smiled, "Miko, don't take advantage of Natsuki."
Miko: "…"
The night was deep.
Even a place like a hospital would quiet down at night.
Natsuki and Miko walked out of the hospital, and a refreshing cool breeze happened to blow towards them, exceptionally comfortable.
"So comfortable." Natsuki slightly narrowed his eyes, turned to look at the girl beside him, "The moon is beautiful tonight, how about we walk back?"
"Walk back…?"
Miko's heart fluttered at the sound.
Walking home with the boy she liked in the watery night was indeed a heartwarming thing to do.
However, after hesitating for a while, Miko finally shook her head and refused.
"No."
"It's already very late, walking back might take us until early morning… And we still have to come visit Mom tomorrow morning."
Natsuki sighed:
"The train station has stopped operating, so it seems we can only take the subway back."
Miko glared at him: "Sighing too much makes you age faster."
Natsuki said:
"Constantly sulking makes you age even faster."
"Hmph."
Miko snorted lightly and walked towards the subway station.
They chatted along the way and soon arrived at the subway station, just catching a subway.
Unknowingly, it was already 10:30 PM. The subway was empty, without the crowds of daytime, only a few office workers in suits, holding briefcases, nodding off.
Natsuki and Miko got on the subway, chose a random corner, and sat down.
The subway was quite quiet. The few office workers were all dozing off. Natsuki didn't continue chatting with Miko but took out his phone and read the news.
Miko sat beside him. Since she had given her phone to Yotsuya Touko, her hands were empty, so she could only look out the window boredly.
The train station swayed, quietly moving forward in the silence.
Not long after, Natsuki suddenly felt Miko tugging at his sleeve, her body leaning closer, and she whispered:
"Natsuki…"
"Hmm?" Natsuki looked up at Miko and whispered, "Do you need to use the restroom?"
"I don't need to use the restroom!" Miko bit her silver teeth lightly, her expression tense, and whispered, "I think I just saw a mist."
"Mist?"
Natsuki was slightly startled, his expression quickly becoming serious.
The summer vacation hadn't even ended yet, so there was no way it would be foggy in this weather. Could it be the mist Strange Tale that Mitsui mentioned?
Natsuki turned to look outside. Since they were on the subway, there was only darkness outside, with only an occasional flicker of light.
"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Natsuki asked softly.
"I didn't see wrong." Miko shook her head, "I gave my phone to Mom. I was just staring out the window, and then I saw the outside suddenly turn white, it lasted for several seconds, and I only just realized it now… It seems like the subway passed through a mist."
"Don't panic." Natsuki said solemnly, "Maybe you're seeing things. When the subway stops, we'll get out immediately."
"Okay." Miko nodded, "Maybe I really am seeing things…"
The subway continued to move forward in a dull silence.
A moment later.
The subway finally slowly stopped.
An office worker sitting near the train station exit stood up, yawning and preparing to get off, when he suddenly let out a light exclamation:
"Hey, why are there so many clothes on the ground?"
"Clothes?"
Natsuki walked to the subway entrance and looked out.
The subway station lights were still bright, but there was no sound at all in the huge subway station. There were also many clothes, socks, shirts, leather shoes, bags scattered on the ground… These clothes were scattered in piles, as if someone had disappeared into thin air, and then their clothes fell all over the ground.
A hand suddenly reached out and tightly hugged Natsuki's arm. Miko's frightened voice sounded in his ear:
"Na-Natsuki…"
Natsuki turned his head and looked at Miko.
The Salted Fish girl's face was pale, her eyes filled with fear, and she bit her lips, trembling as she said:
"Those clothes… are exactly like the scene in my dream…"
"Exactly alike?"
Natsuki took a deep breath and pulled Miko off the subway.
"How can people just throw trash everywhere? Isn't anyone going to clean it up?"
The female office worker frowned, tiptoed around the scattered clothes on the ground, and was about to leave.
"Miss, please wait a moment." Natsuki called out.
The female office worker stopped, looked over in confusion, "May I help you?"
"Miss, you must have heard of the legend of Kisaragi Station, right?" Natsuki said calmly, "We seem to have encountered a similar urban legend."
Office worker: "…"
She thought this handsome young man was going to say something, but he started talking about urban legends as soon as he opened his mouth. If they talked a bit more, he would probably start preaching, right?
Thinking of this, the female office worker subconsciously took half a step back, creating distance, and said politely and distantly:
"Sorry, I have work tonight, so I'll be taking my leave…"
In Japan, there are various religious groups, but besides a few harmless sects, most are not to be spoken of in detail—for example, the Hero who assassinated Shinzo Abe earlier. The reason he planned the assassination was because when he was young, his mother became a believer and even sold their house to support the church, causing their family to fall apart. The church that caused his family's ruin was deeply involved with the Abe family.
Natsuki pointed with a hand and said, "The place this lady wants to go to shouldn't be Shibuya Station, right?"
"H-how could it be Shibuya Station?"
The female office worker froze, looked up at the station sign, and involuntarily widened her eyes.
The station she was supposed to get off at was Komachi Station, but the subway station sign above her head had unknowingly changed to Shibuya Station.
"Did I take the wrong subway?"
The female office worker hesitated for a moment, then quickly thought of a possibility.
Natsuki made a 'please feel free' gesture and calmly said, "If you think it's just a normal case of getting off at the wrong station, then please feel free."
"…"
Upon hearing this, the female office worker hesitated instead.
If Natsuki had insisted on holding her back, she would have definitely just wanted to leave as soon as possible. But Natsuki letting her do as she pleased made her hesitate instead… She had taken this subway many times before and never gotten it wrong. And… where were the other people in the subway station? Why was there no one?
"Miko." Natsuki turned his head and said, "Let's go call out the people inside the subway first."
The subway station was very off.
Coupled with Miko saying she saw the subway pass through a fog, it was highly likely they had been caught in an anomaly again.
Since that was the case, Natsuki naturally wouldn't stand idly by regarding the other office workers on the subway. Who knew what would happen if they stayed on the subway, but being with him would be safer.
When successful, benefit the world; when poor, preserve oneself.
If he could save someone else's life with a simple act, Natsuki naturally wouldn't be stingy in lending a hand.
Walking back into the subway, Natsuki clapped his hands hard. The crisp sound of the claps quickly woke up the dozing office workers in the subway.
"Everyone, the subway has an unknown malfunction and is temporarily out of service." Natsuki said as if nothing had happened, "Please exit the train first."
No one believed in urban legends, but subway malfunctions were common. Several dozing office workers looked bewildered but still obediently followed and exited the subway.
The first female office worker to get off the train held her phone, her face slightly pale, and nervously said, "My phone has no signal. I can't send messages or make calls… Did I really encounter an urban legend?"