"We're back, we're back."
"The feeling of returning to the civilized world is super good."
"Those bloggers who like to live alone in the wilderness must have super resilient wills."
"My body feels sticky and uncomfortable. I clearly didn't exercise, but I actually sweated so much."
"…"
Kitahara Makoto said faintly from the side:
"That's actually not sweat."
"Eh?" Nagasaki Soyo looked over in confusion. "What is it?"
"I already asked the answer book last time. The so-called sweat is actually the impurities in your body being removed by the Eden Fruit's mysterious power." Kitahara Makoto reminded them. "If you don't believe me, you can smell it. Ordinary sweat is colorless and odorless, but the sweat on your bodies doesn't smell good."
"…"
The girls all raised their arms and smelled the scent on their bodies, then their expressions changed one by one.
"I-It seems like there is a bit of a smell."
"Bath, bath."
"I can't wait to go home. I want to take a bath now!"
"Makoto-kun." Togawa Sakiko's pretty face was slightly red, obviously not shy, but ashamed. "Ask Hana if taking a bath in the house will accidentally enter Otherworld?"
Kitahara Makoto lowered his head and looked at Hana:
"Hana-chan, what do you say?"
Hana shook her head:
"Won't, daytime."
The time when ordinary people fall into the Otherworld is usually at the boundary of dusk; it is clear that the space-time node at dusk is the most active, and daytime is relatively safe.
After receiving an affirmative reply, the girls prepared to wash up.
At the same time.
Shiina Taki stood silently in place, looking at her phone, radiating a gloomy aura.
"Taki, what's wrong?"
Takamatsu Tomori asked softly.
"I'm fine."
Shiina Taki quickly put away her phone, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Taki, your aunt and uncle didn't call the police, did they?"
Takamatsu Tomori asked softly.
"Tomori doesn't need to worry." Shiina Taki bit her lower lip tightly and looked down at her toes, "Mom and Dad are very busy with work, and they probably got home very late last night, so they didn't notice I wasn't home."
Takamatsu Tomori pursed her lips upon hearing this:
"What about Taki's older sister?"
"Sister…" Shiina Taki's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she silently lowered her gaze, "Sister is busy with Kessoku Band performances, so she probably didn't come home yesterday."
"…"
Shiina Taki, who was originally nervous and worried, expecting to see many messages and calls of concern or accountability on her phone, but received not a single message or call, almost broke down.
"Taki…"
Takamatsu Tomori was never good at comforting people. She parted her lips and said softly:
"There's also a bathroom upstairs. Let's go shower upstairs."
"Okay."
"…"
Sakiko, Soyo, and Mutsumi, the three girls, were in the bathroom downstairs because the first-floor bathroom was larger, while Takamatsu Tomori took Taki to the second-floor bathroom.
Only Kitahara Makoto was all alone, unnoticed.
"No one even invited me to shower together…"
Kitahara Makoto sighed, walked to the refrigerator, casually grabbed two bottles of drinks, threw one to Karin-chan, drank the other himself, then sat on the sofa and leisurely took out his phone.
Unlocking the screen, a series of messages popped up.
Anon: "Kitahara-kun, something terrible has happened!"
Kitahara Makoto: "Your acting was too bad, and Ayane-nee scolded you?"
Anon: "No way, Ayane-nee said my acting is super good, that I'm born to be an idol… Oh, it's my friends. They told other friends about the curse they encountered before, and those other friends didn't believe it, so they played a psychic game, and several friends got cursed."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Those who seek death will find it; it has suddenly become concrete!
Chihaya Anon: "Karin-chan said she'd treat us to dinner. It's perfect to go tonight and then Stripping the curses from the other friends."
Kitahara Makoto checked his schedule for today and confirmed he had nothing planned, so he agreed:
"No problem."
Chihaya Anon: "By the way, why didn't you use the Hand of Deprivation the day before yesterday to directly Stripping the curse from Wakaba's body?"
Although Anon didn't participate in the 'Save Mutsumi Operation,' she came for dream cultivation that night and spent some time with Wakaba Mutsumi in the dream, so she naturally knew about the curse on Mutsumi.
Kitahara Makoto: "If you ask, it's because the answer book didn't provide the corresponding option. In that case, directly Stripping the curse could lead to unpredictable accidents, otherwise, it wouldn't have been so troublesome."
Chihaya Anon complained:
"What do you mean? The answer book isn't omnipotent. That day I secretly asked about the lottery jackpot, and the result was garbled."
Kitahara Makoto: "Don't even think about the jackpot; ordinary people definitely can't win it. Second and third prizes are no problem, though, and horse racing or scratch-offs are also fine."
In fact, Kitahara Makoto had bought a horse racing bet before, with a super high return rate, but this kind of thing can't be bought often. If he won every day, he would definitely be suspected and investigated.
Chihaya Anon: "Eh, eh, doesn't that mean we can achieve financial freedom?!"
Kitahara Makoto: "Traveling the world with Anon is absolutely no problem."
"Pfft~"
Chihaya Anon lightly spat:
"We're only first-year high school students now. World travel is too early. That kind of thing should at least wait until after high school graduation, right?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
I just said it casually, and you're actually looking forward to it!
Opening his memo, Kitahara Makoto silently added the world travel option to Anon's wish list.
Chihaya Anon: "Oh, by the way, Kitahara-kun, did you see the news about Shibuya Station yesterday?"
Kitahara Makoto: "What news?"
Chihaya Anon: "Shibuya Station seems to have had a zombie crisis outbreak."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
I only stayed in the Otherworld for one day, and how did a zombie crisis appear?
"Kitahara-kun, just watch the video yourself."
Chihaya Anon quickly sent a video.
Kitahara Makoto silently clicked to view.
Heavy breathing and terrified screams immediately entered his ears.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way, you bastard!"
"Call the police! There's a killer!"
"Get out of the way, don't block the road, I want to get off!"
"Monster, he's a monster!"
"…"
The video was clearly shot with a phone, the camera constantly shaking. At first, only the panicked passengers in the subway could be seen. Not long after, a man covered in blood suddenly appeared in the video.
This man was wearing a tattered suit, but his entire body seemed to be inflated with gas, bulging high, his mouth full of blood and minced meat, the smell of blood almost seeping out through the video.
The most bizarre thing was the man's eyes.
What should have been dark human eyes were now stained with blood, becoming incredibly crimson.
In addition, beneath the man's facial skin, many veins constantly protruded and wriggled. At first glance, it looked as if countless earthworms were twisting and crawling beneath his skin, appearing incredibly eerie and disgusting.
Accompanied by countless screams, the video abruptly ended.
Clearly, encountering a monster that resembled a demon in reality, no one could remain standing to film the video.
Kitahara Makoto frowned slightly, and for some reason, a famous quote suddenly came to his mind.
At first, no one paid attention to this disaster. It was just a wildfire, a drought, the extinction of a species, the disappearance of a city, until this disaster became intimately related to everyone.
Kitahara Makoto shook his head, dispelling the jumbled thoughts.
He was just a high school student. If something really happened, there would naturally be someone else to bear the burden.
"Kitahara, have you finished watching the video?"
Chihaya Anon sent a message:
"The videos circulating online have been deleted. The video I just sent was privately sent by a friend. The official statement also said that it was a mentally ill person with multiple personalities who suddenly had a psychotic episode and then attacked other passengers, telling everyone not to spread rumors… How can that appearance possibly be a mental illness?"
"Could it be that a zombie crisis really broke out?"
Kitahara Makoto: "Although I don't know what that monster is, it's definitely not a zombie."
Chihaya Anon: "Eh, why?"
Kitahara Makoto: "If a zombie crisis broke out, and it happened during evening rush hour, Tokyo would probably have already fallen."
Chihaya Anon: "That makes sense… But what exactly happened to that person? Kitahara, ask the answer book?"
Kitahara Makoto: "The answer book's query attempts have been used up. I'll ask tomorrow."
"…"
After chatting with Anon, Kitahara Makoto looked at the messages from the other girls again, and there was nothing unusual.
It was clear that, apart from Anon, Nijika, Kita, and the others didn't know about the tragedy that occurred on the subway yesterday evening. The information cocoon, though invisible and intangible, was ubiquitous, enveloping everyone within it.
Kitahara Makoto also asked Ayane-nee and learned that he had nothing to do in the afternoon and only needed to shoot two scenes in the evening. After the script revision, he was now a 'White Moonlight,' and his role had been greatly reduced.
"Hitori, are you free this afternoon? Want to go to Driving School together?"
Kitahara Makoto sent a message to Bocchi-chan.
After receiving Bocchi-chan's affirmative reply, Kitahara Makoto scrolled through the news for a while. The news of the subway tragedy was just as Anon had said, and there were basically no other videos to be found.
The more so, the more it made people curious.
Half an hour later.
The girls finished washing up one after another.
"Makoto-kun, there's something I want to ask for your help with."
Takamatsu Tomori quietly walked over. The Eden Fruit's beauty-enhancing properties had already taken effect. Tomori's originally slightly pale skin, due to insufficient exercise, was now fair with a rosy glow, so delicate it seemed it could break at a touch.
"What is it?"
Kitahara Makoto asked gently.
"It's about Taki." Takamatsu Tomori lowered her voice, "When we were showering just now, Taki was very upset… She was accidentally caught in the Otherworld last night, and even now, she hasn't received any news from her parents or older sister."
"I see."
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly, indicating understanding.
Being scolded is certainly unpleasant, but being ignored by family is the most painful thing.
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"This is Taki's family matter. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to interfere rashly?"
"You don't need to worry about Taki's family matters, just Taki herself is enough." Takamatsu Tomori gently shook her head, "Taki's older sister also plays in a Kessoku Band and is very excellent, having won many awards at a young age."
"Taki admires her older sister very much, so I want to ask Makoto-kun to let Taki and I practice in the dream together."
"As long as Taki is as excellent as her older sister, she can get her family's attention, right?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Are you sure Taki admires her older sister that much?
The most important thing for a family is impartiality. If they favor one child because they are excellent, the other child will most likely not be happy.
"I certainly have no problem. Tomori, you can come for dream cultivation anytime." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "But Taki seems to have a prejudice against me. She might not accept help, right?"
Takamatsu Tomori clenched her fists and said earnestly:
"Leave Taki to me."
"…"
Having finished tidying up and changed into their clothes, the girls said their goodbyes and left, preparing to return home.
Kitahara Makoto was about to leave with Karin-chan when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
He took it out and saw it was a message from Soyo.
"Kitahara-kun, don't leave yet, wait for me for a bit."
Kitahara Makoto put down his phone and subtly looked towards Soyo.
Their eyes met.
Nagasaki Soyo subtly blinked her eyes.
"It seems that Soyo's message was indeed sent..."
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly, agreeing.
A few minutes later.
The doorbell quietly rang.
Kitahara Makoto got up to open the door, and as expected, outside was none other than Soyo, who had quietly snuck back.
"Kitahara-kun, excuse me~"
Nagasaki Soyo slipped in with a flash.
Kitahara Makoto opened his arms, ready to embrace her:
"It seems Soyo knew I hadn't replenished my energy for too long, so she specifically came back."
"No, it's too hot." Nagasaki Soyo quickly raised her arms, propping them against Kitahara Makoto's chest, her beautiful eyes glaring over, "I have something serious I want to ask Kitahara-kun."
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"What is it?"
"That..." Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face flushed slightly, a little embarrassed to speak, "It's the Eden Fruit..."
Kitahara Makoto feigned an expression of sudden realization:
"Soyo wants to secretly eat it?"
"Of course not." Nagasaki Soyo glared at him irritably, "I wouldn't do anything sneaky. I want to give a piece of Eden Fruit to my mother."
"My mother works very hard to support the family by herself. When she's busy, she doesn't even have time to eat, and she often has to work day and night." Nagasaki Soyo raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, biting her lower lip as she said, "A few days ago, after my mother took a bath, I was blowing her hair and saw several white hairs on her head."
"Although my mother says she doesn't care, how could she not care? In those photos from when she was young, she was also a carefree, smiling girl."
"The Eden Fruit is truly wonderful. After everyone takes a bath, not only is their skin smoother and more elastic, but they also feel much more energetic."
"So I want my mother to eat a piece of Eden Fruit." Nagasaki Soyo looked up with her pretty face, nervously looking over, "...Can I?"
"You're still asking me if you can..." Kitahara Makoto's expression was serious, "Soyo's mother is my mother, so it's one hundred percent yes."
"Pfft~"
Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she couldn't help but let out a soft scoff.
They haven't even officially started dating, and he's already calling her 'mother'... How shameless!
"The Eden Fruit needs to be eaten long-term to achieve a qualitative change from a quantitative one." Kitahara Makoto said gently, "From now on, whenever I go to the Otherworld, I'll bring an extra Eden Fruit back for Mom."
"You, you shouldn't just shout."
"After we get married, I'll definitely change to calling her Mom, so it's fine to call her that in advance, right?"
"Pfft~ Get away from me."
...
Kitahara Makoto, of course, didn't just talk the talk; he also took action, immediately retrieving his backpack:
"I'll give the Eden Fruit to Soyo."
"Not now." Nagasaki Soyo quickly shook her head, "Mom is at work and won't be home until evening. If you give the Eden Fruit to me, I might not be able to resist eating it... And it smells too good, taking it back home would definitely cause a lot of trouble."
"That makes sense." Kitahara Makoto put down his backpack, "So what does Soyo mean?"
"That..." Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face flushed slightly, and she whispered, "Kitahara-kun, come to Soyo's tonight. When Mom comes back, we'll take out the Eden Fruit. That way, I won't have to worry about not being able to resist, and it won't cause trouble for anyone else."
Kitahara Makoto feigned shock:
"Soyo-san truly possesses world-shaking wisdom."
"What does 'world-shaking wisdom' mean?" Nagasaki Soyo narrowed her eyes slightly, her cheeks puffed out, "I feel like you're thinking something very rude."
...
I'll probably arrive around nine in the evening." Kitahara Makoto calculated the time in his head. First, a date with Anon, then to Soyo's house—no problem at all.
Then, he took two steps forward, his gaze burning, "Shouldn't Soyo-sama give a little reward first?"
"Eh?" Nagasaki Soyo suddenly turned to look out the window, a panicked expression on her pretty face, "Why is Sakiko outside the window?"
"Sakiko?"
Kitahara Makoto turned to look out the window, only to see it empty, with nothing there.
After retracting his gaze, the cunning young lady had already escaped to the entrance, sticking out the tip of her tongue, her voice sweet and lively:
"Sorry, Kitahara-kun didn't seize the opportunity, so there's no reward, okay?"
...
Watching Soyo 'escape' with his own eyes, Kitahara Makoto didn't care; there would be plenty of opportunities tonight anyway.
Kitahara Makoto picked up his backpack and went home with Hana.
No words were exchanged along the way.
After returning home, Kitahara Makoto took a quick shower, ate something, then put on the hat Tomori had given him, and went out again, ready to go to the Driving School with Hitori to learn to drive.
As soon as he reached the Train Station, he saw a Bocchi-chan hiding in the corner, looking down at the ground, as if worried about stepping on the flowers and plants on the ground.
Kitahara Makoto was about to sneak up on her, but Bocchi-chan's alertness was super high; she was discovered as soon as he got close.
"Kitahara-kun, good afternoon."
Seeing Kitahara Makoto behind her, Bocchi-chan's eyes lit up slightly, and she took the initiative to greet him, though her voice was as timid as ever.
"Hitori, good afternoon."
Counting the time in the Otherworld, it had been several days since he had seen Bocchi-chan, so Kitahara Makoto's gaze was inevitably extra fervent.
Introverted social phobics are always very sensitive to others' gazes. Noticing the intensity of Kitahara Makoto's gaze, Gotō Hitori's small face quickly flushed red, and she hurriedly took two steps back nervously, afraid of being kissed again in public, and stammered, changing the subject:
"Th-that... Kitahara-kun, was your trip to the Otherworld smooth this time?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"The process was a bit circuitous, but overall it was quite smooth."
"That's good..." Gotō Hitori pursed her lips, "Um, I won't be able to attend Driving School classes for the next few days."
Kitahara Makoto was curious: "Why is that?"
Bocchi-chan replied softly:
"Because a Kessoku Band suddenly canceled their performance due to an emergency, and Seika-nee decided to give us a chance. The performance is in three days, so we need to go into seclusion for practice these few days."
Kitahara Makoto said gently:
"Got it. We'll continue our lessons after the performance."
"Mhm, mhm."
Bocchi-chan nodded quickly.
Kitahara Makoto raised his right hand and said seriously:
"Also, I want to reserve a ticket for Hitori-sama in advance. When Hitori performs at the Tokyo Budokan in the future, I'll take out the ticket and have Hitori sign it. It'll definitely be very memorable, right?"
"Eh, Tokyo Budokan?"
Gotō Hitori's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but start her own little imaginative play.
In the Tokyo Budokan, which can hold tens of thousands of people, countless fans were seated, everyone cheering the same name:
"Gotō Hitori! Gotō Hitori! Gotō Hitori!"
She stood in the center of the stage, her guitar slung across her body, her back to everyone.
When the atmosphere reached its most fervent peak, she would suddenly turn around, accompanied by fireworks and cheers, igniting the entire venue.
"Hehe..."
Bocchi-chan, deeply engrossed in her imaginative play, couldn't help but reveal a smug little expression.
Kitahara Makoto said speechlessly:
"Wipe your mouth. You're about to drool."
Gotō Hitori came back to her senses, quickly wiped the corner of her mouth, and indeed, there was a slight dampness. Her small face was crimson with shame as she looked at her toes:
"Th-that kind of thing is definitely impossible... Tokyo Budokan and all that, I'll never be able to perform there in this lifetime..."
The Tokyo Budokan, as its name suggests, was initially a place for martial arts competitions. It was newly built when Tokyo hosted the Olympics in the last century, and its function was a dedicated venue for traditional Japanese judo, kendo, karate, etc., initially having nothing to do with music.
After the Tokyo Olympics in the last century, the Tokyo Budokan slowly began to operate. It wasn't until several years later that the British Kessoku Band, which was famous worldwide at the time, held their world tour, and the venue was the Tokyo Budokan in Tokyo.
After this, more and more world-class Kessoku Bands and singers came to perform at the Tokyo Budokan, and the Tokyo Budokan gradually acquired the symbolism of the highest temple for musicians.
"One must always have dreams. What if they come true?" Kitahara Makoto rubbed Bocchi-chan's small head, "Guitar Hero-sensei currently has tens of thousands of fans, and I'm sure her fans will only grow in the future, right?"
Gotō Hitori quickly shook her head: "That's different."
"Where there's a will, there's a way. There's nothing wrong with having dreams." Kitahara Makoto took out his phone, "If Hitori really wants to perform at the Tokyo Budokan, I'll add it to my wish list."
"I, I can't..." Gotō Hitori nervously shook her head, "I don't even dare to talk to the cashier when I go to the supermarket alone."
"Social phobia can be overcome." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "If Hitori wants to overcome social phobia, then I'll help. If she wants to maintain her current life, then that's perfectly fine too; social phobia is also very cute."
"Eh?"
Gotō Hitori looked up.
Kitahara Makoto said gently:
"Blindly catering to others' expectations and societal standards to gain their approval and acceptance will surely not lead to a happy life. Therefore, I will only support Hitori in choosing the life she wants, rather than forcing Hitori to overcome social phobia."
...
Gotō Hitori parted her lips, feeling a warm sensation gently stirring in her chest.
From childhood, neighbors, teachers, relatives, all told her to be more cheerful, to overcome social phobia, to interact more with others... But do people with social phobia not have the right to exist?
As long as they don't cause trouble for others, people with social phobia also have the right to live in this world, right?
"Li..."
Gotō Hitori's lips slightly parted, her voice barely audible.
"What does Hitori want to say?"
Kitahara Makoto leaned down closer.
Gotō Hitori took a deep breath, and just as she was about to speak, the sound of a Train Station suddenly came from a distance. She quickly stepped back half a step, her face flushed:
"Th-the Train Station is here."
They boarded the Train Station.
Kitahara Makoto sat down in the corner with Bocchi-chan.
"I like..."
Gotō Hitori clutched her chest, feeling the warmth still lingering within, and finally dared to face her true feelings:
"I like Kitahara-kun..."