Chapter 43, Section 42

Hearing footsteps approaching from inside the door, he immediately took a step back, put his hands behind his back, and looked up expectantly at the person who would open the door.

It looks just like a dog waiting for its owner to pet it.

It means to praise him. (Xia Youjie)

"Hmm? Is it done?"

"I'm all better now," he replied eagerly, his eyes filled with longing to be alone with her as soon as possible.

Airi Matsuzaka paused for a moment, her fingertips curling slightly at her side. Yuichi's expression reminded her of a dog trying to please its owner.

She's kind of cute.

She hates dogs, but she doesn't hate Yuichi.

She didn't try to control her impulse; she squatted down, completely oblivious to the fact that her sailor uniform skirt was way too oversized. She held out her hand, palm up, and before she could say anything, the charming little boy immediately understood her actions.

The young boy, exuding softness and gentleness, gently rested his chin in her palm.

Not only did it make a pleasant and cute sound, but it also went a step further and rubbed against her palm.

"It's quite novel," Airi Matsuzaka thought. "Yuichi is too reliable. I've never seen Yuichi act cute before; she's always been the one acting cute since we were little."

It's so tiny, and incredibly obedient.

Yuichi's hair, like hers, was slightly curly, soft, fine, and very pleasant to touch. You don't really notice the difference when combing your own hair, but the difference in texture is very obvious when you touch someone else's.

It's a bit long.

This length is just right for making a small braid.

A little chirp.

As her fingers traced circles at the roots of her hair at the back of her head, Yuichi turned her head and winked at her. "Okay."

Without her saying anything more, he had already agreed.

Airi Matsuzaka laughed out loud, a light and brief laugh. The laughter faded, but the smile remained on her face.

Is there something good to do?

This is indeed something to be happy about.

Yuichi Echizen could figure out why Airi was laughing without even having to think about it.

Look, we are so in sync that language is unnecessary.

You are the one who makes me happiest in this world. With someone like you around, I can laugh no matter what I do.

Airi Matsuzaka picked him up and held him in her arms, and he readily obliged, opening his arms and draping them over her shoulders. The two seemed to be getting along extremely well, with no possibility of anyone interfering.

She felt like she had been dumped.

Xia Youjie patted his adopted daughter on the shoulder reassuringly.

Compared to Yuichi, her methods are far inferior; she's already lost based on the closeness of their relationship. Yuichi is still a child; without a cute and charming appearance, she's already at a disadvantage from the start.

Oh no, there's actually another way to get her attention. It's just that if you're not careful, she might scheme against you and kill you.

For example, the Five Insights.

Wu is not incapable of being persistent, nagging, or throwing tantrums.

However, it's best not to treat Airi like that without absolute strength; her temper is hard to appease.

A scent reminiscent of perfume, fragrance, and shower gel wafted towards him. He looked up and saw a hand waving in front of him.

His wrist bones were slender and fragile, and his skin was so white it was almost blinding; he could even see the bluish-purple veins beneath that white skin.

She has a pair of very beautiful hands, which look soft and easy to handle.

It's absolutely gorgeous.

Even the sight of someone killing and getting stained with blood is incredibly beautiful.

This is truly a gift from heaven to humankind, he thought.

Passionate red hair, light-colored eyes, a beautiful face, and a perfect body.

It's like a test for people, but probably not many people can pass it.

People from two completely unrelated worlds have somehow managed to blend together like this. Rather than attributing it to some strange curse of love, it's more accurate to say that the curse of love distorted her own charm and greatly amplified this effect.

She should have been born into love, but instead she's fallen into a strange quagmire.

He had to admit that if it weren't for the greater good, if Airi had lived in the same era as him, in those passionate and innocent years ago, if he had met her then, if he had met the right person, he would have done what Satoru did and taken her home.

It's all in vain.

Xia Youjie had more important things to do.

His journey is not yet over, and the people he encounters along the way who momentarily deviate his gaze from its original course are enough.

He paused to admire the view for a moment, then quickly continued on his way.

The road was a bit dark, and it was his first time walking this road; he didn't have a lamp. It would be better for the child to stay under a lamp.

Let's not let her walk alone at night.

Actually, wouldn't it be more suitable for Airi to fight poison with poison?

Although that guy's actions were far from insane, the results were remarkable, which could be considered one of his strengths.

Between Airi and Satoru, it's hard to say who's more immature or less psychologically mature. It's uncertain who will win, but he's betting on Airi to win.

Hmm, I'm overthinking it.

So what is she doing?

His gaze shifted from the snow-white wrist bone to her face. A sweet yet flirtatious smile, an innocent yet matter-of-fact expression, the warmth in her eyes combined with her stunning beauty—she really pulled off that deceptive look. Was this how Satoru was fooled?

Humanoid self-propelled ATM?

This scam was a huge success...

Xia Youjie gave her the card as she wished.

"Come back soon."

"Okay~"

After obtaining the money for extravagant spending, they immediately disappeared.

"Jay."

"Um?"

"I'm heartbroken?"

"......"

Ah, there's another problem waiting for him.

After stepping through the door, both of them paused for a moment. Their relaxed and natural expressions gradually turned serious, as if they were facing a thorny problem and entered a state of alertness.

"Airi..."

The two of them stood close together at the doorway, motionless.

It's not that I encountered any terrifying cursed spirits; it's just that I was not very good at disguising myself when I suddenly blended into the chaotic crowd.

They hadn't appeared so openly in a crowd in a long time. Years of vigilance towards crowds made them unable to let their guard down around anyone who passed by.

"Are there really this many people buying this new game?"

She had originally planned to buy everything quickly so she could go have some fun, but now it seems she was naive.

Surprisingly, there's a queue.

There's still a very long queue.

In an instant, the two of them had the idea of ​​not wanting to buy the game.

We've already come all this way... It wouldn't make sense to back down now, would it? And it's not their money we're spending.

Thank you for your patronage, and welcome to visit us again!

God knows how they endured an hour of queuing and the intense stares of those around them.

This is probably all thanks to having someone else's card; you just can't feel right if you don't splurge.

The two of them carried the cardboard boxes and jogged away from the store designated for the new game's release. Airi Matsuzaka couldn't understand why Yuichi would still follow her even though they were both cursed spirits.

"I forgot."

The young boy hooked his finger around hers, and the two strolled leisurely along the inner side of the street.

"I got too excited being with Airi."

I almost forgot that I'm no longer human.

Airi Matsuzaka ruffled his hair without saying a word.

That's enough.

"Want some late-night snacks?"

"Want some barbecue?"

"Is it bad to eat this at night?"

"It's okay to eat a little less."

...

If I had to pick one person from all the people at today's game launch event that left a lasting impression on the cashier...

Aside from the brother and sister who came to buy games a few hours ago, this is probably the only other person here.

"Phew~ I made it in time, otherwise she would have been angry again..."

The cashier felt a little intimidated by the man in front of her, who was much taller than most Chinese people. She took a step back and felt that there was something strange about the man's demeanor.

However, this strange phenomenon soon disappeared.

He is indeed a very handsome man, although his attire is a bit strange.

"Hmm? Are you looking at me?"

He stopped talking to himself and seemed to be looking in her direction, which made her a little curious whether the eye mask was transparent.

But I still answered the questions properly.

"After all, sir, you are the second person I have seen today who is so good-looking."

As she recalled the girl's face, her smile deepened.

"She really is a perfect girl."

She suddenly snapped out of her reverie, the atmosphere around her thick and sticky, like being stuck in a quagmire.

The urgency made it hard to breathe.

It all seemed to be the work of the man in front of them.

Her mind was a complete mess when she heard the man chuckle in a low voice.

What is he saying?

"Oh dear, so they were playing hide-and-seek with me after all~"

"This time you went quite far..."

He packed up the cardboard box containing the games and walked outside, speaking softly and gently, his tone rising and floating, like sweet whispers between lovers, his face smiling and his eyes sparkling.

It hurts so much, Airi.

She whines and moans over even the slightest menstrual cramp; she'd definitely cry her eyes out if fireworks were going off.

You were the one who disobeyed first. Repeatedly bad students who don't learn their lesson will be severely punished!

It's not too much to mess with you, is it?

Airi was the worst one, dumping a whole mess on him, refusing to kiss or hug him, and still expecting to get something for nothing.

They'd just run away after using someone?

You can refuse to pay, but you have to stay.