Empty Theater 10

The living and the dead exist forever in that part of each other.

*

You returned from Okinawa before Gojo and the others. After arriving in Tokyo early, you hurried to Midorikawa's house to pick him up.

The auxiliary supervisor who responded looked like he had seen a savior.

"Miss Zenyuan, you are finally here."

"What happened?"

"Miss Midorikawa's attitude is too firm. I can't be tough..."

You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then open them.

"I'll talk to her."

Talk? The assistant supervisor looked bewildered. "Miss Zenyuan can just use a spell and they can leave right away. Why would they want to talk?"

Only after entering the room did you realize that this Miss Midorikawa was not that Miss Midorikawa.

The Miss Midorikawa you met is named An. She's wearing a white shirt and a turquoise pleated skirt. Her short hair has grown a bit longer, and she's wearing two red bow hairpins. Her first impression is that of a well-behaved child. How could such a well-behaved child resolutely refuse to assist in supervision?

Besides, you remember, she wasn't that resistant to assimilation.

[Yeah. I love stars. When I draw them, it's like I'm directing them, arranging their paths. Holding the dazzling stars in my hands makes my heart flutter.]

[I like stars because one day I will become a star.]

"Miss Midorikawa." You sat down near another Miss Midorikawa, who was wearing a long dress and looked like a prostitute. She and Anne Midorikawa looked very similar, and they looked like they were from the same family, but their aura was different.

"What? Are you in cahoots with those people outside?" She crossed her legs, took a big bite of her apple, and stared at you intently. "You and those people, stay away from me and my sister."

She held a katana in her hand.

No wonder the auxiliary supervisor didn’t dare to force it.

"Sister... Miss Zenin is not a bad person..." Midorikawa Anne carefully tugged at her sister's skirt. She didn't look at her sister's expression, but it was obvious that the two sisters didn't get along equally.

"Ms. Midorikawa is a high school student?"

"What's it to you?"

"I'm about the same age as Miss Midorikawa..."

The knife is swung directly in front of you, as if it will chop you down in the next second.

"Are you trying to get close to me by saying those nonsense?" Miss Midorikawa shook her long hair. "I'm telling you, as long as I'm here, no one can take my sister away from home and leave her to die."

You clamped the knife and moved it away, pulling out the pistol that hadn't been used in a long time from the lining of your coat.

Dear, you have been covered in dust for a long time.

"Gun!? You're breaking the rules!!!" You understand the shock Miss Midorikawa felt. Japan's gun control is no less stringent than next door.

"Miss Midorikawa, are you scared?" You said with a smile. Miss Midorikawa clearly wasn't the type to hold a conversation. With a knife at her neck, she needed a more effective approach.

For example, deterrence by force.

"Throw away the knife, and let's sit down and talk again, Miss Midorikawa."

With a clang, the knife fell to the ground.

Miss Midorikawa raised her hands in surrender, but the fierceness in her eyes did not fade. She just couldn't find a chance to fight back.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Midorikawa. I didn't mean to cause you any harm. This is my fault," you said sincerely.

"Hypocritical." She cursed.

"Ms. Midorikawa actually hung my portrait in the most conspicuous place in her house." You tried your best to look surprised to suppress the awkward movement of digging your toes into the ground.

Anne Midorikawa was stunned for several seconds before she realized that this "Miss Midorikawa" was talking about her.

“This is my favorite painting.”

"Huh? The person in the painting is this damn girl!?"

Who are you calling a dead girl? We're all dead girls! You maintained a dignified smile on your face: "Ms. Midorikawa, we should listen to your sister's own wishes."

"My sister's will!? She's been brainwashed by you guys! How can she still have her own will!?"

"Isn't it our turn? Isn't there a perfect candidate? An orphan without a father or a mother—"

"If Miss Midorikawa says another word, I will shoot immediately."

"Do you dare to drive?" Miss Midorikawa sat down carelessly, "Our house is in the downtown area—"

"Do you think I dare? Miss Midorikawa, your parents and the servants have all left since I came in."

"What!?" Miss Midorikawa didn't believe it. She didn't care about the gun pointed at her and simply pulled open the curtains and looked down.

The tangled and cowardly parents are no longer in the garden.

The gardener was not there either.

Miss Midorikawa's face turned grim. "Although my parents are cowards, they're not so cowardly as to run away directly. Did your people 'invite' them to leave, or—"

"It's my ability." There was no need to hide this from the two Miss Midorikawas. "I can make anyone do anything I want. What do you think? Miss Midorikawa, I've given you enough respect."

"Yes." Miss Midorikawa smiled wryly. "Should I feel honored? And I can—"

"It's not about you, Miss Midorikawa. I just want to hear your sister's choice."

"You really gave her the chance to make a choice?"

"Yeah, absolutely. But she has to go with me anyway."

"Then what's the point of this choice!" Miss Midorikawa shouted, waving her hands vigorously.

"Of course it does, Miss Midorikawa. Every choice has meaning. Every choice we make is the final result of the constant battle within ourselves. We must not make such choices that we will regret someday in the future."

"Does my sister still have a future?" Miss Midorikawa shouted so loudly that her voice became extremely hoarse when she spoke later.

"My relationship with my sister has been bad since she started clamoring to become a star. In the end, I was the one who didn't want her to become a star." Miss Midorikawa sobbed. She sank back onto the sofa, feeling exhausted. "I don't care anymore. I can't handle this woman... Xing, you decide what to do."

"I... I actually... I haven't finished drawing my sister's portrait yet..." Facing your encouraging gaze, Midorikawa An finally mustered up the courage: "My sister has always been uncooperative, and I can never draw well..."

"Miss Zenyuan, can you give me a little more time?"

"sure."

There was no reason not to respond. You called the assistant supervisor and asked him to hold on for a while. As soon as you hung up, you received another call from Qingzi.

"Qingzi, what's wrong?"

"Miss, I just found out today is Assimilation Day." Uncle is keeping this a secret from Qingzi. So he wants to see how far you can go, too?

Just wait and see.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kiyoko."

"Hatsu has already made up his mind about how to proceed with the astral plasma matter?"

"yes."

"I'll meet you at the technical college later today."

"wait for me?"

"No matter what choice はつ makes, I want to hug you like I did when you were little."

It was a mess on the other end of the line.

"I'll hang up now. I need to arrange all my tasks in advance so I can come to the Polytechnic to see you this afternoon."

"Then we'll meet at the college this afternoon."

"Miss, this tone of voice really makes me miss the time when I first met you. This voice of reluctance and helplessness to let go...ah, I can't say any more, I have to work. Bye~"

"Bye~"

Midorikawa An was running around getting paint. Through the crack in the door, you saw a piano in the room behind a door.

"Can I play it?"

"Play if you want." Miss Midorikawa lay motionless on the sofa. Before you entered the piano room, Miss Midorikawa suddenly asked, "Can my sister really come back?"

"She can come back whenever she wants."

You walk into the piano room and find a few boxes of albums. Miss Midorikawa is sneaking in—no, this is her own home, how can she sneak in? Miss Midorikawa walks in openly and takes the album in front of you.

"Miss Midorikawa is also a fan?"

"I only like Miss Meibuki." She didn't even look at you and was about to walk away with the album in her arms.

"Why?" You suddenly became curious.

"Isn't it normal to like Miss Meibuki?" Her firm look makes you look stupid for asking this question.

"Miss Meibuki's dream is to blow away all the sorrow in the world and bring joy. Unlike someone who only separates sisters and causes them pain."

Miss Midorikawa still doesn't like you. She's not as scared of you as she was just now.

"I can't help it if you think so," you said, sitting down at the piano. "Which piece of music by Mebuki Yuchi do you like, Miss Midorikawa?"

"Be more respectful." He still didn't dare to breathe out loudly, but he dared to breathe out quietly.

You tilted your head slightly, "Miss Midorikawa doesn't even know what Miss Mebuki looks like."

"Nonsense - I have a lot -" Miss Midorikawa gritted her teeth. She really couldn't remember what her idol looked like.

"I'll show you the photo!"

Silly child.

You won’t remember even if you’ve seen it.

"Sister? Stop running around!"