Chapter 164 "Wang Ma, are you nervous...?"
After hearing Higashigo Mimi's words, Tsukino and Chiya came to their senses. He had just confirmed that Ohma Kokichi appeared to be fine, and now he looked at Higashigo Mimi... Sure enough, the safety of this infamous Calamity Envoy was even less of a concern.
“It seems you’re alright,” Tsukino said to Chiya. “Anyway… something did happen, it’s a long story.”
"There are actually times when you feel speechless? It's true that you can see all sorts of things over time."
Miya Higashigo narrowed her eyes slightly. She was actually quite perceptive in many situations, so she didn't miss the slightly off atmosphere between Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi. However, she didn't immediately press the matter directly.
"In short, let's each tell you what happened to you. You two, were you working together after I separated from you? I've been looking into some things related to the Sakuraba family. Overall, there's not much to say; it's pretty much what you predicted."
However, after witnessing that past firsthand, Miyako Higashi saw some more cruel details that she hadn't imagined.
She witnessed the bizarre battle between two dolls, seeing the red-haired doll, even in its final moments, try to protect the human who had taught her the meaning of friendship; she saw Sakuraba Kazuko, who had been given a chance to live, refuse Aurora's invitation to become her friend after she revealed her identity; she saw a father, in order to protect his daughter and make amends, leave behind some information and choose to risk his life to seal a doll, but he underestimated the doll's power after absorbing another force, causing the seal to fail...
She also saw Kazuko Sakuraba's demise. The strange creature enjoyed watching people's despair and fear as they approached their end, so Aurora manipulated the gentle and beautiful girl's body, making her watch herself uncontrollably walk step by step towards the edge of the rooftop, and just like that... she fell.
Even though Miyako Higashi had witnessed many cruel things, it was impossible for her to remain unmoved by those scenes.
only……
“So it’s not important.” Miyako Higashi concluded. “Let’s talk about what happened to you first. What I saw here won’t help seal that doll. If you want to know… we’ll talk about that later.”
"Teacher, no, Kozuki and I were separated at first too. I only saw some unimportant things at first."
After Higashigo Mimi finished speaking, Ohma Kokichi eagerly chimed in. The purple-haired boy wore a smile, as if the calm demeanor Tsukino and Chiya had witnessed earlier was merely an illusion. His smile was adorable, but what he said was far less so.
"You say it's unimportant... but actually I quite enjoyed watching it, because it's some of Tsukino Kazumi's past. Little Tsukino Kazumi was so cute, wasn't she? Now my phone has enough of Tsukino Kazumi's embarrassing history to threaten her into being my slave for the rest of her life!"
Miya Higashigo: "Really? If I pay for it, can you send me a copy?"
Tsukino and Chiya: "Um, I'm really starting to panic."
However, in the past scenes Aurora recreated, the cell phone shouldn't have worked, right? At least that's what Tsukino and Chiya found when they tried to use it. So, is this another lie by Ohma Kokichi?
"Next, skipping over some of Kozuki's dark history, as I was reading, I suddenly encountered Aurora." Wangma Xiaoji changed the subject, "Then she said some inexplicable things, and then forcibly took me to see Kozuki."
"Then I saw Aurora and Kozuki talking again. But Aurora must have done something to make sure Kozuki didn't see me at first, so I watched the whole thing like I was invisible. As for what I saw..."
Wang Ma Xiaoji shrugged, naturally passing the responsibility of explaining the situation to Tsukino and Chiya: "Wouldn't it be better to ask Tsukino, who is directly involved?"
"Actually, it's nothing serious." Tsukino and Chiyo thought for a moment, and then casually summarized their conversation with Aurora not long ago, "It wanted me to help it gain power, and I agreed."
Miya Higashigoro: "...Wait a minute, isn't this story cut out too much? Did I miss a lot of episodes?"
Isn't that wrong? Didn't we have an irreconcilable feud with the doll before?
Although she didn't react immediately, Miya Higashigo seemed relatively calm. After all, she had worked with Tsukino and Chiya more than once, and although both of them said they weren't friends, they were still familiar with each other.
Tsukino and Chiya continued, "I said I would help it become a god."
“…Oh.” Higashigo Mimi understood, but her expression remained unchanged. She crossed her arms and, realizing something, asked, “Whatever, it’s not really my business anyway…so?”
"I also need your help with this matter."
“I knew it.” Higashigo Mimi didn’t seem surprised at all by Tsukino and Chiya’s words.
She had just nodded when she heard Tsukino and Chiya continue in very calm voices, "Tomorrow night, the old school building. That's the time Aurora and I agreed on. That's all."
"Got it, got it." Higashigo Mimi thought to herself. Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi couldn't hear her, but she clearly heard the sheep yelling, "Are you really going to stay here? Isn't that a bit much?"
The purple-haired woman sighed softly, "I understand. But an anomaly is still an anomaly. If it wants to back out later, I think I still have a chance to escape, but it's hard to say for you who don't have special powers. In short... cherish your possible last moments, I won't bother you anymore."
"I still need to go back and prepare my lessons," Higashigo Mimi muttered, then waved to the two of them and decisively took the elevator down first, leaving Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi behind. She wasn't worried at all about whether she would encounter any accidents while taking the elevator, nor was she worried about whether leaving the two of them behind would put them in danger.
Tsukino and Chiya met Ouma Kokichi's gaze again.
Let's go.
Before Ouma Kokichi could say anything unexpected with a smile, Tsukino and Chiya spoke first. He proactively extended a hand to Ouma Kokichi, then held that position, waiting for him to place his hand on it.
"...Oh dear, oh dear."
Wang Ma Xiaoji swallowed back the random words he had originally intended to ramble on about. He blinked, his gaze lingering for a moment on the outstretched hand, and surprisingly, for the first time in a long time… he felt a kind of hesitation, unsure whether to go forward or back down.
To be honest, if Wang Ma Xiaoji wanted to handle this situation, it would be a piece of cake. He could simply use his excellent conversation skills to ramble on and then decisively ignore the hand, continuing to interact with Tsukino and Chiya with the same attitude.
but--
Perhaps this really is the last time. Thinking about it this way, for him, this is probably the second time he's experienced this kind of "last time," right? It's true what they say, he's so capable of easily experiencing things that ordinary people can't.
And...and...
The hesitation actually lasted only a second or two. Soon, feeling the weight and warmth of the hand covering their palms, Tsukino and Chiya clenched their hands and led Ohma Kokichi toward the elevator.
Just as Tsukino and Chiya pressed the elevator button, he heard Ouma Kokichi's voice beside him.
"Come to think of it, I wasn't mistaken back then," said Ouma Kokichi. "Kozuki Kazuha, you were crying, weren't you?"
"that……"
"I saw it with both eyes!"
"Then there's nothing we can do."
Wang Ma Xiaoji seemed to chuckle. He didn't ask "why," but said with a hint of smugness, "So, what I said before about wanting to see Xiaoyueye and her changing expression, that just now counts as seeing that, right?"
"No. Just tell me whether your expression changed or not."
"Sigh, I guess I can't just get away with this. But then again, I'd be really upset if Kozuki really went easy on me. Games are only fun if they're challenging."
There were only two floors. The elevator arrived quickly, and Tsukino and Chiya, without letting go of each other's hands, pulled Ohma Kokichi into the elevator together.
The familiar swaying sensation, accompanied by a creaking sound, returned to the elevator.
Just then, Tsukino and Chiya turned their heads and slightly shook their intertwined hands.
"Wang Ma, are you nervous?"
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