Chapter 165 He will still hold this hand...
nervous?
Wang Ma Xiaoji blinked.
What are Tsukino and Chiya referring to? Are they nervous about what tomorrow might bring? Are they nervous about their lives being held in the hands of inhuman monsters, facing death again at any moment? Or perhaps…
The purple-haired boy resisted the urge to look away from the two people's clasped hands.
Well, actually, he already knew what Tsukino and Chiya were referring to the moment they said it. He'd actually been beating around the bush in his mind… ah, that's really…
But Wangma Xiaoji is still Wangma Xiaoji after all; the various thoughts that flash through his mind are nothing more than a fleeting moment in reality. Wangma Xiaoji has always been adept at handling all sorts of unexpected situations, and he can always come up with good solutions on the spot.
This time is no different.
"Ah...you actually found out?"
Wang Ma Xiaoji lowered his eyes and let out a sad sigh. He looked dejected and melancholy, completely unlike his usual cheerful and lively self.
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it then. As expected of Kazuya Kozuki, I thought I was hiding it very well... but I was still found out."
Despite Tsukino and Chiya appearing much the same as usual, but with a hint of "What is this guy talking about?" in their eyes, Ohma Kokichi continued his performance.
"I'm nervous. How could I not be nervous? Because I'm just a fragile human being. Those terrifying monsters could easily kill me with just a flick of their hand! What's more, I've finally managed to survive in this world, and everything seemed to be getting back on track, but then... ah, it's here again."
After all, there were only two floors in total. After a while of swaying, the elevator, which was moving upwards, quickly took them back to the first floor.
Wang Ma Xiaoji's outward sadness vanished in an instant, but he didn't pull away from Tsukino and Chiya's hands. He walked out of the elevator with the purple-haired boy, his expression unchanged.
Miya Higashigo wasn't outside... It seems she really did leave decisively, maybe she just couldn't be bothered to see such a scene.
Tsukino and Chiya also wanted to say something.
It was quite a novel experience. He felt the slightly cold temperature of his hands and realized that his usually stellar speaking skills were useless in this situation, as he found himself in a rare state of "wanting to say something but not knowing what to say."
Tsukino and Chiya thought to themselves, "I never used to be like this... but it's become more and more common when I'm with Ohma Kokichi."
It's really novel.
What should we do next?
Comforting the other person by saying it's okay? But is this kind of pale, weak, and unconvincing comfort what Wang Ma Xiaoji needs? What's the point of making a promise at a time like this? After all, nothing can be 100% guaranteed to happen, no matter how high the probability is. Neither of them can deny that unexpected situations can occur at any time... So under such circumstances, offering vague and unrealistic hopes is simply worthless.
Wasn't the same kind of scheme that Wang Ma Xiaoji conspired with another person to commit suicide in that talent academy?
Tsukino and Chiya witnessed the entire conspiracy between the two, and were fully aware of Ouma Shokichi's thoughts, acknowledging that his ideas were brilliant... However, even so, like Ouma Shokichi who died at that time, he could no longer continue watching the story unfold, and no one could guarantee that the subsequent developments would truly go as Ouma Shokichi wished.
All they can do is try their best and accept their fate.
In other words... even if Tsukino and Chiya agreed to help Aurora, it doesn't mean that Ohma Kokichi is safe. Putting one's life in someone else's hands... unless it's a last resort, is indeed a very foolish thing to do.
What's more, the object of his affections is rather strange.
How believable can bizarre claims that take pleasure in human fears?
However, Tsukino and Chiya knew that Ouma Kichi was also well aware of these principles, so at this moment...
"What did Kazuto Kozuki see?"
Before Tsukino and Chiya could figure out what to say next, Ohma Kokichi spoke first.
Meeting the gaze of the black-haired boy, Ouma Kokichi smiled: "You only talked about the transaction with the doll, but didn't mention what you saw before the transaction. Isn't that a bit cunning? You're really dishonest, Kozuki Kazuha!"
"I thought Wang Ma had already seen it?"
"If you're talking about crying, then I definitely saw it!"
"Actually, there wasn't much content. Although it was your past, Ouma, what was shown to me was only what happened at that school." Tsukino and Chiya didn't seem to mind being teased about their tears at all. "Besides that, I did see some other fragments."
"Fragment?"
"Yes. But those fragments were too fragmented and flashed by very quickly. There were only images, without any dialogue. They were fragments of memories from before you, Wang Ma, came to Caiqiu."
"I see... Ah, what a pity, Kozuki didn't get to see me interrogating the enemy with my men. I think that would be quite entertaining."
"What aspects of my past did Wang Ma see?"
"Hehe, Kozuki is still really concerned about her embarrassing past!"
"..." No, that's not how it is at all. Tsukino and Chiya thought to themselves, but on the surface they cooperated and begged for mercy, "Um, spare us."
"Begging for mercy with this kind of monotone delivery makes it almost impossible to feel any sense of accomplishment! That's why I hate this deadpan face and deadpan tone..."
"Um, sorry."
"No need to apologize, okay? Since it's Kazuki Kazuki, I can spoil her a bit. After all, there are so many interesting things about her, so many that even things that were originally uninteresting become interesting. So, actually, I've always felt that being with Kazuki Kazuki..."
Tsukino and Chiya waited a while, and after not getting any further words, they asked, "Together with what?"
"Nothing! I just wanted to ask, is this okay?"
Wang Ma Xiaoji was referring to the hole that Tsukino and Chiya had punched in the wall earlier, which they had just passed while chatting. It was far too obvious, and certainly not something that could be perfectly repaired by hand in a short time. If anyone from the school came, they would definitely notice something was wrong immediately.
"As for this," Tsukino and Chiya explained, "it's best to leave it to Master Togo. The power of calamity... you should understand, you know what to think, right?"
If all three of them agree that there is nothing wrong with the wall, that nothing happened before, and that everything here is intact, then the wall will successfully return to its original state under the power of the calamity.
"This really tests one's imagination!" Wangma Xiaoji commented. "Right, right, so according to this logic, can I make all my organization members start believing from today that 'Wangma Xiaoji is the world's number one evil villain who falls from the sky in a Gundam,' and then I will really become the 'world's number one evil villain who falls from the sky in a Gundam' within my organization?"
“Theoretically speaking,” Tsukino and Chiya said honestly, “it is indeed possible.”
But would anyone really believe this wholeheartedly? The key question is whether it's piloting a Gundam or the world's number one evil villain.
Their conversation proceeded as usual, as if none of them had ever risked making a deal with a monster that reveled in human fear; as if no one's life was in the monster's hands, their fate entirely at the monster's whim.
Tomorrow seems like just another ordinary day. The two of them will simply walk hand in hand around the school, chatting about random things. Their biggest worry will be what prank to play or where to go to experience something interesting the next day.
Tomorrow... will just be an ordinary day where no one needs to worry about life or death.
Tsukino, Chiya, and Ouma Kokichi walked out of the old school building.
The school looked no different from any other day at night. The illusions that had troubled Tsukino and Chiya had long been taken back by Aurora, and now that the two had made a deal, the doll was even less likely to go back on its word and do anything unnecessary.
After leaving the old school building... if people notice that we were holding hands, it will probably attract some attention.
However, they had spent a considerable amount of time in the old school building today. It was still a time when students were prohibited from moving around on campus, so apart from the patrolling guards, they wouldn't encounter anyone else and didn't have to worry about being seen in this state.
But this shouldn't be something to worry about, right? Even if we saw it, what would happen?
But Tsukino and Chiya felt that even if it wasn't curfew time, he would still hold that hand and not let go.
However, the time for parting has come...
Tsukino and Qianye: "Ouma..."
Wang Ma Xiaoji: "If it's something like 'Why don't you come to my dorm?', then forget it. Suddenly becoming all clingy at a time like this makes me feel like I'm receiving end-of-life care! It's like a flag that something bad is going to happen tomorrow! So let's just keep things as normal for now?"
Tsukino and Qianye: "..."
Wang Ma Xiaoji tilted his head: "Huh? Why isn't Xiaoyueye talking?"
Tsukino and Chiya: "You've already rejected my idea."
Wang Ma Xiaoji: "Hehe, well, there's nothing we can do about it then!"
As the purple-haired boy spoke, he slowly moved his fingers. Tsukino and Chiya noticed this and loosened their grip slightly, letting go of each other's hands very naturally.
The preparatory course and undergraduate dormitories are in different locations. Wang Ma Xiaoji took a few steps towards the South Campus, then suddenly stopped as if he had thought of something, turned around and looked at Tsukino and Chiya, who were still standing there and did not seem to have any immediate intention of leaving.
"By the way, Kazuo Kozuki. There's something I suddenly want to tell you."
The purple-haired boy paused for a moment, feigning mystery.
"Actually, my impression of you is still the same as before, it hasn't changed at all."
—Kazuya Kozuki is quite the conman.
Remembering what Ouma Kokichi had said to him when they were dealing with the Ghost Painter incident, Tsukino and Chiya understood what he meant.
After saying this, the purple-haired boy waved his hand casually and turned to leave. Watching that figure gradually disappear into the distance, Tsukino and Chiya also walked in a certain direction. Then, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate, took it out, and saw a new message.
It was an unmarked number, but Tsukino and Chiya knew that the message came from the man who called himself Yangming.
[Do you need any help?]
Tsukino and Chiya didn't reply, and after turning off the screen, they put their phones away again.
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Author's note: Merry Christmas!
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