Chapter 177 Unboxing "Matsuda, come and help! Hagiwara-kun seems...
…So how did things get to this point?
Although he skillfully extended his paws to hug the pretty policeman back and let him bury his face in the fur, Chaomu was actually quite... confused in his heart.
That's not right... She's playing the evil Charming D raccoon who suddenly attacked the Explosion Police... right? Technically, Hagiwara-kun had never seen her in raccoon form, so his first reaction should be to treat her like a monster and shoot her a few times, right? Why would she suddenly hug me, crying and saying things like "It's you" and "You finally came"?
The first part could be explained by Hagiwara-kun being so fond of her that he immediately saw through her true identity, but what's with the "still" here? While she's certainly played several games, Hagiwara-kun shouldn't have any relevant memories... After all, she replayed the game, and NPC memories should be cleared with the game...
But when I think about it, Mimi seems to have some vague memories left. Maybe it's a bug in the save game... Well, that's not important. The important thing is why Hagiwara-kun is crying! He seems to be crying, right?
The hair on her ears and forehead was soaked. The man who was always at ease and had a cheerful smile on his face was hugging her tightly, his body even trembling slightly - in this context, even a heartless person like the player would be a little bit confused by him.
Was it because he was too scared? It didn't seem like it... He seemed moved to tears by the players? Seriously... His reactions weren't this intense the last few times...?
What should I do now? Comfort him first? But then again, Hagiwara-kun's crying is really weird and makes me want to shed tears... tears. Damn NPC, don't try to trick players into tears!
In just one second, several thoughts flashed through Chaomu's mind, the most important of which was about loading the save file: she vaguely realized that Hagiwara's abnormal reaction should be related to the number of times she had saved and loaded the save file.
But the bomb was still counting down, so now was clearly not the time to dwell on such matters. The player's brilliant plan had finally reached the final step, and if something went wrong at this point and they had to start all over again, wouldn't that be a bit too abstract... No! Absolutely not!
The bomb's countdown is running out, and the player still bears the heavy burden of saving lives. Between the touching and tearful plot and the real business, Chaomu decisively chooses to cut the Gordian knot.
I'm sorry, Hagiwara-kun, your life is definitely more important. Celebrating victory with champagne at halftime won't lead to any good results!
Given the rather unwieldy nature of fate, even though simply carrying Hagiwara Kenji out seemed feasible, Asami stuck to her old strategy, intending to shove him into a trash can to avoid class. Her strategy worked just as well as before—Hagiwara Kenji was completely unprepared, and she knocked him unconscious with a single blow, still clinging to her paw until he passed out.
The half-long-haired young man had a pale face and fell into her arms. He looked like he was sold by her and would help her count the money... That was very cute.
Adorable as he was, Chaomu's action in stuffing him into the trash can was still quite decisive and ruthless, at most a little gentler than when she stuffed others in. She pushed the nine "indigenous residents" of the already overflowing trash can back in, leaving enough space for Hagiwara Kenji to enjoy the outside space all to himself.
"Okay, everyone is gathered." The little raccoon patted the lid of the trash can with satisfaction. Listening to the system prompt sound coming from inside, he felt like a collector who had just drawn all the rare cards - and collecting this did not require money. He could just turn on automatic pickup. It was free.
Fortunately, the things she put in don't have to follow the drop rate of the card pool when she takes them out. Otherwise, based on her luck, Kenji Hagiwara would probably be imprisoned in the trash card pool for the rest of his life.
This somewhat infernal thought flashed through her mind, not affecting her for long. Chaomu casually swung the "card pool" filled with the elite members of the Explosive Virgin Class behind her, holding it in one hand while quickly summoning the familiar, cold, and hard Raccoon motorcycle with the other.
"Let's go, let's get off work—oh yeah, I have to tell Mimi to kill that bastard as planned, don't let him get away with it."
As she grumbled cheerfully, the motorcycle's engine emitted a deafening roar. A second before the bomb countdown reached zero, this gray beast, completely ignoring Newton's laws, carried its owner and a bucket of "trophies" with it. With a beautiful tailspin, it crashed through the window on the other side of the toilet and rushed into the clear blue sky.
Behind her, the bomb of fate exploded, but this time, fate failed to take away any important people or things. All that was swallowed up was the cold building and the walkie-talkie that fell to the ground.
"What happened, Hagiwara-kun? Please answer!"
[“The bomb countdown has begun?! The bomb has already exploded…”]
The chaotic noises were drowned out by the explosions, and Chaomu wasn't paying attention. She was telepathically instructing Akai Mimi to kill the bomber, not to break into the house, and to leave immediately after the sniping operation was complete, while she parked her motorcycle in a nearby alley.
The commercial district, which should have been bustling with people, was quite quiet because of the bombing, making it the perfect, undisturbed spot to "unbox." It was just right that after unboxing, Hagiwara-kun could lead the team back to meet up with the other police officers, saving her the trouble of figuring out where to release the body.
"Let's take Hagiwara-kun out first and explain it to him..." The young girl who had regained her human form stepped on the lid of the trash can, took a look inside, and first grabbed Hagiwara Kenji's collar, "Hey--"
This process was more strenuous than she had imagined. Although she was strong, it was still a bit challenging to drag a 5-foot-tall adult male out of a small space crammed with people... What kind of situation were they in there?
"Come out, come out... Tsk, is it stuck?" She muttered, pulling back with all her might. "It feels like pulling out a carrot..."
With her efforts, she successfully dragged Hagiwara Kenji's upper body out and placed it softly on the edge of the trash can, but his lower body was still stuck inside, in a somewhat funny posture.
Chaomu was so tired that she was panting and sat down on the ground - due to her outstanding physical fitness, her body was not actually that tired, but she felt psychologically that she had gone through a lot of hardships.
She looked at the half-long-haired young man half hanging on the trash can, and thought that if she took a picture of this scene, she could send it to Matsuda as a new emoticon package: After all, Hagiwara-kun's dusty and unconscious appearance was really too funny, as if he grew out of a trash can... cute.
Just as she took out her cell phone to take a picture, she heard hurried footsteps at the entrance of the alley.
……………………
"The bomb disposal team failed to evacuate in time... and has lost contact."
"Matsuda, calm down! Don't be impulsive. There might be a chance for a change—"
Jinpei Matsuda's head was buzzing.
How is that possible?
The intercom, left on the passenger seat, was buzzing. He turned it off expressionlessly, pressing the accelerator almost to the floor. The police car's tires scraped across the road, making an angry roar on the empty street.
How could it be possible... again?
That familiar, soul-freezing grief washed over him again. He remembered this feeling, he remembered it clearly... He had experienced it before, in a "dream" he didn't want to recall, and that was how he learned of his best friend's death.
And then what? Crying with two of his former classmates who had rushed over? And then there was the matter of notifying Hagi's family, and that annoying kid who was waiting for them to go home for a late-night snack. What had that kid said? She seemed to have made some silly promise to him before, but Matsuda couldn't remember the details—he just knew she would never accept this ending.
The car screeched to a halt at the alley entrance. Matsuda Jinpei stumbled, pushed open the car door, and rushed toward the deadly area cordoned off by police lines. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder from the explosion.
He was prepared for the worst: perhaps charred debris, perhaps the sad faces of his colleagues, perhaps a burning ruin with nothing in it. But when he actually stopped downstairs and looked up at the scene, the curly-haired officer's eyes were still burned by the flames, and his eyes were sore.
"...What?" He said hoarsely, "It's like this again... It's like this again."
The fire almost burned his soul as well. He turned around in despair, not wanting to see such a scene again.
It was at this time, passing by the alley at the side, that Matsuda Jinpei heard some strange noises.
He turned his head almost instinctively and saw another scene.
Deep in the alley, a very familiar short-haired girl was squatting in front of a half-person-high plastic trash can, retracting her hand that was making a V sign, as if she had just finished taking a selfie.
After putting away her phone, she started her work again, using both hands to pull something out of the trash can.
...like a rabbit pulling up giant, overgrown turnips in a country field.
The "radish" she pulled out had slightly curly, semi-long hair that he was very familiar with, and was wearing the familiar explosion-proof uniform. It was hanging limply and lifelessly on the edge of the trash can, with only the upper body exposed.
Jinpei Matsuda stopped.
Matsuda Jinpei's pupils were shaken.
Matsuda Jinpei rubbed his slightly red eyes and looked again: "......?"
The scene before him remained unchanged—the only change was that a little more of Hagiwara Kenji had been pulled out. His handsome face, with eyes tightly shut, was slightly furrowed in a frown, looking uncomfortable… that was Hagiwara, alive.
Matsuda opened his mouth, wanting to say something: like "What are you doing, little brat?", or "Why is Hagi there?", or even just a simple question.
But in the end, all that came out of his throat was a thin syllable filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"…………ah?"
His confused voice was not loud at first, but the perceptive Chaomu had already sensed his presence. He raised his head and was delighted when he saw it was him.
"Matsuda! You're just in time!" She waved at him enthusiastically, her other hand still tugging at Hagiwara Kenji's collar, "Come and help! This thing's stuck, I can't pull it out by myself... Come over and help me hold down this trash can, or reach in and pry the other people's limbs apart a little!"
In the trash can in front of her, next to the unconscious body of Hagiwara Kenji, another pale hand was twitching and stretched out.
Matsuda Jinpei: “…………?”
What is he doing? What is he saying? What else is in that trash can besides Hagi? What do you mean by other people's limbs?
Although he still couldn't comprehend the scene before him, his instinct still made him rush forward and grab the trash can tightly: "What the hell are you doing...???"
Not really. Although this kid was a bit reckless, he wouldn't be so lawless as to take away a trash can of body parts... He shouldn't be that kind...
Unfortunately, as he got closer, the scene at the edge of the trash can became more and more similar to Matsuda's first reaction, and it made his hair stand on end even more: although he couldn't see clearly at the bottom, there seemed to be someone else's arms and legs squeezed in next to Hagiwara Kenji... and even a head...
Even as an experienced police officer, Jinpei Matsuda was tempted to call the police.
He watched helplessly as Chaomu exerted force again, and Hagiwara Kenji's body was lifted up, and a foot wearing police leather shoes squeezed out from the gap, and then slid back weakly.
"Look, that's it. I can't pull it out." Chaomu analyzed seriously, completely unaware of the NPC's face that was almost drained of blood. "It must be someone down there who has stuck it. You're strong enough, reach in, feel that person's leg, and pry it aside."
"Break, break whose legs?!" Matsuda Jinpei felt his voice change tone, "What the hell is in here?"
"I don't know who it was... but they were colleagues from your Explosion Squad." Chaomu answered as if it was a matter of course, and even explained considerately, "I knocked them all out and stuffed them in here so the bomb wouldn't hurt them. Pretty clever tactic, right?"
Jinpei Matsuda's brain completely shut down.
He seemed to understand, yet it seemed he didn't understand a single word. He only knew that his childhood friend and a whole team of colleagues were now like a pile of discounted carrots, neatly... or maybe not so neatly, stacked in a plastic trash can.
The instigator was working hard to pull out the carrots and gave orders to him to join in.
What expression should he use to face all this?
Jinpei Matsuda couldn't think of it for a moment.
Just as he was struggling with whether to call the police or an ambulance first, Hagiwara Kenji, who had been treated like a fool for a long time, twitched his eyelids and slowly woke up.
"Little Chaomu... Little Raccoon..." His consciousness was still stuck in the second before he fainted, and he muttered confusedly the most important thing in his memory at that time, "The bomb is going to... Little Chaomu, run... Eh?"
His purple eyes struggled to open, and after a few seconds they managed to focus. The first thing that came into view was the unpredictable face of You Xunran.
The next second, the familiar girl's head popped over, her face, always a little cold and sarcastic, showing obvious surprise: "Hagiwara-kun, you're awake! Good, you're still alive - can you pull your leg out by yourself? Is your shoe stuck?"
Hagiwara Kenji blinked, and blinked again.
He felt his neck stiffen and the back of his head ache. His vision gradually cleared, and he saw Matsuda's face, which looked like it had been struck by lightning and whose features seemed to be about to run away from home. He also saw Chaomu's sparkling golden eyes, full of expectation.
What does it mean to pull yourself out...?
He followed the girl's instructions and tried to move his body.
An indescribable feeling of restraint spread from every part of his body. He lowered his head and saw that he was in an extremely twisted position, with his lower abdomen still firmly stuck in a trash can.
Chaomu still looked at him expectantly, pulling his collar to encourage him: "Give it a try, Hagiwara-kun, you still have to rely on yourself to save yourself - can you move? Can you?"
Hagiwara Kenji followed his instructions and moved his right leg, feeling resistance. He subconsciously pushed harder, only to hear a muffled groan from the trash can, as if something had been kicked open.
"It's moving!" Chaomu was overjoyed and exerted force with his hands again, "Matsuda, one, two, three, pull!"
"I don't want to shout such slogans!"
Despite fiercely protesting, Matsuda Jinpei subconsciously matched her strength, pressing down firmly on the trash can. With their combined strength, there was a soft pop, like a cork being removed from a narrow bottle. Hagiwara Kenji was finally... freed from that confined space.
He stumbled backwards under the force, but Matsuda quickly caught him. Before he could regain his balance, Chaomu suddenly tilted the heavy trash can.
Crash——
Accompanied by a chaotic noise, eight unconscious police officers from the explosives squad, wearing the same uniform, were piled up in a mess on the ground in the alley like poured-out building blocks. They were sleeping peacefully in different postures - all with big bumps on the back of their heads.
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Hagihara Kenji: "..."
He belatedly realized that his head seemed to be aching... What on earth was going on?! My head, my head was going to explode...!
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Author's Note: Matsuda and Hagiwara: Pupil Earthquake
There is too much content, this part is not yet completely finished, the next chapter will conclude it, and then it will be time to stick with my favorite little animals——
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