Chapter 45: Ten Playthroughs of Saving (16)
After the doctor finished administering the IV drip to Rei Furuya and left, Jinpei Matsuda and Kenji Hagiwara exchanged a glance. One closed the door, and the other drew the curtains, creating a quiet and safe environment in the infirmary.
Date Wataru turned his head and glanced at the two of them, instantly understanding what they wanted to do. He then looked at Morofushi Kagemitsu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Furuya Rei's hand that hadn't been injected, and was still a little dazed.
He nodded.
That's right, before Furuya wakes up, let's talk about Morofushi first.
Morofushi Kagemitsu stiffened as he felt the intense gazes of the three men.
"Morofushi, tell me the truth." Matsuda Jinpei walked over, arms crossed, looking down at him. "What exactly happened to you guys, or rather, to Zero? I felt something was off when he cried during the graduation photos at noon."
When he stopped jokingly calling Master Jing and Zero, it meant he was now truly serious or even angry.
"Morofushi, you're about to graduate, you should at least tell us a little bit about the situation, otherwise we'll worry." Kenji Hagiwara also put his hand on his shoulder, his face unusually serious.
“Yes, Morofushi, your matter is clearly not a small one, and it has already put Furuya in such danger. We are very worried and want to help.” Date Wataru looked earnestly at the somewhat helpless blue-eyed youth. “Why didn’t you tell us? Don’t you trust us? I thought we had become friends who could rely on and help each other after the previous incident.”
Although they were very imposing, they spoke very softly, not wanting to disturb the blond young man in the hospital bed.
"No, no, of course we're friends! I trust you all too!" Morofushi Kagemitsu was somewhat overwhelmed by his three friends' goodwill. "But, but..."
However, their situation is truly extraordinary.
He and Zero discussed whether or not to tell everyone after the second save point was completed, and the final decision was to hold off for now and try Plan A first.
The world after the second save point is very likely to develop in a completely different way than before.
Since the predetermined fate of death is to be changed, it will inevitably cause an immeasurable butterfly effect.
Most importantly, the convergence of the world lines at this point will be at full power, unlike the half-baked approach during the police academy days.
They really can't predict how the future will develop.
Therefore, if possible, I really don't want the other three people to get involved and trigger Plan B.
But... but he just revealed too much.
He thought his PTSD was almost cured, but it turned out...
His behavior was so strange that the three astute individuals immediately noticed something was amiss. They may have even deduced something more dangerous based on past events, which is why they immediately launched a joint interrogation against him.
Morofushi Kagemitsu couldn't help but glance at the blond youth on the hospital bed.
Zero, please wake up! I can't handle everyone anymore, sob sob...
But when he saw the blond youth with a high fever, his face flushed and his hair wet with sweat, and when he saw him lying weakly on the hospital bed, frowning anxiously as he fell into a deep sleep, Morofushi Kagemitsu didn't want him to wake up and face this problem.
Morobuchi Kagemitsu took a deep breath, turned to look at the three people seriously, and pondered how to explain in a way that would put everyone at ease.
Seeing that he was so conflicted and nervous that he couldn't say a word for a long time, the three of them exchanged a glance, and their imposing aura instantly dissipated.
"What? Is it something so hard to talk about? Is it more serious than the Tomokazu incident? Will something bad happen if we find out?" Matsuda Jinpei clicked his tongue.
Morofushi Kagemitsu nodded vigorously, then smiled sheepishly, "Sorry..."
"Fine, then I'll only ask one question." Matsuda Jinpei met his gaze seriously. "Zero, that guy Zero, will he be alright?"
Morofushi Kagemitsu's smile gradually faded, and he looked at him seriously, saying in a solemn and firm tone that no one else had ever heard before, "I swear, I will protect Zero and I will never let anything happen to him."
"...You need to be careful too!" Matsuda Jinpei paused for a few seconds before glaring at him. "If something happens to you, that would be the biggest blow to Zero, wouldn't it?"
Morofushi Kagemitsu blinked a little guiltily: "Of course, how could I possibly leave Zero alone?"
"So, you two are together? Could it be related to the department you're going to?" Kenji Hagiwara stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Is it a secret mission by the Public Security Bureau? Did you sign any confidentiality agreement? But even though you're both in the Public Security Bureau, one of you is from the Metropolitan Police Department and the other from the National Police Agency. Are you two investigating a major case together?"
Morofushi Kagemitsu broke out in a cold sweat: "No... it seems like it counts too?"
Ida Kou sighed and ruffled the cat-eyed youth's black hair, his eyes still showing barely suppressed worry: "Since it's work-related, we won't ask any more questions. We don't know exactly how dangerous your work is, but if you need help, just call us anytime. Don't act alone, understand?"
Kenji Hagiwara laughed and hooked his arm around his neck: "That's right, that's right. We've overcome so many difficulties and dangers together so far, so don't be so polite to us now, it's too formal, Morofushi!"
Matsuda Jinpei reached out and chuckled, playfully punching his shoulder. "Even if I don't know exactly what you guys are doing, I trust you. So feel free to come to us anytime if you have any problems. With the five of us together, there's no problem we can't solve, right?"
Morofushi Kagemitsu's eyes showed emotion and a smile. He nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on Zero and prevent him from continuing to act recklessly. If we really encounter any difficulties that we can't solve, we will definitely come to everyone for help."
"Yes, let's keep in touch." Date Wataru sighed. "I've said it once before, but I'll say it again no matter how many times I say it."
"You must be careful," he said earnestly. "Even police officers only have one life."
*
Rei Furuya felt like he had a very, very long dream.
He met many wonderful people in his dream; they were all gentle and radiant.
Then, one by one, those gentle yet radiant people left this world and left his side.
He lost them, forever.
He stood alone in the darkness, his straight back and shoulders slowly slumping, until finally he buried his face in his knees, clutching his head.
Countless beautiful and bright memories, along with painful and dark ones, mixed with smiles and blood, swirled his mind into a jumbled mess, like a pot of paste with too many ingredients added, eventually turning into an indescribable magical potion.
But he eventually stood up and gritted his teeth to keep walking.
[We cannot let everyone's efforts be in vain. Everything you've risked your lives to protect, I will now protect!]
He finally succeeded, struggling out of those countless dark quagmires, and saw the sunlight finally dispel the darkness that shrouded the world.
But sadly, he too was going to die, along with the darkness that gripped his feet tightly.
But it doesn't matter, he is not afraid of death, he was prepared from the beginning.
And everyone is waiting for him; for him, death... is probably a reunion.
Rei Furuya closed his eyes peacefully, and in a daze, he felt his heavy body suddenly become light, and he floated up into the sky, over the blue sky, white clouds and the huge sun, and finally arrived at the gates of heaven.
He saw his four deceased best friends on the huge cloud in front of the door. They had huge white wings behind them and golden halos above their heads. They were all smiling at him, and the atmosphere was incredibly warm.
Oh, it was his deceased friend who had transformed into an angel to greet him.
Rei Furuya ran over happily in an instant.
He embraced his friends, who had died young and were innocent bystanders, and laughed heartily before reminiscing about the past.
They took him to play in heaven, which was indeed as magical as a dream, full of light, music and flowers, and where kind people lived happily.
Hiro and the others are doing very well in this world and have always missed him. They prepared many things for his arrival, and now the five of them can finally reunite.
They raced cars together to see the scenery, drank together, ate together, sang karaoke together, and lay on the grass to look at the stars and chat about everything under the sun, talking about all sorts of random things that had happened over the years. Their sense of humor was so low that they found everything they said hilarious...
Until the clock struck midnight.
The other four suddenly fell silent, stood up one by one, and then reached out to pull the bewildered Furuya Rei up from the ground.
“Alright, Zero, you should go back now,” they said.
"What?" Furuya Rei was pushed forward by their four hands, but he still tried to turn around and look at them in confusion.
“You shouldn’t be here yet,” they said.
The solid ground in front of me suddenly disappeared, turning into a cliff. Through the clouds, I could barely see the bright city lights and the sounds of daily life in the world below.
"But why? I clearly already..." Furuya Rei stopped in her tracks and even took a step back, turning around to go back and continue with them.
But before he could turn around completely, he was kicked down by the four men.
The feeling of weightlessness and loss gripped my heart like a suffocating gasp.
"!" Furuya Rei suddenly woke up, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
Wait, what kind of crazy dream did he have?
Rei Furuya reached out to cover his face, only to find that one of his hands was cold and stiff from the IV drip, while the other hand was being held tightly by a pair of warm hands.
He turned his head and saw his childhood friend's sleeping profile.
It was already dark, and Hiro was lying by his bedside, probably having stayed by his side all day.
Rei Furuya couldn't help but soften his expression.
Honestly, maybe being sick really does make people weak. I can't believe I had such thoughts. If Hiro knew, he would definitely scold me.
Rei Furuya struggled to lift his hand, which was still bandaged after receiving an IV drip, to ease the stiffness and improve blood circulation before regaining its dexterity and reaching for his phone on the nearby cabinet.
Such a small movement exhausted him to the point of almost losing his strength. His breathing became disordered, his head spun, and his thoughts were jumbled up like a maze, making it difficult for him to think calmly and rationally.
How could it have gotten so badly burned? Honestly, it must have worried everyone again.
Generally speaking, it is more frightening when people who are not usually sick get sick, especially when they have a fever.
Rei Furuya has been injured in countless fights since childhood, but he has rarely had a cold or fever, and each time it has been very serious. It looks like he will have a fever for a few days this time... I hope he gets better soon, it would be terrible if it delayed his start date.
He sighed, but forced himself to stay awake, and then turned on his phone.
Rei Furuya moved very carefully, without waking Hiro, and opened the group chat while holding his phone with one hand.
This has become his habit; he always checks the group chat before going to sleep and when he wakes up, worried that some of the kids in the group might have gotten into trouble and wanted to talk to him but missed the chance.
But the moment he entered the group chat, Rei Furuya was stunned.
New...person?
His heart skipped a beat. The addition of new members was never a good thing; it definitely meant that the system was about to do something big again.
Furuya Rei first looked through the group member list, and then quickly flipped through the chat history to the moment when a new member joined.
【——Okabe Rintaro has joined the group chat——】
[Homura Akemi: A newcomer?]
[Natsuki Subaru: Another newcomer! I wonder what kind of world this is?]
[Shinpei Net Agent: It seems Mr. Furuya isn't here, so I'll post the group introduction and newcomer guidelines first.]
[Okabe Rintaro: Who are you? What is this group chat? How did I get in?]
[Natsuki Subaru: Hahaha! The standard rookie's three questions! (Cat slaps table and laughs.jpg)]
[Online Agent Shen Ping: (Group Introduction) (Newcomer Notes)]
[Okabe Rintaro: Strange, did I accidentally click on something weird when I sent an email? Why can't I uninstall this software?]
[Okabe Rintaro: Ah! I know! You must be agents sent by the agency! Damn it! I was discovered after all? But you even hacked into my phone and pretended to be something I'd never do! Don't you underestimate my intelligence?! I won't fall for it!]
[Homura Akemi: ?]
[Okabe Rintaro: Don't be so arrogant! We have super hackers here too! They can find out your secrets in no time, so I advise you to confess now, or don't blame us for being impolite!]
[Online agent Shinpei: Um, Mr. Okabe, please take a look at the group introduction and newcomer precautions. This is not a joke. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. If you don't pay attention, it will be too late to regret it if you encounter danger.]
[Okabe Rintaro: I've finished watching it, and I understand now.]
[Natsuki Subaru: That's great. I didn't expect the newcomer to accept this so quickly.]
[Okabe Rintaro: So that's what it is! You've got your eye on my talent and the Future Gadget Laboratory I established, haven't you! I don't know where you got this information or how you added me to this group, but to test me in such a clumsy way is utterly ridiculous!]
[Okabe Rintaro: Ah, but your story is indeed very interesting. It would definitely be popular as a light novel. Your serious and earnest attitude is also quite impressive—but unfortunately! I've already seen through you!]
[Okabe Rintaro: Hahahaha! I! The mad scientist! Hououin Kyouma has seen right through you! You're the agents sent by the organization to covet the time machine I'm researching, aren't you?!]
[Nazuki Subaru:...]
[Natsuki Subaru: Could it be, I mean, that he's a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur)?]
Jianggu Ling: "..."
He felt his headache getting worse.
Despite the dizziness caused by his fever, Furuya Rei painstakingly read through the chat logs of the other people who had been chatting with the newcomer for a very long time, one sentence at a time. But even in the end, the newcomer, Okabe Rintaro, still thought they were joking and that everyone was playing along with him in a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) act.
Rintaro Okabe is an 18-year-old college student. Although he does seem quite immature, he is surprisingly vigilant and rational. Without evidence, they can't even get much information about each other. Instead, they are almost driven to the brink of collapse by the other party's nonsensical and irrational remarks.
[Subaru Natsuki: Everyone else is a bit busy right now, so I'll take over explaining things to you for now.]
[Natsuki Subaru: Okabe-kun, whatever you do, don't do anything reckless. And if you really do invent a time machine, whatever you do, don't use it! Furuya-sensei said the butterfly effect is terrifying!]
[Natsuki Subaru: Although nothing dangerous has happened to you yet, please be sure to pay attention to your safety and the safety of those important to you.]
[Natsuki Subaru: I've tried my best, Okabe-kun. If you still don't believe me, then just wait for Furuya-san to come online. Furuya-san will definitely find a way to convince you.]
[Okabe Rintaro: Don't call me Okabe! I am the mad scientist, Hououin Kyouma—that's me!]
[Natsuki Subaru: But your name says Okabe Rintarou...]
[Okabe Rintarou: No, it's not Okabe Rintarou! It's Hououin Kyouma!]
[Okabe Rintaro: Okabe Rintaro is just a pseudonym I adopted to live a normal life and avoid suspicion!]
[Nazuki Subaru:...]
Jianggu Ling: "..."
Ugh, my head hurts even more, and I can barely see the words on the screen.
He couldn't help but put down his phone, rub his eyes, brush his sweaty bangs aside, pinch his brow, and let out a long, weary sigh before starting to think about how to make this chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) realize the seriousness of the situation.
Now that things have come to this, no one would believe that ordinary people have actually joined this group.
Given his situation with Homura Akemi, and this delicate timing, Rintaro Okabe's arrival might just kickstart a new chapter in the game.
That would definitely not be a good development.
Damn it, why did I have to get sick at such an important time?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
