Chapter 14
So what am I even doing?!
Yuko sat in the car, which was parked near a subway entrance in a bustling commercial area.
After noticing Hinata Tachibana and feeling that she had lost to her, Yuko began to pay attention to her every move.
Compared to Yuko's passive acts of kindness, Hinata Tachibana is enthusiastic and proactive in helping others, and more importantly, her enthusiasm comes from the bottom of her heart.
Asanuma Nono once said that Yuko was an overly kind person, but Tachibana Hinata was a truly kind person.
This made Yuko want to know more. She wanted to see more of Hinata Tachibana's life and how she managed to do it. This is also why Yuko appeared outside the school supply store. Yuko, who was not very brave to go out to crowded places alone, took this step driven by curiosity and longing.
only…
There are so many people.
Yuko kept putting her hand on the doorknob and then putting it down, hesitating to get out of the car.
Just as she was hesitating, Tachibana Hinata, who was on a purchasing mission, came into her view.
Through the car window, she saw Hinata Tachibana enter the store with a male companion.
Because of the angle, she couldn't see the face of Tachibana Hinata's companion, only a rough outline. Although it was just an outline, Yuko was certain that she didn't recognize this person.
But strangely, after a long time, the electrical sound that had been dormant in Yuko's mind so long that she had forgotten it reappeared.
Yuko suddenly wanted to see that person's face clearly.
It's like there's an impulse urging me on.
Hurry up and go.
Get moving.
Be quick.
Yuko opened the car door and followed her instincts, jogging through the passing pedestrians.
The store's automatic doors opened, and Yuko anxiously peered out, searching through the maze-like shelves before finally finding her target in the aisle between two rows of shelves.
Hinata Tachibana was chatting with him when she seemed to notice Yuko and then said something to the people around her.
The man turned his head, and the instant Yuko saw his face clearly, it was as if she had been struck by lightning, her whole being torn apart.
In excruciating pain, Yuko felt herself being sucked into a vortex, the world spinning around her, her bones being crushed and squeezed. After the vortex spat her out, Yuko opened her eyes in a daze and found herself in an unfamiliar place.
The pain and dizziness also disappeared.
Yuko tried to shake hands, her senses gradually returning, but it all happened so suddenly that her gaze was unfocused, as if she hadn't quite come to her senses yet.
"That person is my other brother, Isana, right?"
This was a voice that Yuko knew all too well. She looked up and saw that Emma was standing next to her.
"Emma?!" Yuko was fully awakened, and she exclaimed in surprise and delight.
"Is it going to be a fight?" Emma asked the person next to her, as if she hadn't heard him.
“Emma, it’s me, Yuko!” Undeterred, Yuko reached out to Emma, trying to draw her attention with a touch. But strangely, the moment Yuko’s hand touched Emma, it became transparent and passed through Emma’s body.
What's going on?
Yuko was frantic and at a loss, but no matter how hard she tried to rush over or hug Emma, she couldn't touch her, and she couldn't even make a sound.
Am I dead?!
Yuko feels that she is currently in the state of a ghost after death...
A ghost… In a flash, Yuko suddenly remembered that she seemed to have been a ghost for a while, but wasn’t that in a dream? She looked at the person standing next to Emma, and at that moment, Yuko finally remembered.
It was him!
Huayuan Martial Arts, that brave crybaby!
Before Yuko could think further, the roar of a motorcycle drew her attention.
A motorcycle appeared from the street corner, speeding aggressively towards them.
It's like slow motion in a movie.
A person wearing a helmet on the back of a motorcycle swings a baseball bat.
The baseball bat carries the speed of the vehicle and the power of the user.
It was like a heavy hammer hitting Emma on the head.
Everything seemed unreal at that moment. Yuko's fingertips trembled involuntarily, and this uncontrollable trembling even spread throughout her body, making it hard for her to breathe.
She turned around in disbelief and saw a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Her Emma lay on the ground, her head and face covered in blood.
"Emma..." Just uttering that name brought tears to Yuko's eyes. She stumbled over, trying to pick her up. But no matter how hard she tried, she could only pass through Emma's body. Yet she stubbornly tried again and again, her fingers bleeding from gripping the ground so tightly.
She wasn't in any pain at all; Emma was in far more pain!
"Can't…"
"don't want…"
"Please don't take her away from my life..."
Yuko had never pleaded and begged like this before. She didn't know who to beg from, but anyone would do anything to save Emma...
Once again, she watched someone important die.
When Shimizu died, she was helpless, kneeling to the side and crying.
You can't do anything, you can't accomplish anything!
Even after all these years, you haven't grown at all!
Yuko was devastated. The pain exceeded her limit, and her brain's emergency mechanism cut off her consciousness, causing her to fall into a coma.
When I woke up again, the first thing I saw was a snow-white ceiling.
"Takiya-san, you're finally awake." Then appeared Tachibana Hinata with a worried face, and Budo Hanagaki, standing behind her, also looked at Yuko.
Yuko turned her head, blinked wearily, and felt an emptiness in her heart. She asked in a hoarse voice, "Where am I?"
Hinata Tachibana explained to her, "You suddenly fainted, so we had to take you to the hospital first. The doctor said you might be anemic, so we're letting you rest here."
I see… Yuko felt she understood a lot about the dream from a year ago. She needed to confirm one thing.
"Excuse me, Tachibana-kun, could I speak with Takedo-kun alone?"
Hinata Tachibana glanced at Takedo and then at Yuko, somewhat surprised that Yuko knew Hanagaki-kun's name. Takedo also looked surprised; he hadn't expected that Yuko Takiya from the next class would know him.
"Then I'll wait outside." Hinata Tachibana kindly stepped out from behind the curtain, leaving only Yuko and Takedo behind.
Yuko sat up and looked at Wudao. Her eyes were weak, but there was a strange tension in them that made people afraid to meet her gaze.
"Wu Dao, did you travel from the future to the present?"
"Huh?" Martial Arts Flower Garden was speechless with shock, as if a deep-seated secret had been exposed. "Why...how did you know?"
Yuko slowly recounted, "You might not believe it, but a year ago I dreamt of Takedo traveling through time to the future. Unfortunately, perhaps because the dream contained too much information, when I woke up I only remembered that you traveled through time to save Tachibana. And because of the blurriness of time, I completely ignored the dream. It wasn't until I saw Takedo again today that I realized that it wasn't a dream, but the real future."
Takeshi suddenly realized: "So, Takiya-kun, you fainted because you remembered this, not because of anemia?"
Yuko nodded, looking at him with a determined gaze: "I saw my friend's passing in my dream, and I think maybe fate gave me the opportunity to see Wudao's future so that I could save her."
Yuko knelt on the bed, bowed her head to him, and pleaded, "So please believe me no matter what."
Touched by her emotions, Takedo, who had been isolated and helpless in this time and space, found a companion with whom he could help each other for the first time. Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, and he nodded: "I believe in Takiya-kun! If there are two of us, we can definitely change the future!"
"Yes!" Yuko looked up and tears welled up in her eyes as they gazed at each other with unwavering determination.
After their conversation, Yuko and Takedo exchanged contact information. To avoid arousing suspicion from Hinata Tachibana, they decided that now was not a good time for a long talk and would go to the school the next day to exchange information in more detail.
Yuko thanked the two men for taking her to the hospital, and then got into the car.
On the way back with Budo, Tachibana Hinata casually asked, "What did Hanagaki-kun and Takiya-kun talk about?"
Wudao wasn't very good at hiding his emotions, and he panicked for a moment. He didn't intend to tell Hinata the truth, but he also didn't want to lie, so he said something completely unrelated: "I'm sorry, Hinata, I can't tell you. But I can assure you, Takiya-kun is a good person."
Seeing this, Hinata Tachibana didn't want to press him for an explanation. She said, "Oh, that's alright. I know Takiya-kun is a good person, and I believe you must have something important to say."
Touched by Hinata's understanding nature, Wudao vowed in his heart to protect and cherish her.
-
Sitting in the car, Yuko turned on her phone and dialed Emma's number. As the dial tone played, she tried to calm herself, carefully not allowing herself to reveal even the slightest abnormality.
"Xiao You?" Emma's voice came from the other end of the phone.
Hearing her voice, Yuko couldn't hold back her tears any longer. It was Emma's voice; Emma was alive and well. Yuko took a breath and softly replied, "Mmm."
"What's wrong? You seem a bit off." Emma was frighteningly perceptive at times, and she noticed the unusual quality in Yuko's voice.
"No, it's because I miss Emma so much." Yuko's tone was extremely gentle, as if she was afraid that if she raised her voice, she would scare Emma away.
"Then come see me! Emma is ready to welcome Princess Yuko anytime."
Yuko was amused by her words, and she wiped away her tears and told Emma, "I'm on my way to your house."
"Really? Then I'll wait for you at home." Emma shouted into the microphone, "Mikey—Xiaoyou is coming to my place, so I won't go out with you guys."
Hearing her call, Yuko asked, "Are you getting ready to go out?"
Emma replied, "Well, they're just going out for a stroll anyway, so let them go on their own."
Yuko felt that she needed Emma more at this moment. If she didn't see Emma today, Emma would definitely not be able to sleep, and therefore would not be able to say that she was fine.
After hanging up the phone, the car drove smoothly toward Emma's house, and after more than ten minutes of driving, it finally arrived at Mumu.
Emma was still standing by the door waiting for her as always. As soon as the car stopped, Yuko couldn't wait to open the door and strode anxiously toward her. Emma was just raising her hand to greet her when Yuko hugged her.
The warmth of her body, the real touch, the familiar scent. It wasn't that she hadn't held Emma before, but never before had she felt such longing and sadness.
Emma, who was being held tightly, was a little unsure of what to do. She sensed that Yuko seemed very tired, so she gently patted her back and said soothingly, "Yuko really missed me."
Yuko gently called out, "Emma," nestled in the crook of Emma's neck.
"Hmm? It's okay, I'm here." Emma closed her eyes and enjoyed the quiet embrace.
No matter what happens in the future, I will always protect you. Yuko hesitated, silently making a promise in her heart that she could not say aloud.
"Whoa, why are you two hugging again? It's like you're a couple having a secret crush behind your parents' backs." Draken, who was supposed to be leaving, poked his head out from inside the door. As a straight man, he felt uncomfortable with this scene no matter how many times he saw it. Every time these three close friends met, they were either sticking together or touching each other, which made him feel embarrassed.
Yuko lifted her head from Emma's neck and said innocently, "Draken-kun, do you want a hug too?"
She even opened the arm that was holding Emma to make room for him. With a somewhat forced expression, she said, "If the other person is Draken, I won't be jealous."
draken: What kind of harem talk is this? Is Emma a harem master who is bisexual and has women on both sides?
At that moment, Mikey, who appeared quietly from behind Draken, spoke up: "Isn't that great?"
Mikey put his arm around Draken's shoulder, gave him a thumbs-up, and grinned broadly: "Draken, we're family now, you can call me brother!"
"Why are you joining in this nonsense too!" Draken sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
Emma and Yuko were secretly laughing to themselves.
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