Chapter 11

Seeing Dazai Osamu's big reaction, Kono Seiryoshi picked up the lemonade package in surprise and confirmed that it was just an ordinary dessert and there was no poison in it.

He hasn't tried this new flavor yet. Is it really sour?

Kono Seiryoshi was shocked - Dazai wouldn't have any problems eating it, right?

As we all know, the chances of being killed by a piece of lemonade are small, but definitely not zero.

When he thought of this possibility, Gongye Shengliang suddenly became uneasy and immediately got out of bed to chase after him to take a look.

As he walked to the door, he unexpectedly saw a familiar reddish-brown color. He raised his voice in surprise: "...Chuya?"

"Yes, I am here to visit the patient."

The auburn-haired boy's voice suddenly rose a degree when he saw him standing barefoot on the floor: "Hey, aren't you a patient? Go back and lie down!"

Gong Ye Shengliang was pushed back to the bed by him, and couldn't help but whispered in defense: "It's not that serious..."

"Really? I don't know about the treatment, but the leader has approved three days of leave for you, so rest assured." Nakahara Chuuya was about to sit down on the chair, but suddenly remembered something and changed it with disdain, "Dazai was here just now, he was smart, I don't want to stay in the same room with that guy."

When he mentioned Dazai Osamu's name, Kono Seiryoshi suddenly became nervous: "Chuya, you just saw Mr. Dazai, how does he look?"

Zhongye looked at him speechlessly, opened the fruit basket in his hand, and replied unhappily, "You can't die."

——Although he said so, after Kono Seiryoshi mentioned it, Nakahara Chuuya suddenly realized that Dazai Osamu was acting abnormally just now.

He didn't have the usual look of wanting someone to punch him, nor did he put on a false smile when facing an enemy. Instead, it was as if he had fallen flat on his face while walking, and he was stifling his face to hide his embarrassment, but still unconsciously revealing a bit of confusion and disbelief.

...Did the mackerel take the wrong medicine again?

"That's good." Kono Seira breathed a sigh of relief. He still believed in the familiarity between this pair of partners who had different personalities but worked well together.

After feeling relieved, Kouno Seiryo turned his gaze to Nakahara Chuuya and the fruit beside him, and asked curiously, "Does Chuuya have no work today?"

It's understandable that Dazai Osamu was bored and came here to have fun, but Chuuya, a busy man, actually took the time out to come and see him. Kono Seira was deeply moved again and manually gave Chuuya an extra 10,000 points.

He is worthy of being the only conscience of the port mafia!

"The business in Europe was completed earlier than planned, so I came back early." Nakahara Chuuya put one hand on the back of the chair and raised three fingers in high spirits, "So I also have three days off."

"That's great." Kono Seiryoshi was also touched by his mood and smiled. "What are your plans for the holiday?"

The auburn-haired boy was stumped by his question, as if he had just realized there was such a question, his expression was frozen: "Go home and play games for a while, open a bottle of red wine and drink all night, and drive a motorcycle to the beach for a ride...?"

Oops, he usually does this, why does it sound so dry when he says it out loud!

Nakahara Chuuya pressed down the brim of his hat awkwardly and was about to change the subject when he heard an exclamation from the person next to him.

"Yokohama's coastal road is indeed suitable for a drive." The young man on the hospital bed raised his lips slightly, with an unusual glow in his golden pupils, appearing gentle and sincere, "It must be very interesting!"

This is true, Gongye Shengliang is quite interested in this, but besides being excited, he feels more regretful.

He is allergic to almost 80% of transportation. He doesn't like riding in a car, let alone driving. He has never used a car since he got his driver's license. He easily gets dizzy and nauseous in a closed space. Therefore, when he has to go out, he also considers riding a motorcycle - drifting around the bends in the sea breeze of Sicily is so cool!

But something unexpected happened and the model was not yet customized, so all plans had to be stopped. The unfinished motorcycle was locked in the underground warehouse before it could be painted.

Fragments of past memories flooded into his mind. Gongye Shengliang's lips were still curled up, but his eyes unconsciously drooped and he sighed silently with melancholy.

"Why not just give it a try?" The young man's raised voice pulled him out of his memories. When Kono Seiryoshi came back to his senses, he met Nakahara Chuuya's glowing blue eyes.

He was startled: "...what?"

"I say, if you are interested, why don't you try it yourself?" The handsome eyebrows of the ochre-haired boy relaxed at this moment. He exhaled lightly, and a subtle tenderness flashed in his eyes. "I can teach you."

"Try... to drive a motorcycle?" Kono Seiryo's eyes widened a little, "...Can I?"

"Of course."

Nakahara Chuuya turned his wrist and threw the full-bodied oranges in the fruit basket over to him, confidently making a bold statement, "How about this, when you recover, I'll take you with me."

The orange happened to fall into his palm. Gong Ye Shengliang held the fruit, which was similar in color to the boy's hair, and tightened his palm slightly.

He narrowed his eyes and nodded heavily, "Okay."

--

Kono Seira spent three days with unconcealable anticipation.

During the three days he was away from work and recuperating in bed, he checked his game account information several times and carefully reviewed all the events and CG records he had experienced.

With tears in his eyes, Kono Seiryoshi called out to the system as he saw the health bar that had finally been reduced to the passing level and the mission progress that was infinitely approaching zero.

"Can't you give me a hint?" he argued. "And what kind of supernatural power is that? I still have no idea."

[Don't worry, Contractor.] The light ball comforted him by using its wings to smear his face, [This kind of thing can't be rushed. Look, I didn't rush you.]

Kono Seiryoshi: "...Thank you so much."

The light ball humbly accepted his half-hearted praise: [You're welcome. It's all my duty.]

It floated to the side of Seiyoshi Kono and stopped, allowing the data stream to surround it.

There was a subtle change in the atmosphere.

After a long silence, the system's smooth electronic voice sounded again: [Contractor, there is one thing I must clarify your answer to.]

[——After knowing the truth about this world, do you choose to treat everything here as real life, or as a game that has nothing to do with you?]

“…”

Kono Seiryoshi paused, "Is this important?"

[Yes.]

The ball of light waited quietly for his answer.

[The energy that sent your consciousness here is too complex. Initial speculation is that it may be related to the foundation of the world. Before the investigation is clear, I think all actions must respect your wishes.]

[For the system, these two choices have only a small difference in authority; but for you, the implications are too great for me to interfere with.]

[Contractors, please consider this carefully.]

...Is this a game or real life?

Kono Seiryo slowly withdrew his hand and looked down at the illusory electronic screen. There were all the records of his coming to this world, compressed into a thin data stream in the form of strings of code.

However, the clear moonlight after the rainy night, the neon lights outside the tall buildings, the few words left in the photo album... and every encounter with everyone, whether willing or not.

No matter which side it is, it is a scene that he would never have been able to see in his original life.

Gongye Shengliang withdrew his thoughts, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

The ball of light lay aside, touching his fingers with the tips of its wings. Within the calm and smooth sphere, the data flow inside was causing a huge wave.

——The answer is too important, and it concerns whether the world line can be truly repaired, but as the system said, it will try its best to avoid interfering with the behavior of the contractor.

Saying nothing is not its secret statement.

A few seconds, or maybe dozens of seconds, or a few minutes, time seemed particularly long and unnecessary in this pure white space. During the unbearable wait, the system's touch function told it that its wings were being held.

In the system space, everything is the truest reflection of the contractor's mind.

Therefore, the person sitting in the center is not the Kimino Haru that everyone in the Port Mafia sees, but the original appearance of Kimino Seiyoshi who initially signed the contract with the system.

The young boy's frail body grew into a young man like a willow branch. He was slender and strong, with delicate eyebrows and eyes, but he looked lifeless. When he was not smiling, he looked like a cold sculpture.

However, his slender fingers gently twisted the snow-white feathers, and he curled his lips in an instant, just like Galatea who was given life by the God of Love, with only one person's reflection in his heart and eyes.

As if born this way.

The light ball allowed him to hold its wings and stored this scene in the system space.

Gongye Shengliang was unaware of the struggle within himself, he just felt suddenly enlightened. It was the first time since he came to this world that he felt so relaxed.

He smiled brightly at the ball of light, and threw it to the ground with a loud noise.

"I have no idea."

That’s right! The real high-quality answer only needs to condense all the mysteries of the world into just four words——!

[………………]

There was a burst of chaotic electronic noise inside the system, and the data flow was almost interrupted.

Gongye Shengliang lay on his back on the white misty ground, his hands behind his back, his body filled with a feeling of invincibility after having thrown everything away. With a sad face, he said the second truth of life: "Let's take it one step at a time."

The ball of light flapped its wings and struggled out from under his hands. It was hard to tell whether it was disappointed or relieved.

But compared to the other answer, “I don’t know”—it seems not so bad?

Never mind. As long as the contractor is happy.

--

After coming out of the system space, Kono Seira's attitude did not change. Since he could not work during the vacation, he borrowed two or three books of interest from Sakaguchi Ango and brought them back. He also brought a midnight snack to Ango who was working so hard that he forgot to eat and sleep.

The last day of sick leave was spent taking medicine, reading, and replying to messages. Zhong Yuanzhong used some unknown technique to shoot a video of himself riding a motorcycle from a first-person perspective and sent it to him, not forgetting to mention the promise to teach him how to ride a motorcycle at the end.

The moment he clicked on the video, the roar of the engine, the whistling of the wind, and the boy's happy and smiling voice condensed into transparent threads, wrapping him in a dream that seemed within reach.

He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't realize there was another person in the room until a hand was stretched out in front of him and waved.

Kono Seiryoshi immediately raised his head, with a smile still in his eyes and lips, and looked at the uninvited guest in surprise: "...Mr. Dazai?"

"It looks like you've almost recovered." The black-haired boy glanced at his phone casually, waved a pile of documents in his hand, and said with a half-smile: "Congratulations on ending your vacation early, Gongye-kun."

"——I specially applied for an opportunity for you to go on a business trip with me. How about it? Are you surprised?"

The author has something to say:

Shengliang: I don’t feel very good. Is that something I can say?

噺宰：No :)

Next, we will open a small instance to follow the emotional line! (What did I write before?)