Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 193 Accomplices and Betrayal

Thinking that the bookshelf collapse incidents that occurred in various bookstores in Chiyoda Ward were caused by Himeya Yuki, Akizuki Makoto immediately took out his phone and called Mrs. Himeya.

It would be too time-consuming for him to go to the bookstore alone to monitor and stake out the place, and he might even miss it. It would be better to have Mrs. Ji Ye send some people over as well.

In this way, he could know in advance which bookstores had been damaged by Ji Yexue, so he could go to the bookstores that had not been damaged by Ji Yexue to wait.

Of course, it's also possible that Ji Yexue might suddenly get tired of it and stop vandalizing the bookstore.

But we can't be sure of this possibility right now, so let's just seize this opportunity and wait until Ji Yexue really stops.

The call was answered shortly after it was made, and Mrs. Hime's voice immediately came from the other end of the line.

"Did you call me because you found Xiaoxue?"

"No, I found a clue..."

Akizuki Makoto quickly recounted the whole story, and Mrs. Hime listened quietly without saying a word.

Even after Akizuki Makoto finished speaking, Mrs. Himeya remained silent.

Just as Akizuki Makoto was about to lose his temper and asked Mrs. Himeya if she could send someone to help him, she slowly said, "...I understand. I'll do as you say. I'll send people to guard each bookstore from now on."

Rather than letting her people aimlessly search for someone who can turn invisible, it's better to listen to Akizuki Makoto this once.

Although she didn't know if what Akizuki Makoto said was true, she couldn't miss any opportunity.

The principle is that it's better to believe something exists than to believe it doesn't.

She was desperate and could only pin her hopes on Akizuki Makoto, who could see Ji Yexue in her invisible state.

After hanging up the phone, Akizuki Makoto also took action, taking a car to the used bookstore district in Jimbocho, Chiyoda Ward.

This area is home to many bookstores, so if Ji Yexue was specifically targeting bookstores, there's no reason she wouldn't come to Jinbocho.

Moreover, Akizuki Makoto always felt that Ji Yexue was sending him a signal to lure him to her, otherwise there would be no reason for her to vandalize the bookstore everywhere.

If you really hate him and want to get back at him, then just come directly to him; there's no need to beat around the bush like this.

Whether he was to be killed or tortured, Qiu Yuecheng would have no complaints; this was what he owed Ji Yexue.

Upon arriving in Jimbocho, Makoto Akizuki didn't rush to the bookstore to wait. Instead, he went to a shopping mall to buy a set of clothes, changed into them, and then put on a hat and mask to disguise himself.

His posters are plastered on the doors of all the bookstores in the Jimbocho used book district. If he were to just swagger by like that, it would definitely cause a stir.

By then, let alone catching Ji Yexue, he'll probably be chased by his fanatical fans first.

After disguising himself, Akizuki Makoto entered a relatively large bookstore and quietly waited for Ji Yexue's arrival.

At the same time, he also kept a close eye on the messages and online messages from Mrs. Himeya.

As he had expected, the bookshelf collapses continued to occur, and the people Mrs. Himeya had sent out to guard the area had already witnessed the incidents.

Since they couldn't see Ji Yexue, from their perspective, the bookshelf, which had been placed steadily, suddenly collapsed, as if it had been pushed over.

This unusual phenomenon has not only attracted the attention of Akizuki Makoto and others, but now it's being discussed online as well.

Some said that someone was deliberately causing trouble, but this claim was quickly refuted because every bookstore is equipped with surveillance cameras, and if someone were deliberately causing trouble, they would have nowhere to hide.

But to call it a coincidence or an accident is even more impossible; it's extremely rare for it to happen even once, let alone one after another in the same period of time.

This strange phenomenon even attracted the attention of the police, who sent people to investigate.

Unfortunately, no matter how they looked at it, the reason for the bookshelf collapsing was an "accident," which gave them a huge headache.

Even though I knew it couldn't have been an accident, that's what the investigation results were, so I had no choice but to believe it.

Police officers also considered visiting bookstores where the bookshelves had not collapsed to check the situation, to see if someone had tampered with them beforehand, or if this was a premeditated operation.

But to their astonishment, the bookshelf, which they had carefully investigated and confirmed was without fault, suddenly appeared before their eyes...

It collapsed straight down!
Ji Yexue didn't care whether the police intervened or not. She was very confident in her ability to become invisible, and apart from Qiuyue Cheng, no one could do anything to her.

Her actions stunned even the police, and the incident of the bookshelf collapsing became even more widely discussed, with some people starting to call it a paranormal event.

But the sudden appearance of a paranormal event in broad daylight, especially one targeting a bookstore shelf, is hardly credible and can only be considered a topic of conversation.

"...This has really caused quite a stir."

As Akizuki Makoto saw more and more online inquiries about bookshelves collapsing, he couldn't help but feel somewhat helpless.

Next, he could only hope that Ji Yexue would come to Jinbo Town soon so that he could meet with her.

According to eyewitness information provided by Mrs. Himeya, Himeya Yuki is gradually approaching and is almost at Jimbocho.

Akizuki Makoto immediately perked up, keeping a close eye on the outside of the store, hoping for Ji Yexue's arrival.

The reason I want to see Ji Yexue is not only because she has disappeared, but also partly because I want to stop her.

No matter what, it still made him feel bad that people were taking their anger out on unrelated people because of him.

He welcomes anyone who wants to vent; he'll take it all, whether it's hitting or yelling.

After waiting for about half an hour, Akizuki Makoto received a message from Mrs. Himeya, saying that an unusual phenomenon had occurred at a bookstore 500 meters away from him: a bookshelf had collapsed.

This made him excited, but also uneasy.

He was afraid that if Ji Yexue saw him, she would go berserk again, and he wouldn't know what to do then.

Moreover, he was also afraid that if he and Ji Yexue got into an argument, passersby would notice.

To passersby, it might just seem like he was suddenly acting strangely, but he was afraid that Ji Yexue's existence would be exposed.

Ji Yexue can completely conceal her presence, but she cannot hide her voice.

If you argue with him, passersby will definitely hear you, and then it won't just be him acting crazy on his own.

"……coming!"

As Akizuki Makoto was deep in thought, a strange, cherry-colored figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision, causing him to hold his breath and his heart to beat faster involuntarily.

At first glance, he immediately recognized her as Ji Yexue!

Wearing a cherry blossom pink kimono, Ji Yexue walked through the crowded flow of people and went straight into the store, heading towards the bookshelf where "Journey Under the Midnight Sun" was displayed.

As it happened, Akizuki Makoto was standing nearby, and it could be said that Ji Yexue was walking towards him.

As the distance between them closed, Ji Yexue noticed his presence and involuntarily stopped in her tracks.

Even though Akizuki Makoto disguised himself with a hat and mask, obscuring his face, his physique and demeanor remained unchanged.

Moreover, Ji Yexue harbored a deep love and hate for him; everything about him was already etched in her heart, and she could easily recognize him even when he was disfigured.

"Hehe, we've been found..." Ji Yexue laughed, it was even faster than she had expected.

She had thought that Akizuki Makoto wouldn't be able to find her until at least the afternoon.

"Snow."

Akizuki Makoto stared at Ji Yexue, who was sneering, with a complicated expression. He involuntarily stepped forward, came to her side, and said in a low voice, "Xue, stop doing these meaningless things. If you have any grievances, vent them on me. I will take them all."

Is that all you have to say?

Ji Yexue showed no appreciation, still sneering, her eyes incredibly cold.

"After all this time, the first thing you say isn't a greeting, but a lecture. Who do you think you are!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to preach."

Akizuki Makoto quickly apologized, then said, "Let's talk somewhere else? It's not convenient here."

Now, some people have noticed his unusual behavior of talking to himself, but no one has paid much attention to it.

His fully armed posture already looked strange, so it's normal for him to talk to himself.

Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that he was making a call while wearing a Bluetooth headset.

The island nation is a very inclusive country—mainly because the living environment is very oppressive, which leads to the frequent occurrence of people going insane.

"So why should I go with you? What right do you have to make me go with you?"

Ji Yexue raised her chin, as if looking down on Qiu Yuecheng, and said in an icy tone, "Didn't you say you wouldn't appear in front of me again? You've broken your promise again."

"This……"

Faced with Ji Yexue's aggressive attitude, Qiuyue Cheng was speechless for a moment.

What I do is none of your business. If you want to stop me, then try it!

"Xue, I know you're angry with me, and I didn't mean to stop you. I just hope you won't take your resentment towards me out on unrelated people."

Qiuyue Cheng spoke softly, trying to maintain a gentle and humble tone to avoid provoking Ji Yexue.

Ji Yexue's mental state is currently unstable. If you raise your voice or say anything even slightly harsh to her, it will make her become extreme.

"Heh, how righteous and awe-inspiring."

Ji Yexue laughed sarcastically, saying, "Now you're so moral? You really are a selfish, incompetent, and irresponsible scumbag who only says what benefits him and does what benefits him."

Her merciless and derogatory words caused Qiuyue Cheng a sudden pang of pain in his heart.

But let's put it another way: he did something immoral, but he didn't completely lose his morals and ethics.

Morality in love is different from other morals. He's a scumbag, not just a complete and utterly unscrupulous scoundrel.

"...Xue, you're right."

Qiuyue Cheng nodded, gave a bitter laugh, and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm a selfish scumbag, but I don't want you to continue like this. Please tell me, how can I make you stop?"

He knew Ji Yexue; if Ji Yexue was truly determined to cause trouble, she wouldn't have talked to him at all.

The fact that they are still talking can only mean one thing: Ji Yexue has something on her mind.

If she didn't have ulterior motives, given her personality, she would have already started arguing with her and gone berserk.

Just like in our last conversation, there was no mercy, no room for compromise.

"It's not impossible for me to stop, but that depends on your willingness."

Ji Yexue smiled with interest and said jokingly, "You know, there's no way you'll apologize to me. The words 'I'm sorry' are the most useless words in the world."

"...Just tell me what you want me to do. I was already prepared for this before I came."

Although Akizuki Makoto said that, in reality, the things he could actually do were quite limited.

If Ji Yexue wanted him to sever ties with Shiina Maki, he probably couldn't do it.

Now that things have come to this, his relationship with Shiina Maki is inextricably linked.

If he were to sever this bond now, wouldn't that truly be starting something and then abandoning it?

"Hehe, don't worry, I won't let you break up with that guy."

Ji Yexue saw through Qiu Yuecheng's thoughts. That kind of thing didn't matter to her anymore. She also knew very well that Qiu Yuecheng would never break up with her.

"Yes, yes..."

Akizuki Makoto was somewhat surprised, but before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Ji Yexue stated her request.

"Your novel is very interesting. To most people, it would be about the criminal lives of two troubled children, but to me, it is about their mutual support and companionship, about the strongest relationship they have built since childhood—accomplices."

Ji Yexue spoke softly, leaning closer to Qiu Yuecheng, and said in a teasing tone, word by word, "Then... Cheng, will you and I become accomplices as well?"

What needs to be done is already very simple: commit a crime together and fall into the abyss.

Ji Yexue wanted to destroy Qiuyue Cheng and go to hell with him.

Since her heart has already been destroyed by Akizuki Makoto, she has no choice but to destroy Akizuki Makoto's heart as well.

She hated Akizuki Makoto so much that the hatred was far deeper than when she wanted him to become an accomplice.

"……I see."

After a long silence, Qiu Yuecheng nodded as if giving up and agreed to Ji Yexue's request.

He was not surprised that Ji Yexue would make him an accomplice; he had expected it.

He only hoped that Ji Yexue wouldn't make him do anything too outrageous.

He would never commit murder like in "White Night Walking," as that would be too extreme.

However, if we were to try and make him an accomplice by having him steal things...

I think it's acceptable.

Just find an opportunity later to make up the money back to the store clerk.

"I won't let you off easily. Don't think I'd let you do something as low as theft."

Ji Yexue sneered, grabbed Qiuyue Cheng by the collar, and said coldly, "Of course, I won't let you kill or set fires. You definitely wouldn't do such a thing. The first thing I want you to do is... betray Shiina."

Since Shiina Maki has taken Akizuki Makoto away from her, she will make Shiina Maki taste what it's like.

(End of this chapter)