The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

"Noah, I just forgot by accident."

"Noah, I was planning to take a bath."

However, Hoshino was already inside.

This seems to be the meaning the girl was trying to convey.

“I have no intention of blaming you,” he said.

There is no need for any blame.

Since there's no intention to have a child with Noya Kinosaki, whether or not to bathe her should actually be her own business.

"I'm just saying, the water's already filled, and you can get in if you still want to take a bath." He turned his head and glanced at the bathtub.

Noah Kinosaki stopped moving again.

"Hoshino, aren't you going to scrub Noah's back?" Without realizing it, Noah's tone seemed to have returned to its usual casualness. She asked this quite naturally, then added with a slightly aggrieved tone:

"Noah clearly helped Hoshino with the rubbing."

The aggrieved voice didn't make Utsunomiya Hoshino feel particularly sorry for her.

It will only give you the feeling of "the truth is revealed at the last moment".

The more time Hoshino spent with Noah Kinosaki and the more he understood him, the more he felt this way.

This child.

He just looks like a child.

"If Noah is willing to take a bath."

He conceded.

Chapter 158 Together

This is the third one.

This is the third time he has done this to a young girl.

Different people, different times, different atmosphere.

Of course, a smooth, fair back is also different.

She will be a little smaller, a little more delicate, and a little more childlike.

If you place your index finger on your back and gently stroke it from top to bottom, you will feel a very noticeable vibration.

but.

Fortunately.

They will not commit a crime.

"Speaking of which, haven't I seen Noah's paintings before?" Hoshino Utsunomiya said, applying shower gel.

It felt too strange to wipe myself in silence; the atmosphere would become awkward if I just rubbed my back in silence.

Let's just chat.

"......Yes."

Noah Kinosaki knew.

Yes.

To be lenient, Hoshino only saw the painting twice.

One time was in the prison cell, when she scribbled and drew randomly, but that wasn't really drawing at all.

One time was at the entrance to the art studio, when he called out to her to paint the door, and then opened it.

That...can't quite be considered a painting.

In their subsequent meetings, he didn't pay much attention to her paintings. Today was no different; she was moving her easel so he wouldn't see them.

"No, it doesn't look good." Noah Kinosaki sat up straight, then bent down again, unable to resist asking:

"...Hoshino, would you like to see a drawing of 'Balloon'?"

The painting of balloons is a world-famous work.

Sure enough, even Hoshino would care, right?

Just like Arisa-chan.

"Hmm? Balloons?" Hoshino Utsunomiya thought for a moment. "Oh, a drawing of balloons?"

"Aren't all the balloon paintings on the outside? These paintings here are all paintings of Noah, right?"

The name "Balloon" is relatively independent of his identity, at least from "Noah Kinosaki". Although both should be Noah Kinosaki, sometimes a certain degree of distinction may still be necessary.

At least in Hoshino Utsunomiya's eyes, if something is to be called a balloon, then it should be something that has been recognized by the public and recorded and passed down by the outside world; only then can it be considered an artist's work.

This is a painting by Noah Kinosaki.

"And those balloons are spray paint paintings, aren't they?"

One of the most distinctive features of artist balloons is street painting, followed by spray painting.

In other words, drawings on paper cannot be considered as balloon paintings.

"So, does that mean the balloon is the balloon and Noah is Noah...?"

Noah Kinosaki was somewhat conflicted.

“…?” Hoshino Utsunomiya thought for a moment and understood what Noah Kinosaki was struggling with. He picked up the shower head and rinsed off the shower gel, casually saying, “It’s about distinguishing between public and private concepts.”

"A professional identity is a professional identity, while an identity outside of work is different from that identity."

Well... how should I put it...?

Although Noah isn't a child, if we were to explain it in terms that even Noah Kinosaki could easily understand...

"It's a difference in mindset. Let's use Noah and the balloon as an analogy."

"If Noah had the pride of a popular artist, when creating as a balloon, wouldn't he be very concerned and attentive, thinking that if the painting wasn't done well, it would lower other people's evaluation of the painting, make others look down on balloons, and think that balloons are nothing special and poorly painted?"

Noah Kinosaki repeatedly painted, then crumpled up his paintings and discarded them, perhaps out of this very mentality.

"But in private, Noah's drawings for himself, no matter how bad they are, or even if they are just doodles for personal enjoyment, should be fine no matter how they are drawn as a hobby."

Even though it was said in this way, Hoshino Utsunomiya still felt that the description was not quite accurate enough.

“Hmm…” After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again, “This analogy may not be quite accurate, after all, Noah may not have thought that way.”

"Let's use work as an example."

"If Noah went to work and his job was to paint for people, then he would be under pressure and have demands. He would need to meet the needs of his superiors and clients, make revisions, and paint well. He would care about their opinions, and whether others are satisfied is the standard for determining the success of a painting."

“But after get off work, Noah still wants to draw. At that time, he draws however he wants.”

Similar descriptions, but different feelings.

What was the initial topic again?

By the way, Noah Kinosaki's paintings.

The conversation turned to this point because he was somewhat concerned about distinguishing between the two identities.

...Actually, it's quite insignificant.

He simply assumed that these were indeed the things Noah Kinosaki cared about.

If no one knew her identity as Balloon, that would be fine, but unfortunately, there was a huge fan of Balloon, Arisa Fujito, in the prison.

Her expectations may put considerable pressure on Noah Kinosaki.

That's why he just said a few words offhand.

but......

It seems that these are not the things that Noah Kinosaki cares about.

"Hoshino... have you seen Noah's painting?" Noah gripped the edge of the stool. "Have you seen it? Have you seen it? Have you seen it?"

She couldn't help but slightly shake the stool beneath her.

Rise, sway, fall, shake.

creak creak.

Utsunomiya Hoshino: "...?"

What does it mean.

My first sentence was simply that I hadn't seen it.

"No."

However, using a rhetorical question would feel like interrogating Noah.

Stopping rocking the stool, Noah Kinosaki turned around and gave him a pitiful look: "Then, how did Hoshino know that Noah's drawing was bad?"

The head held high, the body turned around, the angle of the face, and the teary-eyed expression.

They will notice facial expressions first.

Then look down.

Then I looked back at her expression and gazed at her small face.

Can you react in time?

They were able to react in time.

Would you be willing to turn your head away and avoid eye contact?

unwilling.

You will see.

It was something we were bound to see and notice sooner or later.

A captivating gaze will draw attention.

But before he can care, he has to answer the questions.