Lonely Rock for the Blind.

Iwashita Shima was confused.

"What were you trying to say?"

No, there's nothing there.

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Shima... thank you for everything."

"...What do you mean by that?"

Iwashita Shima paused for a moment.

A strange tremor seemed to emanate from the surrounding area.

Click click click…

"...Thinking about it carefully, you've always taken care of me...and made decisions for me without thinking..."

"...Qing? Don't you like this?"

"...It's not so much that I dislike it, but rather that I dislike the way you isolate me...just like I am."

"... "

"Shima, do you want to do something for yourself? What do you want?"

"All I've ever wanted is you all..."

Iwashita Shima lowered his head.

"...You're the child I want to take care of...I'm really worried about you...I really didn't expect you to be taken away. I thought it would only be a short while. At first, I was quite scared, scared that you would know that it was because of me that Ichiji Hoshika approached you...I'm not that familiar with her..."

"But now it seems my worries were unnecessary; they did much better than me... Really, why is that? Is it because they're younger?"

"Isn't it my responsibility that you've become like this?"

Iwashita Shima lowered his head.

"Taking responsibility upon yourself and then looking distressed...that's not true responsibility..."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Does Shima enjoy this kind of role-playing?"

"...Role-playing and stuff like that is going too far. My feelings for you are all real, and I have always been trying to make everyone get along well. I haven't done anything wrong."

"...Hmm...you didn't do anything wrong."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"...But I don't think I've done many right things either..."

Iwashita Shima muttered to himself.

Click...

The lounge has long since disappeared.

Iwashita Shima opened her eyes.

"...An unfamiliar ceiling..."

Are you awake?

Beside her, Nekoyashiki Haru's voice rang out.

Shima Iwashita got up from the sofa, her black hair disheveled.

"What you said is really going too far... Qing..."

"I didn't say anything, did I?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked doubtfully.

"...I know...it was just a dream."

Iwashita Shima leaned back on the sofa.

"You've received so much help from me in the past..."

Iwashita Shima narrowed his eyes.

"Ah."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"...Actually, I found Ichiji Hoshika."

"?"

Nekoyashiki Haru was stunned for a moment, not reacting at first.

"...She found out about your performance...I had Kikuri bring the tickets over."

"…ah…"

Nekoyashiki Haru opened her mouth.

"However, Kikuri didn't know either; she just handed over the tickets. As for how I knew that Ijichi Hoshika was someone you knew in the past... Eliza told me..."

Shima Iwashita smiled bitterly.

Why bring this up now?

"Nekoyashiki Haru asked calmly."

"...Thinking about it carefully, it seems like this story was started by me."

Iwashita Shima lowered his head.

"Hey, Qing."

"Ok?"

"You actually wanted to join that day, right?"

As soon as Iwashita Shima finished speaking, he lowered his head.

Don't say anything... let him guess for himself.

Maybe he has no idea what I'm talking about... "that day" and stuff... He definitely won't understand if I don't explain it clearly.

A look of confusion appeared on his face, and then…

"...Yes, I did want to join at first that day."

Nekoyashiki Haru's voice rang out.

Iwashita Shima's pupils contracted sharply, then slowly dilated.

"...I see..."

Chapter 430 Trust and Responsibility

"...I didn't realize it at first..."

Iwashita Shima sighed.

"It's normal that they won't be able to tell, right?"

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"...It was I...who pushed you over there with my own hands."

Iwashita Shima continued.

"It's less about you and more about myself."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Even if you do nothing, I will still go and meet with Sister Xingge."

"yes…"

Iwashita Shima nodded, then muttered to himself.

"...Taking other people's responsibilities upon oneself is not being responsible at all...?"

"I don't recall saying that?"

Nekoyashiki Haru paused for a moment.

“I know you didn’t say that… I figured it out myself.”

Iwashita Shima sighed.

Nekoyashiki Haru fell silent, and after a long while, the boy's voice rang out.

"...I'm not looking for Eliza anymore."

"Varied?!"

Iwashita Shima stared wide-eyed at Nekoyashiki Haru.

"...What did you just say?!"

Iwashita Shima's voice was excited.

"...I said I'm not looking for Eliza anymore."

"why?"

Iwashita Shima's pupils trembled.

Do you hate her?

No, no.

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Of course I still want to find her, but... Shima wouldn't hurt me, would she?"

"!"

Iwashita Shima was stunned.

"Shima desperately didn't want me to go to Eliza... so now, I've decided to believe you, Shima."