Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

As the sun sets, the number of customers in the cafe gradually decreases.

Mortis remained seated, his golden eyes gazing out the window at the street, his mind racing.

She kept thinking about the almost ridiculous conversation just now. Was the other party really just joking, or did he have other intentions?

Is the gentle and considerate Xiaoxiang real, or is it a carefully designed trap?

Mortis's fingers unconsciously brushed against her pockets, and at that moment a sudden memory struck her.

The napkin that the other person stuffed in.

Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and she carefully took it out and slowly unfolded it.

What caught my eye was a line of neat handwriting and a string of numbers.

"You'd better not let Wakaba Mu see it."

Mortis took a deep breath and instantly understood the other party's seemingly unintentional actions - it was not a joke, but a clever way to leave her a secret contact method.

A stronger fear surged in her heart, making her fingers tremble slightly.

How did she know I wasn't Ruoye Mu? Why did she give me her contact information? What did she want?

What's even more terrifying is that he seems to know the relationship between Wakaba Mu and her, and the secret that they share a body.

Mortis refolded the napkin and tucked it back into her pocket. She stood up, her legs still a little weak, but much stronger than they had been a few hours ago.

Walking out of the cafe, the cool evening breeze brushed across her cheeks.

Should I contact him or tell Mu about this?

Mortis struggled internally.

On the one hand, she was afraid of Kujo Renji, and that instinctive fear could not be easily eliminated; on the other hand, today's interactions allowed her to see a warm and caring 'Xiaoxiang' - a person who treated Wakaba Mutsu better than the original Toyokawa Xiangzi.

More importantly, Ruoye Mu asked her to follow Kujo Renji in order to obtain more information and find the real Toyokawa Shoko. If she did not contact him, it would mean that the mission had failed.

But if she did, what dangers would she face?

"If you want to know the truth..."

The words lingered in Mortis' mind. The truth... what was the truth? About the reason for Toyokawa Shoko's change? Or... about Wakaba Mutsu himself?

As the night deepened, Mortis walked aimlessly on her way home. The napkin in her pocket seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making her steps heavy and hesitant.

Should I contact him?

.......

The small park next to the school is deserted in the evening.

Mortis sat on the bench, his long light green hair stained darker by the twilight.

She twisted her fingers together tightly, and couldn't help but check the time on her phone every few seconds.

She had been tossing and turning for two whole days since leaving the cafe that day. Finally, this morning, she mustered up the courage and sent a short message to the number that Kujo Renji had left:

[Today at 9:00 PM, in the park next to Hanegaoka Girls' College.]

Wakaba Mu knew nothing about this secret operation.

Like all shared-body personalities, they have access to some of each other's memories, but not in real time.

This gave Mortis a lot of room to maneuver - as long as she was careful, Ruoye Mu would not discover her betrayal at least in the short term.

"betray..."

Mortis whispered to himself, a flash of pain in his golden eyes, but soon he became firm again:

"No, Xiao Mu! This isn't betrayal. I just...want more information."

She kept telling herself that this meeting was to complete the task assigned to her by Wakaba Mu - to find out the details of the "monster" that occupied Toyokawa Shoko's body.

Yet deep down, she knew she had other motives.

She could not easily forget the warm feeling of being sincerely cared for.

"You're here really early, Xiao Mu~"

A familiar voice came from behind him, making Mortis shudder.

She turned her head suddenly and saw "Shoko Toyokawa" standing not far away, her amber eyes looking particularly bright in the twilight.

"I..."

Mortis subconsciously wanted to run away, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't move.

That instinctive fear returned, though much weaker than last time.

The girl did not approach immediately, but kept a certain distance, as if she noticed her uneasiness.

Her eyes were gentle and her posture was relaxed, as if she was deliberately trying to eliminate the sense of threat.

"I didn't expect you to contact me so soon," she said softly, her tone filled with genuine surprise.

In fact, Kujo Renji was indeed a little surprised.

He originally thought that the mysterious man who imitated Ruoye Mu would need at least a week to hesitate and struggle, but he didn't expect that he would contact him on his own initiative after only two days.

This means that the other party is more eager than he imagined, or more easily led.

Before coming to meet, Kujo Renji had already used some original sin points.

This was the usage he discovered at the beginning - by consuming points, he could temporarily block Toyokawa Shoko's consciousness, making her unable to perceive some of her own actions and thoughts.

It was like installing a soundproof room in the space of consciousness. Shoko Toyokawa could not hear, see or perceive anything that happened inside.

Of course, this shielding is not absolute. If his emotions fluctuate too much, Toyokawa Shoko may still notice it.

But for a simple conversation like this, one Sin Point is enough to provide perfect privacy.

Kujo Renji walked to the bench and sat down at a proper distance.

He noticed that the mysterious man seemed more nervous today than the last time in the cafe, and he didn't even dare to look him in the eye.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly, his tone soothing. "In fact, I'm grateful that you came to see me."

Mortis was still tense, but Kujo Renji's gentle attitude did make her relax a little.

She glanced at him cautiously and noticed that he seemed more... approachable than the last time they met?

There was no sense of oppression, no cat-and-mouse smile. Instead, there was an almost sincere attitude.

"What... do you want to know?"

She spoke hesitantly, her voice shriller than usual. She was no longer pretending to be Ruoye Mu, after all, the other party had seen through her disguise.

Jiujo Renji smiled slightly: "First of all, I want to know your name."

"Mortis..." she answered automatically, then regretted it immediately.

Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo! Why did you reveal your information so easily?!

"Mortis..." Kujo Renji repeated the name softly: "Ave mujica?"

Mortis looked up in surprise, a hint of surprise flashing in his golden eyes.

"Don't be so surprised." Kujo Renji chuckled. "So, Mortis, what is your relationship with Wakaba Mu? Sisters? Friends?"

"We...share the same body."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mortis realized that he had once again easily revealed important information.

But strangely, telling this secret did not make her feel scared. Instead, she felt a strange sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Kujo Renji's expression changed slightly, and he seemed to be genuinely surprised.

"You mean... multiple personalities?"

Mortis nodded and said nothing more.

A wave of surprise surged in Kujo Renji's heart.

Multiple personalities? This was indeed beyond his expectations. He had originally thought that this "Mortis" in front of him might be Wakaba Mu's twin sister, or a friend with some special relationship.

Multiple personalities explain a lot of things - Wakaba Mu's abnormal behavior, his sometimes sharp and sometimes dull judgment, and the strange feeling that he was "playing himself".

But Kujo Renji quickly adjusted his thoughts and accepted the information calmly.

"Mortis..."

In Ave mujica's performance, Wakaba Mu played the role of "Mortis", a character that symbolizes death.

Multiple personalities often result from some form of unbearable stress or trauma.

Ruoye Mu looks introverted and fragile, but beneath his surface calmness lies an undercurrent that no one knows about.

And for the band Ave Mujica, the pressure of performing and the pursuit of perfection might be the trigger?

—Or is it the band itself that creates these personalities?

Renji Kujo recalled the scene when Ave mujica was first established in Shoko Toyokawa's memory.

"Becoming someone else on stage"—that's the essence of acting. But Ruoruo Yemu becomes overly immersed, blurring the lines between stage and reality, internalizing the role as part of his personality...

Each of the five members of Ave Mujica plays a role that symbolizes a different emotion.

Perhaps, Ruo Yemu's multiple personalities stem from excessive identification with the role?

Did the pressure of being in the band and the demands of performing give rise to different fragments of personality?

But Kujo Renji felt that this explanation was too simple.

Multiple personality disorder often has deeper psychological trauma as its root. Wakaba Mu's family background, past experiences, and complicated relationship with Toyokawa Shoko...these may all be underlying factors.

—No, it’s not just Ave mujica. There must be other reasons.

Kujo Renji's thoughts turned to the memories of Toyokawa Shoko.

Among the fragments of memories about Wakaba Mu, there are some vague emotional imprints - worry, guilt, and an indescribable sense of responsibility.

Shoko Toyokawa knew something, but those memories seemed to have been deliberately downplayed or forgotten.

What caused Toyokawa Shoko to have such complicated feelings for Wakaba Mu? What caused Wakaba Mu's spiritual world to split into different personalities?

Kujo Renji couldn't be sure, so he decided to put these speculations aside for the time being and focus on the task at hand - to gain Mortis' trust and turn her into his own pawn.

Understanding a person's weaknesses and desires is the first step to manipulating her.

And the dissatisfaction that Mortis showed towards Wakaba Mu at this moment was exactly the breakthrough point that he could exploit.

The mystery of multiple personalities can be slowly unraveled, but at the moment, extending a "hand of friendship" to Mortis is the most important thing.

"I understand." He nodded, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "Is it her...Xiao Mu, who is taking the lead?"

Mortis raised his head and frowned, seeming a little dissatisfied with this remark.

Jiujo Renji keenly caught this detail. He leaned forward slightly, his voice gentle and sincere:

"It must be hard, right? Being ordered to do something you don't want to do."

Mortis looked up suddenly, a hint of surprise flashed in his golden eyes, and then he quickly lowered his head.

"She ordered you to follow me, didn't she?"

Kujo Renji continued, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern: "Even though you're scared of me."

"I..."

Mortis subconsciously wanted to refute, but in the end he gave up and said:

"Yes, it was Xiao Mu who asked me to come——"

Mortis didn't understand why she had opened up so easily to the being that had once frightened her.

Perhaps it was because the feeling of being truly understood was too precious, or perhaps it was because those amber eyes seemed to contain a concern that she had never seen in Ruoye Mu's eyes.

"Xiao Mu doesn't care about my thoughts at all!"

Mortis regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, but once the floodgates of emotion opened, like ice melting in spring, they could not be frozen again:

"Every time, every time she makes a decision, she excludes me from the decision and never asks if I want to or not!"

Her voice trailed off, as if she realized she had said too much.

Kujo Renji listened quietly, without interrupting or judging, but just looked at her intently. The understanding and acceptance in his eyes were like warm sunshine, making Mortis feel strangely at ease and cherished.

Silence stretched between them, not an uncomfortable silence, but a space that allowed emotions to settle. Kujo Renji waited until Mortis's breathing became steady again.