One-way traffic

"That's why Yoshino has Yoshina by her side..."

"That doll, it really is another consciousness you created yourself."

Although this surprised her, Yoshino still nodded.

"Yoshino is... the powerful version of myself I imagine... a hero..."

"..."

"Yoshino is so much better than...Yoshino...she's both handsome and powerful...unlike Yoshino...who can't do anything..."

Her voice was incredibly low; if there were other people in the living room, Accelerator might not have been able to hear her clearly.

Even so, there is still one point that is beyond doubt.

The girl's expression at that moment was one of extreme inferiority.

It was as if they wanted to completely abandon their current selves; they couldn't even look at themselves.

"You think you can't do anything right now, that you're just a cowardly and useless guy?"

"Yoshino...that's how it is..."

She felt she had absolutely no hope of becoming someone with a personality like Yoshina.

That is why the girl deliberately created such a doll, implanting a lively and strong personality into it, to serve as her hero and her shield.

As for herself, she was completely convinced that she had no way out.

"what."

But all of this only elicited one response from the other party.

"You think you're weak, incapable of anything, and just a piece of trash... Don't tell me you really think that way about yourself."

"...?"

Yoshino expressed doubt about his words.

All Accelerator did was calmly watch her.

"So, what do you think is the reason you haven't fought back against those guys?"

"It's...because Yoshino...is very weak..."

"Don't say things that even you don't believe."

The other party ruthlessly interrupted Yoshino's train of thought.

"You should know better than anyone whether you can beat those AST guys or not, right?"

--ah.

She sat there, seemingly in a daze.

Just as Accelerator had been thinking, Yoshino had also come to a complete realization of this.

The power of the elves is so great that they could never possibly lose to the members of the AST.

So, why exactly did Yoshino refuse to retaliate against them?

"You are not incapable of resisting."

The first one, who had seen through everything, directly explained it to them.

"It's just that your thoughts determine all of this."

"Your current thought is that you don't want to intentionally cause harm or let others be harmed."

Ignoring Yoshino's increasingly confused expression, Accelerator continued talking.

"Whether it's that woman you just saw, or a guy like me, what we choose is to fight to protect those around us from harm..."

"But you are different. You are different from all of us."

Accelerator met his gaze directly.

That powerful gaze made it impossible for Yoshino to look away.

"The path you chose was never about protecting others through fighting and resistance, was it? You chose the path of protecting others from harm without resorting to resistance."

In other words, Yoshino knew from the beginning that she possessed this extraordinary level of power, but she consciously chose not to fight.

Because once they take action, it's easy for those around them to get hurt.

Excessive power will cause conflict and harm, so the best course of action is to not resist at all and simply run away.

To some extent, this can indeed be considered protecting others from harm.

Or perhaps it's because they never wanted to see others get hurt.

"I...I...don't understand..."

"It doesn't matter, that's your own business."

Accelerator didn't seem to intend to continue the story.

He was just expressing his feelings; as for what choice the little brat would make, that was her own business.

but.

Just as I said.

He stood up abruptly and said without turning his head.

"These are all your own business. Since that's the case, you have to decide what choices you make in your life."

"You can choose how to proceed from here."

He didn't look back and walked straight towards the other room.

And so, only Yoshino remained there, looking completely stunned.

The words of that first person have always lingered in my heart, unable to be erased.

Chapter 371 The Arrival of Ice and Snow

The choice of how to proceed is up to you.

Accelerator's words still linger in Yoshino's mind.

What's even more puzzling is that Yoshino finds it hard to understand what the other person is trying to say. It is precisely because of this lack of understanding that the girl's mind becomes increasingly confused.

"Sorry to keep you waiting~"

Before she could come to an answer to this question, a sound came from the kitchen.

Hatsune Miku walked out of it with a smile.

Wearing a kitchen apron, she placed a huge tray on the table with both hands, and then carried all the food on the tray to the table.

Yoshino couldn't help but be drawn to the scene before her.

On the table was a three-serving plate of fried pork cutlet rice and three bowls of tofu miso soup.

"Going back to fast food today?"

"When children come to visit, they're more likely to want to try this kind of food."

Hatsune Miku looked at Yoshino with a grin.

"I'm not sure what kind of food Yoshino likes, but kids her age usually like hamburgers or tonkatsu, right?"

"It doesn't matter which one it is, as long as there's meat, that's enough."

"Yes yes~"

Accelerator nonchalantly turned his head away and sat down at the dining table with Hatsune Miku.

The scene before her eyes still left Yoshino in a daze.

She quietly walked to the dining table and looked at the fried pork cutlet rice that was clearly hers. The pork cutlet was golden and translucent, and the steaming rice was served with mayonnaise and ketchup on separate small plates.

Before she knew it, Yoshino felt an irresistible stirring in her stomach.

"What's wrong, Yoshino?"

"Ah...I..."

Yoshino quickly came to her senses, but instead showed a look of astonishment on her face.

Hatsune Miku, however, didn't seem to care at all.

"Sit down with us, or the fried pork cutlet will get cold! If it's not enough, I can share some of mine with you!"

"No, that's not how it is..."

Yoshino quickly shook her head vigorously, refusing Hatsune Miku's offer to go further.

Perhaps because she was too shy, Yoshino hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly sitting down on the chair.

"I...I'm starting...it..."

Taking a deep breath, the girl's delicate hands finally began to move.

Under Hatsune Miku's expectant gaze, she stuffed a small piece of pork chop that had been cut off with a spoon into her mouth.

How does it taste?

"...!"

In addition to the indescribably rich flavors that fill the mouth, there is also a warm sensation that makes both body and mind feel comfortable.

As if to contrast with the heavy rain still falling outside, the warmth from biting into the pork cutlet immediately made Yoshino's cheeks turn red.

"tasty…"

Although her voice was still very soft, it was noticeably louder this time than before.

She couldn't help but lower her head and continue eating quickly in small bites.

"It's just a regular pork cutlet rice bowl, are you really that satisfied?"

"I think it must be because she used to have a hard time getting her hands on this kind of food."

Hatsune Miku looked at Yoshino with a complicated expression.

Pork cutlet rice is really just a common dish that you can eat at home or out anytime. However, Yoshino's behavior at this moment is as if she has never eaten this kind of food before.

This is probably because the other party is mostly an elf, and may have never eaten human food before.

Even so, the scene before her eyes still evoked a deep sense of affection in Hatsune Miku.

Yoshino turned her gaze to the tofu miso soup on the other side, and with a curious expression, slowly took a sip.

At that moment, Yoshino's eyes widened involuntarily.

dong dong——

Both Accelerator and Hatsune Miku couldn't help but be drawn to the attention.

Before my eyes, the little girl in green clothes slammed her hands on the table, making a clattering sound.

"…ah?"

Realizing what she had done, Yoshino blushed and quickly lowered her head.

She was probably praising Hatsune Miku's cooking as very delicious.

Upon realizing this, Hatsune Miku couldn't help but laugh, while Accelerator simply pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

Yoshino quickly looked at the doll that belonged to Yoshina, which was placed next to the table.

Relying on myself alone is definitely too difficult. I must get Yoshino back as soon as possible...

"what…"

But when she picked up the doll, Yoshino noticed that the bottom of the rabbit doll looked somewhat tattered.

It's not to the point where it has to be replaced, but the lower half of the doll is basically damaged.

"Wow, it looks like it's broken pretty badly..."

"It's already a miracle that something found on that kind of battlefield has survived in its entirety, isn't it? Be content."

"We can't just leave it like this no matter what... We absolutely can't just ignore it."

Yoshino looked at the two people in front of her with surprise.