Survive in Azure Files

To be honest, Hoshino missed being able to patrol with others again.

But I also felt deeply uneasy—

Although the possibility is very small, what should she do if the adult next to her has bad intentions and wants to do something to her lovely juniors!

As expected, as a senior, she still has to check it first.

Hoshino was embarrassed and politely asked the teacher not to get too close to other children for the time being.

The teacher readily agreed, which reduced Hoshino's suspicion a little.

Even when Serika was kidnapped and something was wrong with the bullet marks, Hoshino just thought, "Oh, it turns out that adults also have their own trump cards," and didn't delve into it too deeply.

However, after that, during the few days when the teacher was away, Hoshino realized that he was a little lonely and began to be alert:

When did she start to develop a liking for the teacher?

Perhaps, in Hoshino's heart, she has always longed for someone to help her.

It is normal for a senior who takes on the responsibility of protecting the younger generation and becomes someone that everyone can rely on to occasionally want to find a reliable adult to rely on.

Hoshino, who was not very aware of his usual unreliability, used this excuse to convince himself.

Then Hoshino keenly discovered that it seemed that the entire countermeasures committee had a very favorable impression of the teacher.

This is also inevitable.

He is tall and handsome, gentle and kind, mature and reliable, and willing to help them who no one cares about. It would be strange if he didn't have a good impression of them.

Of course, this also includes Hoshino himself.

Even though he understood this, Hoshino still felt a little weird.

This feeling reached its peak when he accidentally discovered that Nomiya was secretly serving as a knee pillow for his teacher.

Hoshino suddenly felt that the teacher was actually very suspicious. He was also inexplicably involved with the newly appeared Convenience House 68.

Out of doubt in his heart, after using the eavesdropping device, Hoshino felt even more chilled - the teacher actually knew the identity of the mastermind behind the attack on Abydos?

No, maybe the teacher is just guessing, maybe he just wants to trick the truth out of Convenience House 68.

Hoshino felt extremely confused and even completed the patrol that night in a daze and with great effort.

Maybe she shouldn't have expected anything from her teacher.

Hoshino laughed at himself and dragged his tired body back home, only to see his teacher sleeping foolishly on the sofa in his house, with a gift on the coffee table!

It's a whale pillow! And there's also an illustrated guide to marine life!

The teacher actually knew that she liked these... Hehe...

Maybe it was just her misunderstanding?

Sure enough, that morning, after successfully resolving part of the debt problem plaguing Abydos, the teacher revealed the truth to everyone at the meeting.

Xingye was relieved, but also slightly dissatisfied with what happened in the middle:

What a playboy! She actually cuddled with her cute junior! Didn't she know how to refuse?

Hoshino has realized that he may indeed have good intentions towards the teacher.

Although this doesn't mean that she isn't wary of the teacher.

There might be some impact, but Xingye still had doubts. She knew that this was her problem, and she couldn't ignore the possibility that there was any unrequited kindness. But...

No matter what, Hoshino is just a girl who should be enjoying her campus life without worries.

Hoshino tried hard to convince himself that there were indeed many coincidences, but hadn’t the teacher basically explained them all?

The teacher has never deliberately concealed anything from us.

and so……

Hoshino wondered if he could try to trust the teacher.

Even though she had such a difficult responsibility, she would never easily place her trust in any outsider.

But wasn't the teacher already helping Abydos to lighten her burden? Maybe she didn't need to stay so tense anymore.

This is what Xingye once thought.

Until the teacher already knew the evidence that Caesar's group had embezzled most of the land in Abydos, her luck was completely shattered.

Ah, it turns out that the teacher was not hiding anything.

Ah, it turns out that the teacher might have other intentions.

Ah, so...I can't trust the teacher.

After looking at the cadastral map, Hoshino ran back to his home as fast as he could, using the excuse that he had forgotten something at home. He hugged a whale pillow, lay in bed, and cried silently while looking at the message on his mobile phone screen.

Then, with blurry eyes, she wrote a line on the last page of the marine life atlas.

Close the book and wipe away your tears.

Hoshino knew that he could no longer deceive himself.

The hazy feelings of a young girl were not a luxury she should have. The dream had ended that day.

She can change her personality for the promise, wear a mask until she can no longer take it off, and she can also give up everything else for the promise.

She must...protect everyone.

Therefore, Kotori Hoshino no longer deserves happiness.

-

"I can't... I can't like you... If I like you... I won't be able to stop trusting you... So I can only hate you... I hate you more than anyone else..."

Hoshino raised his head and said to my embarrassed figure: "Why? I've already said it! I hate you the most! Why don't you give up on me?! What! You want [Horus] too? Agreeing to cooperate with Caesar PMC's director can also achieve your goal! Please... don't bother me anymore..."

"I don't know anything about Horus!"

I yelled breathlessly, "Hoshino! You are such a hopeless idiot!

"Since you insist on thinking that I have some ulterior motive, then I admit it. I have ulterior motives towards you! But what I want is never Horus!

"Others want [Horus], but all I want, from the very beginning, is [Kotori Hoshino]!"

"……Eh?"

"I want you to become someone whose heart aches when you see me, and whose feelings are mixed with sweetness and bitterness when you think of me, and who will always be grateful for my efforts for you—"

"You want...me...?"

With my surging rage, I squeezed the last bit of my strength and used the [Majesty of the Lion] on Antonis who was rushing towards me.

While he was off balance, I kicked him to the ground, pointed the shotgun at his head, and fired continuously while looking at the confused Hoshino.

"So, Hoshino Kotori! Look at me and give me all your love!

"This is the everlasting covenant I will make with you.

"Please entrust me with your life, your dreams, your trust, and your feelings. I will take care of everything for you!

"So! Stop saying stupid things like you don't deserve happiness!

"Because, I'm here! I will definitely save you and bring you happiness!"

Xingye stared at me blankly, tears streaming down unconsciously:

"Ahh...I...can I really?"

"Of course. So, trust me."

"You are really, really cunning... Saying such cunning words at a time like this... In this case, I have no other choice..."

Hoshino said this, tears streaming down his face, but a smile appeared on his dirty face:

"I understand. Even if I was deceived, it might not be a bad thing if it was you who deceived me. So, you must take responsibility for me."

Hearing this, I felt a surge of warmth in my heart.

Finally... finally...

"Finally, I caught you."

Antonis, who was lying on the ground, spoke coldly, stretched out his hand and grasped my ankle.

Chapter 60 The Time for Crowning Has Come

"It's rude to be distracted during a fight."

Antonis sneered, and turned over with one hand on the ground. With his extremely strong core strength, he instantly changed his posture from lying on the ground to squatting. With his other hand, he grabbed my ankle and threw me hard to the hard ground. Hoshino's shotgun was also thrown far away.

Before I could recover from the dizziness, Antonis had already pounced on me, his left hand tightly locking my throat, and his right hand constantly hitting my head.

I vaguely heard Hoshino's cries, but all I could hear was the strong wind from his punches.

Antonius's steel arm was constantly twisted and fell to the ground beside me, with gravel flying everywhere. However, the degree of twisting was getting lower and lower, and finally, the power of the Shiting Box was exhausted.

The last iron fist stopped less than a centimeter in front of the tip of my nose.

"It has ended."

Antonis pronounced the verdict in a deep voice, stood up, and held out his hand to me again: "Stand up."

If he hadn't stopped, my head would have exploded by now.

I was gasping for breath in a panic, thinking back to the thrilling scene just now, and felt my whole body was soaked in cold sweat.

Grabbing Antonis's hand, I used the force to get up from the ground.

"Teacher, I hope you can understand that violence is only a means to facilitate negotiations." Antonis patted my shoulder gently, "It was my mistake. I didn't expect you to be interested in this kind of... cough. You actually have such a refined taste. If you like, I know a senior official of the Federal Student Union. She is elegant and beautiful with a slender figure. I can introduce her to you."

"...No need."

"Then how do you think about this? When Caesar Vocational Training School is established, let all the current students of Abydos transfer here. Including the vice president of the Abydos Student Union. This is my greatest sincerity. I only hope that you, us, and the Secret Art of Numbers can join hands to create a more brilliant career."

"In this way, you can also escape punishment?"

“Yes, it’s a win-win situation.”

I sighed and said, "It seems that I have no other choice now?"

"To be honest, I have buried a large amount of explosives underground. If you really insist on not changing your ways, I can only disguise this as an accident."

I may have to admit that I really underestimated the Caesar PMC director in the past. He was tempted by both emotion and reason, and threatened with direct life-threatening threats. After using both soft and hard tactics, a normal person would have agreed.

"For Hoshino, protecting the academy is a responsibility that is more important than anything else."

I shook my head: "Thank you for your kindness, but I have already promised that I will take care of everything for Xingye."

I have done almost everything I can to this point. It would be too shameful to tell lies that go against my conscience and can be easily exposed.

Moreover, things are not completely hopeless.

I had to continue to delay and try to get as much time as possible to pull out the card.

Even if there is really nothing we can do... at least... we have to leave Hoshino a possibility of survival.

"…Sure enough, we are the same kind of people."

"Oh?"

"I don't have my own dreams, so the president's dream is my dream. Teacher, I think that students are the same to you."

“…Heh, maybe.”

Antonis sighed and said, "It's a pity. If it weren't for our position, we might be able to become friends. Teacher, I can finally meet one of your reasonable requests. Of course, it is limited to what can be done now."

"Friends?... Oh, I suddenly realized that as the final battle, there is no evenly matched battle, but such a warm and affectionate one... It's really regrettable."

"Because you are too weak."

Antonis said bluntly: "Even the weakest student cannot be defeated by me. But you are different, and I took advantage of this. From the moment you stepped into this trap, your defeat was already doomed, although my original intention was not to kill you."

"You're right. It's all my fault for being too weak."

"So, what is your request?"

"Finally, let me talk to Hoshino alone, okay?"

"Please go ahead. I will leave first and detonate the explosives before the students with heavy firepower arrive to rescue me. Before that, if you change your mind, please tell me in front of the camera in the corner."