The story we started

[“The answer is simple, because I am also a ‘human’, and humans naturally have the emotion of fear, and I have never been a hero.”]

[“Every time I fight with unidentified life forms, I feel scared. I’m scared that I’ll die at the hands of these monsters. I’m scared that I’ll never be able to return to my home again. I’m scared that I’ll never be able to see my family again. I’m scared that I won’t be able to see my sister happy. I’m scared of how my family will be hit when they hear the news of my death. I’m scared that my family will cry in front of the grave with my name on it. I’m scared—”]

[Kousaka Kyousuke raised a finger in front of Zaimokuza every time he said a word that started with "fear", until he finally stopped after all the fingers on both palms were raised.]

[He looked at Zaimokuza, whose expression had become stunned, and his face was full of helplessness. ]

[“From the very beginning, the things that Kousaka Kyosuke was afraid of were more than the number of his ten fingers. I won’t tell you about the other things he was afraid of, because if I told you, you probably wouldn’t believe it.”]

[“Mr. Kosaka… if you are so scared, why do you still… still choose to fight those guys?”]

[Zaimokuza couldn't calm down for a long time. He looked at the young man who used to be very familiar to him but now seemed a little strange to him, and couldn't help but ask his doubts. ]

[Since fighting against unconfirmed life forms would cause so many things that frightened him to become reality, why did this man never choose to escape? He even charged to the front line in every battle? His every move completely contradicted what he said.]

[At this moment, Zaimokuza was eager to know this, he wanted to know the answer. ]

[Kousaka Kyousuke spoke, and his slow voice sounded like a huge bell in Zaimokuza's ears, shaking his brain.]

【“Because I can’t escape.”】

[“If I run away, then the thing I’m afraid of may become someone else’s reality.”]

[“And the reason I became a policeman is because I wanted to protect the citizens. I didn’t want them to suffer the reality of what I was afraid of. This was Kyosuke Kosaka’s original wish and the source of his journey.”]

[“Every time I feel scared and lost, I remember where I started from. Every time I am able to overcome the confusion and keep moving forward.”]

【Kousaka Kyousuke stood up, looked at Zaimokuza, and said sincerely.】

[“Zaimokuza, as human beings, we cannot be perfect in everything. There will definitely be times when we are powerless. Confusion and frustration, even regret and pain, will always accompany us every moment on the road of life and will become roadblocks at any time.”]

[“But we can at least do our best, overcome our confusion and fear, step over the stones that block our way, continue to move forward into the future, and fight for the things we believe in.”]

[“I will continue to do what I can for the things I believe in and care about, and I believe that you will be able to overcome the current obstacles and defeat No. 21. Just like every battle before, I believe you will win.”]

【“Zaimokuzu.”】

[“If you still feel confused and afraid, then think more about why you are fighting and recall what your starting point is.”]

【Click.】

[After saying this, Kousaka Kyosuke opened the entrance to the warehouse behind him, and before stepping out of the door, he turned his head again to look at Zaimokuza who was sitting in a daze on the chair, then closed the door and left without looking back.]

【Listening to the footsteps getting farther and farther away, Zaimokuza looked down at his hands in a daze. His palms kept opening and closing in front of his eyes. The skin on each finger was white, transparent and smooth. It was not at all like the hands of an adventurer, but more like the fingers of a pianist.】

[“My… source?”]

52. Awakened Mind Two-in-One

Chiba Prefecture, Chiba Benzun High School, Health Center. bookzun.com

"Has my future self become so eloquent?"

Kyosuke Kousaka moved a table to block the door of the health room to prevent those who discovered that he and the future "self" in the video were the same person. He sat on the table and looked at "himself" in the video with some surprise as he turned around and walked out.

He had never thought that he actually had such a talent. He could play the role of a caring grandfather who comforted the protagonist after he encountered setbacks in various heroic stories. He had to say that this feeling was quite wonderful.

However, Kyosuke Kousaka soon wrinkled his eyelashes in confusion, his eyes somewhat puzzled.

Why did the "self" in the video just now see the illusion that his palms were covered in blood?

Is that blood your own, or someone else's?

【Tokyo City, Wakaba Ward, Wakaba Kindergarten. 】

【02:25 p.m】

[“Yo-yo! I’m back!”]

[Zaimokuza raised his hand awkwardly and forced a smile, but his face twitched because the movement affected the wound on his body.]

【“…”】

[Yuigahama Yui sat on the chair with an expressionless face, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Zaimokuza, whose body, including his face, was covered in bandages, and she stared at him without saying a word.]

[“Don’t look at me like that…”]

[Zaimokuza's smile froze as he felt a little scared by her gaze, and he coughed a few times pretending to be serious before continuing.]

[“Yuigahama, you know me well. I am a man of my words! Since I promised you that I will not do anything dangerous, I will never go against my words.”]

【“…”】

[Yuigahama remained silent, stretched out her right hand to take the remote control on the desk and turned on the TV on the TV table in the distance. The voice of the host of the news channel sounded in this small office.]

[“The above are the details of this battle. After killing more than a dozen police officers, the unidentified life form No. 21 had a fierce battle with No. 4 at the quarry downstream of the Sumida River. According to exclusive news reports, No. 21 showed an ability similar to No. 4's ability to change form in the battle with No. 4. Its combat ability is overwhelmingly stronger than No. 4, and its destructive power is far beyond the unidentified life forms that appeared before. The quarry was completely destroyed in the aftermath of the battle between the two. The above is the video of the battle between No. 21 and No. 4 recorded by the reporter——”]

[As Zaimokuza's expression froze, the host on TV began to play a video clip. Both he and No. 21 were clearly visible in the video. It was obviously filmed from a very close distance. And judging from the clarity without any blur, the person who filmed it probably used a high-end brand HD camera.]

[That video was the beginning of his battle with No. 21 in Blue Dragon form. After the opponent changed his form to suppress him, Zaimokuza also transformed into Titan form to fight back, but was still defeated and was beaten back to the full-powered form. Finally, the enemy used that terrifying fireball to attack Zaimokuza who had transformed into the elemental awakening mode.]

[After capturing this scene, the originally motionless video camera suddenly shook, and a sandy corridor flashed continuously. A clear, rapid gasp could be heard from the TV speakers, and then a wave of air and a red light flashed on the edge of the video camera screen, which was visible even when the camera angle changed. Then, with a "sizzle" sound, the screen turned black.]

[“The above is the footage that our reporter took at the risk of his life in an abandoned delivery room close to the quarry. For this short footage of less than 20 minutes, he was hit by the aftermath of the battle and is now being treated in the hospital for minor burns. Please applaud his bravery. He heroically fulfilled his mission as a brave man to uncover the truth for the public!”]

[“This video, recorded by a brave man at the risk of his life, clearly shows how Number Four fought Number Twenty-One during the battle—”]

【Beep.】

[Yuigahama Yui turned off the TV and put down the remote control. She turned her head and looked at Zaimokuza expressionlessly, and spoke softly. ]

[“Is this what you said, that you won’t do anything dangerous?”]

[The voice is gentle and calm, but it carries a sense of majesty that is like the undercurrent surging beneath the sea. ]

【“…”】

【Zaimokuza's face was filled with confusion at this moment, and his brain almost stopped working.】

[He had never imagined that someone had actually recorded the entire process of his battle with a camera just a few feet away. It was not until the blue fireball appeared that the person who filmed it realized something was wrong and fled in an emergency. In the end, he only suffered minor injuries from the aftermath of the terrifying attack?]

[What kind of super Hong Kong reporter is this! Is it necessary to work so hard! ? ]

[Zaimokuza was holding back his complaints but couldn't say anything. He could only be thankful that the scene of him turning back into a human after No. 21 left was not filmed by the other party, otherwise the headlines of tomorrow's news would probably be "No. 4's true identity is actually an ordinary human! ? A super warrior with the power of transformation! What is his true identity! ? " Such news headlines are exclusive to the shock department. 】

[Thinking about the endless pursuit of reporters and paparazzi that he might face in the future, and the unscrupulous nature of those guys for hot news, it is estimated that even his ancestors and all his dark history will be dug out and exposed to the sun for everyone to appreciate, forcing everyone to enter the unknown heart of the unconfirmed life form No. 4——]

[When Zaimokuza thought of that scene, his scalp went numb and he broke out in cold sweats. By that time, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru II would probably really say goodbye to this world and human society, and then spend the rest of his life hiding in some uninhabited, isolated place.]

[But the most important thing now is to think about how to fool Yuigahama Yui in front of me. ]

[“Well, this, this, this, there is an irresistible reason. I didn’t mean to lie to you! It’s just that I don’t know how to say it. After all, you, Yuigahama, you also know me. I can’t——”]

[Just when Zaimokuza was babbling nonsense and didn't know what to say, Yuigahama Yui gently reached out her hand and touched his bandaged forehead. ]

【"Well!"】

[Zaimokuza couldn't help but scream out in pain at the slight pain on his forehead, and he was speechless all of a sudden.]

[“…Does it hurt?”]

[A white and tender hand pushed aside the bangs in front of the bandage on Zaimokuza's forehead, and looking at the bloody white bandage, Yuigahama Yui's pink eyes were as tranquil as a lake, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.]

[“Uh, I, I’m fine. This injury will heal in no time.”]

[The reaction of the woman in front of him was completely different from what Zaimokuza had expected. He had been prepared to endure the scolding from her like a storm, but Yuigahama's move broke his expectations, causing Zaimokuza to become stunned and speak hesitantly.]

【“…”】

[Yuigahama Yui put down her hands, closed her eyes and thought for a while, then stood up, walked to the table not far away, took a cup and poured a glass of water from the kettle, opened the drawer, took out a box of painkillers for external injuries, and walked back. ]

[“Take a pill. Although your body is probably different from that of a human now, Zaimokuza, the painkiller should still have some pain-relieving effect.”]

【“…Oh! Okay.”】

【Zaimokuza stared at Yuigahama Yui in a daze. It took him a while to react to her gentle gaze. He reached out to take the water cup and painkillers from her in a panic, took out a pill and swallowed it with water.】

[“Um… Yuigahama, aren’t you going to scold me?”]

[Faced with the white and tender hand stretched out before him, Zaimokuza drank the entire glass of water but did not hand the glass back. Instead, he remained silent for a while and then spoke in a low voice.]

[“Why would I scold you? You didn’t do anything wrong.”]

[Yuigahama Yui shook her head, reached out to take the cup he was holding in both hands and walked back to the table to put it down.]

[“It’s just… I lied to you, aren’t you angry?”]

【Crash.】

[Yuigahama Yui paused as she was pouring water from the kettle, and the water from the kettle spilled directly onto the table.]

[“…If I tell you that I’m actually very angry, Zaimokuza, will you promise me that you won’t fight those unidentified life forms again?”]

[She gently put down the kettle and spoke softly without turning her head.]

【“…”】

【This sentence left Zaimokuza speechless.】

[Yuigahama Yui was right, except that he couldn't give any guarantees on this matter, or even if he did, he would definitely break them. She saw through him completely on this point.]

[“I want to protect everyone’s smiles”… that sounds really impressive, Zaimokuza.”]

[Yuigahama Yui leaned on the table with both hands and whispered this sentence. After listening to her mumbling, Zaimokuza looked at her slender back in astonishment.]

[“Why would you——”]

[Zaimokuza stopped talking halfway through his words, for obvious reasons.]

[“Just like what Zaimokuza thought, Koyuki told me.”]

[Yuigahama Yui turned around and smiled helplessly.]

[“I just called Xiaoxue and asked her why you had to do such a dangerous thing, and she said that this was the reason why you chose to fight.”]

[“You really haven’t changed at all. You’re still the same as you were in high school. You’re always so brave and determined about what you choose to do, and you’re also reckless, and you don’t consider the consequences.”]

[“Uh, Ms. Yuigahama, are you praising me or scolding me?”]

[Zaimokuza pointed at himself with an awkward expression, and Yuigahama Yui laughed and said.]

[“What are you thinking about? Of course I am praising you.”]

[“Really? But why do I feel something is wrong?”]

【Zaimokuza scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat confused.】

[Yuigahama Yui saw this and thought of something. The smile on her face faded a little bit, and her eyes lowered to the ground. After a long silence, she spoke.]

[“Zaimokuza, you know what? When I heard Koyuki tell me the reason why you chose to fight, for a moment, I suddenly felt——”]

[“…Now you are very similar to Xiaoqi.”]

[Hearing this nickname from Yuigahama Yui's mouth, Zaimokuza's eyes gradually widened and he stared at her blankly. ]

[Because he never thought that one day he would be able to hear this familiar name from this woman again.]

[Zaimokuza would only occasionally mention this name when he was alone with Yukinoshita Yukino. At other times, especially in front of Yuigahama Yui, the two of them would tacitly never say this name, as if the person represented by this name had never appeared in their lives.]

[Because when the news came that year, the ones who were most hurt were never him and Yukinoshita Yukino, but the woman in front of him who was still a girl at that time. It was not until that time that Zaimokuza discovered something. ]

[That is, he greatly underestimated her feelings for Hikigaya Hachiman and did not realize how deeply Yuigahama Yui loved Hikigaya Hachiman. ]

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, health room.

"..."

The place became silent again, and everyone's eyes turned to two people here, who were also the male and female protagonists of the leaked content in this video.

Yuigahama Yui, Hikigaya Hachiman.

"Ah? Ah? Ah ah ah ah ah!???????"

Yuigahama Yui blinked her big eyes blankly, a little unable to recover from the shock. When she came to her senses, she let out a very loud scream.

Her fair cheeks turned red, her eyes turned into mosquito coils, the seductive blush spread from her neck to her entire face, and there was a faint sense of heat rising from the two balls on top of her head.

"I- ...

Yuigahama Yui waved her hands and spoke incoherently. The gazes from everyone around her made her so ashamed that she almost fainted.

"Oh~ I didn't expect that Yui would——"

Ebina Hina approached her with a mischievous smile, stretched out her hands and pressed on Yuigahama Yui's shoulders. When she was touched, the girl trembled all over, like a lamb entangled by a poisonous snake.

“Wow, wow, I was wondering why you were always going to Yukishita’s Service Club, Yui. I see~”