The story we started

【eight--】

【Plop.】

[The consciousness that was struggling to hold on suddenly broke when these words came to mind, and then fell into darkness. Zaimokuza weakly loosened the rock sword in his hand, and fell forward in a half-kneeling figure. ]

[Zaimokuza's fallen face was facing the setting sun. The afterglow of the sun shone on the face of the warrior who had fought all day. However, his expression did not show any fatigue or pain, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.]

[As if he was having a good dream, he fell asleep peacefully, the sea breeze gently blowing his white hair and his fallen body, as if the wind itself had covered him with a thin transparent blanket.]

【“…”】

[A figure stood on a high tower in the harbor, looking at the fallen timber base in the distance. ]

[After seeing him faint, the figure slowly faded into the dark backlight of the tower.]

【Whisper.】

[The sea breeze blew over the tower, gently blowing the corner of the tattered cloak that remained on the figure as it disappeared into the darkness.]

[The cloak was fluttering in the air, but the light of the setting sun could not illuminate it at all, just as light could not illuminate absolute darkness.]

[Beep, beep, beep—]

[After this figure disappeared, a police car with red and white sirens blaring passed under the tower. Kousaka Kyosuke was driving the police car, his eyes fixed on the tall stone pillar in front of him. This was probably the most conspicuous signpost in the world.]

【“Zaimokuza——Hmm?”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke read Zaimokuza's name with a serious expression, then suddenly frowned and looked at the rearview mirror on the right.]

[In the rearview mirror, a tall tower slowly recedes into the distance amidst the stacked cargo boxes flying by on both sides.]

[Kousaka Kyosuke stared at the tower disappearing in the rearview mirror, his eyes full of confusion.]

[Just now, he felt as if a gaze was projected from the tall tower onto him, and then disappeared in an instant.]

[Just now...was there anyone there? ]

55. The same wooden seat -in- as the first time I saw it

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, Health Center. 502txt.com

"Woo..."

Zaimokuza let out a muffled groan and slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.

“…an unknown ceiling.”

Looking at the ceiling of the infirmary with direct light in front of him, Zaimokuza said with a blank expression.

"Hey, what era is this? Do I have to say that the operation was successful and you are now a girl?"

Hikigaya squinted his dead fish eyes and said, his voice as weak as ever.

"Eh? Hachiman?"

The familiar voice attracted Zaimokuza's attention, but when he turned around, he found that it was not just Hikigaya Hachiman, but a bunch of familiar people were surrounding his bed and staring at him. This scene was very similar to the one at a funeral where all the old friends see the deceased for the last time, and Zaimokuza was so scared that he reached out and grabbed the quilt and pulled it up a little more.

"Where, where is this? Why am I here???"

"Where is this place? Zaimokuza-san, think carefully about what happened before."

Yukinoshita Yukino, who was sitting on the chair next to him, spoke calmly, frowning slightly at Zaimokuza's not-so-false look of confusion.

Did he forget what happened?

"Before—ugh!"

As Zaimokuza followed his words and recalled what had happened before, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, and the line of memory was broken.

Before, I, I…that’s right!

Thinking of the last scene he saw before he passed out, Zaimokuza quickly let go of the quilt he was holding tightly and asked the people around him.

"Yeah, that's right! How's number 21? Did my future self win?"

"Your information is out of date. Your future self has fought No. 21 twice. You lost the first time, but won the second time. And this time you used a completely new form. I have to admit that your new power is super cool!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka patted Zaimokuza's shoulder comfortingly, and gave him a thumbs-up with a hearty smile while looking at his confused eyes.

"A real man! Cute big tits!"

Her movements and smile that were full of déjà vu made Zaimokuza's eyes twitch. He really didn't want to complain about her plagiarizing his student's future signature pose and lines. Instead, he was concerned about the information revealed in Hiratsuka Shizuka's words.

"Two battles? A new form? Was I unconscious for that long?"

"How long you were unconscious... well, we don't know."

Hikigaya shrugged and pointed at the phone screens where the video was still playing.

"After all, no one can tell the time now, not even with a watch."

Shizuka Hiratsuka raised her hand, and her sleeves slid down as she moved, revealing her fair and delicate arm. The watch she was wearing now displayed the same video screen as on the mobile phone screen.

"But according to our estimation, it shouldn't take too long. At most, it will be about forty minutes, less than the duration of a class. You can rest assured."

"Really? You don't even know how heavy you are. Carrying you here almost killed me, Hayato, and the penguin. We also had to disperse those classmates who came over to watch the fun and were curious about you. You should go lose weight quickly - no, forget it, just pretend I didn't say that. You're doing fine now..."

Tobe Sho complained while rubbing his sore shoulders, but halfway through his words he immediately remembered Zaimokuza's appearance after losing weight and his future relationship with Ebina Hina, and immediately changed his words, lowering his head in a low voice, looking dejected.

"?"

Zaimokuza looked at his depressed expression and tilted his head in confusion, this action was quite similar to the charm of "him" in the future.

"Well, the current Zaimokuza-san is actually quite nice, and while you were asleep, the future Zaimokuza-san revealed some very interesting information~"

Ebina Hina narrowed her eyes and said this, her eyes behind the glasses teasingly looking at Yuigahama Yui, whose face suddenly turned red because of her words. Even Hikigaya turned his head away because of these words, and a rare blush appeared on his face.

With the two people's different reactions and everyone's meaningful gazes, an ambiguous atmosphere quietly spread in the health room they occupied.

"???"

Did I really just sleep for one class period and not the whole day?

The atmosphere here at this moment was completely incomprehensible to Zaimokuza, but he inexplicably felt that he was redundant at the moment. He should not be here at this moment, but should be under the car.

but……

Every time when he tried to recall what happened before, his brain would always go blank, as if the road of memory had been broken in front of him, leaving only an abyss. Under the human instinct for survival, his brain was unwilling to move forward, so Zaimokuza was extremely confused.

What did I see before I passed out?

【Tokyo, Jonan University, Research Laboratory. 】

[Yukinoshita Yukino sat in her chair with her back to the setting sun outside the window, looking at the empty desks and chairs in the laboratory except for herself, and a hint of gray flashed across her clear eyes.]

[Ever since the day when the members of the investigation team screamed at the massacre of the unidentified life form No. 0 at the Kuroyama ruins, the number of people who frequently appear in this laboratory has never exceeded three, and this is even including Kousaka Kyousuke and Zaimokuza Yoshiki who often visit to investigate the unidentified life form.]

[Later, Totsuka Ayaka, an old high school classmate who was filled in by the school, was assigned to participate in the excavation investigation of the Kuroyama ruins, looking for other clues, so the only real permanent staff member in this laboratory is Yukinoshita Yukino. 】

[It is impossible to stay alone in an empty laboratory for a long time without feeling lonely. Humans are social animals.]

[But it is undeniable that having fewer people also has its advantages. For example, Yukinoshita Yukino has been staring at the framed photo in her hand for more than an hour. If it were Professor Natsume Kokichi who was still here, Yukinoshita would have been scolded by him for not doing her job properly.]

[Her fair fingers gently stroked the photo of the four members of the service department. The glass was also wiped by her until it sparkled. It was obvious that she took great care of it on a daily basis.]

[Those few people in my memory are all frozen in the most beautiful years of their lives by this thin photo, but in reality, which is only a stone's throw away from them, time has passed without stopping for thousands of reincarnations.]

[Every time she thought of this, Yukinoshita Yukino's bright eyes became slightly blurred. ]

[Those past laughter and smiles seem to still appear vividly before my eyes, but everyone has already walked their own paths in life and found their own answers. ]

[Time is really the most terrible force in this world. Its huge torrent can bury all the beauty, crush the former stubbornness and persistence, and wash away all the unbearable pain so that the parties can accept it calmly, and lead people to explore and open up a new path. ]

[Yukino Yukinoshita still remembers that when she was in high school, her teacher once assigned a composition in class. The title of the composition was "My future self is ___." ]

[That is more of a fill-in-the-blank question than an essay. ]

[What was her answer at that time? Yukinoshita Yukino had long forgotten that answer. ]

[Because humans only remember what they have accomplished, but not what they have never done. ]

[But Yukinoshita Yukino still clearly remembers how she pondered at the table in the bedroom of that apartment, trying hard to think of her own answer. Her seriousness is the reason why she can always be the first in everything in school. ]

[She still clearly remembers the first line she wrote on the manuscript paper at that time, and the words she read out along with the beautiful handwriting.]

[“In the future, I will become——”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino whispered this sentence. The stubborn girl who sat at the table thinking about the answer many years ago seemed to have traveled through time and space and possessed her at this moment, trying to speak out her answer with her mouth.]

[But every time after she said the word "for", Yukinoshita Yukino could no longer speak, which was a rare thing for her, whose memory was strong enough to remember the names of all her classmates in high school. ]

[Because she is no longer the same Yukinoshita Yukino. Even though her appearance is similar, the years that have been engraved on her body have transformed her into another person. Now she is just like the girl many years ago, with the empty name "Yukinoshita Yukino". But whether it is her thoughts, appearance, personality, way of dealing with things and skills, she has already become another similar but different person.]

[It is not true that every child will become the person he hates the most when he grows up. ]

[It should be said that every child will become the most unfamiliar person to himself after growing up. This is the correct answer. ]

[And in all these years, among the people I know, are there still people who are the same as they were back then? Are there still people who have always insisted on their dreams and walked on the path they chose back then? ]

[Yes, in Yukinoshita Yukino's memory and cognition, there is only one person who has done this, and only one person has remained the same from beginning to end. ]

[A familiar silly smile appeared in her mind, and Yukinoshita Yukino's originally expressionless mouth corners quietly raised a very faint arc. ]

[Beep, beep, beep—]

[The same boring cell phone ringtone as in high school sounded in the pocket of her skirt. Yukinoshita Yukino took out her cell phone and looked at the name "Yuigahama Yui" on the screen, her eyes slightly condensed. ]

【“…Yui.”】

[After a short silence, Yukinoshita Yukino answered the phone and put the phone to her ear and whispered. ]

【“Xiaoxue.”】

[Yuigahama Yui is sitting in an empty office. All her colleagues have gone home from work a while ago, and she is the only one in the school now.]

[“What’s wrong? You called me not long ago. Did something happen again?”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino gently placed the photo frame on the table and asked Yuigahama Yui on the other end of the phone. ]

[Yuigahama Yui also looked at the photo on the desk in front of her, hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice. ]

[“Number 21 has appeared again, and Zaimokuza has also gone to fight… as Number 4.”]

【"……Yeah?"】

[After hearing this sentence from the other end of the phone after a while, Yuigahama Yui could no longer hold back the surging emotions in her heart, and spoke in a gentle voice with a louder voice.]

[“Xue! Aren’t you worried about Zaimokuza? He was badly injured in the battle with No. 21. You must have watched the news. Do you really think he can defeat the enemy this time? Last time—”]

[“I’m worried. Ever since the day I saw him put on that belt and transformed in front of me to protect me, I’ve been worried about him every day.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino's voice was as calm as a quiet river flowing slowly in the forest, but it was this calm and indifferent voice that completely suppressed what Yuigahama Yui wanted to say. After a short silence, she continued.]

【"and you--"】

[“Have you tried to stop him? I did, but it didn’t work.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino completely anticipated everything she was going to say next, and Yuigahama Yui was speechless and said with a helpless smile. ]

[“As expected…Xiaoxue, you are still as amazing as before. I can’t hide anything from you.”]

[“Rather, you are still the same as before, Yui. It is easy for people to read your mind, even though you are already a teacher.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino turned her chair and looked up at the setting sun outside the window. ]

[“Not only did I try to stop Zaimokuza-san, I scolded him and even threatened him… but it was useless.”]

[“Since he has decided what to do, he will definitely move towards his goal. This has been the case since high school and has not changed at all.”]

[“But the strange thing is, unlike the doubt and disbelief I had in high school, I now want to believe him, to believe that Zaimokuza-san can really do what he says.”]

[“That is to protect everyone’s smile.”]

[“Yui, do you still remember when Zaimokuza-san first came to the Service Club with his novel?”]

[“…Of course I remember. How could I possibly forget?”]

[Thinking back to the memory of the first time I met Zaimokuza, he was still chubby at that time, not like he is now, when he walks on the street, nine out of ten girls passing by will turn their heads, and the remaining one has to maintain her modesty because she has a boyfriend.]

【Thinking of the scene where her female colleague's eyes widened when she saw the current Zaimokuza, Yuigahama Yui couldn't help but laugh softly. 】

[But she still clearly remembered the smile on Zaimokuza's face when they first met. It was exactly the same smile he had now, without any change, just like when they first met.]

[“I still remember how we evaluated his novel after reading it. Zaimokuza was so shocked that he almost shut himself down.”]

[“Indeed, the novels he wrote at that time were really unbearable to read… but perhaps they were even better than they are now.”]