My youth story cannot be a knight war

Looking at Kousaka, who was faintly infuriated by the little information he deliberately leaked, Ayanokouji's gaze and expression remained unchanged, but he had a rough grasp and understanding of his personality model in his heart.

Honest, strong, steady, but still not steady enough.

Compared to Officer Kousaka, who was mature, fearless and able to think calmly in the face of death, and who was once regarded by himself as a qualified future opponent after he learned of his existence, Kousaka Kyosuke, who was only of the same age as him, was still much inferior to him, not only in terms of martial arts.

Although the two are essentially the same person, experience and cognition cannot be erased by talent. If it were Officer Kousaka, whose body and mind are already complete, Ayanokouji probably wouldn't dare to show even the slightest sign of something wrong in front of him, because doing so might lead to inferences of his true thoughts and plans.

But facing this senior Takasaka who is still in his growth stage, he can still handle it.

"Because I'm not sure what kind of people you will be by then. Just like what you said before, Kousaka-senpai, even if you are a glorious hero in the future, your past may not necessarily be free of shadows."

Under Kousaka's gaze, Ayanokouji glanced at Zaimokuza beside him, then instantly retracted his gaze and said something meaningful.

"Isn't that what you said, Kousaka-senpai?"

"...If, as you say, there has only ever been one Kousaka Kyousuke and Zaimokuza Yoshiki...then why were we able to touch my future self before?"

After a short silence, Kousaka chose to skip this unfriendly topic and get straight to the point.

"If we are just phantoms, then why can you see us? And why can we touch my future self?"

"I think the answer to the first question is that we all come from the past. To some extent, we are in the same superposition state. Only beings standing in the same position can observe each other."

"As for the answer to the latter question... this is also one of the important reasons why we are looking for Mr. Zaimokuza this time."

Perhaps even Ayanokouji himself did not realize that when he talked about this topic, a "light" appeared in the depths of his eyes as dead as water for a moment, illuminating the heart that had been dead and silent since he was born.

"Strictly speaking, you are in a superposition state, but scientifically speaking, there are no strict concepts like clones and original bodies. A superposition state can also be considered the original body. Two superposition states of different possibilities can actually exist simultaneously in an observed state, and can even touch and affect each other... This proves the existence of a possibility."

"As the 'Ultimate Darkness' gradually descends, the superposition of two different possibilities on the timeline is now overlapping."

"……What's the meaning!?"

Inexplicably, Kousaka suddenly felt his heart tighten, and spoke in a deep voice.

"In other words, you are getting closer and closer to the two heroes we know. It can be seen as an alternative fusion. And I really want to know one thing."

The hill had reached its top, the wheels passed the crest, and Ayanokouji uttered his last two sentences.

"What will happen when the 'past' and the 'future' completely overlap? No matter what, I want to witness this scene until the end."

“Perhaps, a completely new possibility, different from the present, will emerge at the moment of intersection, reversing the inherent trajectory of life.”

"you--!!!"

With his brows furrowed, Kousaka was about to ask again, but his words suddenly stopped as he opened his mouth.

At the same time, everyone in the car raised their heads and looked upwards, witnessing the scene happening before their eyes, with shock in their eyes.

Only Ayanokouji didn't. He looked up silently, the dark reflection of the sky in his eyes was illuminated by the sudden red light, and the snow-like scene covered up the darkness in his eyes.

"It seems that it has already begun."

23. Confession (4K)

Today is December 2018, 11.

And tomorrow, in a few hours, will be Zaimokuza's birthday.

pat.

A piece of fruit cake on a plate was placed on the table. The slight sound of the plate bottom hitting the tabletop seemed to echo in his heart, lasting for a long time.

Along with these words:

"Happy birthday, Zaimokuza-san."

After putting down the cake, Akiyama Mio folded her hands in front of her, looked at Zaimokuza in front of her who was looking down at the cake with encouraging eyes, and said with a smile.

"..."

Zaimokuza continued to stare at the cake quietly without saying a word. His eyes, hidden by his bangs, had a strange, faint color, like a sky with layers of clouds.

"Hey! Can you at least say something? This is a cake I made for you myself."

Saki Kawasaki took off her gloves, crossed her arms over her chest, making the curve of her chest look even more magnificent, and said to Zaimokuza with an unhappy expression while looking at him who remained silent.

"What do you want to do like this? Do you dare to dislike me? Or are you cheating on me?"

"……Do not."

Zaimokuza slowly raised his head, his clear black eyes like a spotless mirror reflecting Kawasaki Saki's face, and he spoke softly.

"It's been many years, and besides Buchou and Yuigahama, this is the first time I've received a cake from someone on my birthday... Thank you so much, I'm very happy~"

"Shashi."

"Ah, ah!? What's going on?! Your voice suddenly became so cheesy!"

His voice was very gentle, like water flowing through a river covered with green leaves. Saki Kawasaki was stunned when she first heard it, but after looking at the innocent smile on his face, a corner of her heart was touched.

When she finally realized what was happening, she felt shy for a moment, and then this shyness turned into anger and shame. She hugged her shoulders with both hands and looked at Zaimokuza with disgust and awkwardness on her face.

"Are you going to eat it or not? If not, return the cake! Those ingredients aren't cheap, and I'm being kind by not deducting it from your salary!"

"Eat~ Of course I have to eat."

Zaimokuza smiled, picked up the fork on the edge of the plate, picked up a piece of cake, and brought it to his open mouth, then closed his mouth and began to chew.

"How does it feel? I used high-quality ingredients for this whole cake. The cream tastes great, right?"

Saki Kawasaki spoke with a proud expression while secretly looking at Zaimokuza, waiting for his comment.

"Well, this cake, I think..."

Zaimokuza slowly put down his fork. He looked at Saki Kawasaki, who looked like a student waiting for the release of test results, and spoke with a serious expression.

"Anyway, Saki, the cake you made is better than the one Yuigahama made originally."

"Huh? Biyuigahama——!???"

Saki Kawasaki was stunned when she heard his answer. Then, when she realized what Zaimokuza said, her fair oval face quickly turned red, and a surge of blood rushed to her forehead and temples.

As an alumnus of Sobu High School, although her relationship with Yuigahama Yui was only superficial, it did not mean that she had not heard rumors about Yuigahama.

The most famous rumor about the other party is that the dish he made in a home economics class directly sent the teacher who was responsible for tasting and evaluating the food to the hospital for gastric lavage.

Afterwards, the doctor diagnosed the cause of the disease as "swallowing a large amount of harmful chemicals, which expired after exposure", and the teacher was hospitalized for three days before being discharged. With this amazing feat of defeating the teacher, Yuigahama Yui became famous in Sobu High School.

Even now, many years after graduation, Sobu High School still has its own legends. Most of the younger students may not remember who from this school was admitted to a world-renowned university or became a famous alumnus, but they definitely know that there was a senior who once sent the teacher to the hospital with her cooking, thereby opening a new chapter in the "Records of Strange People and Events of Sobu High School".

In a sense, this is a permanent record in the school's history, although this reputation makes all the home economics teachers in Sobu High School and surrounding schools shudder, fearing that they will one day meet such a "rare talent" and follow in the same footsteps of their predecessor.

"Material. Wood. Seat~!"

"babble!!!"

So when she heard that Zaimokuza actually compared the cake he made with the cooking of this god, her blood immediately broke through the bottom line of Kawasaki Saki's rationality. Thick black mist emerged from her body, and her eyes flashed with a ferocious scarlet luster in the fearful gaze of Akiyama Mio.

But Zaimokuza, who should have been trembling and kneeling down to beg for mercy, sat motionless. He looked at the murderous intent in Kawasaki Saki's eyes and said with an unchanging smile:

"But I think this cake is the best I've ever had in all these years... There has never been a cake better than this since I was born."

With just a few words, he successfully eliminated the murderous aura in Saki Kawasaki. She glared at the white-haired rabbit fiercely, and a few suspicious blushes appeared on her cheeks.

"Hmph! I'll let you go this time because it's your birthday soon, but don't think I'll forgive you just like that. The next time I see you, I'll make sure you get a good taste of my power!"

"Well~"

Looking at the interesting interaction between the smiling Zaimokuza and the female owner, a gentle smile appeared on Akiyama Mio's face and a soft light flashed in her eyes. This scene reminded her of her friends.

It’s all the same, every daily play, whether it’s sadness, crying, quarreling, or laughing, it all shines like gold in my memory now.

It would be nice if I could live like this forever...

Akiyama Mio couldn't help but think so.

——But, in the end, this can only be a fragile hope like waking up from a dream.

Buzz buzz~!

The phone vibrated in his pocket, and when he heard the sound, the smile on Zaimokuza's face remained.

But his bangs had fallen down unconsciously, this time completely covering his eyes.

"...Hello, is this Mr. Kousaka?"

Zaimokuza pulled out his flip phone, opened it, pressed the answer button without even glancing at the caller, and whispered to his ear.

"It's me, Zaimokuza."

Kyosuke Kousaka's calm voice came from the other side of the phone, and he spoke word by word.

"Just now, a huge explosion occurred at the Mitaka City police station. The final surveillance footage shows that the murderer is Number Zero."

"His signal is still there and hasn't moved, and there's been no news from the police station over there. Apparently, Number Zero is waiting for you."

"It seems so..."

Looking up again, Zaimokuza's voice and eyes were extremely calm, but the smile had disappeared from his face, and the fire of that night flickered in his eyes.

In the flames was the mockery of the fallen angel, and the despair of being powerless to protect that smile and memory.

"This is a declaration of war, and also a threat. He wants me to go fight him, or else there will be countless more Mitaka City police stations... It seems he's getting impatient."

"!!!"

When she heard his words, Akiyama Mio beside her immediately understood what Zaimokuza was talking about, and her slender body stiffened instantly.

"Yes, the decisive battle has finally arrived."

On the other side of the phone, Kousaka said with a serious look in his eyes.

"Then it is as He wishes. We should set off."

After saying this, the call was immediately disconnected. Zaimokuza's right hand, which was holding the phone, fell to his side and he slowly stood up.

"Looks like I have to leave."

"..."

He looked at Saki Kawasaki who was silent in front of him, smiled and spoke softly.

"Thank you, Shashi. The cake you made...is actually really delicious."

"Wait! Mr. Zaimokuza—"

After saying this, Zaimokuza turned and walked towards the door. The sound of footsteps woke Akiyama Mio from her inner fear. She watched him walk towards the door, and her heart suddenly tightened.

"Zaimokuza."

Without caring about anything, Akiyama Mio immediately wanted to catch up. At this moment, Kawasaki Saki, who had been looking at the cake in silence since she answered the phone at Zaimokuza, suddenly raised her head and stared at his back.

"You must win this time."

"—"

Her words stopped Akiyama Mio in her tracks, and also caused Zaimokuza's hand, which was reaching for the restaurant door handle, to freeze in mid-air.

"Manager...?"

Mio Akiyama turned her head blankly and looked at Saki Kawasaki who was standing behind the counter with a serious expression. She wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"Do you have confidence? Protect everyone's smile."

Saki Kawasaki asked again, and Zaimokuza gave an answer.

"Ah~ Of course, everyone's smiles will definitely not be taken away this time."

"……That's good."

Staring at Zaimokuza and listening to his answer, Kawasaki Saki let out a long breath and spoke calmly.

"Your salary is just a deposit. If you can't win, don't even think about taking it, okay? And you haven't finished your cake yet, so I'll keep your room for you."

"Go early and come back early, idiot."

With his back to Kawasaki Saki, Zaimokuza did not turn around, so he could not see his current expression. He could only hear his tone that had returned to normal.

"Okay~ Saki-chan! I'll leave my salary in your care for the time being~"

Click.