Celestial City.
"It feels like there hasn’t been much change here since before..."
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar streets before him, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but feel emotional. Hearing his monologue, Yoshino, who was standing next to Fang Zheng, couldn’t help but look up worriedly at him.
"Mr. Fang Zheng, do we really not need to go with Sister Kurumi?"
"That’s Kurumi’s own problem to deal with."
In response to Yoshino’s question, Fang Zheng shook his head and replied. When they had returned to the world thirty years later, Kurumi had made an excuse that she had so matters to handle and separated from Fang Zheng and Yoshino. Even though Kurumi did not ntion what it was about, both Fang Zheng and Yoshino could guess that she must have gone to check if her friend who she had once killed had been revived.
Since Kurumi didn’t plan on having them follow her, Fang Zheng and Yoshino naturally wouldn’t impose themselves; after all, Kurumi needed her own private space. However, this left Fang Zheng and Yoshino with little to do... Although Fang Zheng could use "Ratziel" to investigate Yoshino’s past, it was clear that Yoshino was not willing to recall past events. For her, the current "Elf Yoshino" was her identity, and whether she had been human before was no longer important to Yoshino.
Given that, there was only one thing left to do.
"Let’s go on a date."
Everything remained unchanged from before.
Holding Yoshino’s small hand, the two walked down the street, casually looking around. Though it seed like Celestial City hadn’t changed much on the surface, Fang Zheng could keenly sense that the symbols for shelters that should have been everywhere had vanished without a trace, as had the warship that was always cloaked above the skies of Celestial City.
When Fang Zheng and Yoshino arrived at the plaza in front of the train station, they happened to see an entertainnt news report starting to play on the large screen.
"The eighteenth concert of the highly popular idol singer Yomigatsu Tsukino’s tour has ended perfectly! Congratulations, Ms. Yomigatsu Tsukino! You have just won the Platinum Record Award, and your tour has co to a perfect close. Do you have anything you’d like to say right now?"
As the reporter asked the question, a beautiful girl with silver-purple hair and eyes appeared on the large screen. Seeing her, many people in the plaza stopped in their tracks and looked up at the screen. From their reactions, it was apparent that this girl was a very popular idol singer.
"Hello everyone, I am Yomigatsu Tsukino."
The girl smiled and waved at the cara before she began to speak.
"If there’s anything I want to say right now, it’s to thank all the fans who have supported along the way. I can’t forget how, back when I was caught up in that sar scandal, the fans supported . Even I thought it was over for , and I even considered suicide... But when I went to the window, I found there were still fans guarding ... At that mont..."
Here, Yomigatsu Tsukino fell silent for a mont.
"At that mont... I realized, not everyone had abandoned . Even though many didn’t believe in , there were still many fans supporting . So, at that ti, I made up my mind that no matter what, even if it were just for these fans, I would keep on trying hard!"
As she spoke, the girl bowed deeply toward the cara.
"Thank you all for your support. It’s because of your support that I transford from a little girl who could only sing and dance to who I am today. I will never forget everyone! I will continue to work hard to present better and more beautiful songs to all of you! I hope everyone will continue to support !"
"Ohhh...!"
Hearing the girl’s speech, many people in the plaza began to applaud.
"Tsukino, don’t lose to those guys, you have us by your side!"
A chubby guy dressed in Tsukino idol costu raised his hands high, staring at the screen in front of him and shouted, probably a fan ready to attend the concert, judging from his outfit and the glow sticks in his hands.
What a lively scene...
Watching this unfold, Fang Zheng shook his head, then turned around and left with Yoshino.
But as they were passing by a bookstore, they saw two kids coming out with comic magazines in their hands, treasuring them like precious finds.
"Hey, hey, look, Kotori, this is Soji Honjo’s new work ’Date a Live!’ How is it? Aweso, right?"
A boy with blue hair, who seed about thirteen or fourteen years old, excitedly waved the comic magazine in his hand while turning to the red-haired, twin-tailed girl next to him.
"Look here, this little sister character resembles you a lot, but she’s no crybaby, right? Kotori, how about changing your ribbon to black as well? Maybe you could be as cute as her?"
"Does brother like girls like that?"
The girl nad Kotori looked at the character in the manga, then after a mont of hesitation, nodded her head.
"I understand, I will try my best to beco the strong girl that brother likes!"
"Of course, but my cute little sister will be my beloved sister no matter what she becos!"
The boy then laughed happily, but because he turned his head to talk, he didn’t notice Fang Zheng and Yoshino passing by the bookstore entrance. In the next mont, the boy bumped straight into Fang Zheng, then let out a "Waah" as he fell to the ground with a yelp.
"I’m sorry, are you alright?"
Seeing this careless boy rushing out of the bookstore, Fang Zheng offered a gentle smile and reached out a hand to him. The boy paused for a mont, then took Fang Zheng’s hand and stood up.
"I’m fine, sorry about that, big brother..."
"Shido, really, how many tis have I told you to be careful when walking..."
A middle-aged woman dressed in office attire, who looked efficient and capable, ca out from the bookstore, and on seeing Fang Zheng, she quickly bowed her head.
"I’m sorry, my child has caused you trouble..."
"No, it’s nothing, I wasn’t paying attention either."
Fang Zheng waved his hand indicating he didn’t mind, and the woman seed relieved, but then turned a stern face towards the boy.
"Shido, how many tis have I told you, can’t you behave more steadily in front of your sister? We’re on the street; you need to be aware of your surroundings at all tis..."
"Uhh..."
Hearing his mother’s reprimand, the boy clearly showed a helpless expression, hanging his head low. Hmm... Fang Zheng could understand that, a mother who doesn’t hesitate to scold her child in front of strangers must be his real mom.
"What’s the matter, Haruko?"
And at that mont, a voice called out, Fang Zheng turned his head and saw a man with an androgynous face and blue hair coming from another direction. The man looked at the scene before him with an expression that was slightly troubled. But the boy, on hearing the man’s voice, suddenly sprung up as if he had found an ally and dashed behind the man.
"Dad! You’re back, help out, mom’s nagging again!"
"Masashi, you can’t spoil the child too much either."
Watching the man walk over, the lady nad Haruko imdiately put her hands on her hips.
"It’s all because you dote on her so much, that’s why..."
This was ordinary, the everyday life seen everywhere.
Without a single change.
Standing under the tree by the street, looking at the Daimon not far away and the "Yamada" sign above it, Kurumi took a deep breath. Although at a ti like this, simply using a clone would make it easy to know what was going on inside. But this ti, Kurumi had decided to rely on her own strength to verify everything.
It’s okay, I’ve already changed the future, it has to be okay...
Murmuring to herself deep inside, but for so reason, at this mont Kurumi felt her hands were trembling slightly. For an instant, she even regretted not bringing Fang Zheng and Yoshino with her, perhaps with them here, she wouldn’t be so nervous. At least...
"Hahaha..."
Just as Kurumi was about to make up her mind to ring the doorbell, suddenly, a soft chuckle ca from the courtyard. Hearing this laugh, Kurumi’s body shook violently, and after hesitating for a mont, she turned and walked to the nearby fence, looking inside.
A woman was sitting in a chair in the courtyard, teasing an orange cat in her arms. The orange cat in her arms seed to be only two or three months old, exceptionally cute and small. As she played with it, she let out light laughter.
Although there were so differences, on that face, Kurumi still saw the shadow she had longed for day and night...
"Huh?"
Perhaps sensing soone watching, the woman raised her head and looked in Kurumi’s direction. When she saw Kurumi, the woman showed a surprised expression.
"You are..."
"Sorry to disturb you."
Kurumi lowered her head to the woman, gave a bow, and then turned around to leave quickly. But as she was about to slip into the shadows at the street corner, suddenly, a voice called out from behind her.
"Kurumi classmate!"
Upon hearing this call, Kurumi stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and looked behind her. The woman, holding the kitten, had rushed out of the Daimon, gasping for breath as she ran up beside her. She opened her eyes wide in astonishnt, carefully looking at Kurumi in front of her, and then gave an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry... I think I mistook you for my friend..."
"Friend?"
"Yes... she looks a lot like you... very similar, to be honest, when I first saw you, I thought it was her. But then again, after so many years..."
With that, the woman sighed and shook her head.
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"Sorry for stopping you, that was rude of ."
"No, it’s nothing..."
Hearing the woman’s apology, Kurumi softly replied, and then she raised her head, looking at the woman in front of her.
"Your... that friend, is she..."
"She went missing."
With that, the woman closed her eyes and sighed softly.
"Missing?"
"Yes, we were in high school back then. I had invited her to my house to play, but after that, there was no word from her, nobody knew where she went. The police thought she might have run away from ho, but I know she’s not that kind of person..."
As she spoke, the woman gave Kurumi a wry smile.
"Sorry for talking about this to you."
"It’s okay."
Kurumi shook her head, then looked at the kitten in the woman’s arms.
"What a cute little cat."
"It’s called Kuri ball; it’s our Kuri’s baby. Just born not long ago, very cute, right?"
As the woman spoke, the little kitten in her arms poked its head out, stretching out its paw towards Kurumi and letting out a soft ow. Kurumi too smiled slightly and reached out to stroke the kitten’s head. feeling Kurumi’s touch, the kitten owed happily.
"What a cute little fellow..."
"By the way, miss."
At that mont, sothing seed to occur to the woman.
"Would you like to have a cup of tea together? You seem interested in cats too, so why not we have a chat over tea..."
"No need, Sawa."
"Huh?"
Hearing Kurumi’s response, the woman’s smile suddenly froze. Kurumi took two steps back, watching her.
"Such a cute child, as cute as Kuri. Thank you, and then... goodbye."
"Kurumi classmate?!"
The woman reached out her hand, trying to grab Kurumi. But at the sa ti, a gust of wind howled past, forcing the woman to turn around to shield herself, and when she looked back again, there was no one in front of her.
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