Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Page 525

"The thought...if it were me and Xiaoxiang...to switch places...watching Xiaoxiang smile happily in front of me again and again...in front of me..." Deng sobbed uncontrollably, her words barely audible. "...I...feel...if it were me...I would break down...but Xiaoxiang persevered...persevered..."

Is that so?

That kid is really something.

Sometimes I think she's eccentric and hard to understand, but isn't it actually quite easy for her to empathize with others? She only said a few words, and she cried like this.

Xiangzi sighed and opened his arms to hug the lamp.

"Cry," she patted the back of the lamp, "if that makes you feel any better."

"It should be me... comforting Xiaoxiang..."

"With each cycle and each repetition, my life and time, even our beliefs, will drift further and further apart." Xiangzi said softly, holding the lamp. "Feelings will also drift apart, and words will gradually become impossible to communicate."

“But you can understand me. Even with such a huge gap, you can still understand me, be sad for me, and still think of comforting me at a time like this.” Xiangzi paused, his nose tingling with emotion. “For me, that is already a great comfort.”

"...Xiao Xiang."

"Thank you, lamp," Xiangzi said softly. "You gave me the motivation to keep going."

The lamp opened its mouth, and the tears stopped flowing.

"but!"

Xiangzi changed the subject, distanced himself from the lamp, and solemnly put his arm around the lamp's shoulder.

"Since you can understand how hard I work, then you can also understand why I don't want you to be a magical girl, right?"

"..."

Looking into Xiangzi's eyes, Deng gradually stopped sobbing and fell silent.

"Is Xiaoxiang trying to tell me to stop thinking about magical girls, because it's all in vain no matter what I do?"

“I know you’re still thinking about this, so yes, that’s right,” Xiangzi said. “This time I will find a way to protect you, protect everyone, and protect the Reed Plains. You don’t need to, and don’t need to, risk becoming a magical girl.”

"All you need to do is make sure you are safe and sound, and leave the rest to me."

"Do you understand?"

Xiangzi seemed to emanate an aura that made Deng feel suffocated. The fragile, vulnerable quality that Deng had sensed from Xiangzi earlier was overshadowed by this chilling aura. Xiangzi suddenly seemed like a stranger, difficult to understand.

That appearance was just like—

A king looking at his caged ornamental birds.

"what......."

The lamp stared blankly at her and nodded blankly.

"I see......"

“Then, I’ll continue to take you home.” Xiangzi reached out and grabbed Deng’s wrist. “Today was too dangerous. I won’t make a similar mistake again. I will definitely take you home and keep an eye on your neighborhood.”

As Xiangzi walked forward, he talked to himself.

“Now that you know you possess the aptitude of ‘flower,’ with Su Shi kidnapped by them, you are the only target in the Reed Plains, so your safety is the most important thing.”

"And what about Xiao Xiang? Xiao Xiang (/Q_*un卄艺?邻亿旗是武〒?《韭寺!诌把也是......")

"I don't need you to worry about me," Xiangzi said without turning his head. "Just do what you're supposed to do."

"Yes......"

“Also, don’t linger in the classroom after school these days,” Xiangzi said. “We have less and less time. I need to squeeze out more time to deal with the Bremen Orchestra. Maybe—no, I should say definitely—they have something that could threaten Nirvana…”

Xiangzi spoke in a language that Deng couldn't understand, led her across the pedestrian overpass, and even personally escorted her upstairs. He only left after watching her take off her shoes at the door.

The lamp returned home and drew back the curtains.

Xiangzi stood on the pedestrian overpass outside the window, looking at himself from afar.

After a while, Xiangzi waved to her and turned to leave.

Looking at that retreating figure, Deng felt a void in her heart, a suffocating feeling. She reached out, wanting to grab the receding figure, but could only watch helplessly as she walked away, finally disappearing from her palm.

The lamp lowered its eyes, drew the curtains, and turned back into the room.

She took out the notebook filled with doodles and started flipping through the pages.

Suddenly, the page turned and stopped on a drawing she barely recognized. To say she didn't recognize it was a bit of a stretch; compared to the other more complex doodles, it was so ordinary that it left no impression—and besides, she'd drawn it while she was awake, to see if her drawing skills had actually improved.

Those were two portrait sketches of Xiangzi.

One picture shows a bright smile. Xiangzi's slightly chubby face looked very handsome when he smiled. When I was drawing this picture, all I could think of were Xiangzi's past appearances.

But the other one doesn't have a face drawn on it.

Xiangzi also has a face that he doesn't understand at all.

The lamp gently bit its lip.

She had just touched Xiao Xiang's heart... but why? Why did Xiao Xiang suddenly push her away at the last moment?

Clearly, the barriers between them have almost disappeared, and she can understand Xiao Xiang's thoughts now.

But why?

Why did they suddenly become so far apart again, back to the distance they were before? It's as if there's a cliff separating them.

The Tale of Reincarnation: Bonds - Chapter 698 Flag Planting Tournament (Not)

The time was 9 p.m., and the location was an underground tavern that Mujica had made its regular hideout.

Four minors and one adult were crammed into a small pub, sitting around a table with two pizzas and some fries, chicken nuggets, and other snacks on it.

Every time there was a meeting, Jill would tactfully go backstage for a smoke.

Maybe two or three.

Anyway, there won't be any customers at this time, and the boss won't be checking up on things. In fact, she might even be hoping the boss would come to check up on things...

We need to understand the feelings of an older woman with pigtails who is still young and yearning for love.

cough cough.

Back to the point.

After Xiangzi safely delivered the lamp home, he received news from the other side that they had lost track of Amoris. Apparently, Amoris's head had escaped, leaving only his body.

To be fair, Amoris really does have that slippery, slippery feel of Meow Dream, so Xiangzi felt that it was within his expectations if he missed his target.

By the time the group met up, it was already quite past lunchtime.

When Xiangzi heard that several of them, including himself, had rumbling stomachs, he simply ordered takeout and sent it to the underground bar that they had made their regular hangout.

And then, it became what it is now.

Five people sat around a small table, leisurely eating their dinner, each engrossed in their phones.

The music in the bar drowned out the sounds of chewing, and the pizza in the box was dwindling.

Xiangzi sucked the crumbs off his fingers, looked up, and saw Miaomeng staring intently at him.

"What are you doing?" Xiangzi asked.

"No, it's nothing." Miao Meng's face flushed, and she looked away with a troubled expression.

joke.

Xiangzi, have you noticed your saliva is stringy?

Miaomeng secretly glanced in Chuhua's direction; Chuhua's face was much redder than hers.

Look at Hatsuko's expression! Why don't you ask her? Why are you asking me instead? What's wrong with this world?!

"I...I'm going out for a smoke." Miao Meng wiped her face, forgetting that she still had pizza oil on her hands, and her makeup was ruined.

She feels like dying right now.

"No smoking, have you forgotten?" Xiangzi squinted. "You'd better go to the restroom and clean yourself up first. It's become a local legend."

"Tch, what a clueless guy. He doesn't even know who made me look so pathetic." Miao Meng curled her lip, took out a tissue to wipe her hands, pulled out her makeup bag from her bag, and turned to walk towards the bathroom. "Wait a few minutes for me."

"Go on, go on," Xiangzi waved his hand.

"It feels a bit like a dinner party for office workers who have been working for a few years," Hai Ling mumbled, picking up a slice of pizza and putting it in her mouth.

“Who says otherwise?” Chu Hua shrugged helplessly. “It’s been three years already, and these three years have really felt like going to work.”

“Three years.” Mu took a sip of mango juice. “So it’s already been three years? I don’t feel anything.”

"I really envy you guys, you have three more years than me."

“Hailin, you’ve truly been with us for three years,” Chu Hua said with a smile. “It’s okay, even if Hailing doesn’t have any memories, we’re still family.”

"It sounds like I have Alzheimer's."

"Ah, that's not what I meant..."

"Even if I really have Alzheimer's, will you still take care of me?"

“Of course,” Chu Hua said seriously. “Hailin is so young, how could she possibly have dementia? Besides, magical girls can live forever as long as they have magic, so there’s no way that’s possible.”

"To keep living...?" Xiangzi asked with some emotion. "If we manage to get through this month, what is something you all want to do?"

She hadn't thought about this question for a long time.

Having been stuck in June for so long, she had even forgotten what winter felt like.

"Is this a flag-planting ceremony tonight?" Miao Meng tidied herself up and returned to her seat, just in time to hear Xiangzi ask this question. "Should I go first?"

“Nobody’s going to take it from you,” Hailing said.

"That's even better." Miaomeng crossed her legs.

"Haven't we discussed this before?" Hailing asked. "It's about the previous cycle of reincarnation."

“Yes, Xiao Xiang hasn’t brought this up much before,” Chu Hua said. “I have thought about it myself though.”

“Talking about these kinds of issues can affect your mood,” Xiangzi said, biting his straw. “I used to deliberately avoid it.”

"Then why bring it up again now?" Hailing asked.

“Now…” Xiangzi paused for a moment, then continued, “The Bremen Band gives me a feeling that it’s coming to an end. For better or for worse, this cycle may be our last.”

“I feel the same way,” Mu added quietly from the side. “It’s almost over.”

"Really? Mutsuko thinks so too?" Meowmeng said, somewhat surprised.

Mu's premonitions are sometimes very accurate and sometimes vague, but without exception they are all very accurate.

"No wonder you brought this up; it really is almost over." Miao Meng stretched. "Oh well—you all know what I want to do anyway, nothing more than directing movies. Remember our first encounter with Medea?"

Miaomeng seemed to be lost in memories.

“She gave me a lot of inspiration. I even wrote out the script in my spare time before, and I’ve already thought of a title: ‘Slaughtering Organs’.”

"Sounds pretty good." Xiangzi looked down and fiddled with the straw in his Coke cup, then took two sips.

"Right? This is a really promising book, but... sigh." Meow Dream shrugged. "After I finished writing it, I forgot to put it in the gem, and it got lost in the next cycle."

"It's a small problem, there's plenty of time." Xiangzi patted her shoulder.

"Well...actually, I don't have anything else to say." Miao Meng shrugged and lay down on the soft seat. "If I had to say something else, I would like to run away with Xiangzi."

"Pfft—!" Xiangzi spat out the cola in his mouth.

"Miss Miaomeng is joking, right?" Chu Hua smiled kindly, her smile as bright as sunshine.

She even used honorifics.

“Of course it was a joke…” Miao Meng twitched the corner of her mouth. “Even if it were true, do you think Xiangzi would agree?”

“If it were me,” Chu Hua tilted her head, “it doesn’t matter whether Xiao Xiang agrees or not, so putting myself in her shoes, Miss Miao Meng’s statement is not convincing at all.”

Suddenly, it became very quiet.

chirp-

The sound of Mu's straw broke the silence.

“What a bold declaration.” Hailing broke the silence further.

Chu Hua finally realized what terrible things she had just said, covered her face and shrank into the chair, puffs of steam rising from her head.