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"The Otherworld is very dangerous, and once you enter it, there's no going back," Kitahara Makoto said seriously. "So you two stay at the hospital; I can go in alone."
"How can that be?" Chihaya Anon clenched her fists and flatly refused, "Since it's a very dangerous place, people need to help each other even more. If Kitahara-kun goes in alone and encounters danger, he won't even have a helper. That definitely won't do, right?"
This pink-haired girl said firmly:
"I can't just watch Kitahara-kun go on an adventure alone. I have to go too!"
Takamatsu Tomori said softly:
"Let's go together."
"I knew it..."
Kitahara Makoto pressed his forehead helplessly.
Teenage high school students are at their most curious age; otherwise, they wouldn't be playing spirit games.
"I appreciate your intentions, but for going to the Otherworld, I alone am enough..."
Kitahara Makoto still tried to persuade the two of them.
Unfortunately, it was useless.
The two girls were resolute and insisted on going on the adventure with him.
"You two won't shed tears until you see the coffin," Kitahara Makoto said, straightening his face. "Don't say I didn't warn you if you regret it later."
"So Kitahara-kun agrees?" Chihaya Anon's eyes immediately brightened. She lifted her pretty face and said expectantly, "The answer book said 7 PM, and it's already past 5 PM. We don't even know where that cave is yet... Should we go now?"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head:
"Let's go tomorrow."
"Eh?" Chihaya Anon was puzzled. "Why wait until tomorrow?"
"The Otherworld is very dangerous. Before going in, you must prepare. For example, there's no signal inside; your phone will turn into a brick. You'd best tell your parents and relatives beforehand, so they don't worry," Kitahara Makoto shared his experience. "Besides that, I also need to go back to Tokyo."
Without the Beast Eared Girl by his side, Kitahara Makoto certainly wouldn't rashly enter the Otherworld.
With the Beast Eared Girl present, he could ensure his retreat was worry-free.
"Alright then..." Seeing that Kitahara Makoto's reasoning was sound, Chihaya Anon finally agreed. "I'll go back to the ward and tell Karin-chan, so she tries not to worry or be scared."
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"I'm going to the bathroom."
"..."
When he came out of the bathroom, Chihaya Anon and Takamatsu Tomori were nowhere to be seen, having apparently gone to the ward together.
Kitahara Makoto looked out the window; the twilight rain was still falling heavily, showing no signs of stopping.
"A bit thirsty, I'll buy a bottle of water..."
Kitahara Makoto took out his phone, sent messages to Anon and Tomori separately, briefly explaining his whereabouts, then turned and left the hospital.
Opposite the hospital was a row of shops. Kitahara Makoto crossed the road, intending to go to a convenience store to buy some drinks and snacks. As he passed a bookstore, his steps suddenly paused.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto narrowed his eyes, looking into the bookstore.
Under the warm light, in an inconspicuous corner of the bookstore, something was clearly emitting a faint glow.
"Optimizable item?"
Kitahara Makoto immediately became interested and pushed the door open, entering the bookstore.
Optimizable items were scarce. Unless absolutely unobtainable, Kitahara Makoto was unwilling to miss any of them.
"Welcome."
A staff member behind the cash register bowed.
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly, put away his umbrella, and walked directly towards the corner.
This bookstore was quite large. Besides various books, there was also an area specifically selling game discs.
The faint glow Kitahara Makoto had just seen was in the game area.
[You have discovered an optimizable item. Optimize now?]
"Decline."
Kitahara Makoto silently chose to decline in his mind.
Although the bookstore was deserted, there was a surveillance camera directly overhead. Kitahara Makoto certainly wouldn't optimize an item in such a place.
"It's an 18+ game?" Kitahara Makoto flipped through the game disc in his hand. "The name is "devil world adventure", the character art style is pretty good, and it's an RPG game..."
Just as he was about to take the game to pay and leave, Kitahara Makoto suddenly felt a faint gaze fall upon him.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto seemed to sense something. He turned his head to look into the corner. His gaze fixed upon a long-haired dark skinned girl.
The tall, beautiful, long-haired dark skinned girl, wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt, was lazily leaning back on the sofa as if no one else was there, tilting her head to look at him. Although she was a high school student, she had a mature demeanor that didn't match her age.
(I actually encountered her...)
Watching the Bunny Girl who had quietly appeared before him, Kitahara Makoto was surprised, but his feet involuntarily walked towards her:
"At a time like this, shouldn't I say... Mai, long time no see?"
Clap.
Sakurajima Mai gently closed the book in her hand, her pink lips slightly pursed, her voice as calm and pleasant as ever:
"Don't call me senpai. I don't recall ever being your senpai."
After some time apart, Mai was noticeably much thinner.
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"Understood, Mai-senpai... Why are you at a bookstore?"
"Of course, to read books." Sakurajima Mai lifted the book in her hand, her gaze dropping. She reminded him, "If you try to pick me up, you'll be seen as a weirdo."
Kitahara Makoto turned his head and saw the staff member nearby looking over with a puzzled expression.
Clearly, besides Kitahara Makoto, no one else could see Sakurajima Mai. In the eyes of others, Kitahara Makoto was talking to thin air by himself.
Kitahara Makoto sat down directly: "Being a weirdo is fine; anyway, I've already lost the right to be a human."
"Eh?"
Sakurajima Mai's delicate brows raised slightly, and a hint of curiosity appeared on her pretty face: "It seems Kitahara-kun has many stories."
"A lot has happened since Mai-senpai left," Kitahara Makoto adjusted to a comfortable sitting posture. "This trip to Kamakura is actually for something very important..."
Mai's beautiful eyes looked down, falling on Kitahara Makoto's hand, and her expression was scornful:
"If you have something so important, you still didn't forget to buy an 18+ game?"
Kitahara Makoto slightly twitched his mouth, explaining:
"There's a very special reason for buying this game..."
Sakurajima Mai crossed her arms over her chest: "Are you going to buy it back for a role-play?"
This Mai is a typical high-attack, low-defense type. If you get shy at this moment, you've truly lost.
Kitahara Makoto retorted without changing his expression:
"Mai-senpai looks much thinner than last time, and her dark circles are darker. Have you been troubled by strange phenomena recently?"
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
Kitahara Makoto continued:
"Also, the problem of disappearing presence. Now, is it possible that no one else can see you except me?"
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
Lies do not hurt people; the truth is a sharp knife.
Recently, not only has she been troubled by strange phenomena, but the problem of her disappearing presence has also become more severe. Today, even her mother forgot her. It could be said that she was at her wit's end.
"It seems I guessed correctly." Kitahara Makoto said slowly, "So... Mai-senpai, do you want to solve the problem of your disappearing presence?"
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