Chapter 347: Why Does No One Believe the Truth?
During the discharge procedures, Mahiro had a long chat with Little Kanon.
He learned that she had already graduated from elementary school and was preparing to attend Saikai Academy.
As for the orphanage matter, Mahiro had also discussed it with the children being discharged, and they were overjoyed.
At the same time, he consulted Natsuki Minamiya about this over the phone.
Surprisingly, this time the adorable Natsuki-chan didn't say much and agreed without hesitation, not even asking him to pay.
"Changed her ways? Being so kind-hearted?"
"No need for gratitude, just try to cause me less trouble!"
Even through the receiver, Natsuki Minamiya's gritted teeth were audible.
But Mahiro simply responded with a faint "Oh," and continued:
"By the way, Natsuki-chan, there's one more thing I need to trouble you with."
"Speak!"
"Well, could you lend me the Dragon Vein beneath Itogami Island?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, heavy breathing could be heard from the other end of the phone, followed by a roar.
"Get lost!!"
"Alright then."
Ignoring the fury on the other end, Mahiro promptly hung up.
[Daily Task: Teasing Natsuki Minamiya (1/1)]
Hmm, another happy day.
He suddenly realized that teasing Natsuki-chan every day was quite enjoyable, at least making life less dull and boring.
He just didn't know when the Feast of Blazing Light would begin, even though the twelfth Avrora had already been released.
Seeing his cheerful expression, Aya emerged gracefully from the shadows of the corridor.
"Shall I help you deal with that man?"
"Hmm? No need."
Mahiro shook his head and declined the offer. Aya, though refused, showed no anger and silently retreated into the darkness.
She enjoyed this; it had become her habit.
As for the man Aya mentioned, it naturally referred to Kanase Kensei, who had left the hospital.
But Kanase Kensei still had great use.
Although he had lost Kanon Kanase, the perfect material, Mahiro believed this man would never give up on the [Seraph] project.
Moreover, aside from Kanon Kanase, who carried Aldegyr blood, there was also the first princess of the Aldegyr Kingdom—
La Folia Rihavein.
Given this man's personality, he would undoubtedly attack La Folia, who was searching for Kanon Kanase, just as in the original storyline.
And indeed, Mahiro wanted to witness the legendary angel for himself.
Just as Mahiro was about to leave the hospital, he noticed a beautiful, cute girl with long orange hair sitting on a bench in the corridor, quietly sobbing with tears streaming down her face.
The sun had already set, casting darkness outside the window, and the hospital was enveloped in silence.
Only the faint light of emergency illumination fell on the girl's slightly youthful face.
Night, a hospital, a crying girl—such a combination would fit seamlessly into a horror film.
However, Mahiro, who happened to be passing by, stopped in his tracks, his gaze lingering on the girl.
If not for the Saikai Academy middle school uniform she wore, he might have left without a second thought.
Sensing Mahiro's gaze, the girl suddenly looked up.
Tearful yet fierce eyes unexpectedly glared straight at him—a very stubborn girl, her resolute gaze seeming to warn him not to keep looking and not to approach.
But who was Yotsuba Mahiro?
Naturally, the type who knows there are tigers in the mountains yet still ventures into them!
Moreover, he was curious: it was already past seven in the evening, nearly eight o'clock—why would a girl be crouched alone in a hospital corridor, crying?
Her clothes were neat, and even her hair wasn't the slightest bit messy, completely unlike someone who had been bullied.
"Here, take this and wipe your face."
Mahiro took out a handkerchief and handed it over. The girl looked at him, then at the handkerchief, but still accepted it and wiped the tears from her face.
"By the way, are you a middle school student? What are you doing here so late at night? Don't you have classes tomorrow?"
"What a corny pickup line, Yotsuba-senpai." The girl curled her lips, looking disdainful.
Mahiro: "..."
"Was I hitting on you?
"No..."
"You know me?"
"Of course. Senpai's name is Yotsuba Mahiro, a student who transferred into Class 1-A of the high school division at Saikai Academy two months ago, but also the only repeat student in the entire first year."
The girl rattled off his information as if reciting a well-rehearsed list.
"Also, Yotsuba-senpai, in the past two months, your total attendance days add up to less than twenty. Do you think it's appropriate for you to ask me if I have classes tomorrow? And perhaps you don't even know this yet, but you've already become quite famous at our Saikai Academy."
It would be more accurate to say everyone knows about you.
First, there's your nearly perfect appearance, which spread across both campuses on the very first day.
Second, there's your relationship with Natsuki Minamiya. Rumors say the two of you are a couple—you should know that Natsuki Minamiya is very popular in both the middle school and high school divisions.
On top of that, Natsuki Minamiya has repeatedly been bested by Mahiro, and despite his long absences, he hasn't been expelled, further solidifying this rumor.
"Haha, is that so? I really didn't know."
Mahiro laughed it off indifferently.
"But as a straight-A student who scores perfect marks in every subject, isn't it fair to have a few privileges?"
This point, the girl couldn't refute.
According to the information she had looked up, although he repeated a year, he was indeed the top student in the entire school, even achieving an unprecedented perfect score.
Seeing the girl didn't argue, Mahiro leaned in closer and whispered, "But I can also tell you a secret: I actually used to be a royal tutor in the past~ So the exams at school are way too easy for me."
Hearing this, the girl immediately showed a scornful expression.
"Nonsense, stop lying. I won't believe you."
Leaving aside Mahiro's age, if he had really been a royal tutor, why would he come to Saikai Academy to study as a student?
Shouldn't he be a teacher?
And the top-tier kind of teacher at that.
However, after just these few lines of conversation, the girl's sad and low mood had greatly eased.
Seeing the expression on the girl's face, Mahiro naturally knew she didn't believe him at all. He just shrugged, not particularly bothered.
Sometimes, that's just how it is—even telling the truth won't be believed.
But at that moment, the laptop resting on the girl's knees caught his attention. On the keyboard lay a pair of plain, unfashionable glasses that clashed completely with her pretty face. They were probably meant to hide her innate cuteness and reduce trouble.
On the laptop screen was displayed the profile of a woman who bore a seventy percent resemblance to the girl before him—likely her mother.
From the information on the screen, Mahiro had already figured out why the girl was crying. It turned out her mother had been hospitalized recently, and today her condition suddenly worsened. Despite the doctors' efforts, she had passed away in the evening.
"You've been showing up at the hospital often these past two months, senior. Could it be you've contracted some incurable illness?" The girl looked at him with tear-reddened eyes, asking curiously.
"Nonsense! How could someone with a healthy lifestyle like me get sick?" Mahiro retorted in an exaggerated tone. "It's just that two months ago, Adelard's Abbey suffered a disaster, and the injured children were hospitalized. I came to visit them. They happened to be discharged today."
"Eh~ I didn't expect you to be so caring, senior. But I've heard that having a healthy routine doesn't mean you won't get sick. Only fools don't get sick." The girl smiled brightly.
Since she had also heard about the incident and knew those children were staying here, she believed Mahiro's words.
"So you're saying I'm a fool?"
"I never said that. You admitted it yourself, senior~"
The girl's voice grew more cheerful, and she gradually let down her guard and wariness toward him.
It was only natural for her to harbor some inexplicable caution, and he didn't mind—after all, her mother had just passed away.
"By the way, senior, don't just stand there. Please sit here."
The girl closed the laptop on her lap, shifted slightly, and pointed to the empty seat beside her.
"Is that okay? People might mistake us for a couple~" Mahiro raised an eyebrow teasingly.
"It's fine. If someone as handsome as you were mistaken for my boyfriend, I wouldn't be at a loss. Besides, crying alone in the dark night is even more pitiful, isn't it?"
"Fair point."
Mahiro didn't refuse any further and sat down right beside the girl.
He had originally planned to leave the hospital after dealing with Kanon and the orphans, but unexpectedly, he had run into such an interesting girl. It seemed like staying for a chat wouldn't be so bad.
"But let's get one thing straight—if anyone misunderstands what's going on between us, you'll have to explain it."
"What do you mean?"
Under the girl's puzzled, tilted-head expression, he pointed to the tear stains at the corner of her eyes and her red, swollen eyelids.
Given how she looked right now, it was highly likely people would assume he had bullied her.
If he had actually bullied her, that would be one thing, but since he hadn't, he wasn't about to take the blame for it.
The girl caught on and then playfully blinked.
"No worries. If anyone gossips, I'll just say you made me cry."
"That's a bit too much," Mahiro pretended to be hurt. "I was just kindly keeping you company, and you repay kindness with ingratitude."
"It's just a small thing, anyway, senior, just bear with it as punishment for seeing me cry."
After saying that, she grinned mischievously.
Despite being an undeniably beautiful girl, she wore a carefree smile, completely unconcerned with appearing ladylike, fully expressing her personality!
Coupled with her utterly unreasonable remarks and straightforward attitude, it made it easy to forget she was of the opposite sex—she felt more like a buddy.
Even for someone like him, who had interacted with various beautiful girls, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure and inexplicable relaxation at this moment.
"Alright, I won't hold it against you either. If anyone really asks, I'll just say you're my little sister."
"Hmph, I don't want a repeat-year older brother."
She blinked, her tone somewhat tsundere, but the smile on her face never faded, and there was no hesitation in her conversation with him.
With such a cheerful personality, she'd probably move past the shadow of her mother's passing quickly, right?
Mahiro sat on the bench and chatted with the girl for a long time, sharing many amusing stories—it felt like they could talk about anything.
The girl's attitude and tone completely treated him like a buddy. Such an interesting girl was truly the first he'd ever encountered.
"Oh, right, I still don't know your name."
"I'm Aiba Asagi. I'll be in second year of middle school when school starts again. Just call me Asagi, senior. See you at school later—I hope you don't pretend not to know me!"
She picked up the notebook on her lap, tucked it under her arm, waved to Mahiro, and left!
He also stood up, ready to head home.
Even though they had only chatted for just over half an hour, Mahiro felt as if only a moment had passed. It was indeed a rare moment of relaxation.
Come to think of it, the girl was in the same grade as Yuuma. He wondered if they'd be in the same class. He could ask about it when he got back.
But what did she say her name was again…?
Mahiro pondered for a moment, then froze in place.
"Aiba Asagi??"
He quickly turned around, only to find the girl's figure had long since disappeared.
Yet, he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his lips slightly.
Aiba Asagi—the second female lead in the original story, nicknamed the Cyber Empress, the world's top hacker…
To think he'd run into her here. Could it really be such a coincidence?
After silently grumbling and reflecting in his mind, he returned to Natsuki Minamiya's apartment with Aya.
Seeing them return, Yuuma came running out with quick steps, calling out obediently, "Welcome back, Father, Mother."
Since Mahiro had returned much later than usual, Yuuma assumed he and Aya had gone out on a date.
As their daughter, she naturally wanted to see her mother and father getting along affectionately.
Mahiro patted Yuuma's head and asked with concern:
"Yuuma, you'll be in second year when school starts again, right? I can't believe you're already at that 'middle school second year' age. Are you settling in well at school?"
Yuuma didn't understand what "middle school second year" meant, but she didn't ask. Instead, she nodded obediently and replied sweetly:
"Yes, I'm very happy. My classmates and teachers are all very friendly. It's just a shame I don't get to see Father often at school."
Her words seemed to touch a nerve with Aya, causing her delicate brows to furrow slightly, as if she were somewhat angry.
But before she could speak, Natsuki, seated in the main spot on the sofa, spoke up:
"Your father frequently skips classes, acts like a terrorist at home, and even I, as his homeroom teacher, can't seem to keep an eye on him. Today, he even called to ask if he could borrow the Dragon Vein..."
"...Mahiro, are you really trying to destroy Itogami Island? Or perhaps the entire world?"
"And if you keep skipping classes, be prepared to repeat a grade for the rest of your life!"
"Whatever. At worst, I'll just be Natsuki-chan's student forever. I think that sounds pretty nice."
Mahiro shrugged indifferently.
Repeating a grade was no big deal—it didn't matter to him at all.
As long as he didn't show up, what difference did it make whether he repeated a grade or graduated?
He wasn't counting on this to find a job anyway.
But Natsuki Minamiya's emotions clearly flared up. Her face visibly reddened, and she averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
"...H-happy? Don't talk nonsense! Don't you have any shame at all?!"
"Sorry, no."
"You jerk!…"
Natsuki-chan tightened her grip on the folding fan in her hand once again.
She considered herself a person of few desires, indifferent to many things, yet for some reason, this jerk always managed to stir her emotions.
Seeing her flustered and annoyed, Mahiro couldn't help but grin triumphantly.
Mission accomplished.
Feeling satisfied.
Little did he know, however, that this small action of his today would later create an unbeatable legend in the high school division of Saikai Academy.
"By the way, Yuuma, there's something I want to ask you. Do you know a girl named Aiba Asagi?"
"Father, are you talking about Aiba-san? Yes, I know her. She's in the same class as me, and her grades are really good. But why are you suddenly asking about Aiba-san?"
Yuuma tilted her head, her face filled with confusion.
At that moment, Natsuki Minamiya interjected:
"Hmph, needless to say, he's probably planning to mess with another young girl."
"Eh? Father is going to make a move on Aiba-san? Even though she is really pretty... but... but..."
Yuuma's face flushed bright red, and she grew flustered. It wasn't until Mahiro's large hand rested on her head again that she calmed down.
"Don't listen to Natsuki-chan's nonsense. Do you think your father is the kind of scum who would go after a middle schooler?"
Hearing this, Yuuma hesitated for a moment before shaking her head slightly.
Why did he feel inexplicably hurt?
He raised his head and glared fiercely at Natsuki Minamiya, saying, "I asked about Aiba Asagi because I happened to run into her in the hospital hallway today. Her mother passed away this evening, and I just went to comfort her a little!"
"I don't believe you."
"If you don't believe me, go ask Aya. She was with me the whole time today! She can vouch for me!"
But as soon as he finished speaking, Aya silently stood up from the sofa and returned to her room.
Without so much as a glance back.
"Well, what do you have to say now?"
Seeing the door close, Natsuki Minamiya smiled—a smug, triumphant grin that radiated the satisfaction of long-awaited vengeance.
As for what he could say about it?
What could he possibly say?!
He had no choice but to swallow his defeat!
That wicked Natsuki Minamiya!
And that wicked Tokoyogi Aya!
One day, he swore, he would pin down both Witches—Natsuki Minamiya's true form and Tokoyogi Aya—on the bed and spank them soundly, only then could the resentment in his heart be fully vented!