Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Page 136

This move, as expected, drew the captain's attention to her.

"What do you mean?" Xiangzi asked.

"You are that kind of magic..."

"Magical girl?"

"Oh right, I forgot again." The captain scratched his head. "Anyway, whatever you call us, you and the young lady are all from 'that world,' right?"

"They might even know each other," he added.

"Does Miss refer to Shin Tsurumaki?" Shoko smiled politely and said with a light laugh, "I know her, just like everyone knows Miyuki Nakajima. She's a big celebrity among magical girls."

It means that they actually have no connection whatsoever.

"So it wasn't a problem after all, then—"

"Let's skip the pointless small talk." Xiangzi cut straight to the point with his next sentence, "Captain, what are you planning to do by revealing that you are in the know?"

She paused for a moment, her eyes looking behind the captain.

"Tsurumaki Kokoro isn't on this ship, but you have magical girls around you, right?"

"We meant no offense, after all, she just saved me and my companion, but..."

"Although there are few magical girls, their relationships are not so close that they are like long-lost sisters who must recognize each other and then hug each other and cry their hearts out."

Xiangzi believed that the other party had come up to him and revealed their identity because they had something to say.

Therefore, she chose to take the initiative and bring up the topic first.

After Xiangzi spoke, the captain's expression immediately darkened, changing from a somewhat frivolous tone to a serious one, like a mountain standing in front of Xiangzi.

He took the cigar that had been in his mouth, twisted the burning butt in his palm, and extinguished it with his calloused and scarred hand.

“You are dangerous individuals. Just one of you could destroy this ship. You are not in the same league as the rabble that boarded the ship earlier,” the captain said. “There are three of you standing right in front of me now, and there are several more hidden among you.”

An imposing aura, like a mountain, emanated from those eyes, pressing down on Xiangzi's shoulders.

"I need to know."

"What will happen if I tell you?"

"Whether you are a guest or a threat depends on the situation."

"Aren't you afraid of us?" Xiangzi tilted his head and asked, "Aren't you afraid that the conflict will escalate and we'll start doing the things you mentioned earlier?"

"If you dare."

When the captain said those words, Xiangzi suddenly felt a sharp, knife-like killing intent pierce through the darkness, but in the next instant, that killing intent vanished without a trace, as if it were Xiangzi's hallucination.

That's not an illusion.

The opposing magical girl is very good at concealing herself.

The murderous aura she just displayed was something she deliberately released.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and neither side wanted to back down.

Xiangzi raised his head and looked up at the burly middle-aged man, their eyes displaying an equally imposing presence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hey, don't be so tense." The captain suddenly deflated, his expression becoming relaxed. "I was just kidding."

"Really? You're quite humorous," Xiangzi replied with a forced smile. "I almost took it seriously."

Who would think you're joking?

Do you think I'm stupid?

"It's not good for someone so young to be so calculating like an adult." The captain picked up the cigar he had just stubbed out and held it out.

No——

With a strange, muffled thud, the captain lit his cigar.

The silencer altered the gunshot sound; it was like a cigar lit by a bullet...

Xiangzi swallowed hard.

That's terrifying marksmanship.

Xiangzi herself couldn't have been that precise in the dark, and not only was she out of breath, she didn't even see a glint of light from the eyepiece, which meant the other side might not have used a scope at all.

She is most likely a magical girl who has specialized in this kind of ability.

If the shot had been aimed at the rings on their hands where the Soul Gems were stored, that shot could very well have sent one of them to their grave.

Although it's only a possibility, it's clear that this is a demonstration.

He knew Xiangzi was a smart man, and he also knew how to talk to smart people.

By demonstrating his strength while maintaining a good attitude, Xiangzi would have to consider the cost-effectiveness even if he turned against him.

I have no reason, nor any need, to fight them here.

"Our team has five people in total, besides..."

Xiangzi thought of Chihaya Ai from the next class; she must be on this boat too.

"I don't know."

===========

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the captain solemnly apologized to them and promised to refund Mu's ticket money as compensation.

From beginning to end, Xiangzi never saw the mysterious magical girl.

And so they returned to the cabin with Muhe and Chuhua.

"yawn......"

Mu yawned.

Mu is used to going to bed early, so she should be sleepy by now.

Xiangzi, holding Mu's hand, led the dazed Mu, who was like a little kitten, through the same doors and different house numbers.

Chu Hua followed quietly behind.

Mu and Miaomeng slept in the same double room, but at this time Miaomeng was probably still flirting with female students at the bar, so naturally she couldn't come back.

When Xiangzi escorted Mu back to her room, Mu held onto her hand with reluctance.

Xiangzi personally covered her with the blanket, patted her head, and whispered goodnight in her ear.

Snapped.

Xiangzi turned off the guest room light, carefully walked out of the room, and closed the door.

"Xiao Xiang."

Chu Hua, who had been standing quietly to the side, finally spoke.

"Can you come with me somewhere?"

====

A Lost Tale: The Spirit of Youth: Chapter 162 Reflected in the Eyes

The corridor was dimly lit yet warm, and the walkway was covered with soundproof carpet, so it was completely quiet.

Chu Hua lowered her head, her eyes hidden in the shadow of her bangs, clutching the hem of Xiangzi's clothes.

"Can you come with me somewhere?" Chu Hua said softly.

"...What's wrong?" Xiangzi looked down at the hand gripping the hem of his clothes.

"It's nothing, just taking a walk," Chu Hua said in a seemingly ordinary tone. "If it doesn't work out, then forget it."

Xiangzi grabbed Chuhua's hand that was clutching the hem of his clothes.

It hasn't been opened up.

It felt unnatural, uncomfortable, and deliberate, as if he was holding on like that on purpose to prove something to Chu Hua.

“Of course I’m free,” Xiangzi said softly.

Chu Hua raised her head, her eyes sparkling beneath her bangs.

"But I still have a question," Xiangzi said, "Does this count as an invitation to a date?"

Immediately afterwards, she watched as Chu Hua's cheeks went from fair to pink to bright red.

"...I don't know." Chu Hua stammered, turning her head away. "I guess so."

========

"Be careful, there are steps. Listen to me, lift your foot."

Xiangzi followed Chu Hua's instructions and lifted his foot.

"Put your feet down."

"Hmm..." Xiangzi obediently did as instructed, "But why do you want me to close my eyes?"

"You'll find out later."

Chu Hua said mysteriously.

She kept repeating the instructions of lifting her foot, putting her foot down, lifting her foot, putting her foot down, leading Xiangzi up and up.

Until Xiangzi felt the sea breeze and heard the calm yet powerful sound of the waves.

They went outside again.

"That's enough," Chu Hua said. "Lift your head and open your eyes."

Xiangzi pushed aside the rising drowsiness, dispelling the thought that "it's not so bad to fall asleep standing up like this," and slowly opened his eyes.

The shimmering light reflected in my eyes.

Chu Hua brought her to the top deck where fireworks had just been set off. At this time, everyone was either sleeping or preparing for the nightlife. The top deck, which had just been cleaned by the cleaners after the fireworks show, was deserted. Even the sulfurous smell of the fireworks had been blown away by the sea breeze and remained in the sky, some distance away.

However, only after the fireworks fade, the dazzling lights disappear, and the hustle and bustle of the crowds subside can one truly pierce through the silvery clouds and see the vast, open sky.

The memories seem to overlap, childhood memories and the present.

At similar latitudes and longitudes, in different places, Xiangzi seemed to hear the chirping of cicadas, the rustling of the treetops in the wind, see small animals darting around in the darkness, and feel the grassy ground that was a little prickly on his bottom.

In reality, these are all illusions, mere falsehoods.

The more he tried to dig his memories out of the depths of his mind, the more blurred his impressions became. What had he done back then? Why had he been watching the stars with Chu Hua in the clearing in the grove? What happened afterward? The hazy memories gradually faded, pushing Xiangzi back to reality.

There were no cicadas chirping, no frogs croaking, no rustling in the treetops, no elusive little animals, and no green grass.

Only this starry sky and the people around me are the same.

"Xiao Xiang," Chu Hua said, "how long has it been since we looked at the stars together?"

Xiangzi didn't answer her immediately. She stood side by side with Chuhua, tilting her head back for a long time, looking up at the sky, letting the sea breeze blow her long, bright blue hair into the air.

After a long while, she finally spoke.

"long time."

Xiangzi brushed aside the messy hair in front of him.

"It's been a really long time."

"Do you remember the day we reunited, we talked about the stars all night long?"

“Um…” Xiangzi stopped, swallowing the words he hadn’t yet uttered, “…Yes, I remember, we talked all night, even though I should have forgotten what the star map looked like a long time ago.”

Chu Hua turned her head to the side, imprinting the image of Xiangzi looking at the stars in her mind.

Her eyes reflected countless fine, white specks, as if they could hold the entire starry sky.