A Scientific Urban Detective.

Chapter 917 Evening Walk
"What's impossible?" Lin Wuming asked, hearing the girl's mutterings beside him.

"Huh? I was just talking to myself." Shirai Kuroko snapped out of her reverie and realized that she had stopped walking without realizing it because she was so focused on thinking about those things.

Lin Wuming waited patiently beside him.

—Oh dear, how rude of me!
Shirai Kuroko quickly said, "Right, we need to get back to the hospital as soon as possible."

As mentioned earlier, Lin Wuming is a patient and cannot leave the hospital for extended periods during his treatment.

"Don't panic, my injury is actually nothing serious," Lin Wuming said, looking around as he saw that the streets, shrouded in night, were deserted and silent.

School District 7 primarily consists of elementary and secondary schools, and its gated dormitories have strict access control, so there are far fewer people out and about after dark compared to school districts with universities.

Moreover, this is near a building without windows, so even if people come out for a visit, they wouldn't go to a place like this.

However, Lin Wuming quite liked the quiet and deserted environment he was in.

“It’s rare to have such a peaceful time,” Lin Wuming said. “Perfect, it’s good to slow down once in a while. Why don’t we take a walk back?”

"Huh?" Shirai Kuroko looked up in surprise, only to meet Lin Wuming's gaze as he looked down.

"Cough!" For a moment, she panicked and quickly looked away. "But Senior Wuming, your injury..."

"Don't worry, my injury is really not serious. I just need to rest for a few days," Lin Wuming said nonchalantly. "In fact, as long as we don't encounter an enemy as formidable as the Rear Water again, even if we start fighting right now, it won't worsen my injury."

"Is that so?" Shirai Kuroko nodded in agreement, but she wasn't entirely convinced by Lin Wuming's explanation.

After all, boys are good at putting on a brave face, and even if their injuries are serious, they won't easily reveal it.

"But a walk..." Shirai Kuroko was somewhat tempted. It's just a walk, it shouldn't be too much of a burden on the body, right?

—Moreover, this seems to be the first time I've ever truly been alone with an unknown senior.

With this in mind, Shirai Kuroko answered with her actions.

Following Lin Wuming's every step, Shirai Kuroko strolled along the street, keeping pace with him...

Of course, she never let go of Lin Wuming's left arm from beginning to end—after all, she had to support the wounded and be ready to activate "spatial teleportation" at any time.

For the rest of the time, neither Shirai Kuroko nor Lin Wuming spoke. The two walked in silence, hand in hand, looking very intimate.

Lin Wuming found this experience novel. Due to the height difference, when he looked around, he could only see the whorl of hair on the girl's head and her twin ponytails swaying rhythmically with her steps.

—The girl accompanying him at this moment is actually Shirai Kuroko?
Even now, Lin Wuming still can't imagine what Shirai Kuroko, who likes boys, would be like.

—Where exactly did things go wrong…? No, it’s not a problem, it’s more like, where did things go wrong that caused Kuroko to take a different path from the original story?

Lin Wuming was undecided whether to take the opportunity to ask Shirai Kuroko.

Shirai Kuroko kept her head down, her gaze fixed straight ahead on the road. It wasn't her imagination; she could feel Lin Wuming's gaze fixed on her. She didn't dislike it, but it still bothered her.

—Right now, I don't have the confidence to look this nameless senior in the eye. If he keeps staring at me like that, I won't be able to look up and see his face and expression clearly.

How the nameless seniors viewed her was something Shirai Kuroko was very concerned about.

Because she was a "latecomer" and had spent the least amount of time with Lin Wuming, and her understanding of him was far less than that of the other three senior students, she inevitably felt uneasy.

In fact, Shirai Kuroko's initial feelings for Lin Wuming were just admiration and adoration, which gradually evolved and sublimated into love through contact and trust.

If Misaki Shokuhou hadn't exposed her, Shirai Kuroko wouldn't have planned to reveal her true feelings.

It's not bad to just keep this one-sided longing and love; at least you can avoid getting caught up in this mess!
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in the real world. Since it has already become a fait accompli, we can only face it positively!

—I also have my own principles and stance; since I've joined the fight, I don't intend to lose, even if my opponent is my older sister!
Therefore, I will absolutely not let go!
Thinking this, Shirai Kuroko gripped Lin Wuming's arms tightly with both hands, to the point that it affected their ability to walk normally.

"Ah! Sorry!" Shirai Kuroko quickly relaxed after regaining her senses—she had almost clung to Lin Wuming's arms.

—I really need to grow taller.

Shirai Kuroko felt her heart racing, inexplicably panicked, and her brain almost unable to think normally. In the end, the only nonsensical thought that popped into her head was "wanting to grow taller."

From Lin Wuming's vantage point above, he could see the girl's ears turning red rapidly, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

I never expected that Shirai Kuroko would have such an innocent side; you know, in the original work, her aggressive pursuit of Misaka Mikoto was even to the point of being described as "perverted".

No wonder there's a saying about "gap moe" (a cute contrast between appearance and reality).

"Speaking of which... are we just going to walk back to the hospital like this?" Shirai Kuroko casually started a conversation. "It feels really inefficient."

"It's precisely because we're both used to our usual high efficiency that I suggested we take a leisurely walk back," Lin Wuming said.

Lin Wuming's "bullet time" and Shirai Kuroko's "spatial teleportation" represent two people who pursue ultimate efficiency in the dimensions of time and space, respectively, resulting in a significant difference between their views on time and space and those of ordinary people.

Lin Wuming was moved by what he felt, so he decided on a whim to slow down and return to being an ordinary person after a long time.

After all… Lin Wuming had a vague feeling that it would be increasingly difficult to encounter such leisurely moments in the future.

"Huh? So...so that's how it is!" After hearing Lin Wuming's explanation, Shirai Kuroko suddenly realized, and then a strange feeling arose in her heart.

—So, it turns out I'm "the same kind" as that nameless senior in this respect? We both live in a highly efficient world...

Shirai Kuroko suddenly understood how Tomi and Kazakiri felt—it seemed they had also found a sense of belonging in their nameless senior.

—So this is how the bond was built. No wonder the nameless senior always attracts girls who are troublesome in every way…

(End of this chapter)