Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 191 Ji Yexue has disappeared!

October 8th, Fire Sunday.

This day marked the release of "Journey Under the Midnight Sun" by Makoto Akizuki.

Early in the morning, long lines formed at bookstores, with people eagerly anticipating buying "Journey Under the Midnight Sun".

This scene is comparable to that of the otaku in Akihabara, except that those people are more extreme, queuing up from the middle of the night.

However, none of this has anything to do with the author, Makoto Akizuki.

At this moment, he was tidying his clothes and getting ready for school.

Beside him was Shiina Maki, who looked somewhat sleepy.

Akizuki Makoto stayed overnight at her house last night and did not go back home.

As for the reason for staying overnight... when a man and a woman are alone in a room, there's only one thing they can do, right?
Last night, they had a very intense battle, so it's no wonder that Shiina Maki seemed tired; she didn't get much sleep.

"Chengjun, you also stay up late, so how come you look so energetic?"

Looking at Makoto Akizuki's handsome face reflected in the mirror, Shiina Maki muttered to herself, "Isn't it said that you should replenish your yin by absorbing yang energy? How come you're doing it this way?"

"Idiot, where did you learn all this?"

After jokingly scolding him, Akizuki Makoto continued, "My biological clock is used to going to bed early and waking up early, so staying up late for a day or two won't affect my health."

"Oh……"

Shiina Maki nodded reluctantly, got dressed, and carefully combed her hair.

Thus, Akizuki Makoto, who was also ready to leave, left with her and went next door to pick up Fuyuko so they could go to school together.

On her way to school, Shiina Maki suddenly perked up again. She hugged Akizuki Makoto's arm, tucking it between her chest, and exclaimed excitedly, "Speaking of which, Makoto-kun, your novel is being released today, right?"

"Uh-huh……"

Qiuyue Cheng thought for a moment, then nodded in response: "It's today, isn't it? What's wrong?"

Shiina Maki laughed happily and said, "Hehe, I want to buy a few after school. I'll give them to Rin-chan and Rie-chan tomorrow, and I'll keep some for myself."

"They probably don't need you to take them. Don't forget what the Shiraishi family does."

"What does it matter? I'll give it to you, it's a gift for my good friend!"

"Alright, alright, you can deliver it."

Makoto Akizuki smiled helplessly. In the month or so since they started dating, Maki Shiina's personality had gradually become more lively and cheerful.

After all, Maki Shiina is very happy and content now, and she is sweet and joyful every day.

Not only did she start dating Akizuki Makoto, she also reconciled with her mother.

Right now, she feels like the happiest person in the world.

"Ding-dong-dong"

Just then, Akizuki Makoto's cell phone, which was in his school trouser pocket, suddenly vibrated and rang.

Shiina Maki asked curiously, "Who called?"

"It must be from the Shincho-sha group..."

Makoto Akizuki subconsciously assumed that the person who would contact him at this time was almost certainly Shincho-sha.

The other party must be here to share good news; let's say hello to them.

"Then answer it quickly!"

"Ah."

Akizuki nodded, took his phone out of his pocket, and looked at the screen.

But when he saw the contact on the caller ID, he immediately stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat for a moment.

"Hey……"

He hurriedly answered the call and was about to say hello when he was suddenly interrupted by the person on the other end.

"Xiaoxue has disappeared!"

"What?"

Akizuki Makoto was struck dumb, his mind blank, as if he couldn't understand what the person on the other end of the phone was saying.

If the caller ID hadn't shown Ji Ye's aunt, he would have definitely started cursing into the phone for daring to mention that name in front of him and make such a joke.

"Today I went to her room to talk to her, but she had disappeared, leaving only a farewell letter!"

"Her mental state has been somewhat unstable lately; she sometimes does things that harm herself. I'm scared... I'm scared..."

By the end, Mrs. Himeya was sobbing uncontrollably and could no longer speak.

Undoubtedly, the farewell letter and Ji Yexue's sudden disappearance made her think of something bad.

At this critical juncture, with such a thing happening, she was on the verge of collapse.

"Snow...snow..."

Akizuki Makoto's face turned pale instantly, his lips trembled as he murmured the name.

He thought he had sealed away the memory of that name and forgotten it, but when he heard it again, the suppressed feelings and emotions surged forth as if they had been liberated.

"W-What's wrong, Cheng-kun? What happened?"

Shiina Maki realized that something was wrong and immediately became nervous.

Makoto Akizuki's stunned and panicked expression was second only to the one he wore when he returned from Osaka.

Do not……

It was even uglier than that day.

"...I'll go find it right away."

Akizuki Makoto hung up the phone, then shook off Shiina Maki's hand and ran away at the fastest speed he had ever been.

Even if Shiina Maki wanted to stop her, it was too late. In the instant that Akizuki Makoto shook her off, she instinctively tried to grab him, but missed.

By the time she realized what was happening and tried to chase after him, Akizuki Makoto had already disappeared around the street corner.

"Cheng... Cheng-jun?!"

Shiina Maki could only scream, completely bewildered as to what had happened to cause Akizuki Makoto to become like this in an instant.

However, she wasn't completely clueless; the only person who could make Akizuki Makoto lose his composure like that was that person.

Just now, Akizuki Makoto was also muttering that person's name. The person who called Akizuki Makoto must be a relative of Ji Yexue, which is why Akizuki Makoto was so flustered.

Looking at the bustling street corner where Akizuki Makoto was nowhere to be seen, Fuyuko turned to Shiina Maki and said, "Maki-neechan, let's go to school."

"Huh? Ah..."

At that moment, Shiina Maki remembered that Fuyuko was still there, and asked with a puzzled look, "Fuyuko, aren't you worried about Makoto? He suddenly ran away, and we don't know where he went."

"Brother... will be alright."

Dongzi murmured softly; how could she not know where her brother was going?

They are siblings connected by blood, bound by a bond deeper than anyone else's.

Moreover, with Ji Yexue missing, who can stop Qiuyue Cheng?

Even she couldn't persuade Akizuki Makoto to calm down.

Even if she used her power of words, she probably wouldn't be able to persuade Akizuki Makoto at this moment.

……

Meanwhile, Akizuki Makoto, who had run away, hailed a taxi on the roadside and headed straight for the port area.

He needed to go to the Ji Ye family first to understand the situation from Mrs. Ji Ye, and then go to find Ji Yexue.

His strength is ultimately limited. The Ji Ye family must have already mobilized everyone to search. He can't just wander around aimlessly like a headless fly, can he?

Tokyo is so big, how lucky, or rather, how well does he know Ji Yexue, to be able to find her so accurately?
"Snow...snow..."

Sitting in the taxi, Akizuki Makoto seemed to be very cold, his body trembling and his lips quivering as he called out Ji Yexue's name.

The thought of Mrs. Ji Ye's words felt like his heart was being torn apart, causing him unbearable pain.

So, Ji Yexue's mental state has recently become extremely precarious?
It even got to the point where there were signs of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

"sorry Sorry…"

Qiu Yuecheng repented, unable to stop himself from clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, causing him a sharp pain.

But the sharp pain was nothing compared to the agony in his heart.

Even without saying it, he understood that he was the one who caused Ji Yexue's mental breakdown, leading her to have suicidal thoughts.

This made him begin to hate and loathe himself, causing his stomach to convulse and waves of nausea to make him want to vomit.

So, his sins have really gotten this deep?

Even death cannot undo the damage he caused to Ji Yexue.

……

……

When Akizuki Makoto arrived at Himeya's house in the port area by taxi, the place was already in complete chaos.

Vehicles and people were constantly coming and going from the entrance, presumably people mobilized by Mrs. Ji Ye to search for the missing Ji Yexue.

Logically speaking, with the resources of the Ji Ye family, searching for someone who has run away from home should be a piece of cake.

After all, we live in a high-tech era, with cameras everywhere on the streets.

Although the Ji Ye family is in a low period, they can still contact the police station to use surveillance cameras to find Ji Yexue.

But the problem is...
Mrs. Ji asked all the servants in the house, and none of them had seen Ji Yexue leave the house!
Originally, in order to prevent Ji Yexue from taking her own life, people were supposed to take turns guarding her room door 24 hours a day, but those guarding her door all said they had never seen Ji Yexue.

They couldn't have been bribed by Ji Yexue to hide their whereabouts. In such a life-or-death matter, they could tell right from wrong.

Mrs. Himeya, who knew her daughter well, thought of a possibility.

To disappear from Ji Ye's house without anyone noticing, one would need to possess the superpower of invisibility or instant teleportation.

Coincidentally, Ji Yexue possesses such a superpower. Mrs. Ji Yexue has not forgotten how her daughter disappeared in front of her to prove herself.

Presumably, Ji Yexue used invisibility to leave the Ji Ye family, which explains why no one has seen her.

"Master, a guest has arrived. It's that Qiuyue Cheng. Shall we let him in?"

Just as Mrs. Ji Ye was in Ji Yexue's room, looking at the farewell letter and feeling sad, a maid ran in and bowed to report to her.

"...Let him in, bring him to me."

Mrs. Ji Ye spoke in a hoarse voice, her face revealing her exhaustion and disappointment.

Ji Yexue was her last pillar of support. If something happened to Ji Yexue, she would probably be devastated.

The Himeya family... is truly headed for destruction.

“Father…I am such a useless and unfilial daughter, I can’t do anything.”

Mrs. Hime murmured to herself, her eyes glistening with sorrow and tears welling up.

……

When Akizuki Makoto followed the maid to Himeya Yuki's room, he immediately saw Mrs. Himeya sitting on the tatami mat, on the verge of tears.

"Uncle, aunt..."

With a trembling voice, Akizuki Makoto called out, unable to suppress the surging emotions within him any longer.

With a thud, he knelt down, bowed his head, and choked back tears as he confessed, "I'm sorry... Auntie... I'm sorry... It's... it's... me... who caused... Xue... to become... like this..."

Mrs. Jiye looked at Akizuki Makoto kneeling on the ground, remained silent for a while, and then said to the maid standing behind Akizuki Makoto, "...You can go out now."

"Yes."

The maid bowed her head and took her leave, closing the door to leave the two of them alone.

After the maid left, Mrs. Himeya continued, "Akizuki-kun, lift your head."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto raised his head, but remained kneeling.

But when he looked up, he saw Mrs. Ji Ye suddenly erupt in anger, waving her hand and slapping him hard across the face!
"Snapped!"

As the loud slap echoed in the room, Akizuki Makoto felt a burning, stinging pain on his left cheek.

He stared blankly at Mrs. Ji Ye, who was on the verge of tears. Her eyes, which were fixed on him, were filled with tears, yet they exuded an extreme coldness and murderous intent.

“I have never…never hated you this much, Akizuki-kun.”

“In the past, I always felt that maybe Xiaoxue wasn’t good enough, or that she was too willful, which is why you two couldn’t be together.”

"I feel regretful about it, but I don't have many thoughts about it. But I never expected... I never expected you... to actually..."

In the end, Mrs. Himeya couldn't help but raise her hand again and slapped Akizuki Makoto across the face!
Akizuki Makoto did not dodge, nor did he even close his eyes, and thus endured Mrs. Himeya's wrath.

If being hit could make Mrs. Ji Ye feel better, then he would accept any number of slaps.

"You actually betrayed Xiaoxue!"

"Why? Didn't you promise her?"

"You clearly promised her, you made a commitment to her, aren't you someone who values ​​promises the most?"

"Where did Akizuki Makoto, who dared to challenge his father and protect Koyuki, go?"

Mrs. Hime grabbed Akizuki Makoto by the collar and questioned him hysterically, but all she got in return was Akizuki Makoto's desperate, broken eyes and his muttered apologies as if he were broken.

"sorry Sorry…"

Akizuki Makoto repeated his apology, tears streaming down his face, blurring his vision.

The pain in my cheek was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

He is now in hell, a punishment for his betrayal of Ji Yexue.

As Mrs. Ji Ye said, he had promised to save Ji Yexue's life and to lend a helping hand when she was lost on the river of life.

As a result, he was unable to save Ji Yexue, and in fact, he caused Ji Yexue to lose her way.

Ji Yexue's heart was broken because of him, and then, because of his existence, she could not bear the torment and pain, so she chose to disappear.

It's hard to imagine how much pain and torment Ji Yexue endured during this time, and how agonizing it was for her.

On the other hand, he is still able to be with Shiina Maki, allowing her to soothe his inner pain.

(End of this chapter)