Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"Ahem... Shouldn't you be waiting near the entrance?" Chang Rong swallowed the piece of bread in her mouth and asked the two curiously why they had respawned here.

"Uh..." "Haha, why? Uncle's curious too...?"

The two men changed the subject.

Actually, at first, as part of the 'emergency response team,' Hiro and Milia only needed to wait near the entrance. However, Hiro felt that this was not 'quick enough', so he secretly moved to the Water Sprite Chamber by himself.

As a result, Milia caught her sneaking away, and Milia followed her to the Water Sprite Chamber, thoughtfully bringing warm clothing as well.

Seeing that the arms race was being overtaken, Hiro could only hurry up and get a kettle and bread to replenish his energy. He even took the initiative to crawl down and guard the elevator door, while Milia could only follow suit and guard the elevator door as well.

It's fortunate that the three of them came out in time; otherwise, the arms race might have dragged them all the way to the door of the cryogenic chamber, and they would have needed to carry the roasted warden as a rare energy supplement to qualify.

"So what were the results of this investigation?"

After everyone returned to the Water Sprite Chamber and wrapped Chang Rong in the blankets that had been prepared in advance, Hiro inquired about the results of this great expedition.

"Hmph! Not only did we fight the veterans inside, risking our beliefs and wills, but we also figured out how everyone would be assigned to which coffins if they died! We also lit a bonfire in the underground freezer, and oh yeah, we even gave Meruru a good beating on her corpse!"

"...???"

Shirley's summary left Hiro completely bewildered.

"Well, um... it sounds like it's quite lively. Anyway, I'm glad you're all alright."

The difference in social attributes between a corporate slave and a naive Yamato Nadeshiko is laid bare at this moment. When faced with Tachibana Sherry's offbeat remarks, Hiro can only look on with question marks popping out of his head, while the seasoned corporate slave Saeki Miria is able to maintain a polite smile even in this situation.

"Forget it, let's not talk about what you guys have collected yet—um, cough cough, that eccentric detective over there, she didn't do anything weird, did she?"

Hiro coughed twice. She hadn't expected to clear Prison Island in one go in the underground cryogenic chamber anyway. More than what Chang Rong had gained in the cryogenic chamber, she was worried about whether this idiot rabbit had lost anything there...

Of course, the idiot rabbit's first kiss still belongs to me, Nikaido Hiro, without a doubt. Win!

However, when Hero casually asked Arisa about it, the hooded punk girl's reaction stunned Hero, who hadn't paid much attention and had only asked casually—

"Something strange...? Strange... No, nothing, is it...?"

Arisa was somewhat embarrassed, and shyly looked away from Hiro, her words stammering and fragmented, as if she had printed the words "I'm lying" on her mask like the words "Ninja Kill."

"...??"

Hiro was taken aback by the sudden and inexplicable display of feminine charm from Arisa Wisteria, and quickly looked at Chang Rong beside him.

However, the idiot rabbit, like himself, seemed equally puzzled by Arisa's bizarre behavior... Is this girl one of those pure-blooded idiots who gets stripped naked, eaten clean, and then cowers in a corner crying and shedding her pearls, still not understanding what happened to her...?

Helpless, Shiro could only look at Tachibana Sherry again.

"Hmph hmph hmph~? Oh dear, don't look at me like that, Hiro~ I was just helping Watson escape danger with Arisa, but I accidentally created a new rival, you know? Really... Watson really does attract others just by standing still and breathing. I guess I should just take advantage of him when the time is right~"

"Alas!?"

I was just curled up on the sofa, enjoying being wrapped in a blanket and taking a breather, when suddenly Tachibana Sherry made a declaration of love to her fans. What's going on?!

"You wish...!" As expected, Hiro breathed protectively at his food, and the disciplinary committee member and the armed detective instantly adopted a confrontational stance, standing face to face without giving an inch.

"Well, Xiao Rong must have been working hard down there... Would you like Uncle to help relieve some of the stress?" "Hmm... I don't know many things, but at least I can give you a shoulder massage..."

On the other side, Arisa and Milia sandwiched Chang Rong between the sofa, swallowing hard as they whispered to her.

—Huh? Why does it feel like the living environment on the surface is even more dangerous than the underground freezer?^q^

Chang Rong, sandwiched between a group of prospective witches, was once again covered in cold sweat.

Volume 1: 122. The junior executives are not to be outdone.

"Idiot rabbit! Come with me to do the summary report!" "Hmph, let's go, Watson. How can we run a detective agency with these insects around?"

"Uncle, my lap pillow is definitely the best I can do...!" "If it's something like a shoulder massage or foot bath, even I..."

Oh no, I'm surrounded by witches!

Chang Rong, who had just crawled out of the old freezer and hadn't even warmed up properly, found himself once again caught in a fatal dilemma: he might accidentally end up talking to Shang Yang about life and ideals.

However, Chang Rong hasn't been without growth during this time; he already knows how to solve this problem.

"Um, my mind is still a bit muddled right now... Can I be alone for a bit?"

Chang Rong wore a troubled and somewhat melancholy expression, blinked her gray eyes at everyone, and said softly in a somewhat exhausted tone.

—Hehehe, the standard answer in this situation is to run away! I've already put on such a pitiful look, how can you not let me go!

When you can't make a choice, choose to run away. That's what the martial arts technique of the longest-lived Ripple warrior in history says.

As expected, as soon as he adopted this stance, Milia and Arisa immediately stopped their behavior. They nodded with somewhat embarrassed and apologetic expressions, indicating that they should not ignore Chang Rong's wishes and should respect his own choice.

however……

"Ugh...! You, you idiot rabbit, I'm really going to kill you...!" "Oh dear, always making that face, even I find it hard not to do 'that' to you, Watson~?"

"Alas!?"

Although Arisa and Milia agreed, for some reason, Hiro and Sherry's sexual desires visibly increased even more...

"Well, I'm not kidding, I really need to sort out my thoughts first... Give me some time, and I'll share my specific takeaways from this experience with everyone later!"

Feeling that staying here would definitely lead to his capture, and realizing that his words alone were no longer effective... Chang Rong quickly got up and ran away.

"Wait a minute, you idiot rabbit—"

"Although there was a half-joking element to that statement, I do think it's necessary to give Chang Rong some space to think for herself... Nikaido."

Hiro tried to grab Chang Rong and refine her instantly, but Arisa stood up and stopped Hiro, frowning slightly as she whispered to him.

—Wait, when did Arisa become so close to that idiot rabbit...? Shouldn't they be mutually exclusive, chasing each other the moment they meet?

Hero was completely taken aback by Arisa's transformation.

"Hmph, I thought Hero would be my destined rival to Moriarty, but it turns out he's just a weakling like Whiplash, anyone could easily snare him. Anyway, being too hasty won't do; you have to learn to understand others' hearts and offer gentle protection~~"

Shirley Tachibana stood to the side, hands on her hips, and hummed in a way that sounded like mockery.

—Which version of Sherlock Holmes are you talking about?! You mysterious, super-strong woman who'll resort to violence if you're not watching closely enough...!

Nikaido Hiro, who was initially pleased with his new status as a 'rapid response logistics unit', now feels his ranking points have dropped significantly even though he hasn't done anything.

On the other side, Chang Rong, who had just left the Crystal Chamber, almost instinctively went to the nearby flower field.

"The rainbow... it's still there after all..."

The tea party under the rainbow was still vivid in Chang Rong's mind. But as fragments of memory were rediscovered, the rainbow in the sky before her eyes, though still beautiful, now caused her a pang of pain.

"Noah?"

Beneath the rainbow, Chang Rong saw a girl named Noah Kinosaki, who was just like a rainbow herself, among the flowers.

Noah was sitting obediently on the ground, looking up at the rainbow, occasionally scribbling on the canvas with chalk.

"Hmm... Ah, Rongrong! You're back!"

Noah Kinosaki noticed Chang Rong and quickly turned to look at the white-haired boy, a happy smile appearing on her lips.

"Well, we've found some clues, though we don't know if they'll be of any use."

Chang Rong sat down next to Noah, patted her sweet little girl's head, and responded with a smile.

"What is Noah doing?" Chang Rong glanced at Noah's sketchbook, which seemed to be filled with drawings of rainbows in the sky.

"Although Noah had Sherry help him create an 'artificial rainbow' before, I still feel that it's not quite there yet... It would be great if Noah could express that dreamlike quality."

Noah stared at the rainbow in the sketchbook, which was not exactly dazzling, and muttered to himself.

"Although I don't know much about art, Noah is Noah. There's no need to try too hard to emulate other goals, okay? While rainbows are indeed dreamy, I love every single one of Noah's paintings just as much!"

"Hehehe... Is that so? Rongrong wasn't lying. Noah is so happy... Rongrong likes both Noah's paintings and 'its' paintings equally. Noah is really happy!"

Hearing Chang Rong's heartfelt praise, Noah Shirosaki smiled happily and shyly.

"However, Noah still wants to pursue higher goals in art! I heard that performance art is very popular now... Noah still hopes that Rongrong can strip naked and become Noah's canvas. Noah, Noah will definitely create a work on Rongrong that seems to have a life of its own... That's right, create life...!"

Noah pounced on Chang Rong, looked up at the white-haired boy in front of him, and revealed an artist's unique thirst and fervent smile, as if he desperately wanted to create a silver artifact on the spot.

"Haha, that kind of art is still too advanced for Noah. Anyway, don't stay out too long."

"Rongrong is really something, drum—"

Chang Rong chuckled, ruffled Noah's hair, and got up to run away. Noah, on the other hand, pouted and turned into a balloon, looking a little sullen as Chang Rong ran away.

—Noah seems to be getting more and more direct lately, could it be that…

That's right! Noah must be growing up healthily, heading towards becoming a sunny and cheerful young woman, right, Heero! Our Noah from our village is becoming more and more outgoing...!

Chang Rong nodded emphatically, thinking with such certainty that, of course, thinking about it wouldn't stop him from running away.

No matter what... at least this time, I must protect Noah's smile and not lose it again.

After leaving the flower field, Chang Rong saw Leia rehearsing in the open space in front of the entrance.

"Oh, my princess... I so want to hold you in my arms, but... but why are you in another castle!?"

"Wow—Lea sama!?"

"Huh? Chang Rong, when did you get back—whoa!? W-what happened!?"

Chang Rong suddenly realized something and pounced on Ryota Hasumi without saying a word. Ryota Hasumi, who was attacked by Chang Rong, was completely bewildered. Although she didn't understand what was happening, she quickly and firmly hugged the white-haired boy who had offered himself up.

"Hmph... I get it! Chang Rong, after going through all sorts of hardships, you've finally realized the charm of this idol and wholeheartedly bowed down to him, haven't you! I knew it! As the number one fan, you were just deliberately putting on a haughty act to attract my attention. What a naughty fan... But it's okay! I'll agree, I'll take responsibility, I'll bear the burden of your fervor—"

"NEXT"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?"

Just when I thought Chang Rong had finally figured things out and was preparing to launch a full-scale attack on my personal storyline, I was slammed down again after only a few seconds of joy.

"So... what exactly happened, Chang Rong? Weren't you exploring the underground freezer? How did you suddenly run out? And just now you dragged me from the open space to the entrance without saying a word...?" Renmi Ryoya asked, looking confused.

"Oh, I'm afraid you'll step on a landmine and explode, Leia-sama," Chang Rong said frankly, stating the reason directly.

"W-what...! What kind of reason is that...? Seriously, Chang Rong! I had a feeling something was off before—have you been treating me like an idiot all along?"

"Huh...?" Upon hearing Leia's question, Chang Rong's eyes widened instantly, his expression one of disbelief.

"Um...! I'm sorry, Chang Rong, I shouldn't have questioned you... How could you treat your favorite idol as an idiot?" Seeing the shocked expression on Chang Rong's face, Hasumi Ryoya hurriedly corrected herself.

"Leya-sama, you're only realizing you're an idiot now?" Chang Rong asked incredulously.

"So you're shocked by something like this!? Chang Rong—!!!" "I was just kidding, Leia-sam... Waa ...