An infinite journey starting from paradise

"There's also cake, do you want some?"

"Then I won't be polite."

Lin Shangren took the cake that had been cut into long strips and asked, "Where are the clothes you changed into?"

"I changed my mind."

"what?"

"I plan to return it to Miss Aomaki personally," Fuyuko said. "If I give it to the teacher, I'm afraid she'll use it to do something bad."

"what?"

"After all, the teacher is the kind of pervert who would take advantage of artificial respiration to forcefully kiss a female student." Dongzi said with a smile, "Although the teacher did save my life."

"Hey……"

"Ha, just kidding." Dongzi showed a playful expression as if his prank had succeeded.

"teacher."

Dongzi stared at the setting sun outside the window and suddenly said,

"Teacher, can you tell me something about yourself?"

"Why do you ask this suddenly?" Lin Shangren asked.

"Just curious," Dongzi replied, "Besides, didn't the teacher ask me questions about myself?"

"Isn't that what you asked for? To help you find your 'true self'." Lin Shangren asked back.

【The language skills are up to you. (?▽｀)】

Xiao Ai interrupted at the right time.

But Dongzi did not give up asking, she said: "Then teacher, can't you satisfy my curiosity?"

"There's not much to say about me," Lin Shangren said. "My name is Lin Shangren, I'm male, and I like women. I'm full of knowledge and enjoy deciphering secrets. My moral standards are above average. I have desires, but I control them. When I encounter problems, I work hard to solve them. I really enjoy the satisfaction that comes from solving them. I'm mostly kind to others, and sometimes I do bad things, but generally I hate evil. I'm an orderly neutral, that's about it."

"Is that right?"

Dongzi looked at Lin Shangren's face and asked again: "Then, will the teacher feel confused about himself?"

"Confused?" Lin Shangren rubbed his neck. "Rarely, but occasionally. But my motto is to work hard to solve a problem, and when my own strength is insufficient, seek help from people I trust. Ha, this is just nonsense."

"is that so……"

Dongzi fell silent.

“Tuk tuk tuk…”

The sound of wooden clogs came from the outer hall.

"Ah...it seems like mother is back."

Dongzi stood up and left the room.

"Mother... This girl usually uses very casual words in her speech, even masculine ones. But she uses honorifics when addressing her family? That's right. After all, they come from a medical family, a wealthy family. It's normal for them to have strict discipline at home."

"Teacher Lin, sorry for the wait."

Fuyuko and a beautiful woman wearing a crimson kimono walked into the Japanese-style room.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I am her mother, Chizuru." Chizuru Kuchiki nodded slightly to Hayashi Naoto.

Lin Shangren looked at the woman before him. Her skin was unusually pale, but not the pure white of Fuyuko's, nor the snowy white of Aoki Fuyushi's albinism. Rather, it was a sickly, dry white. Her long, black hair was slightly wavy, and the dry ends hinted at her precarious health.

"It doesn't look like it." Lin Shangren thought to himself, "Is she really Dongzi's biological mother?"

Yes, Chizuru Kuchiki and Fuyuko don't look very similar. And their ages don't match either. Chizuru Kuchiki looks only about 30 years old. Could she have given birth to Fuyuko when she was 14 or 15?

"Appraisal."

[Name: Kuchiki Chizuru]

[Race: Human female]

【Identity: Housewife】

[Status: Calm, weak, sequelae of myeloid leukemia]

[Note: Fuyuko Kuchiki's adoptive mother, who has suffered from myeloid leukemia since childhood, suggested that she go to Germany for an orthopedic examination first.]

"As expected, there's no blood relationship. But this German orthopedic surgeon..."

Looking at the information in the remarks column, Hayashi Shangren suddenly remembered the message he read during his afternoon meeting with Kuchiki Yasumasa: "I've always been worried about the problems between my children." Could it be that... Fuyuko's adoptive mother and her uncle are also related to Yosuga?

Although he had come to this outrageous conclusion, Lin Shangren remained calm on the surface: "My name is Lin Shangren, a teacher at Yingyu Girls' College. I came here this time to confirm something with you."

"what's up?"

"Regarding Kuchiki Fuyuko's health, she often ends up in the infirmary due to anemia and malnutrition. Have you ever paid attention to this?" Lin Shangren asked directly. "Mr. Kuchiki Yasumasa and I are somewhat acquainted. As a family of doctors, you shouldn't make such a mistake."

"I'm so sorry." Kuchiki Chizuru bowed gently to Hayashi Naoto, "It was my negligence... Fuyuko is malnourished...? This... might be my fault. My health isn't very good, so I avoid many foods. So I usually cook light meals..."

"Teacher." Dongzi suddenly grabbed Lin Shangren's sleeve, "Didn't you just say that you had something important to deal with?"

"Huh?" Lin Shangren was stunned.

"Mother, I'll go see the teacher off first."

As he said that, Dongzi was about to pull Lin Shangren away. Lin Shangren didn't insist much and let Dongzi walk out of the Xiumu family's house.

"Hey... I said..."

"The teacher is meddling in other people's business." Dongzi said angrily.

"It's my duty, and the school's health teacher has just been sent in. Asking your family to pay more attention to your health will save me some trouble." Lin Shangren said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be working part-time as a health care doctor for the next few days until the school finds a new teacher. Don't worry, I have a medical license. Speaking of which, your relationship with your mother seems a little... distant?"

"It's not that our relationship is bad," Dongzi said lightly, "We just don't know how to get along with each other. Teacher, you shouldn't feel any pressure in this regard, right?"

"I don't have any problems with that at all." Lin Shangren shrugged. "After all, I'm an orphan and have never seen my parents. But I have a very harmonious relationship with my grandfather who raised me."

"This..." Dongzi didn't know what to say for a moment. She just managed to utter, "Sorry."

"Fuyuko."

A man's voice came from the distance.

"Ah, uncle."

Dongzi turned around, and Lin Shangren followed her to look back. The person who came was a tall and thin young man with a short ponytail.

[Name: Kuchiki Fumiya]

[Race: human male]

[Occupation: Doctor at Kuchiki Clinic]

[Condition: Confused, exhausted, nerve damage on right hand]

[Note: Originally, he could have sung "Wings of Love" for him and Chizuru Kuchiki, and then sent her to Germany for orthopedic treatment. However, at this time, he had developed a vague affection for his niece, or adopted daughter.]

"Huh? No... this... Damn! This world is just a giant German orthopedics, right?!" Lin Shangren thought to himself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Fumiya Kuchiki, Fuyuko's uncle. Excuse me, you must be Mr. Lin, right?"

Kuchiki Fumiya greeted him politely and then extended his gloved left hand.

"Hello."

Lin Shangren retracted his right hand and shook hands with him with his left hand instead.

"I heard Fuyuko mention you, saying that a very interesting teacher came to the school." Kuchiki Fumiya said.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lin Shangren looked at Dongzi, and at the same time he locked onto Kuchiki Fumiya with shadow touch.

"Indeed, I did mention it. After all, the teacher's lessons are very interesting." Dongzi looked away in an exaggerated manner, and then changed the subject, "Uncle, is the treatment over?"

"Ah, yes. But there are still some things that need to be done, like organizing medical records."

As he spoke, Kuchiki Fumiya showed a slightly tired smile, looking very tired.

"Are you the only one in charge of the clinic, Dr. Kuichi?" Lin Shangren asked.

"My father used to be the one who saw patients there, but after the war, a hospital was built in Nakano, so he moved there. I'm not suited to the environment of a large hospital... and I have to take care of Chizuru, so I stayed here."

"Don't waste your uncle's time any longer. I'd better take the teacher back first."

Dongzi suddenly grabbed Lin Shangren's arm.

"Hey……"

"Let's go, let's go. We'll go first, uncle." Dongzi urged Lin Shangren.

"Welcome back next time, Teacher Lin." said Kuchiki Fumiya.

Chapter 98 Coincidence?

Dongzi only let go of his arm when they reached the wasteland where Lin Shangren parked his car.

The sky has gradually darkened.

"I say, why are you in such a hurry?"

"No...nothing..."

Dongzi avoided Lin Shangren's gaze.

"Are you worried that my questions will cause trouble for your mother and uncle?" Lin Shangren asked with a smile, "Or are you worried that 'finding your true self' will affect this overly respectful family?"

"What are you talking about? Isn't the teacher a little too nosy?"

Dongzi lowered his head.

"Hey, didn't you ask me to do this investigation?" Lin Shangren asked back. "Adolescents, really... they want others to help them, but at the same time, they're like little hedgehogs, tightly protecting their bellies. Wouldn't it be better to be frank?"

"Frankly? That's easy to say."

Dongzi did not say this out loud.

It was not easy for Dongzi to speak frankly about her confusion and pain. She found it difficult to talk about what confused her:

Why did she feel so alienated from her family? Why was her mother so cold towards her? Why would her mother and uncle, who were clearly siblings, do such a thing? Why? Why? Why did she hate herself so much?

I can't figure it out... I can't figure out what I want, what I want to become. I can't figure out my past memories, and I can't figure out where my future will go. But I don't dare to think about these questions. I can only hide, hide, hide.

I wanted to escape, to escape everything that disgusted me, my oppressive family, and the suffocating school. I imagined myself soaring into the turquoise sky like a bird emerging from its shell. But... I didn't have wings.

Dongzi avoided Lin Shangren's gaze and said softly, "Teacher, can you please not tell anyone about what happened today?"

"Which part? The one about you falling into the pond while drawing a turtle?" Lin Shangren asked with a smile. "That was quite funny."

"Hey, you!"

"Don't worry, as a detective, I won't reveal my client's information. I still have some professional ethics."

"Well...I'll trust you this time."

Dongzi lowered his head and nodded frequently.

"I will complete the commissions you give me, because I'm a good detective." Lin Shangren said, "Also, if you have any questions or difficulties, you can ask me for help."

"Because you are a good teacher?" Dongzi asked.

"No, because you can treat me as a friend."

"friend?"

Only then did Dongzi smile.

"Ah... the moon is out. It's a waning crescent..."

Dongzi raised her head and spoke, exhaling breath that condensed into white mist.

"Cold?"

"I am fine."

Dongzi spoke as he moved closer to Lin Shangren.

"Teacher, do you feel lonely when you see the moon?" Dongzi suddenly asked.