I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

After all...humans are creatures who think about their own interests all the time.

Whether it's kindness or help, in the long run, it's almost always an "investment" to make your life more fulfilling. Investing people's hearts is perhaps easier in some ways than investing money.

Even if one appears to be extremely strong, all human weaknesses still exist. "Love," which is still praised to this day, is the most common example... There are many people who are willing to pay any price for the people they care about.

Well...even though most people's lives are not worth mentioning to me.

Isn't that right? I don't care what happens to the lives of those I pass by. And they naturally won't care whether I live or die tomorrow. To 99 percent of the world's population, I'm just a statistic... a mere concept of "one of the billions of people on Earth."

The "friendship" that is praised by people is just a few more people who care about your existence and a few more people who are sad for your pain and death.

But... since knowing me makes you sad because of my misfortune, wouldn't it be better if I didn't have any relationship with anyone? That way, even if I disappeared from the world, I wouldn't see anyone crying for me.

"This is really troublesome..."

The world, human hearts, relationships... For me, it's all too much trouble. If these things didn't exist, I'd be able to live more easily... But isn't it the troubles of human hearts that make them interesting?

"Ah... Looks like I found it."

At the busy intersection, as expected, I found Li Yinghui standing there, bewildered. Had Ming Xinxi, with some excuse, sent her off? Then, without noticing, she must be on her way to find her senior now... or perhaps she'd already found him.

"Ah... trouble... here."

I reached out and scratched the hair that stretched to the back of my neck, then walked towards her.

I know that what's going to happen next is going to be even more troublesome.

"Hey, Senior Xiaohui." I greeted her with a relaxed look. "From the looks of you, are you looking for Senior Xiaoqian?"

"Yes." As if she had met a savior, hope rekindled in her eyes. "Since you ask that, do you know where she is?"

"..."

Logically speaking, I shouldn't have known it at that time.

But... now I know everything.

"Oh, of course."

I responded with a smile.

There is only one suitable place nearby for what she wants to do. Ming Xinxi, who is a little prepared, will definitely choose to express what she wants there.

But...I have lived here for more than ten years, and I am very familiar with the road conditions.

"And she's a completely different Akane-senpai from the one you know."

"Um?"

"Don't worry about that." I changed the subject. "Then, come with me over here. She seems to be doing something important."

What would happen if Li Yinghui saw the whole thing with her own eyes?

Oh, what a hassle.

. . . . . . . . . . .

[Easter egg?]

"I went to play with your brother a few days ago."

Ling Can was sitting on the sofa playing the game that was said to be "the best in the world" and was not named after the protagonist (I don't care, just call yourself Zelda), when he suddenly mentioned this matter to Ye Jin who was driving the Gundam Exia with the joystick.

"...Really...He didn't do anything to you." Ye Jin's reaction to this matter was very calm. It seemed that he had put all his energy into the battle. After all, he had been knocked down twice.

"If I had done something, I wouldn't be like this."

"..."

Her attention couldn't help but be drawn to these words, but after saying these words, Lingcan in her sight was still playing the Switch in her hand with a leisurely look on her face.

This is a dangerous thought... unexpectedly I don't want to complain.

After a brief pause, Ye Jin fell into a fierce battle again.

"So what? How's his spirits lately?"

After a while, she seemed to remember something and uttered some tentative words.

"Fortunately, I'm not so reluctant to go out anymore."

Lingcan thought for a moment and replied.

"...I feel like, brother, he's quite different from before."

"People always change." When Ling Can said this, he inexplicably thought of himself.

"I mean...if you look back at a certain stage, don't the things you did before seem childish and immature? It's like comparing what you wrote in elementary school with what you wrote in junior high."

"...Well, maybe."

A leisurely answer.

"In other words, no matter how mature your actions may seem now, looking back from the perspective of the future... they will be extremely childish."

When Ye Jin said this, he suddenly remembered some memories of the country, and that feeling... was a little strange.

"...That's quite normal, right? If someone in elementary school had a junior high or high school level, it would seem strange to others."

"really..."

Ye Jin could clearly feel that the inexplicable feeling towards his brother was slowly increasing.

"That is, at each stage of life, there should be a corresponding way of thinking. Being too mature or too naive will produce bad results."

“…”

Is this really the case?

"....." "....." "......."

Blurry fragments suddenly flashed through Ye Jin's mind. Without exception, they were all about his brother's past. They happened in different periods, but they had similarities.

more importantly...

"It's...troublesome."

When did he start to feel that things were becoming troublesome?

Welcome back?

Is the action done in good faith?

I doubt anyone could ever truly understand the true nature of humanity, even if they spent their entire lives... In my opinion, even the words of so-called celebrities are merely references. If someone truly believes in these so-called famous quotes, it can only be said that they perceive the world through the lens of others.

Oh, what a hassle.

That's why so many people are easily instigated...

"that..."

Li Yinghui's words tinged with timidity... Was it because she noticed a difference in me? Or was she worried about the path we were taking?

"...Um?"

He turned his head slightly and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Ah...we..." After briefly meeting my eyes, she quickly turned her head to the side and looked around the small space we were in. "Why are we going to such a remote place? That...what on earth did Xiao Qian encounter..."

There should be some time left. Thinking of this, I gradually stopped walking, and Li Yinghui, who was following behind me, stopped making any footsteps.

"Ah... What a hassle..."

I muttered something under my breath and turned to look behind me. Li Yinghui, now looking a little flustered, didn't act like a senior student at all.

Are you nervous...Yes, after all, it would still seem suspicious in this situation.

"Well, I have two things to say... well, maybe not really a statement..." He stretched out his left hand and scratched the back of his head. "Look, I don't look like a bad guy, do I?"

"well?"

As if she didn't understand what I said, she didn't respond at all to my question.

"Tsk...trouble..."

I would feel very embarrassed if I didn't say anything.

"...So, if you're feeling uneasy, you can keep a relatively safe distance from me. By the way, I'm terrible at sports, so if you sense any inappropriate intentions from me, just turn around and run away."

"...Does anyone say that about themselves..."

"Hmm... Anyway, that's it. Oh, there's one more... well, a question, really. It's about Akane-senpai."

After I said the above, Li Yinghui's mood had obviously eased, which means that I can make her mentally prepared within the level of her trust.

"What? What happened to Xiao Qian?"

"...In your heart, she must be a caring and reliable friend."

"...Ah, um...that's basically it. No, why did you bring this up all of a sudden?"

"Nothing." I sighed and looked into her eyes without any intention of dodging.

"If what you see next is slightly different from your impression of Akane-senpai...what will you think?"

"...I...don't quite understand what you mean..."

"It's okay." I said, trying to put on what I thought was a kind smile, "You'll understand when the time comes."

Chapter 32: Is it done with good intentions?

"Is this right here?"

"Well, this is it."

Senior Sun, who became anxious upon hearing that Li Yinghui was in danger, was originally following Ming Xinxi, but when he saw the dark alley at the intersection ahead, he just confirmed it briefly and then sped up and rushed in.

There are many such alleys in the city, most of which are formed by the distance between buildings. Since they exist in opposition to the main roads, most of the incidents that occur in them are well-known but difficult to prevent.

Highway robbery, violent extortion, school violence that extends beyond the campus... some scientific experiment... In short, almost everything imaginable or unimaginable happens in such alleys.

However, the senior, overwhelmed by this sense of panic, still overlooked one thing.

What on earth made Li Yinghui and Ming Xinxi choose this route?

................

"Hui! Xiaohui!"

He shouted, his voice echoing in the narrow alley, but there was no response at all.

"What's going on? Hey, is this really the place?!" Senior Sun asked Ming Xinxi excitedly behind him, "Why can't I see her? Did you remember it wrong..."

"Of course she can't see it. Because she's not here at all." From the senior's perspective, Ming Xinxi, who was several meters away from him, was slowly approaching him.

The cold voice was hard to match the smile on his face. And when the two were combined, even in the summer, a cold sweat inevitably broke out on his back.

"...What? Then...what's going on with you..."

Although he had some premonition in his heart, the senior did not seem to choose to escape.

"Oh, don't be nervous. It's just that something has to be done..."

There was a hint of loss in her expression, and she put her right hand into her shirt pocket.

"Although it may be a bit unreasonable, can you please disappear?" She said to Senior Sun in front of her with an expressionless face.

"...disappear?"

The senior was visibly stunned. Not because of the words themselves, but because of what lay behind them.

"Well... but it's not a disappearance in the true sense... If I have to say..." The hand in Ming Xinxi's pocket gradually emerged, and a knife-like object appeared in her hand. "It's the kind of disappearance that ends life."

"Hey..."

Even now, Senior still couldn't believe that he would be so resentful because of something. Moreover, he had no memory of ever offending the girl in front of him. Why on earth was that?

Whether it was out of curiosity or sheer timidity, the senior had no intention of escaping at this moment.

"However, although I just requested..."

At this moment, Ming Xinxi said as she used her left hand to tear off the protective cover that was blocking the blade and threw it aside. The fruit knife flashing with a cold light appeared in the sight of the two.