Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

"Yeah, yeah, I just think Kazama will definitely be fine, hahaha!"

—Yeah, right.

Kazama survived entirely because Banami used all her previously acquired skill points—the "all in" strategy—in this incident.

After the performance that day, when Kazama ignored Sose's accusations and rushed out to chase after Toyokawa Shoko, the system had already silently sounded an alarm in Banami's mind.

According to the system, that incident was a "death event" in which someone was bound to die.

Either Toyokawa Shoko died under the runaway vehicle, or he took Shoko's life in exchange for it.

—But going all in was a desperate attempt to turn the tide, and it did indeed save their lives at the time.

Please note before using this product: while going all in may change your destiny, it will also cause irreversible consequences.

At this point, Banami was actually a little hesitant about whether to use the system's methods to help both of them survive.

So just in case, she asked the question first.

"Would this consequence be more important than losing one's life?"

Of course not.

—Then what are we waiting for?

After receiving a negative response from the system, Banami used her all-in strategy without hesitation.

As expected, both Xiangzi and Kazama survived in the end; one suffered minor injuries and the other was only frightened. This outcome was far better than one of them being destined to lose their life.

But... what exactly are the irreversible consequences the system mentioned?

Originally, Banami was secretly pleased with her achievement of "saving someone's life," but upon thinking about this, she quickly lost her joy.

So, what is the price?

Since the system benefits Kazama, it's likely that this "irreversible" consequence will also affect him.

So after clearing his throat, Banami pretended nothing was wrong and very cautiously began to probe.

"Um... Kazama, have you been feeling anything lately that's not quite right? Like feeling unwell or not thinking clearly?"

"Do you have to curse me before I even leave the hospital?"

Kazama said this nonchalantly while shrugging, but as he pondered, his expression became increasingly less composed.

"However... I seem to have been..."

He was somewhat speechless.

Because of what Banami said, it seems that in the past few days, when Hatsuka and the others came to visit him, he has been connecting the way they cared for him with the scenes of his aunts taking care of him in his memory less and less.

It was obviously not like this before.

I feel like my memories of what happened before I traveled here are getting a little blurry.

"Recently? What's wrong?"

Banami blinked, noticing Kazama's slight unusual behavior.

"No, it's nothing... I just feel like my memory has been getting worse lately."

"...That's it."

Kazama's attempts to fool people were indeed clumsy; at least Banana could tell at a glance that he was just pretending to be calm.

However, judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to have any serious health problems, and Banami secretly breathed a sigh of relief—she could be a little more at ease.

After casually reminding him, "You're about to be discharged, so eat well and take good care of yourself these next few days," Banami waved to Akira and left the ward, considerately closing the door behind her.

Just as she turned to walk into the corridor and reached into her coat pocket to take out her phone, a strange sensation inside the pocket made her pause slightly.

"...?"

She touched something that shouldn't have been in her pocket.

Something as thin as paper, yet harder than regular writing paper.

She took it out; it was a photo about half the size of a girl's palm.

The boy in the picture looks no more than seven or eight years old and is being held in a woman's arms.

"…………!"

Hanami's pupils gradually contracted, not for any other reason—

It was because the boy being hugged in the photo bore a striking resemblance to Kazama in his features.

Why did Yue Yiyi abandon her father and leave? Why is that five-cent thing in her pocket?

The question remained unanswered. Footsteps approached slowly from the end of the corridor, finally stopping within a glimpse of Banami's eyes.

She turned her head, and there stood Toyokawa Shoko, looking at her with a somewhat surprised expression.

Of course, Toyokawa Shoko's gaze inevitably swept over the photograph in her hand.

Chapter 88 Are there any normal people in your Toyokawa family?

About a few hours ago.

A black sedan quietly drove out of the hospital's underground parking lot, its chrome body gleaming discreetly in the sunlight.

Outside the window, the early summer light of late June blazed down, scorching everything on the ground, and even the silent air inside the car seemed restless and uneasy.

Toyokawa Shoko sat in the back right seat with the window half open, the wind making her long hair slightly disheveled.

The wounds from running in the rain still ache slightly.

She wasn't wearing her school uniform, but rather a plain white dress that was almost too simple, making her look like a carefully preserved porcelain doll.

Sitting in the front seat of the black car was Toyokawa Sadaharu, the head of the Toyokawa family.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his expression cold and aloof as he stared blankly at the passing street scene.

“I understand. If it weren’t for that boy, this could have led to a disaster. What was his name again?

Toyokawa Sadaharu's voice was not loud, but it carried an imposing and undeniable air of authority.

"...Kazama."

Xiangzi softly picked up on his grandfather's question.

"Yes, that's right... Kazama. You and he went to the hospital on the same day, and you haven't visited him since. That's a bit unreasonable."

Dingzhi paused for a moment, nodding and slightly crossing his hands.

“He saved you, so no matter what your attitude is, the first thing you should do after being discharged from the hospital is to thank him personally, in the spirit of the Toyokawa family.”

"..."

Xiangzi remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

It wasn't that she didn't want to thank Kazama for saving her life; it was simply that she didn't know how to face the boy anymore.

"This is not just an expression of gratitude."

Toyokawa Sadaharu seemed to see through his granddaughter's concerns, his tone as steady as a rock.

“He saved a member of my Toyokawa family’s bloodline, and we cannot owe him this favor. I have already had your medical expenses settled, and now all that remains is to repay the debt of gratitude.”

Xiangzi remained silent, his fingertips clenched tightly in his palm.

"Since you don't want to come home with me, at least go and thank them properly in person."

She remembered the moment Kazama collapsed in front of her, the warmth of his body so close to her amidst the rain, and his words that seemed to tear through the air.

He would openly deny his own divine theories and prove that he was incapable of taking responsibility for other people's lives.

What a joke.

One second she had just saved herself from the Grim Reaper's scythe, and the next she further denied her own behavior and self-identity.

"What, can't you learn to express your gratitude to others frankly? I thought that living alone outside and supporting your and your father's daily expenses during this time had made you grow a lot... It seems that I had too high expectations, Xiangzi."

His grandfather's voice was steady but lacked affection, which naturally put some pressure on Xiangzi—and that was precisely his purpose.

"So, that's what I'm going to talk about next."

Dingzhi suddenly turned his head to the side, his eyes looking at Xiangzi without making a sound.

"...How far will you go before you settle down, Xiangzi?"

The carriage fell silent instantly; even the sound of the wind seemed to freeze.

"Still not planning to go home? Are you going to rely on part-time jobs outside for the rest of your life?"

Xiangzi slowly raised his head, his eyes still as stubborn as ever, but this time there was a hint of helplessness in them.

“I understand your concerns… but I also have my own considerations, and these are not decisions you can make for me.”

"Is it not something I can decide for you?"

Dingzhi frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice.

"If you were to make your own decision, how much longer would you continue to drag your father, that burden, along?"

This is yet another question that Xiangzi cannot answer at this stage.

"Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, do you really think you have any leverage to negotiate with me right now?"

"...It will happen in the near future, Grandfather. I already..."

She has given up everything she has.

But is this really the case?

Dingzhi smiled and didn't press the matter further.

"...You have the cost of trial and error, but I won't let you keep doing that indefinitely. It's time to think carefully about what you should do next, Xiangzi."

Dingzhi did not immediately give her a death order. He simply looked quietly at his granddaughter, who had grown up under his protection since childhood, and silently scrutinized her almost stubborn expression.

Why did Kazama Akatsuki save you?

Seemingly to bring up the previous topic, he spoke again.

"Judging from your description, there should be some discord between you and him."

"Who knows."

Xiangzi, who had already told her grandfather about her views on Kazama and their complicated relationship (except for the part where he broke into her house and ransacked her underwear), shook her head. She couldn't understand why Kazama was always so good to her sometimes and so bad to her.

"I originally thought... he probably disliked me a little."

Like the unpredictable clouds of autumn, it seems that it's not just women's minds that are hard to fathom.

"In any case, it's a fact that he saved you—and it's also a fact that our Toyokawa family owes him a favor."

Sadaharu nodded slightly and looked away. He didn't press further, but instead focused his gaze back on the scenery outside the window behind him.

“Go and thank him. I know that even if I don’t say it, Xiangzi, you will still go to see him in the end.”

Sunlight finally pierced through the clouds outside the car window, casting a warm glow on the girl's pale profile.

Toyokawa Shoko gazed at the fleeting street scene ahead, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

She simply placed her hands together gently on her knees, waiting for the driver to stop the car at the hospital entrance and put her down.

"Please also thank him for saving my granddaughter—the most important heir of the Toyokawa family—by disregarding past grievances."

"-Moon Chair Art Qi Lu Suspicious Mix]⑵29侕 Before rolling up the car window and leaving, Toyokawa Sadaharu left Shoko with these last words.

Undoubtedly, Xiangzi could still discern a degree of concern and favoritism towards her from her grandfather's words. However, she had no idea how much of this concern was genuine and how much stemmed from his regard for her as the "heir of the Toyokawa family."

In short, the stubborn Toyokawa Shoko could not—and would never—be swayed by a few words from her grandfather, nor by her current resolve.

Working is hard, but she can persevere. Taking care of her father is troublesome, but she can endure that too.

In order to quickly gain recognition and acquire resources that would allow him to stand shoulder to shoulder with his grandfather, Sadaharu, forming a new band was an unavoidable necessity.

Originally, Xiangzi had no doubts about her decision. Besides having Mu as a partner who would absolutely follow her, she had also tried to contact Chuhua. Although she was currently beating around the bush, Xiangzi believed it was only a matter of time before Chuhua was persuaded.

It's okay, she'll take responsibility for their future anyway.

But these days, whenever Toyokawa Shoko makes up her mind to start searching for potential companions, the words the boy had said to her that day always flash through her mind.