dmims Page 16
Page 16
During summer vacation, on those nights when she would occasionally glance at the window of Yuto-kun's house next door, his room was always pitch black, never lit up.
—Because there is no one.
When Mom mentioned Uncle Wuhe and Aunt Qinli moving, her eyes darted away and she seemed hesitant to speak.
—Because Mom knows the truth.
Mom knows why Aunt Qinli and the others moved away.
And then there's Yuto himself, with that elusive, sometimes-there, sometimes-there feeling about him...
—She remembered.
A nameless panic gripped Shoko, and she felt herself struggling to breathe.
She frantically raised her hand and began to sign language urgently, her movements somewhat disorganized due to her excitement.
"I...I don't know what you're talking about...Isn't Yuto-kun right here? You're fine, you're alright...you've always been alright..."
Her eyes were covered with a thick layer of mist, making the fireworks in her vision blurry.
Yuto Itsuka looked at her, who was on the verge of tears, but there was no sadness on his face.
He grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, smiling like a mischievous boy who had just pulled off a prank, his smile radiant and sunny.
He wrote in his notebook: "It's time, Shoko."
It's the same sentence that has no beginning or end.
But this time, Shoko understood the meaning of those words.
Her eyes could no longer bear the weight of the tears, and large, uncontrollable teardrops gushed out, sliding hot down her smooth cheeks.
She looked at him with pleading eyes, her lips moving silently, using all her strength to repeat the same shape over and over again—don't go.
Yuto Itsuka reached out and carefully wiped away the tears on the girl's cheeks.
Then, he looked into her eyes, his lips moved slowly, and he said something silently.
Shoko hadn't learned lip reading, so she couldn't understand what he was saying.
She wanted to press him for an explanation, to have him write it down and tell her what it meant.
But Yuto Itsuka withdrew his hand, picked up the notebook again, wrote a line on it forcefully, and held it up in front of her.
[Nishimiya Shoko is an idiot!]
The girl looked at the vague accusation in the notebook, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.
Yuto Itsuka put his notebook away and continued writing below.
But I just like idiots.
Shoko's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something.
A mix of emotions—bitterness, sweetness, sadness, reluctance, self-blame—stirred up inside her, making it hard for her to breathe.
She longed to tell him that she did too.
Under the dazzling fireworks, Itsuka Yuto tirelessly wrote down message after message for her to see.
Don't say sorry to others so casually anymore. You haven't wronged anyone, never have.
Hmm...maybe you're sorry? It's okay, I forgive you!
Remember to listen to Aunt Yaeko, eat well, make good friends, and stop hiding away and crying alone.
Remember to take good care of those two goldfish. I'll laugh at you if you can't keep them alive.
【besides……】
Yuto paused, his pen hovering over the paper for a long time, before finally writing down his last sentence.
Be happy, Shoko.
The moment he handed the notebook to Shoko for the last time, a huge firework suddenly burst into bloom in the sky!
Flowers formed from countless points of light of various colors dyed the whole world a dazzling white-gold color.
Yuto Itsuka's body, amidst this ultimate light, transformed from his feet into countless tiny, shimmering particles.
Those points of light, like fireflies on a summer night, slowly spiraled upwards and drifted away.
His smile remained gentle, and his gaze remained focused on Shoko.
"No……"
She reached out her hand unconsciously, trying to grasp those points of light, trying to hold onto them, but her fingertips passed through nothingness.
The points of light grew more numerous and denser, eventually converging into a dazzling stream of light that resolutely merged into the grand fireworks display that illuminated the entire city of Shuimen.
As the light of the firework gradually faded and the night sky returned to its deep darkness, only Nishimiya Shoko remained on the riverbank slope.
She sat there, dazed, holding the bag of quietly swimming goldfish in her arms and clutching the notebook that still held his warmth tightly in her hand.
The evening breeze blew by, turning the last page of the notebook to reveal his final handwriting.
【Be happy, Shoko, Liuyiqi|Doubt%8.】
"Pat-pat, pat-pat—"
The girl's tears fell, drop by drop, onto the paper, blurring the ink and turning it into a sorrowful mark.
[Simulated World: Nishimiya Shoko Doesn't Want to Get Hurt (Completed)]
Book 1: Chapter 21: I'd rather do nothing than make a mistake.
[Simulated World: Nishimiya Shoko's Redemption (Completed)]
[Simulation time: 1512 days]
[Overall Score: A- (You've completed a passable task. You not only saved Nishimiya Shoko's life but also reshaped her personality, giving her the courage and strength to face the future alone. However, you seem to have forgotten the original purpose of the simulation; you didn't try a sweet romance, therefore you cannot obtain a higher score.)]
[Rewards are being drawn...]
Congratulations on achieving Sign Language B (Skill levels are divided into five levels from highest to lowest: S, A, B, C, and D, which are respectively extraordinary, world-class, professional, proficient, and beginner)
[Simulation ended, returning to the real world...]
Open your eyes.
Open your eyes.
What catches Yuto Itsuka's eye is an unfinished Coca-Cola on the table, a half-price bento box still steaming, and a buzzing cell phone.
Ok?
Who called?
His mind was still a bit muddled from just leaving the simulated world, but he still picked up his phone.
"This is Wuhe."
"Beautiful teacher, your voice... do you have a cold?"
Oh, it's editor Machida. He thought it was Shoko who had traveled all over the world to find him.
Wait, Machida, the editor?
Yuto Itsuka quickly glanced at the calendar on the wall—June 15th, Tuesday.
"call--"
It's not the deadline, thank goodness...
Why did she contact me?
"Beautiful girl teacher? Are you still listening?" Not hearing Yuto Itsuka's reply, Editor Machida asked subconsciously.
"Sorry, lost my mind."
"Oh right, didn't I tell you to just call me by my name? This way of addressing me is too embarrassing!"
"Since your pen name is Beautiful Girl Knight, shall I call you Knight Teacher?"
"Just call me Itsuka... Komachi."
"Please call me Editor Machida, thank you. Being called Komachi would make people question my professionalism."
"Let's compromise. You won't call me 'beautiful girl,' and I won't call you 'Komachi,' okay?"
"I understand, Itsuka-sensei."
"So you're looking for me? Today isn't the deadline, is it?"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to explain why I'm here. It's like this, there's an autograph session on Saturday afternoon..."
“Didn’t we agree before that I wouldn’t show my face before I got into university?” Yuto Itsuki interrupted.
"Mr. Itsuka, you've misunderstood. This isn't a signing event for 'Becoming the Strongest Farmer in Another World,' but for Ms. Kasumi Utako's 'Love Metronome.'"
Oh? Love Metronome? Isn't that Kasumigaoka's famous work?
He had actually read this book. He recently finished the first volume while researching romantic scenes, and he even recommended it on his author account.
"Didn't you mention before that you wanted to get to know these authors who write about everyday love stories? This is a perfect opportunity for you to go and have a chat with Ms. Kasumi Shiko. She has a lot of experience in writing about everyday love stories! You can also experience what it's like to have an autographed book."
"Thank you for letting me know, I will go."
Hang up.
Signature Reader - Yi Liu, Yizaki Yi Er Shi Zi Ba Hui...
When the first volume was finished, the editor from the paperback station asked him if he wanted to hold a book signing event, but he refused, saying that he didn't want readers to buy the book because of his looks.
In reality, he would love for readers to frantically increase his sales, but he doesn't want to show his face because he's worried about causing unnecessary trouble in his daily life.
After taking a couple more bites of his bento, Itsuka Yuto suddenly remembered that he seemed to have just come from a simulated world, and the system had apparently given him a reward.
"Let me see... Sign language B?"
How should I put it? It really does match the rewards from the previous simulated world.
But what use would I have for this!
Yuto Itsuka scratched his head vigorously.
In reality, there are no hearing-impaired people around him, and he can't do anything with this skill.
Well, something is better than nothing.
Looking at it from another angle, perhaps this is the last ripple that glass passed on to itself?
Thinking about it this way makes me feel much better.
After all, he did spend a lot of time learning sign language in the simulated world.
However, thinking about the evaluation the system gave him...
"You seem to have forgotten the original meaning of simulation."
Sweet romance, huh...?
"No matter what, you can't go into heat with an elementary or middle school student."
[If things had gone according to plan, you and Nishimiya Shoko would have become a couple in high school.]
"What kind of couple are you? Ice L?" Itsuka Yuto said speechlessly.
“If I hadn’t jumped in to save Shoko, I would have ended up looking at her portrait and being reminded of her by those things.”
Um, let's just say it's developing as normal!
"You have the nerve to say that?! You flying system!"
"Other people's systems give away all sorts of gifts and abilities, and reviving a dead host is just a matter of a word. But you, you turned me into a spirit!"
Well... there's nothing they can do!
"call--"
Yuto Itsuka took a deep breath, ignoring the flying system, quickly finished his bento, took a shower, and sat down at his computer to update the latest chapter.