hotmtlnovel Page 16
Page 16
Tearful exclamation broke the delicate atmosphere at just the right moment. She pointed to the newly hatched penguin chick not far away, the gray ball of fur wobbling behind its parents, its clumsy and adorable appearance eliciting bursts of laughter from the surrounding tourists.
Haru was immediately drawn to the view, pressing her face against the glass window, completely oblivious to the complex gaze that Higashino was giving her. Ruiko, however, keenly sensed the change in atmosphere and suddenly pressed her cool fingertips against the back of Higashino's neck, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
"What are you daydreaming about, senior?"
She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light.
"Could he be thinking about something strange?"
Her voice was teasing.
Higashino shook his head slightly, a gentle smile returning to his lips: "I was just thinking that you are much more interesting than these sea creatures."
Although this change was somewhat unexpected, it wasn't a bad thing, so he quickly calmed down.
"Senior Higashino!"
Chu Chun suddenly turned around, her eyes shining brightly as if she had discovered a new continent.
"The zookeeper said we can adopt the naming rights to the baby penguin! Can the three of us apply together?"
She said "the three of us" so naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Higashino felt an overwhelming surge of emotion welling up inside him. He gazed into the expectant eyes of the two girls, their early spring innocence and tearful liveliness sparkling in the sunlight. He whispered, "Let's call them Bubbles."
"bubble?"
The two repeated it in unison, their faces full of curiosity.
Higashino pointed to the string of bubbles rising in the water tank, those crystal-clear spheres shimmering with rainbow-like light under the refraction of light: "Like this... three bubbles collide and become a larger bubble."
He paused, his voice becoming even softer.
"Although we'll be separated soon, that moment of light and shadow... wasn't it beautiful?"
Tears suddenly fell silent, and the smile on her face lost its usual liveliness, replaced by a deep tenderness.
Chu Chun looked down at Higashino holding each of their hands and smiled happily.
As we left the aquarium, the setting sun painted the sky a golden-red hue. Ruiko clamored for crepes, like a child who would never grow up; Haru stared at the photo of the three of them with "bubbles" on her phone, giggling foolishly, occasionally lightly touching Higashino's face on the screen with her finger.
"Where to go next?"
Higashino asked, only to find that the two girls were pointing in different directions at the same time. Ruiko excitedly wanted to go back to the game center, while Hatsuharu blushed and whispered that she wanted to go to the observation deck to see the night view.
"Rock-paper-scissors to decide?"
Tears welled up as she raised her fist, her eyes gleaming with competitive spirit.
Suddenly, Haru tugged at Higashino's sleeve, her voice barely audible: "Let senpai decide... as long as all three of us are together..."
Her eyes held an unprecedented firmness and tenderness, leaving Higashino speechless for a moment.
Higashino gazed at the city lights gradually illuminating the distance, the twinkling points of light resembling stars reflected on the sea. He whispered, "Let's go to the observation deck. I want to see... the whole city."
Behind them, the aquarium's neon lights lit up one by one, illuminating the three side-by-side signatures on the "Bubble Adoption Certificate" at the exit. Chu Chun's handwriting was round and cute, like a carefully drawn heart; Rui Zi's signature was flamboyant, full of her unique vitality; and Dong Ye's name was neatly embedded in the middle, like a bridge connecting two worlds, or a bond that tightly tied two hearts together.
He will never regret the decision he made, no matter what!
Chapter 20: Where the Lights Dim
From the 230-meter-high observation deck, the entire city resembles a giant integrated circuit board. The flowing headlights are like data streams shuttling between circuits, and the neon signs flicker with irregular pulses.
"Senior, look over there!"
Saten Ruiko leaned half her body out of the guardrail and excitedly pointed into the distance.
"Is that pointed-roof building the dormitory building for Tokiwadai? Its lights are shining like a Christmas tree!"
Higashino quickly reached out and grabbed Ruiko's wrist, his palm encircling the girl's slender wrist bone.
Be careful.
"If you fall from this height, even teleportation won't be enough to save you."
Chu Chun unconsciously shivered, her thin shoulders trembling slightly in the night wind. Dongye subtly adjusted his position, using his body to shield her from the wind.
This subtle gesture was keenly noticed by Ruiko, who suddenly hugged Chuchun from behind, resting her chin affectionately on her friend's shoulder: "Chuchun is so warm, like a human heater!"
"Tears, tears!"
The panicked protests of early spring were swallowed up by the city's hustle and bustle.
The telescopes at the observation deck require a 500-yen coin. While Haru was rummaging for change, Higashino had already adjusted the focus: "You can see the restaurant in the Seventh School District, the one where we kissed at lunchtime."
The image inside the lens was astonishingly clear.
Ruiko eagerly squeezed to the eyepiece: "Ah! It's right there, I can see it very clearly..."
Her voice suddenly stopped, and her cheeks flushed like the sunset.
Chu Chun curiously leaned closer to take a look, but recoiled as if electrocuted the moment she saw what was on her. Her earlobes were so red they were almost transparent, and even her neck was tinged with a faint pink.
"How could someone be filmed in a place like this...?"
Her voice was barely audible, and she suspected that what the three of them had just done in the restaurant might have been seen by the person using the telescope.
"Let me take some photos for you, it's free."
Staff in uniforms appeared just in time, and a professional camera flashed as the three were stunned.
The photo slowly emerged from the instant printer, and Leizi eagerly wrote the date on the back in a flamboyant style, while Chuchun carefully tucked the photo into the lining of her phone case as if it were a precious treasure.
"There's a special area for couple locks over there!"
Suddenly, Leizi pointed to the railing on the west side of the observation deck, where hundreds of heart-shaped locks shimmered with metallic luster under the moonlight.
"Let's go get a free kill too!"
Looking at the densely packed love locks, Higashino said thoughtfully, "If you want to hang a lock, you'll have to buy one at the souvenir shop first."
The photo service mentioned earlier is actually included in the ticket price, but the love lock requires an additional fee.
Before she could finish speaking, Ruiko had already dashed towards the souvenir shop. Haru hesitated, tugging at Higashino's sleeve, her eyes flickering with unease: "Senpai, isn't it a bit strange for the three of us to hang locks together?"
"strangeness?"
Higashino chuckled and pointed to the corner of the photo peeking out from under her phone case.
"When the whole city takes things for granted, the abnormal becomes the norm."
While he can't influence the entire Academy City for the time being, he can certainly influence the perceptions of the people they meet on their dates to some extent.
This is what Higashino has been doing since he came to Academy City. Whenever he encounters a passerby, he subconsciously places cognitive anchors on people who have not been affected, causing a slight influence on their cognition.
"By comparison, saving those kinds of photos takes more courage, doesn't it?"
Her earlobes, red with the promise of early spring, instantly turned a deep, almost bleeding red. Just then, Leizi came running back excitedly, carrying three locks, each laser-engraved with the word "bubble": "That way we don't have to worry about whose name to put on them!"
The night breeze suddenly became gentle, as if tamed by some unseen force. As Haru and Ruiko were intently hanging their locks, Higashino's gaze swept across the city lights and landed on a certain spot.
That was the meeting point for the "Item" organization tonight. He touched his phone in his pocket; the holographic screen displayed three unread messages.
Mission accomplished!
Tears cheered as she threw the key into the night sky, where it eventually fell into the sea of city lights.
In early spring, she suddenly exclaimed softly, and the flower wreath headband she cherished was finally swept away by the strong wind, the daisy decorations swirling and falling in the air.
With astonishing speed, Higashino leaned out and caught the headband just as it was about to fly over the railing. This dangerous move left most of his body hanging over the railing, startling Haru into gripping his belt tightly.
"Senior, please don't do such a dangerous thing!"
The force with which Ruiko slapped Higashino's back was almost like a beating. Haru, her eyes red-rimmed as she put her headband back on, still clutched Higashino's clothes tightly, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Higashino smiled and moved away from the fence.
The evening breeze carried the solemn chimes of the distant clock tower. Suddenly, Ruiko quieted down, gently resting her forehead on Higashino's shoulder: "Today... was truly a very happy day."
Her voice was unusually soft and nasal, a stark contrast to her usual energetic tone.
"If it could always be like this... that wouldn't be bad."
Chu Chun nodded silently, her hair brushing against Dongye's other shoulder, carrying the faint jasmine scent of shampoo.
The landscape lights on the observation deck began to turn off one by one, and the park's closing announcement used a gentle female voice to remind visitors to leave.
Inside the descending panoramic elevator, Ruiko leaned against Haru, half-asleep, while Haru rested on Higashino's shoulder. The elevator mirror reflected their tired yet content faces.
"Remember to let me know you've arrived safely at your dorm."
As Higashino spoke in front of the taxi, Ruiko had already climbed into the back seat, but Haru stood still. The night breeze lifted the hem of her sailor uniform, revealing white stockings tied with a bow.
"senior……"
She looked at Higashino hesitantly, and said nervously, "Thank you... for today."
This simple thank you seemed to have exhausted all her courage, and she turned and ran into the car.
Higashino stared at the two heads leaning together in the back window of the taxi.
The communicator in his pocket vibrated again. Higashino swiped open the interface; a message had arrived from the item's contact: [Meet at Warehouse 4, District 23, in 30 minutes.]
The night breeze carried away the lingering scent of orange blossom and daisy from his body. Higashino glanced one last time toward the observation deck, where three of the thousands of love locks had been newly added.
This fairytale date is coming to an end...
He stroked his chin, thoughtfully browsing the information on his phone.
The cognitive modification had a better-than-expected effect, however...
Higashino's gaze swept over the departing taxi.
Human emotions are truly a wondrous thing; even his abilities cannot perfectly control them.
Now, it's time to go and meet those troublesome colleagues.
Chapter 21: Everyone in Tem is so nice, I love it!
In front of the iron gate of the abandoned factory in the Seventh School District, Higashino Yu stood at the door with one hand in his pocket and gently tapped the rusty door frame with the other.
This is the meeting point sent by the contact person.
Speaking of the contact, Higashino remembered a manga that was still being serialized before his time travel; it seemed to feature a beautiful older woman? He just wasn't sure if that was her real appearance…
"Hey, this isn't a tourist attraction!"
The voice came from above, interrupting Higashino's thoughts.
With long, golden hair, Frenda's head peeked out of the window.
Higashino looked up, revealing a gentle smile: "I'm a new employee reporting for duty today. This is..."
"Newbie?"
Frenda suddenly jumped out of the window and landed on the ground, the view under her miniskirt appearing only briefly.
"Liar! Mugino never said anything about new members joining!"
She sniffed Higashino like a puppy.
"Besides, you smell like a girl. You're obviously a liar and a bad man!"
Higashino pulled a can of mackerel from his pocket: "Want to try some? I heard it's your favorite curry flavor."
He bought these on a special occasion when he passed by a convenience store. Not only did Flanda have them, but Higashino also bought some other things based on his memory of their preferences.
Frenda's eyes lit up immediately, but she then took a half-step back warily: "Wait! How did you know I like..."
The sound of the iron gate opening interrupted her words. Kinuhata Ai walked out from inside the gate, her hoodie making her look even smaller than she actually was.
"Extremely suspicious."
She stared at Higashino with deadpan eyes, her body making no other movements, but she was actually ready for battle.
"You actually know the hobbies of the secret agents? You're not a spy, are you?"
Higashino waved his hand calmly: "Sorry, I received instructions from my contact to meet here directly."