Anime Crossover: About How I Spoiled an Angel

Page 362

She seemed to know something was wrong with Su Qing today.

It turns out that the other person had been wearing the scarf she gave them from the very beginning.

[I clearly said I wouldn't wear it]

[Big liar...]

The girl's eyes dimmed, and she answered the question softly and stubbornly in a voice that could be heard by only one person.

"What? I wasn't waiting for you..."

……

……

Chapter 390 I'll give it to you

?

There is a bamboo-lined path in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Without any lanterns or streetlights for illumination, this place becomes a dark place untouched by the world's kindness once night falls.

Only the silver moon in the sky occasionally takes pity on us, letting its light seep through the bamboo forest and fall in a few strands.

But over the years, the bamboo has grown taller and denser.

Gradually, the path fell into disuse until it was forgotten and no one ever set foot there again.

……

A deserted path leading to the bamboo forest road in Arashiyama.

Yui instinctively gripped her phone tighter; the only light coming from the flashlight there was now.

She pursed her lips, her voice filled with confusion:

"Kiyoshi, even if Mahiru is here... why are you taking this path?"

Yui had been to Arashiyama before, so of course she knew which route to take to get to the bamboo grove.

Those routes are the right and proper way, and they're not scary at all, even if you come at night.

But Su Qing had told her to just follow him before she went up the mountain, so she foolishly followed him.

Hearing the question from behind, Su Qing's gentle voice drifted over with an apology:

"Sorry, I might have led you the wrong way at first, but I've memorized the map, so you can get there by following this road. Don't worry."

What?! You memorized the whole map from the beginning and still managed to lead me astray.

Xiaoqing, you're even dumber than me!

"Um……"

Yui responded softly, thinking to herself, "I'm not scared at all."

You led me down the wrong path; you're the one who should be afraid of me settling scores later.

She comforted herself like this, and a slight smile quickly appeared on her lips.

The path winds its way deeper and deeper into the valley.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the rustling footsteps of the two people and the swaying of the bamboo forest caused by the whistling mountain wind.

The darkness was almost tangible, like thick ink stretching from my feet into the distance.

Yui's fingertips, gripping the machine tightly, turned white from the force, yet they grew even darker in the darkness.

At the same time, Su Qing's pace seemed to be getting faster and faster. She kept following behind the other person, not walking side by side.

Now that he has quickened his pace, even Yui is finding it a little difficult to keep up with him.

It seemed that if they weren't careful and paused for even a moment, Su Qing would leave them far, far behind.

The boy's silhouette was blurred in the thin silver light, like layers upon layers of overlapping shadows.

Yui squinted, trying to see clearly and to speak.

He said, "Xiao Qing, wait for me! It's such a dark path, you'll get disliked if you don't wait for a girl~".

She really wanted to say that.

She knew that if she said that, Su Qing would wait for her very, very slowly, and might even step back to stand beside her.

Maybe I'll tell a little white lie, like saying that just having a scarf isn't enough, because my palms are still so cold.

Besides, this run-down road doesn't even have a street light. Otherwise... could you let me hold your hand for a bit to prevent me from getting lost?

Su Qing will agree.

Although it wasn't in the form of holding hands.

It's probably about holding onto the other person's clothes or something else—a smarter method you can't think of.

Since I couldn't think of anything, all I had to do was speak up, and I didn't have to worry about the rest.

"Big brother, how much longer until we arrive?"

Yui's voice trembled slightly, but she only spoke like that.

"It'll be soon." Su Qing paused, and before she could react, Yui almost bumped into him.

He slowly turned around, the moonlight sparingly outlining the clear lines of his profile, his gaze falling sincerely and attentively on her face.

"Don't be afraid."

"If you're too scared, just give me your hand."

"After all, I led you astray, so I should take responsibility for getting you out of this mess."

The moonlight seemed extravagant at that moment, and Su Qing's smile was clearly visible.

His voice was clear even in the silent air.

Yui lowered her head, staring blankly at Su Qing's outstretched palm. Even though it was dark around her, her palm was so white it was almost transparent, as if all the light from all around had converged there.

The arm slowly rose in accordance with the body's instincts, but when it hovered in mid-air, it seemed to hit a transparent wall of air and was stuck, unable to cross the boundary even half an inch.

Yui suddenly withdrew her arm that was about to touch Su Qing and shook her head.

"No need, I'm not a child, I'm not that afraid of the dark, don't look down on me."

"Besides, this isn't just your responsibility."

“I know the way perfectly well, but I didn’t say so, so I’m partly responsible.”

She paused, then looked at Su Qing and smiled gently.

"Didn't you say we'd be there soon? Let's hurry. I'm worried we'll miss Mahiru-chan if we're too slow."

Su Qing nodded, no longer insisting, and turned back around.

Perhaps it was Yui's words that had an effect, making Su Qing worry that he would really miss Mahiru if he was late, so he quickened his pace.

Yui could only see the other person's back again.

It's so blurry it looks like a 19th-century Impressionist painting.

Of course she was lying.

How could a girl be so strong?

She was a crybaby from a young age.

She would cry for days if a cat she had been feeding for a few days suddenly disappeared, and later she simply stopped daring to touch the cat altogether.

Yui is afraid of the dark, and naturally, she's also afraid of ghosts.

During her high school years, her classmates excitedly told her about the "test of courage" competition, saying it was a lot of fun, but she didn't go and didn't know how to respond.

So he could only nod mechanically and echo them, saying, "Yeah, yeah, the courage contest is so much fun."

At that time, she wondered, is it really that fun?

Deliberately walking on dark paths, knowing full well that someone is pretending to be a ghost, yet still getting scared—are these people idiots?

Later she found out that those girls only found the daring contest fun because they were with the people they liked.

So even at the prime of her youth, a lively yet innocent girl couldn't help but dream.

If only there were a kind and gentle boy who would hold her hand and take her through the speed test of courage.

—She's always heard others say that the test of courage is as fun as they say!

Time passes.

The girl was graceful and poised, and could be considered a grown-up by now.

At this moment, it seems she has truly met the boy she once occasionally fantasized about.

She didn't need to do anything, just speak softly and place her hand on his.

Everything will be fine and I feel at ease.

……

But that's not what I want.

As Yui watched Su Qing's retreating figure, a strong sense of sorrow, mixed with the evening breeze, rushed into her nostrils, instantly moistening her eyes, yet she only felt a burning sensation.

When exactly did I become so acutely aware of my own "ordinariness"?

When I was a child, I always thought I was invincible and that I would only go to prestigious universities like Southeast University, Peking University, and Tsinghua University.

As you grow up, you realize that some things can be incredibly powerful if you're ruthless, but many others are beyond your control even if you risk your life.

Kiyoshi, Yuki, and Mahiru-chan...

They are all so outstanding... so outstanding that if I'm not careful for even a moment, they will go very, very far away.

A place that you can't see even if you try your best to stand on tiptoe.

Occasionally, I'll start to think childishly, like a kindergarten child who sees ants moving house on the roadside after school and wonders how long it will take them to move it.

How long will their relationship last?

One year, two years... until senior year?

The graduation bell rang.

Further education, employment.

We are scattered to the ends of the earth.

Even if you live in the same city, and even if you occasionally meet up for a meal, the number of times you meet up will definitely decrease over time, right?

Time is something more terrifying than a ghost.

It always manages to gradually erode a seemingly unbreakable relationship without you even realizing it, until it falls apart on a quiet night, which is both terrifying and as natural as the blooming and withering of flowers.

So... even if it's considered childish and naive, she absolutely cannot be abandoned in a place like this.

Yui bit her lower lip hard, but no blood flowed out. However, her eyes were like rubies washed with blood.

Her eyes shone with an astonishing light in the darkness for a fleeting moment.

So clear it was almost burning.

Xiaoqing, do you know?

Actually, I'm not gentle at all. I'm a very cunning, selfish, and ordinary girl.

And you're underestimating girls.

Even though Mahiru and I are friends, we are still rivals in love.

What is a love rival?

A love rival is someone you'd rack your brains to defeat.

If this person isn't around, then I'll be the only girl you're close to—this was a thought that young girls used to occasionally have.

Now that the person in question has given up on him, how can he expect his rival to lend a helping hand?

but……

That's not right.