How did I turn my victim into a phoenix-like hero?

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110. Sirocco, perhaps he's quite cunning?

"That woman, the one my brother admires in the teleportation, the one who wants to become Hill's sister-in-law—Beren? Hill will not allow such a thing to happen... Damn it, I can't hear you!"

Sirocco and the gray-haired mature woman were having a very pleasant conversation. Hill tried to activate the hearing of a Lv15 Explorer, but the square was crowded with people and all sorts of noises were intertwined, making it impossible to hear anything clearly.

Hill said that her brother had been posing in front of the mirror or busy in the kitchen these past few days, looking restless, because he was going to meet a girl!

There's no need to worry about Lai. We've already rehearsed her story. If asked, just tell her she played badminton with him that day. The adults won't understand.

"what!"

Seemingly having decided to go to a certain location, the two walked towards us.

Hill adjusted his sunglasses, held up a newspaper to cover his upper body, and crossed his legs to pretend to be an adult.

It shouldn't be that easy to find.

Today she was wearing a black T-shirt and capri pants, with a white baseball cap and her light blonde hair styled into a single ponytail, a look quite different from her usual style.

Footsteps swept past, but no one opened the newspaper.

Hill slowly exhaled.

Thankfully, they weren't discovered...

She continued to follow the two.

Wow--

"No wonder he's my brother, is he out of his mind? Hill might not care, but would a normal person take their girlfriend to a place like that for a date?"

Looking at the date location that Sirocco took that woman to, Hill was amazed by Sirocco's obliviousness.

Hill knew her brother liked games and comics, but this was just too much...

Even from a distance, you could see the stiffness on the woman's face.

but....

On the bright side, maybe that woman's feelings for her brother will decrease, and she'll eventually find it unbearable and leave?

Thinking about this, Hill felt that Sirocco had made a really good choice.

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"Sirocco... Although this is my first date, most people wouldn't choose this place. Normally, they would choose an aquarium, amusement park, or museum."

Belen had such high hopes.

"This is an art exhibition, is that okay?"

"I don't really think it's OK, it's a bit creepy... Why did you choose this place?"

"Because I wanted Belen to show you what I like. Don't worry, you'll find it pretty good after you get used to it!"

A private art exhibition hall, with an LED display screen showing the theme of the event—

Junji Ito Art Exhibition

It would be a lie to say I have no recollection of it.

My friend Luna from my hometown collected this cartoonist's works; I only saw the covers back then.

The main reason was that the cartoonist's work was bizarre and oppressive, making it impossible for Beren not to remember it.

Beren's expression was subtle as she followed the excited Sirocco into the exhibition hall—

"What's this?"

Several human head balloons appeared as soon as they came up.

It wasn't a real human head, of course, but a balloon with a human face painted on it.

"It's a merchandise item from a short story collection called 'Head Balloons,' and it's very realistic. The story is about an idol who loses her head and it turns into a balloon and rises into the sky. When ordinary people see her head, they can't help but hang themselves, and then one by one, their heads rise into the sky and turn into balloons."

Beren frowned: "Is this a story a normal person could come up with?"

"It's precisely because it's abnormal that it's interesting."

When the pure-looking, black-haired girl, Sirocco, explained these things, Beren felt both annoyed and amused.

What's infuriating is that our first date was in this kind of eerie place.

What's funny is that Sirocco actually dared to bring himself along.

Looking around, there were quite a few young men and women in the art gallery... Could it really be that my taste is lacking?

The two admired the bizarre and terrifying paintings along the way; to be precise, only Shirlock was admiring them, while Beren accompanied him.

"Oh my, I didn't expect to see any works by Ito-sensei here. Look at this work, 'Vortex,' look at this face twisted into a circle, and the complicated hatching, the effect is so terrifying and imposing."

"Oh... so you can use 'horror' and 'domineering' together?"

Beren listened to Shilock's enthusiastic explanation while observing the paintings.

Indeed, as he said, every stroke shows that it was carefully drawn, giving these paintings a strong impact.

She began to take a liking to these paintings.

However, most of the time, attention was focused on Sirocco.

As Sirocco stood under the lights, his radiant expression as he introduced his work revealed his undisguised love for it, and Beren was unknowingly captivated.

Rather than appreciating the painting itself, she was more interested in the description of the painting by Sylvain.

The fact that he can share the things he likes shows that he genuinely wants me to see the real him...

"You like pretty strange things. If I were a normal girl, I would definitely be furious if I came to a place like this with no romantic atmosphere for a date."

"Luckily, Beren, you're not an ordinary girl, you're a super girl."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Seeing his defiant look, Beren couldn't help but smile.

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Why is this happening?

Hill, observing from afar, felt a pang of unease.

No wonder she's the woman her brother has his eye on.

You adapted so quickly, and you seem to be enjoying it?

It means she's been watching her brother the whole time... She must be thinking about how to take advantage of him. What a wicked woman.

After visiting the art exhibition, they went to a cat cafe, and Hill continued to follow them while keeping his distance.

The woman turned her face away, looking very unwilling, but wasn't she happily petting the cat in her hands?

And the way my brother pets the cats is so professional! Those two awful cats (pun)! Hill really wants to switch places with them!

Could it be that the older brother deliberately took the girl to see scary things first, and then showed her cute things to create a suspension bridge effect?

It's quite possible, after all, my brother can clear Minesweeper in under 35 seconds.

Ah, it's starting to move again.

Here it is! A bento box made by her brother. Hill really wants to eat it...

That's disgusting! That woman even fed my brother! Did she want to smear whipped cream on his face and lick it clean for him? How perverted, filthy, and disgusting!

Hill secretly observed, then took a vicious bite of the bread he had bought on the spur of the moment; it was dry and tasteless.

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"Speaking of which, Sirocco, you know so much, do you also know why I steal things?"

After enjoying a delicious seaweed pork chop bento on the second floor of an open-air café, Belén sipped a caramel macchiato to cleanse herself of the richness.

"I do not know."

"Heh, you're up to something again..."

A smile crept across Sirocco's lips, and he narrowed his eyes. Beren knew he wasn't lying.

“I am not omniscient, Beren. I just happen to know what I know, and sometimes things don’t go as I wish.”

Sirocco stared at the ripples on the surface of the water in his glass, lost in thought.

Looking so melancholy is too much of a cheat.

Beren's heart tightened, and she almost couldn't resist pulling him into her arms to comfort him.

"So, Beren, do you want to tell me your secret? I'd be happy to listen."

The melancholy vanished instantly, and Sirocco asked cheerfully.

Beren knew he didn't want to talk about it, and a wistful smile crept across her face:

"It wasn't for any particular reason. I used to live in the countryside, and I was probably around 8 years old when I first stole my grandma's seal. I just thought it was fun, but when my grandma found out, she beat me, and I couldn't sit still for the rest of the day."

"Does it still hurt?"

"How can it be."