Farewell to the City of Romance / Women, Women, and Men

The group of chefs, who had just been deeply attached to each other, started circling around the long table displaying various kitchen utensils, trying to escape the girl's pursuit.

The girl was petite, but she ran quite fast. Her small steps made her even more agile in the narrow, densely packed space filled with all sorts of things.

The shoving and jostling crowd was about to be caught.

"Waaah, everyone~!" The girl, her eyes blurred with tears, stepped forward, her hands raised.

"Waaah!! Snot! Snot!"

"Is this a zombie movie?" Shirou muttered to himself. While the girl's attention was being drawn to the others, he quietly walked towards the door, only seven or eight steps away from stepping outside.

The panicked crowd looked around, almost cornered and at a loss, when they saw the calm young man.

In perfect unison, everyone ran behind Shirou, supporting the boy's arms on either side and hugging his legs, all hiding behind him.

"Shirou! I'm begging you!"

"A man who will never refuse! Please!"

"No one here can stop her except you!" The boys shouted, hiding behind Shirou.

"Waaah... Everyone~! Why are you all staying away from me? Come here, give me a hug~!" The zombie-like girl, wiping her snot and shedding tears of emotion, strolled over.

Shirou was completely held up by his incompetent teammates, unable to move. He was just one step away from escaping out the door, but now he was being held up and blocked at the front.

Chapter 201 Farewell to the City of Romance

"Waaah, everyone. slurp..." The little girl, her eyes brimming with tears, walked up step by step.

The girl with black curly hair, oblivious to her own feelings, was still deeply moved and wanted to give her caring friend a warm hug.

Shirou didn't know if it would be warm or not if she hugged him, but he was certain that the hug would be sticky and wet.

"Let me go! The door is right behind us, we can just escape!" Shirou said to the guys holding him back.

"I see! There's another way!" The boys suddenly realized and were about to let go of Shirou and slip away through the back door.

"Wait, wouldn't that be too pitiful for the child?" said the girl who had grabbed Shirou's blonde ponytail, stopping the others.

"Then why don't you stop her!"

"Letting girls go first at a time like this! Are you even men?! Go up and block them! That's why none of you can find girlfriends!" The blonde ponytail girl who was hiding to the side and supporting Shirou's right arm shouted.

"You don't usually act like a girl..." the boy complained.

"No, we can't find girlfriends just because we have to focus all our energy on cooking." The boys hiding behind Shirou took out combs to tidy their messy hair, turned on their phones with beauty filters, looked at themselves, and felt more confident, saying with great certainty.

"We will only protect the women we want to protect!" the male chef, clinging to the boy's right thigh, declared confidently.

"That's right! It's definitely not because we weren't brave!" another male chef, who was holding the boy's left leg, chimed in.

"Tch! You guys deserve to be alone forever!" the blonde ponytail said dismissively, clicking her tongue in disdain.

Now Shirou finally understood why the French often lost wars. During the Hundred Years' War, they relied on Jeanne d'Arc, and later on Napoleon's military genius, who created new, world-leading tactics. After that brief period of glory, they never had any truly remarkable achievements again, remaining in an awkward position of being neither particularly strong nor particularly weak.

During the argument, the zombie... no, the girl with the black curly hair, was getting closer and closer.

"Wait! You're her best friend, right? Don't hide behind me!" Shirou said, looking at the blonde ponytail.

"No, snot is too much! It's dirty, even a best friend is dirty!" The blonde ponytail hiding behind Shirou said, turning her face away.

"Shirou-senpai ~! Please!" Erina was behind him, also revealed a mischievous smile and pushed the boy forward forcefully.

"Shirou ~! Hug me! I'm so touched!" At this moment, the girl's face was already blurred with tears and snot. She could no longer see what was happening in front of her. She only felt that Shirou was indeed very gentle. Everyone else avoided her. Shirou was the best.

"Calm down, grab a tissue and wipe it clean! Don't come any closer! Waaaaaah!" The boy let out a mournful cry inside the cooking classroom.

Meanwhile, the scene on the other side was equally lively. Shizuka Hiratsuka, who had sung a stunning song, was surrounded by a crowd. People who had been healed, moved, and encouraged by that angelic and inspiring song spontaneously came to bid farewell to Shizuka Hiratsuka.

It's a pity, but it's not entirely incomprehensible to them.

After all, how could such an extraordinary woman, capable of singing with such a sacred voice, such unwavering faith, and such a spirit that could shatter all the misfortunes and setbacks of the world with a single punch, possibly sing for fame or fortune?

This kind of work suits her better than that of a diligent gardener. It is because of people like her that the corrupt and utilitarian education system can still be saved. The new generation of students can still find some different individuals and role models worth learning from among a large group of selfish and stubborn adults in schools.

As the TV program became a hit, more people heard Shizuka Hiratsuka's voice. When everyone was feeling down, her powerful, soul-stirring, and resonant voice made her seem like a hero.

After watching that heavily embellished interview, Shizuka Hiratsuka's popularity among the Parisian elderly has soared, and she's now being pulled around by a group of fans who want to take photos and shake hands with her.

Shizuka Hiratsuka felt too embarrassed to refuse, so more and more people gathered around.

But it is precisely because Shizuka Hiratsuka is this kind of person that she is loved by older men and women.

Even ordinary people, if they stumble and struggle their way to their fifties or sixties, will have accumulated experience in some areas that young people can't match. Not to mention that Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't deliberately hide her true nature.

So, older folks wouldn't believe it if you said Shizuka Hiratsuka was the fairy-like person portrayed on TV. It's just that her kind heart, respect for elders, and straightforward, endearing personality that made them like Shizuka Hiratsuka even more.

"Shizuka, will you come here again in the future?" an older woman asked, looking at Shizuka Hiratsuka with reluctance.

"Yes, of course! I'll apply to come to Paris to see you whenever there's a school event," Shizuka Hiratsuka said with a smile.

"Even after you get married and have children, don't forget Paris!" another middle-aged woman pleaded, grasping Shizuka Hiratsuka's hands.

"Haha," Shizuka Hiratsuka laughed awkwardly, feeling that it probably wouldn't be any easier than forgetting Paris.

"Hiratsuka ~! Really, won't you consider it?! Even a part-time job is fine! Just recording one album is okay too! I, Sonico, guarantee you absolute freedom!" The talent scout, blocked by the aunties and uncles on the outside, waved his hands, stood on tiptoe, and shouted loudly.

"No matter how much Sonico offers, we, Warner Music., will offer double!" shouted the man in sunglasses on the other side.

"Hiratsuka! You belong to the Lord, you are destined to be nun! So stay! Our church needs you! Let us use your singing to benefit all mankind!" The priest continued to shout from the outside.

"Go back! Go back! We came here to say goodbye to Jing. She has already said she doesn't want to do these things, so don't bother us!" The middle-aged woman shouted, blocking the group with her hands on her hips.

"Auntie, auntie! Let me explain, I'm not here to cause trouble! I'm here to contribute to the music and art of France!"

"That's right, Hiratsuka is a genius. She has a voice that can move people's hearts without any skill, a voice that is the most sincere and inspiring. How could I let such a genius go to waste on that island nation?" the man in sunglasses interjected.

"Really? Then I really misunderstood you, ma'am. You came here for France, to discover musical talent," the woman asked, looking at the two of them.

"Yes!"

"That's right! That's exactly it."

Seemingly sensing an opportunity, the two talent scouts quickly agreed. They each presented themselves as mentors on a talent show, emphasizing their passion for music and a good voice, not for exposure or money. Whether others believed them or not, they themselves eventually came to believe it.

"Really? Since you're so eager to recruit singers, why don't you take a look at us?" Several middle-aged women stepped forward, showing off their ample waists, and said.

The talent scout gaped, stunned for a moment, then laughed and asked, "Haha? Auntie? Can you please stop joking?!"

"That's right! You want to discover musical talent, right? You want to mentor newcomers, right? You want to dedicate yourselves to music and art, right? Then teach us!" The middle-aged women surrounded the two talent scouts and said.

First, there were groups of Chinese aunties going abroad to speculate on gold; now, there are French aunties helping international friends by voluntarily replacing Shizuka Hiratsuka as a member of a group of singing aunties.

"Hiratsuka! Hiratsuka! The Virgin Mary is watching over you, return to the embrace of the Lord!" On the other side, the priest was still standing there, calling out tirelessly.

"Father! Why did you come here again?" the old man said helplessly, looking at him.

"Missionary work is my calling," the priest said matter-of-factly.

"Then why don't you try preaching to me first? If you succeed, I won't stop you; in fact, I'll help you persuade Jing. Good boy," the old man said, looking at the priest.

At this point, Shizuka Hiratsuka had finally shaken hands with everyone. It was almost time, so she said Shizuka Hiratsuka and walked inside.

Inside, the silver-haired girl was leaning against the wall, tapping on her phone. Having separated from Shirou, she was free to do as she pleased, waiting for Shizuka Hiratsuka to return to the dormitory together.

There weren't any activities today, and if she stayed in the classroom with Shirou to study, she would only get a headache, so she simply slipped out and wandered around.

Because she was bored, she would take out the phone she got from Da Vinci in Chaldea and send some provocative text messages to that Cold-blooded King. Then, after waiting for his reply, she would laugh and retort!

Although the argument didn't produce a clear winner, at least it wasn't boring.

"Cold-blooded King, what are you doing? Are you still playing your weird maid game?"

"Hmph, unlike you who just sits around doing nothing, I supervise my Round Table maids to make sure they work properly every day."

"Huh? Your tyrannical and aggressive nature, it's ridiculous that you want to play the role of someone who serves others!"

"Hmph, I didn't intend to serve anyone. I just wanted to think from the perspective of caring for others, as a king. Assault Girl like you wouldn't understand."

"Let's go, Jeanne d'Arc," Shizuka Hiratsuka said, patting the silver-haired girl on the shoulder.

"Oh, is it all done?" Jeanne d'Arc replied, putting away her phone.

"Well, let's just let them have their way for now. Being a celebrity isn't something just anyone can do. Even shaking hands is exhausting; you have to consider everyone's feelings."

"After all, they are people who have supported me, and I don't want to hurt anyone. With that in mind, I chatted with them all night, and now I'm so tired." Shizuka Hiratsuka said wearily, her shoulders slumped.

"Why bother with other people's opinions? If you don't want to, just refuse directly," Jeanne d'Arc said, puzzled.

"No, it's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that I haven't been this popular in many years," Shizuka Hiratsuka said with an embarrassed smile. Then, remembering something, she said to Jeanne d'Arc, "Sorry, we were supposed to take you out for a nice meal, but let's eat at the dorm today."

"It's alright, I went to see Shirou earlier and already had some good food. Oh, by the way, Shirou asked me to give this to you. He said you'll definitely be very tired, so he made some desserts for you." Jeanne d'Arc said, taking a cardboard bag out of her clothes.

"Oh, as expected of my student, you even know how to be considerate of your teacher." Shizuka Hiratsuka happily took the small bag, poured out a chocolate cookie, and popped it into her mouth, revealing a happy smile. The sweet and chewy cookie, combined with the sweetness of the liqueur-filled chocolate, was full of energy. Eating it warmed her up instantly, and all the fatigue in her heart vanished.

Outside, after Shizuka Hiratsuka demeanor, and felt quite moved. At least his hoarse words hadn't been in vain.

If he can influence his family and lead an entire clan to choose religion, then he has accomplished a great feat.

The priest straightened his clothes, then looked at the old man with a kind smile and asked, "Would you like to join the church?"

The old man, who had been squinting with an air of nonchalance, half-opened his eyes and said, "Sorry, I'm a Protestant!"

"..." The priest, unsure of what expression to make, covered his face. Compared to a truly formidable priest, he seemed to lack a certain joy.

The old man walked away with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.

The next day, amidst the farewells of the crowd, the teacher who had successfully completed her mission led the students to say goodbye to the female principal, teachers, and classmates, and then boarded the special bus for the Paris Branch School.

"Shirou ~! You mustn't forget me! Don't forget our promise~!" A round-faced girl with curly black hair ran out and shouted loudly to Shirou in the car in French.

"Okay! Take care, everyone!"

"Huh?!!" The people from the Paris Branch School looked at the boy in the car in shock. They never expected you to be this kind of person?!

However, once they saw clearly which girl was shouting at them, they all felt relieved.

"Huh!? What is that child saying? Did she just call Shirou?" the Chiba school students on the bus asked in surprise.

The girl with curly black hair had blurry eyes, tears welling up in them, filled with indescribable emotion. Then she shouted loudly, "Erina! Never forget me, you, and Shirou! Waaaaaah~!!"

Before she could finish speaking, she burst into tears.

"Don't say things that could cause misunderstandings!" Erina shouted loudly from inside the car, her face flushed.

"Waaah... It's not a misunderstanding! We made a promise last night!"

The teachers and students on the bus looked at Erina and then at Shirou in surprise. Some took out their phones, while others huddled together and whispered among themselves.

"A love triangle? No, it couldn't be... three! three! three!!!" The boys' eyes widened as they looked towards the boy.

"Shirou... Shirou? What's going on?!" Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at the boy in surprise, grabbing his collar and shaking him.

She'd just been a little busy these past few days and hadn't been paying attention to him, so how did this girl suddenly appear?

"Calm..."

"There's... something wrong here...!" Shirou was being violently shaken, without even a chance to explain.

"Okay, stop crying. Snot! Snot!" Her best friend with the blonde ponytail came over to comfort her.

"Waaah! I'll miss you all~! slurp..." The little girl with curly black hair swore, sniffling as she watched the car drive away.

Chapter 202 Women Women Men

Around nine o'clock in the morning, a pair of birds that had already found food flew over the dense forest. Above the green suburbs stood a large factory with a tall chimney, which mainly produced light industry products, canned food, tennis balls, badminton shuttlecocks, and some other small odds and ends.

This place is an open space in a factory area of a large but not very well-known company. In front of a huge warehouse, the ground is marked with yellow and white paint, and the large trucks parked next to it are used for shipping goods from this factory area.

At this moment, apart from a few scattered staff members passing by, the other employees were all sitting in the warehouse chatting and laughing, including several fierce-looking, heavily tattooed supervisors.

Of course, the fiercest one here was the silver-haired girl sitting alone on the chair outside. She had already proven her strength, so everyone else hid inside the warehouse, not daring to get any closer to her. The girl who had initially thought of killing time by fighting could only listlessly hold her phone.

Early this morning, after Shirou and the others left, Jeanne d'Arc d'Arc also left the Paris Branch School alone. Following the instructions of Da Vinci of Chaldea, she came here to work with the company and traveled to Chiba, Japan, by another means.

According to the plan, she should be boarding a plane to Tokyo now, just like Shirou and the others. However, the cargo plane here has broken down and is being repaired, so she can only wait for the next plane in the afternoon.

"Too slow!" Jeanne d'Arc complained to Da Vinci, who was in the command room of Chaldea, on her phone screen.

"Well, when you get there, someone will come to pick you up," Da Vinci comforted her.

"Why do I have to stay here with a bunch of goods to be transported? It would be so much better if I stayed with Shirou! This is too much trouble!" Jeanne d'Arc, impatient with the wait, kicked at a small stone on the grass and said irritably.

Da Vinci shrugged and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. You're an undocumented immigrant, and now that you have a physical body, you can't become a spirit anymore. It would only take longer to get you a legitimate identity here in France. So we gave up on that inefficient method and tried to get you mixed in with the goods and shipped to Tokyo."