They All Said This Wasn't the Life Simulation Game!

A faint voice echoed in the silent room, accompanied by a slight, fragmented rolling sound. A small, light white star fell into his palm. He popped it into his mouth, savoring the way the sweetness spread. Then, with another faint, crisp sound, he put the candy box away, opened the door, and walked into the same silence as the room, carrying the sweetness that was like incense.

Before long, that sweet taste mingled with the faint floral scent lingering in the lobby.

"All taken care of?"

"Mhm."

Receiving a definitive reply, the girl shook the blood off her blade and sheathed it. With her swift movements, her cherry-blossom-colored hair swayed gently, like falling sakura petals.

"Phew... Just like always, tasks are always easy when I'm with you... Wright."

Perhaps it was because the mission was completed, but after catching her breath and hesitating for a moment, the girl spoke with a stiff expression, feigning ease and making small talk.

It was clear she was forcing herself to say it.

"The mission isn't over yet. Don't use that name."

He calmly reminded the girl, then glanced at the small, light blue flower stained with blood on the ground. His gaze returned to the girl.

"That's not a good habit."

He reminded her that neither the small forget-me-nots she left behind nor the faint floral scent that clung to her from carrying them were good habits for people of their status.

"We're both guilty of that."

The girl retorted without hesitation, as the sweetness on him was even more potent than her floral scent.

"Let's go."

He didn't dwell on the topic, simply turning to leave. The girl quickly followed, walking beside him.

"Aren't you going to see the children? Maybe there's someone you know."

She was making small talk again. Normally, she wouldn't ask these questions—he realized this quickly.

However, he still replied.

"No need."

He said calmly.

"None of that matters anymore."

Even if there were people he knew among those children, what of it? It would only remind him that the church back then remained unchanged, and the children inside were never saved... that was all.

But now... none of that mattered.

The girl clearly realized she had brought up an uncomfortable topic. Her expression stiffened, and she wanted to say something to make up for it, but she didn't know what to say.

"..."

In the end, the girl could only maintain an awkward silence, walking with him into the shadows until they disappeared from sight.

After a long while, someone finally woke from their unconsciousness. Seeing that the inhabitants of this "courtyard" had all become corpses, he, in extreme panic, dialed the police.

Soon, police officers entered the "private courtyard" that had previously been forbidden.

"Truly... astonishing."

A police officer looked at the scene before him, taking a long moment to utter this sentence. It was unclear if he was marveling at the "courtyard" located on the upper floors of the skyscraper or lamenting the people who had died there.

"Who reported it?"

The leading officer called out.

"I... I did."

A delicate-looking boy stepped forward hesitantly, speaking timidly. He seemed somewhat afraid of the police officers, even resistant to interacting with them, and he appeared to have several scars on his body, some faint, some deep.

"Your name?"

"...My name is Wright, Officer."

The boy replied.

Chapter 11: As the saying goes, a girl chasing a boy, ()

"..." x2

The two walked along the road, appearing like friends who had just finished visiting a lively night market and were heading home. Ah, considering their genders, perhaps they were a couple? The girl's expression was a bit stiff, maybe something awkward happened on their date? —Many people subconsciously made such judgments.

However, most people wouldn't have imagined that the two strolling so leisurely here had just committed murder. After all, they didn't look like murderers or assassins; rather, they seemed more like foreign tourists visiting the area.

As for why the girl's expression was stiff, it was naturally because she was struggling with how to start the next conversation. Honestly, while she could handle killing people, this honest girl was really bad at making small talk.

"Clink—"

Just as the girl was agonizing over what to talk about, she heard a faint sound again. Shifting her gaze slightly, she saw him eating candy again.

She seized the opportunity to speak.

"Eating candy again?"

"...Mhm."

"Aren't you eating a bit too much? The sweetness on you is already overpowering. That's not a good habit... and be careful of cavities."

"...Mhm."

She was making small talk—he could feel it clearly. He even noticed the slight blush on the girl's stiffening expression after she finished speaking, realizing she also found her own words strange.

She wouldn't have acted like this before—he wondered, though they had always cared for each other after missions or during breaks, they never said such "strange" things.

Clack—

Lost in thought, he subconsciously opened the candy box and popped another piece into his mouth.

"Can I try one?"

The girl said, reaching for the candy box in his hand.

"Honestly, I really like sweets, so I wanted to taste it."

She spoke as if explaining her actions to him.

"If it's good, I'll buy some for Ling too. She likes them very much."

As if still unsure, she added a final sentence.

Click!

However, perhaps because of the girl's actions or a certain phrase that touched a nerve, he abruptly closed the candy box lid and put it into his inner pocket, even taking a half-step back cautiously, looking very much like he was "guarding his food."

"..."

This caused the girl's movement to freeze, her already stiff expression barely holding.

Stepped on a landmine again—the girl realized this, feeling anxious and frustrated in her heart... She really wasn't good at this!

"Sorry." x2

They spoke almost simultaneously, then both froze.

She was apologizing for her sudden strange behavior, while he felt sorry for his overreaction.

"Pfft... Haha..." x2

Soon, both of them chuckled softly, clearly understanding why the other was apologizing, and the atmosphere relaxed from the previous awkwardness.

Come to think of it, they weren't just colleagues, comrades, or partners, but also friends.

Interactions between friends shouldn't be so complicated.

Well... although in some matters, there were still unique emotions, like... shyness?

"..."

She shook her head, seeming a little helpless, her long pink hair swaying, carrying a faint floral scent. With a slight sigh, she pushed the unspeakable invitation back into her heart.

"...Here, this is for you."

He hesitated for a moment, as if thinking something through, then took out a bag of candy from another inner pocket of his clothes and placed it in her hand.

"And... I'm sorry."

He apologized for his previous overreaction, and this bag of candy was both a gift and an apology.

"...Thanks?"

She was momentarily unsure what to say, responding somewhat dazedly.

He seemed to relax slightly upon receiving her reply, his body easing.

What the... so you're the same—the girl thought this, her lips curving slightly.

With a slight movement of her fingers, the small candy bag gave a somewhat delicate tactile feedback. It didn't seem like the kind of style someone like him would carry or buy. The pale pink color seemed to indicate this bag was special.

She pulled the drawstring, took out a piece of candy wrapped in paper, held the sides of the wrapper with her fingers, gently pulled outwards, and then peeled it back to reveal a white star lying quietly inside.

Putting it in her mouth, she could feel the sweetness gradually spreading.

Honestly, it was quite ordinary, with no special flavor, just pure "sweetness," much like holding a piece of rock candy in her mouth.

However, she unexpectedly found this taste quite nice.

"It's delicious."

She replied with a slight smile.

A faint floral scent accompanied her words, but now it carried a hint of sweetness.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I think Ling will like it too. I'll buy some for her later."

"...Mm."

"..."

They were out of things to say again.

The recently dissipated awkwardness seemed about to creep back in.

Ah... it was indeed too difficult to expect her to initiate conversation.

"...If you have something to say, you can just say it directly."