Chapter 399

"..."

Sakurakoji Talent lay motionless, feigning death.

Although he wanted to say that he wasn't the irresponsible type and that he would marry someone he flirted with, but...

There are just too many people who like him; he simply can't marry them all... It's not his fault!

"So, what are you planning to do about that girl?"

Sakurakoji Luna was also somewhat interested in this.

"... We've already told her that, we can't just abandon her like this, can we? Let's help her resolve this matter first before talking about anything else."

He changed his position, lying peacefully on his back with her lap as his pillow.

He kicked his shoes off, put his legs together on the sofa, and pressed himself down on top of another person.

"..."

Silently observing his actions, Sakurakoji Luna coughed lightly, refraining from reprimanding him for his utterly impolite and presumptuous behavior.

I kept repeating to myself, "Today's a special day, let him off this time..."

Of course, she was able to allow this on the other hand because there were no outsiders or servants here, only the three of them.

"That's good too! It would be a bit pitiful to just leave that child unattended."

Okura Yusei smiled with satisfaction.

He wasn't discouraged by his terrible behavior at all; on the contrary, he was slightly pleased that he could "enjoy" the same treatment as his wife.

"But!"

Sakurakoji Talent's voice trailed off, his Angel face now serious as he added, "It will have to wait until I find a way to fight against these unreasonable things!"

"Huh?"

Okura Yusei was taken aback, then let out a long, mournful cry, "Eh..."

Faced with his disappointed and complicated gaze, Sakurakoji Talent stubbornly pouted and turned her head, resolutely saying, "Even so! Although I roughly guess that what she's doing isn't dangerous, other things are a different story!"

"What if I encounter other unreasonable things while helping her? I'll die!!"

"..."

Okura Yusei lowered his eyes and remained silent, not saying anything.

No normal parent would let their child risk their life for another person's.

"At worst, when she's truly forgotten, I'll take her in for a while—if I still remember her then."

He said it casually, without any hesitation.

Call it fear of death, call it cowardice.

But he's long past the age of impulsive action. Now, he would never risk his life for someone he's only known for a short time.

This wasn't just because his greatest wish in life was to live a normal life until death, but also because he was thinking of those who cared about him!

Bunny Girl stars? Bunny Girl stars are no good either!!!

He wasn't a lustful person; beauty was worthless to him, if not worthless.

"That doesn't matter..."

Sakurakoji Luna scratched her head, looking troubled.

She wasn't particularly concerned about Sakurajima Mai's situation. Although kind-hearted, she wasn't as naive as her husband. What truly mattered to her was...

"But from what you're saying, it seems like you're planning to stay cooped up in the mansion from now on, resuming your old routine..."

"Souta yo (That's right!)!"

Sakurakoji Talent nodded quickly twice to indicate that she was right.

"Majiga (Really?)..."

Sakurakoji Luna had a bitter expression on her face, feeling as if she had been hit in the chest again, and a breath caught in her throat.

Does this mean that my son, who finally managed to leave the house, will become a shut-in again because of this?

This time limit might be a lifetime?

No, I don't want that kind of thing...

"But, what about Miss Ai and the others?"

Okura Yusei, his brow trembling, tried to persuade him to stay.

Clearly, he, like his wife, was on the verge of developing PTSD from that statement.

Do you know what they've been through for the past ten years?! We absolutely cannot allow any more setbacks!

"When you miss me, come visit me? Or bring me here to play games with you in the room every day?"

"So, what about your Mirai life...?"

"I'll live off your parents for now, and then let Ashiri support me, her useless older brother—if she likes it, being a useless older sister to provide her with emotional support every day isn't out of the question."

"Luna..."

Okura Yusei looked at his wife with a sense of grievance and helplessness.

"Okay, I got it."

Sakurakoji Luna pressed her fingers to her forehead, trying to avoid feeling dizzy. After reviewing the answer she had just come up with, she slowly said, "So, you must have some ideas now, right? Talent?"

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, a bewildered Okura Yusei asked, "Huh? What's going on?"

Gently stroking Sakurakoji Talent's cheek and forehead as he closed his eyes in enjoyment, she explained, "Do you really think he's coming back to be a shut-in? Our son isn't that fragile, or rather, not that stupid."

"Actually, it's not impossible, I don't mind..."

Sakurakoji Talent corrected him quietly.

"Shut up first."

She covered his small, Sakura lips, as soft and thin as her own.

"That's for?"

Okura Yusei was completely bewildered, then recalled the question he had asked earlier, "Is it to see us and Ashiri?"

Sakurakoji Luna gently shook her head under someone's innocently blinking eyes, then explained, "He doesn't even know if we left or not, so how could he be here to see us? The same goes for Ashiri."

"That is..."

Without giving a direct answer, Sakurakoji Luna remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering where to begin.

After a while.

Composing herself, she spoke wearily, "Actually, Ms. Sakurajima's incident isn't the first thing we've encountered that defies common sense..."

"Huh?"

Okura Yusei frowned in confusion, still not understanding her meaning. "Is that so? Was there anything else before? I don't remember..."

Suddenly, he abruptly opened his eyes, which were believed to be the ancestral "Rinnegan" pupils of the Okura Family, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

Recalling what she had said earlier, her eyes were immediately filled with horror and disbelief.

"You've figured it out?"

Seeing his reaction, Sakurakoji Luna knew that he understood what she meant.

She wasn't surprised by this. In any case, in the eyes of outsiders, her family's intelligence was not ordinary; it was just a matter of being geniuses or great geniuses.

With just a little prompting, the other person will quickly understand—this is truly a family perfectly suited for someone with Stupidity Aversion Syndrome!

"Um..."

Okura Yusei nodded dryly, understanding why his wife had looked so melancholy earlier.

Even he now feels as if a huge boulder is pressing on his heart, making it difficult for him to cope.

Before they realized it, none of them thought there would be any problems; at most, they were just worried about the Mirai.

The mere thought of it instantly engulfed them, along with the immense uncertainty and sense of loss...

All his previous emotions quickly faded, and now his eyes were filled with worry.

Then, he looked at the same answer that he and his wife were thinking of at that moment— Hands clasped together on their abdomens, a face as beautiful as jade, with flawless skin, full of peace: Sakurakoji Talent.

"If you and I can both think of it, how could he not?"

Sakurakoji Luna continued speaking to herself, her gentle little hands pinching and stretching his cheeks with slight force.

I don't know whether to be proud or to blame this willful and troublesome child.

Judging from Sakurakoji Talent's words just now, Sakurajima Mai is the first person he has ever encountered involved in a mysterious phenomenon.

But is that really the case? Actually, no.

There is another person shrouded in mystery, who appeared much, much earlier than Sakurajima Mai.

Even more so! He sees this person every day; that person is—himself.

Compared to Sakurajima Mai's Adolescence Syndrome, those "mild" symptoms that gradually made others forget her existence... someone who has been tormented by an unknown illness for more than ten years simply doesn't want to comment on it.

What Adolescence Syndrome? Isn't it just a game of pretend played by teenagers?

Then there's the talk of depression, heartbreak, emotional loss, the pressure of being the center of attention, regret for not doing certain things, jealousy of others' success, verbal bullying, and a desire to live a different life... If that sounds like self-pity and whining, he's really going to beat you up!

How about we try a different body and a different illness?

You don't need to hold on any longer. Just hold on for a week without committing suicide, and that's considered a win, okay?

Unseen by others, Sakurakoji Talent angrily brandished his signature Togenashi Togeari gesture at those people.

His body has no diseases—maybe albinism? But there are no symptoms, whatever... There are no viruses either, it's just that he experiences very intense pain.

Even during his symptom flare-ups, apart from high blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat, and severe sweating, no abnormalities could be detected.

It is indeed strange, but there is no other unusual evidence.

Aside from Sakurakoji Talent's one-sided testimony regarding the changes in pain intensity, no other corroborating evidence could be found.

Therefore, before Sakurajima Mai appeared, everyone, including Sakurakoji Luna, only thought that it was some kind of new disease that current technology could not detect, or that it originated from a genetic defect... or something like that.

No one considered it to be related to the mysterious realm, and even if they did, reason would dismiss it, since they had never actually witnessed such things.

At most, they'll just talk about it, but they won't actually go to a charlatan to cure their illness.

But things are different now. Whenever this real, supernatural phenomenon is mentioned, Sakurakoji Luna naturally thinks of her son's body.

If the world of mysticism truly exists, then could his situation also be...?

They felt both awe and unease, yet also anticipation. If they could take this opportunity to help their son return to normal, then even if such an anomaly occurred in the world, it wouldn't be so bad.

Opportunity and crisis always go hand in hand.

Even if Sakurakoji Talent doesn't translate into action, she still wants to test the waters.

If it's a competitive match, their chances of winning are very high—not just high, but exceptionally high.

Their mentality is that they're not afraid of what you do, but they're afraid that the game itself won't even exist, leaving them to helplessly watch it gradually wither away.

Her silence just now was simply because she was overwhelmed by the amount of information and felt helpless about his playful antics at this time.

So, here's the question.

If Sakurakoji Luna, as an observer, noticed this problem so quickly, how could Sakurakoji Talent, who surpasses her in every way, not have noticed it?

He had figured this out back when he was in the library.

He himself is a reincarnated being, born with the shackles he desperately wants to break free from, and after arriving in Tokyo, he discovers that affection can cure illnesses... Even if you tell him this isn't a supernatural phenomenon, he'll still believe it!

Does he look a lot like a drooling Down syndrome child?

Unlike Sakurakoji Luna and the others, even without Sakurajima Mai's appearance, he had always known and firmly believed this, only he didn't understand the underlying principle.

The reason why I couldn't figure it out even after spending so much time was simply because I still didn't understand some deeper issues.

Of course, there is another very important piece of evidence, which is --

He wasn't a student at Minehara High School, had never had any contact with Sakurajima Mai, and was a nobody from out of town... How could he see Sakurajima Mai when no one else could?