Chapter Forty-Eight: Riki Had Always Been Indifferent

Riki was furious!

"What happened? Why did you suddenly stop talking?" Toyokawa Sakiko asked, looking at Riki in confusion.

Oh, sorry. I thought you were talking to me in your mind. I'll speak now.

Riki and Toyokawa Sakiko walked toward an empty classroom. Toyokawa Sakiko sat down first, while Riki wanted to look around the schools in Japan. It was one of the few times he could visit one without being treated like a pervert.

The classroom and school building looked just like the ones he had seen in anime. There were plenty of clubs, and even pretty Japanese girls in short skirts. But the image quality felt... Riki snorted. Japanese high school students were delicate flowers in a garden. They had to experience the ruthlessness of the Hengshui model, or how could they shoulder great responsibilities in the future?

Jealous?

How could that be!

Riki suddenly saw Takamatsu Akari approaching with a teacher. Takamatsu Akari grabbed Riki and said, "Riki, come help me attend the parent-teacher meeting."

What terrifying gravity... Riki nodded. "Hello, teacher. My name is Riki."

"Hello, Riki-kun." The teacher smiled and nodded.

Sigh. Japanese teachers were still inferior to those at Haicheng University. If this had been a teacher from Haicheng University, the next sentence would have been, "Hello, He-san."

"Are you Takamatsu-san's relative?" the teacher asked curiously. "But her parents called me this morning and said that they couldn't come for the time being because of work. However, they both care very much about Takamatsu-san and said they would come together to make up for the parent-teacher meeting later. Before they left, they even left her a note on the refrigerator."

"...Ah." Takamatsu Akari stared blankly for two seconds before blinking. "Come to think of it, I did see a note on the refrigerator this morning, but I forgot to read it."

"?" Riki.

So, Akari-chan, did you come here specifically to mess with me today?

Fine, then. Activate the cutting line immediately!

"Teacher, then I won't attend the parent-teacher meeting..."

"No. Parent-teacher meetings are very important for students. Besides, Takamatsu-san seems to trust you very much. Having a relative attend would definitely help her development." The teacher smiled, brimming with humanistic ideals and so innocent that she had not a hint of absurdity in her.

If you put it that way, how am I supposed to refuse?

Don't kill me with the student card. I really can't stand seeing withdrawn students. I'm the kind of person who walks home with students from single-parent families after school, then takes the bus home.

I've even got a tattoo of Santa Claus the knight on my back.

Riki glanced at Takamatsu Akari, who was staring blankly at him, and sighed. "All right. I'll attend in a moment."

Getting a little closer to a black hole shouldn't result in being captured by its gravity, right?

Even if I really am captured, I can still use the transmigration method and make a run for it.

"Where will your parent-teacher meeting be held later? I'll come back and attend yours after mine is over." Riki asked Takamatsu Akari. He planned to find Toyokawa Sakiko and resolve things with her first.

"Room B302," Takamatsu Akari said.

What? The same classroom as Sakiko.

What a coincidence.

"..." Riki.

Akari-chan, I'm sweating bullets here. You really didn't come to mess with me, did you?

Looking at Takamatsu Akari's innocent, vacant expression, Riki began to break out in a cold sweat. Even confronting Nagasaki Sose had never put this much pressure on him. Yet faced with Takamatsu Akari's innocent gaze, his hands trembled and his mind went numb.

Brother Riki, drink some more water.

What, do you think I'm Letme?

Riki looked helplessly at Takamatsu Akari. Sincerity was always a killer move, just like that conversation with someone else: "This classroom looks like a junior college." "May I ask whether you attend a 985 or a 211 university?" "A junior college. Otherwise, how would I know?"

Takamatsu Akari fired her completely guileless bullets, and a few minutes later they struck Riki, the great master of the musical world, right in the forehead.

"All right, let's go," Riki said.

"Riki, we still have band practice today. Do you want to go together after school?" Takamatsu Akari asked, looking at Riki.

"Either way is fine, but why do you ask?"

"Because I feel happy when I walk with Riki," Takamatsu Akari said with an innocent smile.

But I'm under a lot of pressure.

"Just sit beside me later. Don't ask anything," Riki said.

Takamatsu Akari nodded in confusion, then followed Riki into the classroom, where they saw someone unexpected.

"Sakiko-chan," Takamatsu Akari said blankly.

Toyokawa Sakiko sat quietly in the classroom, watching the other students sit beside their parents without changing expression. She was already used to it.

Days like this would continue for a long time. If she already found them painful now, she would not be able to keep going in the future.

Toyokawa Sakiko had always been strong, and she had to be.

Suddenly, she turned and saw Riki and Takamatsu Akari entering the classroom together. She could not help freezing for a moment. "Huh?"

"Sakiko-chan." Takamatsu Akari also saw Toyokawa Sakiko, but Toyokawa Sakiko turned her head away, clearly unwilling to speak with her.

Takamatsu Akari's eyes dimmed. She lowered her head, walked beside Riki, and sat down with him. Riki sat between Toyokawa Sakiko and Takamatsu Akari.

Toyokawa Sakiko sat expressionlessly without making a sound, as though Takamatsu Akari did not exist beside her.

"Akari asked me to help at the door," Riki said.

"I'm not angry." Toyokawa Sakiko shook her head and said softly, "It's just... it would be better if we stopped seeing each other."

Every time she saw Akari, she remembered the past.

Those were memories she did not need.

Riki did not try to act clever and say anything more. If a grudge could truly be undone with one or two sentences, that person would not be a psychologist—they would be someone using a hypnosis app. Human emotions were extremely complicated. Sakiko did not want to face Akari because she did not want the warm memories of the past to melt the hard ice in her heart. It was the only way she could keep her heart from being hurt again.

"Will you come to Akari's concert?" Riki asked.

"...Yes." Toyokawa Sakiko hesitated before nodding.

"Sakiko said she'll come watch your performance later." Riki turned to Takamatsu Akari.

Although it made him look a little like a messenger, Sakiko had no objection.

Takamatsu Akari's eyes immediately lit up, and she looked at Riki gratefully.

"Thank you, Riki."

Why are you thanking me?

I'm not Taro.

Looking at her delighted expression, as innocent as a small animal's, Riki felt that he was walking down an extremely dangerous road.

He estimated that he had already been captured by gravity.

"Hm?"

Chihaya Anon looked curiously at the three people in front of her. She felt that the atmosphere between them was strange.

However, she sensed that their relationship was probably not bad. Feeling that the timing was perfect, she used her phone to take a picture of herself with Riki, Akari, and Sakiko, even making a V sign, and sent it to Nagasaki Sose.

Chihaya Anon: [(Photo) Sose-san, look, look! Akari-chan, Riki, and I are at the parent-teacher meeting.]

Huh? Why hadn't she replied?

Chihaya Anon wondered in confusion.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Riki Had Always Been Indifferent

The parent-teacher meeting held in the classroom was partly meant to let parents know how safe and healthy their children were at school. On the other hand, it was also meant to tell them that our school was really, really great, so they absolutely had to send their next child—and their relatives' children—to us. Once upon a time, Riki had also believed that Haicheng University was a school filled with an academic atmosphere and fraternal harmony. In reality, although its academics were decent, it was full of absurd students and teachers who were completely incompatible with someone as naturally pure and innocent as him.

Wait, haven't you only been enrolled for a few months? How did you have time to become this absurd?

Shut up, naturally absurd Haicheng University. I'm coming...

"Toyokawa-san's family member, were you listening to me?" the teacher in front of him asked worriedly.

"Sorry. Please continue."

"Sakiko's grades at school are excellent. Not only did she receive the top admission scholarship, but this year's scholarship should belong to her as well. By all rights, she is already an outstanding student. However, she rarely interacts with anyone in class. I know there are problems with her family situation, but as her teacher, I feel it is necessary to discuss this with a relative." The teacher looked worried.

This teacher is a good person.

Riki was in the office. Only here would teachers and parents speak honestly about a student's sensitive inner world.

"I understand." Riki nodded.

Although Sakiko had him by her side now, nothing about her circumstances had changed. Her family, debts, and relationships were all like heavy chains weighing her down. She had no energy to spare for other girls her age, much less interact with them.

The teacher could tell that Riki also cared about Sakiko, and her expression softened. "That's good. We'll end things here."

Riki nodded and walked out of the office.

Then he heard a voice from inside.

"Could Takamatsu Akari's parent come in for a moment?"

Riki turned around and pushed the door open again, coming face-to-face with the teacher.

Teacher: "?"

Didn't expect that, did you?

Neither did I.

"...Ahem. Takamatsu-san's situation is much better than Toyokawa-san's." The teacher quickly adjusted her state of mind and continued. "Her classmates all like her very much, but she doesn't know how to interact with people. That is very important. However, I can see that she seems to take the initiative to talk when she is with you. If possible, please communicate with her more often."

Discussing the influence of gravity on the universe?

Riki walked out of the office and immediately saw Takamatsu Akari standing in front of him.

"The teacher said everyone likes you," Riki told Takamatsu Akari with a smile.

"Really? I'm happy." Takamatsu Akari wore a faint smile, but it soon turned to confusion. "But I don't know why everyone likes me. I still haven't experienced the emotion of being liked. The only warmth I've felt was being together with everyone in Crychic. What do you think, Riki?"

Riki fell into thought.

I've always been indifferent.

I think Brother Lie feels the same way.

But Riki was still a student mentor. Although he had only just entered university, he had to set an example when facing children younger than himself. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I think not knowing is normal. It's like how children don't know why adults like to lie, drink, and smoke. You're simply still exploring this thing called emotion. There's no need to be anxious. If you take it one step at a time, you'll become a lif..."

Stop!

Riki suddenly came to his senses, drenched in cold sweat.

He had nearly said that forbidden word: a lifetime!

That was the key to activating the Gravity Black Hole. He would be swallowed up with ease!

Fortunately, Riki had stopped himself just in time when facing Takamatsu Akari. Otherwise, he would have been responsible for her for the rest of his life.

Terrifying Takamatsu Akari. She nearly made me say such a frightening word while wearing such an innocent expression. What a terrifying woman.

Riki looked at Takamatsu Akari. She should not have picked up on the keyword, right?

What relieved him was that Takamatsu Akari's expression seemed completely normal.

Takamatsu Akari stared blankly at Riki.

Was Riki about to say... a lifetime?

It's all right not to know. As long as I explore one step at a time, I can keep moving forward even when I'm lost.

Sure enough, Riki understands me.

Takamatsu Akari could not help smiling.

I want to keep being with him. When I'm with him, I feel as though I can find what it means to be human.

Riki wanted to find Toyokawa Sakiko, but while he was tutoring Takamatsu Akari, she had already gone to log in as Customer Service Xiao Xiang. She sent Riki a message on his phone.

Sakiko: [Sorry, I went to work first. You can go home by yourself later.]

All right, dear.