I Want Your Blessing / The Four Seasons of the Past

Kitagawa Ryo responded naturally, referring to the surname of the detective who played the role of Sherlock Holmes in the books.

As he spoke, he changed his shoes, closed the door, and went downstairs with her. On the way, they naturally started talking about the stories in the book.

As a detective novel written in the early 1980s, the most talked-about core trick of "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" is the piecing together of the victim's body. Many detective works in the future have borrowed this technique, so much so that it doesn't seem very original today.

However, both Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori agreed that compared to this groundbreaking method of committing the crime, Soji Shimada's narrative tricks were also quite brilliant, especially the motive revealed from the murderer's perspective at the beginning, which immediately diverted the attention of a considerable number of readers and led them into the author's trap.

Taking parts of the bodies of girls from different zodiac signs to create the perfect woman in his mind, Azoth, Kitagawa Ryo himself admires Hiyori's psychological fortitude as a passionate mystery novel enthusiast, since these mystery novels are never short of elements of the bizarre and terrifying.

Hotaru, peeking out from the dormitory window, watched Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori walk further and further away.

In a sense, her motives might even be similar to those of the 'murderer' in this story.

She also wanted a perfect brother who could experience all the happiness in the world, and the brother she has now is the result of his repeated encounters and experiences with these girls.

Perhaps this is why she didn't create a dedicated simulation chapter for Shiina Hiyori.

What she wanted her brother to experience, what she wanted to collect from this girl, was actually this pure, innocent, and seemingly destined love—a love that, no matter how many times it started, would lead them to the same world and become the same kind of inhabitants because of the same hobby and the same book.

"Meow--"

Chapter 268: I Want Your Blessing

At the end of summer vacation, Kitagawa Ryo led the Drama Club to obtain approval from the Student Council under the pretext of participating in a competition, and successfully left the school.

"Thank you for your hard work this time, Teacher Sima."

When Kitagawa Ryo was traveling to the competition venue after leaving school, he politely greeted the school teacher Sima Kexian, who was in charge of leading and supervising the team. Since Sima Kedian was also the teacher who led the Drama Club team out of school last time, the two of them could be considered to be somewhat familiar with each other.

"... You're welcome."

Just like last time, the middle-aged male teacher still looked lifeless. After giving a simple answer, he crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair, seemingly unwilling to have any further interaction or communication with Kitagawa Ryo.

Kitagawa Ryo actually wanted to chat with this Taciturn male teacher a bit more. After all, he had heard rumors at school that the teacher might become the homeroom teacher of a First Year next year. Although considering Mr. Sima's personality and qualifications, Kitagawa Ryo estimated that Mr. Sima was most likely to be assigned to a C or D class, he himself couldn't guarantee which class Yuki would be assigned to next year according to the still mysterious class assignment rules of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. She might just be thrown into Mr. Sima's hands.

However, since Sima Kexian had already shown this unwillingness to communicate, Kitagawa Ryo didn't want to try to be friendly with him. So he closed his eyes, lay back, and started to take a nap.

Unfortunately, the Drama Club was traveling separately by men and women, and since everyone in the club except him was a girl, the only person on the bus was the Taciturn teacher, Sima Kexian, which led to the awkward situation of having no one to chat with.

Of course, from a deeper perspective, Kitagawa Ryo would actually prefer that Sima Kexian take on this position. After all, firstly, although he always has a cold face, at least he won't cause trouble. Secondly, as in the current situation, having a male teacher lead the team will always create some room for maneuver for the girls.

If Kitagawa Ryo wasn't mistaken, while he was struggling to keep up with Sima Kexian's intense gaze, the girl was probably already engrossed in playing on her phone.

Indeed, every student, including him, had handed over their phones to Sima Kexian for safekeeping when leaving school. However, the rules did not prohibit them from bringing other students' phones. Hiding phones borrowed in advance from other students with whom they had close relationships in personal belongings such as water bottles and lunch boxes could easily evade the Student Council's inspection, especially since they had their own people there.

Of course, Kitagawa Ryo also considered other alternatives. As mentioned before, as long as one understands the various mechanisms of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School before enrollment and makes corresponding preparations in advance, the problem of information not being shared in a completely closed environment is actually easy to solve.

If nothing unexpected happens, Ichinose Honami's family, Katsuragi Kohei's sister, and Yuki should have already received news of their departure from school.

According to his pre-arranged plan, Ichinose Honami's mother and sister were already prepared as staff and volunteers for the drama competition, while Katsuragi Kohei's sister would be selected as a lucky audience member for contact. As for Yuki...

Kitagawa Ryo knew without a second thought that the other party would do the same thing as last time: first, book a room in the hotel he had reserved under both of their names, then check in early so that the two of them could easily meet in the room that night.

If we were to rank the three things Kitagawa Ryo had to do after leaving school in terms of difficulty, the easiest would naturally be delivering a gift to Katsuragi Kohei's sister. It's so difficult that he doesn't even need to show up; he could just have a familiar staff member or Actor deliver it on his behalf.

Of course, in order to fulfill Katsuragi Kohei's request more perfectly, Kitagawa Ryo, who shares the burning passion for his sister, is willing to personally deliver the gift to him, and also plans to explain the relevant reasons and difficulties to Katsuragi Kohei.

The second most difficult thing was Ichinose Honami's matter.

Although this incident seems to be the initial reason for leaving school, it is essentially a matter for Ichinose Honami Kitagawa Ryo is actually less.

Kitagawa Ryo knew very well that he could be Ichinose Honami's source of confidence, but he absolutely could not be her mouthpiece. Some words had to be spoken by Honami herself to have weight and value, and only then could they truly change the way the mother and daughter perceived and interacted with each other.

The reason why getting along with Xue is the most troublesome thing for him is actually quite simple: his relationship with the girls who left school with him this time is completely different from the last time they left school.

Even setting aside Karuizawa Kei and Amasawa Ichika, whose chances of him being attacked at night during this competition have increased countless times due to their past physical relationship, Ichinose Honami, who has already made up her mind to make changes, is definitely an inescapable Ichinose Honami.

After all, regardless of whether Ichinose Honami's negotiations succeed or fail, Kitagawa Ryo will definitely need to stay by Honami's side afterward, helping her through this crucial and important moment.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo also sighed with a hint of melancholy.

Let's just take it one step at a time.

Although Kitagawa Ryo's Drama Club seemed rather immature and shabby compared to the established theater Theater Troupe in Tokyo, with him and Karuizawa Kei leading the team, they still managed to finish the first day of the preliminary rounds quite smoothly, and their wonderful performance drew continuous applause and cheers from the audience.

Using this as an excuse, Kitagawa Ryo naturally held a fan meeting and autograph session. He casually pointed to Katsuragi Kohei's sister, presenting her with a gift—pretended to thank fans but actually personally chosen by Katsuragi Kohei— and offering her encouragement in a low, gentle voice:

"Katsuragi has always cared about you, but he had no other choice, so he asked me to deliver this birthday gift to you on his behalf. I wish you a happy birthday and hope that when Katsuragi graduates, he will see his younger sister in better health."

Having successfully completed the request given to him by Katsuragi Kohei, Kitagawa Ryo randomly selected a few lucky audience members, signed autographs, and gave them gifts before ending the small meet-and-greet. He then returned to the hotel with the rest of the Drama Club to begin intensive preparations and rehearsals for the semi-finals and finals the following day.

Meanwhile, Ichinose Honami and Kitagawa Ryo both went to the restroom one after the other.

When Kitagawa Ryo quietly found Honami, Honami had already met with his mother and sister without incident. However, the atmosphere was not as bad as he had imagined; it was as harmonious and peaceful as ever.

"Don't worry about things at home, Honami. Now that you've entered such a good school Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, you should focus on your studies. Don't relax just because this school has a 100% college entrance and employment rate after graduation."

"Mom knows you left school to participate in the competition because you missed Maki and me. Mom missed Honami too, but doesn't your school not allow students to secretly see their parents? If you get punished, it will be a big problem, ruining your future and making you regret it later. So Honami, listen to Mom and don't leave school to see me like you did today. Mom and Maki are happy as long as we know Honami is doing well at school."

The first thing I heard was, as expected, Ichinose's mother's familiar, somewhat rambling tone. Maki I hadn't seen in a long time, seemed embarrassed that her mother was saying these things to her sister at this time. She pouted and unconsciously looked around, but then she caught sight of him.

Just a second before the other person was about to shout, Kitagawa Ryo immediately gestured for her to be quiet, then beckoned her over, giving Ichinose Honami, who had been keeping her head down and not saying much, and her mother a space and opportunity to have a conversation.

"I'm going to use the restroom over there."

Using the same convenient excuse with ease, Ichinose Maki scurried over to Kitagawa Ryo, who was hiding behind the corner. Her face initially showed surprise and excitement, but it quickly turned into worry. She and Kitagawa Ryo peeked out, casting concerned glances in Ichinose Honami's direction.

"You haven't changed at all, Mom."

After her sister left, Ichinose Honami finally raised her head. Although she was still smiling, her face seemed somewhat pale.

Kitagawa Ryo watched as her hand, hanging by her side, first unfolded its fingers one by one, then clenched into a fist, then relaxed, and finally clenched into a fist again.

"I know that everything Mom said to me was right, and the life path she set for me was also right. Everything you did was for the sake of me and Maki. It wasn't just self-pity. Both Maki and I are truly grateful for everything you've done for us."

As if expelling something heavy, Ichinose Honami spoke slowly.

"But I also hope to face life and my destiny with my own ideas and in my own way... But every time I think about this, I have the thought, 'Is this the right thing to do?'"

This was the first time the mother had seen her daughter like this, Honami like this. She stood there speechless, as if she were facing a stranger and didn't know what to do.

"I've wanted to say these things to you for a very, very, very long time, and I've wanted to make more changes, but you're my mother... You've never been bad to me, and that alone is enough, enough to make me unable to say it, because it would feel like negating everything about you, your entire life."

Ichinose Honami lowered her head, looking dejected, and muttered softly, repeating the same sentence:

"Because you're my mom, it always happens the same way no matter how many times it happens... There's nothing I can do, right?"

"It's still my problem—maybe."

At this point, Ichinose Honami couldn't help but recall the incredibly abstract spider she had drawn for the word "mother" in a "Draw and Guess" game on the Uninhabited Island, as well as the diary entry she had written about her mother as a child:

"Sometimes I feel that my mother is like a spider. She is smart, patient, and skillful like a spider, and she is always working hard. In winter, she knits beautiful and comfortable sweaters for my sister and me."

"Spider eggs are very fragile. I think that's why spiders grow into such fierce and frightening creatures, in order to protect their offspring."

"At the same time, like a spider, my mother would arrange everything for me methodically... it was as if she had laid invisible threads in every corner of my life."

Even in the grand scheme of things, Ichinose Honami is perhaps the most useless reborn person. Apart from the hairpin that wasn't stolen this time, it's as if nothing has changed. She's still trapped in the spider's web.

Over the past decade or so, these deeply ingrained thoughts of self-destruction have swung through her mind countless times.

... But even so, I would still want to do it again.

Trying again means there's still a chance, but stagnation will inevitably lead to failure again.

Memories of Kitagawa Ryo on the Uninhabited Island and the cruise ship flooded Ichinose Honami's mind at this moment, and her beautiful and light figure seemed to suddenly become steady, and she once again felt the solidity of being grounded.

"But I still hope Mom can give me some time, just these three years of high school, okay? Just like you said, I could have stayed in this boarding school forever without ever contacting you, but I still came out and said these things to you because I just want to get a definite answer from Mom, like, 'I'll allow it.'"

Personal independence, intellectual independence, and most importantly, economic independence.

Kitagawa Ryo brought her the first two things, but the latter was the confidence she gained from the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School's Private Points system.

Ichinose Honami tells her mother the fact that she has grown up:

"The gifts for Mom and Maki are all things I earned this semester... I can do it, I really can."

"Didn't Mom always say she believed I was a better daughter than you? Then please believe in me, believe in this better daughter of yours."

After such a persuasive and reasoned speech, Ichinose's mother, though not immediately understanding every word her daughter said, was naturally drawn into her rhythm and, for the first time, began to waver. Her lips moved slightly, and she asked in her daughter's direction, her voice trembling:

"Does Honami hate his mother?"

"My favorite."

Ichinose Honami looked into her mother's eyes. She had always felt that such feelings of pity shouldn't exist between a daughter and her mother, but now she was indeed answering with a tone imbued with those feelings:

"I told my mom these things because I like them."

Finally, she said this:

"I will be happy, Mom."

So... I want your blessing.

Chapter 269: The Past Four Seasons

Even from a distance, Kitagawa Ryo could clearly see Ichinose Honami's struggles, including her trembling shoulders and clenched and unclenched fists, all filled with pity.

Even so, he knew he couldn't show his face right now.

In this conversation between mother and daughter, Ichinose Honami must convince her mother that she wasn't instigated by anyone or any external force, and that these are all her own suppressed true thoughts. If Kitagawa Ryo were to intervene at this moment, it would only have the opposite effect.

Just like the classic saying "led astray by bad kids," for parents like Ichinose Honami's mother, the first thought after noticing the drastic change in their children must be to find a plausible, or rather, self-comforting, excuse.

They are willing to believe that their children have been playing too wildly during the long holidays, that they have been led astray by bad friends, or that they have fallen in love with some boy, but they find it very difficult to accept these heartfelt and genuine thoughts from their children.

So Kitagawa Ryo remained standing there, silently waiting for the other's reply along with Ichinose Honami.

Honami should be much smarter and more capable.

Whether during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam or in the past first semester, Kitagawa Ryo often had such thoughts, and sometimes it was as if one could hear the lament of her buried talent.

Sakayanagi Arisu was willing to express these feelings, and Kitagawa Ryo also arranged for her to take the lead during the final project, giving her the best stage to perform.

But Ichinose Honami wouldn't speak.

Her fatal weakness was her overly fragile heart.

Whether it's Horikita Suzune, who has overcome her confusion and found her goals in every direction, or Karuizawa Kei, who has already made plans for her future and is now carefree enjoying her school life, neither of them will stop moving forward.

No matter how much you struggle and suffer, being stuck in the same place is always a painful thing, especially for someone who has been reborn.

'There's no need to try anymore,' 'Don't force yourself,' 'The fact is I'm right here with you now.' Perhaps these gentle words can free her from these psychological burdens.

However, at the same time, Ichinose Honami will completely lose her foothold and the opportunity to transform.

Having gone through numerous simulations, Kitagawa Ryo had created Horikita Suzune and Karuizawa Kei in several different timelines. But this time, reality would not repeat itself, so Kitagawa Ryo continued to wait, waiting for Ichinose Honami to figure everything out on her own.

Of course, Kitagawa Ryo wouldn't allow Ichinose Honami to bear the pressure alone, because he had already experienced the consequences of such an attack. After all, the broken Honami had done something that resulted in a bad ending with a single stab.

Kitagawa Ryo has always been clear about one thing.

He can be Honami's source of confidence, but he cannot be Honami's mouthpiece.

But the reverse is also true.

He can't be Honami's mouthpiece, but he can be Honami's source of confidence.

Thus, after this almost somber conversation ended with Ichinose's mother nodding somewhat numbly, as if she hadn't quite recovered yet, Kitagawa Ryo first patted Maki's head, signaling her to comfort her mother, and then immediately followed Ichinose Honami from the other side.

The other party's final destination was the rooftop of the hotel. As if knowing he was following behind, Kitagawa Ryo could even sense Honami deliberately slowing down his pace.

"How did Honami feel after saying it?"

And so, the two arrived at the rooftop one after the other. Kitagawa Ryo took two steps forward and stood next to Ichinose Honami, who was leaning on the railing and gazing at the neon-lit night view. Feeling the evening breeze, he took the initiative to ask her a question.

"... If Liang asks me this now, I honestly don't know either."

Feeling a lingering sense of confusion, Ichinose Honami whispered a reply before turning her head toward Kitagawa Ryo:

"Liang was there just now, wasn't he?"

"Yes, I've listened to almost the whole thing."

Ichinose Honami's eyes were unusually red, and there were still some tear stains on her face. Perhaps this was why she had chosen to climb the stairs to this rooftop.

"It's still a mess, but at least I got it out there."

She muttered this to herself.

"I think so too. For Honami, this is a truly remarkable thing."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement. Ichinose Honami's ability to regulate her emotions was even better than he had imagined, though perhaps this was partly due to the affirmation and blessings she had received from her mother.

"Although, as Ryo said, this is indeed only a very significant matter 'for me,' I also acknowledge--"