Chapter 435

Haihara doesn't remember many phone numbers.

Like before, she only remembered Kougami's phone number and her own.

Oh, and try your own home phone.

Although it's been so many years, it's probably no longer in use.

It's normal if you can't get through.

Try calling a little; it might connect normally. It's strange that I haven't tried it before.

As she ate her porridge, she awkwardly tapped her phone screen, typing in the number she knew best.

The porridge isn't as hot as it used to be.

[The number you dialed is out of service... beep... beep...]

Haihara Lily Chou sipped her empty spoon.

She didn't react at all.

She dialed the number a few more times, neither very clever nor very superstitious.

But no matter how many times I tried, there was no change.

She clearly didn't enter the wrong number.

[Service has been suspended...]

[Already...]

"..."

Haihara deleted the numbers she had entered and re-entered them.

"Can't get through..."

She muttered it to herself several times.

Suddenly, she felt a little discouraged.

"I can't get through..." She put down her phone, raised her hand, wiped her eyes, and her voice began to have a heavy nasal tone.

She lowered her head slightly.

Haihara looked somewhat annoyed, but that annoyance was quickly overwhelmed and extinguished by the overwhelming sense of helplessness.

It seems to have been discontinued.

This is so annoying...

She could get through to this phone number just yesterday.

When I woke up, the number was no longer in service.

It seems she's moved to a different house, otherwise her landline number should still be there.

Haihara was complaining to someone, I don't know:

"Why can't I get through...? This is so strange."

I don't recognize anything.

I don't know anything.

Everything suddenly became unfamiliar to her.

Kazama was also keeping it from her.

The room was dark in the morning, with no lights on, as if the curtains were drawn because of the snowstorm outside.

She sat silently on the bed, the sheets disheveled.

Before she knew it, her tears began to drip into the paper bowl of porridge, and no matter how hard she wiped them, they wouldn't stop. She didn't make any sound when she cried, only the foolish and dejected sound of her trying to hold back.

Why can't she understand anything?

Why didn't you tell her something so simple?

But even though it's so simple, I still don't understand it, and I still feel like there must be something wrong with it.

But Haihara thought that, in reality, nothing was wrong.

She was the only one who didn't know why she had become like this and appeared here.

No one told her why she was there, nor did anyone tell her what to do.

How annoying...

Last night, Kazama Kiriori barely slept because she was anxiously taking care of Haihara. After Haihara's fever finally subsided a little and she fell asleep, Kazama Kiriori also had to go to bed and rest.

As Kazama Kiriori rubbed her disheveled long hair and slowly got out of bed, she quickly mustered her strength, wanting to go and see how her mother was doing.

When she realized it was already quite bright, Kazama suddenly felt a bit uneasy; she had actually rested for so long.

She was still a little unsteady when she stood up.

However, as she hurried towards her room, she looked at the scene before her with a slightly confused expression, her face gradually turning blank.

In front of her was an open cabinet door.

From the cabinet, the framed photos of Haihara's past that she had secretly hidden away were taken out and piled on the floor.

Yes, a lot of picture frames.

From her childhood to now, she has all sorts of things, from many places, and she has kept them all.

There are many more, such as the cups with labels bearing both of their names.

The dolls are a pair, holding hands, and each of them has its own name written on it.

One after another...

There are a lot.

But now these things are simply coldly pulled out of the cupboard and piled up rather ungently.

Her gaze remained fixed as she moved forward.

In front of the cabinet, a girl sat slumped on the ground, clutching a photograph of Haihara and her taken in the past.

The girl's beautiful, not-too-long black hair was now dull and hung down listlessly, obscuring her pale, tear-stained face.

"... teacher?"

Kazama felt a chill in his heart.

However, all that was received in response was the girl's soft, cold voice:

"Did you used to call me that?"

"No... um, I..." Kazama for a moment, unable to come up with an answer no matter how hard she tried.

The photo shows twelve or thirteen-year-old Kazama Kiriori posing with Haihara.

Kazama Kiriori inside didn't seem happy; there was a lingering gloom in her eyes.

However, Haihara didn't seem to show any difference.

"Why is it that the rest of my life is filled with photos of us together?"

The girl, Haihara Lily Chou, asked with a hint of confusion.

There was neither anger nor much sadness, only bewilderment.

Of course, because she had no reason to be angry.

Next, just like in those terrible and cheesy TV dramas they had watched together before, Kazama Kiriori heard similar lines.

The girl showed no expression, only a faint, somber voice.

"So... at least tell me, who are you?"

Chapter 191 I Don't Want to Be Here

At this moment, Haihara Lily Chou, standing in front of Kazama Kiriori, looked to be in a rather terrible state.

After being cared for last night, Haihara's high fever has only subsided slightly to a level where she can be observed.

It goes without saying that Haihara has been sitting on the floor like this, searching for something, without regard for her own health, for a long time.

Now, the girl's already pale face was tinged with the redness of illness, her eyelids showed an undisguised haggardness, and at the same time, she was constantly breathing softly.

"So... at least tell me, who are you?"

The girl's voice was very weak.

Kazama Kiriori's mind went completely blank.

The necklace she gave to Haihara has been removed.

Although I don't know why this happened, there's no point in dwelling on it anymore.

She began to wonder, was there still room for her to lie?

"No matter what, please lie back down in bed, okay? Your fever hasn't gone down yet."

Kazama Kiriori stepped forward.

She tried to soothe Haihara, pulling her Haihara. Her hand touched Haihara's arm, which was still warm in the cold room, but when she gently pulled, she didn't feel the other person complying.

Kazama Kiriori's eyes flickered slightly.

Beside him, the girl seemed less obedient. Kazama gently tugged at her several times, but she stubbornly stayed where she was.

Beside them, scattered photos, the cups that belonged to the two of them, and souvenirs lay there coldly, still completely unfamiliar to Haihara now.

Even when Kazama Kiriori arrived, Haihara seemed to be still looking for something.

Among the scattered items, many used to belong to Haihara.

Kazama kept them.

She also saw the cell phone lying at Haihara's feet, its light still shining.

The screen showed that Haihara made many phone calls.

All calls went unanswered.

Without Kazama noticing, Haihara's body began to tremble as she walked, her slightly long black hair obscuring her dejected face.

"... It's not anywhere."

The girl's voice was weak, accompanied by unsteady breathing.

She covered her messy face, steadied her breathing, and then said in a low voice:

"A while ago, Kazama, you promised me you'd ask about my parents, right? Didn't Kougami say anything?"

What lie should be told here?

Kazama Kiriori blurted out, seemingly calmly:

"Aunt Kougami has been very busy lately, so... we haven't been able to figure it out yet."

But this time, Haihara didn't believe it so easily.

"..."

Kazama knew very well how many holes his lie had just contained.

But she didn't understand why she still wanted to deceive Haihara.

At that moment, she saw the girl in front of her pick up the phone, whose screen was already somewhat dim, hold it in both hands, and hand it to her.

Haihara showed the power-on logs above, then looked up—

"I just... want a phone call that they can get through to."

In Kazama's memory, Haihara was neither a slow-witted person nor someone who would deceive herself.

Therefore, this was the first time Kazama had seen Haihara like this.

However, Kazama could neither deceive Haihara nor wanted to admit the truth to her and hurt Haihara.