Chapter 466
The setting sun cast a long shadow on her.
The woman seemed unaware of the situation; she didn't seem to care much.
"Hmm? That seems to be the case."
"But she'll probably go home soon anyway, so don't worry about it. Let's go now."
As she spoke, she kept smiling, intending to lead the little girl away from there.
The woman's fingers dangled in the little girl's palm.
However, the little girl seemed to really care about the complete stranger.
Or perhaps, she was somewhat attracted to his appearance.
But she looked very lonely.
She said it seriously.
And their gazes never left that person.
The woman was at her wits' end with her child. She looked helpless and was about to say something when she felt her child let go of her hand.
Her expression changed slightly at this moment, her smile turning into confusion and bewilderment.
The child looked very relaxed.
"I'll go take a look and be right back, before sunset."
The woman's puzzled expression turned into one of blankness.
But if it gets dark too quickly, the child might not be able to come back.
It was like running away.
After the child finished speaking to the woman, like any naughty child, she ran off into the distance, leaving one to wonder if she would ever return.
In her eyes, she saw the image of the child leaving her, the figure growing farther and farther away, like a horse that had broken free of its reins, filling her with sorrow.
"Wait a minute, um..."
The woman's bewildered voice faded into the distance.
Finally, her expression was no longer visible.
The little girl ran towards the figure in the setting sun.
The sun is getting closer to its end.
As night gradually descends on the distant horizon, a color that evokes unease, like a bustling city closing and people dispersing, making the homeless yearn for home and a place to call home.
Beside the bridge, a displaced girl gazed at the setting sun on the horizon, her eyes growing increasingly downcast. She no longer wanted to look at the sunlight, but instead looked at the river below the bridge, a certain thought becoming clearer and clearer in her mind.
Just then, she heard footsteps rushing towards her.
She paid no attention to the footsteps.
She doesn't want to hear anything now.
Until behind her, a clear and melodious child's voice called her softly several times:
"Big sister, are you very sad?"
When Kazama Kiriori came to her senses, her vision was still blurry, and the whole world seemed dark and unclear to her.
When she turned her head at the call, she saw a small figure standing in her shadow, its silhouette illuminated by half the setting sun.
The empty, desolate, and cold world she had once seen suddenly became crowded and bright.
Kazama Kiriori was stunned for a moment, speechless for a long time.
But my head was spinning and I couldn't explain why.
"... No."
She instinctively denied it.
But now, her throat is so dry she can barely make a sound.
The little girl was not discouraged:
Your throat seems very dry, would you like some water?
Kazama Kiriori doesn't quite remember.
But she felt a familiar sensation.
These words seem familiar.
Where is it?
Why does it feel so familiar? And what's the next sentence...?
She wanted to say something, but when she realized what was happening, she felt a warm sensation on her cheek, as if something was dripping down, which she found unpleasant.
Kazama Kiriori instinctively reached out to wipe it, but couldn't stop herself.
In the setting sun, her expression may also be blurred.
But the little girl in front of her must have seen it very clearly.
"Why did you suddenly start crying?" the little girl asked, puzzled.
Why?
Kazama Kiriori felt that this question was illogical, because there was no need to answer it, but she couldn't think of an answer. Why was that?
"Why?"
She muttered to herself blankly, quite puzzled:
"Because I thought I might never see you again... so I..."
It's embarrassing to cry in front of a little child.
The other person might not understand.
That's really stupid.
But when she thought that she and the other person would never see each other again tomorrow, and that she wouldn't be able to say good morning to that person, she couldn't hold back her tears.
So, it's getting dark.
Will they be able to see each other again tomorrow?
Will this person in front of me disappear before my eyes and leave my world?
That's really scary.
Thinking of all this, she looked at the child's face and heard her say---
"How about we meet tomorrow?"
Without any preamble, she easily obtained the child's answer and promise—small, gentle, but very earnest.
The restless, disoriented girl froze, staring blankly at the child.
Her gaze gradually shifted from unfocused to downcast.
Like the setting sun receding into the distance, it has transformed into a tranquil twilight.
It seems like nothing has been said about where or how we'll meet tomorrow.
But that person told her, "See you tomorrow."
There are still many confusions, many questions, and many emotions surging like a tide.
But at this moment, they all come together:
"... Um."
A lonely girl, and a little girl looking up at her.
The setting sun and the approaching night.
Children often worry about nightmares because they don't know they're unreal and that the sun will rise again tomorrow.
"---Tick-tock."
Something broken was dripping down like rain.
It also sounds a bit like a bubble being popped.
Kazama Kiriori looked up at the sky.
The twilight sky resembles shattered glass, or a broken, withered heart.
The sky shattered, and then its fragments fell one by one, revealing huge cracks, no longer able to maintain its original beauty.
The beautiful dream was shattered, revealing the truth.
The shattered sky collapsed into a torrential downpour, and the world that someone had idealized, the beautiful dream they had woven, vanished completely in that instant.
Kazama Kiriori let the rain soak her hair and drip onto her face, washing away her previous disheveled appearance.
Then, she withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and turned to look into the distance ahead.
Then she saw the figure of a woman who had been gazing at her from afar. Compared to before, the woman's beautiful appearance suddenly seemed somewhat fragile.
"..."
In the pouring rain, the woman lowered her head, and her usually composed expression seemed to have changed.
It has nothing to do with smiles anymore.
It was difficult to see clearly because of the light and the rain.
At first, there was a silent sorrow and grief, as if one was unable to move on from past traumas and was overwhelmed by the tide of emotions.
But when she looked up and met Kazama Kiriori's gaze, all the tenderness she had reserved for that person vanished.
Kazama Kiriori saw the woman's distorted expression.
Jealousy and hatred bordering on madness.
---This dream has come to an end.
Discount update notification
I just finished my exams today. Lately, I've been in a complete mess due to various things, practically unconscious. Then today I discovered that the exams ended on the same day as a discount event. I originally wanted to post a free chapter to let them know, but I don't have time to write another one now, so I'll have to shamelessly update directly. Sorry for the inconvenience.
After the exams, the discount will last for two weeks. During this time, I will not be updating free chapters. After that, I will try my best to update daily until the story is finished. Thank you everyone.
Chapter 213 The Final Puzzle
Haihara Lily Chou has been watching it.
To be honest, she didn't know why she was watching, or why she was sitting there observing from a perspective unfamiliar to her.
She felt like she was watching TV during this period of time.
Yes, everything.
I couldn't make any facial expressions; I just stared blankly at the TV, just like usual.
I don't want to think, and I don't want to do anything.
She thought this was fine.
Being an adult is so tiring.
Actually, she had this idea when she had a dog as a child.
The dog was heavy and its body was very warm.
It's frightening.
The child's body is heavier, and their body temperature is more clearly visible.
The puppy died so easily from illness, so if it were a human, she probably wouldn't have been able to raise it well either. The thought of this is truly frightening.
[So, you only skip the parts of the show that involve your daughter?]
A strange voice was speaking in her ear.