Feels Like I'd Get Shocked a Lot

Higashino Makoto stopped walking, Yoshino also stopped walking.

She stood beside him, watching the red light across the street.

Her long, light blue hair swayed gently in the night breeze, and her skirt was slightly lifted by the wind; she reached out to press it down.

Higashino Makoto looked down at her.

She has light blue hair, deep blue eyes, fair skin, and a petite figure.

He looks like a primary school student, but he's actually over thirty.

It's legal, but I always feel like I'd get a lot of electric shocks if I did it.

He hesitated.

Yoshino seemed to sense his gaze, raised her head, and looked at him with her deep blue eyes.

"Mr. Higashino?"

"Nothing."

The green light is on.

They crossed the road and entered a quiet residential street.

There were low walls on both sides, with vines climbing on top. Moonlight shone on the stone path, giving it a silvery-white sheen.

Yoshino walked beside him, her steps light and quick, the rabbit doll in her arms bouncing with each step.

The doll suddenly moved.

Yoshinon's mouth opened and closed, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Brother Higashino."

Higashino Makoto looked down and saw the rabbit doll looking up at him.

She has round button eyes, her mouth is sewn into a herringbone shape, and the corners of her mouth are slightly raised.

"What's wrong?"

Look at this.

Yoshinon tugged at Yoshino's skirt with its short arms.

The hem of her skirt was lifted slightly, revealing a section of fair thigh and a light blue...

Higashino Makoto's gaze froze.

Yoshino's face flushed red.

She frantically held down her skirt, lifted the doll from her arms, and pinched its mouth shut.

Yoshinon's mouth was pinched out of shape, but her button eyes were still looking at Higashino Makoto, and the V-shaped suture at the corner of her mouth was still upturned.

"Yoshinon! What are you doing!"

"Waaaaah!"

Higashino Makoto stood there, silent for a moment, then smiled.

Was I provoked by a doll?

He reached out and pulled Yoshinon away from Yoshino's hand, grabbing its ears and holding it up to his eyes. Button looked at him, its mouth slightly crooked from being pinched, but it was still smiling.

"You're really brave."

"Waaaaah!"

Yoshino stood to the side, her face flushed red.

She reached out, trying to snatch the doll back, but pulled her hand back halfway, her deep blue eyes filled with panic.

"Mr. Higashino... Yoshinon didn't do it on purpose..."

"It was intentional."

"It... it..."

Yoshino was speechless.

She lowered her head, her long, light blue hair falling down and obscuring her face.

But Higashino Makoto could see that her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

He returned the hand puppet to her.

Yoshino took the puppet, hugged it tightly, and buried her face in the puppet's fluffy head.

"Mr. Higashino."

Her voice was muffled, coming from behind the doll.

"Um."

"You... you saw it?"

"Um."

She remained silent for a long time.

"Abnormal."

"Um."

She looked up at him, her deep blue eyes gleaming, her face flushed.

"But not in a hateful way."

Higashino Makoto looked at her for two seconds.

What is that?

"Yes..."

She couldn't continue, and buried her face in the doll again.

Yoshinon's voice came from her arms, muffled.

"Yoshino saying that she loves you, she loved you from the moment you resurrected her and chose to save the world."

"Yoshinon!"

"She just doesn't dare to say it. Because there are so many beautiful girls around you, taller than her, more mature than her, more... Waaah!"

Yoshino pinched the doll's mouth shut again.

She lowered her head, her long, light blue hair falling down and obscuring her face.

But she did not deny it.

Higashino Makoto remained silent.

He reached out and lifted her up from the ground.

Yoshino's body is very light, as light as a ball of cotton.

He held her in his arms, and she nestled against his chest, her long, light blue hair brushing against his chin, tickling him.

"Mr. Higashino."

"Um."

"What... what are you going to do to me?"

"You guess."

She looked up at him, her deep blue eyes meeting his, her face still flushed.

Yoshinon said, "This is a date."

I guess so.

"So... what happens after the date?"

We'll talk about it later.

She buried her face in his chest.

That night, Higashino Makoto and Yoshino walked along the river for a long time.

Yoshino walked beside him, wearing a hand puppet, her long, light blue hair swaying gently in the night breeze.

She started talking more, from one sentence to two, and from two sentences to short paragraphs.

She told him what she liked to eat, what books she liked to read, and how she liked to sit by the window and daydream on rainy days.

She told him she was afraid of thunder, afraid of walking alone at night, and afraid of being looked at with strange eyes.

"But I'm not afraid anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you are by my side."

Higashino Makoto stopped and looked at her.

Yoshino also stopped and looked up at him with her deep blue eyes.

The moonlight shone on her face, making her look pale and beautiful.

He reached out and ruffled her hair.

His long, light blue hair slid through his fingers, soft and smooth.

Yoshino squinted her eyes, like a cat being stroked.

It was evening at Yoshino's apartment.

Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, falling on the bed covered with pale blue sheets.

Higashino Makoto lay on the bed, with Yoshino beside him, her long, light blue hair scattered on the pillow, her deep blue eyes half-open and half-closed.

The rabbit hand puppet was still on their hands, its button eyes looking at them, and the herringbone stitching at the corner of its mouth slightly upturned.

Yoshino's face was still red, from her ears all the way down to her neck.

"Higashino."

"Um."

"Will you... will you always be by my side?"

"Meeting."

"You won't abandon me?"

"Won't."

A slight smile played on her lips as she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

The next morning, when Higashino Makoto opened his eyes, Yoshino was still asleep.

Her long, light blue hair was scattered on the pillow, her eyelashes trembled slightly in the morning light, and a faint smile played on her lips.

He sat up and looked at his palms.

Of the ten seeds inside, the two that had already sprouted grew a bit bigger, and the third also broke through the soil.

Now, the fourth seed is beginning to sprout.

He clenched his fist, feeling the growing power within him.

Yoshino rolled over and reached out to touch the space beside her; it was empty.

She opened her eyes and saw Higashino Makoto sitting on the edge of the bed. She rubbed her eyes.

"Higashino?"

"Um."

"Morning."

"Morning."

She sat up, her long, light blue hair slipping down her shoulders.

She hugged the blanket, her deep blue eyes looking at him.

Are you leaving?

"Um."

When are you coming back?

"Soon."

She lowered her head, remained silent for a moment, and then raised her head.

I will always wait for you.

Higashino Makoto reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Good."

Yoshino's lips curled up slightly.