Chapter 13

"Yeah, that's right."

"But every human I've met has said I have to die."

"Who said that? Shido and I don't want to kill you, do we?"

Lingmeng chimed in from the side. Well... technically, she wasn't human either.

"Is that so?" The girl narrowed her eyes, distrust returning to her face. "If you don't want to kill me, why are you here?"

"Oh! That's because Shido came up to get his home—" Lingmeng started to answer, but Shido clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What the hell, Shido? What was that for?" Lingmeng shoved his hand away, sounding annoyed.

"...Sorry! Lingmeng, could you please let me answer everything from here on?"

Shido pressed his palms together and pleaded with an apologetic look.

"...I don't know what you're up to, but suit yourself!"

Lingmeng waved it off. She had no idea what Shido was trying to do, but she agreed anyway.

"Get his what?" the girl asked.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it!" Shido said, breaking into a sweat. He had lied to Lingmeng about coming up for homework; he hadn't forgotten any homework at all.

"As for why we came here, uh... it's because..." Shido ran out of words.

"Another multiple-choice question?" Aboard the Fraxinus, Kotori took the Chupa Chups from her mouth and looked at the options that had appeared on the monitor.

① "To see you, of course."

② "Does it really matter?"

③ "It's a coincidence. A coincidence!"

After every crew member had voted, option ① had the most votes.

"Well, judging by her reaction just now, we shouldn't pick ②. Shido, tell her you came to see her."

Kotori spoke into the Microphone, and Shido, receiving her instructions on the screen, slowly opened his mouth.

"T-to see you."

"...?"

Not only the girl but Lingmeng beside him looked surprised.

"See me? Why?"

Yeah, I'd like to know why too. Didn't you say you came to get your homework? Since when did that turn into wanting to see a Spirit?

As the girl tilted her head and Lingmeng grumbled inwardly, another set of options appeared on the screen.

① "I'm interested in you."

② "To fall in love with you."

③ "I have something to ask you."

"Hmm... what should we do?" Kotori propped her chin on her hand. Then all the votes went to ②.

"He should be direct at a time like this. Show some manliness!"

"If he doesn't spell it out, she won't understand!"

The crew members' shouts rose from below.

Hearing their reasoning, Kotori nodded in agreement.

"The other two would probably just lead to more questions. Shido, say, 'To fall in love with you.'"

Shido hesitated, but he had no choice except to say it, his nerves getting the better of him.

"I... I came here... to fall in love with you!" Shido practically shouted it.

"Damn, Shido, I had you all wrong. I thought you were a decent, shy virgin! Who knew you were so desperate to get your hands on her?"

At Shido's answer, Lingmeng stared at him as though she had never known what kind of person he was.

"N-no, it's not like that! You've got it wrong!" Seeing that Lingmeng had misunderstood, Shido hurried to explain.

At that instant, a blade of wind swept over Shido's head. It split the classroom wall and kept flying outside, while several strands of his hair drifted through the air, severed.

"Don't joke about that!" The Purple-Haired Girl looked pained as she spoke angrily...

I Won't Deny You

"Shido, did you forget your medicine today, or take the wrong pills? I never thought someone like you would say something so driven by lust."

Lingmeng stared at Shido in disbelief, taking a jab at what he had just said.

Aboard the Fraxinus, the crew members, Kotori included, raised their eyebrows slightly. They were the ones who had told Shido to say it, so Lingmeng's jab at him was just as much a jab at them.

"You've got it wrong! You definitely do!" Shido protested with all his might.

He turned back to the girl. Seeing her expression, as though she believed no one could ever care about her and had given up on the world, he hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I... I came here because I wanted to talk to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what he said, I think. Right, Shido?" Lingmeng chimed in.

"Yeah. I want to talk to you. We can talk about anything. If you don't want to, you can ignore my request. But please understand one thing. I—"

"Shido, calm down. Don't go saying whatever you want!" Kotori warned him, but Shido didn't stop.

Unlike the girl, Shido had his parents, his little sister, and friends like Lingmeng at his side. The girl, though, was all alone.

If that was how things stood, then he, Shido Itsuka, would tell her himself!

"I won't deny you!"

Bang! Shido's words seemed to strike the girl straight in the heart. She frowned and looked away from him.

Now that's what the Shido I know would say! What was that lust-crazed line earlier?

Lingmeng folded her arms and nodded with a smile.

After a while, the girl parted her lips.

"...Shido. You said your name was Shido, right?"

"That's right."

"You really won't deny me?"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really, really?"

"Really, really."

"Really, really, really?"

"Really, really, really."

"Hey! Can you two stop repeating yourselves? All this 'really, really' is making me dizzy!"

Seeing that Shido and the girl might keep it up forever, Lingmeng couldn't help interrupting them.

"Uh... sorry. I got carried away." Shido scratched his head awkwardly and smiled.

The Purple-Haired Girl turned to Lingmeng as well. "Your name's Lingmeng, right? You won't deny me either, like Shido?"

Lingmeng froze for a moment, then spoke.

"I can't promise that. Even lovers who've sworn eternal devotion, or brothers who've risked their lives together, might betray each other. People's hearts can change. Someone might call you their closest friend one moment and shove you into a pit of fire the next. I don't think I'm broad-minded enough to accept absolutely anyone, so I'm sorry..."

"...I see..." The girl seemed to deflate at Lingmeng's answer.

"Lingmeng... don't you think that's a bit one-sided?" Shido whispered to her. He felt that what she had said was a little off too.

Lingmeng only gave him an enigmatic smile before continuing.

"But! I think everything has a reason to exist. No one has the right to deny another person's existence. That's what I believe, at least. So please don't ever think your existence has no value. Everyone is the brightest star in their own world!"

Lingmeng smiled, privately congratulating herself on what she thought had been an incredibly cool line.

"Really?" The girl perked up again at Lingmeng's words.

"Really! And don't start that 'really, really' routine with me."

Remembering how the girl had sounded like a broken record, Lingmeng gave an awkward laugh.

"Phew. You scared me for a second. I thought you were about to say something harsh again, Lingmeng."

Shido let out a breath, sounding relieved.

Lingmeng just smiled. "Don't worry. I know where to draw the line."

The girl frowned, pursed her lips, and folded her arms, looking thoroughly defiant.

"I'm not falling for your words! Idiots! Idiots!"

Wow, she's acting all tough! (//?//)

Lingmeng grew a little excited at the girl's display. She had never seen anyone act like this in her previous life. Now that she finally had, she could cross one wish off her list.

"I'm not lying..." Shido replied.

"...But, um..." The girl looked conflicted.

"I don't know what you're plotting, but you're the only humans who've wanted to talk to me... So I'll use you to learn a little about this world!"

With that, the girl gave another huff.

"Want information? Sure, I'm happy to help!" Lingmeng agreed with a smile.

"Yeah. Ask whatever you want. If I know the answer, I'll tell you." Shido nodded, his gaze steady.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this for information. Yes, that's right! Information is very important!"

"Okay, okay, I know!" Lingmeng replied casually.

It was only a slight change, but Shido noticed that the girl's eyes seemed to soften a little as she talked with him and Lingmeng.

Well... I guess we've made contact, at least?

Shido scratched his cheek at the thought.

"Not bad, Shido. Keep it up." Kotori's encouraging voice came through his earpiece.

"Ah, okay..."

The girl took a few long strides and began slowly looking around the classroom.

"But if either of you does anything suspicious, I'll put a big hole in you."

"Got it, got it~ (￣▽￣~)~"

"...Okay, I understand."

Shido and Lingmeng answered in turn.

"Shido, Lingmeng."

"What is it?" they both asked.

"Tell me, what is this place? I've never seen anywhere like it."

As she spoke, the girl walked along, running her hands over the desks that were still standing.

"It's a school classroom," Lingmeng said casually.

"School?" The girl tilted her head, looking puzzled.

Shido quickly added, "It's where students our age come to learn. We sit at those desks, like this."

"What!?" The girl's eyes widened. "People sit at all these desks? You're kidding. There are almost forty of them!"