Anime Crossover: About How I Spoiled an Angel

Page 348

"Are you ok?"

Mahiru was slightly taken aback. She instinctively looked at Yui, but couldn't utter a single word.

As if her brain had crashed, she hadn't yet realized what had happened, and her beautiful face was now filled with only a blank and helpless expression.

"I'm fine." After a few seconds, Mahiru gently shook her head, her mouth muscles instinctively forcing a smile. "Thank you, Yuihama-san."

Her tone paused slightly, and her polite smile became increasingly practiced.

"You've been coming home with me these past few days... I really thank you this time."

"But actually, you and I are going home in different directions, right? I really don't know why you did this, but to be honest, it's bothering me."

"So... do you mean to kick me out?" Yui stared straight into Mahiru's eyes, but couldn't see anything, even though Mahiru should be looking at her right now.

Therefore, her voice doesn't have much variation in pitch now.

Mahiru shook her head slightly and smiled calmly, "Well... I'm just more used to walking alone."

Yui stood there blankly, staring at that incredibly unfamiliar smile, yet a strange sense of familiarity welled up inside her.

Have I seen this kind of smile somewhere before?

Ah... she remembered.

At the beginning, my relationship with Xiaoxue was like this, and she always had that same smile on her face.

But Mahiru's smile at this moment was even more polite, even more...

It's simply keeping people at arm's length.

"Fine, since you've been so blunt, I have no reason to stay with you any longer."

Yui pursed her lower lip tightly.

As the wind gently blew between dusk and evening, the fleeting glimmer of tears in the girl's eyes vanished with the breeze.

"Okay, goodbye," Mahiru said.

"Goodbye," Yui said.

Mahiru stared blankly at the pink-haired girl's departing figure for a few seconds.

The other person emphasized the last two words very forcefully; I had never heard such a sound since I met them.

Yui must be angry, right?

After all, it was something I myself bluntly pointed out as "troubling"...

But that's fine.

Their paths crossed because of Su Qing, and now that Su Qing is gone, let's end that connection.

Most importantly, I don't know how to face you, Yui...

Mahiru's pupils went unfocused for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she realized that she could no longer see Yui's back.

She remained where she was, let out a soft sigh, and then turned and continued walking back.

Speaking of which direction is "home"?

I almost bumped into a telephone pole just now, and I'm already a bit disoriented.

It seems I can no longer think while walking.

Dusk was falling.

The girl's shadow gradually shortened, eventually gathering at her feet like a drop of ink that would never spread.

From afar, the wind carried the beautiful sound of a flute, the sound of the flute echoing the sound of the wind, and finally landing on every strand of her hair.

Just like rain.

……

"Yuigahama-san, could you explain why you're here?"

Inside the apartment.

As soon as Mahiru stepped out of the elevator, she vaguely saw a pink-haired girl in front of her house. She was carrying a handbag that was noticeably bulging, her hair was messy, and there was a dark red stain on her neck, which spread on the surface along with her sweat.

What are you doing?

Mahiru stepped forward, and Yui turned around at that moment.

"I have something very important to tell you."

Mahiru was silent for a moment, noticing that the other person's eyes were extremely firm.

But she still shook her head decisively, "Sorry, I don't think we have anything to talk about."

"Why? Aren't we friends?!"

Yui suddenly questioned loudly.

Perhaps the hallway lights were too soft today, so that when they fell on her eyes, they reflected a kind of translucent light.

"..."

"I'm sorry, please go back."

Mahiru refused to make eye contact; more accurately, she avoided it.

She no longer looked into Yui's eyes; whenever she gazed into those eyes, she couldn't help but think of something else.

Then, as if no one was around, she unlocked the door, opened it, and then closed it.

He didn't say a word during this time.

Yui is one of them.

The door slammed shut.

It was closed very gently, yet with great force.

On one side of the door, Yui reached out and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. A cold wind rushed into her nostrils, making her throat uncomfortable.

On the other side of the door, Mahiru leaned against the door with her back to it, her black handbag hanging limply from her fingertips.

The entryway light switched on immediately, casting a swaying, unsteady shadow.

Stop being so persistent, Yui.

A strong sense of guilt welled up inside Mahiru. What had the other person done wrong?

Yui must have come to keep me company because she was worried about my condition...

The girl stood in front of the door for a long time.

After a long while, there was still no sound from behind the door. Mahiru assumed that Yui had left, and for some reason, she breathed a sigh of relief after realizing this.

Speaking of which, I haven't made dinner yet.

It's so cold, what should we eat?

……

Oh well, I'll just use whatever's in the fridge.

This is a very common thing.

It's difficult to eat different dishes every day. In her past life, the girl would sometimes be lazy and repeat the same dishes, or cook based on what was in the refrigerator.

Couldn't be more normal.

Just as Mahiru was about to reach the living room, her ears suddenly twitched.

what sound?

Shinichi went to investigate and roughly determined that the sound came from his front door.

She frowned slightly; it sounded like water hitting something.

It's raining?

But when he looked out the window, he didn't see a single drop of rain.

It wasn't raining, and Mahiru just assumed she had misheard. But as time passed, the sound of water became clearer, and her heart grew increasingly restless.

She walked back to the door step by step, trying to see what was happening outside through the peephole—what if something bad was happening outside if she opened the door without permission?

However, Mahiru couldn't see anything clearly because her cat-eye view was completely filled with a white expanse of water.

Is it really raining?

No, how could rain fall right at the doorway?

Moreover... she vaguely saw a blurry yet familiar figure in the flowing water.

As the water receded and the view opened up, Mahiru's heart trembled slightly.

She flung open the door in a panic, snatched the water bottle from Yui's head as she was about to pour more water on it, and yelled, "Yui, what are you doing!"

Upon hearing this, Yui smiled inexplicably. Her smooth, delicate hair seemed to become heavy, sticking to her fair forehead and almost obscuring her eyes.

"I'm so sorry... I made your front door wet, but I really couldn't think of a better way..."

"Stop talking about that. Come in and take a shower so you don't catch a cold."

Mahiru didn't actually hear what Yui was saying; she didn't have the time.

It's the dead of winter, and the other person has been sweating profusely, their pores are definitely wide open trying to dissipate heat.

With the added effects of cold wind and water, catching a cold and fever is almost inevitable.

"Hey, we haven't retrieved the bottle yet..."

Japan takes waste recycling very seriously. Leaving these mineral water bottles lying around outside could actually result in a complaint and a fine.

"What time is it and you're still worrying about that!"

Mahiru grabbed her wrist without a care and almost forcibly dragged her along.

The stern yet gentle voice, along with the perfectly measured pressure on her hands, all reminded Yui of her mother.

And, the moment Su Qing bandaged her finger was also like this...

……

The sound of running water in the bathroom was deafening, but Mahiru was somewhat lost in thought as she listened.

Did Yui take a bath at her house last time?

Mahiru suddenly chuckled softly. What was she thinking about? What was this "last time"?

It was only a few days ago, wasn't it?

That day was the day she and Su Qing went to visit Yui together.

……

So, it was only a few days ago?

The girl stopped thinking about it and silently began to clean up the water stains left by Yui when she came in. After spending some time cleaning the doorway, she hurriedly took out a set of clothes from her room.

Arriving at the bathroom door, the hand that was about to knock remained suspended in the middle.

How should I communicate with Yui now?

Before she could think further, a questioning voice came from inside the bathroom, "What's wrong, Mahiru?"

Yui probably saw a dark shadow suddenly appear in front of the frosted glass.

Mahiru thought.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just forgot to get you your clothes. Where did I put them?"

"Just leave it on the doorknob, I'll get it later... I mean, thank you again..."

"It's alright, take your time washing up, I'll go make something to eat. By the way, would you like to have dinner here?"

Although she had taken a hot shower, Mahiru felt it would be better to eat something hot first.

So, let's start with eel soup for dinner...

"May I?"

Amidst the sound of water, the girl's question seemed less certain.