Chapter 10: Yoshino

The next day, Wan Mie stepped out after dressing up.

She wore a plain short-sleeve T-shirt paired with jeans, her long white hair flowing in the breeze, exuding the youthful vitality of a young girl.

Of course, all these clothes were the ones Wan Mie had swiped from the clothing store yesterday.

Ellen’s sudden arrival had caught Wan Mie off guard.

After triggering Void Movement again, she was still holding onto two outfits from the trial fittings she had just done.

For some reason, although Wan Mie had taken the two outfits, the System had stored them in the Warehouse.

Wan Mie didn’t bother with it.

Since they were in the Warehouse anyway, she might as well take them out and wear them.

However, as soon as she stepped onto the street, Wan Mie regretted it.

Before, she usually wore nondescript tracksuits when going out, looking gloomy and unnoticed by most people.

But today, dressed like this, her figure caught the eyes of most of the men around.

Though Wan Mie’s figure wasn’t exactly mature, it had a girlish charm.

Combined with her breathtakingly beautiful face, she instantly became the highlight on the street.

Men couldn’t take their eyes off her, and even women gave her lingering glances.

Everyone loves a beautiful girl—regardless of gender.

Within less than half an hour, three or four self-proclaimed Star Scouts approached her, asking if she wanted to enter the Entertainment Industry.

Of course, Wan Mie refused all of them.

With her slight social anxiety, she found it hard even to say a few words to the convenience store clerk, let alone face thousands on a big stage.

That was scarier than death itself.

All along, the gazes from passersby felt like countless needles pricking at her, and before she reached her destination, Wan Mie couldn’t take it anymore.

She turned into a pharmacy, bought a medical mask, and put it on.

Only then did the attention on her lessen considerably.

The game Xīn ○ Memories was a must-play in Wan Mie’s experience, having been popular since its first release.

Every time a new series installment launched, the game stores would be packed with fans.

However, in Tengū City, the game’s fame was much lower.

At the game store, Wan Mie only waited in line for about ten minutes before buying it.

She felt relieved, clutching the exquisitely packaged game box and itching to use Void Movement to teleport back immediately.

But that skill was only passive—at least for Wan Mie’s current level—and she couldn’t use it directly.

So, she had no choice but to walk back along the original route.

After about ten minutes, Wan Mie arrived in front of a Shrine.

She stopped.

Earlier, her focus had been entirely on the game, so she hadn’t noticed the Shrine here.

Thinking back, in her previous life, Wan Mie loved Japanese culture but couldn’t afford to visit Japan due to financial reasons. Now was a good opportunity.

With that in mind, Wan Mie walked toward the Shrine.

The Shrine was small, roughly the size of two basketball courts.

Passing through the torii gate, the first thing she saw was a shimenawa hanging in front of the Shrine.

The Shrine itself was nothing special, but its age showed—the main structure had some cracks.

Perhaps because it was so small, there was little to see inside.

After a quick glance, Wan Mie lost interest and planned to leave to play her game.

But after taking just two steps, she was drawn to a small figure nearby.

The girl had fair skin and clear star-like eyes, wearing a green cloak decorated with rabbit ears.

Her long, slender blue hair spilled out from under the hood.

She looked about twelve or thirteen years old, like a delicate doll, inspiring a strong protective instinct.

Wan Mie’s expression instantly changed, her smile turning sly.

That expression hardly matched such a beautiful girl, and if the police saw her, they might think she was suspicious.

“This is… Shinomiya!”

Shinomiya was definitely one of Wan Mie’s favorite characters from the series Yosuga no Sora and also the character who opened the door to her lolicon obsession.

Who could resist such an adorable little girl?

Wan Mie hadn’t expected to meet Shinomiya here.

But on second thought, if she calculated based on the original timeline, Shinomiya did appear around this time.

Shinomiya was squatting in a corner of the Shrine, seemingly searching for something.

Naturally, Wan Mie couldn’t just ignore her favorite character.

She walked over to Shinomiya, who was focused on looking for something, and put on a kind older sister expression, asking, “Little sister, what are you looking for?”

Wan Mie kept her voice low.

In her impression, Shinomiya was timid. If she scared her off or left a bad impression, that would be problematic.

Shinomiya shuddered—clearly startled by the sudden question.

She turned her head, looked Wan Mie over carefully, and after confirming no hostility, whispered, “Looking for… Shinonina…”

Her voice was so soft that if any other sound arose, Wan Mie wouldn’t have heard it.

Wan Mie frowned slightly.

If she remembered correctly, Shinonina was a comical hand puppet Shinomiya always held.

To Shinomiya, Shinonina wasn’t just a puppet but a friend, a hero, a spiritual support.

Wan Mie glanced at Shinomiya’s left hand, pale and delicate like jade, now empty—Shinonina was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, Wan Mie understood the severity of the situation.

Shinonina was extremely important to Shinomiya.

If she got too upset from losing it, it might attract AST’s pursuit—and that would be bad news.

Of course, Wan Mie didn’t want to raise Shinomiya’s suspicions, so she asked symbolically, “Then, little sister, what does Shinonina look like?”

“She… she’s very cute. She’s… Shinomiya’s friend…”

Shinomiya answered timidly, like a frightened rabbit.

Wan Mie fought the urge to pull her into a hug and smiled, “Then big sister will help you find her, okay?”

Shinomiya didn’t answer immediately but looked Wan Mie over again.

A glimmer of light flashed in her sapphire-like eyes.

Apparently confirming Wan Mie wasn’t a bad person, she nodded and softly said, “Thank you… big sister…”

“You’re welcome. What’s your name, little sister? I’m Wan Mie, Wanmie Ayase.”

“Shinomiya…”