The entire street where Yukino was was lined with bars, and there were quite a few people by the roadside trying to pull in customers.
She walked very slowly, with her head lowered.
When the traffic light turned green, Shiya followed the crowd across the street, but her gaze never left Yukino.
She remembered that Yukino couldn’t really hold her liquor, nor did she like to drink. She would only occasionally have a drink or two with her, but after just two cups, her face would already flush red.
There was one time Yukino had one cup too many. Not long after, she lost her clarity and, cheeks glowing, came over to her acting all spoiled and asking for hugs—a total contrast to her usual cool beauty, and simply adorable.
Even now, the photos from that time were still on Shiya’s phone. After waking up, Yukino had asked her to delete them more than once, but Shiya just couldn’t bear to. In the end, she had no choice but to delete the local photos in front of her, which finally satisfied Yukino. Still, she had three backup copies in her cloud drive.
Yukino’s probably just passing by, right? Shiya thought to herself.
She knew Yukino couldn’t drink. If she got tipsy and no one was with her, it could be dangerous.
…Even though her true identity was a Yuki-onna.
But things didn’t go as hoped. Under Shiya’s gaze, Yukino stopped in front of a bar called “Next Life.” She paced back and forth for a while, looking hesitant.
Don’t go in, don’t go in…
Shiya chanted silently, her hand unconsciously tightening into a fist.
But Yukino still went inside, her white silhouette quickly swallowed by the bar’s neon lights.
“Tch…” Shiya clicked her tongue anxiously.
What is she thinking? She knows she can’t drink, so why go into a bar?
An inexplicable restlessness welled up. The black-haired girl clenched at her clothes, her lips bitten so hard they’d turned pale.
“She’s a Yuki-onna, even if she gets drunk nothing will happen. Relax,” said Reason.
“But what if something does? You know, right? If Yukino drinks too much, she loses awareness. No matter how strong she is, it’s useless if she’s not conscious, right? Besides, this is Dreamscape City—mythical creatures everywhere, eldritch gods all over the place like stray dogs.” Feeling countered.
Instinct stood in the middle, arms akimbo: “Why not just take a look? As long as you don’t let her notice, it’s fine, right?”
“Good idea.” “You’re right.”
One way or another, Shiya convinced herself. Just as she was about to head toward the bar, Yumya’s voice came from the phone:
“Teacher? Are you still there?”
Those words yanked Shiya back to reality. The cold air slipped into her sleeves, stinging her skin.
That’s right, I’m a teacher now. My relationship with Yukino is just that of teacher and student. I shouldn’t be overly involved in her personal life.
We’re unrelated people.
Shiya remembered how close Yukino and Yumya had been that afternoon.
She must have listened to what I said, and started a new life.
Isn’t that a good thing?
Keeping my distance from Yukino—isn’t this what I wanted?
Then why… does my heart ache so much?
The girl clutched at her chest, her vision blurring.
“…Teacher? Are you okay? You suddenly went quiet—did something happen?” Yumya asked anxiously.
“I’m fine, Yumya,” Shiya answered softly. “I’ll be back soon. Please help me buy the medicine.”
“Alright… I understand.”
Shiya hung up, her hand slowly falling to her side.
Yukino is an eldritch god. Even after the task is done, we’ll never cross paths again.
Yes, that’s how it should be…
On a winter night, on the bustling street, the lone black-haired girl put away her phone and stepped into the city’s shadows.
And all of this was seen clearly by a certain silver-haired girl.
She quietly followed behind that teacher, as silent as a ghost without substance, the screen of her phone still showing the recently ended call.
“Girls who say one thing and do another aren’t very likable, you know…”
Yumya’s silvery-gray eyes reflected the silhouette of the black-haired girl.
“Teacher~”
No, this isn’t right…
The city’s streets bustled with life, but Yukino felt utterly out of place, as if she didn’t exist in the same world as the others.
When did this feeling begin? Probably after he died.
She always believed Ye Xi was still alive. Her days of running around and investigating left her no time to care about it, so the feeling festered in her heart like a crack in the corner of a wall—until it all came crashing down at this moment.
So this is what it’s like—how lonely I am without you.
Yukino buried her face deep in her scarf.
Just when she was about to be swallowed completely by despair, a girl with black hair and red eyes quietly appeared in her field of vision.
It was strange. Even though she and Ye Xi looked nothing alike, the first moment Yukino saw her, she couldn’t help but overlap the two in her mind.
And as long as she focused on her, every move, every gesture seemed to carry Ye Xi’s shadow.
For a moment, Yukino almost believed Shiya really was Ye Xi, just hiding her identity for some reason.
But if you are him, why do you run from me?
…Don’t leave me!
“You two are birds of a feather.”
Yumya’s soft whisper woke her from her obsession.
Could it be that I just projected Ye Xi’s identity onto Shiya? That, in reality, Shiya just happened to arrive in Dreamscape City as an investigator at this moment?
A withered flower bud growing atop the ruins of obsession—without soil, how could a flower ever sprout?
Yukino had always thought of herself as a rational person.
She’d been investigating for so long with no results—only a text message that might just have been a joke.
Maybe it was time to accept the reality that he was already gone.
But how am I supposed to live in a world where he doesn’t exist?
The thought of never seeing her again for all the days to come filled Yukino with terror.
“It’s so cold…” Yukino hugged herself tightly.
She was a Yuki-onna, so why did she feel cold?
A mottled beam of light fell across her face. She squinted, looked up, and saw the sign for “Next Life” and the guests coming and going at the bar entrance.
I ended up here without realizing it…
Yukino didn’t like drinking, but when she was with Ye Xi, it seemed she didn’t mind it so much.
Because as long as she was drunk, no matter what she asked for, he would always grant it. Only at times like those could she let herself be a little willful.
“Delete the photos, or I’ll post your naked baby pictures to my Moments!”
“Eek! You’re so cruel—damn it…!”
Watching the youth helplessly delete the photos from his phone, Yukino smiled.
She knew Ye Xi had a habit of keeping backups, so that photo probably had at least three copies.
Oh well~
“……”
The shadows of the past were like yellowed film—no matter how you looked, they were only faded memories.
Yukino breathed out a puff of white air, adjusted her scarf, and walked up to the bar.
Suddenly, she wanted to drink.
“Welcome to Next Life. What would you like to have?”
The owner of Next Life was a brawny robot named Jack. Like any bartender, he was wiping glasses behind the counter as he greeted her simply.
There weren’t many people inside, and most were ghouls. They all seemed to work for the same security company, judging by their matching uniforms—here to relax after work.
Yukino’s arrival drew several glances, but she paid no mind and sat in a corner of the bar.
“One ‘Forgetfulness,’ please.”