Sato Aoi looked at Cuiyue, a flicker of guilt stirring in her heart.
She knew full well that her father could maintain his dignity in these difficult times entirely thanks to Cuiyue’s care—it couldn’t even be called care anymore, it was practically a blessing.
However, facing this woman who might have an ambiguous relationship with her father, she found it hard to keep her expression pleasant.
Last night, her parents had finally learned of their daughter’s hospitalization.
Fortunately, thanks to Hanyu Yukiki and Momose Tadayoshi covering for her, the awkwardness of her lingering in an unsavory place wasn’t exposed.
That police supervisor, since the incident two days ago, seemed to have exhausted all his drive.
He’d become quiet and spent the whole day guarding Sato Aoi’s hospital room, as if he had nothing else to do.
That former vigor had vanished completely. He was holed up in Sato Aoi’s room all day, seemingly with no other business.
Today, the yakuza boss Momose Tadayoshi didn’t show up. Instead, it was Cuiyue, the person Sato Aoi least wanted to see.
The atmosphere was awkward.
Cuiyue placed a fruit basket on the bedside table, finally breaking the silence. “Sato Aoi… right? I heard you were injured by SAT-EX?”
“Mhm…”
The words “What’s it to you?” almost burst from Sato Aoi’s throat, but thinking of her father still making a living under the other’s care, she swallowed them back.
“Your father… borrowed money from me.”
Cuiyue sat down in the chair by the bed. “For this kind of injury, insurance won’t pay.”
She changed tack. “I won’t lend the money.”
Sato Aoi’s heart tightened, her fingers gripping the sheet silently clenching.
“Whoever hurt you should be the one to pay for it.”
Thump.
A light bumping sound came from the door. Hanyu Yukiki, rubbing his head, opened the door and walked in.
“The Special Response HQ… isn’t exactly an easy place to deal with right now,” he sighed.
Cuiyue nodded.
She naturally knew the Special Response HQ was no good—she had escaped from there herself.
And the fact that she had been exposed under their watch for so long without any follow-up action could only mean two things.
First, they hadn’t discovered that Cuiyue was the “Jiang Jian Yue” from that night. Second, they had discovered it, but for other reasons didn’t pursue it, or saw no need to continue targeting Cuiyue.
In Cuiyue’s view, the second possibility was more likely.
After all, the Special Response HQ was a national-level department; they couldn’t possibly be that much of a mess…
They probably wouldn’t, right?
Now, she was the MVP who helped the Special Response HQ win the GSAC team melee championship.
The other three team members, after returning to their lives, had received exceptional preferential treatment in their respective fields.
Even the plain-looking Hayami Reina had talent agencies wanting to sign her for a debut—ever since Southern Cross pioneered the “Esper Idol” path, entertainment giants had flocked in, seemingly on the verge of ushering in a “Great Esper Idol Era.”
No matter how arrogant SAT-EX was, they were ultimately a bunch of ordinary people.
The Special Response HQ had no reason to offend her, their功臣, just to protect them.
And Cuiyue wasn’t planning to overhaul SAT-EX either. She just wanted someone to come out, apologize, pay some compensation, and let the matter be over.
“I’ll handle this,” Cuiyue said with full confidence.
…
Over ten minutes later, facing a Special Response HQ staff member, Cuiyue’s anger was on the verge of erupting.
“Miss Cuiyue, I understand your dissatisfaction, but according to regulations, since you do not hold an Esper ID card and are not registered with the Special Response HQ, we have no authority to provide you with services.”
“Huh?”
Cuiyue certainly knew the Special Response HQ had something called the “Supernatural Census System.”
Every newly Awakened Heartworm ability user had to register and possess an ID card.
But she didn’t have one!
She hadn’t even been reminded to get one during her entire time with Special Response HQ Unit 1.
“Isn’t that your negligence?” Cuiyue slapped the table, her voice cold. “Then I’ll apply for one now!”
The staff member shook his head. “We found that the name you registered with GSAC is the Chinese pinyin ‘cuiyue’, and there is no record of Japanese household registration.”
“Therefore… we cannot process it for now.”
Cuiyue was stunned for a moment.
At first, not long after her Chuangye, when she signed up for GSAC, she did use “cuiyue”.
Later, she realized she was in Japan and should use “suitsuki”, and that’s what she called herself afterwards.
But GSAC never changed it, and various official documents and promotions consistently used “cuiyue”.
The root of the problem was ultimately her “undocumented” status.
“Rest assured, the Special Response HQ won’t bother with illegal residents. Theoretically, given your status, the Ministry of Justice would be very willing to open a special channel for you to obtain Japanese nationality.”
The Special Response HQ staff member wore an expression of “I’m not interested in your past.”
Unfortunately, Cuiyue wasn’t interested in Japanese nationality either, and even felt a bit…
Her inner Zhan Lang genes were starting to stir.
“Ah… troublesome…” Cuiyue scratched her head, lost in thought for a long while.
Hiss… Maybe ask her other teammates to step in?
Deciding to act, Cuiyue first called Matsumoto Kenichi. After explaining the situation, Matsumoto Kenichi asked hesitantly, “You… weren’t Japanese originally?”
Sigh.
Great, this guy probably suspected she was a spy.
Coming from the Self-Defense Force, he likely had nationalist tendencies too. Better ask Hayami.
Unexpectedly, Hayami’s answer was even more outrageous. “Um… I accidentally… caused a big news story. The Special Response HQ just settled it… Now, making another request… wouldn’t be easy, right…”
Hayami Reina absolutely refused to say what big news she had caused.
Cuiyue suspected she was just looking for an excuse to brush her off.
As for Kubo Tsubasa… she wasn’t very familiar with this quiet boy, or rather, he wasn’t very familiar with any of his teammates.
But since Yuki Asahi’s phone was unreachable, she could only place her last hope in him.
“Let’s meet and talk.”
…
In the lobby on the first floor of the Special Response HQ building, Kubo Tsubasa got straight to the point, leaving Cuiyue stunned.
“I am from the Curtain Cluster.”
Kubo Tsubasa’s eyes were calm, but his micro-expressions highlighted—he wanted to see a look of surprise in Cuiyue’s eyes.
Cuiyue stood dumbfounded for a long time before murmuring, “The Curtain Cluster… what’s that?”
Kubo Tsubasa choked on his own saliva. After calming down for a while, he continued, “It seems you really don’t know anything, you’ve forgotten everything.”
“The lightning-manipulating ability user you fought when you first woke up was a member of the Curtain Cluster, ‘Groundhog’.”
What a cute name.
“It was just a misunderstanding. Groundhog… her eyesight isn’t very good, she mistook you for someone else.”
Kubo Tsubasa thought for a moment and continued, “We later reviewed the monitor footage and found your body was forcibly kneaded into this shape by a power that materialized out of thin air.”
Huh?
What did he mean, forcibly kneaded into this shape?
Meaning, this body originally wasn’t like this?
And from what these Curtain Cluster people said, it didn’t seem like they did it either.
Then who?
DRG?
That didn’t seem right either. Jiang Jian Yue’s shocked expression upon first seeing her didn’t seem feigned.
“I’ll just show you the video directly.” Kubo Tsubasa took out his mobile phone and opened a video.
The video was a handheld recording of monitor footage. The scene was the underground shelter room where Cuiyue had Awakened.
On the bed where Cuiyue originally woke up lay a skinny young man.
“It’s starting.”
The person recording spoke while pointing at the monitor screen—people who made this type of video always seemed to do that.
The young man in the footage suddenly had his entire body flattened and kneaded by an invisible, immense force. The scene was extremely R18G.
“Understand now?”
Kubo Tsubasa put his phone away and said softly, “You’re not some Cuiyue. You are…”
“Shirakawa Yu.”
“Come back. The Curtain Cluster needs you.”
Cuiyue touched her chin and suddenly laughed.
These Curtain Cluster people, first mistaking her for Jiang Jian Yue because of her appearance, now thinking she was Shirakawa Yu because of her identity. How ridiculous.
She was a Chuangye, of course she wouldn’t have any identity crisis, wouldn’t fall into confusion over who she originally was.
At most, she was a bit curious about this Shirakawa Yu person, but only out of curiosity about the body’s “original owner.”
It didn’t mean she had to join the Curtain Cluster.
And from Groundhog’s immediate attack upon discovering “Jiang Jian Yue” in the underground shelter, it was clear.
DRG and the Curtain Cluster seemed… somewhat hostile?
Interesting.
Cuiyue’s eyes shifted. “If I return to the Curtain Cluster, what are the benefits?”
“Of course there are benefits.”
…
Cuiyue left the Special Response HQ building and walked quickly towards the subway station.
At the same time, she took an unused spare phone from her Storage Space and called Jiang Jian Yue.
The call connected. Just as Cuiyue was about to speak, she heard a hesitant voice from the other end. “You… who are you… Oh!”
“…”
No wonder Yuki Asahi’s phone was unreachable.
“Miss Jiang Jian, I’ve made up my mind. I want to join the Dawn Resources Group.”
“Oh? Oh, oh, oh, oh…”
“It’s Cuiyue…” The girl’s voice was lowered, as if she was speaking to someone beside her.
“That’s great, then you… Ah!”
The girl’s pitch suddenly shot up, then her voice trembled as she continued, “I’ll have Akimoto Miki… contact you personally.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.” Cuiyue frowned deeply, her impression of Yuki Asahi worsening.
Talking about serious business here, messing around!
“My identity might be that of a former Curtain Cluster member. They’ve already realized it and are inviting me back to the Curtain Cluster…” Cuiyue lowered her voice, buying a ticket with cash at the machine.
A sound of a fist hitting something heavy came from the other end of the phone, followed by the rustling of fabric. Jiang Jian Yue seemed to have regained her composure. She coughed dryly a few times before asking, “What’s your take on it?”
“I’m not interested in my original identity.” Cuiyue passed through the ticket gate and walked towards the platform.
“I just want to live my life in peace.”
Glug?
Jiang Jian Yue seemed to be drinking water. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, she continued, “Joining us doesn’t mean a peaceful life.”
“I know.” Cuiyue’s gaze shifted to the opposite platform. “I just… don’t like the Curtain Cluster.”
Through her conversation with Kubo Tsubasa, Cuiyue learned about the Curtain Cluster’s influence on the political scene and knew that some of the current social trends… had the Curtain Cluster’s shadow behind them.
What made her resolve firm was the social trend of “anti-Kingdom of Zhong sentiment”—Cuiyue was a Zhan Lang, as mentioned before.
Plus, their front organization, the Special Response HQ, so blatantly indulging SAT-EX, made her impression of them even worse.
In contrast, DRG’s immediate protection of ordinary people from harm during Pluto’s attack made Cuiyue admire them more.
“To protect the people I care about, I can do anything.”
“…You, you’re a lot like me.”