Chapter 92: The Unstoppable Wheel

Kanzaki Sou’s icon remained motionless, as if his silence at this moment was displayed right before Xiao Chun Miura’s eyes.

Why did he suddenly stop replying…?

Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but start imagining.

Why?

Is he busy?

Or… does he also think there’s nothing left to say?

Or perhaps, Kondo Haruka is right next to him, saw the message, and stopped him from replying?

The moment this thought popped into her mind, Xiao Chun Miura felt a shiver run through her entire body.

Once the seed of unease is planted, it grows wildly under the nourishment of silence.

Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but want to send another message to ask.

” What’s wrong?”

“Are you busy?”

“Did something happen?”

These sentences floated back and forth in Xiao Chun Miura’s heart, but in the end, none of them were chosen.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time before finally drooping helplessly to the side.

No.

I can’t send it.

If the other person hasn’t replied and I keep chasing with more messages, it doesn’t just seem presumptuous—it makes me look pitiful.

Like a bothersome girl who can’t let go.

If I can avoid doing something that lowers their impression of me, I should avoid it.

Although, according to the system, Kanzaki Sou can’t enter my route anyway, in this situation, if I lower his favorability towards me, he might become even more aware of Kondo Haruka’s good points.

At that point, it would be like pushing myself into the abyss.

Kanzaki Sou sent messages to comfort me, but in the end, I must not be someone completely invisible to him.

Xiao Chun Miura’s nearly abandoned hope in her heart was reignited into a faint flame by Kanzaki Sou’s gentle words of reassurance.

But such fragile warmth can’t withstand even the lightest breeze.

From the direction of the sunset-lit street, the sound of tree branches and leaves brushing against each other grew closer.

A chill rose up.

Maybe he suddenly got busy with something and couldn’t reply…

Is that possible?

Or did he feel the topic had ended and there was nothing more to say?

Yeah, that makes sense.

The girl let out a self-deprecating laugh, one uglier than crying.

“There wasn’t any relationship to begin with…”

“Just partners temporarily paired up for the competition.”

“When the competition ends, the partnership naturally ends too.”

“Why bother replying to my messages?”

It’s only natural.

Kanzaki Sou still has to prepare for tomorrow’s competition, deal with his childhood friend Kondo Haruka, and face the adoration of all the girls in the school.

He doesn’t have time to chat with a gloomy Library Committee Member whose only connection was during the sports festival.

Saying things like ‘regret’—even if it wasn’t me, if someone else was in my position, he’d say the same thing.

Comforting others is just his usual kindness and courtesy.

And yet, I actually took it seriously and even felt bitter about it.

Honestly.

Xiao Chun Miura pressed the lock screen button.

The screen instantly went black, but it did little to calm her restless emotions.

On the darkened screen, her own tired and disappointed face was reflected.

Instinctively, she stuffed the phone back into her pocket.

The device felt as heavy as a stone.

The streetlights stretched her shadow long behind her on the road.

She began walking again, heading towards that house with no family inside.

One step.

Two steps.

Each step felt like treading on cotton—light and unreal.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the last day.

If Kanzaki Sou and Kondo Haruka’s feelings deepen during tomorrow’s competition, if the story truly develops as the system warned,

What else can I do?

What is there left to salvage?

I don’t know.

Right now, her mind was a muddled mess, filled only with endless exhaustion and confusion.

Maybe… there really is no hope left.

Maybe, I’ll have to accept the ending where I disappear.

The girl let out a soft sigh, her figure gradually vanishing around the corner of the street.

***

[Another view — Kanzaki Sou’s perspective]

{Kanzaki Sou’s home}

On the phone screen was the last message sent by Miura-san.

[Xiao Chun Miura: It’s okay. Kanzaki Classmate, do your best tomorrow too. Keep taking First Place together with Kondo Classmate.]

Just before Miura-san sent this message, it was exactly when Haruka and I met up.

If that person saw it, things would get troublesome again.

So I could only put my phone away for now—anyway, as long as I held it, she’d always look over, so I simply locked the screen and put it away.

[Kanzaki Sou]:

Even though Miura-san said it was okay, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off in her words.

At the time, I thought it was because she was frustrated about losing the competition—but thinking about it later, with Miura-san’s personality, even if she viewed the results as very important, she wouldn’t have this kind of frustration.

The expression she showed in the end shouldn’t have looked like that, either.

There were deeper emotions I couldn’t understand.

Miura-san never causes trouble for others.

With her personality, she’s the type who bottles things up inside.

Even if something went wrong, unless someone noticed immediately, whether friend or family, no one could offer help right away.

Besides, even if I don’t know exactly why…

Looking at this sentence, I felt uncomfortable.

[Kanzaki Sou]: Keep taking First Place together, huh

I never cared that much about First Place, honestly.

Was this really how Miura-san felt?

Today on the field, that figure chasing with everything she had—it was the first time I’d seen that side of Miura-san.

I have to admit, it was captivating.

It made me want to look at her more.

The bitter expression she had after everything ended also made me want to say something to comfort her.

I don’t consider myself insensitive, and the relationship between Haruka and Miura-san is obviously not good.

I can see that.

I don’t want to take sides, but Haruka’s attitude toward Miura-san is definitely bad.

But unless she actually did something wrong, I don’t have the position to criticize her.

After all, I’m Haruka’s childhood friend, not her father.

Miura-san, whether in terms of personality or status, isn’t someone I should be constantly protecting.

If Haruka ever does something truly out of line.

[Kanzaki Sou]:

.. I hope that doesn’t happen.

[Kanzaki Sou]: No one would benefit from that.

[Mother]: Sou?

Why are you standing at the door?

Aren’t you coming inside?

Mother’s voice came from inside the house.

My quiet time alone was over.

[Kanzaki Sou]:….. Ah, coming.

Before returning to my room, I glanced at the phone screen that was still lit.

[Kanzaki Sou]: I need to find a time to reply.

Night deepened.

In this virtual world that felt all too real, everyone harbored their own thoughts, waiting for Tomorrow to arrive.

For Xiao Chun Miura, it was an uncertain Judgment Day.

For Kondo Haruka, it was a Coronation about to be realized.

And for Kanzaki Sou…

Perhaps, it would be an Opportunity for him to reevaluate his own heart.

The Gear of Fate turned quietly in a hidden corner, unnoticed by all.

Click, click.

It pointed toward an unknown crossroads.