"…Seika-nee?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked over.
Blonde hair, red eyes, a tall figure, a cold aura, and that elementary school-level bust… Even just seeing her back, Kitahara Makoto recognized her identity at a glance.
It could only be Seika, no one else.
There were still many people waiting to board the train below the platform, so Seika naturally couldn't stay by the door. After boarding, she walked towards the interior of the carriage.
"Oh?"
Seika's footsteps paused slightly, and a barely perceptible blush flashed across her pretty face, clearly having also noticed Kitahara Makoto's presence.
"Seika-nee, good afternoon."
Kitahara Makoto greeted her politely.
Seika hummed softly, looked around, and found that there was no place to stand. She could only walk to Kitahara Makoto's side, her pretty face taut, and intentionally said in a cold tone:
"Why are you on the train, kid?"
Kitahara Makoto casually said:
"I have something to do in Shibuya. Seika-nee, why are you out on such a hot day?"
Seika turned her pretty face away:
"Adult matters, children shouldn't interfere."
She had actually gone out today to have lunch with friends.
Although the 16-year-old Seika had disappeared, her previously vague and forgotten 16-year-old memories became clear again.
It was a pity that friends she once thought would be lifelong companions had long since drifted apart in life, most no longer in contact, with only a few remaining in touch.
With a strangely complex feeling, Seika sent messages to her high school friends who were still in contact, arranging to have lunch together today.
"Tsk~"
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but click his tongue lightly.
If Seika didn't want to talk, then Seika didn't want to talk, but to say, 'Kids shouldn't pry,' was incredibly infuriating!
"Stare—"
Seika's gaze swept over, her slender eyebrows slightly raised:
"Why are you clicking your tongue?"
Kitahara Makoto lowered his voice and said:
"Nothing, I just miss Seika-sensei when she was sixteen."
"Huh?" Seika's pretty face flushed, and she glared over in embarrassment, "What do you mean, you brat?"
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"If I could see Seika-sensei at sixteen again, I would definitely say one thing to Seika-sensei…"
Seika looked over with a murderous aura:
"What do you want to say, you brat?"
(If you dare to tell my 16-year-old self to take responsibility, you're dead!)
(Since you're dating Nijika, know your place and don't even think about messing around!)
Kitahara Makoto's tone was faint:
"I want to say that Seika-nee at thirty is not cute at all."
Thump!
Seika clenched her small fists in embarrassment and punched him:
"I'm only twenty-nine now!!!"
Kitahara Makoto clutched his chest: "Seika-nee's birthday is in December, and it's already late August. There are only four months left, so it will be soon…"
"You really want to die, don't you?!"
What Seika didn't notice was that as her heart stirred, the faint, almost invisible evil spirit mark on her right wrist suddenly flickered with a weak light.
As they spoke, the train quietly began to move.
Seika had been too busy lecturing him just now and hadn't grabbed a handrail. At this moment, her feet stumbled, and combined with the bump from the person behind her, she involuntarily fell into Kitahara Makoto's arms.
"Mph…"
Seika hummed softly, feeling her nose ache from the impact.
She looked up, about to speak, but suddenly met Kitahara Makoto's eyes.
Their eyes met.
Thump, thump, thump.
Seika clearly heard her heartbeat suddenly quicken.
(D-damn it!)
Seika was immediately both embarrassed and annoyed.
(I'm not the 16-year-old Seika, so why is my heart still racing?)
(This brat is just a mere high school student, and falling for him is too awful!)
Kitahara Makoto said with an innocent expression:
"Seika-nee threw herself into my arms; it has nothing to do with me."
Thump!
Seika raised her hand and hit him again:
"Say 'threw herself into my arms' one more time, and you're dead!"
It was clearly just an accident, it wasn't throwing herself into his arms!
"How long do you plan to hug me?"
Seika glared at him with a murderous look.
Kitahara Makoto spread his arms, reminding her:
"Seika-nee, there's no space behind you."
"Hmph, I don't believe…"
Seika turned her head, and then her voice abruptly stopped.
The train had become completely packed at some point; there truly wasn't even standing room, unless she forcefully pushed aside the passengers next to her…
Seika hesitated for a moment, then gave up on the idea of pushing other passengers.
Firstly, the person standing in front of her was a middle-aged male office worker, and she absolutely did not want any physical contact with a strange man.
Secondly, the idea of not causing trouble for others was ingrained in her bones.
However…
"I must change my position!"
Seika gritted her teeth, secretly making up her mind.
Being embraced by a high school student was awful.
Making eye contact was awful.
The feeling of his breath on her face was awful.
What was even worse was that this brat was her sister's boyfriend!
In short, everything was just too awful!
"Hmph…"
Seika took a deep breath and decisively turned her body, changing from a face-to-face position to a back-to-Kitahara position. Unfortunately, the space on the train was cramped, only allowing her to turn around, not enough for the two of them to create distance.
(It should be fine now, right?)
Seika quietly breathed a sigh of relief, just about to relax, when she suddenly felt a warm breath fall on her ear. Her body immediately trembled slightly, her earlobe quickly turned red, and she couldn't help but stomp on Kitahara Makoto's foot in embarrassment and annoyance:
"You brat, stop breathing!"
Her ears and neck were Seika's untouchable sensitive areas. She had thought turning around would solve the problem, but now, with his breath on her neck, she realized the situation hadn't improved much.
Kitahara Makoto's tone was very innocent:
"Humans will die if they don't breathe, won't they?"
"You, you fellow…"
The warm breath on her neck made Seika's body tremble slightly again, and she gave Kitahara Makoto an elbow strike in embarrassment and annoyance:
"Hold your breath and kill yourself!"
"I'm sorry, I can't do that at all."
"Damn it… You're still talking!"
"…"
Seeing Seika's smooth earlobes turn into red agate, Kitahara Makoto had already guessed the reason for her embarrassment and annoyance:
"Seika-nee, don't always be so tsundere."
Seika: "Huh?"
Kitahara Makoto whispered:
"Just tell me directly what you want me to do. There's no sound engineer-san here to help translate now."
Seika's personality was somewhat tsundere, and she spoke quite subtly, unable to express her views very well. Previously, in the store, the sound engineer often had to provide real-time translations.
Kitahara Makoto was quite curious now, preparing to challenge Seika's tsundere limit.
Seika, as expected, continued to be tsundere:
"Less nonsense, I don't want to say anything!"
"Is that so?"
Kitahara Makoto secretly blew air.
"Mph…"
The warm breath on the back of her ear and neck made Seika's body tremble slightly again.
"You, you fellow…"
"What about me?" Kitahara Makoto's tone was innocent, "Seika-nee, just say whatever you want to say directly."
"…Damn it!"
Seika was both embarrassed and angry, utterly mortified.
He was doing it on purpose, wasn't he?
This brat was clearly doing it on purpose, wasn't he?
Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're Nijika's boyfriend!
Want her to say it out loud herself?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Seika gritted her teeth, determined to resist to the end, and absolutely not let Kitahara Makoto look down on her.
(Hold on, we'll be at the next station soon. Once we arrive, I'll immediately put some distance between myself and this guy!)
The train swayed, and soon arrived at the next station.
However, to Seika's despair, very few passengers got off, and instead, even more people surged in. The already crowded train instantly became even more packed.
Even the one-fist distance that had originally existed between her and Kitahara Makoto couldn't be maintained under the surging crowd, and her entire body was intimately pressed against Kitahara Makoto's embrace.
"Hiss~"
Kitahara Makoto took a light breath, his voice sounding strangely odd.
"Why are you suddenly inhaling?"
Seika was about to glare over when she suddenly felt a murderous aura emanating from behind her.
Even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had at least seen pigs run. Coupled with their current crowded posture, Seika quickly figured out the source of the murderous aura, and her pretty face instantly flushed crimson.
(Y-you bastard!)
(How dare you bump into me?!)
(I'm Nijika's older sister!)
Seika was both embarrassed and angry, wanting to kill someone.
Fortunately, the next second, Kitahara Makoto quickly inhaled and sucked in his stomach, forcefully pulling back a distance.
"…Just you wait!"
Seika turned her head, casting a murderous glare.
Seika was not a timid pushover. It was only because it was Kitahara Makoto; if it were any other man who dared to bump into her, she would have already given them a rib-breaking elbow strike to make them kneel, then directly called the police to ruin their reputation.
Kitahara Makoto's expression was very innocent:
"It was Seika-nee who squeezed into my arms, so I…"
"Shut up!"
Seika glared at him in embarrassment.
If it weren't for the fact that you're Nijika's boyfriend, even if it was an accident, I would definitely make you pay!
(Wait a minute—)
Seika suddenly realized.
(How did this Kitahara boy suddenly…)
(Is it a simple physiological reaction, or does he have those terrible thoughts about me?)
At this thought, Seika's heart pounded, filled with both the shame of wanting to hit someone and an indescribable little flutter.
(So, I actually still have a little bit of charm?)
(Stop! Don't overthink it!)
(The most urgent task now is to change positions; it would be terrible if it happened again…)
Seika took a deep breath, banished the messy, shameful thoughts from her mind, and quickly analyzed the most pressing matter at hand.
However, plans couldn't keep up with changes. Just as she was about to leave, the train started moving again, and the passenger in front of her had changed. It was now a plump woman who crashed backward due to inertia. Seika couldn't stand firm and fell into Kitahara Makoto's arms again.
"Mmm…"
Seika's body softened, and she involuntarily let out a soft hum.
Then Kitahara Makoto's voice reached her ears:
"Seika-nee, I'm already leaning against the wall; there's no more space behind me."
"…"
Seika gritted her teeth, wanting to create distance, but the train car was packed with passengers, making it impossible to move.
But even if she couldn't move, she had to.
She was Nijika's older sister; how could she let Nijika's boyfriend take advantage of her!
Seika's originally fair, doll-like face was now flushed and hot. She gritted her teeth and continued to try, but after several attempts, she still couldn't squeeze out.
In the end, Kitahara Makoto couldn't take it anymore. He lowered his voice, leaned close to Seika's ear, and whispered:
"Seika-nee, don't move… Seriously, don't move anymore!"
Since the conditions didn't allow it, there was no need to force herself. If this continued, he was really going to explode!
His hot breath on her ear made Seika's cowlick tremble slightly, and she almost lost her footing, glaring at him in embarrassment:
"Don't talk into my ear!"
"Seika-nee, really, don't move anymore," Kitahara Makoto pleaded, "Wait until the train stops."
"…"
Seika bit her lip and remained silent, but thankfully, she finally stopped moving.
"Phew…"
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Thump!
Seika, without turning her head, delivered an elbow strike:
"I told you not to breathe!!"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
The train swayed forward.
Seika watched the various buildings receding outside the window, feeling as if this train ride had never been so long.
(Terrible… It's absolutely terrible!)
(If I had known such a terrible thing would happen, I would never have left home today!)
(I'll have to keep it a secret later… If Nijika finds out about today, I'll never be able to face her again, right?)
After an unknown period, the train finally swayed to a stop.
The right-side door quietly opened.
Many passengers began to queue to exit.
"It's… it's over…"
Seika's pretty face was burning hot, and she felt her entire body go limp. She was only able to stand by gritting her teeth. Seeing the ordeal about to end, she was naturally overjoyed and wanted to escape.
However, the next second.
Seika suddenly felt someone looking at her.
Following the gaze, it was a tiny tot sitting in a child's seat, appearing to be only about three or four years old, with big, round eyes, curiously staring without blinking.
Their eyes met.
The smile on Seika's face suddenly froze.
(It's… it's over…)
A bad premonition suddenly surged in her heart.
Seika felt dizzy, and her whole being was unsettled.
(I can't hide… If I hide, the Kitahara boy will be seen clearly by the child, and then…)
At that point, the situation could very likely spiral out of control.
A three or four-year-old child doesn't understand what it means to mind one's own business, and their mouth is often faster than their brain. If she hid, she would definitely expose Kitahara behind her. What if the child shouted?
At that point, not only would passengers' attention be drawn, but it might even attract the police.
After two seconds of hesitation, Seika ultimately closed her eyes in despair.
(No… I can't risk it…)
(This Kitahara boy is Nijika's boyfriend. If the child shouts, he'll be socially dead, right?)
(For Nijika's sake, I can only endure…)
"Seika-nee, why aren't you moving?"
Kitahara Makoto asked in a low voice.
Seika bit her lower lip tightly:
"…None of your business!"
She had been so eager to leave just now, and now that they had finally arrived at the station, she wasn't moving, and was even actively helping to cover him. It was clearly a sign that something was going on!
Kitahara Makoto wasn't stupid. He looked around and quickly identified the reason Seika had changed her mind.
(…Is it because of that child?)
(So, Seika suddenly closed her eyes and remained motionless, actually for my good?)
Kitahara Makoto's mood instantly became subtle.
As expected of a tsundere, sacrificing herself for others, unwilling to state the truth, and her tone was still so bad… No wonder she had been single for thirty years.
But now, she was slightly adorable.
Seeing Seika sacrificing herself like this, Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't let Seika continue to suffer. After a light sigh, he simply used his ability [Sage Time].
In a state of no desires, Kitahara Makoto quickly calmed down.
"Let's go, we're getting off."
Kitahara Makoto's eyes were calm as still water. He held Seika's right hand and walked towards the door.
"Don't be impulsive…"
Seika immediately became nervous, fearing that the elementary schooler would shout and cause Kitahara Makoto's social death.
But the elementary schooler didn't shout, and no nearby passengers cast curious glances.
"Eh, what's going on?"
Seika was curious and couldn't help but look down.
"Why is there suddenly nothing?"
"Was it a phone just now?"
"Impossible!"
"A phone definitely doesn't feel like that!"
"…"
Stepping off the train.
Kitahara Makoto quietly deactivated [Sage Time], and the coldness in his eyes quickly disappeared.
"Seika-nee, I caused you trouble just now."
"Good that you know." Seika bit her lip lightly, her voice full of menace, "Keep what happened just now to yourself. If you dare tell Nijika, you're dead!"
"Yes, yes."
"That's enough, quickly let go of my hand… Mmm…!"
Before she could finish, Seika suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. After a soft hum, she involuntarily clutched her forehead.
"Seika-nee?" Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Where… where am I?"
Seika quickly opened her eyes, looking around with a surprised expression, feeling as if her entire self had suddenly changed.
If she was a salted fish before, now she was full of vitality and vigor.
Kitahara Makoto raised his eyebrow slightly:
"This is Shibuya."
Seika put her hands on her hips, her voice clear:
"What, Shibuya after more than ten years doesn't feel like it's changed much… And why is Kitahara with me in Shibuya? Don't tell me you want to go on a date with me?"
Kitahara Makoto said in surprise:
"You are… Seika-sensei?"
"Mmm-hmm~" Seika lifted her delicate chin, letting out a proud hum, "That's right, it's me."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
It really was 16-year-old Seika, and from her question just now, he could tell that the 16-year-old Seika in front of him still remembered him.
A side effect of the panacea?
It shouldn't be.
Many people had already drunk the panacea produced by the Moon-Star Chalice, but there had never been multiple instances of side effects.
If that was the case, why did 16-year-old Seika suddenly appear?