The road back home, of course, was walked with Uesugi Yui. The night in Kyoto was as calm as water, with dim street lights and clusters of stars dotting the night sky. The gentle breeze brushed against my ears, and the fragrance of the girl beside me seemed to be there and not there at the same time.
This leisurely stroll at night allowed me to temporarily forget about the troubles and just enjoy the tranquility. It was rare to have such an understanding where we didn't need to talk and there was no awkwardness, especially considering that it had been less than a month since I had actually met Uesugi Yui.
Regarding the matter of the request, I naturally accepted Uesugi Yui's help without hesitation. "Although I don't know how I can be of assistance, having one more person always increases the possibilities," these were Uesugi Yui's words at the time, and they were words I was more than happy to hear.
This meant that a foundation of trust had been established between Uesugi Yui and me, and she was no longer concerned about the fact that "I had changed from before." "Ziongzong" was the personality I had created, and it was inevitable that it would be similar to me. If I were to imitate "Ziongzong's" behavior just to hide my true self, then I would have lost sight of what was important. What I wanted was for the people around me to believe that "Ziongzong" who was going through the changes of adolescence had "grown up" to become who I am now.
Or perhaps, to regress into the person I am now. No matter where I walked or what I did, it was always good to have a place to call home and someone to care and worry about me. On the other hand, there was something that I couldn't let go of. Why did I always become passive whenever I was with Uesugi Yui, even though the investigation was progressing smoothly? Was it because this body had developed such bad habits during the time it was being controlled by the personality "Ziongzong"? It couldn't be that I reflexively entered a "training" mode whenever I saw Uesugi Yui, right?
Although humans are powerful beings capable of adapting to anything, it doesn't mean that we can just adapt to anything without consequences. There are always things that matter to our dignity and principles that are useless. So, when I'm with Uesugi Yui in the future, I should try to take more initiative. After all, we are only brothers and sisters in name.
On the night of that day, before going to sleep, I decided to make a phone call. What? Is there someone still interested in what happened after I walked home with Uesugi Yui? Although it was dark and windy at night and there was no one around, I still went home with a clear conscience. There's nothing to expect. And so, I dialed the number representing Fàn. "Good evening, Fàn?" In order to avoid the awkwardness from last time, I first confirmed the identity of the person on the other end. "This is Fàn, is there something you need, Mr. Chóngmíngdé?" Fàn's voice was as calm as ever, and through the phone, I could hear the sound of flowing water in the background. "Are you free right now?" I wanted to talk to her more about our conversation at the cafe earlier today. "I'm taking a shower." Fàn's response caught me off guard. In an instant, the question of why there was the sound of flowing water on her end was answered, but who takes a phone call while taking a shower? "Um, then I'll call back later." "Why? I don't mind taking a phone call while I'm taking a shower. What's the matter?" You may not mind, but I do! "Um, it's about what we talked about at the cafe this afternoon..." "About the investigation, right? Please wait." Fàn said this and put the phone on hold, which meant that although the call was not disconnected, I temporarily couldn't talk to her. She asked me to wait, but what was she waiting for? Did she finish taking a shower and need to get dressed so I should wait for her? I speculated and pondered, until five minutes later, the call returned to normal. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Chóngmíngdé." "Oh, it wasn't a long wait, so let's..." "Regarding the investigation, can you please open the window?" Fàn interrupted me and got straight to the point, but... why did she want me to open the window? Although I didn't understand the meaning behind it, I still opened the curtain. And then, when I saw Fàn, completely naked except for a thin towel draped around her, squatting on my windowsill, I was petrified."Could you please open the window?"
Van's voice resonated again on the phone.
Are you kidding me, Van?
On this cool night, at a little past nine in the winter-turned-spring, a teenage girl in her prime was squatting on the edge of the second floor window, wrapped in a towel?
Anyway, I still opened the window for her, and Van agilely flipped down from the windowsill, not giving me even a glimpse.
Indeed, she is the exceptional elite as Souren Manranyama's only personal attendant.
"I apologize for bothering you so late at night."
Van bowed slightly towards me, but her towel showed no intention of falling off despite the movement.
"Due to limited time, I only have these documents on hand. Please take a look first."
Van pulled out a folder from somewhere and handed it to me.
But my current focus was not on this folder at all.
"I remember that the Wanshan family is supposed to be far from here, so how did you...?"
"For certain reasons, I'm not staying at the Wanshan family tonight."
"Did you walk here then?"
"I rode a motorcycle here. Also, Miss instructed me not to spend too much time with you. I will contact you again for further information. Please excuse me for tonight."
Van bowed to me again, her speed so fast that her cleavage was just a glimpse, then she flipped out the window, jumped off the eave, mounted the motorcycle, and buzzed away.
A girl riding a motorcycle while wrapped in a towel, this world is truly extraordinary.
