Chapter 1557: with translation of chapter title

NO. 172: The wavering, on-the-brink-of-collapse demeanor

——Had to learn to make an exception and uploaded a combined audio file——

【Monsters are necessary: So they really rushed to act the next day, huh?】

Oh dear, we lost, lost; I thought Suzi-chan and they could stay calm】

【Poetry short, dreams long: Although this world's vibe resembles that of my homeland a few years ago, those girls still can't bear it, right?】

【Monsters are necessary: Since even with girlfriends they still stare at the little snake, this awareness should still be there; thinking that everyone is from Japan, I feel they should have quite a talent.】

【Had to learn to make an exception: I feel your sentence just turned Japan into some kind of emotionally universal dire straits?】

【Monsters are necessary: It gets worse and worse as time goes on; reality is just like that, oh】

Chaotic, ended without illness, scheming, hysterical…… If it were changed to little snake, she should have already gone through some minor blade tribulations, right?】

【Continuous rain showers: That also must be due to lacking ability and choosing too many wrong options】

【Birds of a feather: Fortunately, I vaguely feel I can understand some of it】

【Voice of the crowd: confusion. jpg】

【Had to learn to make an exception: In short, you can't escape the three cups of Minoan mist, Xiao Qian, everyone's had it, especially Ling who drank nine cups】

【Poetry short, dreams long: Indeed, I can't measure everyone by my own standard, but I should also praise you; this handling counts as a peaceful conclusion, truly befitting someone who volunteers willingly】

【Had to learn to make an exception: Actually this result turned out more biased toward the big picture than I initially planned; I had originally prepared to directly satirize and provoke】

【Monsters are necessary: Looking at the little snake like that, did they still hold back?】

【Had to learn to make an exception: smile. jpg】

【Monsters are necessary: Well, in short, the preliminary defense line has been set up】

Next, do we also need to trouble the three of you?】

【Poetry short, dreams long: Or maybe just the two of us; I can't always go running to Aomo's place, and I need to consider his pressure too】

【Monsters are necessary: Eh? How could a beauty like Ling's older sister finding him cause any pressure?!】

【Had to learn to make an exception: Wait, you wouldn't be sneaking food, would you?】

【Poetry short, dreams long: drinking. jpg】

【I won't just ask for everything: Wait wait! What what?!】

What sneaking food!

I, despite leg discomfort early this morning, still went to work despite my inconvenience! What are you guys doing now?!】

【Had to learn to make an exception: @Birds of a feather, check the private chat】

【Monsters are necessary: Ha, this defense line is indeed a heavy responsibility, but I'm still quite curious how they'll turn out】

【Had to learn to make an exception: Wait until he gets off work and just ask him, before you have to face the three cups】

——

How many days after that was this again?

Ailisuzhi's self-proclaimed genius brain had been especially sluggish these days, feeling that the daily routine of fitness, swimming, and running was like a dream, devoid of any real sensation.

At first, she became somewhat silent.

But at that time, everyone unconsciously let this change seem somewhat insignificant.

But what about after that?

Chazuo, Bourbon, Aizhi, then Narita Bai Ren, Sirius Symbol, Qianming representative, Ludaofu Xiangzheng and them…… Their manner of interacting with the trainers gradually returned to how it used to be, from brewing coffee to discussing games to running stride, those people could all appear as if nothing had happened, as if after the visit of Zhen Jiling and Marusechisuki and everyone's apologies, everything could return to normal.

Perhaps that really is the case…… Ailisuzhi thought, besides not being spared much mockery from Zhen Jiling for not bringing her and messing up so thoroughly, she herself had also returned to her former self.

Attending classes, training, sleeping, experiments—everything remained largely unchanged from before.

Such a life was, for the most part, exactly what I was most accustomed to before; whether experiment or training, they proceeded in an orderly fashion according to set procedures, truly a time when my routine was most in sync with the style of Mipu Bourbon.

But……

"Really, it's okay? Suzi?"

That always could face her roommate with the so-called otaku's weird nicknames and exaggerated gestures, and she began to show this genuine yet ordinary worried gaze, leaning against her own bedside to ask.

Actively closing the distance like this isn't easy; if it were the past, she would probably have been surprised and happily exclaimed that the other's courage had grown a lot.

Usually she could also reap a bit of the other's belated panic.

But at this moment, that gaze held only worry and anxiety.

"No wonder you're the digital guy—your insight in some places truly surpasses that of the horse girl." Ailisuzhi reached out from under the blanket and patted her roommate's shoulder.

In this early morning before training time, a horse girl who had merely slept a bit longer would normally not draw much attention from anyone.

But her roommate was different.

Her such concern and worry made it seem as if I weren't just a temporary melancholy, but rather some deeper, more severe physiological condition.

"What on earth happened? Was it that thing from last week? You said it was just a mistake?"

She really is natural and brave, the current digital guy.

Before, she would likely have withdrawn her hand, stammering as she wondered if she had been offensive, not knowing where that went.

Is it because she cares too much about herself? Or is it simply that recent events have changed her? By now, she no longer has confidence to speculate.

Now I don't want to use my brain outside of experiments and exercise; even if I force myself to think, everything feels extremely sluggish.

Looking back, even before I knew Guinea Pig-kun, I was also like that.

Even my enthusiasm for exercise wasn't high.

Apart from experiments, everything else was lax, to the point that my daily habits of eating, dressing, and using things were a mess; aside from a pile of expensive experimental supplies and equipment, I could be called a paradigm of being unable to care for myself.

But back then, I never felt muddle-headed.

I never felt as if everything were a dream; even the sight of everyone's garish outfits on April Fools' Day, with some even treating April Fools' as Halloween and wearing monster costumes, seemed like an embellishment of a dream experience.

But such a noisy dream world passed by quickly.

After that lively, escaping dream, it was again day after day; besides classmates and alumni who were increasingly concerned about one's training condition, everything else remained as before, repeating cyclically.

What would be the end of such a cyclical dream?

Would it be that golden fifth month?

Would it be that splendidly blooming lofty chrysanthemum?

Or is it like that nightmare that has been entangled since the past, pointing straight to the endpoint where leg disease blocks it, ending without illness?

She didn't know.

She did not wish for that day to come, yet she secretly began to anticipate it, for it would end the unease that deepened day by day with the countdown, and would vaguely allow her to recklessly pursue what was unattainable in the present.

But…

——

"Do you really think that?"

The dream lacking substance shifted again, and at some point it changed from that digital guy who seemed to be moving forward in his own way to the guinea pig guy before her holding a stack of paper documents.

He turned his head to look at himself, put down the file in his hand, also took off the glasses on his nose, revealing those scarlet-red eyes like blood, narrow slits like an abyss.

Those eyes were undoubtedly not snake pupils, yet they resembled snake pupils so much that anyone would instinctively call them that, and tremble before those non-human eyes.

Whether it was due to the unmatched sharp vision in those eyes, or simply from the biological instinct of fear when gazed upon by an abnormally structured eyeball.

"You think? As long as you retire, as long as you give up halfway, you can experiment freely?"

"... No, not like that......"

"It's 'not just that,' right?"

Interrupting his own words, those eyes approached with his steps, letting her feel far more clearly than before the oppression that had never existed before.

This made her belatedly recall that back then, his eyes were not like that.

Everyone has changed a lot, but will everyone still look back?

"Do you still think that if you are no longer a student, I will no longer emphasize our distance?"

"......"

"But if you truly become that boring appearance, then even the value of being observed would be gone, Ailisuzhi."