Chapter 613: NO.194: Even if there is only a hint of aftertaste, it doesn't matter

NO. 194: Even if there is only a hint of aftertaste, it doesn't matter.

You're not going to stop her? Just let her go like that?

Why should I stop her? In that condition, she'd be fine on her own for a while.

That's reasonable, but when a little girl feels helpless inside, isn't that exactly when you trainers grin wickedly and step forward to sign the contract?

If I remember correctly, Miss Qianming has applied for a trainer's certificate?

Glancing sideways at the brown-haired horse girl putting on a forced lewd smile nearby, Aomo could tolerate Aimu Zhiji's misunderstanding, but he couldn't stand such groundless slander.

What's the problem? You can't talk about this line of work in this line of work! And the slanderer still spoke confidently.

Of course you can say it, but please remove the reference to the target, and I think the vast majority of trainers don't wear that kind of smile when signing contracts with horse girls.

You two get along pretty well," the nurse who had been chatting with Qianming earlier couldn't help but remark, watching their subtle interaction, "Since someone's keeping you company, I'll go sneak a lazy break, Qianming.

It's not my shift this afternoon! Don't do that, Yazi!

I'll cover for you tonight; I need to go check if the emperor's circle has any new events! Bye~

The emperor she referred to is mostly the Eastern Sea Emperor; Umastar, who has long been active on Umastagram, naturally knows that beneath the officially certified horse girl accounts there is a fan space where trainers, operators, and the horse girls themselves can post some events.

Like the former target of a large tea party, Shirogane Peak, the well-received opera that once handed out hard-to-get tickets to the Heaven's Gate City theater, and even the individual horse girls who go straight to idols for offline concerts……

Such events can occur both online and offline.

It's worth noting that, with today's deep immersion technology, satisfaction with online events often matches that of offline ones, and sometimes even exceeds it slightly.

However, Aomo, although he once helped organize such events, rarely participates in them himself.

Back then, deep immersion games were more suited to his age group.

But nowadays he doesn't really want to step out of his comfort zone either; he feels no envy for the distant nurse, merely turning his gaze back to Representative Qianming:

Is the check-up still not done?

One-minute countdown, almost there, almost there! Why the rush? Have some cool tea!" the other said, and indeed pushed a cup of tea over to him.

Aomo looked at it, lifted it, and took a sip.

It was a rather bitter tea; getting colder made it even more bitter, prompting him to glance up at the brown-haired girl staring at the screen, trying to see from her face a hint of triumphant delight that he could barely contain.

But he didn't see any such trace.

Perhaps this isn't really a prank, he thought, and then he heard the other suddenly ask: 'Is her improved condition because of that battle? The curve seems to match.'

The girl didn't lift her head, sitting at the desk with the curtains drawn, her eyes still reflecting some light from the screen, as if she were concentrating on work, or as if she were waiting for Aomo's answer.

And Aomo, after a silence of two seconds, gave his reply: 'No.'

There has never been a saying that defeating some entity will make everything better.

In tokusatsu works, there is often a misconception that all conflicts can ultimately be reduced to battle.

It seems as if smashing the enemy would bring universal joy and resolve all contradictions.

This is, of course, an illusion.

Aside from certain chaotic movie versions, the battles in the vast majority of tokusatsu works are merely a means to achieve an end, not the end itself.

However, each episode requires a fight, each episode has monsters, aliens, or kaiju being crushed, leading outsiders to mistakenly think the focus is on fighting, believing Ultraman (Kamen Rider (Sentai)) is just about beating monsters (monsters (various villains)).

A work ultimately exists to tell a story, not purely to fight.

If you want pure fighting, turn left to Red Superman and Gurilt Knight combat; those two are even more meaningless than Silver Frame, highlighting a break with convention.

What about her condition then?" Qianming looked up.

And Aomo turned his head toward the infirmary exit.

Three minutes earlier, Aimu Zhiji had left that place, her face showing a hint of puzzlement.

She seemed unable to accept the fact that her mentality was improving; her next stop was likely the psychiatry department of the university division.

That might not be a wrong turn.

After all, when he finally learned from Representative Qianming the self-diagnosis Aimu Zhiji had given the doctor, he also agreed with her conclusion that something felt abnormal.

However, he didn't think it was a mental abnormality; rather, it seemed more like someone else's experience projected onto her, arousing a certain longing.

【Deep Brew Coffee: …Trainer… I saw the news… Are you okay?】

【Yuehuanshe: I'm fine, just a bit hungry, dealing with my overdue lunch; how's the monitoring situation on your end?】

【Deep Brew Coffee: …I invited Aimu Zhiji's sister to the training room…… while treating her to ice cream……】

This chat log is from half an hour ago; at that time, Aomo was still wondering how a spirit could eat ice cream.

I suppose those spiritualism students have their own ways, so I didn't pay it much mind.

But looking back now, this is what truly matches up.

Since Aimu Zhiji's sister can grow alongside her in the form of a soul, the closeness of this soulful bond is probably not inferior to that of Manchester Tea House and Zhouri Ningjing.

It's not strange to see some unexpected strong empathy; on the contrary, it makes him reflect that after all these years, Aimu Zhiji seems to have just buried herself in studying celestial knowledge, never bothering to talk with spiritual or soul-type people about her own matters.

But it's not exactly outlandish.

I suppose I myself also nagged for about half a year before she finally opened up about her past concerning her sister.

Even when faced with an extraordinary woman like Zhenjiling, living together for over two years still couldn't break through, and the relationship remained merely at the sisterly stage of idle talk.

If this heart's wall is just too hard, have you considered piloting an EVA?

It's just a subject‑struggling student feeling lost, confused, even anxious about a niche topic—nothing serious. I'll get back in touch with Zhenjiling later and give her a little guidance on 'solving mental problems,'" Aomo said calmly.

After all, this matter is still far from being resolved; for now we've only dealt with the imminent harm, and we still haven't figured out how she provoked the Yellow Clothes.

Aomo said this, then took two more sips of the cold tea.

The tea remained just as bitter, but after a few more sips it would develop a hint of sweetness,

I think this should have a sequence—did she mistake the stars from the start, or did she go astray midway? There ought to be an outcome.

Do you still have any leads?" Representative Qianming stared at the screen, moving the mouse, still focused, seeming as earnest in her work as JunChuan JiangSheng, "I still suggest you talk with her formally, openly and honestly.

There are many clues, but they're chaotic," Aomo pretended not to understand what the other was saying, just as Qianming Representative pretended not to know, unaware of the premise of this conversation, "As for being frank and open, I think that would only make things worse.

How? What hateful thing did you still do? After all, you are not the Qianming representative of JunChuan JiangSheng, yet you still can't help but raise your head.

On the contrary, I think that was probably the most glorious and correct thing I did at that time; even now I can hold my head high and say I refused a person's right to fall into Shen yuan.

But how should I say it?

Just as the concept of correctness is always judged by personal stance, some people indeed, at times, sincerely yearn to fall into Shen yuan.

And you, who block her at the gate, are precisely the person she hates most.