Chapter 994: NO. 117: Gradually Forming an Encirclement

NO. 117: Gradually Forming an Encirclement

Although love, as a thing, has its driving force contrary to reason, the process of love still leaves room for reason to slip in.

And its weight will be increased according to the personalities and feelings between the two parties.

But love during puberty is often another matter.

In this life stage where experience, self, and even the body are not yet mature, children often have their judgment clouded by dopamine, mistaking fondness for love.

And if it is in the Jidong/Japan region, that already open view of romance will add frost to young people's already hasty judgment.

Even when Aomo was still a student, he had often heard classmates gossip about other schools, and even the entanglements of students from his own school; he had also summarized the several common branches of early romance.

He had even seen several cases where, due to improper operation by a boy or girl, a wrong choice at a critical branch led to an irreparable outcome.

This sounds somewhat like a Galgame concept thrown in, but it is indeed hardly different from reality.

The essence of how young people get along is actually easy to deceive, and it does not have as high a material proportion as adults.

But precisely for this reason, the tremendous weight of 'attitude' becomes evident.

What determines that attitude is precisely the 'choice' you make at countless moments requiring your judgment.

This is a judgment dilemma that even adult love must face.

For minors, it can practically be called a trial-and-error path.

Many people's love experience is accumulated in this way, but such accumulation itself means you have already spent too much time, taken too many detours, and even had your life—and even studies—delayed...

Aomo does not advocate early romance, unless your life is leisurely, your studies pressure-free, and even your days lack goals—in that case he would instead support you in pursuing romance.

Someone like you is just right to find a person to mutually torment. jpg

However, even if it ends in failure, it still counts as adding life experience.

However, Hibiki Yuta does not possess any of those three conditions.

His life is not leisurely; the specific reason is linked to the second condition—he missed two months of courses, and his academic pressure became huge.

As for the third condition……

Although it sounds somewhat childish, his current life goal is to confess.

A child's world can be vast or tiny; especially when focused on one thing, that thing can be the entirety of the world.

That persistence can even break the universe's shackles, allowing it to retain its original heart under the workings of great power.

This is Hibiki Yuta's feeling in his heart.

Relying on this feeling, he became the first oddity in the city built by Shinjo Akane, attracting the attention of a dying super agent and achieving that Ultraman era.

Likewise, relying on this feeling, he could maintain his self in the universe rewritten from the chaotic source, lucidly launching ACCESSFLASH at the whole universe and again achieving himself.

Such persistence can no longer be explained by adolescent impulse.

That is undoubtedly love and courage, moreover a hot-blooded zeal stemming from youthful spirit—enough for Aomo to lament that he is worthy of joining the mecha battle cast.

Steel heart, undoubtedly a steel heart.

And it is also a standard of extremely high purity.

Aomo can't wait to see the movements of the Ultraman universe in the new mecha battle work, provided he himself does not appear.

But thinking of his own merchandise still being released around the same time, especially the certainly existing Demon God ZERO merchandise……

If this were to spread, receiving a contract would surely be a matter of time for himself.

But does he really need to keep silent? Is it necessary?

Weighing gains and losses, letting Hibiki Yuta and his companions' achievements spread to other worlds, rather than his own little trouble, is an excellent result.

Just as the title of New Century Middle School Student comes from, it also originates from those few middle schoolers who back then thwarted Kaende Ji Fa (the tokusatsu version's Ultraman ultimate villain).

This is the inheritance of the era.

The image and deeds of heroes are always worthy of praise and inheritance; this is also the original intention that several works labeled children-oriented tokusatsu have had, and which is still being passed down to this day.

Unable to deny the legitimacy of this ideal, Aomo chooses to acquiesce, looking toward the boy who has decided for the second time to confess, and the girl walking together in the evening corridor of the school festival as the stalls gradually close.

This is a very delicate scene.

Although to the other students tidying props and arranging the venue along the way, they merely appear as that red‑black‑haired boy and girl, passing each other as if just fellow travelers, strangers two meters apart.

But in the field of view of a certain caterpillar, this is Yuta walking ahead, with Rokuha unable to keep up with him walking two meters ahead, and six meters behind Rokuha there is a large group of Aomo, Utsumi, Bi Ze, Naito, Akane, and Chen walking in step.

Not to mention that Ultraman and Alexis, which cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be judged from the data stream, are not counted.

Both sides always maintain a relative distance.

At this distance, everyone remains in an environment where the cognition‑hindering magic is in effect and unlikely to leak sound.

Aomo Lindun, possessing considerable counter‑reconnaissance skill, has tracking techniques far beyond what two high‑school boys or girls could match.

That solemn expression, seeming to maintain the team's telepathy and noticing each person's movements, looks as if he is really doing some tactical planning, or perhaps even without the cognition‑hindering magic, his solemn demeanor could fool passersby.

And three meters behind them, having exerted all her strength to take a step, crossing the teleportation gate from the distant classroom to this side's corridor, Kuroakane lowered her voice and asked: 'What are they doing?'

"Waiting for Hibiki Yuta to confess to Takara Rokuha." the Observer said expressionlessly.

"Eh?!"

Although she had noticed those two had this tendency, but out of self‑conscious shame she had never dared to join everyone after the battle, let alone chat; hearing this reply, even her volume could not be contained.

Thus the next second she hurriedly covered her mouth, only to see the other party wave a hand: 'No need to be so formal; soundproofing has been arranged.'

"Oh…" Kuroakane relaxed.

Then she saw the youth leading the group suddenly turn his head.

"…"

At the moment their gazes met, she became so nervous her heart jumped up to her throat.

But in the next second, her view was cut off by the Observer's back; the slightly frowning Observer replaced Kuroakane to meet the sudden gaze, and after two seconds of silence he said: 'He hasn't seen this side.'

As if timely proof, distant Akane also turned her head, giving a puzzled look:

"Aomo? What's behind?"

Seeing the 'team leader' like that, many people in the group also turned back.

Thus we keep quotes around the term.

However, hearing his reply:

"Nothing."

He glanced at the two sides behind, then turned back.

"Maybe it's an illusion, but I always feel someone is looking over here."

"Most likely it's a stingy bug......"

Aomo, who had only set up a cognitive impediment and not a soundproof barrier, could, after a certain distance's sudden silence, judge the soundproofing behind, and then, using the authority of the nature god, control all moisture in the air, sketching out countless outlines in the corridor......

But having done this, he merely waved his hand, signaling others not to fall behind.

While this group was still puzzled, the man and woman in the distance had already crossed the campus courtyard corridor and entered the completely quiet second-year classroom hallway.

In such tranquility, Aomo finally put up a sound barrier, and at the same time he heard Akane's excited voice: 'Catch up, catch up!'

"「……」" This is likely silence: just ellipsis inside quotes. Could be spoken silence. We'll translate as "……" maybe keep as is? Usually we would translate as "……" but it's just indicating no speech. We'll output "……" within quotes? The source has 「……」. We'll translate as "……" inside English quotes? Actually it's just indicating silence; we can keep as "……". I'll output: "……" (without extra quotes) but we need to keep the quotes? The source uses 「 」 to denote spoken silence. In English we could use quotes: "……". I'll output: "……" within double quotes.

Watching Rikka, who had been lagging behind on the previous route, suddenly walk with a much lighter step alongside Yuta, even Bi Ze, who was not adept at passive telepathic communication, let out a 'wow!' sound.

This is also not surprising.

Although he hadn't experienced any of this himself, having watched '4S Guritto' made him even more excited about this scene unfolding.

At this point, Chen had already slightly quickened his pace, evidently no longer intending to keep that distance, but to draw closer.

This was admittedly rash, but since it was him, Aomo didn't stop him, especially seeing Akane also mimic his quickened pace, so the telepathic instructions also lifted the restriction.

You came to watch our class's play, huh?

Unbeknownst to them, there were also a few people walking along the walls nearby, and someone had even gone ahead past them; the Rikka classmate waiting up front spoke the first words of this silent path.

Heh, very funny. Yuta replied.

What's funny about that! Bring out Aomo's evaluation! Utsumi gritted his teeth.

Moreover, Aomo-san said it was a complete success. As if hearing his brother's voice, Yuta said again, but instead it caused Aomo to raise his hand and twist his nose bridge.

At a time like this, don't talk about others... He sighed, holding a viewpoint different from Utsumi's.

Although I feel what I wanted to write hasn't really gotten across to everyone... the girl said with a faint, slightly forced smile, then slightly lifted her gaze: "A complete success......"

She thought of Aomo's evaluation, not feeling that Yuta's words were a comforting lie to herself.

Yeah, Aomo-san said that's already quite perfect—being able to make everyone laugh, to occupy a bit of someone else's memory, that's already quite excellent.

Looks like he completely forgot the original words. Utsumi covered his face.

Oh, little snake is still as good as ever at pouring chicken soup. Akane also complained.

Why haven't you poured it for me? Bi Ze was somewhat resentful.

And over there, either compromising or resigned, they said: 'Yeah, that also counts as having written something of value.'

Rikka walked with hands behind his back; at the end of the corridor, before the spacious hall with floor-to-ceiling windows, the two slowed their steps.

Actually, after I wrote the actual events into a script, I came to understand myself better; even before that, I had occasionally thought about it a few times, even during the final battle, when chatting with Akane in the... Nijikalis cockpit, I also thought about my own changes......

But indeed, it was only when I picked up the pen to write that things became a bit clearer.

How so? the red-haired boy asked, watching her walk with her back to the window.

Seeing her soft black hair meet the light outside the window, it seemed as if half of it was emitting a gentle halo.

Who knows...... Rikka turned her head, looking at the empty wall, as if avoiding Yuta's gaze: "Just after rewriting the Guritto story, I also feel I understand Hibiki better than before."

The topic has shifted from here to Yuta, and this should also count as some kind of hint. Aomo, with a bit of professional habit, explained softly to everyone.

Then Akane at the side struck his forehead with a knifehand.

Little snake, shut up!