Tale of Discovery

Chapter 277: Inquiries ; Slight Worry

Arriving in the living room, I look over at the sofa that Natsumi is sitting on alongside Yoshino.

Yoshino is paying keen attention to the TV, while Natsumi seems to be simply gazing at the TV out of boredom.

Perhaps, I should get her to partake in some activity to cheer her up. The only problem is that I barely know anything about Natsumi other than the fact that she likes her appearance to be complimented.

I wonder if it's just limited to that

"Natsumi," I say in a voice high enough to be heard but relatively low for Yoshino's focus to not be disturbed.

Hearing my voice, Natsumi's attention immediately shifts over to me as a questioning look appears on her face.

Seeing that she is aware of my presence now, I make use of Telekinesis to lift her body from the sofa and move her toward me, greatly startling her.

Her bewilderment doesn't last long as she has seemingly given in to her fate of being dragged along by me as I make my way to the kitchen.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asks the moment I set her down.

"There are a few things that I would like to ask you," I reply while beginning to prepare the ingredients for tonight's dinner.

Hopefully, the pastries that were eaten won't be affecting them all that much

"What questions?" Natsumi says while squinting her eyes

"Nothing that will trouble you," I say, "For starters, how about telling me about the reason you had appeared at the Ocean Park today?"

"Isn't that obvious?" she says in a dissatisfied tone, "I wanted to take revenge for what you did."

"Oh? And what exactly had I done that was wrong?"

"You saw me!" she exclaims, "Even now I bet you're not taking me seriously because I look like this."

Seeing her point at herself with a despondent expression, I nod my head once and say, "You're right. I'm not 'taking you seriously'."

Natsumi seems to have not expected me to agree with her as her jaw drops while she stares at my face with confusion apparent in her eyes.

"I have said this a few times already, but I think it's about time I made it clear."

Clearing my throat by coughing twice, I approach Natsumi and crouch in front of her before peering into her eyes and saying, "Had you not been so adorable, you would've been severely punished for a few of the actions you have taken against me."

The confusion in Natsumi's eyes dissipates as it gets replaced with doubt and uncertainty.

Natsumi opens her mouth to say something, but before she can do so, Tohka's voice reverberates within the kitchen, "Shido! When is dinner going to be prepared?"

Looking over at the energetic girl, I let out a small sigh before getting back up on my feet and saying, "In a short while. You can go watch the TV with Yoshino until it's done."

"Understood," she replies with a smile plastered to her lips before turning around and making her way to the sofa that Yoshino is sitting on.

With her gone, I place my focus back on Natsumi who now has a deliberative expression on her face.

Placing my hand atop her head, I give it a small rub while saying, "Come on, there are a few more things that I need to ask you about."

---

"So, tonight is your turn, huh?" I say while staring at Yoshino who is currently standing beside my bed while using her puppet to obstruct her face from my vision.

A small smile forms on my lips, as I walk over to my bed and lie down on it before saying, "Come on, what are you waiting for?"

Following my words, Yoshino climbs onto the bed and lies down right beside me while placing her puppet in between us.

With the two of us lying so close to one another, various thoughts pass through my mind.

After a short while, a certain notion cements itself deeply in my brain, resulting in me being unable to hold back from saying, "Yoshino, what do you think of this world?"

This isn't a question that one is supposed to ask a young girl like Yoshino, but her case is an exception, after all, she has experienced something beyond the norm.

My question seems to confuse Yoshino quite a bit as a troubled look appears on her face.

Realizing that the purpose of the question is a little too vague, I say, "Never mind that. What I want to know is what you thought about the residents of this world. Is there anyone you feel deeply attached to?"

This time, a contemplative expression forms on Yoshino's face for a brief moment before she smiles and points at me with her right index finger.

"Me, huh?" I say, "What if I were to disappear one day? Would you be saddened?"

"You're leaving?" Yoshino abruptly says in a shaky tone that's slightly louder than usual.

"No," I respond almost immediately, "Not yet, at least."

Before Yoshino can think of what I said, I continue, "For this reason, I was wondering if you would be fine with coming along with me if I did leave."

This time, Yoshino remains silent as she gazes at my face with a determined look in her eyes, making it quite obvious that she is set on coming with me.

That both relieves me and causes me some stress, after all, I am unsure of what will occur in the future. Heck, will she be able to use the same method the rest of us used to leave Platforms?

AI, can you tell if the usual method of leaving a Platform would work for her?

{Unable to confirm.}

Ugh. Well, I hope that she's capable of doing it at the time, or else I would have to find the Core of this Platform as well. Perhaps, Dominion would be able to guide me to it?

Deciding to think of this matter later on, a smile forms on my lips as I say, "Don't pay much attention to this, just go to sleep, alright?"

Closing the distance between our faces, I proceed to lightly peck Yoshino's cheek, to which she responds by wrapping her left arm around me.

Doing this same, the distance between our bodies is lessened so much that the puppet is seemingly getting crushed in between us as I begin rubbing Yoshino's back.

---

Entering my classroom, I find Origami and a few other students already present.

Tohka, who is right behind me, passes by and makes her way over to the female trio with whom she has become good friends with.

Shrugging my shoulders, I begin walking toward my seat while staring back at Origami who has been doing so ever since I stepped into the classroom.

Expectedly, she had something to say to me, as the moment I got close enough, she rose from her seat and said, "Shido Itsuka, I want to talk with you."

"When and where?" I ask.

"At lunch, behind the school building."

Oh? I wonder if this is going to be another bout of her trying out things recommended to her by her 'reliable sources'.

"Alright," I say, curious about what she has to say to me.

Following that, Origami sits back down, and I proceed to take a seat as well.

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