The Next Moment.
Two people appeared in a room.
Shouko looked around curiously and then realized that she had actually returned to her bedroom.
It was amazing.
She suddenly remembered something. She lowered her head and saw that her body was very dirty.
Shouko suddenly reacted, looking at her hands, and found that her hands were also dirty.
She unconsciously looked into the mirror and saw herself transformed into a cat in the mirror.
"Mhm..."
Shouko covered her face, then walked behind Haruto and pushed him out the door.
'Let me sit for a moment first! Don't you just need to go to the closet to grab a change of clothes? It's just a few pieces of fabric, what's there to be embarrassed about!'
Haruto stood outside the door, unable to complain in his heart.
Suddenly, a gentle gaze was fixed on him. He turned around and saw Yaeko standing at the corner of the stairs, staring at him with soft eyes.
The atmosphere felt somewhat strange.
Haruto coughed and opened his mouth to explain, but Yaeko spoke first, "When did this start?"
"Huh?"
Yaeko sighed and said, "I didn't expect Shouko would use such a method on you."
Haruto's head was full of questions, and he always felt like Yaeko had misunderstood something.
"Be careful not to kill anyone."
Could Yaeko have learned something important?
Where did she get that information?
Those who survived Ichinose?
Haruto thought for a moment and said, "Sorry, I can't guarantee that."
Life and death, fate and fortune are in heaven's hands.
He wasn't the father of those people. He had no need or obligation to save everyone.
Moreover, some people were unlucky and died as soon as they encountered an oddity.
"Huh?" Yaeko's face turned cold, her eyebrows furrowed, and she said displeased, "Have you taken any protective measures?"
Protective measures?
Wasn't that super large barrier important?
Haruto nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've taken protective measures."
"That's good."
Yaeko was in a complicated mood. She never expected her daughter would have a lover so soon, and she even created an illusion to let the man secretly stay with her at home.
Is it necessary to say what needs to be done?
Even though she was very angry, but honestly, it was more of a relief.
Although she usually treated Shouko very harshly, she didn't want her to be bullied.
After all, only Shouko herself could work hard to move forward in the future, not her continuous support.
As long as nothing happened to Shouko, that's all that mattered.
From her perspective, there was nothing to criticize Haruto about. He was calm with a very good appearance, and it was said that he was the second-best student in Sobu High School all year.
There was absolutely no problem with him taking responsibility for looking after Shouko in the future.
Shouko opened the bedroom door, came out with dirty clothes in her arms, and wore her pajamas again.
"Mom?"
Seeing her mother, Shouko blinked, a pink tinge appeared on her face, then she looked at Haruto and gestured with her hand, "Kuromori-kun, go to the room and wait for me first."
After saying that, Shouko greeted her mother and was about to go downstairs.
"Wait a moment."
Yaeko held Shouko, her eyes focused on the pajamas Shouko held in her hands, and a chill appeared in her eyes.
The dirt was a lot. Besides the bedroom, did they really go outside?
Yaeko took a deep breath, looked at Haruto, and said in a cold voice, "Kuromori-kun, is there something you want to say?"
Haruto thought for a moment and said, "Aunt, you should know that getting mud on that place is normal."
"Sorry, I don't know!"
Yaeko's eyes showed embarrassment. She had never tried it, so how could she know that there would be mud on the clothes, and how terrible the mud would be all over the body!
Shouko blinked blankly and nervously held her mother's hand: "Mom?"
Yaeko said with a cold face, "Shouko, you go down first!"
"No!"
Shouko spoke out of desperation, but her pronunciation was unclear, and her intonation sounded strange.
After she finished speaking, she unconsciously looked at Haruto.
Seeing him not showing any strange expression, she felt relieved.
Yaeko looked disappointed: "Shouko, you're still protecting him. He's done such extreme things to you. Obviously, he just wants to 'bip—' you!"
"Wait."
Haruto's face darkened. When did he ever bully Shouko?
"Hmm~"
Shouko's face suddenly turned red. She shook her head quickly and said with a difficult voice, "Mom, Kuromori-kun didn't bother me."
Haruto took a breath, stepped forward, and said, "Aunt, you misunderstood."
If Shouko was really bullied, he would definitely take responsibility. There's no way to deny it!
After the explanation, Yaeko reacted.
After all, Shouko had only a few friends, almost none, especially not any friends of the opposite sex who could visit her.
Perhaps because of her foresight, she misunderstood the relationship between Shouko and Haruto.
Yaeko felt embarrassed and said calmly, "That's for the best."
After saying that, she turned and went downstairs.
When this misunderstanding happened, Haruto didn't feel embarrassed.
But it's clear that Yaeko must have felt embarrassed.
Seeing Shouko squatting on the ground with her face covered, looking like she was about to explode with embarrassment, Haruto thought for a moment and said, "Shouko, do you want to try learning how to speak?"
He couldn't forget Shouko's gloomy gaze when she was in the oddity. Her lifeless eyes, and the expression that should have been like this.
She hated herself.
She felt that a place like hell should be her deserved destination and end.
She was truly a soft-hearted idiot.
Even if she was hurt and bruised, she had to treat the world with kindness, but she wouldn't give any kindness to herself.
She wasn't stupid, then what?
Perhaps only a handful of fools like her exist in the world. It would be a shame if someone like that suddenly disappeared.
Haruto said, "I can teach you."
Shouko slightly opened her eyes, looking through the gap between her fingers with a face full of surprise.
Haruto knelt, thought for a moment, then raised his hand and touched her head.
He always felt it was a pity not to touch her head at this height!
As his hand fell, Shouko's head unconsciously shrank a little, with a bit of embarrassment in her eyes, but in the end, she still didn't choose to avoid it.
After taking a glance, she immediately turned her face away, her ears turning red.
Haruto gently said, "If you're willing, you can come to see me on the weekend."
Coincidentally, Mafuyu had no activities during the weekend, so just leave it to her.
"C-can I?"
Shouko couldn't help but look at him, her eyes shining brightly, and her gaze was very beautiful.
"Yeah."
Haruto slightly nodded.
He didn't have any other unnecessary thoughts; he just wanted to help Shouko.
It didn't matter if they were strangers. Now, they were no longer strangers at all. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were friends.
Past experiences might be painful, but the future might not be so.