Chapter 388: Returned |
"A-Gen has returned!"
Hoshino Rin, who had been curled up on the sofa in a dazed and confused state, heard Tamamo-no-Mae's sudden shout beside her. With a jolt, her sleepiness vanished completely.
Ever since her brother had disappeared yesterday evening, Hoshino Rin had been forcing herself to stay awake, waiting endlessly for the results of the outside search.
However, let alone any concrete results, they had not even managed to find the slightest traces and clues!
Now, suddenly hearing Tamamo-no-Mae's words, Hoshino Rin was impatient beyond endurance as she pressed, "Where?"
The little girl shook her head, but her small face was flushed as red as a little apple from excitement. After all, if one were to ask who had been hit the hardest by Hoshino Gen's disappearance, it was undoubtedly her. To the others, his disappearance was just a concept, but to Tamamo-no-Mae, the severed connection of their Soul Contract was a harsh, tangible reality!
Under normal circumstances, there were only two possibilities for such a Soul Contract to be broken: one was a mutual agreement between both parties, and the other was if one of them died.
The former was completely out of the question—Tamamo-no-Mae certainly did not remember ever wanting to sever her contract with A-Gen! Therefore, although she had not dared to say it out loud, she had genuinely believed the latter scenario had occurred. If Rin-chan had not been accompanying her this entire time, she would have almost lost the will to live!
Thus, no one was more excited about Hoshino Gen's return than she was. After all, while everyone else merely thought he was missing, she had genuinely believed A-Gen had kicked the bucket!
Saying this, she felt a powerful urge to do exactly that, but looking at the eager expression on Hoshino Rin's face, she gritted her teeth and held back. "Rin-chan, you should try calling A-Gen's phone to check!"
"Ah... right!" Hoshino Rin pulled out her mobile phone. Since Hoshino Gen's disappearance, she had called her brother's phone and sent him messages countless times!
None of her messages had received a reply, and his calls went straight to out of range.
Her hand trembled slightly as she gripped the device. It was not until she dialed the number and heard the ringing melody through the speaker—instead of the previous out of range prompt—that her eyes finally could not help but turn red...
The phone rang for a long time. Just as Hoshino Rin was beginning to think no one would pick up, the call connected.
"Brother...?"
Hoshino Rin called out carefully, a tearful voice betraying her fragile emotions.
"I am here."
Hoshino Gen's voice rang out clearly through the phone.
Then, sitting on the sofa, Hoshino Rin heard the front door of the villa open behind her.
She subconsciously turned around and saw Hoshino Gen standing in the doorway, similarly holding his mobile phone to his ear.
Hoshino Rin abruptly stood up, tears gushing out of her eyes. She dropped her phone, sprinted toward Hoshino Gen, and threw herself directly into his arms. "Brother!"
......
......
"Mhm, yes, my brother has already returned."
"He is fine. Perfectly fine."
"Okay, Mother."
Sitting on the living room sofa, Hoshino Rin spoke to their mother on the phone while tightly clutching the hem of Hoshino Gen's shirt with her other hand, acting as if she was terrified that the moment she let go, her brother would vanish before her eyes again.
"Brother, Mother wants to speak with you." Hoshino Rin looked at Hoshino Gen and handed the mobile phone over to him.
In truth, up until this point, Hoshino Gen himself was not entirely sure what had transpired, and the heavy, groggy feeling in his head had yet to fade.
He took his sister's phone, brought it to his ear, and immediately heard Tilina's voice. "Xiao Gen?"
"Yes, it is me." Hoshino Gen suppressed the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind and replied with his usual calm tone.
"Oh... thank heavens. No, I must confirm it once more. You really have returned, right, my dear?"
"...Yes." Hoshino Gen paused his sentence briefly. After a moment of hesitation, he supplemented, "I am back."
The other end of the line fell into a prolonged silence.
Perhaps a dozen seconds passed, or maybe half a minute, before Tilina finally spoke again. "I heard from Rei... it was because of another supernatural incident, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Can you not stop? Stop involving yourself with those..."
"I cannot, nor am I willing to," Hoshino Gen said.
"Is that so... I see..."
"Then, will you promise your mother one thing?"
Hoshino Gen did not answer. He disliked making promises lightly, especially regarding matters he might not be able to fulfill.
"Perhaps I have no right to say this, but consider it a plea from your mother. From now on, please cherish your own life more, alright?"
"..."
Hoshino Gen could faintly hear the sound of low sobbing coming from the other end of the line, but he still offered no response.
"..."
"I am sorry, my child..."
Beep, beep, beep—
The call ended. It was the first time in the history of the mother and child's conversations that Tilina had hung up first.
Hoshino Gen lowered the phone and shook his head slightly. Then, he gently pulled away from Hoshino Rin's grip on his shirt. "I am going to sleep."
Hoshino Rin's gaze tracked her brother's figure all the way up to the second floor, and only when he disappeared from sight did she slowly look away.
Shirayanagi Ayaha had barely returned to reality—less than three seconds had passed in total—when Carole teleported over.
And from that moment until now, from the rooftop of the building all the way back to her bedroom at home, Carole's interrogation had not ceased for a single moment.
Unable to stubbornly resist her any longer, Shirayanagi Ayaha simply spoke the truth. After all, when it came to things clearly belonging to the supernatural realm, Carole definitely knew more than she did.
"Yes, because I distinctly remember spending almost half a month there, yet after I came back, you told me it had been less than twenty hours."
Carole frowned upon hearing this, pressing further, "What kind of world was it? What did you experience over there?"
Shirayanagi Ayaha sat on her bed, tapping her chin with a slender, pale finger. "What kind of world... It's hard to describe. It seemed pretty similar to our world here, except everything was entirely black and white, which felt a bit eerie. As for my experiences..."
Shirayanagi Ayaha glanced at her best friend and muttered, "That is not very convenient to talk about..."
After all, this involved the greatest secret of her childhood friend. Therefore, even though Carole was her closest friend, Shirayanagi Ayaha had no intention of revealing everything to her.
"Oh?" Carole could not help but laugh. "Not convenient to talk about? You are keeping secrets from me now?"
Shirayanagi Ayaha pouted her small lips, stubbornly refusing to yield no matter what.
Carole narrowed her eyes, then suddenly smiled and stood up. "Alright, since you are unwilling to say, I will not force you. Though even if you don't say it, I already know it definitely has something to do with your childhood friend."
"..."