The vegetables were a fresh green, the noodles in the boiling water gradually became soft; as the two danced in the water, Nana took the opportunity to sprinkle in a bit of salt.
In less than twenty minutes, Nana finished a fried egg, a portion of pan-seared salmon, a bowl of vegetable soup noodles. She placed everything before Gin one by one, then gazed expectantly at the silver-haired man as he picked up his chopsticks.
Actually—it's not bad.
Gin thought.
Even such a simple dish wouldn't be bad, besides, what Nana made wasn't bad at all.
When hungry, a steaming hot dish can undoubtedly whet one's appetite. Gin ate very quickly, in just ten minutes, everything was finished.
And then—
“Speak.” The Silver-haired man looked at Nana, his eyes filled with a hint of helplessness. “Why are you dressed like your sister?”
..
Gin knows why Nana dressed up as Shiratori Midori.
Even so, Nana knew that Gin knew the reason why she did this.
Therefore, what he wanted to ask about was, without a doubt, the cause and effect of this matter.
For Nana, this was not some unspeakable Secret—besides, she had already made up her mind to do this for Gin.
"That's about it." Nana lowered her head, her tone somewhat listless.
Nana pursed her lips slightly, her gaze not merely on Gin, but cast low toward the ground. Her delicate face showed a sense of calm, however her hands tightly gripped her coat pocket.
She actually.. understood.
After the previous Party ended, Gin had confessed some things to her in a near-uncontrolled manner. The Silver-haired man spoke so bluntly that no matter how stupid Nana was, she should have understood by now.
Moreover, Nana was never stupid.
“Do you still remember—” Gin gazed silently at the girl before him, the girl he had looked after for nearly ten years:
Did I say something to you before?
The Silver-haired man's tone was impossible to read.
"I know," Nana's voice trembled slightly. Her long-standing respect and fear of Gin meant she rarely contradicted the Silver-haired man. However—
The Black-haired girl looked up, the light casting a faint glow over her face, her Green eyes seeming to shimmer with brilliant starlight.
She began to laugh, her tone gentle yet brook no argument: "I refuse."
That smile was like a flower blooming in the mountains and fields, stubborn and resilient, brimming with boundless vitality.
—That's right, she was just.. unwilling.
..
I refuse.
I am unwilling to walk the path you have laid out for me.
I am unwilling to peacefully stay out of it.
I—DO—NOT—WANT—TO!
"I am.. no longer a Child," Nana said, looking calmly at the man before her, the man who had once taught her and had protected her for many years.
For a long time, Gin was the only person she trusted.
Even now, even now that she has new friends, new bonds, a new life, Gin remains one of his most important people.
Whether for Hashimoto Nana or Shiratori Nana, Kurosawa Zhen is very important to her.
She was close to him, trusted him, respected him, sometimes even felt a faint sense of fear toward him.
However—
“I am long past the age of doing everything That person says.”
Nana said.
I have my own judgment.
I will judge for myself what kind of life I want.
I will choose for myself what is right.
I am happy to accept your advice, but that does not mean you can disregard my wishes and make plans for my Life.
I have already made up my mind before making a decision." The black-haired girl stared fearlessly into Gin's green eyes. It wasn't that she wasn't worried, but in comparison, she cared more about Gin expressing her own feelings: "I will bear the consequences.
I know you mean well for me, I know that if I listen to you, I can avoid many detours.
But, what if.. I am willing to take the long way?
That kind of life is indeed what I want." A shimmer gradually welled up in the girl's green eyes, through the haze of water vapor, her voice choked with emotion: "But if the price is you, how could I enjoy such a life with a clear conscience?
I'd rather not have it!
I would rather walk my own path than follow your Arrangement on a broad, smooth road.
I will bear the consequences; no matter how much pain or hardship I face, I will keep moving forward.
So—
Don't be like this..
Gin heard Nana say that.
The shimmer in the girl's green eyes condensed into crystalline droplets, slowly falling down her white tender cheek, leaving two tear stains on her face.
Her shoulders trembled, her lips trembled, her voice trembled, even her hands, which were tightly clutching the edge of her coat, trembled.
However, those eyes—eyes that were very similar to her sister's yet also entirely different, eyes with a color much lighter than Gin's—still stared at Gin with stubbornness.
“My parents are important to me, Sister is important to me, Yaji is important to me—but am I not important to you?”
She spoke with pauses between each word, by the end, the young black-haired woman could no longer maintain her facade of calm.
Nana suddenly looked up, her Green eyes, filled with shimmering tears, faintly tinged with crimson. As if on the verge of a breakdown, she cried out in a piercing, hoarse voice:
“I never want to lose another important person again!”
So—
Don't be like this..
Don't die when I'm around.
And don't you dare die without me knowing!
Live well.
Just as you wish for me to be safe and sound; I, too, hope that you will be safe and sound.
..
She heard a heart-wrenching silence.
It is unclear how much time passed before that familiar male voice slowly rang out, low and mellow as always. The voice, so close at hand, was very light, yet those few syllables felt as heavy as if they were crashing against the heart.
He said, "Okay?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: I ate a lot of mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but I didn't get to eat my favorite kind..
There should be two updates tomorrow, miju.
..
Thanks to Jiye Qianchen Little Angel for the landmine, love you~
Thank you to the Little Angels who provided [Nutrient solution]:
maty0703 100 bottles; Ziming Yingyou 67 bottles; So 45 bottles; Xiao Sheng 44 bottles; Eternal Tower 30 bottles; Xiaoling 25 bottles; Cuican Xinghuo, Yushi 20 bottles; Author, please update faster!! 12 bottles; Xiaobai, Fengguo Wuhun, Yuanzi, Guiyuan 10 bottles; Yinian, Gongzi Wuqiu, Huyan Jueruo Xing 5 bottles; Shiran 4 bottles; Weihuan Jihe YY, Zhongye Ai Wo Ai Xuexi 3 bottles; Bai Chenshang, Tsundere Furuya Rei 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for everyone's support, I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 189 Chapter 172 "Want to go for a drink?"..
Watching the girl before her finally lose control of her emotions and weep in a daze after receiving that answer, Gin blinked her eyes softly.
She protected Nana.. for nearly ten years.
Ten years is a long time; even when measured against a human lifetime, it is still significant.
Perhaps at first, he did indeed give Shiratori Nana extra care solely because of Midori, but as time passed bit by bit, this black-haired girl undoubtedly occupied a place in his heart.
She had matured bit by bit from her initial innocence; from failing at cooking several times at the start, she became able to prepare a fairly substantial meal in about twenty minutes; from agonizing over obvious clues in the beginning, she became able to calmly and rationally analyze them to find the Truth..
But that initial stubbornness and persistence remained hidden deep within her heart, never once changing.
Nana covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably; she hadn't cried like this since she reached adulthood.
Oh, she cried just like this when I saw Sister before.
This is truly..
She thought so, secretly blaming herself in her heart, however, tears continued to streak across her cheek, falling drop by drop.
Her black hair hung down as she lowered her head, resting upon her delicate white tender cheek, with a few crystal-clear water drops clinging to her cheek.
She looked quite wretched.
However, Gin sat to the side, watching Nana quietly, yet she could not say a word.
He seemed to be thinking of many things, yet he also seemed to be thinking of nothing at all.
After knowing that several dozen seconds—or perhaps several minutes—had passed, the Silver-haired man slightly tilted her head.
Okay.
But thinking about it, he thought.
Indeed, you have already grown up..
You have.. grown up.