Greeting the morning sun, the sun gradually rose, and the gentle sunlight pierced the sky, its soft rays beginning to push back the night, allowing light to reappear in the sky.
At this moment, Fang Wuwei arrived at the seaside, feeling the refreshing sea breeze, his right eye, now a Mangekyo, staring intently at the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, a deep disappointment hidden in his gaze.
He had woken up in the middle of the night yesterday and, following the direction indicated by Takanashi's father, came to this beach, staring with his Mangekyo for half the night, but found nothing.
His emotions shifted from initial excitement to confusion, and now to numbness.
Could he have been tricked?
Looking at the rising sun, Fang Wuwei knew it was time for him to go back. It was truly frustrating to stand for half the night with no Gains.
But Fang Wuwei did not lose heart. If the invisible boundary line were so easy to find, he would have probably seen it long ago. Rikka would not have had to search painstakingly for three years, and even then, she only found it with Yuta's help.
Never mind. Anyway, he would come again in the future. As long as he followed Yuta and Rikka closely then, he should be able to find the invisible boundary line.
Fang Wuwei sighed softly and turned to leave quickly.
But what he didn't know was that shortly after he left, a mysterious white light suddenly appeared at the junction of the sea and sky, forming a horizontal diagonal line, which then slowly expanded, as if staring at him as he walked away, only to disappear again shortly after, as if it had never existed.
— — — — This is a dividing line shouting (Don't overtake me!) — — — —
Upon returning to Takanashi's old home, Fang Wuwei found that Toka and his grandmother were already awake, which made him secretly glad he had returned early and also marvel at how diligent these two people were.
"Where did you go so early?"
"To… feel the sea breeze. I couldn't sleep well. It's an old habit."
Facing Toka's interrogation, Fang Wuwei chose to gloss over it, and adding "it's an old habit" at the end made Toka unable to press further, fearing that she might bring up his past again and reopen the wounds of this poor child.
Toka silently watched Fang Wuwei leave, originally not wanting to interfere further, but then remembered Rikka and Yuta's current situation. After much hesitation, she called Fang Wuwei to a halt.
Looking at the frowning, puzzled Fang Wuwei, Toka organized her thoughts and began to speak.
"Fang, what kind of person do you think Yuta is to Rikka?"
She remembered their previous conversation, when he said that when he was in despair, someone had pulled him out, allowing him to persevere and emerge from endless sorrow and despair.
She wanted to know if Yuta and Rikka were like him and his benefactor, whether Yuta had pulled Rikka out when she was in unbearable pain, just as Fang's benefactor had done for him.
And Fang Wuwei, weary, heard such a question and was stunned for nearly a minute before understanding why Toka would ask. She was, after all, worried about Rikka. She would soon be going abroad, and if Rikka couldn't take care of herself before then, she would have to be entrusted to her mother, whom she hadn't seen in years.
Her mother had once broken Rikka's heart, and if Rikka couldn't mature a bit, she feared that something… unpleasant might happen if the two were together.
Fang Wuwei understood that Toka was still worried about Rikka, but the answer to this question, he had actually already given.
"Toka, I understand what you're worried about… But didn't I say… Trust Yuta, and trust Rikka. Give them some time…
Group 389744326
Rikka is not yet mature enough, but one day, she will also consider reality, she will also think about the future, and she will eventually accept the reality she cannot accept.
As for the present, she is still naive, so she still needs Yuta to lead the way. She still needs someone to pull her, slowly guiding her back from the Fork in the road of fantasy, until she faces reality…
Give them some time… Some things cannot be easily changed by forcing her. Overdoing it will only backfire, just as you once said, you don't want her to become a child without dreams or ideals.
Trust Yuta, Toka… Trust him."
Having said all this, Fang Wuwei, feeling his head heavy and his eyes throbbing, no longer paid attention to Toka and went upstairs to catch up on sleep.
Only Toka remained, standing dazed in place, watching Fang Wuwei's back until he disappeared at the end of the stairs.
"Trust Yuta… huh…"
......
Soon, the sun reached its zenith. After a morning of fun and lunch, the group began to pack their luggage, preparing to leave.
"Thank you for your hospitality these past two days! We apologize for any trouble we caused!"
The luggage had already been loaded into the car. Nibutani turned to bow to the grandparents who were seeing them off at the door, her etiquette impeccable.
This was Rikka's old home, and they had been invited by Rikka. Now that Rikka had returned, they naturally couldn't stay any longer and chose to leave early.
Once in Toka's car, everyone began their return journey to the train station. Throughout the trip, Fang Wuwei slept by the window, not moving at all. Even when it was time to get off, he had to be woken up by Isshiki Makoto and stumbled out of the car.
This behavior, in Toka's eyes, who didn't understand Fang Wuwei, was him starting to think of his family and feeling dejected. Toka, thinking she had made him recall his painful past again, suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
But in reality, Fang Wuwei was just tired from staring with his Mangekyo all night and not sleeping for half the night.
Yawning, the group boarded the train and headed home.
Fang Wuwei looked back at the distant sea, his heart filled with regret and some reluctance.
If the invisible boundary line truly existed, why couldn't he see it?
Holding onto this regret, Fang Wuwei's thoughts began to drift, and unconsciously he left this place that was filled with sadness for Rikka.
— — — — This is a dividing line that doesn't want to be overtaken — — — —
Time flew by. For Nibutani and the others, this trip to the countryside was merely a perfect journey that ended midway, so no one paid it any more mind, at most just teasing Yuta and Rikka a bit.
It had been several days since he returned. Fang Wuwei lay on the sofa, feeling somewhat empty after his daily training. He didn't know what to do now.
He wasn't interested in playing games, and other forms of entertainment held no appeal. Before, when he was still in school, he had studying to bind his thoughts, and he had those people who could be considered friends to accompany him.
So, after much deliberation, Fang Wuwei decided to go find Yuta and check on Rikka's situation.
Fang Wuwei, carrying a large bag of snacks and drinks, set off on the road to Togashi's house.
The dazzling sunlight shone on his face, stinging Fang Wuwei's eyes slightly. He raised his hand to partially block the light and stepped onto the main road.
Looking at the crowds walking towards him, it was rush hour, and countless pedestrians passed by him, yet not a single one touched him. He moved through the crowd like a leaf, as if nothing were there.
Only when he passed one person did he glance sideways slightly.
A moment later, Fang Wuwei took a bottle of juice from his bag, silently opened it, and drank it. The cool juice flowed through his mouth, also calming his mind.
Plans have changed.
…It's time to kill.