"Hana, is there any way to make them quiet down quickly?"
The answer book's question limit had been reached, so Kitahara Makoto could only lower his head and ask Hana.
There were simply too many questions, his head was about to explode.
"Small cakes."
Hana tilted her small face, bargaining.
Kitahara Makoto readily agreed:
"As long as you have a way, I'll buy you ten small cakes."
"…"
Hana's eyes lit up, and she simply extended her small hand. Soon, transparent, ghostly blue branches grew from her palm.
The branches divided into two, then into four, spreading and growing like living things, connecting to Sakiko, Soyo, and the others.
Before long, a dreamlike, translucent flower grew from the girls' brows.
Then, the flower transformed into a stream of light and merged into the Kessoku Band girls' brows.
"What is this?"
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously.
"Memory, copy."
Hana's speech was as incomplete as ever, but he could already guess the general meaning.
After eating the bad flowers in the Otherworld, Hana had mastered many strange abilities, so copying a memory was not surprising.
"So that's it, so many things happened this past year… I actually became the bad woman who disbanded the Kessoku Band…"
Band Togawa closed her eyes slightly, beginning to read the copied memories. However, after a short while, she suddenly let out a shameful gasp:
"Eh eh eh?!"
Band Taki asked doubtfully:
"Sakiko, what's wrong?"
"No, nothing…"
Band Togawa opened her eyes in a panic, glanced at Kitahara Makoto, her pretty face turning explosively red at a visible speed.
"The way of repaying kindness is too terrible!!!"
"Why…"
"Why didn't my original self firmly refuse!"
The copied memory flower did not contain the emotions of that time, it was like quickly browsing a movie.
Seeing her future self accept Kitahara Makoto's 'repayment of kindness' with her own eyes now was an absolute nuclear bomb-like shock for Band Togawa, who was like a pure white sheet of paper.
Togawa Sakiko apparently also guessed why she was so ashamed, her pretty face also flushed, she bit her teeth lightly, and couldn't help but glare at Kitahara Makoto in annoyance.
Band Soyo's eyes widened, her pretty face also quickly flushed, her gaze drifted towards Kitahara Makoto, her eyes full of shyness:
"My future self actually fell in love with that boy… And besides the last step, everything else has been done, right?"
"I had planned to consider dating after college, but now I'm almost going on maternity leave."
"My future self is too immodest!"
"…"
Band Tomori looked up and subconsciously called out:
"Makoto-kun…"
Kitahara Makoto softly responded:
"I'm here."
"I'm sorry, my original self caused you trouble."
"Not at all."
Band Mutsumi, after reading her original self's memories, her face remained as expressionless as ever, still quiet and calm.
Finally, there was Band Taki.
While the other girls were reading their original selves' memories, she alone stood in place, her expression bewildered.
"Why is only my original self not here?"
"Why are Soyo, Sakiko, and Tomori's faces all red after reading the memories?"
"What exactly happened this past year?"
"Could it be… I encountered an accident and parted ways with everyone forever?"
"No, I must find out what's going on!"
"…"
Kitahara Makoto looked at Band Togawa and asked:
"How long can you stay outside the poster?"
"I-I don't know," Band Togawa said, looking down at her toes, too embarrassed to look up. "But I feel like I can't leave for too long. I have to go back after a while, just like a fish can't leave the water for too long."
Kitahara Makoto pointed at the luggage on the ground and said softly, "Sakiko, try to see if you can take the backpack into the poster."
"Eh?"
"We're preparing to go to Otherworld, and carrying a backpack is too troublesome. If we can store the supplies in the poster, that would be for the best."
"I-I'll try..."
Band Togawa still didn't dare to look up, shyly agreed, bent down to pick up the travel bag, and walked to the poster.
Under everyone's curious gaze, Band Togawa's figure transformed into a stream of light and re-entered the poster.
"Very good," Kitahara Makoto's eyes lit up. "It really went in."
Inside the poster, a travel bag appeared clearly in Band Togawa's right hand.
Togawa Sakiko pursed her beautiful lips and said softly, "It seems we can indeed use the poster as storage space."
"Just one more thing," Kitahara Makoto called out. "Sakiko, take the travel bag and come out again."
"..."
Band Togawa evidently heard Kitahara Makoto's words. After nodding, she came out of the poster again, carrying the travel bag.
Kitahara Makoto opened the backpack, checked the items inside, and said with satisfaction, "All the supplies are there, no problems at all. It can indeed be used as storage space."
Although it differed slightly from his initial idea, the outcome was ultimately satisfying.
At the same time.
Band Taki quietly pulled Tomori to a corner and whispered, "Tomori, lend me your phone for a moment."
Takamatsu Tomori asked curiously, "What is Taki going to do?"
"I want to call myself," Band Taki naturally didn't hide it, whispering, "Even if the Kessoku Band disbands in the future, I should still be by Tomori's side... I want to ask what my original self is doing."
"Here you go."
Tomori silently handed over her phone.
"Thank you, Tomori-chan."
Band Taki took the phone and saw that the last chat record between her original self and Takamatsu Tomori was half a month ago, and her small brows immediately furrowed tightly.
The video call quickly connected.
A petite girl with long black hair appeared in the video, her voice full of surprise: "Tomori, why are you... Eh?"
Looking at the person in the video who was identical to herself, Shiina Taki was completely stunned.
"Who are you?"
"I am Taki."
"Impossible, I am Taki."
"It's not something that can be explained in one or two sentences," Band Taki said with a serious expression on her small face. "Even if the Kessoku Band disbanded, why aren't you by Tomori's side? Do you know how many dangers Tomori has encountered?"
"I know," the original Shiina Taki frowned and suddenly said, "You're a liar!"
"What?"
Band Taki immediately became angry: "You don't recognize yourself?"
"It's precisely because I recognize myself that I'm sure you're a liar," Shiina Taki said with a wary look. "Just a few days ago, I saw a video where scammers specifically collect old phones, crack the data, and then use AI face-swapping to impersonate the other person's friends and defraud them of money... To impersonate Tomori to trick me is unforgivable! Just wait, I'm calling the police!"
"...Idiot!"
Band Taki gritted her teeth in anger.
Why did her future self seem even more stubborn?
"Look closely!"
As Band Taki spoke, she rotated the phone, and the girls in the living room immediately came into view.
"Two Tomoris, two Soyos, two Mutsumis..."
Shiina Taki's eyes widened, and she was completely stunned.
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Even if it were a scammer, they couldn't possibly have such a grand scheme, could they?
And she was just an ordinary high school student, not worth such elaborate deception.
Band Taki snorted softly and whispered, "If you don't come over, there will be no place for you by Tomori's side anymore!"
Shiina Taki took a deep breath: "Stop talking, send me the address."
"..."
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto was still verifying the storage effect of the space within the painting.
"Soyo, take this small alarm clock inside."
Kitahara Makoto took out a small alarm clock and handed it to Soyo's Band.
"Ah... okay."
Soyo's Band's pretty face was flushed, and she also bowed her head, not daring to look at him. In the memories she had read, her original self and the boy in front of her had done many indescribable things, and had even watched movies meant for adults together. The impact on a middle school girl was imaginable.
Soyo's Band quickly took the alarm clock and scurried into the poster.
A moment later.
"Soyo, you can come out now."
Kitahara Makoto called Soyo's Band out again.
"Very good, five minutes have passed in real world, but the time on the alarm clock hasn't changed at all," Kitahara Makoto looked closely at the alarm clock and nodded with satisfaction. "It seems that time does not flow inside the poster."
"This way, many fresh things can be stored inside, such as iced drinks, hot meals, and so on. They will look the same when taken out as they did when put in."
Next was still time verification.
When the girls in the painting moved objects, they were not limited by size or volume; as long as they could lift it, they could take it into the space within the painting.
Unfortunately, the space behind the poster was not large; the activity area was only a stage.
Nagasaki Soyo curiously pursed her lips: "Can people be taken in and out of the poster?"
Kitahara Makoto snapped his fingers: "If you want to know, just try it."
A moment later.
Verification failed.
The Kessoku Band girls could not take people in and out of the poster.
Togawa Sakiko crossed her arms over her chest and mused, "Let's broaden the scope. Not just humans, but perhaps other living things cannot be taken into the poster."
"It's already very satisfying. After all, it's just a poster, not a portable small world," Kitahara Makoto didn't feel any regret. "Since the poster can be used as a storage scroll, the progress of Eden's construction can be greatly increased."
"..."
As soon as the items were moved, the figures of the Kessoku Band girls began to become ethereal.
"There really is a time limit for their existence..."
Kitahara Makoto silently calculated the time in his mind, it was about half an hour.
"It's time to go back into the poster."
Band Togawa pursed her lips and waved goodbye to everyone. She had read the memories but had not inherited the emotions, so Band Togawa was still a pure and innocent figure, her voice clear and her smile bright: "Although many, many things have happened in the future, you must not give up easily... My original self, keep it up."
Togawa Sakiko: "..."
Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"I'll get it."
Band Taki's small face was full of seriousness as she quickly walked to the entrance and pulled the door open.
As expected, the person who had rushed over was Shiina Taki.
"Whew... whew..."
Shiina Taki stood at the door, panting, one hand holding her phone, her small face full of vigilance, clearly ready to call the police if anything seemed off.
Then she opened the door and saw her middle school self.
"Eh?" Shiina Taki's eyes widened, and she was completely bewildered. "...Is that really me?"
"You're finally here," Band Taki pulled her original self inside. "I'm about to go back into the poster. From now on, I'm entrusting Tomori to your care."
Kitahara Makoto looked over curiously, finally seeing the last girl of the Kessoku Band.
The original Taki in front of him had long black hair, a tear mole at the corner of her eye, and was as tall as Tomori, both being petite.
Looking at the girls in the living room, Shiina Taki was completely bewildered, her mind clearly filled with life's three questions.
Who am I?
Who is I?
Where did I come from?
"Original self, there's no time, let Tomori explain the details to you..."
The Kessoku Band girls' bodies became increasingly ethereal, evidently reaching their limit. Band Taki had no time to explain and could only give a brief instruction before her body transformed into a stream of light and returned to the poster.
Witnessing the unbelievable scene with her own eyes, Shiina Taki's eyes widened, and she was completely stunned.
"C-Could I be dreaming? Is everything in front of me just a dream?"
"Kitahara-kun, what should we do?"
Nagasaki Soyo cast an inquiring glance.
"I'm fine with whatever," Kitahara Makoto said softly. "Whether to tell her the truth is up to you."
Togawa Sakiko sighed helplessly: "Let's just tell Taki the truth..."
With Tomori there, if the situation wasn't clarified, Taki would never give up.
"Taki, it's not a dream."
Takamatsu Tomori walked over and began to explain the things they had encountered during this period.
"..."
Shiina Taki listened silently, still somewhat dazed: "Everyone actually encountered so many things... Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Nagasaki Soyo said softly:
"Supernatural events are very dangerous. Telling Taki-san would only drag you into it. I don't want you to encounter danger."
"You all know, but only I don't…"
Shiina Taki clenched her small fists, feeling a sense of being excluded.
"It's getting late. Whatever you want to say, let's talk after we return from Otherworld." Kitahara Makoto glanced at the time. "Let's get ready to go."
Everything was already prepared. Now, all that was left was to go to Otherworld to pick the Eden Fruit.
"I want to go to Otherworld too."
Shiina Taki took a deep breath and said seriously.
"Otherworld is very dangerous, Taki, don't be impulsive…"
Nagasaki Soyo spoke softly, clearly explaining the dangers of Otherworld.
Shiina Taki was completely unmoved:
"I want to protect Tomori!"
No, what are you going to protect Tomori with?
With your one-meter-fifty-five short stature?
"Taki, don't worry about me." Takamatsu Tomori said softly, "Makoto-kun will protect us."
"Ma… Makoto-kun?"
Shiina Taki's eyes shifted, looking at Kitahara Makoto, her small face full of vigilance.
(Last year, when the Kessoku Band disbanded, Tomori was introverted and shy, not even daring to speak to boys. Today, she's calling a boy so intimately?)
(Tomori couldn't be…)
(It must be!)
(There's no pure friendship between a man and a woman. If a boy helps a girl for free, his intentions certainly aren't simple, right?)
(No, I must protect Tomori and not let Tomori be deceived and played with her feelings!)
Shiina Taki tightened her small face, spread her arms, and stood in front of Tomori, looking at Kitahara Makoto vigilantly:
"I've never heard of exorcists having strange abilities. This guy, whose origins are unknown, must have some unspeakable secret, right?"
"Tsk~"
Kitahara Makoto let out a soft tsk. Being targeted for no reason, he was indeed a bit annoyed.
However, before he could speak, Togawa Sakiko had already frowned:
"We know what kind of person Kitahara-kun is. Taki, this is only your first time meeting him. You don't know anything, yet you're prejudging and criticizing others. That's a bit too arrogant."
Nagasaki Soyo also pursed her lips:
"Taki doesn't know what we've been through, which is why she would say such things. Although Kitahara-kun is occasionally unreliable, he is actually someone trustworthy and dependable."
Takamatsu Tomori said from the side:
"I trust Makoto-kun."
"You… why are you all speaking up for him?"
Shiina Taki took half a step back, completely bewildered.
She had only voiced her suspicions, so why had she suddenly become an antagonist to everyone?
Could everyone have been hypnotized by that boy?
Seeing Shiina Taki clenching her teeth and looking at him, Kitahara Makoto showed a condescending smile.
Sorry.
Feelings don't care about who came first.
Everyone is mine now. Little Taki, what do you have to compete with me?
"…Damn it!"
Shiina Taki gritted her teeth in anger, knowing that saying anything more to question him would only get her kicked out. She could only reluctantly say:
"I'm sorry, I was impulsive."
Kitahara Makoto magnanimously waved his hand:
"For Tomori's sake, I'll reluctantly forgive Taki-san."
Shiina Taki: "…"
"Taki-san, please rest assured." Kitahara Makoto promised, "I will definitely take good care of Tomori and everyone, so you can leave."
(The person I trust the least is you!)
Shiina Taki clenched her small fists. Since she knew Otherworld was dangerous, she wanted even more to stay by Tomori's side.
At the same time.
Hana, quietly eating a small cake, suddenly looked up.
"They're here."
The next second.
The air seemed to turn into water, and ripples and waves suddenly appeared, which was a manifestation of spacetime node fluctuations.
"Oh no…"
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand, preparing to throw Shiina Taki out, but unfortunately, before he could touch her, a sensation of weightlessness suddenly struck him.
The space slightly distorted, and in the next instant, Kitahara Makoto and the figures of several girls all disappeared.
Splash! Splash!
The sounds of falling into the sea echoed one after another.
Kitahara Makoto and the girls fell directly into Otherworld.
"Ptooey…"
Kitahara Makoto spat out a mouthful of seawater, surfaced, and looked at Hana not far away:
"Hana, why did you suddenly pull everyone in?"
Hana floated leisurely on the surface of the sea, face up, speaking in clipped sentences:
"Not me, space fluctuation."
"…"
So that's how it is.
There were two ways to enter Otherworld: one was for Hana to open the door, and the other was to be at a spacetime node. Spacetime nodes were unstable and occasionally vibrated. At such times, some unlucky people would unfortunately fall into Otherworld.
Clearly, Shiina Taki was the second type of unlucky person.
Upon learning the truth, Sakiko, Soyo, and the others were all speechless.
Unfortunately, it was too late to regret now that things had come to this.
"Makoto-kun, Taki is choking on water!"
Takamatsu Tomori's anxious voice suddenly rang out.
Not far from Tomori, the black-haired, straight-haired little shorty was flailing in the water, clearly a sign of choking.
Everyone else had prepared in advance before entering Otherworld, but only Taki, this unlucky person, fell into Otherworld due to space vibrations and had no idea what she was about to face.
It was perfectly normal to choke on water when suddenly falling from reality into the sea of Otherworld amidst dizziness.
"Tomori, don't help carelessly." Kitahara Makoto said, swimming over quickly, "Let me do it."
A person choking on water is very dangerous. Rushing to help carelessly could easily put the rescuer themselves in danger. Takamatsu Tomori was already weak, so she truly didn't have the ability to save someone.
Swimming quickly to Shiina Taki's side, Kitahara Makoto seized the opportunity, swiftly approached from behind, extended his arm, firmly held Shiina Taki from behind, and then lifted the little shorty out of the water.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Shiina Taki immediately started coughing. After spitting out the seawater, she realized her chest was aching. Looking down, she saw that she was being held tightly by the boy. Her small face instantly flushed red, and she said angrily:
"Let go of me quickly!"
Kitahara Makoto let out a soft tsk and released his hand:
"That was a life-saving grace just now, Taki-san. Not only do you not thank me, but your tone is also so fierce. Isn't that a bit excessive?"
"You…"
Shiina Taki lightly bit her lip, speechless.
Takamatsu Tomori swam over and said earnestly:
"Taki, you should thank Makoto-kun."
"…"
Although she was very angry about being grabbed, to be fair, it was indeed a life-saving grace.
Although Shiina Taki had a rigid personality, she wasn't so unreasonable. She turned her head away and said softly:
"I'm sorry… Thank you just now."
As she spoke, Sakiko, Soyo, and Mutsumi all swam over.
"We actually dragged Taki into this…"
"There's nothing we can do. Space vibrations are an unexpected event that no one can predict."
"Since she's here, we can only take care of Taki."
Listening to everyone's discussions, Shiina Taki tightened her small face and said:
"I can take care of myself."
"Don't say such things anymore." Togawa Sakiko's expression was serious. "Taki has never been to Otherworld and doesn't know how dangerous Otherworld is. From now on, you must obey every word we say."
"…"
Shiina Taki frowned slightly, clearly still a bit unconvinced.
Takamatsu Tomori said from the side:
"Taki, everyone is doing this for your own good."
"…I understand."
Shiina Taki then said in a low voice:
"I will listen to everyone, but if it's a very bad
request, then I must refuse."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Just talk, why are you looking at me?
Little shorty, who would do anything bad to you!
"Very good." Togawa Sakiko nodded slightly. "First, Taki, take off your clothes."
"Eh?" Shiina Taki looked over in shock. "Why do I have to take off my clothes?"
Nagasaki Soyo gently explained:
"Because swimming in the sea with clothes on will quickly exhaust your stamina, and you won't be able to reach the island. That's why we wear swimsuits. Taki, quickly take off your clothes. Just wearing your underwear is fine."
Shiina Taki's small face turned red, and she couldn't help but say:
"But there's a boy here!"
"It's okay." Tomori's tone was casual. "Taki, you'll get used to it."
Shiina Taki: "…"
How many times have you exposed yourselves to get used to it!