Chapter 327: Yoshino (Part 3)
'These guys, they're slandering me crazily when I can't even argue back…!' Eric squinted his eyes, glaring fiercely at the shadow.
"He's glaring at us, he's glaring at us~"
"If you want, I can help you look for your doll?" Eric said, and Yoshino looked up in surprise, her blue eyes filled with tears, giving off a pitiful look.
A few seconds later, her pale face brightened, and she nodded vigorously, saying "Mm-hmm" in agreement.
[Yoshino's favorability has slightly increased.]
"Good." With that word, Eric also let out a heavy sigh as he climbed up from the hard floor.
"When did the doll disappear, and where?"
After Eric asked, Yoshino's gaze drifted away, as if she were thinking. After hesitating for a moment, she answered hesitantly, "This… this morning… when I woke up… I found it missing."
"Is that so…" Eric asked, "Did you search your room?"
"…!" Yoshino widened her eyes. "No, no… I was too anxious… I was afraid… she ran away from home, so I went out… to look for her, and ended up meeting other people…"
"Okay, then… let's start by searching your room, Yoshino."
Yoshino nodded. "I must… find… my friend."
"Don't search the wardrobe, though. Even if it's not there now, finding it after searching there would be too obvious," Kurumi gently advised.
"I'm not that foolish."
"Can't say that for sure."
"…"
So, the two began their search for the doll, starting with Yoshino's room.
A slightly messy bed and an empty desk appeared before them.
Yoshino blushed and tried to cover the bed, but couldn't do so because of her height, spinning around anxiously.
"It's fine," Eric reassured her. "It's more important to find your friend."
"…Mm." Yoshino nodded.
Eric lifted the blanket and pretended to search.
"Oh, does the bed where a loli slept excite you that much?"
"What are you talking about?" Eric quietly retorted. "After being educated by Esdeath, how could I be excited by this?"
"Crack."
Eric thought he heard Kurumi's rationality snap.
For the sake of his own safety, Eric didn't ask what that sound was.
"It's not here…" Eric turned to Yoshino. "Should we ask the other crew members?"
"…" After a brief hesitation, Yoshino nodded in agreement.
"That…" In the hallway outside the dormitory, Yoshino stopped Kuina, who had just returned from morning exercise. Due to the sweat, her forehead was stuck with some dark hair, and her slightly heavy breathing sent hot air out from her slightly open mouth.
"What is it?" Kuina stopped, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the towel around her neck.
"Did you… see… my friend, Yoshinon?" Yoshino asked hesitantly, her voice small, almost like a whisper.
"…" Kuina shifted her gaze, noticing that the doll Yoshino always wore on her left hand wasn't there. "No, need me to help you?"
"…Mm." Despite her fear, Yoshino nodded.
"I'll put down my bamboo sword and come help you look for the doll." Kuina hurriedly left.
Eric watched Kuina's retreating figure. "See? The people here are very helpful."
"…Mm."
They met the second person on deck. The middle-aged man, noticing there was a minor around, removed the cigarette from his mouth.
"Did you see my friend, Yoshinon?" Encouraged by Eric, Yoshino asked another person.
"Sorry, haven't seen her." Kurekai spread his empty hands and then flashed a hearty smile. "Little lady, need me to help you look for her?"
"Mm!" With more people helping, Yoshino nodded firmly, and her courage grew bit by bit through the conversation.
"Let me show you the skills of an old man!" Kurekai exaggeratedly flexed his biceps, trying to cheer up the sad Yoshino.
"…Ha." Yoshino let out a small laugh.
Seeing that Yoshino was becoming more adept at communicating with others, Eric also relaxed.
In the medical room on the second-floor bridge, they met a young man with a fierce look.
"…" Luo, holding a crying ghost figurine, silently watched the three of them.
"…" Yoshino hid behind the two people.
"Luo, can't you change that fierce look of yours?"
"…It's natural."
"Are you not a surgeon? How about performing some cosmetic surgery?"
"Hmph!" Lawsneered. "What do you want?"
"Yoshino, come on, aren't you looking for your friend?" Eric encouraged. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"…" Lawtwitched his eyes at Eric as he tried to persuade the loli.
"…Um… have you seen my… friend, Yoshinon?" Yoshino's voice again became hesitant.
"No." Lawstood up from his chair.
Yoshino's body trembled, and she hid behind Eric, only her sapphire blue eyes peeking out, watching Luo.
Lawhelplessly said, "...I'll help you look for her."
"…Mm."
Finally, even Da Vinci, who had been busy with experiments, joined in the search for Yoshinon's "hide-and-seek."
After half a day of searching, Yoshino's stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Yoshino squatted down on the spot and pulled her hood down to hide her face completely.
"Yoshino, how about you take a little break?" Eric suggested.
Yoshino shook her head, but then the growling sound came again.
"See? If you collapse, you won't be able to keep looking for your friend," Eric urged. "Everyone's hungry too."
Karyen and Kana, the two sisters, timely rubbed their stomachs, pretending to be hungry.
Seeing their actions, Yoshino hesitated and then nodded.
Everyone gathered in the dining hall, and under their gaze, Yoshino's face turned red again as she pulled her hood down to hide her face.
While waiting for Akame to finish preparing the meal, Eric thoughtfully asked, "That doll, you seem to care a lot about it. What does Yoshinon mean to you?"
Everyone perked up their ears to listen.
Yoshino's face was hidden by her hood, but her cute voice came from underneath. "Yoshinon is my… ideal, my aspirational self. I want to become someone who's no longer hesitant… very strong, very cool…"
"I still like the current Yoshino more… don't you all agree?" Eric asked, seeking their opinion.
The crew members on the ship nodded. Even though Yoshino's voice was soft and her words were fragmented, the doll's series of jokes… left everyone a bit uncomfortable.
Although they couldn't see Yoshino's face, everyone heard a "bang."
'Are you popcorn…?'
Yoshino tried to pull her hood down again, but unfortunately, it had already been pulled all the way down.
"I've never heard that said before…"
Eric raised another question: "Yoshino, it seems like you always want to run away. Why is that?"
"I… I hate painful things… and scary things. I think… those people wouldn't like them either, so I want to run away."
Yoshino's voice broke with a sob: "Yoshinon is my… hero. Because Yoshinon told me… no matter what scary things happen, everything will be fine…"
At this point, Kuina wanted to interrupt, but Eric stopped her with a look.
"We here will help you," Eric gently stroked Yoshino's head. "So, don't be afraid anymore."
"We will also help you find Yoshinon and keep you away from the 'painful things' and 'scary things.'"
Yoshino raised her head, and her eyes, visible under the hood, showed an expression of surprise. She opened her little mouth, "Th-thank you so much."
"Let's all help Yoshino find Yoshinon!" Eric raised his right hand.
"Oh!" Everyone shouted in unison.
The loud noise startled Yoshino, causing her body to shake, but she didn't try to run away again.
Of course, many people cast suspicious glances at Eric, and Eric, feeling a little guilty, shifted his gaze back and forth, his eyes wandering.
Everyone silently thought: 'The captain really understands…'
At that moment, "The food is ready!" A considerate Akame appeared at the kitchen door with a ladle, calling, "Come on, someone help me serve the food."
The delicious food filled everyone's stomachs, and in the afternoon, the search for Yoshinon's hide-and-seek continued.
Finally, with some help from thoughtful people, Yoshino remembered places she hadn't searched.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yoshino found the rabbit doll in the wardrobe of her room.
"Clap clap clap!"
The enthusiastic applause made Yoshino feel embarrassed. She put on the rabbit doll, and everyone heard its high-pitched voice: "Hello, everyone! It's been a day, hasn't it…"
"Thank you all for your help, now Yoshinon can rest easy. Yoshinon's task ends here…"
"Yoshinon…!" Yoshino hurriedly covered the doll's mouth to stop it from continuing.
"I'm not leaving you. I'm helping you become stronger, Yoshino." The doll's mouth opened and closed. "See, you have so many helpful friends. You should rely more on Eric-kun and everyone, right?"
Eric took a step forward. "I will protect you, Yoshino."
Yoshino looked up at Eric, then glanced at the companions who helped her search for Yoshinon, before nodding firmly.
[Yoshino's favorability greatly increased, bond level 1 (Ordinary Friend) rose to 2 (Close Friend), and 1 bond point was gained.]
(END CHAPTER)
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