Endless Silver Machine

Liuyin and Professor Cocona returned home at noon. They just had a simple work report, but it was delayed from last night to today because of the cumbersome procedures of the Holy See.

As soon as they entered the entrance hall, Ling happened to pass by the two of them.

"Xiaoyin, Cocona? Where have you been?"

She had just gotten up and came out of the bathroom, wiping her wet blond hair with a towel.

"You are... Lingba..."

Liuyin rubbed his eyes to make sure he didn't see any hallucinations.

The name she just called herself seemed strange...

Professor Cocona stood stiffly on the spot, and she thought she had seen an illusion.

On the way back, the two were still discussing how to solve Ling's problem, hesitating whether they should send her to a medical facility with better conditions.

I didn't expect that this question would lose its meaning as soon as I entered the door.

"Well, thanks to you, I woke up last night."

"Ah... um."

"This way... it should be fine..."

The unexpected development made both of them unprepared mentally, and their attitude towards Ling also seemed a bit unnatural.

Shun, who was checking text messages in the hall, heard voices coming from the entrance and walked over.

"Shun, why don't you tell me such an important thing right away!"

Liuyin, who had put on indoor slippers, got angry at Shun with a dissatisfied look on her face. Shun, who happened to walk over, unfortunately became the target of her anger.

"Because this matter is immediately followed by another matter. After all of them are dealt with, I really have no energy left."

"another thing?"

"It might be a long story."

"Where are the other three people?"

Although Liuyin was a little confused about Shun's explanation, she looked around first.

"Everyone should be resting in their rooms. What I want to say is about Ling and Luoluo."

"Is it really related to Luoluo..."

The two biggest problems in this mansion are these two people, and it is natural that they should be connected.

"Anyway, before they come down, let's understand the current situation."

Professor Cocona had adapted to the atmosphere. She pushed Liu Yin's shoulders and sat down on the sofa in the hall.

"Should I stay here too?"

"Of course you have to stay, you are the person involved."

"It's something that can be summarized in just a few sentences..."

Being caught by Liuyin and unable to leave, Ling had no choice but to hang the towel around his neck and sit down between Shun and Liuyin face to face.

Then, Ling's situation was re-explained by herself. She didn't know what happened to Luo Luo after she woke up, and it was up to Shun to convey it.

For Liuyin and Professor Cocona, these are not particularly difficult things to understand.

…………

As the time turned to noon, the sunlight shifted from its original direction and shone into the silent room through the gaps in the curtains.

Luoluo turned his back to Aika and sat on the bed with his knees in his arms.

They have been in this state for a while. During this time, Luoluo didn't say a word, and Aika couldn't bear to disturb her.

He did indeed do what he said to hurt Luo Luo.

When the first ray of light illuminated the room, Aika finally couldn't help but break this seemingly peaceful sleep.

"...Are you listening?"

"..."

There was no response, but Aika felt her body move behind her.

After the first sentence was spoken, the second sentence felt less difficult.

Aika knew that she could hear her voice, so she continued talking on her own.

"Sorry, you don't have to forgive me."

Originally, Aika was mentally prepared not to be forgiven for doing such a thing to her.

There is no doubt that there is Aika's selfish desire in this. Even if he doesn't say it out loud, Luoluo must be aware of it.

In this way, his identity as an older brother must have come to an end... Aika put his hands on his knees and looked at his feet with his head lowered.

"……Um."

After waiting for a long time, a small voice finally echoed from behind.

"Ah... um."

Aika got the answer she wanted, but she was still resisting the result mentally. Aika blamed herself for her immaturity in her heart.

When Luoluo burst into tears, Aika could clearly hear her inner voice.

She could not forgive herself for crossing that forbidden line.

Doing this unforgivable thing to Luo Luo was originally to offset what she had done, so that she would not continue to blame herself.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the starting point of this idea. Aika did think so at first.

But this kind of thinking is also mixed with one's own selfish desires, and as a result, it goes one step further unconsciously.

Luoluo was able to be as quiet as he was now because both of them had been calm for a long time.

"That's good..."

After thinking about a lot of things, the final result cannot be changed.

Aika's purpose was fundamentally achieved. What he did to her was even more excessive than what she did to herself.

This way Luoluo has no reason to continue to think that she forced Aika to accept this twisted relationship.

When she gave up resistance that night and let Luo Luo play around, Aika had already anticipated such an ending.

So to be honest, at that time, he was even a little afraid of Luo Luo regaining his memory.

What is supposed to come will always come, and this is the retribution for letting yourself indulge in dirty desires.

Aika exerted force on her limp legs and stood up from the bed while shaking her body.

Where should I go next? Aika doesn’t know yet.

One way is to hide in the room and hide until everyone returns to Shimozuki Academy and then come out...

…It simply can’t be done…

After knowing that Luo Luo made it clear that he would not forgive himself, his brain could no longer think about unnecessary things.

In short, disappear from here first, disappear from Luoluo's sight first.

Even with his back to her, unable to see her expression, hear her voice, or feel her heart, Aika could understand her mood.

At this moment, Aika thinks so.

However, he didn't even take the first step, and he was destined to be unable to leave here.

"Brother, before you get my forgiveness..." His body was restrained in place by the warm arms, "You will not be allowed to leave my side..."

Luoluo rested his forehead on Aika's back, and tightened his arms around her waist, just like Aika had restrained her wrists.

"My brother left a color on my body that will never fade away in my life, so I will never forgive him in my life... Can you understand this?"

Aika suddenly had a lump in his throat. He didn't expect that he was so wrong.

Even though he treated her so roughly, and even abandoned his feelings and kept asking for her, in the end he got such care.

I should have thought of it a long time ago... Before the relationship between the two changed, this kind of natural thing would have been thought of right away...

Luoluo said that she was taking advantage of her tenderness. And he had already done the same thing as her, so why wasn't he waiting for her redemption deep in his heart?

A hot and humid feeling spread across the back. Aika didn't want to know how many tears Luo Luo had shed today.

Feeling Luoluo's temperature and Luoluo's presence, no matter how hard she tried, she could not make Aika feel pain, but this touch could completely fill the hole in her heart.

A small fire was lit in the heart that was already as dead as ashes.

"Um……"

He didn't turn around and hug the little body behind him. She must not have wanted to see her face now, so she kept her head buried in her body.

——That’s it, don’t forgive me for the rest of your life. Then, I spend my whole life begging for your forgiveness...

Aika overlapped her palm with the little hand holding her.

"Time can dilute everything", so Aika wants the current time to flow quietly for a while.

…………

When the two of them returned downstairs from the room, everyone was already waiting for them.

No one complained about the two of them coming so late. Everyone was only concerned about Luo Luo's physical condition.

"Sorry for making everyone worried."

Luoluo bowed sincerely to everyone, and Aika also bent down with her.

"I also want to thank everyone for doing so much for Ling and Luoluo..."

"You shouldn't be the one to say this, right?" Ling, who had been sitting, immediately stood up from his seat, "If you want to say thank you, I should be the one to say thank you."

"But I also have a responsibility..."

"It has nothing to do with you at all, right?"

"Ling has already thanked you many times just now..."

Liuyin looked at the two people who were deadlocked over an inexplicable issue and smiled bitterly.

"Luoluo...has your memory...been restored?"

Luoluo has not yet made a clear statement on this issue, it is just speculation by the three people taking care of her.

The stiffness in her attitude when she lost her memory was no longer noticeable.

"Well, I remembered everything. I have been causing trouble to everyone during this period."

"Sister Ling and Luoluo are both getting better..."

The tips of Wei Xi's pure white hair seemed to be dancing as if she wanted to express her inner joy.

“It’s nice to have a happy ending.”

Liuyin also sighed with relief. Ever since Luo Luo lost her memory, she has been taking care of everyone for free.

"Ahaha..." Luoluo sat down in her seat, her smile still had a hint of shadow, "It's really... great..."

She looked at everyone talking and laughing at the table again, and finally decided to bury this matter in her heart.

In order to prevent others from seeing her troubles, Luoluo chose to be the "original" Luoluo.

"That kind of thing", she didn't want to waste the time she spent with everyone and him thinking about it.

…………