Chapter 354: Go for It, Uzuki

“Today turned out great—you’re home so early.”

After returning to the apartment, Yu Qingxue stretched and flopped onto the sofa, flicking on the TV. It was one in the afternoon; less than eleven hours remained until the deadline.

Yu Qingxue had secretly prepared everything for today, but the parents of that scumbag trio had picked this exact moment to storm the school and make a scene, completely derailing her plans. No matter what, she had to investigate the old school building. Danger or not, Yu Qingxue wasn’t raised to be timid. Her only hope was that Uzuki wouldn’t be swayed by those brainless middle-aged wastes whose skulls seemed to have been kicked by donkeys.

“Uzuki, just stay home today.” Gao Sijin, seated beside Uzuki, spoke up. “Those girls aren’t worth saving. More importantly, if you try to save them, you’ll put yourself in danger too. Weighing the risks, staying put is better.”

The adults who had hurled baseless accusations today had genuinely angered Gao Sijin.

While riding in the car, Uzuki had promised Gao Sijin over and over that she would absolutely stay out of Aoi and the others’ business. But once they got home, Uzuki suddenly said:

“Before we left, Amano’s mother seemed to be crying. In the hallway, I heard her sobbing…”

“Uzuki, don’t pity venomous snakes, or you’ll get stung.”

“Mm. You’re right, Sijin.”

Would Uzuki actually go to the old school building tonight?

Gao Sijin and Yu Qingxue both looked at Uzuki. The moment they noticed her faintly furrowed brows, they already had their answer.

Uzuki was a girl who couldn’t disguise her emotions.

She constantly put others first without ever considering herself—that was the unhealthy part of Uzuki. Yet at the same time, it was exactly what made Gao Sijin unable to stop worrying about her.

“Uzuki, one day you’ll need to find a dream of your own. It can’t just be about making friends. You need something you want to pursue. Only then will you be free from being morally blackmailed by other people.”

“What does ‘something of my own’ mean?”

“It’s whatever you want to do—playing computer games, writing novels, anything that makes you happy and you can earn a living from. That’s what a calling is.”

“I’ll do my best to find it.”

“Since we’re home early, I’m going to go write. You should rest early too, Uzuki. As for school, if things really don’t work out, you could just attend a cram school. I watched a movie called ‘Flying Colors’—it’s about a high school girl who studied at a cram school and ended up getting accepted into Keio University. We can find a good teacher who won’t hold any prejudice against you.”

“But…” Uzuki lowered her head, clearly struggling.

“If this is about money being tight, I can use my royalties to cover it. My next book is about to be published, and honestly, just my royalties are enough for me to live quite freely now.”

“It’s not about money, Sijin.” Uzuki stared blankly at Gao Sijin and fell silent.

Whether she could still have a future after today—for Uzuki, that was still an unknown.

Even if those adults, with malice written all over their faces, blamed Uzuki for hiding the truth, she still wanted to save them. In Uzuki’s eyes, they certainly deserved punishment, but simply letting them die like that felt far too cruel.

The “friend” was a monster born from her own heart. In other words, if those girls disappeared, it would be as if Uzuki herself had killed them.

After Gao Sijin went to his room to write, only Yu Qingxue and Uzuki remained in the living room.

“I support you, Uzuki. Those scumbags you used to hang around with are despicable, but they don’t deserve to die. Besides, just vanishing isn’t satisfying. I think the true revenge is to save them, make them keep living, and let them suffer through this long, painful life.” Yu Qingxue lowered her voice to a whisper. “So if you want to go to the old school building tonight, just tell me. I’ll work something out.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“Uzuki, if you really don’t want to go, then don’t even think about leaving this apartment tonight. I’ll keep a close eye on you.” Yu Qingxue folded her slender arms over her chest. “Now be honest with Sister Yu—do you still want to save them?”

Uzuki was quiet for a moment, lips parting as if to speak, but she hesitated. Finally, she nodded.

“I want to go, but I have to keep it hidden from Sijin. The old school building is dangerous. If anyone goes, it should be me alone. Sister Yu, can you help me?” Uzuki pleaded, blinking her eyes.

“Uzuki, let’s face the danger together. Don’t forget, I’m the strongest fighter among the maids. Whatever evil spirits come crawling out, with me there, I guarantee they won’t lay a scratch on you.” Yu Qingxue murmured softly. “And besides, if you disappeared too, what do you think Sijin would do? He truly sees you as a precious family member. He’s such a soft-hearted guy—I’ve never even seen him truly angry.”

“Sijin has never been angry?”

“Since he was a kid, he’s never been in a fight. The only time he really went all out was when someone mockingly said his uncle-in-law was dead. He grabbed a chair and smashed it down on that guy’s head. Other than that, no matter how much people slandered or laughed at him, he’d just shrug it off. It’s not that he has no temper; if someone important to him gets hurt, he’ll turn into a mad dog.”

“He’s not a mad dog!” Uzuki said, frowning.

“Uzuki, I mean that as a compliment.”

“I know…”

“If you disappear on your own, he’ll definitely lose his mind. Do you want to see him fall apart over you vanishing?”

Uzuki clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed them.

“Then I won’t go to the old school building… I absolutely won’t allow him to be hurt. Even if my conscience eats at me, I’ll bear it alone…” Uzuki was dead serious.

“Silly girl, I told you, with me here, nothing will go wrong. Sister Yu here doesn’t want you burdened by guilt, and I also don’t want Sijin to lose a good little sister like you. Let’s happily go explore the old school building together tonight.” Yu Qingxue leaned in and whispered right into her ear. “In your eyes, it’s a haunted place full of unknown terror. But to me, it’s nothing more than an amusement park.”

“Then…” Uzuki stared into Yu Qingxue’s confident eyes and, at last, gave a nod. “All right, Sister Yu. I believe you…”

Yu Qingxue’s deep, valley-dark eyes held no trace of fear. Instead, they brimmed with bold, eager confidence—the look of someone who was absolutely certain. It made Uzuki believe from the bottom of her heart that saving Aoi and the others was nothing to Yu Qingxue. Just a passing whim, completely free of risk.

Besides, the matter of the “friend” needed to be settled once and for all. Otherwise, she would be haunted by that “friend” for the rest of her life, with no hope of peace.

Holding onto that thought, time flew by. Lying on the sofa, Uzuki dreamed of a girl in a white dress.

She had been the class president at Uzuki’s previous school, ultimately killed by her mother. In the past, whenever the “friend” kept Uzuki company, it always appeared before her as a girl in a white dress with a ponytail.

“I’m so lonely, Uzuki…” The girl wrapped her arms around herself and spoke in a mournful tone. “Hurry up and come stay with me.”

In the dream, although Uzuki was scared of her, she also pitied her. So, she stepped forward and hugged the “friend.”

Her phone vibrated sharply, jolting Uzuki awake on the sofa.

It was a message from Hikita Shiori, just one simple line: “Go for it, Uzuki.”