Chapter 19: On the Coast Ablaze with Fire
“Wait a moment, I’m not wearing shoes!” Lan shouted from behind me as I ran barely two steps.
My heart was burning with anxiety.
I couldn’t believe she wasn’t wearing shoes. All I could see were her black stockings, and I didn’t know if the soles of her feet were already torn. Where did Lan come from? Did she happen to escape from somewhere… this matter…
I ended up picking Lan up. Of course, it wasn’t a princess carry. Trying to run with a princess carry was impossible. Not to mention, it would be difficult for any student. Go try carrying a basin full of water and running—though if you actually did it, you’d likely get soaked before you got tired. So, the method I adopted was: slinging her over my shoulder.
Carrying her on my back would obviously be slow. To pursue the most efficient method, this was the only way.
But, unlike carrying Lan like a sack over my shoulder, it wasn’t very stable. If I didn’t hold on tight, she might fall.
So, I adopted this posture.
One arm slipped through her legs, supporting her hip, and I braced her with my shoulder. She then leaned back against my other shoulder, her chest pressed against it. My hands each grabbed one of her legs, which dangled in front of me.
As long as I held on, my running posture would be no different from ordinary running. It wouldn’t hinder me and I could run relatively fast.
I was so clever.
“Hold on! What kind of posture is this! Are you carrying rice sacks!”
“Sorry, the situation is urgent, you’ll have to endure this a bit!”
Ah, both of her shoulders were so soft. They felt incredibly heavy, like a young girl acting as a scarf. Was I a bit too much?
“Ugh, does it tickle here? Then I’ll hold onto your upper arm to secure you.”
I initially held her by her joints. But some people are sensitive to tickling, and if I held her like that, she might fall. So, I moved my hands upwards. My right hand grabbed her upper arm, and my left hand found her thigh.
“Hey! Don’t touch randomly!”
“Your legs… what material are these stockings made of? They’re too slippery.”
“What does that have to do with you!”
Lan excitedly tried to straighten up. If I hadn’t reacted quickly and pulled her back, she might have fallen.
“Hey! Don’t move around! It’s dangerous!”
“Troublesome… forget it, I’ll just secure you directly.”
My left hand pressed down on her thigh, and I used my knee to press on her calf, so she couldn’t move.
“You—ugh!”
Good! Let’s pick up the pace!
We reached the pier after running for several hundred meters. It was quite far.
It’s no wonder I couldn’t see clearly. The place was too hidden. If there was no light, you wouldn’t be able to see clearly.
Even during the day, it would be hard to notice. At night, without streetlights, and the pier…
Did you notice that place from the beginning?
Lan and I had not found Xiao An…
But why did she want to come here to look at the stars? This was very unusual for her.
And why tonight, of all nights, did she insist on coming out to look at the stars?
What was out there?
We arrived at the pier. This was a temporary pier built with rough wood. The protruding part was longer and wider, and there were no railings around it.
I felt increasingly uneasy. What if Xiao An accidentally fell into the sea?
Following the oddly shaped pier, I ran to its end.
There was nothing.
There was nothing here.
My mouth fell open in surprise as I stared at the pitch-black sea, frozen.
How could it be…
Did my ‘prediction’ fail to come true?
Was Lan’s appearance in front of me just a coincidence?
Xiao An, where are you?
“Let me down quickly!”
“Ah, sorry—”
I blankly put Lan down. Suddenly, I felt my left shoulder getting a little wet.
Huh? Why is my shoulder wet?
Lan looked at my actions and suddenly said coquettishly,
“That’s sweat! It’s sweat! Don’t overthink it! You ran so fast, and you were shaking so much!”
Knowing her body so well, I immediately understood what was happening. It was probably during the run… After all, even if the world changed, her nature wouldn’t change much…
As I let her down, I suddenly remembered that she wasn’t wearing shoes. I took off my own shoes and offered them to her.
“Here, wear my shoes. They might be a bit big, so tie the shoelaces tightly.”
“…What about you?”
“I’m a man, what am I afraid of? You wear them first.”
After running here alone, I finally felt tired. My legs were sore, so I sat down by the pier.
The sea breeze blew, drying the sweat on my body. I sighed deeply, both to adjust my breathing and as a false sigh.
Lan walked over to me, squatted down, and hugged my knees. She wasn’t wearing my shoes, and her black stockings seemed mysterious and alluring under the moonlight. The sea breeze blew her hair, and she brushed it aside, closing her eyes.
…You’ve really matured.
Thinking back now, carrying Lan like that was indeed a bit excessive.
No girl would want to be carried around like cargo.
She was so eager to run over, but still…
“What are you apologizing for? I should be apologizing to you. I’m the one who pointed here.”
I didn’t find the child you mentioned. I really messed up. I couldn’t find her. Maybe she really went back.
I bumped into you once in the shopping street, I picked up your hat, and then I…
I was indeed very concerned about that matter, and it even affected my sleep.
This, along with the man in the suit with glasses at that time, and the scene where Lan was taken away by him.
I had decided in my heart that Lan was my woman. Was that it?
So, I was also a selfish man.
Right, why were you out so late… and not even wearing shoes? You’re cold. Hurry up and put on my shoes, or they’ll be cold.
“Hmph, I think it’s foot odor! I’m not wearing a man’s stinky shoes!”
Though she said that, Lan, with a blush, put my shoes on.
“So, why did you run out without shoes? Did you fight with your boyfriend?”
“What boyfriend? How could I possibly have a boyfriend?”
“Huh? Wasn’t that your boyfriend that day?”
“What boyfriend? Ah, that’s n—”
When I heard her say “not,” my heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly stopped, squinted her eyes, and looked at me suspiciously, asking a different question.
“Wait, you don’t recognize me, do you?”
Uh, how should I answer this… I recognize you, but I recognize you…
“Huh? That’s quite a complicated expression…”
“Ah, I get it. You recognize me, but you don’t know I’m a singer?”
“What? You’re a singer?” I had never paid much attention to the entertainment industry, rarely even watching the news. I had no idea she had become a singer. She must have thought I was her fan.
So that’s why. No wonder she looked for me.
Okay, I’ll play along.
I have to pretend I know. This is bad. Lan will definitely ask me that question next.
“How do you know my name? You even called my name that day… Lan, that wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”
“Are you a stalker?”
“No, no, no! *You’re* the stalker! How could I be a stalker?
You’re pretty good at counter-stalking, I admit. It’s all thanks to you.”
Before I could deny it, Lan negated her own statement.
“No, that’s not right. If you were a stalker, you wouldn’t not know I’m a singer. Could it be… have we met somewhere before?”
“Whe—”
I was speechless, cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I felt my body getting hotter.
I really didn’t know how to answer.
Moreover, I remembered that Lan had studied psychology.
As sharp as ever, her observational and deductive abilities were comparable to Sherlock Holmes and Conan.
She’d definitely know if I was lying. The more I was pressured, the more I felt it. And Lan was the same.
Lan and I stared at each other. My mouth felt dry, and sweat dripped from my forehead.
Wait, is this really because of nervousness?
We’re just sitting here, enjoying the sea breeze…
No matter how nervous I was, I wouldn’t sweat this much in winter.
“Wait, something’s wrong—the temperature is a bit high.”
“I-it’s not because of a cold! Don’t misunderstand!”
“What are you talking about—”
Lan blinked blankly, not understanding what I meant.
Just then, WHOOSH!
In front of us, in the ocean, a fiery glow erupted.
It illuminated the dark sea, burning quietly, its heat forming waves of energy that washed over us.
I immediately pushed Lan to the ground. My back felt like it had been hit by a fireball, it was scalding hot.
My clothes caught fire. Without thinking, I took off my jacket and threw it into the sea. With a hiss, the flames met the water, and steam billowed out.
Then, I hugged Lan and slowly moved away from the pier. When I felt it was no longer scalding hot, I stood up and looked back.
“…What is that!”
I squinted as I stood up, looking at the blinding, sun-like—no, it was the sun itself—
A round object was burning.
At the same time, I felt a light emanating from my chest.
It was the magatama. I took it out and saw that flames were also emitting from around it.
Even though it was winter in December, I didn’t feel cold at all. It was because of this child.
The heat it emitted enveloped us.
And now… is Xiao An inside that fireball?
Alright, then I’ll get down on the ground and jump into the water after taking a few steps back.
I took off my clothes, but the burning sensation didn’t change. I almost froze to death… I quickly climbed out of the sea before my muscles cramped.
Although the ambient temperature had increased, the water still…
I climbed out of the sea, picked up the magatama, and clenched it in my hand.
…Do I even need to say it?
Of course, I have to bring Xiao An back.
Getting Xiao An out of that fireball seemed impossible, but now I had the ‘key’ in my hand.
I’ll trust my intuition this time.
“You stay here. I’ll be back soon.”
“Hey! What are you doing! Don’t do anything foolish!”
Adjusting my breathing…
Here I go!
I sprinted with all my might, applying mental suggestion to myself, and unleashing my full physical capabilities as if I were in a fire!
My skin felt bad.
The closer I got to the fireball, the higher the temperature became, and it was even hotter than before! The seawater on my body had completely…
There’s no way I can approach the fireball like this. I’ll be burned to a crisp before I get close.
—But! What I need to do isn’t to touch the fireball!
What I need to do… is throw the magatama in my hand!
She fell off the pier.
“Hah! The fireball is still burning there, it had no effect…”
A sound like the sky breaking filled the air, and the fireball shattered.
A fiery light spread across the surface of the sea, dazzling like a phoenix breaking through the clouds. A layer of crimson light scattered, dispelling all darkness, shining like a flickering sun and illuminating the world.
Breaking through the shell, reborn in fire.
She was born from it.
I came back to my senses and quickly swam towards it.
Xiao An gently floated down, and I caught her, then swam towards the shore with her. The fireball, having lost Xiao An, seemed to have burned out and disappeared. The scattered flames spread into the water, paving a path towards the shore, and even the water temperature rose.
Were the flames paving the way for Xiao An?
Back on the shore, Lan had also rushed to my side.
“What’s going on!”
“I don’t know either…”
“Is this the child you were looking for?”
“—Huh?”
It was then that I noticed Xiao An in my embrace was naked, with only the magatama I had thrown out earlier hanging around her neck.
But that wasn’t important. The key thing was: she had grown up?!
A young girl had evolved into a loli!
