Dong Ye-yue Was Found

Skipping breakfast is really not okay, especially for people whose constitution is already very weak—

I have learned this truth through personal experience.

I rolled uncontrollably downward, only stopping completely when I reached a flat area.

Fortunately, Sakuragami Mountain does not have many dangerous terrains, otherwise I really could not guarantee what would have happened.

It is not that I am particularly afraid of death.

But dying somewhere other than at home and rotting away somehow feels extremely unfamiliar.

There is always a sense of deviation from the planned scenario, although today has already deviated many times.

Well, I should think about the present first.

Although I did not suffer any serious injuries, the rolling fall left my head in a muddled state.

I clearly wanted to stand up, yet my body showed no response at all.

[Dong Ye-yue, what happened, what’s wrong with you?!]

The earphone was not shaken off during that sudden incident and remained in my ear.

Its quality was better than expected, faithfully delivering Yi Tiao Luhang’s worried voice to me.

However, I had no way to respond.

My eyelids suddenly felt very heavy.

Did my body’s protection mechanism trigger?

If so, then my body is truly fragile.

Then let me just enter the darkness like this—

[Clack clack clack—]

Relying on nothing more than a broken old fan, I managed to get through the entire summer.

The clacking sound was like a tractor that never stops, and together with the cicadas outside the window, it formed the summer soundtrack I could hear.

Although repetitive to the point of irritation, it made me feel what it meant to be alive.

I sat at the edge of the bed, staring blankly without purpose, looking at the objects in front of me.

Opposite me was a mirror, reflecting a figure so thin compared to people of the same age.

If my chest were not still rising and falling, it could almost be mistaken for a dried corpse dug out of some grave.

Though, I was already prepared to rot away anyway.

So, am I back now?

Or is this my dream?

I clearly remember the fact that I fainted at the end.

If this were a dream, then the moment I realized it, I should have woken up already, shouldn’t I?

If it is not a dream, then it is a little hard to believe.

Well, let’s not think too much about such things.

I look at myself in the mirror.

Let it be like this.

Anyway, it does not really matter anymore.

I close my eyes, enjoying the breeze blowing in from outside the window, which is still slightly cool, along with the weak wind from this fan that is so old it is almost unusable.

In truth, after being exposed to the blazing sun outside, the air carries a dryness that borders on heat, filling this room.

[Ha.]

I let out a breath, and in the mirror, I seem to show the faintest hint of vitality.

Wasn’t I already planning to drift along like this in a daze?

[Ding-ling-ling.]

The ringing of the phone echoed through the room, pulling my attention away at that very moment.

After answering the call, I heard that familiar voice.

[Still haven’t let go, Xiao Yue—]

To say “let go” makes it sound far too simple.

[Mm—]

I answered him like that.

[Ha, ha—]

Gasping, I woke up from unconsciousness, and then—

It hurt so much I could not speak.

The pain from abrasions and bruises all over my body seemed to be amplified several times, circling endlessly in my mind.

Even a heart that had long since died rippled slightly at this moment.

Because of the pain.

At the same time—

So it really was a dream after all.

I thought I had already gone back.

If you think about it, I was indeed too optimistic.

After all, I still have not helped the male lead complete the harem route.

[Dong Ye-yue, Dong Ye-yue—]

The shouting from the earphone continued, mixed with other voices.

[Xiao Yue, Xiao Yue—]

That was Amayama Kaoru’s flustered voice.

They are desperately looking for me.

So why bother looking for someone like me, a rotten person whose mouth holds not a single truthful word, whose every expression toward others is a disguise?

Even as I thought that, my mouth was already shouting, bursting with an intense will to survive.

[Yi Tiao—]

Before returning to the grave that belongs to me, I cannot die yet.

[Dong Ye-yue, thank goodness, that was really worrying just now, how are you now, what happened?]

He fully displayed the male lead’s gentle attributes.

Even after glimpsing part of my true self, he still did not abandon that gentleness.

Well, at least my current appearance is that of a beautiful girl.

Even though I know clearly what kind of person I am inside, it is still hard not to be misled by appearances.

But there is no denying—

My slightly panicked heart gradually calmed down.

Enduring the pain, I forced myself to sit up and surveyed my surroundings.

Cherry blossoms still drifted through the air.

Aside from that, a small stream flowed not far ahead, babbling softly.

This was a place I had been to not long ago.

I had taken photos here with Nishimura Kiyoshi.

In other words, I knew how to return to the mountain path.

[I just accidentally fell down the mountain, it’s really nothing.]

[You call this nothing—where are you now, I’ll come right away!]

[Wait.]

[What is it?]

[You don’t need to come over, I can still move, just wait for me on the mountain path.]

Although it hurt a lot, I could still stand up and felt like I could walk a few steps.

[Don’t force yourself, Dong Ye-yue.]

[Yi Tiao, aren’t you very clear about this.

I’ve always been forcing myself.]

I said that with a smile, patting off the dirt stuck to my body.

It’s just that the dust tangled in my long hair cannot be removed easily.

If I wash my hair after going back, I’ll still have to wait for it to dry.

Sometimes, having long hair is not such a good thing.

Though it is also for the sake of that perfect image in others’ eyes.

[If I don’t force myself, I won’t be able to live.]

I checked the wounds on my body.

There were more than ten abrasions.

They need to be treated quickly.

Scars would not be good.

Dong Ye-yue is a flawless beautiful girl, after all.

[So, wait for me there.

Oh right, remember to go find Kiyoshi.

If she discovers that I’m missing, she’ll definitely panic.

At that time, if you go and comfort her, the effect will surely be very good.]

[Dong Ye-yue—]

His voice carried a feeling of being unable to continue speaking.

[Even after falling down just now, you’re still insisting that I get closer to Kiyoshi?]

What is he saying?

Or is it that he no longer wants to help me?

Well, it could also just be a momentary sigh.

[Because—]

[Yi Tiao, you are my hope of going home.]

I can hardly wait to go back now.

My steps quickened accordingly, moving little by little based on the memories still left.

[—There are still many things about Dong Ye-yue that I don’t understand.]

[Hm hm, could it be that Yi Tiao is planning to攻略 me?]

There was no sound from the other side.

After all, he does not seem like the type who can boldly advance.

But—

Perhaps I should not have cut the conversation off like that.

It was not easy to find something to distract myself.

If no one talks, I will pay even more attention to the pain in my body.

The old me was not like this.

Cutting conversations short does not fit Dong Ye-yue’s surface persona.

It would even make me feel a little flustered.

Is it because of the injury?

My mental state feels somewhat strange.

For some reason, I feel a bit sad.

As for what exactly I am sad about, I do not know.

Even the mountain path that should be very close to me right now feels somewhat unreachable.

My whole body is filled with something that could be called discouragement.

I cannot be discouraged.

There are still very important things to do.

[Ha, ha, ha.]

Breathing heavily, and then—

[I found you, Dong Ye-yue.]

Not only through the earphone.

Right in front of me, Yi Tiao Luhang said so.

[—I didn’t expect you to find me, Yi Tiao.]

As my body was supported, it also felt like something was finally set down.

All at once, I relaxed.

I forced a gentle smile toward him, though it probably did not look very convincing.

[If it’s really too much, you should rest properly.

It would also be fine to sit where you are and wait for me.]

[—How did you find me, Yi Tiao?]

[By sound.]

He pointed to his ear.

[There’s the sound of flowing water near you.

Combining that with the direction you and Kiyoshi went before, I could roughly determine the location.]

[Plus, my luck was very good.

As soon as I arrived, I found the traces you left behind and followed them all the way.]

That is quite impressive.

As expected of a galgame male lead, he possesses abilities far beyond ordinary people.

Really impressive, Yi Tiao.

[I’m just very sorry.]

He apologized to me.

[I didn’t choose to go find Kiyoshi.]

Words that should have made me very angry, yet strangely, I felt nothing at all.

Rather—

[You gave up on Kiyoshi and came to find me?]

[Yes.

You are more important.]

So, as the male lead, he set aside the heroine who should have been the focus of relationship development, and ran over to find a fake like me.

Somehow—

It’s extremely funny.

[Hehe, hehehe.]

When it hurts, you have to think of things that can make you happy.