The fireworks continued.
One after another, they shot into the sky with a loud whistle, bursting into dazzling colors.
The bright and colorful sparks reflected in the short-haired girl's shining eyes, blending into the vast night sky.
Should fireworks be viewed from below or from the side?
Now, Yukinoshita Haruno had her answer.
Fireworks are best seen from the front—they're much more beautiful that way.
"So pretty…"
Her gaze softened as she stared at the breathtaking sight before her, whispering to herself.
Compared to the endless starry sky, the fireworks blooming right in front of her felt even more stunning. Through the night breeze, she could almost sense the warmth of the flames.
Without thinking, the short-haired girl reached out, wanting to touch the glowing sparks.
But in the end, fireworks are fleeting—brief and momentary, nothing like the vast Milky Way stretching across the sky.
As the fireworks faded, the night returned to its quiet stillness, leaving behind only the thick scent of gunpowder lingering in the air.
A sudden wave of sadness welled up in Yukinoshita Haruno's heart.
Don't get emotional—say something already!
Out of nowhere, her sister's slightly anxious voice echoed in Yukinoshita Yukino's ears.
The black-haired girl blinked in surprise, instinctively rubbing her eyes.
Was it just her imagination?
But everything around her seemed normal. Hayashizaki was looking at the short-haired girl, who seemed a little down. Yukino was watching alongside him, yet the voice hadn't come from her younger sister.
Tch, Hayashizaki, do something already! Are you just gonna stand there? This is driving me crazy!
It wasn't just her imagination!
Her sister's voice rang in her ears again, making Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes widen in shock. She couldn't help but call out softly, "Sister?"
Huh? Yukino-chan's voice?
In her daze, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly realized she could move her field of vision. Instinctively, she turned her head toward the source of the voice.
And there, she saw her sister as she was in her younger years, with her short-haired figure floating above a young man's head like a ghost.
The black-haired girl looked completely stunned.
At the same time, Yukinoshita Haruno stared in confusion at her adorable little sister, whose upper body was now hovering over a black-haired young man's head.
What's going on here?
Nobody ever said dreams could be multiplayer!
In a vast multiverse, they were now calmly resting on a glowing blue thread, serving as a hub for information flow, greatly enhancing the transmission of data.
A round, glowing sphere pulsed up and down, sending out ripples of blue light, carrying a sense of stability and weight.
"Sister… why are you here?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked in a daze.
"How would I know?" Yukinoshita Haruno shrugged, making it clear she had no idea either.
She was just here to enjoy the show.
If Yukinoshita Yukino could hear her inner thoughts, she would definitely have something sarcastic to say.
You better really just be here to watch.
One moment you're watching, and the next, you're shipping them, huh?
But since the black-haired girl couldn't read her sister's mind, she could only assume this strange situation was caused by the fact that they had fallen asleep together.
For now, let's set aside the Yukinoshita sisters, who had temporarily turned into wandering spirits—reality was still moving forward.
After nearly two and a half hours, the fireworks display came to an end, and the festival was winding down.
Tourists and locals began to leave in groups. Rows of lanterns hanging from long strings were gradually taken down. Vendors packed up their stalls, and street cleaners started sweeping away the leftover trash and empty firework shells.
As the man-made noise faded, the sounds of nature began to take over.
The waves rolled and crashed against the shore, cicadas and frogs sang in the night, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. All these sounds blended together, forming a melody of a summer night by the sea.
Yukinoshita Haruno's emotions slowly settled, but she could still hear the rapid beating of her heart. Even the high-altitude winds couldn't drown it out.
She sat cross-legged on the broad back of a giant owl-like shikigami, watching as the clouds drifted past her.
For some reason, the short-haired girl, who had been sitting casually, suddenly adjusted her posture and sat properly.
She remained seated in front of the black-haired young man, her eyes fixed on the dark night sky ahead. But even so, she could still hear his breathing behind her.
Yukinoshita Haruno spoke softly, "Thanks. The fireworks were beautiful."
"I'm glad you liked them," Hayashizaki nodded.
The conversation ended there. The only sound left was the gentle night breeze.
Nue lowered its altitude, gliding over the shimmering sea, followed closely by a flock of seagulls.
At this moment, the grown-up Yukinoshita Haruno also fell silent.
Her younger self might not understand the way she felt now, but she understood exactly what was on the mind of her younger self.
What will happen in the future?
After a brief silence, the short-haired woman suddenly asked the question aloud.
Yukinoshita Yukino opened her mouth slightly, then shook her head lightly and said, "I don't know. Hayashizaki-kun will probably come back, but what happens here… that's anyone's guess."
Is that so?
Yukinoshita Haruno blinked, then her usual smile returned.
Well, it's about time. I should be waking up over there soon.
As soon as she finished speaking, the image of the older Haruno floating above little Haruno's head gradually became blurry, then disappeared from sight.
At the same time, she suddenly felt drowsy.
What a strange experience—falling asleep in real life but feeling sleepy inside a dream.
She knew this meant she was about to wake up in reality.
Just before she did, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly heard Hayashizaki's voice.
"That's weird… I think I just heard Yukino's voice."
"Yukino-chan? Haha, no way!" The short-haired girl was startled for a moment, then laughed.
Was it really impossible?
Hayashizaki stroked his chin, then deactivated the technique and returned to his soul domain.
Seeing the black-haired girl's confused expression from the sudden shift in scenery, he smirked.
"I knew it. There's no way I heard wrong."
"Hayashizaki… kun?"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked around in bewilderment and realized she was inside a grand hall.
On both sides of the path leading to a throne stood the ten shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique.
And sitting on that throne was the familiar black-haired young man.
"Where is this…?"
"Ah, this should feel more familiar, right?"
Hayashizaki waved his hand, and everything around them instantly turned into flowing shadows, like ink spilling down.
The black-haired girl instinctively shut her eyes and raised her arms to shield herself, but she didn't feel anything touch her.
When she opened her eyes again, the surroundings had transformed back into the blood-red lake and the white-bone shrine she knew so well.
"Anyway, how did you end up here?" Hayashizaki muttered to himself. "Ah, I bet it's the system's doing."
"The system?" Yukinoshita Yukino tilted her head. "I haven't seen it in a long time."
"It's probably busy right now," the black-haired young man said with a light chuckle.
"I see." The girl nodded thoughtfully.
Hayashizaki raised his hand, and shadows instantly covered the blood-red space.
When they cleared, the scene had changed to a familiar room—
Yukinoshita Yukino's high-end apartment, where she lived alone.
Sitting on the couch, Hayashizaki smiled at the black-haired girl still standing frozen in the middle of the living room.
"It's been a while. Don't you have anything you want to say?"
"I…"
Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated, unable to find the right words.
Seeing her suddenly flustered expression, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Hayashizaki's eyes.
She's back. Everything is back.
Being asked such a straightforward and embarrassing question made the usually cool and composed girl blush slightly.
But as she looked at the familiar gentle smile on Hayashizaki's face, she gradually calmed down.
What should she say?
After thinking it over, she realized there was only one thing that truly mattered.
Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath, then spoke seriously.
"It won't be long before I bring you home, Hayashizaki-kun."
"Please, wait for me."
...
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