"Senior, are you sure about this?"
Even though Qingyi had explained everything, and even though Zhu Yuan believed she was right, she still hesitated.
It couldn't be helped—this kind of thing was just a bit too...
"Zhu Yuan, I'm counting on you!"
Qingyi looked at her with full trust, clearly placing great responsibility in her hands. Then she added softly,
"I can't be sure how others might affect things, but you—I know you well."
"If those words come from you, it'll definitely have the effect we need."
Zhu Yuan heard her clearly. Her gaze shifted to Zane, and after a few seconds of thought, she nodded.
She turned back to Qingyi, her expression resolute.
"Leave it to me, Senior."
But she hesitated again.
"Actually, Senior... I think if you were the one to say it, the result might be even better. After all—"
"Ahem... that wouldn't be appropriate."
Qingyi quickly waved her hands, looking away with visible guilt.
"As a teacher, I can't do something like that. It goes against the rules."
When Zhu Yuan looked like she was about to argue, Qingyi cut her off.
"Alright, alright—just get ready. Keep an eye out for the right moment... I'm leaving it to you."
"Officer Zhu Yuan! Senior Qingyi!"
Seth's voice called from a short distance away. Noticing that everyone had started to move out while Zhu Yuan and Qingyi were still behind, he called out.
"Coming!"
Qingyi replied, tugging Zhu Yuan along as they caught up. Zane turned and glanced over, curious.
Were they whispering?
The thought passed quickly—Zane didn't dwell on it. Qingyi and Zhu Yuan had always been close. Whispering was nothing unusual.
Behind them, Zhu Yuan followed as Qingyi pulled her along. She kept glancing at Qingyi, thoughtful and a little puzzled.
As the leader of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team, her instincts were sharp—and right now, she felt something off about Qingyi.
Qingyi was usually calm and composed, but today she seemed... a little flustered. Still, despite the change, she was definitely still Qingyi.
Zhu Yuan figured it had to be about something important—something Qingyi wasn't saying directly. That had to be the reason for her unusual mood.
It only made Zhu Yuan more certain of what she had to do.
Still, figuring out how to pull off what Qingyi had asked wasn't easy.
After all... she'd never done anything like that before.
Faking affection...
Understanding it was one thing. Actually doing it was something else entirely...
...
"Zane... maybe we should skip this..."
In the amusement park, Nicole stared at the giant drop tower ahead, anxiety creeping across her face.
"Nicole, are you backing out now? Billy and Anby already tried it—you're the only one from Hare's House who hasn't!"
Zane looked at her, half amused.
She'd been so confident earlier. Now, right before the ride, she was wavering.
"Tickets for this ride aren't cheap. If you give up now, that's fine—but those Dennies you spent..."
"Tch, don't underestimate me!"
Before he could finish, Nicole stiffened her shoulders and marched toward the massive tower. The ticket price alone was painful—wasting it would be even worse!
She glanced at Billy and Anby, who looked calm and completely unfazed, and felt a little reassured.
If Billy could bounce back moments after riding it, so could she!
No one was going to outdo her in front of the Dennies!
Just to be safe, though, she turned to Nekomata, who still looked pretty normal.
"Nekomata, how are you holding up?"
"All good, meow!"
Nekomata grinned brightly—but her smile was a little stiff.
Nicole took that at face value and relaxed, not noticing the unease on Nekomata's face. If even Nekomata could handle it, so could she!
With that thought, she climbed the steps and entered the special enclosed pod.
Behind her, Nekomata watched her determined back with an odd sense of tragedy.
But a second later, her face twisted—pale and woozy. She wobbled, nearly collapsing before Anby quickly caught her.
"Finally... finally got Nicole to go up... I was about to pass out. Seth, give me your shoulder for a second..."
Billy leaned on Seth, waving his hand. His legs were still a bit wobbly, but at least he was doing better than Nekomata.
"Hey Zane, aren't you going to try it?"
Billy turned to him. Zane smiled and raised a hand.
"I'm actually kind of afraid of heights."
"Huh? Zane, you're scared of heights? For real?"
"Has to be a lie. Like when Starlight Knight says he's scared of heights—what does that even mean? Skyscrapers? Or falling from the moon?"
Behind them, Zhu Yuan munched on snacks, a yellow duck-themed headband from the park perched on her head. Hearing Nicole scream, she snapped out of her thoughts.
"Huh... don't know how we ended up in an amusement park, but I guess it's kinda nice..."
Her words came out muffled through a mouthful of food. Qingyi sighed quietly.
"Ask Zane. No logic—just going with the flow..."
"Eh? Why Zane? Wasn't this Nekomata's idea?"
Zhu Yuan blinked. Qingyi shrugged casually.
"Oops—slip of the tongue. Don't sweat the details. Want to try this ride?"
"Ahem, no thanks, Senior... I'll pass..."
...
The amusement park visit ended quickly.
Faster than Qingyi had expected.
While she was still thinking about how to set things up for Zhu Yuan, the members of Hare's House had already left due to something urgent.
And Zhu Yuan, too, had to leave for an unexpected assignment from the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team.
Watching Seth say goodbye to Zane, Qingyi was momentarily stunned.
"Senior, we'll be heading back soon. Looks like we won't get a chance to do it. Should we just go for it now?"
Zhu Yuan's voice came quietly.
Qingyi sighed and shook her head.
"Forget it. Let's wait for next time. Something like this can't be rushed—we have to make sure it lands right."
"In that case, Senior, Seth and I will be off."
Qingyi nodded, watching her turn to leave—then suddenly realized something.
"Wait, shouldn't I be going back with you?"
"The Criminal Investigation Special Response Team..."
"Huh? Senior, didn't you request extended leave to take care of Zane? Your outstanding performance earned you the time off, right?"
"You should still have some days left."
Zhu Yuan turned and looked puzzled, then seemed to realize something. She blinked and teased,
"Are you going back early?"
"Even though your work ethic is top-tier, Seth and I can manage things just fine. You should enjoy your break."
"Besides..."
Zhu Yuan glanced at Zane. He looked back, curious.
"You've still got something important to take care of, right?"
"You're right..."
Qingyi nodded and looked at Zane too.
This whole vacation... this guy...
It made sense—sort of. But not really.
He probably just wanted her to have time to stay with him...
Well, as a master, maybe that kind of perk was fair.
The thought brought a soft smile to her face.
Guess she wasn't doing too badly as a teacher.
But then, a familiar sense of worry returned.
Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts aside for now and walked up beside Zane with a smile.
"Come on. You're all good now, right?"
"It's time to head back."
...
In Qingyi's Courtyard
"Senior, are you sure it's really okay for me to stay here?"
Zane lay sprawled on a woven rattan lounger, his head tilted lazily as he spoke in a soft voice.
Gentle sunlight filtered through the patchy canopy above, casting dappled shadows across his face. The whole scene radiated quiet, idyllic peace.
"What, thinking about heading back to Tanuki House?"
Qingyi sat on the grass, legs stretched out, with that notebook Zane couldn't decipher resting beside her.
She glanced over at him with a look that seemed to read him inside and out, a teasing smile curling at her lips.
"Ahem... not really…"
Realizing his thoughts had been seen through, Zane awkwardly adjusted his expression, avoiding her gaze. He still looked a bit guilty as he replied,
"It's just... that's where I'm supposed to be, right? And I haven't seen Nocturne and Panta in ages."
Qingyi waved a hand dismissively.
"Relax. I'm your master. No need to act like a guest. Stay as long as you want—I'd be happy to have you."
"Besides…"
She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.
"Just because Tanuki House is your home... doesn't mean this place can't be, too."
"Master, I mean, you're not just my teacher. Technically speaking, I'm your junior—so we're basically family, right?"
Catching that subtle hint of dissatisfaction in her tone, Zane hurried to clarify, quickly adjusting how he addressed her.
"No, that's not it at all. I'm just really happy you're okay with it. It's super comfortable here."
"Of course... if I could bring the cats over, that'd be perfect."
"Then make some time and bring them. I'm not like Zhu Yuan—I love fuzzy creatures too."
"When it's time to go back, just take them home again."
Qingyi picked up right where he left off, and Zane had to admit—she made a good point. Still lying on the lounger, he started thinking about when to go pick them up.
Feeding them, cleaning up after them... not small tasks, but manageable.
As the thoughts drifted, so did his consciousness, and drowsiness slowly crept in.
...
Before long, Qingyi—who had been reading something in that notebook—noticed something. She looked up and saw Zane already fast asleep, his breathing slow and even.
She frowned a little.
"Seriously? Didn't he just wake up not long ago? We barely spent any time at the amusement park..."
Mid-sentence, she noticed the light felt off. Lifting her gaze to the sky, she raised an eyebrow.
The setting sun burned crimson.
She let out a soft sigh.
So it was already sunset.
And she hadn't noticed at all.
But... had she simply ignored the passing of time? Or had time genuinely slipped by too quickly?
That was still up for debate.
Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe the answer had been obvious all along.
Still, it didn't matter. Qingyi returned her focus to the notebook in her hands, studying it carefully once more.
The black script was cryptic, hard to interpret—but one thing was certain: she hadn't written it.
"So that's... what it was all about…"
Her eyes flickered with a trace of disbelief, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.
"Too bad it's all so vague... too generalized. There's not much to go on, and the hardest part is still completely in the dark."
She gently turned another page with a finger, her expression focused, though the corners of her lips held a faint smile—
As if she were reading something genuinely intriguing.
"No wonder... Zane always sounds a bit like an old man. I guess that's why we get along."
She chuckled quietly. With this, a lot suddenly clicked into place.
Staring at the cryptic writing, she murmured,
"In some ways... he really is like someone from another era."
"That hazy world... it's just like the one stored in my memory bank. A world from long ago, untouched by the Hollow disasters."
"Exactly the same."
Qingyi flipped another page, but as the latest sheet was revealed, her hand paused.
"Hmm..."
Her eyes landed on nothing.
Blank.
"Still not quite fast enough."
She closed the weathered leather notebook and placed it gently beside her. Gazing at Zane's peaceful sleeping face, a wave of sleepiness crept over her too.
The drowsiness coaxed her to stretch out and lie on the grass. Her vision blurred slightly, the edges going soft—as if the next moment, she'd sink into slumber.
But she quickly sat upright, shaking her head and lightly slapping her cheeks to wake herself.
"Hah..."
"I can't fall asleep... If I do, I might not wake up. I can't let that happen…"
She muttered under her breath, as if reminding herself. Slowly, her mind cleared as a chill ran through her.
She exhaled again.
"If I leave... I won't leave anything behind. I might never come back. That's something I can't allow."
Her gaze sharpened slightly, her voice barely a whisper.
"After all... as your master, I still have to take you back…"
"Zane…"