Kaori, could she be suffering from some delusion due to excessive longing?
"I didn't mishear her; she just said 'Hiyama'!" Kaori said firmly.
"Teacher... Teacher heard it too."
Aiko-sensei's voice rang out, and she said hesitantly, "But for a moment, I also wondered if I had misheard."
After all, such a thing was truly too incredible.
"This... How is this possible!" Kouki exclaimed in surprise.
"Didn't Hiyama-kun already die?"
"Hmm, Kaori, you must be too tired lately, so you're having auditory hallucinations."
"Besides, even if Hiyama-kun were still alive, there's no way he'd be with these three beautiful girls."
Kouki spoke endlessly about his deductions, not noticing the increasingly terrifying gaze of Yue beside him.
"Don't you dare badmouth Hiyama-sama anymore!"
The one who broke the atmosphere was Shea.
Shea said angrily, "No matter if you're a hero or a turnip, as long as you dare to badmouth Hiyama-sama, Shea will absolutely not let you off!"
"And how could Hiyama-sama die? He's still alive and well!"
As soon as these words came out, the entire group was shocked again!
"What did she just say? Hiyama is still alive?"
"How is that possible!? I saw him fall into the abyss with my own eyes!"
"Yeah, and the labyrinth has already collapsed, how could he have come out of there?"
The students were shocked by Shea's statement and discussed it animatedly.
"As expected... you are Darling's former companions..." A chillingly cold voice rang out.
Yue stared with her red pupils, her voice mixed with anger,
"Is it because of you that Darling fell into the abyss?"
"And just like that, not only did you not try to save him, but you even talked amongst yourselves about him being dead!"
"Don't you think you've gone too far!?"
The words Yue spoke were meticulously chosen, and the students were all silenced by her, not daring to meet her gaze.
"And now? Do you still want him to come back?"
"And then push him into the abyss again?"
Yue sneered, looking around, and all the students quickly avoided her gaze.
"And you." Yue said coldly to Kaori, whose face had turned pale,
"Since you already believe he's dead, then keep believing that!"
"Don't come asking about our affairs anymore!"
After Yue finished her last sentence, she pulled Shea, intending to leave.
"Yue, Shea, what are you doing?"
A faint voice rang out.
The entire place fell silent.
People were as if their entire bodies were frozen, only their heads could turn with difficulty, and their minds were blank!
The moment Shirazaki Kaori heard that familiar voice, her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Turning her head, she saw the figure standing at the doorway.
The moment their gazes met, an electric current instantly shot through her body.
Her heart, which had been frozen by sadness, suddenly released heat as if it had been baked by fire, and began to beat fiercely!
"Didn't I tell you to come meet me early?"
Hiyama walked leisurely, passing through gazes of shock, surprise, or horror, and came to Yue and the others.
"I'm sorry, Darling, something held us up for a while." Yue said obediently.
He actually made such a cute beautiful girl apologize!?
Some people's first thought wasn't curiosity about why Hiyama wasn't dead, but rather this notion.
"Hi... Hiyama-kun..." Aiko-sensei also looked incredulous, her voice trembling.
Although Hiyama's height had increased a lot, his body had also become much stronger, and even his hair had inexplicably turned white.
But as his homeroom teacher, Aiko-sensei still recognized the person in front of her as the genuine Hiyama Daisuke himself!
"Oh, it's Aiko-sensei, long time no see."
Hiyama said with a relaxed expression.
Just like a student returning to school after summer vacation, greeting a long-unseen teacher.
Relaxed, at ease.
"Hmm, long time no see...."
"No! What long time no see!?" Aiko-sensei was almost led into Hiyama's rhythm for a moment.
She then said angrily, "Since you're still alive, why didn't you come back immediately!?"
Her voice echoed throughout the entire dining hall.
At this moment, the students finally regained their stiff bodies, and their minds began to work.
They all cast curious glances at Hiyama.
The teacher was right.
Since Hiyama wasn't dead, logically, he should have come to meet them immediately.
Why had they heard no news of him for these past few months?
"I don't quite understand your question, Teacher."
Hiyama shook his head and retorted, "Why should I go back?"
"That's because... that's because we're from the same class!"
Aiko-sensei said righteously.
"But we've already left school, we're not students anymore, so what you're saying, Teacher, isn't right." Hiyama still shook his head.
"Then... then it's because we came together! You can't refute that, can you?"
Aiko-sensei believed she had found the winning argument.
"Still not right. Even if we came together, no one can guarantee that we can go back together."
"Under these circumstances, instead of going back and playing house with you all,"
"It's better for me to find a way back on my own; that's more efficient."
"Isn't it?"
Hiyama continued to shake his head. Chapter 56: Was it him?
"This..." Aiko-sensei was rendered speechless by him.
"Hiyama-kun, you can't say that!"
"Aiko-sensei is also doing it for your own good; if you stay with us, at least you won't encounter any danger."
At this, Kouki stepped forward, frowning and saying.
"Won't encounter any danger? Then how did I fall into the abyss?"
Hiyama scoffed.
"That... that's because... because we weren't strong enough at the time." Kouki hesitated.
"So, you think your current strength is strong enough?"
Hiyama sneered.
"This...."
Kouki's face turned ugly; he naturally didn't dare to say such a big boast as being strong enough now.
After all, they hadn't even successfully cleared a single proper labyrinth yet.
"But, we are growing!"
He argued unwillingly.
"I thought you had learned your lesson a bit during this time, but I didn't expect you to still be a hothead."
Unexpectedly, Hiyama instead shook his head, looking disappointed.
"You! Don't you go too far!" Kouki was so angered by him that he almost pulled out his holy sword in humiliation.
"Who's going too far? Isn't it you all?"
"I already sacrificed myself to save you once; do you still want me to save you a second time? A third time?"
Hiyama sneered.
Kouki was questioned into silence.
The students were red-faced, looking at each other, and for a moment, no one dared to stand up and refute him.
They even had a sense of shock and doubt: "Is this person really Hiyama Daisuke!?"
Seeing their silence, Hiyama snorted coldly, feeling bored, it was simply a waste of time!
He pulled Yue, ready to leave.
"Hiyama...-kun."
At this moment, Shirazaki Kaori finally found an opportunity to speak, pulling Hiyama's sleeve, her voice trembling.
"Shirazaki Kaori?"
"What's wrong? Do you also want to persuade me to go back and be with you all?" Hiyama looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"No! It's not like that!"
Kaori waved her hands frantically, not knowing how to explain for a moment.
"Then what exactly do you want to say? I'm in a hurry." Hiyama said coldly.
"I... I don't know either, I'm just... just very happy that you're still alive." Shirazaki Kaori said sadly.
"Oh, then thank you."
Hiyama said faintly, then pulled Yue and the others away.
"Hiyama..."
Shirazaki Kaori watched his retreating back.
Her trembling voice called out Hiyama's name, containing a myriad of emotions, as if it could burst at any moment, yet she still tried hard to suppress it.
But Hiyama still left mercilessly, not even sparing her another glance.
"I never thought Hiyama would still be alive... and even traveling with three beautiful girls!"
Shizuku hugged Kaori protectively, letting her sob in her arms.
She looked at Hiyama and the others' retreating figures with a complex gaze, suddenly thought of something, and couldn't help but say,
"So that means! Yesterday it was Hiyama and them...."
Shizuku's voice wasn't quiet, and everyone present heard it clearly.