join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
Yukinoshita Yukino was quite proactive, so in the following days, Asakura had to follow this second young lady of the Yukinoshita family around to meet the patients with Human-Faced Sore she had found.
This directly led to Asakura's right eye being in a state of constant overload due to the continuous activation of Truth Vision.
However, because of this, Asakura was largely able to confirm that the mastermind behind the Human-Faced Sore was in Chiba.
Incidentally, after the Human-Faced Sore on Yukinoshita Haruno were burned away by Asakura using [Candle], the swelling on her back quickly subsided. However, as currently the only person to have contracted 'Acute Specific Connective Tissue System Necrosis' and still self-heal, she was kept in the hospital for a comprehensive physical examination.
Later, she even complained to Yukino, who visited her, that if it weren't for the Yukinoshita family's influence in Chiba, she felt like she was about to be sliced up and studied by those eager experts in the hospital to figure out why she suddenly recovered…
"Takuma-shi looks very tired, his eyes are swollen. Is he alright?"
By the weekend, having had a prior arrangement with Gokou Ruri, Asakura asked Yukino for leave and went to attend the offline gathering of the 'Otaku Girls Unite' community—although Yukino seemed to have some reservations about Asakura's 'neglecting proper duties' behavior, considering Asakura had already spoken with the other party, she tacitly agreed without saying anything.
Saori, as the organizer of the offline gathering, couldn't help but ask with concern when she saw Asakura's current appearance.
After all, Truth Vision not only affected Asakura's right eye but also placed a huge burden on his mind. The mental fatigue caused by activating Truth Vision for several consecutive days made him look somewhat sickly and lacking in vitality.
"It's nothing, just being dragged around by someone…"
Asakura yawned: "It's not a big problem…"
"I see—" Saori probably misunderstood something and showed a gentle smile: "Takuma-shi and Kuroneko have a really good relationship."
She was dressed the same as last time, like a very old-fashioned otaku, but this time she wasn't carrying that backpack full of posters, so she looked much more normal, just a bit unfashionable in appearance.
"Well…"
Asakura wanted to explain, but felt it would be troublesome, so he simply equivocated.
The location for this offline gathering was still Akihabara, but they chose a more normal cafe and didn't go to a maid cafe like last time.
After all, the food in maid cafes is expensive and unappetizing. Unless one has a particularly fervent obsession with maids, going there once is enough.
Although Asakura initially planned to meet Gokou Ruri first before going to the agreed-upon cafe, Gokou Ruri later said she still had some chores to do (the noisy voices of her two younger sisters could be heard over the phone) and it would take a while, so she asked Asakura to go to the meeting place first and inform the others that she would be late.
So Asakura went to the cafe alone, originally thinking he might be the first to arrive, but found that Saori and Kitagawa Marin were already there, making him the third to arrive.
"A black coffee, please."
Asakura said to a passing waitress.
"Takuma-kun, are you sure? The black coffee at this place is especially bitter."
Kitagawa Marin, dressed as a gal, a stark contrast to Saori, advised: "How about a cappuccino instead? I heard the latte art here is also very nice."
"Latte art? Like the one in your cup… Hmm, is that a star?"
Asakura looked at the cup the girl had placed in front of her and saw that the coffee surface indeed had a rather exquisite pattern drawn with milk foam.
"No, it's the womb tattoo on Shizuku's abdomen from 'Slime Girl 2nd Generation'."
Kitagawa Marin said happily.
"Pfft—! Cough, cough…"
Saori, who was sipping her coffee in small sips, started coughing: "Marin-shi's hobbies are truly unique…"
"Right? Although many people think it's meaningless, I still have to say that the designs in the 'Slime Girl' series are quite artistic. For example, that forced communal wife…"
Kitagawa Marin began to preach voluminously.
Save me.
Saori's eyes, through her thick, bottle-bottom-like circular glasses, pleaded for help from Asakura.
Asakura, meanwhile, stared intently at the cafe's menu, as if suddenly very interested in the half-baked cheesecake on it, ignoring the girl's pleading gaze.
So Saori could only resign herself to being lectured by Kitagawa Marin for over ten minutes about eroge, and by the time the other party reluctantly stopped, the poor girl's mind was already filled with knowledge like 'Saint Slime-Slime' and 'Twelve Uses of the ○' knowledge that she had no idea when it would ever be useful…
"Speaking of which, when will Kuroneko arrive?"
Saori snapped back to attention, noticing that Kitagawa Marin seemed to want to continue saying something, and quickly changed the subject, asking Asakura.
"It'll probably be a little while yet."
Asakura answered, not entirely sure.
He believed it mainly depended on when the two little ones of the Gokou family would start their nap.
Just then, the wind chime at the door made a crisp sound, indicating that a new customer had entered the cafe.
Asakura looked towards the door and saw that it was the Kirino siblings.
"Kirino-shi, over here, over here!"
Saori, who also noticed their arrival, immediately stood up and, leaning on the table, waved to the two of them.
"Kirino… Is she not in a good mood?"
Kitagawa Marin noticed Kirino's gloomy face and couldn't help but ask with concern.
"Kirino… cough, Kirino's friend recently…"
Just as Kosaka Kyosuke was about to say something, he was elbowed by Kirino, clearly not wanting her brother to speak carelessly.
"Shut up."
She said fiercely, seemingly in a very bad mood.
But Kosaka Kyosuke didn't back down. He just frowned and said to his sister: "I don't think there's anything wrong with telling Saori and the others about this. Maybe they can even help?"
"Yes, yes, you can tell me all your troubles!"
Saori immediately nodded, patting her bouncy chest and saying with full commitment.
Kirino frowned and thought for a moment, then finally sighed, a hint of unwillingness on her face, and pouted as she nodded.
So Kosaka Kyosuke then spoke again: "You see, isn't there that news recently?"
"What? Acute Specific Connective Tissue System Necrosis?"
Asakura asked.
Could it be that one of her friends contracted Human-Faced Sore?
"No, it's that—" Kosaka Kyosuke said: "The one about the divine disappearance."
He said seriously: "Kirino… Kirino's friend suddenly disappeared."
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr