"Hana-chan, it's up to you."
Kitahara Makoto called Hana over and pointed a finger at the self-isolating middle-aged man on the bed.
Pat-pat.
Hana walked up to him and met Mutsumi's father's gaze—eye contact was the condition for the ability to activate.
Ability activated.
Hana then extended her fair, tender small hand, her voice lacking undulation just like Mutsumi's:
"Good person, lend me two coins."
"..."
As soon as the words fell, the middle-aged man, who had been lying in bed with slightly red eyes, suddenly sat up, then, dizzy and as if sleepwalking, began to grope his hands over his body.
"Hana-chan, where did you learn that phrase?"
Kitahara Makoto looked over speechlessly.
Hana lifted her small face: "Good person, Ryo-senpai."
Don't learn to talk like Yamada Ryo in the future, you'll be led astray!
It must be said that ordinary people truly cannot resist the ability of [Bad Neighbor]. Even with severe depression, one has to get out of bed and obediently give money.
After handing over all the Fukuzawa Yukichi from his wallet to Hana, Mutsumi's father's body went limp again, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
Kitahara Makoto took the few Fukuzawa Yukichi bills, handed them to Mutsumi, and then said softly:
"Let's discuss now what we should 'borrow' over."
Togawa Sakiko pursed her lips and said softly:
"How about directly borrowing out the depression?"
"Can Hana-chan do that?"
Kitahara Makoto looked down at Hana.
"No."
Hana quickly shook her head.
Kitahara Makoto, through mental communication, learned the reason why Hana said she couldn't do it, and explained softly:
"Hana-chan cannot understand what depression is. She can only 'borrow' things she can understand."
Let alone Hana, most ordinary people still have only a partial understanding of depression.
"I see..."
Togawa Sakiko pursed her lips and frowned in thought.
At this moment, Mutsumi suddenly spoke:
"Pain."
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko looked over in surprise, "What did Mutsumi just say?"
"Even though my father doesn't speak, I can feel it," Mutsumi said, covering her chest. "Father is in great pain right now… If I could 'borrow' his pain, he should be able to recover."
Kitahara Makoto looked at Hana: "What does Hana say?"
This time, Hana didn't shake her head again:
"Yes."
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"Since it's possible, then let's 'borrow' the pain."
"…"
The brief discussion concluded.
Hana extended her small hand again:
"Good person, lend me, the pain."
"…"
Generally speaking, pain is formless and intangible, invisible and untouchable, but as Hana finished speaking, a cloud of black mist suddenly drifted from Mutsumi's father's forehead, eventually disappearing into Hana's palm.
As the pain was removed, Mutsumi's father, who had been motionless like withered wood, finally moved his eyes, followed by a weak voice:
"Mutsumi… why are you here?"
"To see father."
Mutsumi's face was expressionless, seemingly still without emotional fluctuations, but upon closer inspection, one could notice that the corners of her eyes and eyebrows had softened noticeably.
"And… Sakiko is here too?"
Mutsumi's father coughed twice and struggled to sit up.
"Uncle, long time no see."
Togawa Sakiko bowed slightly, her posture and etiquette impeccable.
"And this is…?"
Mutsumi's father's gaze shifted to Kitahara Makoto.
"It's Makoto-kun," Mutsumi introduced. "He's also the person who just cured Father."
Kitahara Makoto said neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"I am Kitahara Makoto, nice to meet you for the first time."
"So it was you, kid."
After learning Kitahara Makoto's identity, the smile on Mutsumi's father's face immediately vanished.
Naturally, a father would have no good feelings for the guy who stole his daughter. After the curse was lifted, his depression deepened daily. Coupled with Mrs. Wakaba's belief that her daughter was grown up and it was time for her to experience some hardships, even being deceived by a scumbag was an indispensable life experience.
It was precisely because of this that Mutsumi's father had ignored the matter; otherwise, he would have sought out Kitahara Makoto long ago.
Grrr.
The rumbling sound of a stomach suddenly echoed in the room.
"Father is hungry?"
Mutsumi looked down.
Mutsumi's father's face showed a hint of embarrassment:
"I am a bit hungry indeed…"
"Auntie is still outside the door," Togawa Sakiko said, her steps light, as she turned and walked towards the door. "I'll open the door first to tell Auntie the good news, and then have Auntie prepare some food."
"…"
The door opened.
Mrs. Wakaba walked in quickly.
Seeing the middle-aged man who was already sitting up and talking to his daughter, Mrs. Wakaba was almost overjoyed.
She hadn't understood how terrifying depression was before, but after inviting the doctor yesterday evening, she had deeply realized the danger of depression; a slight mistake could cost a life.
Her previous comfort to Mutsumi not to worry was merely a parent's forced smile.
When she asked Kitahara Makoto to come in and help, Mrs. Wakaba actually didn't hold any hope.
But at this moment, witnessing the miracle of her husband's recovery with her own eyes, Mrs. Wakaba's attitude towards Kitahara Makoto immediately reversed one hundred and eighty degrees.
"Makoto-kun, thank you so much today!"
Mrs. Wakaba was immensely grateful:
"I agree to you and Mutsumi dating!"
Agree to your sister!
Who would date Mutsumi!
Besides being cute, your daughter is clearly like a wooden person in other aspects, completely devoid of any charm!
Kitahara Makoto coughed twice and quickly changed the subject:
"Auntie, Uncle is hungry. You should quickly find him something to eat."
"That's right, that's right. From yesterday noon until now, besides drinking a few sips of water, he only ate a little bread. He must be starving by now."
Mrs. Wakaba slapped her forehead and quickly picked up the hotel phone on the bedside table, beginning to dial.
While Mrs. Wakaba was on the phone, Kitahara Makoto turned his head and secretly gave Togawa Sakiko a look.
Togawa Sakiko nodded slightly, stepped forward half a step, and whispered:
"Auntie, we have other things to do, so we'll leave first."
"Eh, don't go, I haven't seen Sakiko in a long time," Mrs. Wakaba quickly tried to persuade them to stay. "It's noon Just right, let's all have a casual meal together."
Kitahara Makoto was about to speak when he suddenly frowned and looked down at Hana.
The usually emotionless Hana was now frowning, her thin lips tightly pressed together, clearly in a very unusual state.
"What's wrong with Hana-chan?"
Togawa Sakiko looked over worriedly.
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice:
"Hana is feeling a bit unwell."
"Is the child feeling unwell?" Mrs. Wakaba quickly said, "I have the doctor's phone number. Do you want me to call the doctor to come and take a look?"
Ordinary people go to the hospital when they are sick, but truly rich people directly call the doctor to their home.
"No need," Kitahara Makoto quickly shook his head. "Hana gets a bit carsick; she'll be fine after a rest."
Hana isn't human at all. Although she now has small arms and legs, her internal structure is clearly different from humans—for example, she eats a lot of snacks every day, and an ordinary human child's stomach would have already been ruined.
If a doctor came to examine her, it would be a silent examination!
Mrs. Wakaba reached into her pocket, directly pulled out a room card, and handed it to Kitahara Makoto:
"This is the room card for next door. You can go there and rest first."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Togawa Sakiko took the room card and walked out with Kitahara Makoto.
"I'm going too."
Mutsumi stepped to follow.
Kitahara Makoto said speechlessly:
"Your father just woke up. Shouldn't you stay and talk to him?"
"No need," Mutsumi shook her head. "There's nothing I want to say."
She didn't even have a single word she wanted to say; their father-daughter relationship was truly too cold!
Kitahara Makoto picked up Hana and, along with the two girls, went to the room next door.
Bang.
The door closed.
Togawa Sakiko looked over worriedly: "What's wrong with Hana-chan?"
"It should be related to the pain she just borrowed," Kitahara Makoto looked down at Hana. Through her thoughts just now, he already knew Hana's situation. "Hana-chan said she wants to throw it up."
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko was slightly startled, then quickly reacted, "Is she going to throw up the pain she just borrowed?"
"It should be," he said, putting down Hana, opening his backpack, and taking out the answer book. "I don't know what will happen after she throws it up. Maybe the pain will return to Mutsumi's father's body… I'll ask."
Whoosh.
The answer book turned pages rapidly without any wind.
Soon, a line of text quietly emerged:
"Return to sender."
"It will return, won't it?"
Togawa Sakiko couldn't help but frown.
Hana's condition isn't good right now; she looks very uncomfortable. But if she throws up the pain and it returns, Mutsumi's father, who just sat up, will immediately lie back down and continue to self-destruct.
Faced with a difficult choice, Togawa Sakiko didn't know how to choose and could only look at Kitahara Makoto for guidance.
Mutsumi bit her lower lip and said:
"Let Hana throw it up, and then find other ways to treat Father…"
"Perhaps there's another way," Kitahara Makoto mused. "Hana-chan can throw up the pain, but it doesn't necessarily have to go back to your father; it can also come to us."
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko was surprised. "Is that really possible?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"There shouldn't be a problem."
Lending something that has been borrowed to someone else is a normal operation and not strange at all.
"Hana," Kitahara Makoto turned to Hana, "transfer the pain to me."
"No!"
Togawa Sakiko quickly interjected to veto it:
"We don't know how severe the pain is yet. What if Kitahara-kun encounters danger?"
Mutsumi said softly:
"Transfer it to me."
"Mutsumi probably can't bear it alone," Togawa Sakiko said with a serious expression, turning to Hana. "Can Hana-chan transfer the pain to two people at the same time?"
Hana puffed out her cheeks and shook her head at the question.
"No?"
Togawa Sakiko immediately bit her lip.
"So, I'll do it."
Kitahara Makoto turned his head and said calmly:
"Hana, transfer the pain to me."
Togawa Sakiko's eyes were filled with worry:
"Kitahara-kun is too impulsive…"
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"I just happen to want to challenge my willpower."
Togawa Sakiko: "…"
How can a guy who is obsessed with women all day long boast about his willpower?!
Hana quickly opened her mouth and exhaled a ball of black mist.
The black mist quietly drifted in mid-air, silently entering Kitahara Makoto's body.
The next second.
Kitahara Makoto only felt an indescribable sensation suddenly strike him; it wasn't pain throughout his body, but rather the entire world abruptly turning grayscale, completely devoid of any color.
"Kitahara, how do you feel now?"
Togawa Sakiko's eyes were filled with worry.
"I'm fine..."
Kitahara Makoto originally wanted to smile, but unfortunately, after the entire world turned grayscale, he couldn't smile at all. He could only silently sit on the sofa, using his willpower to resist that nihilistic self-destructive urge.
"Hana-chan, what's Makoto-kun's condition now? How uncomfortable is he?"
Togawa Sakiko turned her head and asked.
After exhaling the pain, Hana had already reverted to her three-no-expression radish head state. Hearing this, she looked up with her small face, seemingly pondering Togawa's words, then extended her small hand.
Three soft, transparent, light-blue tendrils grew from her palm. One reached towards Kitahara Makoto, while the other two extended towards Togawa Sakiko and Mutsumi.
Both girls had witnessed Hana's abilities, so they naturally didn't dodge.
As the transparent tendrils entered their bodies, the [Link] was successful. Togawa Sakiko and Mutsumi quickly felt an indescribable and terrifying sense of emptiness, as if a person were sitting in an hourglass, surrounded by boundless darkness, with countless grains of sand flowing down, threatening to completely engulf and drown them.
The link only lasted for a few seconds before the transparent tendrils transformed into countless specks of light, quietly dissipating into the air.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Togawa Sakiko covered her chest, breathing rapidly, her pretty face slightly pale. She bit her lip and looked at Kitahara Makoto:
"Is this the pain Kitahara-kun is experiencing now?"
That feeling of emptiness and self-destruction was not physical pain, but rather pain originating from the soul level, which was more terrifying than ordinary physical pain.
In comparison, Mutsumi's condition was slightly better. After all, she was a three-no-expression girl lacking emotions, so her resistance was clearly much higher. But even so, her breathing was noticeably rapid.
"Hana-chan, lend out the pain again..."
Togawa Sakiko bit her teeth lightly, quickly making a decision.
Between her distant uncle and Kitahara Makoto, Kitahara Makoto was naturally more important.
So...
(Sorry, Uncle, I'll return the pain to you. We'll think of other ways.)
"No need." Kitahara Makoto pursed his lips tightly, raised his head, and his voice was a bit low, "Although it's a bit bad... I can still hold on."
Togawa Sakiko bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth:
"What if you can't endure it?"
"Joy."
A soft, sweet voice suddenly sounded from the side.
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko turned her head to look, "What did Hana-chan just say?"
Hana spoke as always, with few words:
"Joy, let Daddy, help, fight pain."
"Joy?" Togawa Sakiko clenched her small fists, "How do you obtain something like that?"
Pain is invisible and intangible, and so is joy. For a moment, she really couldn't grasp it.
"I know what to do."
Mutsumi suddenly stood up.
"Mutsumi knows how to make people happy?"
Togawa Sakiko's tone was doubtful.
"I heard Soyo say..." Mutsumi stepped forward to Kitahara Makoto, covering her skirt with one hand, then squatted down. She leaned towards Kitahara Makoto, her bright eyes unblinking, "...Kissing can make people happy."