novelraw Chapter 753: Falling Dusk
Chapter 753: Falling Dusk
In the afternoon, by Tokyo Bay, the sea breeze brushed past Jasmine's cheek, causing a strand of black hair to sway. Smiling, she held onto the seaside railing, pointed at the turbulent seawater whipped up by the wind beyond Tokyo Bay, and shouted loudly.
Fisher sat on a public bench along the seaside path behind her, smiling as he watched her back.
The surrounding hurried crowds also slightly turned their heads because of that youth-filled shout clothed in a JK uniform. However, they quickly returned all their attention to their quickening paces and the phones wedged between their shoulders and ears. The contents of their conversations were all things like "stocks" and "work"...
Fisher slowly withdrew his gaze, but his heart couldn't fully immerse itself in the cozy time before him. For he inevitably got distracted, always feeling a premonition of danger constantly approaching within his heart.
Yet Jasmine before him remained completely unaware. She looked around at the beautiful scenery, but from the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted a sallow and emaciated little girl standing quietly not far away, wearing a shabby elementary school uniform and a watermelon cap, looking quietly at her...
Under the peaceful afternoon sunshine, that little girl's face was blurry. Before Jasmine could see clearly, the little girl suddenly turned and pointed over there, speaking softly to Jasmine with a somewhat hoarse and childish voice,
"Over there... taiyaki..."
With that said, before Jasmine could react, the little girl turned back, revealing the loose little backpack on her back, and ran toward that direction.
"..."
Jasmine blankly watched that direction. By the time she recovered her senses, that little girl had seemingly vanished without a trace like a hallucination. Replacing her was a faint, looming scent of food at the tip of her nose...That was the smell of taiyaki.
So, Jasmine quickly ran back from the railing, gently grabbed Fisher's sleeve, and said to him,
"Teacher Fisher, I know there's a very delicious taiyaki shop over there. Let's go taste it together, okay?"
"Taiyaki? What's that?"
"It's a very delicious food... let's go, let's go..."
Fisher raised an eyebrow, but still stood up in accordance with Jasmine's wishes, following her toward the bustling streets over there.
Holding Fisher's hand, Jasmine watched his black eyes flicker slightly. Then, as if familiar with the route, she navigated the seaside park paths, crossed traffic lights, and merged into the commercial street. Only then did the smell of the food become rich, wafting above the street.
"Teacher Fisher, here..."
"Coming... excuse me..."
With Fisher parting the crowds of people coming to play in the commercial street, Jasmine faintly saw that little girl running ahead again. She raised her eyes and saw the little girl looking left and right timidly, her eyes full of longing.
It wasn't until a breeze blew past, bringing the aroma of food, that Jasmine saw the little girl wearing the watermelon cap and carrying the small backpack gradually slow her steps, subsequently lingering in front of a shop.
Jasmine saw the little girl touch her somewhat sunken stomach, covering it with both small hands, as if afraid that place would emit embarrassing sounds.
Jasmine saw the little girl raise her head, revealing a sallow and thin profile. Her eyes widened, full of longing as she looked at the shop before her that emitted faint steam and warm lighting, her throat bobbing slightly.
Only after the boss selling taiyaki had packed the food for the previous customer did he barely notice the elementary schooler standing on the street eagerly sizing up this shop. Thus, he kindly asked,
Jasmine saw the little girl purse her lips, a somewhat embarrassed expression appearing on her face. She hurriedly looked down at a line of text written on her hand with a water-based pen, then gulped again, and decisively shook her head at the shopkeeper.
Her thin, weak little fingers protectively tangled together in front of her stomach. And precisely because of this, Jasmine faintly saw a line of crooked text written with a water-based pen on the side of the little girl's arm.
"Asuka Karasawa will never go hungry."
"..."
Jasmine's pupils contracted slightly, her entire vision seemingly tainted with a faint scarlet hue. But exactly at this moment, the shopkeeper's voice suddenly rang out, causing all colors to return,
"Do you want to buy a portion, little girl?"
"Jasmine?"
"Eh?"
Jasmine blinked, raising her eyes to look at the shopkeeper staring at her with a confused face.
Only then did she realize belatedly, turning back to see the line of waiting customers behind her and the deeply concerned gaze of Fisher beside her.
Unknowingly, a fine layer of cold sweat had already broken out on the palm of her hand, which had gone from holding to gripping tightly.
Fisher lowered his gaze slightly, sensing her subtle movements, and took the initiative to speak to the shopkeeper,
"A portion, please, boss. Thanks for the trouble."
"Alrighty, thank you for your patronage, please wait a moment!"
Jasmine opened her mouth, only watching Fisher hand over bills from his wallet, then hold her hand and bring her to the side to wait.
"What happened just now? Are you feeling a bit unwell?"
"I don't know either, just..." Jasmine's small face was somewhat pale, yet she forced a smile and told Fisher, "It feels like my head hurts a bit..."
Jasmine's complexion didn't look good, but from the corner of her eye, she still intermittently cast glances toward another direction at the street corner, as if searching for something in that direction.
"The taiyaki is ready."
Fisher noticed this, but he still proactively received the freshly cooked taiyaki from the boss nearby. He brought the steaming taiyaki back before Jasmine's eyes, calmly asking,
"Has Jasmine eaten this here before? Otherwise, how did you know there was this delicious shop here?"
"Eh? I shouldn't have..." Jasmine blinked, clutching her chest as she smiled and said, "But judging by this smell, it should be very delicious."
"Is that so..."
Fisher picked up a bamboo skewer, skewered a round-bellied taiyaki, and placed it before Jasmine's mouth, watching her open her mouth bit by bit and swallow it into her stomach.
"Awoo..."
Instantly, the taste of the warm, crispy, thin crust shattering in her oral cavity and the thick red bean paste filling flowing out occupied her entire taste buds.
Jasmine widened her eyes, her cheeks puffing out one after another like a hamster, slowly chewing and savoring all the flavors within.
"..."
"Is it delicious?"
Jasmine's eyes widened and she nodded foolishly. Then she raised her hand, touched her cheek, and suddenly muttered to herself,
"So this is what taiyaki tastes like..."
Fisher also skewered one and put it into his own mouth, tasting the sweet and rich sensation. Then they just sat on the edge of this bustling commercial street, watching the people coming and going around them.
But as they were eating away, a passing pedestrian caught a glimpse of Fisher and Jasmine sitting in place enjoying taiyaki, and suddenly smiled and said to them,
"Hello there, remember to go home before it gets dark."
"?"
Fisher raised his eyes with a perplexed face, only to see that passerby walk away expressionlessly again after saying those words.
Fisher hadn't even figured out what happened when another passerby walked over, saying to Fisher and Jasmine,
"Hello there, remember to go home before it gets dark."
"..."
Jasmine blinked and stood up. Looking at the sun gradually slanting westward, Fisher smiled and said,
"Let's go, Teacher Fisher. It's almost dark, let's head to the hotel."
"..." Fisher froze slightly, yet he didn't stand up. Instead, he looked at Jasmine and asked, "What happens if we don't go home at night?"
"What happens... if we don't... I'm not too sure either. But everyone says so. If we don't follow it, something terrible will definitely happen."
Jasmine was momentarily rendered speechless by Fisher's question, but after a one-second pause, she still explained it to Fisher like this.
And Fisher merely looked at the Jasmine before him. Then he slowly stood up to his feet, looking at the comings and goings all around. Everyone looked at him and Jasmine one by one, repeating toward Fisher and Jasmine one sentence after another,
"Hello there, remember to go home before it gets dark."
"..."
One sentence after another. Initially, it was just one or two passersby saying this. Later, perhaps seeing that Fisher and Jasmine remained motionless, more and more passing people opened their mouths, until every person passing by had to look at them, repeating the exact same phrase to them with the exact same tone.
"Hello there, remember to go home before it gets dark."
Behind him, Jasmine somewhat fearfully reached out her hand and grabbed Fisher's sleeve, cautiously saying to him,
"Teacher Fisher, look... everyone is saying this. How about we head back to the hotel right now..."
Looking at the taiyaki in his hand, combined with Jasmine's peculiar reaction just now, Fisher seemingly gradually realized something.
Tokyo... Tokyo...
If having to do those things while studying English earlier was because Jasmine's own thoughts wanted them to act up, then where did the thought of absolutely having to go home at night after coming to Tokyo stem from?
That's right, whether it was coming here to eat taiyaki or the thought of absolutely having to go home at night...
They all originated from Asuka Karasawa.
Only during her childhood did Asuka live in Tokyo. There must be traces of her life here.
As a child, the thought of going home at night was as normal as could be...
However, Asuka was different from other children. Fisher had heard her tell a short story about her childhood. Although she hadn't given much detail, Fisher at least knew that the mother Asuka followed since childhood didn't treat her well...
Then why was the thought of absolutely having to go home at night still so deeply ingrained?
Could it be that going home was her mother's order?
Or perhaps, there would be some punishment if she didn't go home?
Fisher's steps didn't move, but as the sunlight in the sky gradually sank westward, casting an orange-red hue on the horizon, the hand gripping Fisher's sleeve behind him trembled increasingly.
Fisher snapped back to reality and turned to look, only to find Jasmine's face had already grown near deathly pale. She looked squarely at Fisher, her eyes revealing a plea for mercy,
"Teacher Fisher, let's go to the hotel, okay?"
"..."
Her pleading voice softened the depths of Fisher's heart. He knew that as long as he went along with Jasmine's wishes, he could avoid her sorrowful gaze at this moment.
But Fisher also clearly knew that this sorrow stemmed from Jasmine's soul, from Asuka's past.
Just like a wound that hurts upon contact, in order not to touch it and trigger the pain, was it really correct to turn a blind eye, not treat it, and pretend it didn't exist?
Isn't this the very essence of this sweet dream?
Even without considering the critical situation in reality, if this sweet dream is truly that perfect, then why is Jasmine, who is already immersed within the sweet dream, still evading it, still having such a terrified expression?
Fisher took a deep breath. He lowered his head, picked up a bamboo skewer, and stuffed the very last taiyaki in the paper box into Jasmine's mouth, then said,
"Alright, after eating this one, we'll set off, okay?"
"...Mm!"
Hearing Fisher's response, it was as if a heavy boulder in Jasmine's heart dropped. She smiled and happily ate that taiyaki into her mouth.
Mm...
It's her disliked matcha flavor...
After eating, Fisher grabbed Jasmine's palm with one pulling motion, leading her to walk toward the outside of the commercial street.
As they brushed past the crowds, Jasmine faintly saw a hotel sign hanging on a street sign nearby, so she hurriedly reached out her hand to remind Fisher,
"Look quickly, Teacher Fisher, there's a hotel over there."
"..."
But the Fisher in front merely continued walking forward with Jasmine. At the same time, he said softly,
"What these people are saying is 'go home at night'. A hotel shouldn't count as 'home', right, Jasmine?"
"Eh? Then do we have to take a train back to Kyoto right now? D-didn't we agree to play here for many days?"
"...Yeah, that's 'home' too."
Fisher sighed. Having already walked to the entrance of the commercial street with Jasmine, he finally turned around, staring closely at the Jasmine before him, and said to her,
"But, Jasmine, there's also a home here in Tokyo, right?"
"Eh?"
"Think about it carefully, we're going there right now."
Jasmine widened her eyes, standing frozen in place for a moment.
At this moment, the setting sun in the sky cast its glaring afterglow, slanting against the bricks on the ground, illuminating the voice of the little girl wearing the watermelon cap standing in place in a daze not far away.
She should have finished school a good while ago, yet she lingered nearby, walking in circles and wandering around everywhere.
Even though she smelled the aroma of delicious taiyaki, even though her stomach was so hungry it was about to flatten, because she had no money in her pockets, she could only run away quickly, using "magic" to force herself not to think about the taste of that delicious taiyaki.
She suddenly remembered that little girl's school was nearby, and her own home was also nearby. But why didn't she want to go home for hours after returning from school, instead wandering around outside?
Because that home was very cold, she didn't want to go back.
But why did she absolutely have to go back before nightfall, even though there was no one home most of the time...
"Aw, give me a little inside information, Section Chief Maeda... Whichever stock you tell me, I'll do anything..."
"Oh? Really willing to do anything?"
"Really, truly. Look, Section Chief Maeda, my home is just up ahead..."
"Oh, in that case..."
"Mom!"
That childish and innocent voice was like a clap of thunder, making Jasmine's pupils contract sharply. At the same time, the orange setting sun in the sky also began to change color bit by bit, gradually turning into an extremely terrifying scarlet hue.
"You... you have a child?"
"Ah, this... well, this child isn't... Section Chief Maeda!"
"Mo—"
"You brat! It's all your fault! Why didn't you go home right after school! What are you wandering around outside for!"
"I was right on the verge of finding out, do you know who he is? He's from the Ministry of Finance, you really are..."
"Listen to me well, Asuka Karasawa, if I ever catch you not coming home at night and wandering around outside again, you'll be punished severely, understand?"
The watermelon cap flew and fell to the ground. The thin-armed figure of that little girl being furiously scolded by the woman expanded bit by bit in Jasmine's pupils.
Before nightfall, absolutely have to go home...
Before nightfall, absolutely have to go home...
Before nightfall, absolutely have to go home...
"T-Teacher Fisher... it's... it's nightfall..."
The Jasmine before him suddenly started trembling all over. She then painfully covered her cheeks, sobbing as she murmured this.
Holding her icy arm, Fisher also gradually felt that something was amiss. He frowned and looked at the sky, only to see the entire sky dyed the color of blood.
The gradually sinking setting sun in the west also resembled a widely-opened bloodshot pupil, emitting a hysterical roar. The heavy echoing voice of a woman was transmitted over,
"Why... didn't you go home... A... su... ka..."
Fisher tightly gripped Jasmine's hand and pulled her into his embrace. He turned his head away, realizing that almost all pedestrians from all directions had turned into the exact same appearance.
Either they were men wearing navy blue suits, along with suit trousers and leather shoes.
Or they were women wearing purple dresses, adorned with complicated jewelry.
However, regardless of being men or women, except for the clothes on their bodies, their skin was entirely pitch-black, looking like a patch of nothingness, repeating the exact same actions.
The men shook off the women's hands beside them with speechless faces, turned, and walked away, gradually dissolving onto the ground. Meanwhile, the women beside them, having reached out attempting to bid them stay to no avail, clenched their fists. Their bodily forms squirmed all over, expanding bit by bit while baring fangs and brandishing claws, transforming into extremely terrifying monster appearances.
"Why... didn't you go home..."
"Tea... wuwuwu... Teacher Fisher, hurry... let's hurry and leave... Home... is over there..."
"Why didn't you go home?!!"
Those countless overlapping female voices gradually became as sharp as a power drill piercing eardrums. Frowning, Fisher hurriedly hoisted Jasmine onto his back and sprinted in the direction she strained to point out.
That direction was a tower apartment merely a few hundred meters away, separated by a single block.
"Awoo!!"
And from the commercial street, skyscrapers, and various buildings behind him, densely packed female figures crawled out, roaring like cockroaches and aliens. They wore the exact same clothes, simultaneously emitting the exact same sharp voices, to the point of almost making Fisher's eardrums explode.
"Why... didn't you go home?!"
"I really am..."
Although Fisher expected that doing this would cause Jasmine's dreamscape to become unstable, he absolutely didn't foresee that Jasmine's... or rather Asuka's... reaction would be so violent.
It was only from the overlapping roaring sounds behind him, from his head that was about to explode, that Fisher could faintly spy into the childhood of that little girl completely riddled with wounds.
"Listen to me well, Asuka Karasawa, if I ever catch you not coming home at night and wandering around outside again, you'll be punished severely, understand?"
Jasmine extremely painfully covered her head on Fisher's back. But no matter how she closed her eyes, the figure of that little girl standing motionless on the street like a puppet under the setting sun madly drilled into her head, making her feel terribly uncomfortable...
She panted and instinctively drew a pen from her clothes, then sticking out her arm, she wanted to write something on it.
Only by doing this could she relieve the pain...
"Asuka Karasawa will never feel pain..."
"What are you doing, Jasmine?"
Fisher was almost at the entrance of the tower apartment, only to find there wasn't just one entrance. He turned his head, only to see the dazed Jasmine behind him holding a pen obtained from god-knows-where, about to carve something on her arm.
He gritted his teeth, forced to divert his attention to knock away the pen Jasmine was gripping. Then, looking at the still-dazed Jasmine, he shouted loudly,
"Calm down a bit, Jasmine, doing this is completely useless!"
But every time she did this, she wouldn't feel uncomfortable anymore...
Wait, is that herself...
Was she Jasmine, or that little girl...
She...
"T-Teacher Fisher, I..."
Fisher's call snapped Jasmine back to her senses at once. It was as if only at this moment did her perspective painfully separate from the figure of that scolded little girl.
"We're about to enter this building, Jasmine, hold on tight!"
"Mm, Teacher Fisher!"
Jasmine hurriedly patted her own face, tightly grabbing the lapels of Fisher's clothing. As for Fisher, he currently only possessed the physique of an ordinary person; he panted relentlessly during this mad sprint.
And behind them, those countless black monsters densely chasing along the walls, streetlights, and roads were about to catch up to Fisher and Jasmine. Many of the closer ones even extended ferocious claws toward the hem of Jasmine's skirt.
But right at the final moment, as Fisher gritted his teeth and dashed into the first floor of the tower apartment, the door of that tower acted as if it was a barrier to an uncrossable chasm, instantly turning the pursuing monsters into fine powder.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Why... didn't you go home..."
The mournful roaring sounds behind them came to an abrupt end. Fisher's legs gave out, almost collapsing onto the floor, but he still reached out and death-gripped the nearby wall to keep from falling.
He gasped for air a few times, turned around to look, and saw that all the supernatural phenomena outside had vanished, as if those terrifying monsters had never existed at all, leaving only that scarlet setting sun hanging upside down in mid-air, coldly gazing down at all of Tokyo.
Fisher let out a long breath, letting the soft Jasmine off his back and sitting on the floor.
He stroked her pale and icy small face, asking softly,
"Are you alright, Jasmine?"
"I-I'm fine, Teacher Fisher... W-w-what exactly happened just now? Why did I... suddenly feel so uncomfortable, feeling such pain... Why is it fine again after arriving here..."
"..."
Hearing this, Fisher furrowed his brows. He glanced at the dimly lit lobby of the tower apartment beside them. This lobby was resplendent in gold and jade, appearing extremely high-end, yet beneath its surface of gold-plated layers of scales, it faintly revealed uncleaned grime from a very long period of neglect.
And from the reflected brilliance of the gold-and-jade atmosphere, the Jasmine on Fisher's back seemingly overlapped with another black-haired female figure... much like they were the same person yet not quite...
In that mirror-smooth wall, the figure of that black-haired woman gently raised her hand, pointing in the direction of the elevator. Jasmine also seemingly sensed it through some unseen connection, pointed over there, and told Fisher,
"Teacher Fisher... it seems to be in that direction... the direction of home..."
"Alright."
Listening to Jasmine's somewhat dazed voice behind him, Fisher seemingly realized...
He was getting closer and closer to the truth of the dream.
"Waaah, Teacher Helaire, look quickly, the sky above is so red!"
"...If you're afraid, hold my hand."
At the same time, outside the tower apartment, Helaire smilingly patted Renee's head. She then extended the other hand not holding the paper bag, telling Renee just like this.
"Then where should we go now?"
"Mm... rather than where we should go, I think you should change your attitude first, silly child."
Helaire didn't take a single step. Instead, stroking her chin, she sized up the Renee before her. She then reached out, critiquing Renee's current state,
"Straighten your back, lift your chest, raise your head... that's right. We're here to confront them, why do you like keeping your head down so much?"
"Eh, wait a minute, I just want to express my feelings... Besides, Teacher Fisher and Classmate Jasmine are already together, how can it be called confronting them?"
"Being together first means it can't be called confronting?"
"?"
Helaire reached out and pinched Renee's face, not knowing why she had become so honest in the dream, so she asked,
"Say it, what are we here in Tokyo for?"
"To... confront them?"
"Too soft... I can't hear you."
"Confront them!"
"Once more, I can't hear you."
"Confront them!!"
Looking at the extremely hyped Renee before her, Helaire chuckled while covering her mouth. She then gently reached out and held her hand. Only then, fully satisfied, did she walk toward the tall tower apartment. As she walked, she didn't forget to encourage Renee,
"That's right, you must muster your courage, understand, Classmate Renee? Alright, let's go up too. The place we need to go is in that tower over there."
"Mm-hmm!"