During the week, Haiyuan came to the nursing home almost every day. And very quickly, most of the children in the care center developed a good relationship.

His personality is actually very good, and his image is also quite a popular type. Normally, there wouldn't be anyone who hated him, he just didn't realize it himself.

However, there are people who want to say that there are exceptions. At least one girl, Harukami, was reluctant to talk to him.

It's not actually a bad-tempered girl, on the contrary, she's a rather weak type. It's just that I don't understand why, whenever she sees Haiyuan, she runs away from a distance.

Later, Kaihara learned that she was actually one of the few people in the nursing home who could be called a friend. In her opinion, she probably looks like a bad guy who has stolen his friends.

Kaihara could understand her thoughts, after all, when he first learned of his father's plans, he thought so. Although I had planned to apologize, after all, nothing had happened yet, and there seemed to be no reason. And Haiyuan felt that even if he apologized for this kind of thing, he couldn't expect to be forgiven by her.

Speaking of my father's plans, today is the last day of the agreement.

It is said that when a person is hesitant, time flies the fastest. It's like rushing homework, because people always have a fluke mentality when they hesitate, hoping that the moment of choice can come as slowly as possible. However, there is also a saying that just like an injection, the psychological burden is greatest at the moment before the needle is inserted, so in fact, the passage of time in the mental perception of hesitation slows down as the psychological burden increases.

It is also impossible to tell whether the seven-day wait was short or long, at least for Haewon. Paradoxically, he hopes that this ending will come soon, but also has a sense that this moment will never come.

Presumably, the repeaters who are waiting for the release of the list have a similar mentality.

But one thing is absolutely certain, even Kaihara himself is not too clear about what kind of outcome he hopes for.

Yes, contradictory. As soon as this feeling appears, it becomes the dominant party.

Looking back at the dome not far from him, he couldn't help but have some doubts. Why can she, as the first party, be so indifferent?

It didn't look like a girl facing an important choice for the first time, but like a traveler who had already become accustomed to parting. She should be slightly younger than herself.

"Almost, it's almost time."

Kaihara cautiously probed.

"yes, I know."

The dome replied, but there was no more. Completely watertight look.

"Aren't you bothered at all?"

Kaihara felt a little incredulous. Although he was somewhat accustomed to the girl's light breeze.

"Actually, I guess it's a little bit." Dome closed the book she had been flipping through, "Do you believe in the concept of 'past lives'?" ”

This question directly made Haiyuan stunned. This is the school city.,A place that can't be blamed.。 And the appearance of the dome before is not like the type who is keen on this kind of ethereal thing.

Just listen to her continue:

"If consciousness itself is the product of the accumulation of matter, then thinking should also be some kind of operation. So, if we keep the same information and present it in another way, can we reproduce the same consciousness? Can this also be seen as a form of rebirth? If so, what is the human consciousness and soul? What exactly is true and substantial? ”

Kaiwon found himself completely unable to pick up the conversation. Although it was different from what he thought, Dome was indeed a little strange today.

"I'm here now, but is it really me here? Whatever my future may be, is that really my reality? Hehe, I'm really ......."

Speaking of which, she was indeed quite confused, as she said herself. And as the day of decision comes, this confusion becomes even more apparent. However, her confusion is clearly not on the same level as Haiyuan's confusion at all.

Immersed in his own thoughts, he shook his head before he came back to his senses. I don't know why, when she is by Haiyuan's side, she is always able to talk about some of her troubles more relaxed. Although Haiyuan is basically in a state of complete incomprehension, it doesn't matter. Most of the time, she just wants someone to listen to her.

But this time, Umihara unexpectedly asked a rhetorical question.

"I don't quite understand. Isn't it enough that you're here, all real to us? ”

Umihara probably didn't understand what Ukini meant. But his words made Dome silent for a long time.

"Perhaps...... You're right......"

Finally, the girl replied lightly.

No one could say for sure whether she really thought so, even herself.

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In the car driving to the nursing home, there are also two parties who are also discussing.

"Speaking of which, Haiyuan. I've always wondered why you made such a decision. ”

In the back seat, the Russian man asked.

"Honestly, Oleg Dimitri, it wasn't my own idea." (Note: The name of Dona's teacher was Oleg Dimitryevich Kurkov.) This is a patronymic with a short name to show respect and affection, which is equivalent to an honorific in Japanese. ）

The man who answered was slightly younger than him, and his formal attire even made it difficult to understand whether he was going to attend any formal occasion.

"Wait a minute, you mean you don't actually have that in mind?"

"Calm down, Oleg Dimitri. I know you value this student of yours, but please listen to me first. The man pressed his forehead, "I must honestly admit that it was not me who was responsible for this from beginning to end, but my father. ”

"Director?"

"Unfortunately, I have nothing to say about my father's plans, because I don't know about them."

"So, what did the chairman command? You can always tell me, right? If it doesn't satisfy me, I'm going to intervene. ”

"'Treat her like your own daughter, whatever you think.'" Oleg Dimitri, I wonder if this answer will satisfy you? ”

In the car stereo, the melody of the Castles_In_The_Air stops at this time. For a moment, the faint sound of the engine was the only sound in the carriage.

"Really, what does the chairman think?"

Kurkov sighed as if he had given up.

"If it were possible, I would like to know the answer more than you do, and it is impossible to say that there is no doubt."

"You're so direct......"

"We're all parties, I don't think there's any need to hide it. And if I'm not mistaken, the first person to introduce that kid to you should have been your Tokiwadai headmaster. But don't tell me that you were different from me now. Even though you're just multiple students, I may have to have multiple daughters for some reason. ”

"I've only been a student so far...... I said Haiyuan, and I'll ask you a question. Eliminating these doubts that we can't explain, what do you think now? For that student of mine. ”

"No matter what happens, it's like I'm used to it, I don't have any shortcomings at all, and it's not like a child who can really exist in reality. Even in terms of appearance, the girl didn't seem to be Japanese, and certainly not like you Westerners. It's as if she has reproduced the aesthetics of all the people in the world in the most scientifically calculated way in the most suitable way, and she doesn't even have a flaw of the type of 'Balzac', do you think that is possible in reality? (Note: After Rodin completed Balzac's sculpture, his students praised: "Teacher, these hands are perfect.") After pondering, Rodin resolutely picked up the axe and cut off the sculpture's hands, saying, "These hands are perfect." It has a life of its own and is no longer part of the sculpture as a whole. ”）

"Did you do it on purpose? You should know I'm not asking what you think of her. ”

“…… I can't tell, but the girl feels a lot of mysteries, and she seems to have her own agenda. ”

Press the play button again, and the Castles_In_The_Air melody echoes in the car again. Kurkov looked out of the car and for a while did not say anything.

"Hey, Kaihara. You mentioned the 'hand of Balzac', right? ”

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know much about this, but if you look at most people as a whole, then the children are the hands."

“……”

"That kid was worried, though maybe it was just me. Haiyuan, I personally hope that you can let go of those doubts. And to be honest, I'm not very comfortable with anyone but you. You don't hate her, do you? ”

"Nope. Only after meeting the child will I feel as if I can't hate her at all. ”

"Where's the kid?"

"Not disgusted. Moreover, it seems that the two of them still get along well. ”

"That's nothing to hesitate about, isn't it? Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with her. You can just take it as if it were my request. ”

The man smiled wryly. Whenever he competes with this Russian, he seems to be powerless. This was already the case back in college.

No, maybe this time is different. Because from the beginning, I didn't have any thoughts to refute him. If you say that you have hesitated, it may be true. But the intention of refusing has never been since seeing the girl in person.

(I always felt that the girl was the kind of character that could only appear in mythology.) Such a girl may want to be their own daughter, and some feel that this world is too unreal. ）

"But that's up to her own decision. After all, this kid is so special......"

I couldn't tell if I was answering or just talking to myself, the man whispered.