My love is abyss mode

Chapter 146 Prayer, Sacrifice, and the Golden Bell (4.8k)

Why is this happening?

Shinonome stared blankly at the oven, racking her brains as she began to doubt the meaning of her own existence.

From the moment she was born, she seemed to be a mistake.

To date, in the past 18 years of her life, she has only met her biological father twice, and during her time living in the Matsusaka family, only Matsusaka Kanon cared about her.

Should I really not have been born into this world?
Since that's the case, let's all do it together.
Shinkai Shionai's blank and dim gaze slowly moved to Kuronuma Kiba's profile, and their eyes met as he stole a glance. Instantly, her mind cleared.

No, that's not true. Teeth might hate me, but they would never hurt me!
This is just a test!

As long as you are sincere enough, you will definitely gain his approval.

As if waking from a cold dream, her turquoise eyes gradually cleared. Shinkai Shiona took the bag that Kuronuma Kiba had bought for her while shopping and hugged it to her chest, as if this could stop her stomach from protesting.

Seeing her expression that said, "I'll be a good girl," Kuronuma Kiba sighed helplessly. He wasn't heartless after all and couldn't bear to look at Shinkai Shiona's pitiful state.

But simply feeding her like that won't achieve the desired effect.

After a moment's thought, Kuronuma Kiba put down his chopsticks, turned to face Shinkai Shiona, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and said in a cold voice, "Kanon has done a lot for you, you should know that."

If hunger can't remind her of who took care of her patiently all along, then Shinkai Shionai doesn't deserve any sympathy or pity.

Hearing him say that, Shinkai Shiona silently lowered her head, her eyes darting nervously left and right.

"Chitose-senpai and Momo are right, you're only thinking about yourself. Kanon broke up her family for you, how did you treat her?"

Kuronuma recalled Matsuzaka Kanon's injured expression last night, and a look of weariness inevitably appeared in his eyes. His voice suddenly became stern: "I don't care what happened between you two. Apologize to her properly, understand?"

After thinking for a moment, Shionai shook her head in refusal, then looked up and met his gaze with a determined expression.

Kuronuma Kiba's incorrigible nature made him want to punch someone.

She looked up at Shirakawa Momo, then pointed to her mouth, as if she had something to say, her bright blue eyes filled with pleading.

"I'll excuse myself first." Shirakawa Momo stood up decisively and left the private room, leaving the two of them space to talk.

After the door to the private room closed, Kuronuma Kiba picked up a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Shinkai Shiona, saying with a grim expression, "Speak."

Shinonome Shionai made a "zipping up" gesture with her finger in front of her lips, refusing the chopsticks he offered. In a sweet voice, she said in a serious tone, "If apologizing to my sister is Kiba's order, I will complete the task, but I don't think I did anything wrong."

When she said this, there was no light, airy tone at the end; her expression was as serious as a maid in an 18+ comic who resolutely resists to the end.

blah-

The sturdy wooden chopsticks snapped in Kuronuma's hand, and the air suddenly became still, the oppressive low pressure making it hard to breathe.

Shinkai Shionai's gaze was intense, and the more resolute her expression, ignoring the atmosphere, the more infuriating it became.

Seeing Kuronuma Kiba's face growing increasingly grim, Shinkai Shiona shrank back in fear, mustered her courage, and confessed her feelings to him: "Um, I know Matsuzaka-senpai is very kind to me, but I can't help it."

"Does Ya know Jin Zhong'er?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"You'd better give me a reason not to teach you a lesson." Kuronuma Kiba suppressed the anger rising in his heart, but his voice still revealed a hint of rage.

"The bell-shaped insect is a very fragile insect and can only be kept in a narrow and dark pot. They are born, chirp, and die in the pot. If they are kept in a cage, they will die in vain."

Shinkai Shiona swallowed hard, recalling her experience of being rejected when she tried to offer herself at the hot spring. Her eyes became hesitant. After a moment of silence, she decided to muster her courage and try again: "That's just the kind of person I am. I can only live under the protection of Ya. I can't care about the outside world at all, otherwise I would die very quickly."

Kuronuma recalled Matsusaka Kanon telling him that Shinkai Shiona was actually very fragile and could easily fall into extreme emotional states.

This vulnerability meant she was destined to be unable to face the complexities of the world alone.

"So?" Kuronuma's voice softened a bit.

Seeing that he had put away his cold expression, Shinkai Shiona raised her hand to scratch the back of her head and said with an embarrassed smile, "I don't want to die easily, so no matter how Kiba treats me, no matter what I lose, or how many mistakes I make, I must stick to Kiba's side."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because there is certainly no one in the world more powerful than teeth."

"This is not a reason for you to hurt Kanon."

Kuronuma Fang threw away the broken chopsticks in his hand, picked up a water glass, and swallowed a mouthful of ice water to soothe the burning sensation in his throat: "Besides, I might not be the same as you imagine."

"It's not important."

Shinkai Shiona looked down at her legs, white stockings encasing her rounded, elastic thighs, the matte material reflecting a silky sheen: "I just want to stay by Kiba's side. I don't care how Kiba treats me, whether he's cruel or humiliating."

"Do you really have masochistic tendencies?" Kuronuma asked, frowning.

"Maybe, I'm not really sure, anyway, I don't mind if Ya does anything to me."

Shinonome Shionai looked up at his cold expression, a sweet smile curving her lips, her emerald eyes sparkling with clear folly: "If you are a god, I will pray; if you are a beast, I will sacrifice myself."

Her humble yet heavy feelings were clearly conveyed. Seeing Kuronuma Kiba's eyes waver, Shinkai Shiona took his hands in her own, placed them to her lips, closed her eyes, and prayed with a devout expression: "Actually, I don't want to be a fragile bell-shaped child either, so please adopt me."

"With Ya by my side, I can live happily."

"My sister disagreed, that's why I said those things to her. If I didn't have teeth, I really couldn't do it."

“I’m sorry, this may seem cunning, but I can’t think of any other way but to beg.”

"I'm so stupid, my teeth must really hate me, but..."

As the almost whispering sound reached his ears, Kuronuma felt a strange heaviness in his heart, as if something unbearable to life had fallen from the sky and crashed onto his shoulder.

Shinkai Shiona's attitude was unexpected. When Matsuzaka Kanon told him about the "son of injustice," she must have been hiding something important.

Otherwise, how could Shinkai Shionai be so humble?

Should I shoulder the burden of her world?
After all, Shinkai Shionai said that "she can live happily," so those sad and complicated things should naturally be borne by him, the one who provided shelter.

Kuronuma Kiba took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and decided to deal with Matsuzaka Kanon's problem first. If she and Hatsushino Ryo disagreed, she could only secretly take care of Shinkai Shiona to prevent her from breaking down too easily.

"I'll think about it and get back to you as soon as possible."

He pulled his hand away from Shionami's, stood up and walked towards the door, waving to Shionami who was looking at him with surprise: "Let's eat first."

"Yay!" Shinkai Shiona cheered, raising her hands high. She moved to the spot where Kuronuma Kiba had just sat and picked up the chopsticks he had used.

She has such a simple and innocent personality; even the smallest thing can make her happy for a long time.

Reaching the door, Kuronuma Kiba pulled back the curtain and turned to Shinkai Shiona, instructing her in a stern voice: "No matter what your thoughts are or how you do them, you must apologize to Kanon and obtain her forgiveness after you go to the academy tomorrow."

"I'll go right now!" Upon receiving the order, Shinkai Shiona immediately took out her phone and called Matsuzaka Kanon.

Seeing her stuffing beef into her mouth with chopsticks while talking incoherently on the phone, Kuronuma sighed and walked out of the private room, quietly closing the door behind him.

In the end, they did it anyway. Giving her this kind of order is no different from agreeing to take care of her.
However, Matsuzaka Kanon's mood will improve.

What exactly is she hiding from me?
Just as he was thinking, a soft cough came from beside him. Kuronuma Kiba turned his head and saw Shirakawa Momo leaning against the wall, having probably heard every word of the conversation.

"Tao, do you think I can shoulder the burden of her world?" he asked softly.

“Once a person has an idea, they will definitely do it. Asking this question is superfluous.”

Shirakawa Momo walked up to Kuronuma Kiba, placed her hands on his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and looked up at him with extreme displeasure: "Want to know how I feel right now?"

Seeing the complex emotions of regret and anger flashing in her golden eyes, Kuronuma grimaced and asked with a wicked smile, "Tell me about it?" Shirakawa Momo didn't answer. She slowly moved her head closer and suddenly bit his neck. Her white teeth applied a little force, but then loosened their grip as if afraid of hurting him too much.

After leaving neat teeth marks, she pushed Kuronuma-gai away, kicked him hard, and turned her face away, saying, "I regret it."

"What do you regret?"

"If I had been more frank back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

"good."

Kuronuma Kiba reached out and ruffled Shirakawa Momo's hair, then pulled her into his arms with his other hand, gently comforting her, "But you'll still help me, won't you?"

"At least, I'm luckier than her."

Shirakawa Momo hugged him tightly, resting her head against Kuronuma Kiba's chest, and whispered, "Only Chitose, I absolutely disagree. Also, if the band disbands, I will definitely not forgive you."

After saying that, she looked up with a fierce expression, her golden eyes glaring at her menacingly.

"Don't talk as if I've already done something to Shionai. Maybe there will be other opportunities."

Kuronuma Kiba lowered his head and gently kissed Shirakawa Momo's cheek. He took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to her: "Ten million yen will be deposited into your account on time every month. Don't be too stingy with Shiona. I'm going back to the academy now."

"I understand." Shirakawa Momo took the bank card, pushed him away forcefully, and walked into the private room with a cold face.

click-

The door closed, and Kuronuma Kiba stepped out of the barbecue restaurant. Kobayakawa Reiko's black car was parked on the side of the road. He opened the car door, got into the back seat, and took out his phone to call Inada Masashi.

"Sister Ya, it's me, Black Swamp Fang."

"Ya-kun, what's up?" Inada Masashi's mature and languid voice came from the phone.

Shinkai Shiona's problem must lie in her family environment. Since the Matsusaka family has already broken up, then there's only one option left—

Kuronuma didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point: "Sister Ya, you're no longer the supervisor, can you tell me about Shionai's father?"

"I've already told you everything I know, and I signed a confidentiality agreement before leaving the company, which means I can't disclose any information about the college."

"As for the name, that shouldn't be a secret, right?"

Seeing that he insisted on asking, Inada Masayuki remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering a name: "Shinmai Hideo".

"Thank you, Sister Ya. I'll treat you to a meal next time."

"Who wants to have dinner with a philandering scumbag? It's too dangerous. I'm hanging up."

After hanging up the phone, Kuronuma Kiba put away his phone and said to Kobayakawa Reiko, "Go to the private Seiran Academy."

The vehicle started, slowly turned onto the main road, and headed towards Bunkyo Ward.

Kuronuma Kiba rested his arm on the handrail, one hand on his forehead, and gazed at the bustling street outside the car window, lost in deep thought.

Although the reason why Matsuzaka Kanon chose to keep it a secret is unknown, since she did so, asking her directly would definitely not get an answer. Since it concerns Shinkai Shiona, she has always been very cautious.

Since that's the case, I'll have to find out for myself. But Shinkai Hideo is a banker, someone with a very high social status.

Without knowing the full picture, Kuronuma Kiba couldn't possibly agree to Shinkai Shionai's request so hastily. Not even knowing what he was carrying would be extremely irresponsible to both her and himself.

no solution anymore.

Kuronuma looked up at Kobayakawa Reiko, who was driving, and made up his mind: "Reiko, investigate Shinkai Hideo, the banker. Don't worry about your aunt and Ryo."

From the very beginning, he had no intention of hiding anything from Hatsushino Ryo, and he had personally promised not to betray her.

"I understand." Kobayakawa Reiko nodded in agreement, picked up her phone from the shelf, and immediately began making arrangements.

Under the deep, clear autumn sky, a black sedan drove along Tokyo's intricate road network, its tires crunching through sunlight and fallen leaves, finally coming to a slow stop in front of the teaching building of the private Seiran Academy.

When he got off the bus, Kuronuma glanced at the time on his phone screen. There was still half a class left before school ended, so he didn't bother to change his shoes and went straight up the stairs to the classroom of Class 1, Grade 2.

Looking through the back door of the classroom, there were two desks connected together in the back row by the window. They were the only deskmates in the class, but now they were empty, obviously belonging to Hatsushino Ryo and Toyama Chitose who were on leave.

Matsuzaka Kanon's seat was at the very front of the classroom, also near the window. The bright afternoon sunlight flowed along her straight, long black hair, giving her pale skin a warm hue, and her silhouette was quiet and pleasing.

Kuronuma Kiba silently watched her retreating figure, waiting for the bell to ring.

A few minutes later, Matsuzaka Kanon suddenly raised her hand, said something to the teacher on the podium, and then got up and walked towards the back door of the classroom, her beautiful gray eyes meeting Kuronuma's gaze.

click-

The back door of the classroom opened, and Matsuzaka Kanon walked up to her. She turned around and quietly closed the door behind her, smiling as she cast an ambiguous glance at her. In a gentle tone, she said, "Kiba, I told you, I do have possessiveness too, don't I?"

Despite the gentle smile and the lack of accusation in her voice, it gave off a chilling feeling.

"Should I understand?" Kuronuma asked nervously, swallowing hard.

"No one in this world knows Shionai better than me. She doesn't think she's wrong at all. You're the one who ordered her to apologize to me."

Matsuzaka Kanon's beautiful gray eyes darkened slightly as she gently touched the bite mark on his neck. Her figure in the shadows gave off an unsettling sense of danger: "I didn't mean to hide it from you, but Kiba doesn't need to know these things. This is also for the good of all three of us."

"What if I insist on doing it?" Kuronuma asked calmly, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Really, I knew it would be like this."

Matsuzaka Kanon gave a wry smile, took his hand and led him to the stairs, her long black hair swaying gently: "Okay, don't be nervous. If it's Shiona-chan, I don't really mind, but this issue is too complicated, and I didn't want to rush things."

"I thought you couldn't do it."

"Yes, but it's not worth wasting my energy on. I also want to balance my life, relationship, and Shionai-chan."

"Let's go find Senior Wildfire first. I want to find out why Shionai is so sure I can save her. She should know."

As they reached the corner of the stairs, Kiba Kuronuma led Kanon Matsuzaka up the stairs to the third-year floor, turning to gaze at her clean and beautiful face: "Even if Shiona isn't sincere, you'll feel a little better, right?"

"I'm in a really good mood, but not because of Shionai-chan, but because Kiba was willing to cancel her date with Ryo for me. And—"

"what?"

"I'm so glad I didn't hesitate in Izu. I'm really looking forward to our date today."

Matsuzaka Kanon covered her mouth and chuckled, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye captivatingly beautiful, her voice carrying a hint of mischievous playfulness: "Shirakawa must be regretting it, right? Looks like you'll have fewer headaches from now on."

The atmosphere lightened, and Kuronuma gripped her soft hand, asking with some curiosity, "You really can't hide anything from me. By the way, how did you know I was here?"

"With that eager gaze, it's hard not to guess who it is."

"There is still such a thing."

"Girls are very sensitive."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the front door of Class 3, Grade 3 classroom. Matsuzaka Kanon released Kuronuma Kiba's hand, stepped forward, knocked lightly on the door, paused for a few seconds, and then pushed it open.

She nodded slightly to the teacher on the podium and looked towards the back of the classroom: "Senior Wildfire, can we chat for a little while?"

Wildfire Lili got up from her seat with her head down, walked through the aisle between the desks, and came out through the front door, looking socially awkward and aloof.

(End of this chapter)