Absolute Zone Zero: I survive in Liufen Street

Mr. Ropemaker.

Bai Yu thought he would be very flustered when he heard this name from Susan.

But it didn't happen. Instead, Bai Yu felt a sense of security that was natural.

It felt like the "second shoe" had finally dropped, and it was incredibly calm.

Even his first reaction was to calmly reflect on the loopholes in his previous actions instead of facing Susan's questioning.

After all, Susan was right.

Bai Yu originally had a clear understanding of himself. He was just an ordinary young man with a little cleverness living in a peacetime.

Because of his health, Bai Yu's interactions with people and things were largely limited to himself. His family was somewhat tolerant of him, and his doctor's only requirement was to take his medication on time. His other interpersonal relationships were essentially nonexistent.

Without work and without going out, Bai Yu's world is simple and narrow.

Even his understanding of social relationships is not as good as that of a security guard who is used to seeing people coming and going.

He was like a sick bird in a cage. In his dying struggle, he cast his desire towards the sky, but he had never truly touched the blue sky.

But in the past few months, relying on the system with magical abilities, Bai Yu has tasted the freedom and power that he never dared to imagine before.

His plans, his strategies, and what he wanted to do all developed as he expected.

Even if there were unexpected changes, the result would still be good. Everything he desired had the possibility of becoming a reality.

The joy brought by every success nourishes Bai Yu’s thirsty soul and enriches his flesh and blood.

This also allowed "arrogance" to take root deep in Baiyu's heart without him realizing it.

At this moment, Bai Yu even felt his soul leave his body. He was coldly observing the arrogant fool below, mocking his self-righteousness.

"How could an ordinary person who has never been to school think that he could deceive a professional sheriff?"

Even with a system capable of attacking this world's technology with a dimensionality reduction attack, the customized plan is still full of loopholes.

"You've thrown away your only virtue, self-awareness. How ridiculous."

"The sheriff's daughter has always been so considerate of you. How have you ever repaid her?"

"With deception! With lies!!"

"Look, you've been exposed. What should I do? Apologize? Say sorry lightly like usual?"

"That's right, Susan will forgive you. After all, she has always been so partial to you, her 'child'~"

"He relies on his childish appearance to deceive others into pity, and he's ungrateful. How disgusting!"

'How do you deserve Susan's attentions?'

"How can you be worthy of her sincerity!"

"Why don't you just die!!!"

Sharp, piercing curses surged from deep within Bai Yu's heart. He lowered his head, the scene before him replaced by a familiar dark red. The icy cold was like a tide, trying to drown him bit by bit.

"...Bai Yu? What's wrong with you?" Susan, who was originally waiting to hear how Bai Yu could make excuses, found that Bai Yu, who had been silent all the time, began to tremble slightly, and the hand she held in her palm also became cold and wet.

"I..." Bai Yu raised his head when he heard Susan's question, but he couldn't say a word when his mouth opened and closed.

say what?

Apologize?

Since he met Susan, Bai Yu couldn't remember how many times he had said "I'm sorry" to her.

But what else can I say if I don't apologize?

Bai Yu didn't know what to do. No one had ever taught him how to face the questioning of people who cared about him.

The voice in his heart clamoring for him to die was about to pierce his eardrums.

Bai Yu's eyes wandered and he didn't dare look into Susan's eyes, for he was afraid that her eyes showed her disappointment and disgust towards him.

But because of Susan's cherishment, Bai Yu forced himself not to escape.

"Bai Yu!? Bai Yu!! What's wrong with you? Don't scare me, look at me, Bai Yu. Don't be afraid, I won't ask any more questions! Breathe and calm down!" Susan held Bai Yu's face and called Bai Yu's name anxiously.

Although Susan didn't know why Bai Yu became like this, looking at his appearance, she was afraid that he had triggered some stress response.

Susan leaned over with worry and remorse, wanting to pick up the person and take him to the hospital for examination.

"Xiaobai!!!" Fu Fu felt the violent fluctuations in Bai Yu's sea of ​​consciousness and called out to Bai Yu in fear in her mind.

[I can't die. My life now doesn't belong to me.]

As this thought came to mind, the malicious buzzing in Bai Yu's ears suddenly dissipated, and the scene before him returned to normal. Only the boundless coldness still enveloped him.

"Too close." Bai Yu came back to his senses, looked at Susan who opened her arms to hug him, and took a step back.

"I'm fine, sorry to have made you worry." Bai Yu's expression returned to its usual calmness.

But when Susan saw that Bai Yu's eyes, which were originally full of light, had returned to the cold, ruby-like silence they had when they first met, her heart ached.

"Can you tell me the truth? What were you thinking just now? Why did you become like this?" Susan squatted in front of Bai Yu and asked in a gentle voice with a slow tone.

“…I just thought that an apology was too perfunctory.

But it seems like all I can do is keep repeating meaningless words like "I'm sorry." Bai Yu, now calm, was finally able to calmly say what he wanted to say in full.

"I've been lying to you and hiding things from you. It's normal for Susan to be angry and disappointed with me.

Even if Susan doesn’t want to forgive me in the future, I can understand.”

“…” Susan frowned and continued to listen quietly.

"Although these words may sound like an excuse for myself, I still want to tell you, Susan.

I have always been very grateful for meeting Susan.

I cherish my relationship with Susan very much, and I also cherish you as a friend.

But Fu Fu and I's identities and origins are secrets that we cannot tell others.

I don't mean to deceive you, let alone hurt you. This is not what I want.

There will never be a chance for the same thing to happen again.

Thank you very much for Susan's care and concern for us during this period.

If Susan needs my help in the future, please feel free to ask. I will do my best to help you in return.

Even though it's useless, I still want to say sorry to you again.

I'm really, really sorry." Bai Yu wanted to bow and apologize to Susan, but when he moved, he realized that Susan was still holding his hand and hadn't let go.

"I'll repay you later?" Susan tried to persuade herself not to be too harsh and not to irritate Bai Yu again. However, she was still so angry that her forehead throbbed and veins bulged. "You've found a place to go, and you want to break up if you don't need me anymore, right?"

"No! I didn't mean that. I just didn't want Susan to hate me even more, so..." Bai Yu quickly shook his head to deny it.

"You haven't even asked for my opinion, so how can you make the decision for me? Who said I hate you? How can you use such serious words and guess my thoughts?" Susan couldn't help but interrupt Bai Yu loudly and said sternly, "You still don't understand why I'm angry.

You just put such harsh accusations on me. Don't you think it's really unfair to me?

It wasn't you who called me and wanted to make some explanation to save our relationship.

You said it’s best to talk things out face to face so as not to affect the relationship.

Now it's you again, drawing the line between us and pushing me out.

You say thank you, you say you care. Why don’t you ask me what I think?

"...So, Susan doesn't hate me?" Bai Yu asked cautiously.

"So after all I said, you only heard this one sentence, right?" Susan was almost laughing at Bai Yu's anger.

But seeing the faint hope in Bai Yu's eyes, Susan couldn't help but tear up. She softened her tone and said, "No, never. Don't use such harsh words. How could I hate you?"

"...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Thank you, thank you." Bai Yu looked at Susan with red eyes, and felt moist in the corners of his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes, but didn't know what to say. He could only mumble out apologies and thanks in a hoarse voice.

"You idiot! You look very smart, why do you think I hate you?" Susan raised her hand and touched Bai Yu's head, sniffed and held back her tears.

"I have been... lying to Susan. And Susan was so angry, I thought..." Bai Yu choked, and the warm warmth coming from Susan's clenched palms began to dispel the coldness that penetrated deep into his soul.

“I’m not angry because you hid it from me.

But you don't care about your own safety at all. You would rather risk your life, go in and out of the cave to save people and exchange conditions with others, and you never think of relying on me.

Am I so unworthy of your dependence?

How can I make you understand that you are the most important thing?

If something happened to you, what would happen to the people who cared about you? What would happen to Fu Fu?!" Susan looked at Bai Yu sobbing, and tears finally flowed out of her eyes.

She questioned Bai Yu in a trembling voice, just like her mother had questioned her when she joined a gang to earn a living.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Bai Yu burst into tears under the concerned and distressed questioning. The red-eyed appearance of Susan in front of him overlapped with the blurry face of his mother in his memory.

At this moment, Bai Yu seemed to have really become the child he once was, and he could lean on his "mother's" shoulder and cry as much as he wanted.

This is to vent the sadness and grievances that have accumulated over the years and have nowhere to be vented.

Small Theater

Two people in the lounge hugged each other and cried bitterly.

Outside the lounge, a group of strong men who came with Fu Fu, who was worried about Bai Yu, were also crying.

Bai Yu with tears in his eyes: Mom! Wuuwuwu~

Susan, who has been a solo artist since birth: ...What?!