Chapter 809: An Expected Encounter
Chapter 809: An Expected Encounter
At dawn, Kanroji Mitsuri woke up early.
To be precise, she barely slept a wink all night, but due to her exceptional physical condition, she remained energetic during the day despite the lack of rest.
Mitsuri began preparing for today's arranged meeting early in the morning.
This time, things would be different from the previous encounters.
Kanroji Mitsuri reminded herself.
She started by choosing what she thought was the most beautiful outfit she owned. As her pink-green hair had drawn criticism in the past, she decided to dye it a normal black color in town.
Mitsuri then reminded herself to eat with restraint and control her portions during the meal, acting like a proper young lady. She must not display her unusual strength or behave too aggressively, as it might scare her companion.
Besides her own constant self-admonishments, her parents also offered her a list of reminders.
"Cheer up, big sister!" Her younger siblings encouraged her, their tiny fists raised in support.
"This time, nothing will go wrong!" Kanroji Mitsuri encouraged herself, and finally, as the appointed time drew near, she left her home under her parents' instructions and made her way to the agreed-upon meeting place.
The designated location was a large ancient pine tree on the eastern side of the small town.
To avoid making a bad first impression, Mitsuri set off half an hour earlier than necessary, expecting to arrive almost half an hour ahead of the agreed-upon time.
While arriving early might not guarantee a good impression, it would at least demonstrate her politeness.
Even in this not-so-wealthy remote town, manners and etiquette were highly valued.
However.
As Kanroji Mitsuri approached the designated spot, she paused a short distance from the ancient pine tree. She noticed a man with short hair, dressed in a simple kimono, standing with his back to her as if he had been waiting there for a long time.
Could it be him? Could it be?!
He's so early, even earlier than me. And his silhouette is so handsome... But why did he come so early? Oh no, if I'd known, I would have left earlier too...
Despite having experienced several arranged meetings before, Kanroji Mitsuri, who was unskilled in communicating with the opposite sex and prone to overthinking, still found herself in an awkward situation.
After hesitating on the spot for a while, she finally moved forward with a sense of embarrassment.
She walked straight towards the ancient pine tree.
As she was extremely cautious and made no noise, the man standing under the tree remained unaware of her presence, still facing away from her.
Mitsuri stopped about two or three meters away, realizing that approaching too quietly would also be considered impolite. She then stomped hard on the dry branches on the ground, creating a crunching sound.
The man under the tree turned at the sound.
Kanroji Mitsuri also stopped and tried to maintain her composure, preparing to greet her companion first.
"Um, good afternoon..."
However, her greeting stalled after only a few words, as if stuck in her throat.
The man under the pine tree was also slightly surprised but not entirely caught off guard. He smiled gently and said, "It's you."
The man was Feng Ye.
After accidentally encountering Kanroji Mitsuri the day before, he had guessed that she might be the leading lady of today's story.
Feng Ye had considered yesterday whether he should take a look at the future world line, but in the end, he decided against interrupting his role as a bystander just because he had met someone.
He wasn't sure if it was due to her good luck or something else.
Seeing Kanroji Mitsuri standing there, frozen in place, Feng Ye let out a soft laugh before speaking in a casual tone, "We haven't even introduced ourselves yet. My name is Miyakagami Yo, and yours?"
Kanroji Mitsuri was so nervous that she dared not meet Feng Ye's gaze. She lowered her head, stumbling over her words, "I'm... Kanroji Mitsuri... Nice to meet you... No, that is..."
"It's not our first meeting, so why are you still so nervous? I wouldn't hold a grudge over you bumping into me all this time."
Feng Ye smiled as he teased her gently, his mind already weighing the choices ahead.
He could easily maintain the normal world line by bluntly rejecting Kanroji Mitsuri and giving her some harsh feedback, as had happened with others in the past.
However, that choice didn't align with the gentle and humble doctor persona he was portraying this time. Moreover, by doing so, he would be the one actively interfering with this life's trajectory, essentially interrupting himself.
In his countless lifetimes, exceeding ten thousand, he had never interrupted before.
Naturally, he wouldn't do so now without good reason.
"Ah, Mr. Miyakagami, you still remember... I was distracted that day..."
Kanroji Mitsuri felt even more flustered after Feng Ye's playful remark, her face reddening as she lowered her gaze to her feet. Her voice carried a hint of panic.
Feng Ye snapped back to attention, studying her for a moment before deciding to change the subject, "The last time we met, your hair wasn't this color, was it? Why did you dye it black?"
Of course, he knew the answer, but it was a good way to divert her embarrassment and help her relax.
Hearing Feng Ye's question, Kanroji Mitsuri's attention shifted, her flustered emotions easing slightly, though she still felt a bit embarrassed, "Well, that hair color might have looked strange, so I specifically dyed it."
"I think it looked quite nice."
Feng Ye smiled, "But I understand your decision. My hair is naturally white, but I also dyed it black... Being a doctor already makes me seem too young, and having eye-catching white hair on top of that would only make me seem unreliable. So, black it is."
"Oh, so Mr. Miyakagami's hair is naturally white?"
Kanroji Mitsuri finally looked up at Feng Ye, her eyes tracing the strands of his hair, a look of surprise on her face as she imagined what he would look like with white hair.
White hair might make him look even more handsome, she thought. It would give him an air of nobility, but it's true that it doesn't fit the image of a doctor.
It seemed that everyone was forced to change themselves to fit the expectations of society.
Kanroji Mitsuri felt a sense of connection, and the distance between them seemed to shrink. She no longer felt as awkward and flustered as before.
"But Mr. Miyakagami looks great as he is now."
"I only dyed my hair because I don't particularly care about hair color. If you don't like it, there's no need to force yourself. I also liked your previous hair color."
Feng Ye smiled in response, then turned and walked towards a nearby path, "Shall we take a walk?"
"Yes."
Kanroji Mitsuri nodded and quickly caught up, walking side by side with Feng Ye.
(End of Chapter)
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