episode_0089

When No. 25 woke up, the first thing that caught his eye was Low’s naked body.

She opened the closet and slowly put on a body-hugging dress similar to the one she always wore, then quietly turned around without making a sound and looked at No. 25.

A brighter smile than usual was on the corner of Law’s mouth.

“You’re awake.”

It felt like his heart would change in a good direction if he looked straight at that smile, so he forced himself to rub his eyes, which were not even covered in mucus, and answered briefly.

“… Yes.”

Number 25, who had finished answering as if he had not yet completely lost his sleepiness, immediately covered his mouth and yawned.

In the blink of an eye, she was fully dressed and glided to the front of number 25. The scent of the female in heat that had surrounded her body last night was everywhere, and the sweet scent she always felt lingered at the tip of her nose.

“I have some business to do in District 1, so I’m going there. Do you want to go with me? It’s boring if you stay inside.”

I wanted to go out, but I wasn’t so stupid that I didn’t know my condition. I didn’t even have the energy to lift a finger right now. The limit was just to raise my upper body and roll my eyes.

Number 25 shook his head vigorously from side to side and answered in a regretful voice.

“No, please go back.”

What was disappointing was not only issue 25. Law’s eyebrows slightly bent down and he stared at No. 25’s face for a moment, as if he was disappointed.

She reached out her hand and affectionately stroked No. 25’s messy hair and smiled again as if she had never done that before.

“Okay, I’ll at least bring a cake when I come, so just wait patiently.”

After Law left, No. 25 enjoyed the remaining warmth in her bed for a while.

Maybe it’s because I woke up after a good night’s sleep, but my stamina has definitely returned compared to yesterday.

I stretched out, got out of bed, and stepped on the floor, but contrary to my expectations, my legs started shaking.

Number 25, who somehow managed to stand upright and looked around, stuck out his tongue when he saw the traces left in the room.

In Rowe’s room, which was always kept neat and tidy to prevent the white wallpaper from becoming dirty, traces of the violent events of last night clearly remained, as if to indicate that it was not a dream.

The semen that Rowe could not swallow was sticking to the wallpaper, bed, and desk everywhere, like marks.

The room, where only the smell of medicine existed, had long since been filled with a headache-inducing, lewd odor created by men and women mixing bodies.

Normally, he wouldn’t have the heart to do it, but No. 25 decided to clean her room himself because he was indebted to her.

The first thing I did was open the window for ventilation, and as if I had been waiting for it, a cool, refreshing breeze came inside.

Number 25 took a deep breath, letting the fresh air into his lungs, and looked around the room once again.

When it comes to cleaning, I’ve seen District 7’s maids do it a lot. I thought I could definitely do well, so I headed to the storage room on the first floor to get a mop.

I wiped away all the visible semen with the rag I brought, and as a bonus, I meticulously wiped the dusty window frames.

I was able to clean the floor where saliva, vaginal fluid, semen, etc. had fallen, by wiping it with a mop, which was easier than I thought.

When I saw black dust on the mop and all the semen had disappeared, I felt proud.

But mistakes come from pride.

thud!

While No. 25 was wiping Rowe’s desk, she swung her arm wider than expected, causing all the medicine and all kinds of glass bottles on her desk to fall to the floor.

‘Wow, we’re in big trouble.’

It was unclear whether it was an item that Rowe cherished, but judging from the way she focused when studying it, it was probably an important item.

No. 25 thoroughly wiped up the spilled chemicals on the floor with a mop and quickly swept up the broken glass with his hands.

I didn’t even care that my hands got hurt in the process.

The blood that spilled on the floor could only be wiped away with a rag, and the broken bottle was not returned.

With a tearful expression on his face, he cleaned up the scattered glass pieces on the floor and picked up the pieces that went under the desk one by one.

Placing his head under the dark desk, No. 25 was lost in thought.

‘What should I do… .’

I couldn’t think of an excuse.

It was something I wanted to do well, but I felt like a fool for making mistakes.

Tung.

A smaller sound than before rang out.

It was the sound of Number 25, who was so distracted that he got up from under the desk and hit his head on the desk.

At that time, the flat bottom of the desk, where there should be nothing, opened slightly, and something fell onto No. 25’s hand.

A black book with no cover or decoration.

His instincts told him.

Read this book.

Number 25 hurriedly finished cleaning as if possessed by something, picked up a book, and sat down on Law’s messy desk.

Is this a book containing some kind of forbidden magic?

Otherwise, there was no way it could have been hidden in such a cumbersome way.

With a slightly trembling heart, I turned the first page of the black book.

Contrary to expectations, the book was filled with only common content.

What did I eat today, did research on magic, dealt with a monster, small stories like that.

Looking at the contents, it seemed to be Rowe’s diary.

There was nothing more fun than reading someone else’s diary.

This is especially true if it is a diary written entirely about the inner thoughts of Rowe, who rarely talks about himself.

However, even after reading it, I couldn’t see any special details about Rowe’s intentions.

You created a new dish and your friends responded well to it, or you developed a new magic that could help people’s lives.

When I imagined her recording each and every trivial story, it felt different and cute from my usual image.

Finally, I decided to read just one more page and then go back to cleaning.

Number 25 smiled and turned to the next page, and the content written there was much shorter than the other diaries.

XX / XX / XXXX

“Everyone left. 」

The corners of the page were slightly wrinkled, as if something had wet them.

No. 25 pondered that one word in his eyes.

Has someone precious died?

Her emotions were vividly felt in the short text, which touched the reader’s heart.

I forgot to stop reading No. 25 and turned to the next chapter. It really seemed like he was possessed by something.

Looking at the date, I saw that it was written several years after that short diary.

XX / XX / XXXX

“Today that child… So, I found ‘Ryu’. Oh my, I thought all traces of you had disappeared from the world after that war. 」

evidence? That kid? Ryu?

Number 25 began turning the pages, as if chased by the anxiety that emerged from a corner of his mind.

After Rowe’s diary of discovering the child was written, he began writing down trivial details about his daily life and research results. However, what No. 25 considered important was not such useless content.

Excluding the parts about Rowe’s daily life, I frantically searched for and started reading only the parts written about the child.

I was able to quickly discover the story about the child.

XX / XX / XXXX

“If there were no you in this world, wouldn’t I naturally have to protect that child? yes? You also said that if something happens to you, you’ll ask me for Ryu’s help. 」

XX / XX / XXXX

“That’s it. We finally got the child back. I feel sorry for the kid from District 7, but I ended up using a bit of force. I can’t help it. Your mark, your child. I can’t let it fall into anyone else’s hands but mine. I won’t miss it again. 」

Number 25 pointed out the date with trembling fingers.

It was exactly the day I came to District 2, led by Law.

‘what’s this.’

Number 25 continued reading with a puzzled expression.

The more he read it repeatedly, the more his expression slowly became crumpled.

The brain cannot accept it.

Before I knew it, the feeling of nausea was up to my throat, but I managed to endure No. 25 and turned the pages again.

XX / XX / XXXX

“I feel like Ryu is avoiding me. Well, you probably can’t become friends from the beginning. I know you, but you’ve never seen me. But time will return our relationship to the way it was. 」

Turn the pages.

XX / XX / XXXX

“I seem to have had some emotional problems recently. Whenever I stand in front of Ryu, my face turns red and I automatically smile. It’s like when I see you… . 」

I turn the pages again.

XX / XX / XXXX

“Yes, I think it’s time to admit it. At first, it was empathy and compassion for those who lost loved ones. But the more I looked at him becoming more and more like you, the more I realized that the emotion I painstakingly called pity was love. 」

He roughly grabs the corner of the book and turns it as if he is going to tear it.

XX / XX / XXXX

“At first, I just felt like I had returned to my childhood, and I felt like I had become your parent, so it was nice just to see you. But as time goes by, the warmth that only that child gives me, they all make me happier… . 」

No. 25’s hands turn the pages faster and faster.

My eyes tremble violently, and my breathing becomes short.

XX / XX / XXXX

” sorry. If I like your child better than you, who are no longer in this world, who have never looked at me in my life… I am a bad woman that cannot be put into words. But I can promise you this one thing. This feeling is not a replacement for the feeling I felt when I saw you. I am happier now than the feeling I felt back then while laughing with you. So much so that I can’t even contain all of these emotions. When I stand in front of Ryu, I feel like I’ve gone back to the time when I was a girl… . 」

XX / XX / XXXX

“Today, I plan to slowly build a relationship with that child for research purposes. You can call me a dirty, cowardly bitch. 」

After that, it was written about No. 25 and the actions taken in the name of research.

“After all, it wasn’t for research purposes… .”

There was emptiness in No. 25’s voice as he mumbled that.

Finally, today’s date, issue 25, I turned the pages with a feeling of disappointment.

XX / XX / XXXX

「 … … . 」

●

Law returned to the tower before nightfall.

He looked tired and sleepy, as if he hadn’t gone there for a very good reason.

However, as I ate the cake in my hand and thought about the conversation I would have with No. 25, a smile immediately appeared on my face.

What greeted her as she stood in front of the door and slowly turned the doorknob was a huge feeling of hatred and betrayal condensed into No. 25’s small body.

As soon as No. 25 saw Law’s appearance, he roughly threw the diary at her chest.

Law’s eyes widened as he saw the diary hitting his chest and falling helplessly to the floor.

The way he chewed his lips showed his nervousness.

“How do I do this…? .”

No, that’s not important now. Law looked straight at No. 25 and asked in an anxious tone.

“Have you seen everything inside? ? I guess everything… ?”

No. 25’s chest rises and falls quickly. Grinning, wheezing – Every time he exhaled harshly with sadness, his chest swelled, and soon tears like chicken shit flowed from No. 25’s eyes and rolled on the floor.

Confident and angry, Rowe knew he had seen the diary.

“What on earth is this diary… !”

I cried so much that the cracked voice coming out of my swollen throat seemed like noise.

Law lowered his head and said nothing. She carefully put the cake down on the desk and then let out a long sigh.

That action gave No. 25 even greater confidence.

I thought we had become close friends.

I thought he was a kinder person than I thought and that he wasn’t such a bad person.

I had just promised myself not to hate her at least until I left District 2 and went to District 7.

Are all those emotions like a sand castle that seems ready to collapse at any moment?

A huge sense of betrayal that swallows up all positive feelings, like a sand castle being washed away by waves.

“Why, why… .”

No. 25’s expression becomes distorted as he cries.

The words didn’t come out properly.

What came out before the sound was a cry full of grief.

Number 25 swallowed his tears with difficulty and screamed at Law, who was standing in front of him.

“Why haven’t I told you about my parents until now!”

After finishing speaking, No. 25 started running on unsteady legs and went out, roughly pushing Law’s shoulder as he was blocking his path.

Low belatedly stretched out his hand in the direction where No. 25 had disappeared, but his vaguely outstretched hand ended up lost in the air.

Does she, who concealed the truth, deserve to catch him?

In the room where the twisted maternal love swept away, only the sweet scent of cake and bitter regret remained.