Chapter 49

Extra Case File 49 Confusion in Heart

Where will you take me

Seeing Sayaka trembling and almost losing her composure, Ash shook his head. Her performance was just as he imagined; her thoughts wavered at his words, and someone like this, no matter what they said, could never do good.

“You are a smart person, right?” Although he spoke those words, there was not even a hint of praise in his voice.

In fact, precisely because she was smart, she often overthought simple things, resulting in her own problems. Instead of solving them, she complicated matters for herself, a common trait among such people.

Rather than dealing with a smart person like this, Ash preferred an ordinary but热血 and straightforward protagonist who was not constrained by difficulties. When they couldn’t think clearly, they would act immediately, which was the key to breaking through their predicament.

Thinking of this, Ash turned his head to look at the Wild Flower beside him. He believed that if he said such things to her, she wouldn’t easily be confused. Her mind probably didn’t have a program for confusion anyway.

“?”

Confused, the Wild Flower tilted her head. She instinctively felt that she had been criticized by someone somewhere.

“That’s why I say you can’t do it.”

“People who think they can’t do something constantly emphasize the same thing, as if saying it more times would make it possible.”

“But that’s not how things work. If you truly believe you can’t do something, then even if you do achieve it, becoming the star in the stars, you would still inevitably be weaker.”

“After all, the path you follow is your own choice.”

The blue-haired woman let her hand hang down lifelessly, completely hiding her expression under the shadow cast by her head drooping. Saya remained silent.

Ignoring the awkward glances around, Ash lay on the couch, carefree. He gulped down the remaining ice tea, pretending not to notice anything.

As for the Wild Flower? Unable to find a way to interject throughout the entire conversation, she only expressed her displeasure with a pout. Unlike Cure Yell, who could transform, Wild Flower was just an ordinary girl.

But why is she so hostile to my friends?!

“Gomen nasai (I’m sorry)—it’s rude of me to interrupt,” Saya quickly bowed to the two after picking up her handbag. Shaking, she fled from the oppressive environment.

“Hold on—Sayaka!”

Instinctively wanting to stop her friend, the Wild Flower reached out, but caught nothing as Sayaka left.

“Ash-sensei…”

“Oh, she left on her own. I didn’t chase her away,” Ash placed his glass on the table, feeling slightly guilty when noticing “Wild Flower” written on it. Pushing the glass back, he pretended not to notice. “I merely woke her up a bit. She couldn’t handle it herself, so don’t blame me.”

Ash’s indifference drove the usually smiling Wild Flower to a deadpan expression.

“Why must Ash-sensei’s views always be so extreme…”

“At times, being gentle is useless, understand?” The man tapped Wisdom’s pointer finger on her curly forehead. “And didn’t you see, my method worked well last time, no?”

But isn’t what Yu experienced too dangerous?

“However… I also think damaging others is wrong… There must be a way for everyone to embrace the future!”

“Is that so? Well then, drown in your future!” Without any hesitation, Ash flicked her forehead. Watching her clutch her head and collapse onto the sofa in pain, Ash laughed and walked away.

“What’s this?”

“Oh—wait, that’s a childhood photo!”

Ash held a photograph where Flower, wearing middle school uniform, crouched, with curled pink hair partly covering her tear-stricken face.

This photo, one she kept hidden from others, was discovered by Ash.

Seeing Ash’s questioning look, after hesitating, Flower admitted she stood up for bullied classmates in middle school, leading to isolation and bullying, yet she fought alone with the power of Precure, perhaps seeking to forget loneliness.

At least protecting everyone would mean not being alone.

But now, Flower wondered why she could easily talk about these past experiences with Ash.

“Oh, so it was school bullying,” he gently touched tears frozen on the photograph. “Just like me before.”

“Eh? You were bullied too?”

“I wasn’t good at talking before, being an antisocial genius, right? Some bullies decided to provoke me, thinking I might be easy to bully.”

Ash spoke calmly, but Flower nearly stopped listening due to the severity, yet Ash chuckled.

“Then I forced them into the toilet until they begged. Flower, you should’ve seen their scared faces! Too fun.”

Flower shivered, knowing severe consequences, although Ash’s method horrified her.

“If everyone becomes afraid, it will only isolate you, Ash-sensei.”

Then, wasn’t our pasts similar, me and you, Mr. Ash?

Isn’t that too sad?

“I’m not alone,” Ash looked at the tear-streaked Flower in the photograph. “Because a ‘companion’ like me is right in front of me.”

“So, how could I ever feel alone?”

Ash’s wicked smile perfectly froze in Wild Flower’s heart.