As they reached the intersection near the residential area, Amamiya Iori suddenly stopped.
"......Huh?"
Her voice held a hint of confusion.
Shimizu Ken followed her gaze, and a sense of inexplicable tension immediately welled up in his heart.
"What's wrong...... Ah!"
The sight before him made him exclaim involuntarily.
They were standing on the sidewalk, with traffic bustling on the surrounding roads. Amidst this busy scene, the figure of a small girl stood out. She was at one end of the crosswalk, waving at the people on the other side, likely greeting a friend.
This should have been a common sight, yet Shimizu Ken couldn't tear his eyes away from her. An ominous premonition arose in his heart, and it soon turned into cruel reality.
"Hey!"
"Watch out!"
Almost simultaneously, both Shimizu Ken and Amamiya Iori shouted.
Even though the pedestrian light was still red, the little girl started to step forward onto the road.
Why do people like this show up everywhere? Ken cursed inwardly.
The moment he saw this, before his brain could even process what to do, his body reacted first. Shimizu Ken abandoned Amamiya Iori and immediately rushed forward.
"Ah, wait, Ken-kun!"
Amamiya Iori's cry echoed behind him, but Shimizu Ken had no time to pay attention.
The surrounding pedestrians gradually realized the impending danger, but it was too late. A large truck was speeding towards the little girl.
A piercing horn blared, and the little girl froze in surprise, unable to avoid the approaching danger.
"Tch! Damn it!"
At this moment, Shimizu Ken desperately tried to save the little girl. He didn't care about his own safety, didn't even have time to consider it, and rushed to her side, embracing her small body.
At that moment, Shimizu Ken only heard the truck's horn and the screech of brakes. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the surrounding commotion and chaos.
"Are you two alright?" the driver called out, hastily getting out of the truck.
Shimizu Ken had expected the driver to be furious, but he seemed to be a very friendly person. He appeared to understand the situation and genuinely cared about their physical well-being, looking relieved.
Although the scene was chaotic for a moment, since everyone was safe, no major accident occurred. The crowd soon dispersed.
"Be more careful next time."
"Mm, yes...... Thank you, big brother!"
The little girl nodded obediently, still somewhat shaken.
"See you later," Ken said with a wry smile. If her parents were nearby, they would surely scold this reckless child who didn't watch where she was going.
"Anyway, it's good that everyone is safe."
Ken walked back to Iori's side with relief. However, it was only then that he finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
"......Iori?"
"Ken-kun! You're okay? Right?! You're not hurt...... are you?!"
Amamiya Iori suddenly rushed forward, tightly hugging Shimizu Ken, large tears streaming down her face.
Indeed, in that situation, even a slight misstep could have been dangerous. Shimizu Ken felt sorry for making her worry, but at the same time, he noticed that Amamiya Iori's state seemed somewhat off.
"You're alive...... you're still alive. I thought you were going to leave again...... Never again...... never again will that happen...... Ken-kun...... Ken-kun, Ken-kun, Ken-kun!"
Amamiya Iori held Shimizu Ken, burying her face in his chest, and continued to murmur, her voice sounding like she was suppressing pain.
"……"
Amamiya Iori still held Shimizu Ken, not saying a word. He couldn't see her expression as she looked down at him.
It wasn't until the traffic light had changed seven or eight times that Amamiya Iori finally spoke.
"I'm sorry. For suddenly crying like that."
She looked up, her eyes red and swollen, clearly bloodshot. Shimizu Ken could clearly see that he had caused this girl so much sadness.
"No, it's okay. It's because I made you worry......"
Of course, Shimizu Ken didn't think saving the little girl was wrong. He also knew that Amamiya Iori was like this because of him, and the worst part was that he hadn't considered anything at that moment.
If the truck hadn't stopped, he might have made Amamiya Iori witness the worst possible scene. More importantly, his mother, who had always been worried about him, would have been plunged into extreme grief.
Then, Ken let out another wry, self-deprecating laugh. Even though he knew very well that this was just a virtual game world, he was genuinely worrying about these characters.
In any case, they couldn't stay in this spot forever. Shimizu Ken placed his hand on Amamiya Iori's shoulder, gently separated her from him, and then started walking.
To help Iori calm down, Ken decided they should go home first, because her state was too strange...
Notes:
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.