21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 943 - 936 Questioning

Chapter 943 -936 Questioning

That day, after being lectured by Chen Yu, Inomata Naoki thought long and hard about many things.

Previously, he had always believed he had no particular feelings for Minami, just that she was a cute girl who was a bit shy and reserved.

Although certain incidents may have led to misunderstandings on her end, Naoki had never considered the possibility of anything happening between them and even less considered the idea of making her his lover instead of Tokairin Yuko.

Of course, in Japan, finding a lover isn’t something bizarre; surveys even show that over 80% of all Japanese people have had a lover or been one to someone else. It’s even become a profession with the emergence of “professional lovers.” But that doesn’t mean everyone rationalizes having a lover.

Especially for Naoki, who barely interacted or spent time with Minami. The two were merely acquaintances, with absolutely no relationship that could spark the idea of her being his lover.

But ever since that trip to Kyoto, where they dreamed something neither of them could recall at the Inari Shrine, the dynamic between Naoki and Minami had shifted into something not so straightforward.

From that point forward, Naoki’s views of Minami began to change.

Though he still insisted he hadn’t fallen for Minami, he couldn’t deny that she now had a place within his thoughts.

This was precisely why, after returning from Kyoto, Naoki sought Minami out.

But neither Naoki nor Minami had anticipated that a single dream could evolve into the kind of ambiguous familiarity that felt like knowing each other for years.

This inevitably rendered the relationship between Naoki and Minami less simple, yet ironically, there was still truly nothing between them.

If Naoki genuinely harbored feelings for Minami, resolving the situation would have been much easier.

But he already had a girlfriend, with whom his relationship remained stable. It was only due to this incident that marriage had become a point of hesitation, making the matter awkward and uncertain about how to proceed.

It was at this time that Chen Yu’s lecture prompted Naoki to question himself deeply—did he truly have feelings for Minami?

To say he had a favorable impression—there was no doubt.

Minami was undeniably adorable, warm, and kind. Despite starting to work at a young age, she lacked the typical restlessness found in her peers and was diligent and steadfast, always passionate about her tasks.

Every customer in the shop who interacted with her liked her, with some unmarried individuals secretly developing affections for her.

Yet Minami was well-mannered and polite to everyone, never giving anyone special treatment. A smile was her default demeanor, which ultimately deterred those with fantasies from pursuing her.

However, after the trip to Kyoto, Minami seemed subtly different around Naoki.

It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly was different. To say there was something tangible between them didn’t feel right, but whenever Naoki visited the shop, Minami appeared slightly warmer toward him than toward others, as if an unspoken mutual understanding existed between them.

It was akin to the way a regular patron at a shop doesn’t need to voice their order for the owner to know their preferences—a natural, effortless understanding.

Yet, when reflected onto Naoki and Minami, it felt strangely harmonious, almost as if they’d known each other for decades.

From Naoki’s perspective, this was certainly not love; it was merely a ripple effect from their shared Kyoto experience—a lingering aftereffect.

However, after Chen Yu’s lecture, Naoki seriously re-evaluated his feelings and realized that what he believed wasn’t love appeared to others as clear signs of affection.

This realization left Naoki feeling surprised, resigned, and uneasy all at once.

He wasn’t the type to juggle relationships with multiple women or have such ambitions. In fact, he disliked those kinds of people. Yet, to his frustration, he had somehow unknowingly become one—a notion both absurd and distressing to him.

Initially confident that he held no feelings for Minami, Naoki couldn’t explain why, after the trip to Kyoto, he felt a sudden fondness toward her, coupled with a familiarity akin to knowing someone for decades.

As he probed deeper, Naoki was certain the dream they shared at Inari Taisha was somehow deeply linked to these changes in his demeanor.

He clearly remembered the moment he woke and saw Minami—he felt as though they had already spent decades together, experiencing the ups and downs of love and enduring the heartache of separation by death. When Minami looked at him and cried, it seemed as if she had undergone a similar emotional wave.

If only Naoki could recall what had happened in that dream, perhaps he could untangle this web, identify the reasons behind his changing attitude toward Minami.

But neither Naoki nor Minami remembered the contents of the dream, which made Naoki even more fixated on the shift in his feelings.

A person cannot endlessly dwell on a single thought—the more they think about it, the harder it becomes to ignore. Conversely, letting it fade often helps one move on.

In the beginning, upon returning from Kyoto, Naoki was deeply affected by the matter. Yet when he met Minami and felt the inexplicable connection akin to knowing her for decades, he gave up trying to unearth the reasoning behind it.

Now, Chen Yu’s lecture had reignited those thoughts, plunging Naoki into renewed confusion and frustration.

But months had passed, and his initial emotions had undoubtedly weakened. All that remained was the mutual understanding between him and Minami.

This, however, provided no help in uncovering the origins of the situation. After a thorough deliberation, Naoki decided to employ a more straightforward approach: ask Chen Yu.

After all, it was Chen Yu who organized the group trip to Kyoto, and at the Inari Shrine, while everyone else was asleep, Chen Yu had been awake, chatting with the Shrine Maiden when the rest awoke. It was evident he was aware of something.

Even if Chen Yu didn’t know exactly what transpired, if he knew the Shrine Maiden personally, Naoki could reach out to her through him.

As long as he could unravel the circumstances from that day, Naoki believed he would be able to clarify his feelings and determine whether he truly had affection for Minami.

With this thought in mind, he approached Chen Yu, determined to ask about what had happened in Kyoto.

Yet, faced with Naoki’s interrogation, Chen Yu responded oddly, merely asking back, “Are you sure you’ve thought this through? Even if the result is one you cannot accept?”