MTLNOVEL Chapter 117 - Locked up
“……”
“Bai Yu?”
“Is that you?”
Staring at Bai Yu, who was practically within arm’s reach and gazing at him with those violet eyes, YouYu remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“Mm, it’s me. I’m glad you still remember me, YouYu.”
Bai Yu responded softly.
“Sorry, I was delayed by some things earlier, so I arrived a little late. I saw everything that happened… I hope you won’t blame me too much.”
“I’ll explain everything to you in a bit.”
“…I see.”
“……”
Watching Bai Yu’s face inexplicably inch closer and closer, YouYu sighed, sensing that something was off.
“Uh… Bai Yu, could you not get so close?”
“I don’t know if we used to talk like this before, but being this close is really inconvenient.”
Besides, if one of them happened to move the wrong way, things could easily take a turn toward one of those… ‘predictable developments’.
It might seem like a small thing, but big troubles often start with small incidents.
He had no intention of letting some careless mishap plant the seeds of future regret.
“……”
“Alright.”
After a brief silence, Bai Yu slowly lifted her head and straightened her posture—now in her magical girl form, Blue Night.
Seeing her pull back, YouYu exhaled in relief and propped himself up, preparing to stand—
Only for—
“Don’t move just yet, YouYu.”
“Bai Yu?”
The moment his head lifted from Bai Yu’s “pillow,” not even a full second had passed before Bai Yu suddenly reached out, halting his movement.
Then, once again, she gently but firmly pressed him back down onto her lap.
As YouYu found himself once more resting on her knees, Bai Yu encircled his neck with her arms in a small embrace, her voice low and solemn.
“I saw it all… what happened between WuYue and Liu Meng while you were there.”
“They argued fiercely. And your expression—though I couldn’t see it, I know it must have been painful.”
“When I saw that happening, I made up my mind—I had to help you, to get you out of that situation.”
“But… I had no idea how to convince them to stop arguing.”
“So I could only stand by, hesitating, afraid that if I acted, things would spiral even further out of control… just like before.”
“It wasn’t until you were forced to make that decision—when circumstances left me no choice—that I finally stepped in.”
Bai Yu let out a small sigh, her gaze filled with remorse as she looked at YouYu.
“…So, I’m sorry.”
“I was late.”
“……”
“But you don’t need to worry, YouYu.”
“Because this time, I’ve already made a decision.”
“A decision?”
“…What are you planning to do, Bai Yu?”
Seeing the unwavering determination in Bai Yu’s violet eyes—an all-too-familiar look—YouYu felt an ominous premonition rising.
“’..Don’t tell me she’s about to pull that move…’
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Bai Yu’s actions confirmed his suspicions.
“WuYue and Liu Meng will be here any second now…”
She lifted her head, gazing off into the distance for a moment before resolving herself completely.
Then, she turned back to YouYu and said,
“Sorry, YouYu. What I’m about to do next might cause you some pain… but it’s necessary.”
“Don’t worry—I’ll do my best to minimize it.”
“So, I’ll make sure to take you back safe and sound.”
With those final words, Bai Yu wrapped her other arm around him, slipping it beneath his, and pulled him tightly into her embrace.
At the same time, ripples of soft blue light began to radiate outward from her center—waves formed from pure mana.
As the water gathered, a column began to rise, slowly encircling them both—until it completely enveloped them.
“……”
“YouYu!”
And just before the water column vanished entirely—
WuYue and Liu Meng arrived.
But what they saw in the end… wasn’t YouYu’s face.
Instead, they saw Bai Yu resting her head on his shoulder, her violet eyes staring back at them.
Shua——!
As the water column disappeared completely,
WuYue and Liu Meng were left standing in silence.
“…So now what?”
After a moment, Liu Meng turned to WuYue and asked.
“……”
“I don’t know.”
WuYue shook her head.
Because right now, she was also trying to figure it out.
Watching the spot where Bai Yu and YouYu had vanished, WuYue felt an inexplicable frustration gnawing at her.
She tried to remain calm as she thought to herself:
Why did Bai Yu suddenly appear at this moment, only to take YouYu away?
She had been absent all this time, almost as if she never existed.
But now, at the very last moment—she suddenly showed up, swept YouYu away…
As if she had been planning it all along.
And yet… that wasn’t something Bai Yu would do.
“…Bai Yu.”
Muttering her name, WuYue felt no hostility toward her.
But with a heavy heart, she could only ask, whether to herself or to Bai Yu—
“What are you trying to do with YouYu…?”
—
Some time later.
After using magic to “travel” a considerable distance—
Bai Yu brought YouYu back to her home.
A room cluttered with various “miscellaneous items.”
“……”
“YouYu, sorry—please wait here for a moment.”
Watching YouYu, who seemed slightly dazed, Bai Yu slowly stood up.
Then, she turned her gaze toward the pile of “miscellaneous items” she had bought not too long ago but never put to use, her expression momentarily contemplative.
After a brief pause, she walked over, picked up one of the items, and fixed it onto the wall.
Then, glancing back at YouYu—who seemed to be regaining his senses—she swiftly turned away again, placing her hand on the newly installed “miscellaneous item.”
With a flash of blue light, the “item”—or rather, the handcuffs—underwent a transformation, reforging themselves into a solid, azure material.
Once that was done, Bai Yu walked back over to YouYu.
And, while he was still completely unaware—
She dragged him over to the mounted handcuffs.
Then—
Click!
With a crisp sound, the cuffs snapped shut around YouYu’s wrist.
“……”
So it’s finally come to this, huh?
Looking up at Bai Yu—whose face was shadowed by the dim light as she silently contemplated the other miscellaneous items in the room—YouYu felt a wave of complex emotions.
‘Guess I’ve been officially locked up now…’