Shino's gaze fell upon the trembling blonde girl in the corner.
She was like a frightened little rabbit, clutching her knees tightly and curling herself into a ball, as if she could disappear from this terrifying world that way.
When the little girl noticed Shino's presence, her large watery eyes instantly widened, and fear washed over her small face like a tide.
Her body instinctively shrank back, her back pressing against the cold wall as if she wanted to embed herself into it.
Her lips trembled, letting out faint whimpers.
"Don't be afraid, little one."
Shino softened his voice and slowly crouched down to eye level with the girl. "I won't hurt you."
The little girl still stared at him warily, the fear in her eyes not diminishing in the slightest.
Her blonde twin-tails were already a mess, and the grime and tear stains on her face were intertwined, evoking a sense of pity.
Looking at the face of this blonde twin-tailed girl, Shino felt a strange sense of familiarity.
After he started to Cultivate, his memory had become exceptionally powerful.
With just a bit of recollection, he remembered her identity: Akizuki Airi!
A popular character from an adult anime in his previous life, but why was she locked up here?
"My name is Shino, and as you can see, I am a monk."
After suppressing the conjectures in his mind, a kind smile appeared on Shino's face:
"The bad guys outside have been driven away by me. You are safe now."
He was very clear about what this little girl had gone through.
"Liar!" the little girl suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a sob.
"Adults are all liars! You're also a bad person who's come to hurt Airi!"
Shino stopped his approach and said patiently:
"If I were a bad person, why would I open the door to let you out? I can prove to you that the bad people outside are really gone."
The little girl hesitated, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by suspicion.
She bit her lower lip hard, not knowing whether she should trust this strange monk in front of her.
"Come, I'll take you out to see."
Shino reached out his hand, palm facing up.
"If you don't trust me, you can walk ahead on your own. I won't touch you."
Akizuki Airi stared at Shino's hand for a long while. Eventually, she cautiously stood up, but she did not accept Shino's help.
Her legs were somewhat numb from being curled up for so long, and she wobbled as she walked, like a fawn that had just learned to walk.
Shino didn't force her, simply following silently behind her and maintaining a certain distance to give her a sufficient sense of security.
When they stepped out of the cell, passed through the dim corridor, and reached the outside, Akizuki Airi suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Her eyes widened, unable to believe the scene before her—there should have been over twenty fierce gang members, but now there wasn't a soul in sight. Only the mess at the scene proved that a fierce battle had once taken place here.
"See, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Shino said softly.
"Those bad people have all been driven away by me. They won't hurt you anymore."
Akizuki Airi turned around, looking at Shino with a completely new perspective.
Her eyes no longer held fear, but were filled with surprise.
"Are... are you really a monk?"
She asked in a small voice, her tone carrying a timid curiosity.
Shino nodded and smiled. "Yes, I am a monk, and I came specifically to protect you."
Akizuki Airi was visibly stunned upon hearing this.
Then, her tears began to roll down like pearls from a broken string.
"Waaaah..." She threw herself into Shino's arms, her small hands tightly clutching his neck.
"Airi was so scared... Airi thought she'd never get out... waaaah..."
Shino was momentarily at a loss, but he soon reached out and gently picked up her small, thin frame.
"It's okay, it's okay," Shino comforted her softly, one hand gently patting her back.
"With me here, no one can hurt you."
Akizuki Airi buried her face in Shino's shoulder, her tears wetting his monks robe.
Her body was still trembling slightly, but it was no longer as violent as before.
"Airi won't do it again... she'll never run away from home again..."
Akizuki Airi said between sobs, her voice intermittent from crying.
"Airi just... just didn't want to stay in that house..."
Shino carried her as he slowly walked out of the Inukai Group headquarters.
"Why didn't you want to stay at home?" Shino asked softly, while looking for a quiet place to let Akizuki Airi calm down.
Akizuki Airi looked up and wiped her tears with her sleeve, her small face full of grievance.
"Mama... Mama just recently married a new Papa."
She sniffled, her voice still carrying a sob.
"The way the new Papa looks at Airi... is very strange. It makes Airi very uncomfortable."
Shino's brow furrowed slightly; he already had a guess.
The Akizuki Airi of this world had not yet fallen victim to her beastly stepfather.
"Did... did he do anything to you?" Shino asked cautiously.
Akizuki Airi shook her head, her blonde twin-tails swaying gently with her movement.
"No... but Airi always feels like he wants to do something bad."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller.
"Mama doesn't believe Airi. She says Airi is just imagining things... so Airi... ran away from home."
"And then?" Shino followed up gently.
"Then Airi was walking down the street when a car blocked her path."
"Several scary adults got out of the car. They said they were taking Airi to a nice place... Airi didn't want to go, but they forced Airi into the car..."
At this point, Akizuki Airi couldn't help but cry again. Tears slid down her small face and dripped onto the back of Shino's hand, warm and heavy.
For Airi, her life had suddenly undergone a massive upheaval.
First, her mother remarried and her new father had ill intentions toward her, and then she was kidnapped!
Those hideous gang members had brought her immense terror.
She was just an ordinary schoolgirl; where would she have ever encountered such things?
Just when Airi was filled with fear and unease.
Shino's appearance was like a beam of light, shining directly into her world.
...
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