06 Changing the Future
Qi Xi did not respond to Watermelon’s words, but instead said calmly, “My words mean exactly what they say on the surface. I think anyone of normal intelligence should be able to understand. If you don’t, it’s likely because you feel uncertain about the issue itself. But now I’m telling you, this is a very serious matter—one in which there should be no doubt. So, please, answer my question now.”
Watermelon nodded in confusion, replying, “My name is Xi Hongchen.”
“All right. There are other transmigrators in this world, so we must be careful. Our identities absolutely cannot be exposed first.” Qi Xi nodded. Just then, the owner of the teahouse brought over their order.
“Two cups of tea, two desserts, total two thousand yen,” the owner said.
Qi Xi pulled out some money from her pocket and paid the owner. There was exactly two thousand yen—she’d come to Kyoto on a school trip, and besides the money for the hotel, her family in the Konda household had only given her two thousand yen as spending money. Such stinginess was truly outrageous!
Two thousand yen—by rough calculation, given the exchange rate of this world and this era, that would be about one hundred and twenty-three yuan. For two teas and two desserts, that was neither expensive nor cheap.
But without much money, it was truly hard to get by in a society that still followed civilized order.
She took a small sip of tea. It was somewhat bitter, but paired with the sweet dessert, it was quite nice. Qi Xi looked up and asked, “What’s your golden finger? And what do you think of this world?”
Watermelon imitated Qi Xi, taking a small, deliberate sip of tea, and then replied blandly, “Well, my golden finger is the Future Diary.”
“Future Diary?” Qi Xi frowned, then asked, “Let me see.”
Watermelon handed over her phone from her pocket. “Just scroll through the diary and you’ll see records of future events.”
Indeed, there were entries detailing events yet to happen.
Qi Xi was surprised—there was actually something like this?
The most recent diary entry read: “September 14, 2013, 14:47:07: Drinking tea with senior, discussing golden fingers and the world’s story, but no conclusions reached.
September 14, 2013, 14:57:46: Just about to leave, a fat otaku showed up and got handsy with me; senior got angry, glared at him, and then used her golden finger to take his money.
September 14, 2013, 15:06:28: Still hanging out with the girls. If I were in a male body, I’d be over the moon, but why am I stuck as a girl, damn it!
…
September 14, 2013, 16:49:24: Done playing, went to the hotel the teachers booked. It’s called ‘Dark Cloud Inn’—just as the gods’ hints on my phone said! Seems this is the effect of identity guidance.
September 14, 2013, 17:51:04: Just finished dinner and went to the bathhouse. So many naked bodies—my nose is about to bleed… Help…
September 14, 2013, 18:01:44: Mei Yuan’s skin is so soft, her figure just right. Having such a beauty wash my back—this is bliss…
September 14, 2013, 18:11:10: After a twenty-minute bath, my eyes have had their fill—hahahahahahahaha.
September 14, 2013, 18:21:50: Left my phone in the bathhouse—luckily found it, otherwise the golden finger wouldn’t disappear, but buying another phone would cost a lot of money. Huh, something feels off about this bathhouse…
September 14, 2013, 18:32:40: Something’s chasing me from behind! Damn! What is that? A ghost? Why is the hallway so dark, with no end in sight? What the hell is going on?!
September 14, 2013, 18:43:25: Senior finally came out to save me! Nearly died—things in this world are so supernatural. This golden finger seems a bit useless. No, it’s that I haven’t paid enough attention to it. If I’d checked each entry carefully, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
September 14, 2013, 18:56:45: Senior took me to the girls’ dorm and left. This world is weird—could it really be a world about souls?
September 14, 2013, 19:07:34: Ran too fast earlier, so tired—slept early.
September 14, 2013, 19:27:34: Sleeping.
September 14, 2013, 19:37:34: Sleeping.
September 14, 2013, 19:47:34: Sleeping.
…
The diary continued until midnight, with no further entries after that.
Qi Xi read through the diary, which recorded events every ten minutes, and nodded to herself, instantly coming up with several ideas.
If one saw the events in the diary and then began to avoid them, would the future change?
At that thought, Qi Xi seemed to spot the fat otaku entering the shop. She put her arm around Watermelon, trying to avoid the man’s gaze as they moved toward the door.
Watermelon, suddenly pulled into Qi Xi’s embrace, blushed uncontrollably. Qi Xi caught a whiff of the body’s natural fragrance—it was strange, but then she remembered this was Watermelon, and immediately banished any stray thoughts… She couldn’t possibly be attracted to a man.
To the others in the shop, Qi Xi and Watermelon looked like a pair of close lovers. The men all shot Qi Xi envious glances—after all, Youxi was a real beauty.
Qi Xi quickly led Watermelon outside the teahouse. Glancing back, the fat otaku hadn’t noticed Watermelon. Then she pulled out her phone. The screen flickered with static before the image cleared, and the diary entry for “September 14, 2013, 14:57:46: Just about to leave, a fat otaku showed up and got handsy with me; senior got angry, glared at him, and then used her golden finger to take his money” disappeared. The subsequent entries remained unchanged—apparently altering one entry didn’t trigger a chain reaction.
But if there were enough coincidences, who knew if a butterfly effect might occur?
Still, since the future could be changed, it meant the butterfly effect was possible, though perhaps the chance was slim.
With that thought, Qi Xi put her arm around Watermelon and returned to their seats.
As they reentered, the massive otaku caught sight of Watermelon’s charming, vulnerable look and trembled all over.
Qi Xi and Watermelon sat back down.
Qi Xi glanced behind her—the fat otaku hadn’t come over yet. She checked the time on the phone; it hadn’t changed. He probably wouldn’t arrive for another six or seven minutes.