Although Tenth School District has the only cemetery in Academy City, almost no one comes to sweep the graves, as those buried there are mostly solitary individuals.
For most of the year, this cemetery is deserted, with very few visitors, and most citizens, like Misaka Mikoto, are completely unaware of its existence.
"Alright, I know Academy City has a cemetery now, but..." Misaka Mikoto said, pointing to the map on her phone, "Why would Lin Wuming go to a place like this? Is this a place for a date?"
"Perhaps..." Shirai Kuroko made the most reasonable inference, "Could it be to pay respects to someone?"
No one goes to a cemetery for no reason; coming to such a place is clearly for sweeping graves.
"Hu Feng," Misaka Mikoto turned to ask the girl beside her, "Did anyone Lin Wuming knew pass away?"
Hu Feng Toumi shook her head silently.
"Even you don't know..." Misaka Mikoto was a little disappointed.
"I don't know what happened before I met Lin Wuming," Hu Feng Toumi said. "However, I've never heard Lin Wuming mention anyone he knew passing away, and he has never been here before."
"Could it be someone Shokuhou knew?" Misaka Mikoto analyzed, "A child who unfortunately died in the Talent Factory?"
But this conjecture was immediately negated by her: "Impossible, I've known her for so long and never heard of this, nor have I seen her come here to sweep graves or pay respects."
"Did the bug pick up anything?" With no success in her thoughts, Misaka Mikoto turned to the power of technology.
"They seem to be observing a moment of silence; neither of them spoke."
"Tsk!" Misaka Mikoto clicked her tongue forcefully, a look of understanding appearing on her face, "I get it, this is another secret that only belongs to the two of them."
Hu Feng Toumi nodded silently, indicating agreement.
"Uh... I'm sorry, Onee-sama!" Shirai Kuroko bowed her head in apology, "It seems I was being nosy."
She had intended to catch up by using small tricks like tracking and surveillance, but the fact proved that such behavior was purely rubbing salt into her own wounds.
Aside from repeatedly witnessing the tacit understanding between Lin Wuming and Shokuhou Misaki, there was no other gain.
At this moment, Misaka Mikoto was listless, as if she had been stabbed.
"Well, never mind," Misaka Mikoto waved her hand. "Anyway, I've known about this kind of thing for a long time."
"So, should we continue?"
"Of course!" Misaka Mikoto said, "At this point, how can we give up halfway!"
...
The cemetery in Tenth School District is designed in a style similar to a "centralized parking garage"; an entire building is divided into tens of thousands of small sections, each small space being a separate grave.
Maximizing space utilization.
Each floor only has four small "chapels" in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, where people can pay their respects and sweep graves.
The specific method is to select the object of grave sweeping via a touchscreen, and then the internal tracks of the cemetery building will send the corresponding "grave" to the "chapel."
In front of the small tombstone, there is a space the size of a cardboard box where offerings can be placed.
Lin Wuming placed the bouquet in his hand in the offering area, considering it as having paid his respects.
The tombstone in front of him was empty, just a blank slab, and behind the tombstone, where the urn should have been placed, there was only an empty box.
After all... everything of Kobayashi was inherited by the current Lin Wuming, so even if he wanted to set up a cenotaph for him, there were no suitable items to commemorate him.
He couldn't possibly put his own items in there, could he? That would be inappropriate.
So, he had to make do with an empty box and an empty memorial tablet for commemoration.
—But no matter what, from now on, the original owner of this body can be declared completely deceased.
Lin Wuming came here to "sweep the grave" to give himself an explanation and to make a complete break with the past.
The "Angel Fall" incident unexpectedly summoned the soul of Kobayashi, who had been dormant in the deepest part, and also reminded Lin Wuming—it was time to say goodbye to his past "self."
After waking up from his coma, the first thing Lin Wuming thought of was also this matter.
It just happened to coincide with his date with Shokuhou Misaki, so this scene came about.
Since there was truly nothing to mourn, Lin Wuming quickly regained his composure: "I probably won't come here again."
"Shokuhou, I'm done here." As he spoke, Lin Wuming operated the control screen, preparing to end the respects and have the machine send this grave back to its original position.
"Then let's leave," Shokuhou Misaki said.
The mourning period was shorter than expected, but of course, Shokuhou Misaki had no objections.
The reason she came here was purely to accompany Lin Wuming, not to mourn Kobayashi.
Just as Shokuhou Misaki herself said—this is a secret shared by herself and Lin Wuming; there is no third existence in this world who knows this secret.
—So, I am special; to Lin Wuming, I am an irreplaceable person.
Because of this, even coming to a place like a cemetery for a "date," Shokuhou Misaki had no complaints whatsoever.
This was not a good place for a "date," but it was the place that could best witness the bond between them.
Shokuhou Misaki embraced Lin Wuming's arm, and they walked out of the cemetery building together gracefully.
It was the height of summer, with the sun shining brightly, but whether it was psychological or not, the area around the cemetery building always felt cool and chilly.
In Tenth School District, a place full of factories, even the cicada chirps unique to summer had disappeared, and the surroundings were eerily silent.
Shokuhou Misaki looked around; of course, there was no one in sight.
But...
—They must be hiding somewhere, watching us, Misaka Mikoto, and Hu Feng Tong Xue.
—They must be very curious and confused, right? Why would we come to a place like a cemetery during an important date?
—Unfortunately, this secret... can never be told to you.
Noticing Shokuhou Misaki's actions, Lin Wuming also followed suit and observed the surroundings.
"Are they nearby?"
"Perhaps?" Shokuhou Misaki said, "Although I can't find them, I don't think they'll give up."
"I see..." Lin Wuming's mood was complicated.
He felt that things were becoming increasingly complex, developing in an uncontrollable direction.
But from Lin Wuming's perspective... in a state of confusion, he couldn't make any effective decisions.
"So, what should we do next?" Shokuhou Misaki asked.
Lin Wuming had already done what he wanted to do, so the rest of the time could be fully devoted to the "date."
However, the "tail" behind them was quite noticeable at this moment.
"Hide-and-seek? Or pretend not to see them and continue with the original plan?" So Lin Wuming proposed two options.
