急促的腳步聲快速接近,幾名手持攝影機、麥克風等器材的年輕人從她身邊穿越。大概是連夜守候現場的記者吧?天音無心去釐清他們的身分,而是轉頭朝反方向看。203Please respect copyright.PENANAUbHDwOVvpZ
「就是那裡!」203Please respect copyright.PENANA7fYHgaZjuu
邁開腳步,天音在心底向那群人道謝,一口氣衝進學校斜對面、此次事件倖免於難的商業大樓,坐上直達頂樓的電梯。203Please respect copyright.PENANAjQtBbUewnX
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但是,當她從高處俯視綠文高中全貌時,立刻就為自己的行動感到後悔。203Please respect copyright.PENANACeQs5larnY
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冉冉升起的陽光,緩慢揭開迷濛晨霧的面紗,將真實大剌剌地呈現眼前——203Please respect copyright.PENANAZSbF4Y4N3P
彷彿模型玩具被人硬生生掰開般,僅餘半邊的熟悉校舍,外圍滿布怵目驚心的撕裂、燒烙痕跡;記憶中的日常景象,此時已成脆弱不堪的空殼,暴露於殘酷現實的曝曬下。203Please respect copyright.PENANAFcfUETo0ui
而在這過度鮮明,反倒因此有些缺乏實感的視野裡,背負各種裝備的搜救小隊、破壞專家和醫療人員辛苦地來回移動。有人牽著搜救犬大聲叫喚;有人以工具捏潰巨大的石塊及障礙物;有人團團圍住好不容易挖出來的傷患,急忙將其送上擔架……203Please respect copyright.PENANAbLmbe8Bwye
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沒有。真的就像那名警察說的,只是平民百姓的自己,沒有任何可以幫忙的地方。203Please respect copyright.PENANAVeKoIl7SWs
低頭凝視自己纖細的手臂,屬於少女的柔滑肌膚,同時也是無能為力的證明。自己仍是個需要大人照顧、保護的小孩子,在這種生死關頭的場合裡,只會礙手礙腳。203Please respect copyright.PENANAevyGvgYHng
天音頭一次察覺自己的無力。203Please respect copyright.PENANAMnFdoKqvrL
明明阻止不了任何不幸,竟然還敢把「幫助他人」視為值得自傲的人生理念。203Please respect copyright.PENANAnV8PmLvb1a
結果,所謂的「盡己所能」,也僅是扶老太太過馬路之類的芝麻小事罷了。203Please respect copyright.PENANA1nc6c48Eco
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——真的嗎?203Please respect copyright.PENANAR2jRDHADVd
腦中突然冒出這句話。手心一瞬間閃現「蛋白石」的影像。203Please respect copyright.PENANAWQXmHHS4TJ
——妳真的「盡力」了嗎?203Please respect copyright.PENANAKUY4zSSM2g
「我……」203Please respect copyright.PENANAdVV6viS49E
昨晚的決心開始動搖。203Please respect copyright.PENANAUNjPDs2rfu
「我真的……盡力了嗎?」203Please respect copyright.PENANAqolCifHanC
答案顯然是否定的。因為還有自己能做得到的事。203Please respect copyright.PENANAaCuhusEP9m
積滿灰屑的大廈頂樓,一雙纖纖玉腿倏地旋轉腳尖方向,在來時路上印下更深刻、更充滿力道的堅定足跡。203Please respect copyright.PENANAom3XHASnMZ
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「妳是綠文高中的一年級新生啊?我是二年B班的桂明浩,以後請多指教囉。」203Please respect copyright.PENANAMYjMN4j342
——那是搬進出租公寓當晚,初次遇見明浩學長的時候。203Please respect copyright.PENANA8yKDCF0Y62
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「天音!我們約好放學後去喝下午茶,妳要來嗎?」203Please respect copyright.PENANAFpnj5FV5FY
——那是入學後的第二個禮拜,兩個好友首次主動邀請自己。203Please respect copyright.PENANArJhEg6l6bt
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「因為林同學的鼎力協助,這次活動才能順利推行,希望各位也踴躍參與。」203Please respect copyright.PENANAOtaIb7Dlnm
——那是級任導師難得給予的讚賞……203Please respect copyright.PENANAmZHQSThIOp
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像是要推開一幕幕鮮明浮現的回憶般,天音竭力狂奔。不知何時沾上的朝露在眼角打轉。「日常」真的隨著太陽的升起,如同夢境一樣煙消雲散了。於遠方等待的,只有雖然超乎常理邏輯,但不容置疑的現實。203Please respect copyright.PENANAZNn5QXpJeL
而且,自己沒有選擇權。203Please respect copyright.PENANA6bHYa4nCVI
「沒有選擇權的話,就向前邁進吧!」203Please respect copyright.PENANAmW68am319L
抹去試圖繼續喚起快樂回憶的露珠,天音抬頭確認自己與宿舍之間的距離。即使明知還有一天的時間可以考慮,她仍等不及要衝上宿舍頂樓,告訴翔自己的答案。203Please respect copyright.PENANAsy65uWZzh6
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然而,在經過明浩所住的601室時,最強力的阻礙出現了。203Please respect copyright.PENANAMWZ3FEfdNY
——「竟是這麼年輕的女孩子。真殘忍……」203Please respect copyright.PENANAV3JLXLo7FE
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疾馳的腳步瞬間靜止。203Please respect copyright.PENANAOk8XMAYBt5
「不可以……不可以迷惑!」203Please respect copyright.PENANA8oetkS2v1L
甩甩頭,天音準備直接往頂樓跑,雙腳卻像被釘住般動彈不得。203Please respect copyright.PENANAQrz6zZxsna
低聲責罵自己的優柔寡斷,天音心底的另一個聲音朝那扇鐵門呼喚,希望明浩現在就開門走出來,對她說一句「別去」。203Please respect copyright.PENANAVjJxa4VjYJ
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互相矛盾的思緒交錯糾結。走到鐵門前閉起眼睛,天音顫抖的指尖輕輕覆上門鈴。203Please respect copyright.PENANAzbmf2gKk3W
一聲,兩聲,三聲。203Please respect copyright.PENANAWFUGHR9YGP
無人回應。203Please respect copyright.PENANANMuuopclmb
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心頓時涼了半截。雖然不知道那是失望的涼意,還是鬆了口氣的涼意。停留約十分鐘左右,鐵門背後依舊靜悄悄的。正打算按第四次門鈴時,明浩負傷歸來的記憶片斷令她心頭一緊。203Please respect copyright.PENANAMvptupHMHL
縮回手指,改以對601室的鐵門行注目禮,天音終於再次邁開腳步。203Please respect copyright.PENANAgpNZ4OinnJ
——不僅僅是「盡己所能幫助他人」而已。203Please respect copyright.PENANAIDUkq0QX1d
「我也要保護這個世界、這座城市,還有你。」203Please respect copyright.PENANAybmZGNt4E6
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當頂樓的風景映入眼簾,純白色的機械便立即奪走了目光焦點。明明還有一整天的時間,翔卻像早就知道天音已經下定決心似的,提早出現於公寓頂樓的廣場。203Please respect copyright.PENANAkqhEwOdGh9
不,說不定只是單純地想在這裡等她。203Please respect copyright.PENANAfdKFk44bHc
總之,天音並未多問,而是快步跑過去,向翔伸出自己細瘦但堅強的手臂。203Please respect copyright.PENANA4Fh3RFkn8l
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「帶我走吧,翔。」203Please respect copyright.PENANAkQAYsDSeX0
『遵命。』203Please respect copyright.PENANAyrZ8bYhsN0
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把「蛋白石」放入天音的掌心,翔尚未提醒她該如何做,天音便將「蛋白石」高舉過頭,輕輕喊了一聲「碧空系統,啟動!」203Please respect copyright.PENANAmTLhGjJh0m
青藍色光粒與DNA螺旋再度包覆身軀。擁有華麗紋路的魔法陣從腳底擴張、旋轉,然後飛升至頭頂,化作消失於璀璨中的閃耀光羽。203Please respect copyright.PENANAvAScfRGKk7
不再為變身過程大驚小怪的天音,此時亦無心抱怨戰鬥服的清涼設計。回頭朝樓梯口凝望一陣子,天音帶著有些哀傷的堅毅表情,慢慢跨上腳踏板、躺進機組結構裡,讓翔替她完成飛行前應做的所有程序。203Please respect copyright.PENANAruXXvrGJkk
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『總檢查完畢,準備起飛。』203Please respect copyright.PENANA2iV4Peq849
——那麼,我走了。203Please respect copyright.PENANA5fCW3qDyrD
在心底悄悄道別。這次,天音是以自己的意志飛向青空。203Please respect copyright.PENANAWqL1w1Lsww