April 21st.
Haizaki drove toward the military garrison in Wuhua City. Not only did the area house army equipment, but it also had army aviation and air force assets. He needed the firearms, ammunition, and armored weapons stored there.
In the training plan Haizaki had mapped out, there were basic physical conditioning routines—long-distance loaded cross-country runs, firearms shooting drills, armored vehicle operation training, and other practical combat skills.
More than anyone else, he was eager to improve his own strength.
He could not afford to waste the precious one year granted by the "Solitary Apocalypse."
Considering that there was no complete maintenance support, the longer time passed, the more likely aircraft were to develop faults.
Haizaki decided to begin with flight training first. If each fighter jet flew twice, and he flew twice a week, then the aircraft at the Wuhua City Air Force base would be enough for him to use for several months.
Any more than that, and he wouldn't dare.
Although he was willing to take risks to improve his flying skills, he wouldn't gamble on a high probability of crashing.
"Cluck, cluck…"
Several yellow figures flashed into Haizaki's vision as he drove forward, and he slammed on the brakes.
He stared blankly ahead, trying to process what had just darted across the road.
"Chickens—holy shit, they're chickens…"
Haizaki immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and rushed out of the car.
All the living creatures in this world had disappeared, so why were there still chickens? Could it be… chicken, you're too beautiful???
"Don't run—stop right there…"
The yellow chicks looked like they hadn't been born long ago.
Haizaki caught up to them in less than ten seconds.
"They really are chickens!"
There were two of them—yellow chicks, clearly newly hatched.
"Chicks being spared alone? That's impossible."
If that were the case, he wouldn't have gone this long without seeing the young of other animals.
Haizaki opened the map and began checking the surrounding area.
"A poultry farm…"
A possibility came to mind.
He carefully placed the two chicks into a storage box on the back seat, afraid they might get hurt.
Then he immediately got back into the car and drove toward the poultry farm.
As soon as he entered, a wave of putrid stench hit him.
Enduring the foul smell as he went deeper inside, Haizaki finally found what he was looking for.
Just as he had suspected, many incubators contained the corpses of chicks.
These chicks had all hatched after all the living creatures in the world had vanished.
That disappearance had only affected existing living beings. Chicks that were still in egg form had escaped it.
In other words, aside from viviparous mammals, other creatures might still exist.
This made Haizaki marvel at the wonders of nature. Perhaps the outbreak of the Solitary Apocalypse hadn't wiped out all life on Earth after all.
Even humanity—still had ways to reproduce...
At that thought, Haizaki shook his head and let it go.
There was no need to keep dwelling on it.
In one year, he and Utaha would leave.
"I'll take you back. I think Kasumigaoka-san will be happy."
Haizaki conducted a thorough search of the poultry farm and found a total of seven healthy, living chicks. The rest were either already dead or barely clinging to life.
The gains from this trip far exceeded his expectations.
Having animals—even if they were just chickens—could greatly ease the mental strain on both him and Kasumigaoka. They would reduce loneliness in their future lives and add vitality and color.
In a few more months, when rivers flow into the sea, perhaps fish would appear as well.
"Let's go back. I'm giving myself the day off today."
Haizaki changed his plans for the day, turned the car around, and headed back toward the villa.
He hoped Utaha could experience this joy of life as soon as possible.
…
"Kasumigaoka-san, I have good news for you. I think you'll definitely be happy."
After returning to the villa and gently placing the box containing the chicks in the living room, Haizaki rushed upstairs. Excited, he directly opened the girl's bedroom door.
"Sorry for disturbing you—I didn't see anything."
What did he see?
Haizaki stated that he saw nothing at all.
The girl's skin was smooth and fair. A blue lace lingerie set—bra and panties—perfectly displayed her alluring figure, every inch and curve radiating feminine charm.
The first second, he froze. The second second, he reacted. The third second, he immediately closed the door.
Why did this keep happening?
The frequency was getting a bit high!
Bang—
What came from inside the room wasn't a girl's scream, but the sound of an object slamming into the door.
When women go crazy, it's terrifying.
"Open the door—open it…"
One minute later, Utaha kept pulling at the door handle, but the door was being held firmly shut.
That bastard Haizaki was actually holding the door closed.
This had to be revenge for her taking his games.
"Yusuke-san, open the door!"
She shouted angrily.
"No. I think we can have a proper conversation through the door."
Yesterday could be considered an accident. Today was also an accident, but there was a huge difference between the two. This time, Haizaki feared he had truly angered her.
Anyone would be furious if something like this happened again and again.
"Open the door."
"..."
"If you don't open the door, I will get very angry. And once I'm angry, I don't even know what I'll do. Mr. Yusuke the Peeping Demon—do you want to try?"
Her abyss-like, eerie voice pierced through the door without missing a word, fully conveying her current emotions to Haizaki.
His expression changed slightly, and his heart began to race unconsciously.
"You're already very angry right now."
Haizaki tested the waters.
"I'm not angry at all. You opened my door without permission, peeked at my body, and held the door so I couldn't get out. I'm not angry. Really. You should believe me."
If you say it like that, I believe you even less.
"I'll count to three. If you don't open the door, then for the rest of today, Mr. Yusuke the Peeping Demon, please enjoy—"
"No, I've already let go. You can open the door now."
Haizaki took a step back and turned to face the door.
After all, he wouldn't die. Endure it, and it would pass.
With the resolve of someone facing death, Haizaki chose to face Utaha head-on.
Once this sharp-tongued, scheming woman had the moral high ground, who knew how she would deal with him?
But who could have imagined that something this awkward would happen yet again?
…