Just as Utaha was still lost in confusion about her relationship with that man, she failed to notice that the blonde twin-tailed Eriri had already walked over to her side.
"Hey, Kasumigaoka, what's wrong? Why are you crying again?"
Standing closest to Utaha, Eriri could not bring herself to ignore her.
She spoke gently.
This was the first time she had ever seen the cold, aloof black-stockings woman cry twice in a row.
So… she could cry and feel sad too.
In Eriri's impression, Utaha was a proud queen who stood above others, the type of girl who would never display something as weak as tears.
"Sawamura…-san."
Utaha wiped away the tear marks on her face and spoke sideways. "I'm… fine. It's just that… there was sand in my eyes."
A lightning-like sense of déjà vu flashed through her mind.
She felt as though she had said those words before.
Where?
To whom?
Why was it this uncomfortable feeling again?
Could it… please stop?
She did not want this sensation, yet her instincts craved more of it, as if searching for the source of that "familiarity."
Seeing Utaha's tear-streaked face, her delicate features blurred and her eyes swollen, Eriri could no longer endure the inner conflict and chose to speak.
"If you want to cry… you can use my shoulder."
She did not even know why she made such a suggestion.
It just felt like seeing this woman cry made her feel inexplicably sad as well.
Was it because she regarded Utaha as a rival?
But ordinarily, she and Utaha were only compared by students as the school's two great beauties. They hardly had any interaction at all.
So why did she think of Utaha as a rival?
Eriri was confused.
"How could I… possibly…"
Utaha immediately tried to refuse. How could she rely on the shoulder of this short blonde twin-tailed girl?
"Enough with 'possibly'!"
Eriri, who was half a head shorter than Utaha, grabbed her and pulled her tightly into an embrace, pressing Utaha's head onto her shoulder.
"If I tell you to cry, then cry."
A familiar feeling surfaced.
Eriri felt as though she had done this before.
And the person had been Utaha—the woman she barely had any interaction with.
"W-wah… w-wah…"
Utaha bent down, placing most of her weight onto Eriri's body, and finally cried aloud.
She did not know why she was crying.
There was clearly nothing sad.
Yet her body seemed only able to release the suppressed restlessness and gloom inside her through tears.
What… had happened between him and her?
Eriri gently stroked Utaha's long black hair, just like how her mother used to comfort her.
The surrounding students were completely dumbfounded.
How had things developed into this?
The two great beauties of Toyogasaki were actually hugging each other, and the lofty Kasumigaoka Utaha was crying while holding onto the second-year Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
This completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
And also… who was that man?
What was his relationship with Utaha?
At this moment, every Toyogasaki student who had witnessed the earlier scene felt their curiosity surge.
But one thing was clear—the unattainable high-peak flower they admired had actually agreed to a confession from a complete stranger.
"My Kasumigaoka-senpai…"
"She's been taken…"
"Give back my senpai, give back justice!"
Miserable wails kept erupting from the boys.
Who could have imagined things would turn out like this?
Utaha had actually said "I accept" in the end.
Why?!
How could that be?!
What was so great about that man?
Just a bunch of forget-me-nots and he could pursue Toyogasaki's school idol?
And those flowers… weren't even handed over!
"Hey, what are you all doing? Hurry up and go to class."
The teacher in the area reacted quickly, shouting for the students to leave and stop lingering.
As for Utaha and the Eriri she was holding onto, they decided not to disturb them for the time being.
"Kasumigaoka, you really like that man just now?"
Eriri asked quietly.
"..."
Utaha's crying finally subsided, but she did not immediately answer Eriri, who had offered her warmth.
Because she did not know.
"You don't like him?"
Eriri clearly did not intend to let it go.
Her curiosity had been completely aroused as well.
"I… don't know."
At this moment, Utaha suddenly felt that Eriri's presence had grown stronger.
At the very least, having received her kindness, Utaha could not argue back confidently.
"How could you not know… fine, if you don't know, then you don't know."
Perhaps recalling Utaha's earlier tearful sorrow, Eriri did not continue questioning.
Her gentle nature also could not handle a crying girl.
"Do you want to find him?"
Eriri proposed an idea.
"I don't even know his… name."
Utaha felt uncomfortable.
"Trust me. We'll definitely be able to find him. The key is whether you… want to."
Eriri's azure eyes met Utaha's wine-red ones.
In the end, Eriri received Utaha's affirmative answer.
"Sawamura-san, what method will you use to find him…?"
When asked this, Eriri froze for a moment, then grew awkward.
She did not have any reliable way to find someone at all.
She had only wanted Utaha to make a decision.
And that reaction naturally fell into Utaha's eyes.
Under normal circumstances, Utaha would have mercilessly scolded Eriri, teaching her that one should be prepared before acting.
But at this moment, she merely sighed, without her usual sharp tongue.
She owed Eriri a favor.
"Let's think together. We'll definitely find him."
She could not wait five years.
Deep in her heart, a voice had already told her that if she truly waited five years, she might never see that man again.
And giving her a five-year promise without leaving a name or any contact information—nothing except a promise—
That also angered Utaha.
Now that her body had gradually calmed down, she had returned to her usual self.
She wanted to find him.
She wanted to ask him everything.
"Okay."
Eriri nodded heavily.
"Then, Sawamura-san, what's your purpose in helping me?"
"Of course it's…"
Eriri bared her fang, baring her teeth fiercely.
"That guy made me suffer such humiliation today. I have to make him pay it back double, or else how am I, Sawamura Spencer Eriri, supposed to hold my head high at school?"
Eriri's desire for revenge burned intensely. She wanted to find that man, take revenge, and reclaim her dignity.
As for Utaha, Eriri decided to let her go.
After all, Utaha had cried far too miserably. She did not want to pursue the matter further.
Black-stockings losing heroine—this was the new label Eriri gave Utaha.
Though, for some reason, the term "losing heroine" felt oddly familiar.
"Then let's… find that… scumbag together!"
Eriri reached out.
The two of them clasped hands.
...
Finally, after confirming that he had disappeared from Utaha's field of vision, Haizaki stopped beside a utility pole around the corner.
The turbulent emotions surging within him ultimately made it impossible for him to maintain a normal state any longer.
He needed time to calm the turmoil in his heart.
She truly no longer had any memories of Solitary Apocalypse.
It was a fact he had known for a year, a fact the system had confirmed repeatedly. Yet as a human being, he still clung to a faint, fragile hope.
Utaha—
Maybe she still remembered.
Maybe the moment she saw him, she would recall the year they had spent together.
But…
Even though Utaha's voice trembled, even though tears streamed down her face, she had indeed forgotten him.
She had forgotten the experiences of Solitary Apocalypse.
"Wait a little longer. Give me some more time."
No matter what he was going to do, he needed more time.
Right now, the only choice he had was—
Haizaki pressed a hand to his chest, choosing to temporarily set aside this throbbing emotion and devote himself fully to preparing for the Disaster Apocalypse.
When everything ended, he would stand before Utaha with the brightest smile and tell her—he had completed the important things he had no choice but to do.
"Are you okay? This… is for you."
A girl's voice, calm like still water, reached his ears.
Haizaki looked over and saw a short-haired black-haired girl standing to his front-left, holding out a handkerchief toward him.
When had she appeared?
But when Haizaki clearly saw her face, he knew this was not an accident.
"No need. Thank you."
With a puzzled expression, Haizaki shook his head and did not take the handkerchief.
"But… I think crying once would be a very good choice."
Megumi's voice remained flat, her tone that of someone addressing a stranger, yet her actions were those toward a familiar person.
"Even boys can cry when they encounter sad things. It doesn't make them weak."
Megumi pushed the handkerchief into Haizaki's hand with a bit of force.
Faced with the girl's kindness, Haizaki could not let the handkerchief fall to the ground.
That would have been too hurtful.
After all, Megumi was also someone he knew. Someone he knew in a previous life.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. And I haven't encountered anything sad."
Judging from what had just happened, it was not something that could be called "him encountering sadness."
Yet as Haizaki looked at Megumi, he noticed her brows knit slightly.
"Is that so? Then why do your black eyes give off such a sorrowful feeling?"
That was somewhat impolite.
Yet Megumi said it aloud.
Her eyes stared directly into Haizaki's. He blinked quickly and immediately adjusted his emotions.
"Your imagination."
His ability to regulate his emotions was strong, especially when he was aware of another person's presence.
Even he himself knew that he had begun to put on a façade. But to adapt to this world, disguising himself was necessary.
"Then… perhaps it really is my imagination."
Megumi's voice remained calm, seemingly devoid of any personal emotion.
But upon hearing this response, Haizaki understood that the girl in front of him did not truly think it was imagination.
After all, she was Kato Megumi.
That girl who occasionally delivered startling and piercing remarks.
"Mm. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Haizaki decided to leave. The girl before him made him feel considerable pressure.
"The handkerchief… you haven't returned it to me."
Haizaki had taken fewer than three steps when he heard the girl's flat voice behind him.
Only then did he realize that he was still holding her handkerchief in his right hand.
"Sorry."
He really did need to return it.
Haizaki turned around, intending to end this exchange quickly. The longer he stayed, the more likely complications would arise.
His instincts told him that Kato Megumi appearing here was a major issue.
Skipping class to appear in front of him was definitely not just to hand him a handkerchief.
And more importantly—why would she give him a handkerchief and think he was sad? That made no sense.
"Do you dislike me?"
The moment Haizaki turned around, he was met with the girl's direct question.
"You seem to want to distance yourself from me."
"Did I do something to you? Like Kasumigaoka-senpai…"
The moment those words fell, Haizaki's heart surged violently.
In an instant, he wondered whether Megumi possessed memories from the previous life.
Only that would explain such an unreasonable remark.
But…
Was that really possible?
"What are you talking about?"
Haizaki frowned and spoke with a puzzled expression. His reaction and demeanor showed no flaws.
But whether it could fool Megumi—he had no confidence.
"What I mean is… did I, like Kasumigaoka-senpai, forget about you?"
Her words were calm like still water, as if they carried no great weight.
"Huh? Are you… hitting on me?"
That should work, right?
No girl liked being accused of flirting.
"Flirting? Perhaps. Because of certain reasons, I often experience some… accidents."
This was indeed a fact of Megumi's life.
Even her parents and sister often forgot about her existence. This had continued since the moment she became self-aware.
"So when I met you yesterday, I felt a kind of familiarity, like déjà vu."
"I feel that before yesterday, we might have met somewhere…"
Originally, that was all Megumi had thought.
She would not have pursued it further.
But after witnessing the shocking scene between Haizaki and Utaha just now, she suddenly considered a possibility. And seeing Haizaki's intimate behavior toward Utaha, she instinctively felt uncomfortable.
"Did we know each other before? Maybe you're the same as me. Maybe that's why I've forgotten about you until now."
At this moment, Megumi stared at Haizaki. Her eyes shimmered faintly as her right hand rested lightly on her chest, feeling her heartbeat, as if reinforcing her words.
Now—
Haizaki more or less understood the reason behind Megumi's behavior and words.
But the root cause of that sense of familiarity…
That was hard to say.
Was it a convergence of worldlines in parallel worlds?
Or had the memories of the Megumi he knew influenced the girl in front of him?
Or—
There were many possible explanations for Megumi's sense of familiarity.
But in the end, it was only a feeling.
Without memories, it held little meaning.
She did not know his name, did not know his contact information, and would have no future interaction with him. Eventually, Megumi would forget all of this and return to walking along her original life path.
"I don't have that kind of trait. I may be ordinary, but not so ordinary that people forget me. My presence is quite strong," Haizaki replied.
The conversation could end here.
"I… never said it was… presence."
Her gaze was earnest, filled with a meaning that invited interpretation.
And at that moment, Haizaki instantly understood—
He had fallen into a trap Megumi had laid.
Truly terrifying.
"I noticed your presence issue yesterday, and just now…"
Haizaki did not panic. In an instant, he constructed an explanation.
"You were able to appear within three meters of me without making a sound. Aside from low presence, the only other possibility is that you've received professional training. I can't think of any other explanation."
He deliberately blurred Megumi's speculation about his profession.
Words like "professional training" easily led people to think of agents or assassins.
"Or could it be that you're… special personnel?"
Megumi froze for a moment.
No matter how calm her words were, at her core, she was still only a sixteen-year-old girl.
...