White clouds drifted like woven silk across the soothing blue sky.
As the passenger jet lifted into the air, feeling the acceleration press against her back, Utaha realized that from this moment on, she would likely never have another chance to return to the country where she was born, the homeland she knew so well.
This departure was for life—a final farewell to this land.
She turned her gaze downward toward the earth. Her familiar hometown, the cities she cherished, the culture, the scenery—everything here was precious to her now.
If she could, she did not want to leave. If she could, she wanted to live on this land forever. But she understood that she had no choice but to go.
Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the man beside her.
The only other human had already decided to leave Japan and return to his homeland.
Because of that, she was bound to make a compromise. She did not even suggest staying in Japan together, because she knew he would never agree.
"We'll come back someday. Don't worry," Haizaki said, noticing her gaze and trying to comfort her.
"If you're just trying to comfort me, please use a different reason."
"I'm serious."
"So am I. Right now, flying is relatively low-risk only because this plane was professionally maintained not long ago. As time passes, the risks will inevitably increase significantly. Even if you're willing to fly, I won't be willing to sit on it," Utaha spoke calmly, her wine-red eyes filled with seriousness.
"Then you can look forward to me mastering aircraft maintenance knowledge and related skills."
"Then I think swimming back to Japan would be more reliable."
She really didn't hold back at all.
This was supposed to give you something realistic to look forward to. In less than three hundred and sixty days, you could live in the world you longed for.
That world had family, friends—everything exactly as you hoped it would be.
"Then I'll look forward to you gaining the ability to swim back to Japan as soon as possible."
"I will. Just wait and see."
Takeoff, turning, circling, confirming orientation—Haizaki's series of continuous operations made Utaha secretly uneasy as she watched.
A passenger jet was far more complex than a helicopter, yet his handling left her astonished. A boy younger than her possessed such skill.
As she spent time with Haizaki, she often subconsciously forgot that he was younger than her, because his actions constantly radiated maturity.
"Let's go. We're setting off…"
This was Haizaki's way of reminding the girl that the journey was now officially beginning. Anyone, upon realizing they might be saying farewell to their homeland forever, would feel reluctant.
Even Haizaki was no exception.
"Mm…"
Utaha gazed toward the east. There stood Mount Fuji, Japan's most famous mountain. As a sacred mountain, it held a lofty place in their hearts.
This departure meant eternal separation.
"Goodbye… Japan…"
Utaha silently mourned, her sorrow flowing so strongly that even Haizaki beside her could clearly feel it.
This was the reaction of someone truly bidding farewell to their homeland.
At this moment, Utaha was very real.
"We'll come back. Believe me," Haizaki said.
This time, she did not refute him.
"Wait, what's that…"
A change in the distant scenery caught Utaha's attention, and she instinctively voiced her question.
Haizaki glanced in the direction of her gaze and froze, completely unsure of what was happening in the east.
Black smoke rose and spread, obscuring the distant sky. A rumbling thunderous sound reached their ears.
Both of their expressions changed drastically.
A sound that was unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar.
"It's… a volcanic eruption…"
Yes. There was no other possibility.
"Why would it erupt now… Why has our world become like this…"
Utaha stared blankly toward the east.
She knew it was Mount Fuji erupting. Fuji was an active volcano, but it had not erupted for three hundred years. Yet less than ten days after humanity vanished, and just one day after the massive earthquake, it erupted. She could not help but connect these events.
"Don't worry. Everything will pass."
They would not be affected by this eruption.
The plane had already adjusted its heading and was moving toward the Eastern Union.
"But… we…"
At this moment, Utaha recalled the terror of being dominated by the earthquake.
Her body trembled, cold sweat poured out, she began to shake, and her face turned pale.
Noticing this out of the corner of his eye, Haizaki's expression changed. Who would have thought she would have a stress-induced physical reaction at a time like this?
"Hey, Kasumigaoka-san, try to think positively!"
"Deep breaths—take deep breaths!"
He still needed some time to let the plane enter the stratosphere before switching to autopilot. Otherwise, there was a high risk of crashing.
"Huff… I can't… breathe…"
Because of the seatbelt, she was still strapped into the seat, but her face was deathly pale, and her words were beginning to stumble.
"Think about something else. The volcanic eruption can't threaten us, and the earthquake has already—"
Haizaki suddenly realized that the eruption was only the trigger. What truly caused her reaction was the earthquake.
At this moment, ignoring everything else, Haizaki reached out with his right hand and grabbed the girl's left hand.
"It's okay. I'm right here with you."
Physical contact had a high chance of alleviating stress responses.
"I'm… fine!"
Yet the girl tightly clutched Haizaki's right hand with both of hers, afraid that it might slip away if she loosened her grip even slightly.
"That's right. You're fine. Adjust your breathing. Think about fun things. Think about happy moments from before. Think about your parents. Think about your friends… think about—"
"They're all gone…"
She suppressed the intense sorrow and helplessness inside her. All this time, she had never shown weakness in front of a man.
But at this moment, she truly couldn't control it anymore.
Haizaki's entire body trembled.
This was his responsibility.
The system's random selection had brought her into the "Solitary Apocalypse" world.
It was the system's choice, and he had to bear this responsibility. He had no intention of shirking or escaping it.
"They will appear. One day, they will appear before you."
"Really…?"
Her words were filled with a complex sigh of desperation mixed with restrained hope.
"Really. They will. Since they could suddenly disappear, they can naturally reappear just as suddenly. We only need to live well."
"Mm…"
Feeling the solid warmth coming from Haizaki's right hand, she finally began to calm down, softly responding with a quiet "mm."
…