Taking off from Nagoya Airport, Haizaki spent a total of four hours piloting the aircraft before finally arriving in Wuhua City.
At this moment, Utaha had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. As for Haizaki's right hand…
it was still being held by the girl, only the position had changed.
Now, his right hand rested against the most beautiful, softest, and warmest part of a girl's body.
With just a slight movement, he could fully experience that soft, elastic sense of containment.
Haizaki glanced sideways. The girl's eyes were tightly shut, her long eyelashes faintly trembling. Her steady breathing caused her chest to rise and fall rhythmically.
A beautiful girl—no matter her posture—naturally radiated an attraction that drew the eye, a beauty and charm that made one keenly aware of her loveliness.
"Kasumigaoka-san, Kasumigaoka-san…" Haizaki placed his left hand on the girl's shoulder and gently shook her.
"We've arrived. You can wake up now."
"Mm…"
Utaha instinctively let out a soft hum, clearly still immersed in the sweetness of sleep.
"Wake up. If you don't, I'll leave you behind."
Her closed eyelids snapped open. Her wine-red eyes were slightly unfocused at first; after a moment, her pupils adjusted and her gaze settled on Haizaki.
"We're… there?"
She seemed to recall hearing Haizaki say he would leave her behind—was that real, or just a dream?
She felt a little confused. She was afraid of being alone, afraid of not having Haizaki by her side, even if she did not want to admit it herself.
"Yes. It's 4:30 p.m. Eastern Union time. We need to move quickly."
Once night fell, many things would become difficult.
Moreover, they did not know whether Wuhua City's power supply was functioning normally. If there were a blackout, they would face even more problems tonight.
"Alright, I understand."
She replied, but then realized the position she was in. She had been holding Haizaki's right hand tightly against her chest, and she could clearly feel the sensations coming from his hand.
What should she do?
How could she resolve this awkward situation?
She released her grip, letting her hands fall naturally. The entire motion took less than a second, but to her, it felt as though countless years had passed. That single second was unbearably long.
Filled with unease and embarrassment, Utaha finally glanced sideways at Haizaki, wanting to see how he would react.
Haizaki's expression did not change. Calm and composed, his gaze remained steady. As if everything were perfectly normal, he withdrew his hand and unfastened his seatbelt.
That was it—just like that?
Seeing how normal Haizaki acted, Utaha felt relieved, yet also a little disappointed.
This was probably for the best. Pretending nothing had happened would spare them both any awkwardness.
After leaving the pilot's seat, Haizaki stopped, turned around, and said to her, "Do you need any help?"
Utaha froze for a moment, not immediately understanding what he meant. But her not-yet-fully-awake mind soon recalled what had happened during takeoff—at that time, she had not even had the strength to stand.
"I'm much better now."
After a restful sleep, she felt her condition had improved significantly. Even when she consciously recalled the earthquake and volcanic eruption, she no longer felt intense panic.
Had she overcome it?
Probably not yet.
She still needed more time to completely escape the shadow of the earthquake.
…
After getting off the plane, Haizaki quickly found a vehicle. Once inside, he casually opened the electronic navigation map and entered their overnight destination.
"You chose a place to settle before you came?"
From the passenger seat, Utaha noticed how quickly Haizaki operated the navigation. It was obvious he had prepared thoroughly.
"It's just a temporary place to stay. For somewhere suitable for long-term living, I need to inspect the area in person. At the very least, the residence must have an independent power supply."
Haizaki started the car and followed the navigation instructions forward.
The destination was only ten kilometers away. Given their current speed and possible traffic, about forty minutes should be enough.
"Places like that must be rare, right?"
"Not many, but I've already identified a few. At the latest, I should be able to decide by the day after tomorrow."
After hearing that, Utaha did not ask further questions.
She left everything to Haizaki.
But the scenery outside the window…
Compared to Tokyo, this Eastern Union city gave her a striking first impression: the streets were extremely wide.
Yet, just like Tokyo, it was equally desolate—no people in sight, completely lacking the bustle and liveliness a city should have. Even thousands of kilometers away, the Eastern Union was the same. Utaha finally let go of her last trace of hope.
The entire world truly seemed to have only him and her left.
…
Twenty minutes later, Haizaki arrived at their destination.
It was an ordinary hotel, its advantage being its location.
Less than a hundred meters away stood a large, well-known supermarket in Wuhua City. In addition, it was close to the city government, and the Wuhua City command headquarters was not far either.
From the very beginning, Haizaki had considered that residences designated for military and political leadership would be the most suitable for the two of them to live in long-term.
Those villas would likely be equipped with independent power sources.
Accustomed to modern life, neither he nor she could do without electricity.
"We'll stay at this hotel for the next couple of days. Once I find a suitable place to settle, we'll move there…"
Haizaki pointed toward the villas not far away as he spoke. While a five-star hotel was also an option, it really was not necessary. If Utaha requested it, he would not mind taking her there. After all, everything in the world now belonged to them.
"Mm, okay."
Utaha did not mind where they stayed tonight. To her, everywhere was the same.
A foreign country, an unfamiliar city. As night approached, she felt even more coldness and loneliness from the outside world.
Only the person beside her could give her a trace of familiarity, a trace of security.
Thinking of this, she moved a little closer to Haizaki.
She knew she needed to overcome her psychological issues. But at least for today—on the first day she had left her homeland and was about to begin living in this foreign country for the rest of her life—let her lean on him just a little.
Starting tomorrow, she would become the Utaha she once was: strong, aloof, and full of confidence.
In this world, she had no choice but to make herself strong and resilient.
If someday in the future Haizaki disappeared, she would at least have to survive… no matter what.
Recalling the feelings she had experienced during the two times she thought Haizaki had vanished, Utaha reminded herself not to become too dependent on him.
…