After that discussion and all the introductions, which took around an hour in total, we disbanded. Qin Yao told us he would sort out all the groups based on the information he got from our introductions, and inform us of them at 6 PM today - which is also when we would et back up and set out for the forest. For now, we were free to do our own thing. It was approximately 10:30 AM right now, still far too early for lunch. I had a good hour of free ti to kill before then.
Chiaki Furuwa wanted to leave imdiately after the discussion was finished, but after following her for so distance, I stopped her, grabbing her hand. We were now safely out of Qin Yao's earshot, so I made my move.
"Hold on."
"H-Huh? Igarashi... what? Hey, why are you touching ?!" she yelled, forcefully yanking her arm away and shooting a look of disgust. Hm... she rembered my na. That was surprising.
"Relax," I said, sighing. "I just wanted to know... why do you hate Qin Yao so much?"
"Huh? What do you an?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't play dumb. I saw you flick that pebble at him earlier. That's what made him fall."
I had to admit, this girl's accuracy and strength weren't half bad, to be able to strike that rock Qin Yao had been standing on with such precision. Her acting skills, however, needed so work.
"... So, you saw?"
"What. Afraid I'm going to rat you out?"
"Not in the least. I was just wondering if you were on his side, that's all."
I scoffed. "Him? He's the last person I would be on the side of."
"Why, you can't stand his arrogant personality either?" she asked, a smirk on her face.
"Nah, not that... " I muttered. Then, after a short pause, I continued. "Would you believe ... if I said that he stole my credit?"
"Your credit...? You an, it was you who figured out how to kill the sabertooths last night?"
I shrugged. "Perhaps. Why don't you tell , what happened last night that made everyone acknowledge him as the one who discovered the thod?"
Furuwa scratched her head. "Well, uh... I just rember being in the middle of reading the new species entry that had popped up on my screen when I heard a voice yell to aim for the inside of their mouths. It was Qin Yao who yelled this, obviously. The guards imdiately listened to his instructions, and killed the sabertooths easily."
"So Qin Yao didn't even actually slay a sabertooth?" I asked, surprised. It seed I had overestimated him.
"Nope. I just saw him yelling instructions. There was a sabertooth-like figure lying a little distance away from him that seed to be unmoving, but before I could make sure what it was, it disappeared into shards of light. I don't think he killed it though. I an, we're all around level 10s here. The new species entry said that sabertooths were enemies far above our level, no?"
I chuckled. "Sure, they may be, but... would you believe if I told you that dead sabertooth you saw was killed by ?"
Furuwa's expression imdiately changed into one of disbelief and skepticism. "Huh? Who're you trying to impress? Please, if you're trying to pick up girls, at least co up with a more believable lie."
Ouch. That one hurt. But unfortunately for her, I hadn't been lying, nor was I trying to pick her up. Oh well.
"As I thought, no one would believe it, huh?" I muttered, shaking my head in disappointnt. "Whatever."
"You really expected people to believe that? God, you're even more ignorant than Qin Yao."
Who's the ignorant one here, I wonder? I didn't bother saying that out loud though. She would find out the truth soon enough.
I had a bad feeling about tonight. Sothing tells that there's more to these Magic Beasts in the area, besides the 'plague'. Sothing felt 'off' about the way they all just retreated so systematically last night... almost as if soone - or sothing - was controlling them from behind the scenes. If that's really the case, then... chances are, we would have to encounter this mastermind tonight.
"By the way," I said as Furuwa began to walk away from . "What school are you from?"
"...Why do you want to know? Creep," she muttered in disdain.
The reason I asked this question was a hunch that I had. I was taking a gamble here, testing out if my LUC stat was really working.
"I'm in Tokyo tropolitan Fujimura High School," I continued, baiting her.
She stopped. "H-Huh? You're at Fujimura High? Wait, that ans..."
And... she took the bait.
"Hm... let guess. You're in Kawasaki High?"
"W-Wha... how the hell did you know?" she turned around and asked, now unsure of whether to be furious or afraid. Perhaps a bit of both.
"Calm down, I'm not a stalker or anything," I replied.
"That's what all stalkers say," Furuwa muttered.
Okay, I couldn't deny that one.
"Nah, listen, I'm being honest. I just thought I recognized your face from sowhere, that's all," I said. "I rember seeing soone who looked similar to you at a sports event during middle school. You were from a different school, but your performance during the girls' relay race was pretty outstanding, so I ended up rembering your face. And since the school you went to just happened to lead into Kawasaki High... that's all. It was just a hunch, really."
"What... you have one crazy mory."
"I'll take that as a complint."
"So? Was there sothing you wanted from ? Or did you just want to confirm what school I was in? If it's the latter, you're really a creep," Furuwa said with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips.
"I just wanted to ask you sothing," I replied calmly. "Do you know soone called Sakura Hina?"
Her eyes widened. "You know Sakura-senpai?!"
Hmph. 'Know' her? She's been my family for the past fourteen years, Furuwa. I didn't ntion that though.
"Yeah... she's an acquaintance of mine," I replied.
"No way, could it be... are you stalking her instead of ?!"
I rubbed my nasal bridge in exhaustion. "No... look. I just wanted to know if you know of her, that's all."
"How can I not know of her? She's, like, the most popular girl in the school!"
Hearing this, I smiled slightly. As expected of Hina-nee. No matter where she is, she always ends up being liked by everyone.
"I see. In that case, I have a favor to ask of you. On Monday, when you return to school... please let know whether or not she's doing okay."
"What... why wouldn't she be?"
"You ask far too many questions," I said, sighing. "If you don't want to do it, that's fine. I'll... find another thod."
Furuwa was still confused. "H-Hold on a minute, Igarashi-kun. What is your relationship with Sakura-senpai?"
I turned around, my back now facing her.
"I'm just soone who's been relying on her for the past 14 years. That's all."
*****
- anwhile, Earthen Reality Plane -
11:00 AM. I sat anxiously on Kaze-kun's bed, waiting for my father to text .
His scheduled interview with Ascentech was happening right now. I was waiting for my answers - the answers father promised he would find for . My answers, as to where Kaze-kun went...
... And more importantly, how I could get him back.
I picked up the blanket on the bed and brought it up to my nose. It slled exactly like Kaze-kun... but it was lacking the warmth of his body. My grip tightened on the fabric, and I told myself not to start crying again. What was crying going to do? Absolutely nothing. I wasn't a little girl anymore. I was 15. It was ti I matured.
But as seconds turned to minutes, my anxiety started to creep in. I started to get impatient. I started to give in to despair. Where was the text? Where were my answers? Where was Kaze-kun? Ten minutes passed, but every second felt like an eon. I was on the verge of giving up.
Until at last, my phone beeped. I imdiately picked it up, and I felt my heart stop beating when I saw the text my father had sent .
[I'm sorry, Hina.]
I dropped my phone on the bed.
He didn't need to go into details. He didn't need to say anymore. Just those three words were enough to break .
Kaze-kun... I miss you. I miss you so much. It hasn't even been a day since you disappeared, but I already cannot bear it anymore.
And then, as my gaze landed on the AR helt I bought for him, I thought struck .
Kaze-kun had been inside whatever ga he was playing when I unplugged the socket. That ans... his body should've disappeared into that ga, right?
Oh god... how did I not think of this before?!
I had been so overwheld by despair that I couldn't even think with a straight head. But now, everything beca clear. All I had to do was enter the ga myself. Then, I would be able to find Kaze-kun, and et him again. I couldn't use his helt, because I didn't know what would happen if I did - maybe that helt was related to his disappearance, sohow. I didn't want to risk vanishing from this world as well, so I had no choice but to get a new AR helt.
I leaped off the bed, quickly changed, and headed out in the direction of the video ga store, hoping that it was open on weekends.
Kaze-kun... I'm coming. Just wait for .
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