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It turned out food delivery on Itogami Island really was as slow as Asagi said.
Bokue had placed the order just after eleven, but by the time it arrived, it was already past half-past twelve. The two spent their lunch leisurely playing games while eating, and by the time they'd finished, it was already after two in the afternoon.
"Ah~ I'm exhausted! Let's take a break—I'm done playing!"
In her room, utterly defeated by her childhood friend with an overwhelming final score of twenty-nine to four, Asagi tossed the game controller carelessly onto the pillow behind her. With a dramatic sigh, she flopped backward onto her soft bed.
It was exactly like when they were kids—no matter how many times she tried, victory was beyond her reach.
Asagi was genuinely a top-tier hacker—an undisputed genius with C-language. Even the top-level security protocols governing the island's core networks were mere child's play if she put her mind to breaching them.
She'd even attempted desperate measures when she was young, going as far as unpacking the game's files they played together, meticulously studying and mastering every technique and hidden trick possible.
And yet… she'd ended up losing even more tragically.
It wasn't a matter of knowledge or strategy—just pure reaction speed and innate ability.
Logically, after so many years, she should have gotten much better. And perhaps she had. But the brutal reality was that those four victories today were clearly just Bokue intentionally going easy on her, probably to spare her feelings.
But somehow, this only made Asagi feel even more frustrated.
She glanced absently toward the window, where the sky had suddenly darkened ominously, hinting that a fierce storm could erupt at any moment. Reaching out, she lightly tugged at the hem of Bokue's shirt, signaling for him to lie down beside her.
"Hey, Bokue—stay here and talk with me a little."
"Hm?"
"Oh—wait, hang on a second…"
Just as Bokue prepared to put the game controller back on its charging dock under the TV, he glanced over in confusion. Before he could rise, the blonde girl who'd been lying next to him suddenly sat upright, quickly hopping barefoot across the floor to the television. She hastily unplugged the headset and microphone cables, breathing a small sigh of relief before finally returning to lie down beside him once again.
"There, now there's nothing to worry about."
??
"Oh, nothing really~"
Seeing Bokue's puzzled expression, Asagi suppressed a giggle, lightly biting her lip.
"Alright, spill it then—why did you suddenly leave ten years ago?"
"What do you mean, 'suddenly'?"
Turning his head while lying beside her, Bokue's gaze shifted from staring at the ceiling to directly meeting Asagi's eyes. Lying side-by-side, only half of her pretty face was visible amidst the softness of the bedcovers, her sweet, pleasant scent gently brushing past his nose.
"I clearly informed everyone before I left. I had Ryūji relay the news to Yura. Irina had moved away earlier, so I couldn't notify her..."
"But you never told me."
Asagi's wine-red eyes closed halfway, her dark, delicate eyelashes fluttering gently with emotion.
"Actually, I did intend to—but you weren't home that day," Bokue explained.
"Not home…? Which day exactly?"
Momentarily taken aback, Asagi asked carefully.
Bokue pondered for a moment before precisely stating the date.
Asagi became even more surprised, her eyes widening slightly.
"That day… that was when Dad officially became a member of Itogami City Council. Dad said it was a really important event, so he dragged me and my mom—who had just recovered—along with him…"
"Exactly."
Bokue calmly continued,
"When I visited your house that day, there was nobody home."
"But… you could have at least left a note or something!" the blonde girl replied, her voice tinged with slight grievance.
"And where would I have found pen and paper at the last minute? By then, everything was packed and ready. Besides, I had told Ryūji to inform Yura beforehand. Who knew when he'd relay that message? If I'd gotten stopped before even leaving Kyoto, wouldn't that have been troublesome?"
Bokue sighed lightly, staring upwards as though replacing a shrug.
"Besides, I figured you'd surely go ask Yura. She could've told you everything then."
"I did ask!" Asagi quickly countered. "But even Yura-chan didn't know! She just said you'd left!"
"Oh, that's true…"
This time, Bokue offered no further excuses.
Indeed, when he'd instructed Ryūji, he'd never mentioned exactly where he was headed. His lengthy explanation had essentially boiled down to two things: "I'm leaving—don't follow me."
In hindsight, perhaps that had indeed been a bit irresponsible.
Or, at least, impolite and inconsiderate.
"So where exactly did you go all these years?"
When Asagi asked this question, she'd abandoned any previous attempt at pretending nonchalance. Her voice was now tinged with genuine vulnerability, sounding like a small, aggrieved girl left waiting far too long.
Bokue answered succinctly:
"I traveled westward overseas, training and exploring until just earlier this year."
"Hmm… So now you're in Tokyo doing what exactly?"
"Attending school."
"Huh?!"
It was as though she'd heard something utterly absurd—like Goku enrolling at a community college after winning the World Martial Arts Tournament. Momentarily stunned, Asagi struggled to process this.
School? Him? Was he joking?
"I'm studying at Kuoh Academy in Tokyo. It's actually pretty nice," Bokue said, a faint note of weary resignation in his voice.
"Life costs money, you know. If I want to earn a living, that's how it goes~"
"…"
Asagi fell completely silent.
She didn't exactly know Bokue's current circumstances, but it genuinely sounded like he intended to attend school and later take up a normal job?
Was he serious…?
"Then… have you ever thought about settling down permanently on Itogami Island?"
After a hesitant pause, the blonde girl gathered her courage, softly voicing her deepest hidden question.
"Not anytime soon, probably," Bokue answered without hesitation.
"But anyway, Tokyo isn't very far. With my abilities, I can easily travel back and forth whenever I want. The reason I haven't come before now is simply because I didn't know you lived here. But now that I do, whenever you have free time in the future, I can always—"
Boom!
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden streak of lightning split open the darkened sky outside the window. Blinding white light instantly flooded the dim room, illuminated only faintly by the TV screen.
Yet, in that brief momentary flash, an unforgettable scene etched itself into the shadows on the bedroom wall—two silhouettes merging softly into one.
Bokue's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
A gentle, warm touch lingered upon his lips. Even after the lightning faded, the sensation persisted sweetly, vividly imprinting itself upon him.
After a long, breathless moment, the girl finally lifted her head slightly from their intimate contact. Her lips parted slowly, a whisper trembling softly between them:
"No—I don't want to simply keep waiting around for you anymore."
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