After the earthquake stopped, Utaha could no longer hear any sounds from outside.
Enclosed and dark, without a single ray of light, her nostrils filled with the suffocating, unpleasant smell of dust. The rubble above had completely isolated her from the world outside.
"Thump, thump…"
She could now hear her own heartbeat clearly—strong, forceful beats.
It was proof that she was still alive, but at this moment, it only made her more uneasy.
The fear spreading through her heart made her restless. She wanted to get out; she did not want to just sit under the rubble, waiting for death to arrive.
But she understood—no one could save her. All her struggles were futile. Therefore, she did not scream or call out; she simply suppressed her fear and sat quietly.
Apart from thinking and recalling memories, she had nothing else to do.
Her life had spanned seventeen years, and her most vivid memories were of the time before she became a well-known, bestselling light novel author.
It was the first time she had encountered failure in her life.
Her first novel, Love Metronome, Volume One, sold terribly. The series was likely to be cut short before Volume Three. Her pride suffered a heavy blow.
But apart from persistence, she had no other choice.
She had thought things would continue this way until she graduated from high school and then moved on to a new life at university. But who could have imagined she would suddenly encounter such a drastic change in the world?
The entire world had vanished. Out of the vast world, only two people remained, and she was trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building because of the earthquake.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Utaha muttered in a low voice as she curled up. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to be strong.
Death had arrived suddenly. She had no power to resist, no possibility of rescue from anyone else. She could only gradually move toward death.
"At least if I die like this, my body will remain intact."
Images of earthquake victims on TV appeared in her mind. Utaha comforted herself with that thought.
All she could do now was find some small solace, some mental comfort.
"Plop, plop…"
In the darkness, faint sounds came from outside.
Footsteps.
A glimmer of hope flashed through her mind, but she immediately lowered her head and mocked herself silently.
"No one could possibly come. Stop thinking that way."
Utaha forced a self-mocking smile. She realized she was hallucinating; she still secretly hoped someone would come to rescue her.
"It's just… I really… can't accept it."
Time passed, though it felt both long and short. Utaha gradually lost all sense of time.
She felt cold. Crossing her arms tightly around her knees, curling her body, it seemed that only this position gave her even a little warmth.
"I haven't finished writing the sequel to Love Metronome. I haven't experienced love yet. I haven't traveled the world. I haven't worn a wedding dress and walked down the aisle yet. I haven't…"
Finally, after the long darkness and silence had gradually corroded her mind, she revealed the fragile, vulnerable side of the girl within.
Tears hung at the corners of her eyes. Even though she tried to suppress her fear and unwillingness, the sound of her sobbing still exposed the cruel reality of her mental collapse.
In this deserted world, facing the imminent reality of death, her reason finally began to break down.
Even though she knew sorrow, resentment, and crying were useless—they could not change her situation—even though she knew she needed to be strong and should not shed tears even in death, her tears flowed uncontrollably. They merged with her sobs, forming a sorrowful symphony.
"Plop, plop, clang…"
Footsteps?
Utaha suddenly lifted her head. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her breathing quickened, and hope flickered in her mind.
Was there really someone here?
"Plop…"
"Kasumigaoka Utaha-san, if you can hear my voice, respond…"
There really was someone!
A tremendous joy erupted within her like a volcanic explosion, filling her chest completely. The cold that had gripped her body vanished, replaced by a burning warmth that coursed through her entire body.
"I'm here, I'm here, Yusuke-san… cough, cough, cough…"
Utaha instinctively stood up, but her head struck a concrete slab above. She curled back down, covering her head with her hands. Dust that had settled in the confined space was stirred up again, causing her to cough.
"Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?"
Haizaki's greatest worry was whether Utaha was bleeding. If there was a wound, he would have to speed up the rescue.
"No, I'm not hurt…"
Haizaki let out a slight sigh of relief. As long as she was not injured, it was fine.
"Don't move. Cover your mouth and nose. Curl your body up and protect yourself. I'll rescue you right away…"
From her voice, Haizaki could roughly determine the girl's location. The scattered rubble was not too severe, not overly difficult. As long as he had time, he could rescue Kasumigaoka.
"Mm, mm…"
From the moment she was trapped under the debris, deep in her heart she had longed for someone to come and rescue her. The only person she could hope for was Haizaki.
Yet rationally, she knew Haizaki could not possibly appear here.
He did not know her location.
But in reality… Haizaki had come. When she was overwhelmed by despair, cloaked in the shadow of death, he appeared—bringing hope and the light of life.
...
After obtaining Utaha's home address from Toyogasaki Academy, Haizaki ran all the way there.
Arriving with a heart full of anxiety, he saw a collapsed house. His entire body froze in fear, imagining that the girl might have already died.
If he had proactively contacted Kasumigaoka,
This would never have happened.
Utaha might still be alive.
If even he gave up hope, the girl truly would have had no chance to survive.
Moreover, she might not even be here, but somewhere else in Tokyo.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha-san, if you can hear my voice, respond…"
Seconds passed,
Yet there was still no reply. Haizaki's heart sank to the bottom.
Had something really happened?
"I'm here, I'm here, Yusuke-san… cough, cough, cough…"
Her sweet voice, filled with excitement, made him realize how happy she was at his arrival.
...