"Are you staying at the hotel to wait for my update, or coming with me?"
After breakfast, Haizaki asked. He needed to prepare for takeoff.
Choosing the aircraft, clearing the runway for departure, confirming satellite positioning, the flight route, and the weather conditions at the landing area in the Eastern Union—
All of this required a great deal of time.
"I'll go with you…" There was nothing to do if she stayed behind. If she went along, she could at least help Haizaki somehow—even if it was just lending a hand.
"That's fine. But be mindful of what you do. Don't touch anything randomly…"
"I'm not a child."
Utaha sounded annoyed, her wine-red eyes filled with displeasure.
"Anyone underage is a child."
"Then so are you."
"You really are a child."
She was so irritated she couldn't respond.
Don't get angry. Don't argue with this man. In the end, I'll be the one who suffers.
Thinking this, Utaha endured it.
Only after arriving at the site and following Haizaki through the aircraft's pre-flight preparations did she realize how useless she was.
She had come with the intention of assisting him, of showing her worth—but in the end, faced with most of Haizaki's tasks, she could only stand aside awkwardly, like a wooden post, watching.
She couldn't help with the technical preparations for takeoff. The only way she could contribute was by doing small things—handing over tools, passing water...
...and wiping sweat.
Yes, Utaha wiped his sweat.
When she noticed sweat on Haizaki's forehead about to slide into his eyes, she picked up a tissue and wiped it away for him.
Did it feel awkward?
A little. As a girl, performing such an intimate act for a man naturally stirred a sense of embarrassment. When she first noticed the sweat, she hesitated for quite some time, debating whether to wipe it. In the end, seeing it about to drip into his eyes, she acted.
It was a very small thing—anyone could do it. Even if she didn't, Haizaki could have done it himself.
But it was in these small details that her way of doing things showed. She wanted to make it clear to Haizaki that she absolutely did not wish to be a useless burden.
They were equals. Perhaps she couldn't help much right now, but in the future, she would certainly be able to prove her worth and contribute to their shared life.
Haizaki was briefly surprised at first, but he didn't stop her.
Utaha wanting to do what she could and show her value was exactly what Haizaki wanted to see.
"Whew… finally finished…"
Haizaki let out a long breath. All the preparations were finally complete.
The ANA flight originally scheduled for April 2 at 8:15 a.m. to Linhai City—on that day, all of humanity had disappeared, leaving only this fully prepared aircraft waiting on the runway.
"Good work."
Utaha, holding a tissue, wiped the sweat from Haizaki's forehead once again. Including this time, she had done it at least five times.
Her expression had grown much calmer, though deep down, a faint trace of lingering embarrassment remained.
"Thank you…"
The girl's eyelashes trembled as she leaned closer. Her wine-red eyes shimmered with a captivating light, and her unique fragrance was refreshing. Haizaki had to admit that at this moment, Utaha—showing concern for him and wiping his sweat—radiated a gentle femininity.
Even though her expression remained cool and indifferent, Haizaki's heart still trembled unconsciously.
This gentleness was intoxicating.
"Thank you. I'll take care of it myself from here."
"This is all I can do right now. It's just a small thing. I also… want to help. Is that not okay?"
"Actually, it would be fine even if you did nothing."
"You want to treat me like a vase…"
She—Utaha—would never become a useless decorative vase. She had her own dignity and pride.
"No."
Utaha continued, "Even if you had that idea, you don't have that kind of appeal to me right now. And in the future, I think the 'possibility is extremely, extremely low.'"
Extremely, extremely low?
She didn't completely deny it? That didn't seem right. Given her personality, a total and absolute rejection would have been more in character.
Could it be…
Catching a hint of possibility, Haizaki felt an ominous premonition.
The pressure mounted.
"That's really a shame. I thought I had a chance."
He hurriedly organized his words, determined to cut off that possibility.
He absolutely could not let things develop in the direction he most wanted to avoid.
"The goddess who was once out of reach is still far beyond me."
Hearing Haizaki's self-mocking words, Utaha frowned, unease rising in her heart.
"I know my own situation very well. Don't worry. Right now, we're only living together out of necessity for survival. I promise I'll try to avoid anything that would make us uncomfortable."
"Mm. It's about both of us avoiding things that make either of us uncomfortable," Utaha reiterated.
"Don't worry. Time will prove everything."
Haizaki let out a slight sigh of relief.
As long as Utaha maintained that pride of hers until April 4 of next year, it would be fine.
He could control his own emotions and actions, but the one thing he couldn't control was the girl's feelings and behavior.
He didn't want Utaha to do anything that went beyond what he had planned.
Otherwise, he would inevitably be put in a passive position.
Having lived through the apocalypse with her before, Haizaki knew very well the charm possessed by a girl named "Kasumigaoka Utaha."
Her beautiful face, curvaceous figure, and fair skin gave her an almost flawless appearance. Based on looks alone, she could easily captivate countless men, while her outward strength and inner softness granted her a unique allure and charm.
It could be said that if she were willing to lower her guard and pursue a man, very few would be able to resist.
…