Two-dimensional Doomsday Countdown

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After Yuji left, Kasumigaoka Utaha let out a sigh of relief and sank back into the bathtub, enjoying the warmth of the water.

Half an hour later, she finally decided to finish her bath and stood up. Warm water splashed around her as she stepped out of the tub. She dried herself off with a towel, leaned forward slightly, and cautiously opened the bathroom door.

A few pieces of clothing were laid neatly near the door, and the tags revealed that they were all brand new.

Her wet black hair dripped water, and the droplets shimmered charmingly under the hotel room's light.

"Hairdryer... where's the hairdryer..."

After a moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha found it. Once plugged in and switched on, the dryer buzzed to life, and her long black hair fluttered gently in the hot air.

She gathered her hair and let it fall behind her shoulders, silky and loose.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she was pleased to see that her beauty had returned. The shadow of death from the earthquake had finally lifted.

"Click..."

At the sound of the door opening, Kasumigaoka Utaha jumped, nearly dropping the hairdryer.

"Yuji-san, would you mind knocking or ringing the bell next time?"

Yuji hadn't expected Kasumigaoka Utaha to start being so particular about privacy now.

But really—this was his fault.

"Sure."

Holding a tray of food, Yuji closed the door and stepped into the hotel room.

"Dinner is instant noodles with sausage and crackers. Hope that's okay."

The moment Kasumigaoka Utaha caught the smell of the noodles, a wave of nausea rose in her stomach. She was hungry, but after eating instant noodles for four or five days straight, she was sick of them.

She would much rather eat just the crackers and sausages.

"Yuji-kun, why don't you eat my portion of the noodles? I'll just have the crackers and sausage. Oh, and give me the milk too!"

"Fine by me, but… haven't you been eating instant noodles all these past days?"

"Haven't I?"

She opened the pack of crackers, poked a straw into the milk carton, and asked casually.

"Actually... no."

She stopped and gave Yuji a curious glance.

"I've been cooking — stir-fried rice, noodles, that kind of stuff. This is the first time I've had instant noodles in nearly a week."

Yuji nodded, slurping down his bowl like it was the best thing in the world.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips twitched — she didn't even know what to say.

"I'll cook something hot for breakfast tomorrow, probably around 7:30. If all goes well, we should be able to leave for the Eastern Union by 2 p.m."

Since she had piloted a helicopter before, Kasumigaoka didn't even bother asking if Yuji could fly a civilian aircraft.

"I see... Have you thought about the future?"

That was the real issue both of them faced.

Should they just live day by day — or plan and live a meaningful life?

Of course, what worried Kasumigaoka Utaha most was how the two of them would coexist from now on.

"Live. Live well. Live meaningfully."

The girl stared into Yuji's deep eyes, trying to take in the full meaning of those words.

"First of all, Yuji-kun, I want to thank you sincerely for saving my life."

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood and bowed deeply to Yuji.

In that moment, it was the most honest gratitude she could express.

"I accept your thanks." Yuji noticed a trace of hesitation on her face.

"You've got something else on your mind, haven't you? Go ahead, say it. It's perfectly normal for girls to have concerns and worries about certain things."

Yuji's words made Kasumigaoka Utaha feel relieved.

She had feared that he might be offended or upset by her cautious thoughts.

But his words now felt like a gesture of trust.

"Well..." She opened her mouth but paused again. What she wanted to say wasn't pleasant — in fact, it could be painful to hear.

"Just say it. If we're honest now, we'll understand each other better in the future. Holding things back only leads to problems later on."

Yuji encouraged her with a soft smile.

"Okay." Kasumigaoka Utaha thought Yuji truly was a calm and rational person.

"What… what do you think of me?"

She asked carefully, hoping Yuji would understand the deeper meaning behind her question.

The room grew quiet, the tension so high they could hear each other's breath.

"You're worried that I might have improper thoughts about you — that I might do something to you?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha stiffened, her eyes trembled, but she bit her lip and refused to act weak.

"Yes."

She looked at Yuji. Though her expression was a little awkward, that was her honest concern. It was better to get this out now, for the sake of the life ahead of them.

"First of all, you're very beautiful. Truly. Your looks and your figure — they're exceptional, even among women. I'm sure you know better than I do how attractive and tempting you are to men."

Yuji stated it plainly, without any hesitation.

"So, I understand your worries. Right now, we're just a man and a woman traveling together — and you barely know me. If I simply said, 'I won't hurt you,' there's no way you could just blindly believe that."

"I'm sorry..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't expected him to be so blunt.

"No need to apologize. I told you — I understand. If I were in your shoes, I'd be just as suspicious, maybe even keep my distance and live alone."

Danger often comes from those closest to us.

Only those who are careful can survive longer.

"Thank you. I think it's better to clarify things now — it'll help us live more peacefully going forward."

Kasumigaoka Utaha felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

Being open like this really helped.

"After all... even if you forced me, you'd only get my body — not my heart."

She said it half-joking, half-serious.

"I don't want your heart."

Kasumigaoka Utaha widened her eyes in shock. Something shattered inside her.

That twist hit faster than she expected. She hadn't thought Yuji would be that direct.

"Are all men like this?"

She suddenly wondered if all his kind words before had just been a game, a tease.

A little... sad.

A bit... hurt.

"...Hey."

Yuji noticed Kasumigaoka had misunderstood.

"You got it wrong. I don't want your heart or your body. I just hope we can live together..."

He paused, and Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned in slightly.

"My friend — I hope we can become companions, living side by side."

Companions who might only stay together for a year — but share that time completely.

"Mm..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, then took a moment to compose herself.

Some things were better said out loud.

"I'll do my best to repay you for saving my life, within my capabilities."

"That's enough. Besides, I feel like you still have one more thing to say..."

"What is it?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked.

"'Even if you were the last man on earth, I still wouldn't fall in love with you...'"

Yuji said with a grin.

Surprisingly, he had now lived through a moment where that classic line actually made sense.

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