Seeing Eiji's handsome face, Haru quickly averted her gaze to the side, blushing.
"By the way, Kamiki-kun hasn't been coming lately, are you busy?"
"Um. I went to Kyoto and stayed there for a few days for some business."
Not feeling odd about her question, Eiji answered honestly without explaining his purpose in Kyoto.
He usually visited the Japanese candy Onodera every three days, and because of that, he became familiar with the people here, calling them by their first names. Besides, their surname is Onodera, so Nanako allows Eiji to call them by their first names
"So that's it... I've been to Kyoto during a school trip as well. The place is famous for its long history."
Haru didn't let the conversation end, she kept searching for topics to talk about to prolong their conversation.
"That's right. My friends dragged me to various iconic tourist spots in Kyoto. But, to be honest, I don't understand the appeal of those old buildings. For me, sightseeing historic buildings is quite boring."
"Uh... That's..."
Hearing Eiji's response, Haru didn't know what to say. She liked Kyoto, while the man she liked found Kyoto boring.
Their views were opposite!
"Hm...?"
"What's wrong, Kamiki-kun?"
Haru tilted her head in confusion as Eiji looked outside with a serious expression.
"..."
Eiji stood up without answering her question, he hurriedly left the store and observed his surroundings.
"Kamiki-kun? Aren't you going to buy the cake?"
Kosaki, offering cakes to passing pedestrians, turned and saw him not carrying anything in his hands.
This made her feel strange, considering the other party was one of their loyal customers.
"..."
As if not hearing, Eiji looked left and right.
"Woof Woof Woof."
"Meooonggg!!!"
Street dogs and cats continued barking and meowing. Apart from these two animals, birds in the sky flew in groups as if fleeing from something.
Except for Eiji and a few knowledgeable people, most people didn't pay attention to this natural phenomenon, they continued their Christmas Eve activities without realizing the disaster approaching.
"This is strange, animals are behaving abnormally."
When leaving the store, Haru also noticed the anomaly, as she followed what Eiji saw.
"Is something bad going to happen?"
The abnormal behavior of animals gave her an uncomfortable feeling, unconsciously she grabbed the hem of Eiji's clothes as if seeking safety.
"Trouble!!!"
"Haru, Kosaki, quickly get inside the store!"
Eiji received a warning from his intuition.
He never doubted the accuracy of his intuition. Thanks to the sharpness of his intuition, he had survived many assassination attempts during his inexperienced period.
"But I still have to work."
Kosaki looked at the remaining cakes on the table in front of her.
"Onee-chan, just take the cakes inside. Just listen to what Kamiki-kun says, okay? If nothing happens, that's good. But if something does happen, it's too late to save yourself."
Haru decided to trust Eiji. So, she tried to convince her older sister.
"Mhm... Then let me move the cakes inside."
Finally, Kosaki agreed, but she couldn't leave the cakes outside.
"There's no time."
Eiji grabbed the Onodera sisters' hands and pulled them both into the store.
(Kamiki-kun is holding my hand...)
(This is the first time a man has held my hand other than Ichijo-kun...)
Too shocked, Haru and Kosaki didn't resist.
"Hm? Kamiki-kun, is it okay if you want to date one of my daughters? Are you targeting Haru and Kosaki at the same time?"
Nanako witnessed the scene, her impression of Eiji dropped a few levels.
Previously, she liked him for boosting her store's profits. Since Eiji started becoming a regular customer, the store had been bustling with female buyers who wanted to see him.
Nanako even heard that local housewives would come to her store just to see the handsome young man rumored about.
"M-Mom, what are you talking about? It's a misunderstanding."
"Haru is right, it's not what it looks like."
Haru defended Eiji without intending to let go of his hand, while Kosaki withdrew her hand and kept her distance.
"Oh, then try to explain—"
"It's coming."
Before Nanako could finish her sentence, Eiji warned everyone.
Next moment, everything in the store shook.
"An earthquake? It doesn't seem too strong."
Japan is a country that often experiences earthquakes. Therefore, almost all buildings in this country are earthquake-resistant. At least, the buildings can withstand medium-scale earthquakes.
Aside from being slightly surprised, Nanako didn't panic and remained calm.
"This is it." Said Eiji.
Next, the earthquake initially not taken seriously by everyone, suddenly increased in strength drastically.
"Aaaahhhh!!!"
The entire store shook violently, furniture and other items began to fall to the ground.
Nanako, Kosaki, and Haru couldn't even stand stable due to the shaking.
Because only Eiji remained standing firmly like a mountain, Haru and Kosaki naturally grabbed onto him, which was an instinctive act to seek the safest place.
"Not good."
Realizing this store would collapse due to the earthquake, Eiji put Kosaki on his back, and Haru in a princess carry.
"Hold on tight, we're getting out of here. If we stay here, we'll be buried alive."
Feeling resistance from Kosaki who felt embarrassed, Eiji reminded her to stop struggling.
"I'm sorry."
After being reminded, Kosaki looked at the store's walls starting to crack and the roof of the building that could fall anytime.
"Kamiki-kun, save mom!"
Compared to her sister who prioritized embarrassment in such a situation, Haru worried about her mother's safety.
Eiji had taken her and her sister, how could he bring their mother?
"You two go first, I'll follow soon!"
Nanako tried to stand up but failed because the earthquake was too strong, making it difficult for people to stand, let alone run.
"Mom, let's go together! This store is about to collapse!"
After logic prevailed over embarrassment, Kosaki noticed her mother's condition. Because she was being carried, she didn't realize how difficult it was to stand in the midst of such a strong earthquake.
"Kamiki-kun, take Kosaki and Haru away from here. Just leave me, their futures are still long, please ensure their safety."
"Mom!"
"Mom!"
Kosaki and Haru cried upon hearing their mother's words.
"I refuse. Madam, you have to see your daughters' future for yourself."
Eiji walked towards Nanako.
"Kyaaa."
Feeling his hand touching her buttocks, Haru made a cute sound. Instantly, her face turned as red as an apple.
Eiji held Haru with one hand, while his other hand hugged Nanako's waist and lifted her easily.
"Wow, you're really strong, Kamiki-kun!" Nanako exclaimed in amazement.
"Oh."
Eiji quickly left the store.
A few seconds later, the store collapsed.
"Oh my god... This might be the biggest earthquake in Japanese history."
When they were outside, they witnessed many buildings collapse, cars crashing, pedestrians being hit by electric poles or collapsing buildings.
What shocked the three women the most was that even skyscrapers in the distance also collapsed. Fortunately, they were far enough away and didn't receive any impact.
(This is strange... Such a strong earthquake isn't in the plot. What actually happened?)
Accessing Lin Fan's memory, Eiji didn't find this event in the Nisekoi anime or manga.
Basically, Nisekoi tells the story of a protagonist who wants to find his childhood friend who promised to marry him in the future. In other words, there are few action elements, and most of it is about everyday life.
(Could my arrival be the trigger for this event? No, it's not good to jump to conclusions too early. The most important thing now is to find shelter.)
Setting aside his complicated thoughts, Eiji escorted the three women while avoiding danger.
He couldn't let his favorite sweet maker die in front of him without doing anything.