Meanwhile, Shu visited his father's grave, and Yuki carried out the mission to extract the Void from Souta.
The girls had a small chat among themselves as the men had left, making it a perfect time for a girls' moment.
"Nee~ Inori-chan, talk... How did your relationship start?"
This was something Hare and Kanon wanted to know.
Having a boyfriend wasn't uncommon, but finding someone with a younger one, especially Yuki, a cute 12-year-old, was unusual. They couldn't help but look at Inori strangely, considering the 4-year age difference, and Yuki transitioning from elementary to middle school.
However, they understood that despite the age gap, Yuki acted mature for his age. They were also surprised that Inori had the courage to show affection in public, seemingly unconcerned even though some onlookers might have considered it inappropriate.
Fortunately, nothing untoward happened, and their vacation continued uninterrupted. Still, Hare and Kanon were curious.
"Hm... I don't know."
Inori responded with an expressionless face, leaving Hare and Kanon astonished.
Tsugumi also raised her eyebrows at this because, unlike Inori, Tsugumi remembered clearly the day they became a couple. However, she wasn't as open about her affection in public. Hare and Kanon were unaware that Tsugumi was also Yuki's girlfriend, making her expression even more amusing.
Ayase was also intrigued by Hare's question, but Inori's response confused her.
"You don't know?! Inori-chan... Are you really in a relationship?"
"Yes."
Hare was speechless; it was the first time she had encountered someone who didn't even know how their relationship started. It was uncommon for girls to forget such details as they tend to be more attentive to special dates.
"I'm curious too... Inoreen, how was your first kiss?"
Blinking, Tsugumi asked with a smile on her face.
She, like Hare, was curious. Their relationship seemed to have started overnight, from the day Inori took Yuki to Undertaker. Tsugumi thought their relationship might have begun before Yuki joined Undertaker.
"Yuki... He sang me a song."
Blushing a bit, Inori lowered her gaze, vividly recalling that day as if it were yesterday. It was one of her most cherished memories, remembering the song and their first kiss.
Without hesitation, Inori spilled the beans.
"A song?... Yuki sings?"
"How romantic."
"That's very sweet; I want a boyfriend like that too."
"That's... so beautiful."
Hearing Inori's words, each girl had a different reaction. Tsugumi had strong doubts; she hadn't seen Yuki sing before, and considering his personality, it seemed unlikely. She was correct; Yuki didn't like to sing, but it depended on whom he was singing to. For instance, he always sang a song when visiting his mother's grave as a way to communicate his feelings, just like with Inori.
Meanwhile, Hare and Kanon were envious of Inori. Just hearing Inori's words made them realize how romantic and tender it was. In their current civilization, a boy dedicating and singing a song to a girl was a rare sight.
(Shu... Would you sing a song for me too?)
Hare even started fantasizing about the boy in her heart, blushing to the point that her cheeks turned red. As for Kanon, she also thought about a certain black-haired boy.
Ayase, on the other hand, was a bit intrigued by Hare's question, but Inori's response puzzled her.
"Inori-chan... Could we hear the song?"
Asked with a bit of nervousness, Hare was very curious.
"Yes, Inori-chan, I want to hear it too."
Kanon agreed; she, like her friend, was curious.
"I want to hear it too, Inoreen."
"Um."
As for Tsugumi, she squinted her eyes a bit, feeling a bit jealous. After all, that bastard hadn't sung her any songs.
Ayase also looked at her excitedly, anticipating the start of the song.
"Well... The song is called 'My Enchanted Heart.'"
Feeling the pressure from the girls, Inori yielded to their wishes. She adjusted her breath, closed her eyes, remembering the most beautiful song she had ever heard.
"Your smile so radiant, enchants my heart
Come, take my hand to escape this dreadful darkness~"
While the girls had their moment, for Gai and the rest of Undertaker, things were not going well.
After all, they didn't have Inori, Ayase, Yuki, and Tsugumi on this mission. Their lack of personnel complicated things. Yuki had mentioned that they needed some time off, and Gai accepted it, thinking this mission wouldn't be too difficult, given Souta's Void.
However, things didn't go as planned.
After all, GHQ had beaten them to it, or rather, a person had beaten them.
Gai knew this person well, which is why he clenched his fist with hatred.
"So, it was you!..."
Clenching his fist tightly, Gai muttered with resentment.
[What's wrong, Gai?]
Asked by Kenji through the communicator, who temporarily took on the role of Tsugumi for this mission.
"The mission is a failure... Everyone, retreat."
[Understood.]
Gai didn't know why, but GHQ had preempted their plans, no...
It was a person who had beaten them.
Gai knew this person very well, and that's why he clenched his fist with hatred.
Looking at the empty room one last time before leaving, Gai had no choice but to sigh.
This wasn't part of his plans, and his presence in this secret base would likely be used by his enemy as an excellent scapegoat.
But it was too late to turn back.
(Yuki... Did you know about this?)
Thinking about Yuki's behavior, not wanting to be disturbed, it was as if he knew this would happen. It seemed like Yuki could be a spy, but he shook his head; Yuki had more value as a specimen than as a spy.
Soon, he dismissed this idea, concluding his mission as a failure.
---
TN : Alright last one for now
Remember we reach 250 powerstones I'll post all remaining of this arc