Four days later, I was lugging a huge suitcase through Japan’s international airport.
“Geez. You didn’t need to come see me off,” I said, turning around in the departure lobby to give Saikawa and Charlie a wry smile.
Saikawa was wearing a disguise to keep people from recognizing her, and despite us getting along like cats and dogs, Charlie had also come all the way to the airport to see me off. They clearly trusted me a lot.
“Um, Kimizuka? I’m amazed you can say that after you spammed us with all your flight details.”
“Seriously. You even texted and said, ‘Don’t bother coming to see me off.’ If you wanted us to come, you should’ve just said so.”
Saikawa and Charlie’s cold, annoyed looks cut deep.
I mean, that hadn’t been what I’d intended at all, but…
“Still, you’re really going, huh?” Charlie’s expression turned serious again.
“Yeah. I’ll retake everything from Abel.”
A new prophecy about the Great Cataclysm had been made last night.
Mia had foretold that the unprecedented, world-encompassing crisis would likely be centered near the western tip of Europe, in France.
If Abel really had stolen the organ that housed Siesta’s will, I’d make sure to retake it no matter what. Ice Doll’s request was secondary to that.
“…I’m sorry, Kimizuka. Here I was so fired up earlier, and I can’t even help.” Saikawa hung her head, looking dejected. In the end, she’d decided to stay in Japan, having said that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the fight and would just end up holding us back.
“There’s absolutely nothing for you to feel bad about. You either, Charlie. Take care of Saikawa, all right?”
We’d put Charlie in charge of protecting Saikawa and the sleeping Siesta. There was no guarantee that Abel wouldn’t take advantage of the fact that I wasn’t around to show up. If he did, since Charlie’s will was strong enough to resist his codes, we needed her there.
“Are you sure it’s okay, though?” Charlie looked down, hugging her arms. “Noches is with Ma’am. So is Stephen. Maybe you’re the Singularity and maybe you managed to seal Abel once, but that doesn’t mean it’s bound to work this time…”
She looked up again, and our eyes met.
The agent’s emerald gaze was always strong, but now it wavered uneasily.
…Good grief. I never thought I’d cause Charlie to make a face like that.
“You’re that worried about me? Do you think maybe you like me way too much?”
“H-huhn?!” Blue veins stood out on Charlie’s temples, as if that was completely unthinkable. “You?! Wh-who would ever—?! …Argh, never mind, I shouldn’t have bothered! Just go wherever you want, all by yourself! Yui, let’s go home!”
“Uh, Charlie? Are you okay? You’re reacting like a stereotypical tsundere heroine.”
That said, I could see why Charlie was having a hard time accepting this. She’d made an excellent point. What were the odds that I’d win if I went head-to-head with Abel?
If I felt the current situation was way too unfair and that let me draw on my power as the Singularity, I might be able to resist him. However, ultimately, that wasn’t something I could consciously control.
“It’ll be fine! It’s for times like this that you’ve got the detective here.”
Just then, Nagisa showed up pulling a large, wheeled suitcase. Mia peeked out from behind her.
“Kimihiko and I will catch Abel for sure. We’ll wake Siesta up, too, and save the world while we’re at it.”
Her expression was brimming with confidence. The girl who’d always compared herself to Siesta as the Ace Detective was gone.
“Thanks for coming to see us off, Mia.”
Mia practically always wore her Oracle costume, but today she was in regular street clothes. I’d gotten to see something nice before I left the country.
“Wh-what? Why are you staring?”
“Oh, I was just thinking you have good taste in clothes.”
“You’re just making fun of me. I’m sure you’re laughing on the inside, thinking a shut-in like me tried to enjoy herself by being a bit stylish, got ahead of herself, and completely wiped out!”
“As always, your negativity is through the roof.” A wry smile crossed my face, but just then, Saikawa tugged on my sleeve.
“K-Kimizuka? You seem quite close to Mia, but the ‘younger heroine’ spot is mine, right? No girl who showed up that late in the game would have a chance at beating me. Right?!”
“Oh, Saikawa, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react like that. I like it.”
“Gnrrrrgh,” Saikawa growled in frustration. She took a deep breath, then her expression turned serious again. “Kimizuka, I’m making an exception. Just this once, I’ll keep a seat in the personnel section open at my next concert…so make sure you come home safely.”
“In that case, I’ll have to make sure I come back no matter what.”
Who would’ve thought top idol Yui-nya would ever say something like that to me? At this rate, I might have to take responsibility and become Saikawa’s husband one of these days.
“I probably won’t be able to see anything else about the future connected to the Great Cataclysm. But as the Oracle, I’ll pray for you at least. I’m sure you’ll be able to save Boss. Not because you’re the Singularity, but because you’re Kimihiko Kimizuka.”
“Even you’re saying that sort of stuff, Mia? I’m starting to feel invincible all of a sudden.”
“Are you dumb?” Mia responded coldly, but then she smiled.
“Th-that line was better than mine…,” Saikawa said, flustered. Her sense of rivalry had been stoked. Meanwhile, Mia—who didn’t know much about the outside world—seemed to be wondering who this girl that looked like some sort of celebrity was.
“I think this is the first time Yui’s been in this particular position.”
“They just completely cut through all the tension.”
Nagisa and Charlie exchanged smiles.
Yeesh. Even without Siesta, it’s still this noisy?
Something someone once said suddenly popped into my head.
The man had called himself my teacher. I didn’t remember the exact words, but he’d told me that from here on out, I’d keep meeting the people I was supposed to meet. That someone would always be with me…so the fact that I didn’t have family or friends right then didn’t make me different.
I hadn’t been sure I believed in that future, but at the very least, I’d tried to help the people I could.
“Huh. So he told the truth sometimes, too.”
Putting a little distance between myself and the lively group of four, I looked up. It wasn’t like there was anything to see. For now, though, I didn’t have many options, so up was where I looked.
Between one thing and another, our boarding time was coming up fast. Nagisa and I were the only ones who would be leaving Japan, so I shook hands with Saikawa and Mia.
I met eyes with Charlie, too, but we both looked away uncomfortably.
“…………”
Well, we probably didn’t need words. Pulling my suitcase, I turned to follow Nagisa.
“Kimizuka!” Charlie unexpectedly called after me.
I looked back. Her eyes were trembling. She didn’t seem to know what to say.
Oh, right. We’d spent too much time neglecting words.
“What’s up?”
I waited for her to speak. Waited for those brief, clumsy, yet precious words.
“Make sure you come back.”
“Will do. After I save the world.” I walked up to Charlie, and I’m not sure who initiated it, but we hugged each other lightly. Then Charlie put her arms around Nagisa as well.
“Okay, we’ll be back.”
It was a guidepost of sorts that would let us save the world, wake up the sleeping beauty, and reach our happy ending.
Believing everything was sure to work out, we set off on our journey.