But Haruka refused to back down. “You are nice. If you really just needed a bombardier, it’d be way, way easier to kick Jupi to the curb and find someone who was less of a hassle to work with.”
“Well, I…”
“It’d cost you less, both in money and time, wouldn’t it? And if you kicked her out, no one would blame you.”
“Hold up. That’s definitely not true. At the very least—”
“‘I’d never forgive myself.’ That’s what you were going to say, right?”
My cheeks felt hot. She had my number.
“Anyway, my point is…” The soft feeling of her hand on my shoulder disappeared into the night air. She gently brought down her arm so that her clenched fist came to rest by my hand. “…I know that’s how you really feel. And that’s why I trust you.”
I unconsciously balled up my hand, too. Warmth filled my body as our two fists met.
“Let’s do it, Kyouichirou. Let’s do everything we can to make Jupi happy. Let’s free her from that angry old beast.”
“…Yeah.”
I’d let Haruka sway me so easily. But the truth was, there were still a number of pieces we were missing. Setting aside Jupiter’s weak heart, the two of us weren’t strong enough, either.
Keraunos’s power when it went berserk in the game—in other words, Jupiter’s power as a true-route miniboss—was on a completely different level. Its speed, size, and power were incomparably greater. Not to mention its infamous finishing move, which we’d yet to see.
That was the Keraunos we’d have to deal with on the outside during the cleansing ritual. If we hoped to stand a chance, we would also need to get a lot stronger. We needed better gear, better skills, and a better strategy. There were certain things that my knowledge of the game couldn’t make up for, and the only way to prepare was to train, train, and train some more. If we didn’t, that black-lightning beast would roast us extra crispy.
“We’re about to get pretty damn busy,” I said. “This is gonna be our toughest mission yet.”
“You mean this is gonna get even more exciting?! That sounds awesome!”
Not only was Haruka on board, but she was also grinning from ear to ear. This girl was a real catch.
“I’m counting on you, partner.”
“I’ve got your back, buddy.”
And so there on the observation deck—where couples go to pledge their love—we made a different kind of vow. We were going to help Jupiter find happiness. And to make it happen, we discussed our plans long into the night.
“Jupiter can come stay at my place for now,” I said.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Haruka. “Won’t your parents flip out if you take in some random girl?”
“Nah, it won’t be a problem. My parents passed away years ago. It’s just me, my sister, and a rather unique houseguest. There’s plenty of room for Jupiter.”
“…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say something so inconsiderate.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, I’m the one who should apologize. Don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for not telling you before.”
The atmosphere got a little awkward, but after a moment, we continued chatting happily as usual.
“Hey, Haruka?” I asked.
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad we’re friends.”
“Well, well, well. That’s awfully nice of you to say.”
I’ve got a confession. While my feelings are totally, definitely, probably not romantic or anything like that, I absolutely adore talking to this woman.
She’s just so great, I can hardly stand it.