Jealous?
That was impossible.
Lake had always liked to nip every possibility in the bud through careful preparation. As he always said, one was still a rush, and two were no different.
Hermione, standing nearby and listening to Lake solemnly claim that he had made it in time, thoughtfully nodded. Then she asked curiously, "Can I ask you a question?"
Lake glanced at Hermione.
Can I?
Why had he never seen her say that before asking him a question?
"When did you change?"
"I didn't change. I just thought this question might make you uncomfortable."
"Then why ask?"
"But if I don't ask, I'll be the uncomfortable one."
"...Ask."
"Don't get angry."
"...Fine."
Hermione waved her right hand beside her, then directly projected an image.
Vivian Nimu's.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that Hermione moved her right hand again afterward and projected another person's image.
Maureen Hand.
Lake raised an eyebrow. Looking at Hermione, who had projected Maureen Hand from the past, he frowned slightly. "What are you trying to do?"
Hermione glanced at Lake, then pointed at Vivian Nimu's projection before looking at Maureen Hand's projection. She said curiously, "Don't you think they look very similar?"
"So?"
"What?"
Lake watched Hermione blink. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as though he had figured something out. He looked at her. "I knew from the beginning that they looked alike. So what you want to ask me is whether Vivian Nimu is Maureen Hand's replacement, right?"
Hermione spread her hands without saying anything.
All right.
That was indeed what she had wanted to ask.
Lake snorted. With a thought, he shattered the two projections Hermione had created. Then he left the Chaos Force Tree and looked at her. "In my heart, no one is anyone else's replacement!"