New Goals and the Beach

Miku Izayoi lowered her head and looked at her hands.

"At that time, I didn't know who she was talking about. Later, when the timelines merged, I found out, although it was only in a dream."

She looked up at him, her beautiful purple eyes meeting his.

"I'm actually quite clumsy; I can't do anything except sing. I'm not sure if what happens in dreams is real, or what the other world is like, but I was very happy in that future, so I guess I've fallen in love with it after all."

Higashino Makoto leaned back in his chair.

"He really is an idiot."

"Darling! You should say something nicer!"

Looking at the sulking Miku Izayoi, Higashino Makoto actually felt a slight sense of guilt.

"Okay, okay, I apologize. But, you've already sold yourself to me?"

Miku Izayoi's lips curled up slightly.

Not entirely.

"What else?"

"And also, you saved the world. You're the one who came back from the future to change everything when everyone else had given up."

She picked up her glass and took a sip.

"Also, you're quite handsome."

Higashino Makoto chuckled softly.

That's all?

"Isn't this enough?"

That's enough.

Miku Izayoi put down her glass, stood up, walked over to him, and sat down on the armrest of his chair.

Her long purple hair cascaded over his shoulders, and she turned her head to look at him with her purple eyes.

"Darling."

"Um."

"You know what? I'm actually quite insecure."

Higashino Makoto raised an eyebrow.

"You? Insecure?"

Is that strange?

"You stand in front of tens of thousands of people and sing, receiving an overwhelming response. Are you insecure?"

Miku Izayoi lowered her head and gently drew circles on the back of his hand with her fingers.

"I'm not insecure when I'm singing; I'm a different person then, someone who can do anything and is fearless. But after the song ends, I'm still me, a guy who can't do anything but sing."

"You're not trash."

But that's what I think.

She looked up at him, her purple eyes meeting his.

"You know what? The day Mio gave me the Spirit Crystal, I asked her why she helped me. Mio said, 'Because she thinks you deserve it.'"

Her voice was a little hoarse.

"At that time, I was thinking that a complete stranger thought I was worthy, while I felt I wasn't."

Higashino Makoto remained silent.

Miku Izayoi leaned on his shoulder, her long purple hair brushing against his neck.

"Later I thought, since he thinks I'm worth it, then I'll work hard to become worth it. So I kept singing, kept standing on stage, and wanted him to know that he hadn't misjudged me."

She looked up at him.

Now that you're here, I want to ask you, have I let you down?

Looking into her purple eyes, Higashino Makoto spoke earnestly.

No. You sing very well, better than any singer I've ever heard.

Miku Izayoi's lips curled up slightly.

"That's good."

That night, Miku Izayoi released all the emotions she had been holding back for a long time.

As an idol, she has great stamina; she can jump around all day without getting out of breath.

With the angel's built-in healing and buffs, the two continued their battle until dawn.

Higashino Makoto lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Miku Izayoi lay beside him, her long purple hair scattered on the pillow, a satisfied smile on her lips.

Her breathing was steady, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she was sleeping soundly.

He looked down at his palms.

Of the ten seeds within my body, another one has sprouted.

He clenched his fist, feeling the growing power within him, and began to look forward to it.

Once all ten sprout and grow to full maturity, what will his power become?

He then spent another day playing with Miku Izayoi. On the morning of the third day, Higashino Makoto quietly got up, dressed, and stood by the window.

Outside the window, the sun had already risen above the eastern horizon, its rays bathing the city's skyscrapers and turning the glass curtain walls a golden hue.

He stood there, waiting for Miku Izayoi to wake up.

There was a rustling sound coming from the bed.

"Darling."

"Um."

Are you leaving?

"Um."

You're always welcome to come back.

"I see."

When Higashino Makoto came out of the hotel, the sun was already high in the sky.

The sunlight felt warm on his body. He stretched and walked towards the direction of the Itsuki family's house.

The Wuhe family's house was on a quiet residential street, and he heard the noise even before he reached the door.

"Let go of me! Shiori Itsuka is coming to the park with me today!"

"No, my sister promised me we'd go swimming at the beach!"

Higashino Makoto stopped and stood at the street corner, leaning half his body out to look ahead.

At the entrance to the Itsuka family's house, three people were pulling and tugging at each other. Itsuka Kotori was wearing a white dress and had a black headband tied around her head. She was tightly holding onto Shiori Itsuka's left arm with both hands.

Mana Takamiya was wearing a black skirt and a white shirt, and she was holding Shiori Itsuka's right arm with both hands.

The two people are pulling in opposite directions, like in a tug-of-war.

Shiori Itsuka was sandwiched in the middle, her arms stretched into a straight line, her face bearing an expression of utter despair.

Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were pulled askew, revealing half of her shoulder.

She looked up at the sky, her eyes vacant, her lips moving slightly as if she were muttering something.

"Shiori Itsuka is my older sister, she should be with me."

"Hmph, my name is Itsuka Kotori, and her name is Shiori Itsuka. Obviously, we're the sisters!"

"They're just sworn sisters! I'm the real sister!"

"So what if she's my own sister? Shiori Itsuka is my older sister now!"

Mana's eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, carrying a hint of danger.

"What did you say?"

Kotori Itsuka's lips curled up, her eyes narrowed into slits, and neither of them let go of her hand.

Higashino Makoto leaned against the wall at the corner, watching this scene, his lips twitching slightly.

Perhaps he arrived at the wrong time?

Turn around and leave; come back when they've finished arguing.

He had just turned around and hadn't even taken a step when a voice came from behind him.

"Higashino- kun!"

Shiori Itsuka's voice carried a hint of joy at surviving a disaster, like a drowning person finally grabbing a lifebuoy.

Higashino Makoto stopped and turned around.

Shiori Itsuka was looking at him, her eyes brimming with tears, as if she had seen a savior.

Taking advantage of the moment when Kotori Itsuka and Mana were distracted, she broke free from their embrace and ran towards him.

She ran up to him, grabbed his arms with both hands, and hid behind him.

"Higashino- kun! Let's go play together!"

Kotori Itsuka and Mana turned their heads at the same time, all four eyes fixed on him.

Higashino Makoto stood in the middle of the three people and remained silent for a moment.

Where to?

Finally, the four of them went to a private beach.

The properties under Mio's name are not open to the public. The beach is white with almost no pebbles, and the azure sea is like a mirror with a few white clouds floating in the sky.