Chapter 102

"Efnir replied."

Even though Efnir believed deep down that she couldn't possibly still be alive or existing as a healthy human being a few years from now, and she didn't believe in such a "future," she couldn't help but fantasize about her and Yukina's "future."

Efnir suddenly realized that she was probably getting old.

It was such a happy and wonderful thing, but her first reaction was regret.

If she had been a little braver, Efnir didn't know if she would have said something else.

"I will wait until that day..."

Yukina smiled brightly.

Efnir watched her quietly.

A week has passed since I confirmed my relationship with Yukina.

A lot happened this week.

Her promise to Yukina naturally followed.

Efnir also felt the pain of being in a different world from Yukina growing ever deeper.

Even though she didn't like it and shouldn't have made a promise she couldn't keep, even though that was the right thing to do, Efnir still gave a lie.

But since a promise has been made, it must be fulfilled to the best of one's ability. Even if the world does not bless everyone, Efnir does not want everything she and Yukina have to be just a fleeting, beautiful bubble.

She must strive and persevere forward, for it is for the promise she made to Yukina.

Agents are highly resistant to drugs, as well as to bacteria and viruses, so they rarely get sick.

Of course, this excludes the case of someone lying in the mud covered in wounds. The more the Order Force is weakened, the more the agent's power is lost, and the closer they become to an ordinary person. Being seriously injured is when the agent is most vulnerable.

However, thanks to this, the various medicines used in the hospital are just a drop in the ocean for the agent. The agent's recovery mainly relies on his own self-healing ability, and the recovery speed varies depending on the strength of his own Order Force.

This is inseparable from the benefits brought by the Order Force.

This explains why Efnir's recovery was extremely slow on the first day, but accelerated several times over on the second day.

"Looks like I won't have any problem going out tomorrow."

Efnir carefully and slowly moved her arm joints, carefully sensing her body's condition, and made this judgment.

In fact, Efnir's been thinking about something.

--"Weekend date," was the promise that Efnir and Yukina made five days ago that morning.

Although she didn't know if Yukina still remembered, or if she deliberately avoided mentioning it because of her physical condition, Efnir remembered the promise she made to sit down with Yukina very clearly, and naturally wanted to fulfill it.

Because she wanted Yukina to smile.

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday, at least there's still some time left this weekend.

Moreover, Efnir could feel her injuries improving, and going out for a walk wouldn't put any strain on her body.

So today I can only stay home and recover from my injury.

After returning home, the brief, romantic moment with Yukina did not develop into a passionate affair between the two of them. Yukina sat quietly to the side, completing her schoolwork assignments, while Efnir, having nothing to do, lay there listlessly, staring blankly at the white ceiling.

When she was discharged from the hospital, the doctor told her to "rest more," so Yukina urged Efnir to go to sleep.

Efnir was unwilling to go through the trouble of getting into bed—it has to be said, getting dressed and undressing is quite a hassle—so she was only willing to take a nap on the sofa. However, she tossed and turned for a long time, unable to settle down.

It wasn't because her wound hurt, it's just... how could Efnir possibly sleep?

During their intimate moment, Yukina kissed and touched her repeatedly. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yukina always targeted her waist, legs, neck, and ears with her lips.

Indeed, only a few areas of Efnir's body were not covered by gauze, so it was only natural that Yukina chose to act there. However, these areas were extremely sensitive, and Efnir was soon left in a state of limbo by Yukina.

Efnir thought that Yukina was going to retaliate for what she had done these past few days, and she closed her eyes, ready to accept Yukina's invasion. But nothing happened— Yukina pulled her hand away, got up, and ran off to do her homework.

She felt both relieved and disappointed. She was relieved that she had escaped a disaster. Even though she had been with Yukina several times, she still hadn't gotten used to Yukina's fingers scratching and rubbing.

To be honest, it felt good, but it also hurt a little.

But the disappointment was genuine. She was teased and then left there; it would be a lie to say she felt nothing. For Efnir, Yukina was like an aphrodisiac, the kind that takes effect immediately after being taken.

In the end, Efnir was too embarrassed to call out to Yukina.

Because...

That's so disrespectful to an older sister.

My sister needs to finish her schoolwork; she needs to study, not indulge in lust. Am I supposed to make her give up her studies and sleep with me, especially on this cramped sofa?

It just doesn't look good on my sister.

Furthermore, Efnir's current physical condition is not ideal. If they were to actually do it, who knows what might happen when they get carried away and the wound is reopened? It would be incredibly painful.

There's nothing we can do about it. Although the injury has healed considerably, it's still quite a distance from being fully recovered. Walking shouldn't be a big problem, but neglecting the injury because of this will likely only make the pain more difficult to subside.

144. Boring Sofa Time

Efnir spent almost the entire first morning after being discharged from the hospital resting on the sofa.

For Efnir, this is a rare time of rest. In the past, she would probably have rested quietly, recuperated, and waited for herself to fully recover before returning to her post.

But everything is different now.

The threat from the Apostle, the secrets of the Angel, and the truth about Qinglan's disappearance and her becoming Angel —all of this weighed heavily on Efnir's heart, making it impossible for her to ignore it.

Having finally gotten together with Yukina, Efnir didn't want anything to hinder Yukina lives.

If they want to be together in the end, then Efnir has countless things to do, and she doesn't want to waste her time on "healing" in the first place.

But right now, she feels truly powerless.

Unable to do anything but stare blankly, merely sitting or lying down, this was undoubtedly incredibly boring, and this boredom burned like a flame in Efnir's heart.

"To do nothing is to slack off"—this voice constantly cried out in Efnir's heart.

She was very anxious.

But being anxious wouldn't change anything, Efnir could only sigh silently in her heart.

She rolled over, intentionally or unintentionally crossing her legs to hide the resentment and affection in her eyes. Her gaze gently fell on her adorable younger sister, and she asked softly:

"Yukina, can I use the tablet?"

Yukina raised her head and looked at Efnir.

"What's the matter?"

"There are some things I'm concerned about... I want to see if anything has happened recently..."

After thinking for a moment, Yukina got up, took the tablet, and placed it in Efnir's arms.

"It can't exceed half an hour, I'll time you."

"Hmm..."

A bitter expression appeared on Efnir's face.

Just sitting there was quite boring, and Efnir was very concerned about what had happened during her hospitalization and whether there had been any progress in her investigation of the Apostle and Angel.

If possible, Efnir's wish is to go to headquarters right now.

But she also knew that even if something happened to her in her current physical condition, she probably wouldn't be able to help much. Rather than blindly trying to help and becoming a burden to others, it was more realistic to focus on recuperating until she recovered.

"The doctor said you should try to avoid activities that strain your eyes, so just bear with it..."

Yukina found Efnir's expression somewhat amusing, but showed no intention of backing down.

"Only half an hour..."

"That's right, not a minute more! I'll make sure Naoko supervised!"

When I was discharged from the hospital, the doctor advised me to "reduce my screen time."

Using computers and mobile phones can strain your eyes. Although Efnir only injured her right eye and used her left, the accumulated body memory over time will unconsciously activate the nerves in her right eye in response to the movements of her left eye. This will undoubtedly hinder the healing of the injury in her right eye. Therefore, you should use your eyes in moderation, and each use should ideally not exceed one hour.

Since the doctor had said so, Yukina followed the instructions strictly, shortening the time from one hour to half an hour.

Efnir could only nod.

Yukina continued writing something, while Efnir Nier browsed the Orderkeepers Organization's homepage on her tablet.

She then discovered that during the days she was injured and hospitalized, another Erosion Disaster had occurred in the Eastern Urban District, and the Orderkeepers Organization had dispatched Ayse to work with the agents stationed in the Eastern Urban District to resolve the matter.

Looking at the announcements from the Orderkeepers's updates, Efnir couldn't glean anything. She then went to the forum's comment section, scrolling through it. After searching around, Efnir couldn't find any trace of the Apostle in this Corruption incident.

However, given that Erosion Disaster incidents occur several times a month under normal circumstances, Efnir wondered if she was being overly sensitive.

But those Apostle are a bunch of lunatics; who can say for sure when they'll reappear?

"Naoko, what do you want to eat for lunch?"

In the quiet room, Yukina suddenly spoke up and asked.

Efnir's thoughts returned to normal. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll go see if there's any food... I remember there should be some in the fridge..."

It's too late to buy groceries now, and most of the vegetables you can buy now won't be very fresh.

Making it yourself is more feasible than buying it from outside.

A few days ago, my parents came home and bought a lot of groceries, but before they could eat them, that incident happened. In the end, they didn't have a chance to take them out until they left, and they had to throw some away.

If we're talking about readily available ingredients, there's probably quite a bit left in the refrigerator.

So Efnir decided to check the refrigerator.

As she spoke, she prepared to get up, but was immediately pushed back onto the sofa by Yukina.

"Naoko, you should get some rest. Can I take care of things at noon today?"

"Why?"

Efnir blinked.

Give it to Yukina? What, give it to Yukina?

"You cook?"

"Certainly."

But in Efnir's mind, Yukina shouldn't have any cooking experience.

Yukina probably noticed the doubt in Efnir's eyes, and slightly raised her eyebrows with a hint of pride.

"Don't let my appearance fool you, my grades in home economics are pretty good, so Naoko, don't worry, I won't ruin the kitchen for you."

Yukina was full of confidence.

Efnir then remembered that home economics was offered at the Youcheng Girls' Academy.

Without thinking, Efnir nodded.

She trusted Yukina quite a bit. Her trust in Yukina was unfounded and didn't need explanation; if Yukina said she could do it, then she could.

Of course, this is not just to see what Yukina looks like wearing an apron.

"Alright, lunch is on me then, it's a deal!"

As if she had stumbled upon something wonderful, Yukina smiled contentedly and glanced at the time again.

"It's only ten o'clock, I'll do my homework first."

Efnir couldn't help but start looking forward to lunch.