Chapter 129
These past few days Futaba Erii has been thinking about this kind of thing constantly.
When Efnir left by car, Futaba Erii still had a chance to follow, but she didn't have the courage to face him.
The claim that he "just wanted to say thank you" was merely an excuse to try and speak with Efnir.
Now, even if they could actually speak to Efnir, it would be too late.
"Does this count as a breakup...? It didn't even start..."
Clutching the bag containing her books tightly, Futaba Erii lowered her gaze and sighed.
The closer Futaba Erii got to Efnir, the more clearly she felt the distance between them—she only later learned that with Yanase Naoto's scores, he could have directly chosen a university in the Central Province, instead of being at this Xijing City University.
From the very beginning, Yanase Naoto arrived here with outstanding results far exceeding those of the others.
Although Xijing City University, where she studied, was the most famous institution of higher learning in Xijing City, it was still a level below those in the Central Province. The prestigious universities in the Central Province were among the top universities in the entire Human Alliance, where any cutting-edge discipline could be found, and where the most outstanding scholars in the entire human race gathered. Even she only had the opportunity to come into contact with those universities after she obtained the top position.
Yanase Naoto clearly belongs to that side, but he deliberately chose to stay in Xijing City.
There is obviously a reason for that.
Perhaps it was because Xijing City needed her, or perhaps it was because she had a reason she couldn't leave, or maybe it was something else entirely. In any case, these speculations remained buried deep in Futaba Erii's heart.
Today, she added another possibility to her speculations: perhaps it was because of that girl.
One of the city's guardians, perhaps someone who has always been on "this side" from the very beginning— Efnir may have always been just like herself, a girl who likes girls.
It might sound absurd, but this thought lingered in Futaba Erii's mind.
Even though Efnir and I are about the same age, and we are both girls who also like girls, we live in completely different worlds.
Everything about them is completely different.
When a person is troubled, time always slips away unnoticed.
I barely listened to any of the morning classes. Futaba Erii quickly ate lunch and spent her lunch break in the study room.
Time quickly passed and it was afternoon.
The air still carried the damp scent of the rain, and the sidewalks still bore the damp Trace of the drizzle from the work.
The sunlight was already starting to slant westward.
Futaba Erii carried the textbooks she had used in class that afternoon and walked across the school square.
She would usually be studying in the study room at this time, but today she had to go to the supermarket a little earlier to buy fresh ingredients to prepare dinner for her younger sister.
My younger sister has poor health, a condition that has been a legacy of that time, so it's common for her to miss school.
When we were still well-off, things were fine. There were always doctors to take care of my sister's health, and she looked no different from any other girl. But later, my father went bankrupt and fell seriously ill, and my sister's health deteriorated rapidly.
Futaba Erii has lost her father, so she cherishes her only remaining family member, her younger sister, very much.
"Is it already this late...? It's rare to see a university professor going overtime, and it's so annoying..."
Futaba Erii walked briskly.
She glanced at her phone, pursed her lips, and then, almost without thinking, opened Efnir's social media account. Following Efnir's updates had become a habit, even though there was often nothing interesting to see.
Futaba Erii aimlessly moved her fingertips.
Efnir hasn't updated her social media for a while.
Below her latest post, many people left messages wishing her well, but there were also some tactless individuals who made annoying and sarcastic remarks and were criticized by others.
"She's fighting, but what are you doing?" -- Just that simple sentence is enough to shut those people up.
Of course, there are also stubborn individuals who continue to argue and refute, but such people are ultimately in the minority.
Efnir is someone the city needs, and someone who carries the hopes and blessings of the people. Futaba Erii understands this very clearly, so she also knows that she and Efnir are different and not equal.
Therefore, Futaba Erii's love for Efnir will not be blessed.
At least that's what Futaba Erii herself thinks.
So...
What about that girl, and what was her relationship with Efnir?
Is it appropriate?
Judging solely by appearance, even with just a fleeting glance, Futaba Erii was astonished by the girl's looks. The girl's ethereal beauty was different from Efnir's style, which combined cuteness and resilience, but without a doubt, the girl was stunningly beautiful. Even though she looked like a little girl now, one could guess that she would definitely become a one-in-a-million beauty in the future.
If she were in their school, she would definitely be recognized as the school beauty.
On this point alone, the girl and Efnir's Neal are a good match.
But to stand by Efnir's side, good looks alone are not enough—being merely pretty is just being a decorative vase; only by becoming Efnir's supportive partner can one accompany Efnir on her long journey.
Wanting to help Efnir and become someone who can stand by her side with her own strength—this is also the reason why Futaba Erii has always studied diligently and worked hard to firmly retain her position as the top student in her grade.
She is not Eligible, unable to fight for others like Efnir, unable to bravely stand before people in the face of the threat of the Erosion Entity.
But she can prove herself in her own way.
186. Another Unexpected Turn of Events [Twelfth Update]
Futaba Erii has always had excellent academic performance.
In addition to these, she has dabbled in painting, calligraphy, dance, martial arts, and archery, and has achieved very good results for an amateur.
Even though she spends a lot of time following and keeping up with Efnir's news, she still holds the top spot in the grade, unchallenged by anyone, a position she has maintained ever since Yanase Naoto left the class.
From beginning to end, her only rival was Yanase Naoto.
What dishes should we prepare tonight...?
She put away her phone and sighed in frustration.
The students who passed by were always in twos and threes, but she was all alone.
At school, some people described her as "aloof," and she gradually got used to the respectful but distant gazes of others.
After Yanase Naoto left the class, she took over the honor of being the top student in the grade and also took on the vacant class officer position. Her life began to change slowly from that time on.
She began to be stricter with many things, spent more and more time alone, and gradually had fewer and fewer friends.
During her limited free time, while other students were resting and playing, she kept an eye on Efnir. Her schedule always differed from her classmates', and by the time she realized it, she was already standing in the same spot as that "alone guy" she had once looked down upon.
But she didn't regret it; on the contrary, she felt a little happy because she had become similar to that rigid, old-fashioned figure.
Her behavior patterns are starting to resemble those of Yanase Naoto.
Before we knew it, nearly two years had passed since that day.
Futaba Erii raised her eyes, looking past the layers of people, and her gaze fell on the monument that stood proudly in the center of the square.
Call it a monument or a symbol, it is, in short, a memory left behind by the school after its reconstruction—the square in front of the school was the epicenter of the massive Erosion Disaster that occurred two years ago, and also the place where Efnir confronted that massive Erosion Entity.
It was also the place where she first saw that slender and exquisitely beautiful figure.
That disaster turned the buildings here into ruins, and many soldiers and victims lost their lives here.
After the disaster, the ruins and remains of that time were buried underground by what is now the square.
But the scenery has changed; people's memories remain.
Futaba Erii always made a habit of passing by here; it brought her peace of mind.
She didn't know what she was looking for here.
Perhaps it's the same thing that Yanase Naoto was looking for back then.
Futaba Erii gazed at the distant horizon, hesitating whether to ask her younger sister if there was anything she wanted to eat that evening.
But accidents always happen quietly.
The piercing air raid siren blared across the empty school square.
"Special Disaster Evacuation Alert-- "
An uneasy wind ruffled Futaba Erii's hair.
"No way... really...?"
"Here!?"
"Hurry, get out of here... hurry!!"
The sudden alarm sounded, plunging the students stranded in the square into unprecedented panic.
The sirens blared, activating all the alarm systems in the school's front square, followed immediately by evacuation announcements:
"Abnormal fluctuations in Corruption levels have been observed..."
"The center of the Corruption Wave is: the front plaza and surrounding area..."
"The estimated time before the Erosion Disaster occurs is: ten minutes..."
All course content is cancelled...
"Everyone who hears this alarm, please leave the front square in an orderly manner and proceed to the nearest evacuation facility..."
"Repeat..."
The scene from three years ago has been repeated in this very place...
The sound of students' footsteps began to rise and fall, drowned out by the alarm. Everyone fled in the opposite direction. Futaba Erii didn't care about anything else either. She hugged her books tightly and ran in the direction of the evacuation.
A slender figure passed by her, brushing past her.
Futaba Erii glanced back subconsciously. The other person's profile was hidden by a hood, and their figure was slender. She only glanced at them and didn't think much of it before continuing to follow the flow of people away.
From the observation of fluctuations in Corruption levels at the Boundary Stele, to the point where the Corruption level exceeds the critical threshold and disaster strikes—this process typically takes about ten minutes.
This is the best time, and the only chance, to evacuate people and leave the disaster site.
As they approached the outer edge of the plaza, Futaba Erii, panting, clutched her books and backpack tightly. The crowd was noisy, but still maintained a certain level of order.
Evacuation drills are a common practice at schools, and thanks to this, the students did not fall into complete chaos.
"Luckily, this is a square..."
"Yes, if it's near the teaching building, that would be troublesome..."
Having evacuated a considerable distance, the students relaxed a little, some feeling relieved despite the lingering fear.
Futaba Erii gripped her phone tightly, but unlike the other students, her gaze wandered across the horizon.
She was searching for the agent.
But recently, something seems to have happened in Xijing City. Even though the Orderkeepers Organization hasn't said it explicitly, people can sense that the arrival of agent support is slower than before.
Who will be the agent who comes here this time...?
Suddenly, someone next to me exclaimed, "Hey, hey, what's that person over there?"
"Real!"
"There are still people who haven't escaped...?"
Why was she there!?
"Oh no..."
Are there still people who haven't escaped?
Could I have misread it? No one would be foolish enough to ignore an evacuation order.
But Futaba Erii felt uneasy. Subconsciously, she turned to look at the towering monument, only to suddenly discover that there was indeed a person standing at its base.
A little girl, wearing a hood, with only half of her face visible, was squatting on the ground, seemingly searching for something.
Futaba Erii remembered the little girl; she was the one who had brushed past her as she was leaving.