Sky Striker Ace, But Symphogear Chapter 78

"So why don't you go in the Miku? Is there no reason?"

"In that case, how about I visit her as a sample for our culinary exchange? It'll be much less convenient to discuss cooking with her after she leaves."

Then, Mrs. Kohinata continued talking to herself, casually taking out a lunchbox and handing it to Kohinata Miku.

Before Kohinata Miku could react, her surroundings had already shifted from her home to the front of a small apartment building.

[In the end, she actually agreed to her mother's request, even though she hadn't figured out how to tell Raye.]

Kohinata Miku, carrying her insulated lunchbox, thought to herself as she double-checked the address her mother had given her.

"Call..."

With indescribable feelings, Kohinata Miku rang the apartment doorbell.

"Kohinata? Wait a minute, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

The sound came from the loudspeaker in front of the door, and the person speaking seemed to be busy with something.

"Alright, what brings you here today?"

After waiting for a short while, the door opened, and a girl dressed in neat casual clothes such as a short-sleeved shirt and a short skirt, with one eye bandaged, peeked out from behind the security door.

[Hmm...]

Holding the lunchbox in her hand, Kohinata Miku didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Long time no see, Raye."

In the end, Kohinata Mirai still chose to greet him the way she had in the past.

"It's been so long... Has it really been that long? I remember it's only been less than a week since I moved out today. Am I just too busy and got the time wrong?"

Upon hearing Kohinata Miku's greeting, Raye placed a finger to her lips, narrowed her eyes, and began to think carefully.

"Raye, no, you're not mistaken, it's just that it's been a little long for me."

Kohinata Miku shook her head slightly, indicating that the other party had not misremembered the time.

"I see. Kohinata, please come in first."

After realizing that she had not misremembered the time, Raye quickly shifted her attention away from it, opened her front door, and gestured for Kohinata Miku to come in.

Without hesitation, Kohinata Miku entered Raye's newly decorated home.

Is this your new home?

Upon entering Raye's residence, Kohinata Miku's expression showed slight surprise.

What came into her view were countless odds and ends that she didn't recognize, neatly arranged and placed in various places.

There were white coats and various bottles and jars that she couldn't understand, things she had only seen in hospitals, filling one corner; there were intricately arranged plants on the balcony that she couldn't comprehend, blooming towards the sun; and there was a wall covered with bar-like decorations that she had only seen on TV.

Among this collection of miscellaneous items, the most eye-catching are the various musical instruments that occupy the largest space in the room. Some of these instruments seem to have just been used and have not yet been put away.

What she could see was already overwhelming, and this was only a part of Raye's residence.

[It's like a department store! Why does Raye keep so much stuff at home?]

Therefore, Kohinata Miku couldn't help but have this question in mind.

[I also understand now why Raye moved out; if she needed to buy so much stuff, there simply wasn't enough room in the house.]

Kohinata Miku couldn't help but think this way.

"So, Kohinata, you came here today just to deliver my aunt's cooking?"

While Kohinata Miku was still in a daze, Raye, without anyone noticing, brought over two cups of tea that were still steaming and fragrant.

"Yes, because Mom said she wanted to show Raye the new dishes she came up with."

Kohinata Miku used the reasoning her mother had taught her.

"Really? Okay, I'll try it and tell her how it feels."

Raye seemed to have figured out what Kohinata Miku was thinking, but didn't say much about it.

Kohinata Miku, for a moment, didn't know what to say.

Then, as time passed, the lunchbox, which wasn't very big to begin with, was finished in a short time. After finishing it, Raye washed the lunchbox and put it away neatly.

"Well then, I'll be going now."

Even after Raye, Kohinata Miku still couldn't come up with a decent topic.

Or rather, seeing Raye regain her spirits, a question popped into her mind, a question that made her hesitate slightly.

[Raye seems to have recovered from her sadness. What role can I play in her life?]

[Am I still needed by the other person? Does my relationship with Raye have any justification?]

Such concerns gradually began to take root in Kohinata Miku's mind.

These concerns left her slightly unsure of how to continue interacting with Raye.

P. S. Ah, my graduation project, a real struggle.

Chapter 123 The Night Before the Shocking Change

All sorts of thoughts and worries converged into dark clouds in Kohinata Miku's heart.

This isn't a particularly big deal; it's just a small worry that Kohinata Miku has had since the very beginning—the huge gap in abilities between herself and Raye.

"Um..."

Looking at the notice about Kohinata Miku leaving, Raye, seemingly lost in thought.

"..."

While waiting for his response, Kohinata Miku unconsciously became engrossed in observing his appearance.

The simple white short-sleeved shirt had a slightly wide collar that tilted as the wearer moved, revealing some beautiful details from a certain angle.

The equally simple white hot pants allowed most of the view to be fully exposed to the air, as if the owner believed that doing so would keep them cooler.

"Are you leaving now? But there are still things I want to do with Kohinata."

Before Kohinata Miku could recover from her shock, the entity she was observing seemed to have finally finished thinking and said these words to her.

"Oh, what is it?"

Kohinata Miku was somewhat puzzled; was there anything else she absolutely had to do right now?

"Since your aunt sent me food, there's no reason not to reciprocate."

Raye said.

"So, Raye, do you want me to bring a return gift back? What kind of return gift is it?"

Kohinata Miku didn't sense anything was wrong.

"Of course, it should be a dish with my improved ideas; that would be the best return gift."

Raye said matter-of-factly, with a gentle smile on her face.

"So, Raye, are you going to cook now?"

Kohinata Miku replied instinctively.

"Yes, that's what I was thinking... However, I just moved to a new house and haven't stocked up on all the ingredients yet, so it might be a little difficult to make it."

As she said this, Raye's face showed a troubled expression.

"Kohinata, you should have some time now, right? Would you like to come with me to buy some ingredients and seasonings?"

y/u*e-print total]private?)(])? Then, immediately afterwards, Ling Yi looked at Xiao Hinata in the future and made such a request to her.

"Sigh... it's okay."

Kohinata Miku certainly wouldn't refuse, since it wasn't a particularly difficult thing to do.

So she witnessed the other person carefully choosing their clothes, meticulously checking the items they needed to bring, and finally, carrying the guitar case containing her knife on their back, locking the door, and leaving with her.

Logically speaking, given Raye's meticulous nature, buying something as small as this shouldn't be a problem.

However, things didn't go that way. After arriving at the shopping center where Raye was headed, Raye suddenly seemed to realize something.

"Oops, I got the supermarket discount time wrong."

Upon arriving at the convenience store where she was buying the goods, Raye delivered this statement without any emotion.

"Raye, do you have to wait for a discount before buying things? You bought so much stuff at home!"

Kohinata Miku couldn't help but ask.

"Well... to be more precise, it's because of those purchases that I'm a little short on cash lately."

Raye then said, seemingly troubled.

"Shall we wait a bit? It's not time for the discount yet, but it'll be here soon."

Kohinata Miku.

"No, that would be too boring. I think since we have free time, it's better to do something meaningful."

Raye immediately rejected Kohinata Miku's suggestion, then shifted her gaze to the facility signs hanging in the shopping mall.

"Ah, this shopping center seems to have a small aquarium. Since we have some free time, Kohinata, would you like to go check it out?"

As if she had just discovered it, Raye said this to Kohinata Miku.

"... well?!"

Then, as expected, with Raye saying "hurry up," a receipt was slipped into Kohinata Miku's hand, and then, a tranquil world radiating azure light came into her view.

Colorful corals, fish of various shapes and sizes, and amazing marine life—the magnificent scenery of the ocean is gathered here and projected into these huge display tanks in a categorized manner.

This is a miracle of human technology, allowing this scene, which should have been buried in the deep, silent sea, to be replicated on this dry land, thus enabling many ordinary people to easily glimpse a magnificent corner of the ocean.

Being in such an environment, it felt as if one's mind and body were in harmony with the magnificent yet desolate sea, and a certain anxiety in Kohinata Miku's heart seemed to have quietly faded away.

"How are you feeling? Are you in a better mood?"

In this quiet environment, Raye's voice lightly drifted in from beside my ear.

"Sigh, Raye... did you notice?"

Kohinata Miku said in a low voice, only then realizing that Raye seemed to have intentionally brought her to this place.

"Because I sense that you, Kohinata, don't seem to be in a good mood."

Raye also acknowledged Kohinata Miku.

Is that so?

When the true form noticed her strange thoughts, Kohinata Miku felt a little embarrassed.

"My mood is indeed a little better."

Kohinata Miku her head away, looking at the ornamental animals wagging their tails in the tank, and answered Raye's initial question in this way.

"So, has something bothering you? My Sky Striker can sense that you're not in a good mood, Kohinata, but I don't know the specifics."

Having received confirmation from Kohinata Miku, Raye then proceeded to question her further.

"It's best to talk about bad things with others when you're in a good mood; otherwise, they'll accumulate and become even more difficult to understand when you're already in a bad mood."

Raye said, "It's clear she cares a lot about Kohinata Miku."

"Should I tell you? Okay, actually, it's nothing serious, I'm just a little worried... Raye, will you leave one day because of something I can't be a part of?"

"Unlike you, Raye, I am just an ordinary person, far Raye powerful than you. If things continue like this, I may not be able to keep up with Raye pace."

"In that case, I might not be able to continue being friends with you, Raye."

Despite some slight embarrassment, Kohinata Miku made up her mind after being questioned by Raye, and poured out her worries like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

"Really? You're worried about something like that?"

After listening to Kohinata Miku's words, Raye understood what she was worried about.

"I understand that I have mixed feelings, but I can't control them."

After finishing her sentence in one breath, Kohinata Miku lowered her eyes, looking like a deflated balloon, and said this with a hint of unease.

"Is it bad that I think this way?"

Kohinata Miku felt a pang of self-reproach.