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"F-finally back…"
Looking at the myriad lights of the tall buildings in the distance, Kita, who was the most emotional, was already teary-eyed with excitement.
Humans only know how to cherish things after losing them.
Only after being stranded in the wilderness alone does one truly understand the importance of the lights of civilization.
Stepping out of the elevator, Kitahara Makoto was surprised to find that they had returned to the unfinished building from before.
"Eh, eh, eh, it's already 8 PM on Sunday?!"
Kita Ikuyo exclaimed.
After her phone reconnected to the internet, the time automatically updated, showing 7:58 PM on Sunday.
Evidently, after entering the Otherworld, the Reality World did not stop for anyone; time continued to roll forward.
"So, so many calls and messages…" Kita Ikuyo's voice was flustered. "Oh no, oh no, Mom and Dad must be worried sick, they might have even called the police."
Ijichi Nijika: "My sister called so many times, I need to reply quickly…"
Yamada Ryo: "Hmm, I feel like it's more troublesome after coming back."
Gotō Hitori nervously hugged her phone: "What do I do, what do I do, so much time has passed, Mom and Dad must be very angry…"
Kitahara Makoto originally thought that he, being alone, wouldn't receive any calls or messages. However, after taking out his phone, he was surprised to find that he had also received several calls and messages.
Togawa Sakiko:
"Kitahara-kun, ghost Senpai wants to go out and play again. Do you have time this evening?"
"Kitahara-kun, did you encounter something urgent? If you need help, please don't hesitate to tell me."
"Kitahara-kun, I'm at your house. Can you open the door?"
"I planned to use tools to pry open the window, but I accidentally broke the glass…"
"I'm inside…"
"Phew~ It's actually a relief that Kitahara-kun isn't home. Anyway, if you see the message, please reply to me as soon as possible."
"…"
After reading the messages on his phone, Kitahara Makoto felt a faint warmth surge in his heart.
It turned out there was still someone in this world who cared about him…
As for breaking the glass, Kitahara Makoto didn't mind it at all.
Last time when she stayed over, Togawa Sakiko knew that he was an orphan living alone. The reason Togawa Sakiko pried open the window to get in was clearly because she was worried he might be in danger alone at home.
Kitahara Makoto: "I'm fine, Togawa Sakiko, don't worry."
A call came in just a few seconds after the message was sent.
"Kitahara-kun, is that really you?"
Togawa Sakiko's worried voice came from the phone.
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"I'm back."
"Phew…"
Hearing Kitahara Makoto's voice, Togawa Sakiko finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
Anyone could send a message, but a voice couldn't be faked.
Togawa Sakiko's tone quickly became serious: "Kitahara-kun, I couldn't reach you for two days straight. No replies to messages, no calls going through. Do you know how worried I was?"
Kitahara Makoto: "My sincerest apologies, Togawa Sakiko, please let me explain."
Togawa Sakiko: "…Speak."
Kitahara Makoto: "I've been on an outing in another world for the past two days, and my phone had no signal. I just saw the messages and calls."
Togawa Sakiko: "…"
There were two people who sent messages to Kitahara Makoto. One was Togawa, and the other was the Tsundere Young Miss, Soyo, who possessed astonishing wisdom.
Nagasaki Soyo:
"Kitahara-kun, I've already given the birthday gift to my cousin. He said he really likes it, the game is super fun, and he's very happy."
"My cousin gave me two amusement park tickets. Kitahara-kun, do you have time?"
"Because the tickets are about to expire, it feels like a waste to go alone. Kitahara-kun, if you're free, would you like to go to the amusement park together?"
"Kitahara-kun, are you there?"
"I'm very sorry, if Kitahara-kun doesn't have time, then never mind…"
"…"
There was a conspiracy.
Kitahara Makoto immediately smelled a conspiracy.
This Tsundere Young Miss had many friends and could easily find someone to go to the amusement park with her; there was no need to invite him. Moreover, he had broken through the Tsundere Young Miss's defenses several times in the past few days. If it were anyone else, they would have already blocked and deleted him, and stopped contacting him.
His intuition told Kitahara Makoto that the reason the Tsundere Young Miss was so proactive was not because she was in love and wanted to date, but rather that her true goal was likely Togawa…
However, Kitahara Makoto was in a good mood right now. Given that she was one of only two people who messaged him, he didn't mind her little schemes and quickly replied:
"I just got back from out of town, and my phone had no signal, so I just saw the messages… I'm free for the next few days and can go to the amusement park anytime."
At the same time.
Nagasaki Soyo, who was drinking her bedtime milk, saw the message, and her teacup fell with a clatter.
"A phone has become an external organ for modern people; they'd die if they didn't use it for a day. How could anyone not touch their phone for two whole days?!"
"Besides, Japan is only so big. Only if you jump into the crater of Mt. Fuji would your phone lose signal, right?!"
"Excuses!"
"All excuses!"
"You clearly just ignored my messages!"
Nagasaki Soyo took a deep breath to calm herself down, took out a tissue, and wiped away the spilled milk.
"Wait… could he have been with Togawa-chan for these two days?"
The Tsundere Young Miss's expression changed slightly as a possibility came to mind.
"For some reason, Togawa-chan and that guy's relationship hasn't been made public, so they have to be careful of others at school and can't be together. So… during the weekend holiday, that guy might have spent two whole days with Togawa-chan?"
"D-damn it!"
"In two whole days, how many times did that guy make Togawa-chan stand up and stomp?!!!"
"…"
At the same time.
The girls finally helped each other out and managed to vaguely explain things to their parents and relatives. Their excuse was that they went hiking in the mountains over the weekend, got lost, and their phones ran out of battery and turned off, and they had just managed to find their way out.
This explanation would only be half-believed by others. But since they all coordinated their stories and helped each other provide false testimony, there wouldn't be any major problems. If they told the truth about entering the Otherworld, no one would believe them at all.
"My sister told me I have to be home by nine…" Ijichi Nijika breathed a sigh of relief, clasped her hands together, looked at Kita Ikuyo, and softly requested, "Kita, please buy two sets of clothes. Ryo and I can't go out right now."
"Okay, leave it to me." Kita Ikuyo readily agreed, then looked at Bunny Girl, "Mai-senpai, do you need help buying clothes?"
Sakurajima Mai gently shook her head: "Thank you, I don't need any."
"Alright then." Kita Ikuyo turned and said, "Bocchi-chan, let's go."
Gotō Hitori: "Eh?"
Kita Ikuyo: "There's no one outside, I'll be scared to go alone. Bocchi-chan, come with me."
Gotō Hitori: "I, I, I… I'll wait for Kita outside the clothing store…"
So scary! Going into a clothing store to buy clothes is too scary, even scarier than the Otherworld!
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