At Fumiya Jin's home, in the living room.
On the dining table sat a steaming hot meal of three dishes and a soup.
Since it had been prepared a while ago, the steam rising from the food had gradually faded, and it was on the verge of getting cold.
But Nijika, the one who had cooked it, had no intention of picking up her chopsticks. Instead, she sat alone on the floor by the entryway, hugging her slender, fair legs and staring worriedly at the closed front door.
Why isn't he back yet…
The question repeated endlessly in the girl's mind. In the less than half an hour since she'd finished cooking, it had probably repeated several hundred times…
With each repetition, another layer of anxiety and worry was added to her heart.
By now, her large, watery eyes had nearly stared a hole through the door.
Of course, as everyone knows, the human brain constantly produces all sorts of messy thoughts, and it's especially proficient at generating negative and pessimistic ones.
So, naturally, thoughts like, "Could it be that he's already…" kept popping into the girl's head.
But whenever these thoughts surfaced, before the words could even fully form, she would forcibly cut them off and banish them from her mind.
She wouldn't allow herself to think that way, nor did she dare to truly entertain the possibility.
She could only keep telling herself: No, Fumiya-san is so strong, no instance can be too difficult for him. He'll be fine, absolutely, definitely, definitely fine…
"Ding-dong—" The sound of a text message alert suddenly rang out.
Nijika was startled.
She quickly took out her phone to look.
Seeing the message preview on the screen, her face instantly lit up, her eyes shining.
—"Safe now. Coming home soon. Wait for me. (^人^)"
"Yay! That's great!"
She jumped up from the floor, leaping with joy like a little rabbit that had just gotten a super tasty carrot.
"Squeak-squeak—"
She was so happy that while hopping around, she nearly tripped, stumbled a couple of steps, and bumped into the wall, her knee stinging with pain…
But even as it hurt, the girl's face was still wreathed in a smile.
"Oh right, the food is getting cold. I need to heat it up before Fumiya-san gets back…"
Fumiya Jin got home, took out his key, opened the door, and went inside.
As he was taking off his shoes in the entryway, he heard the pitter-patter of footsteps, and Nijika came out.
"You're back?" Nijika stood at the living room doorway, her eyes filled with joy. "Did it go well? You didn't run into any danger, did you?"
"It went smoothly, just a small instance." Fumiya Jin smiled faintly. "I made you worry while you were here at home."
"Not really," Nijika said with a relaxed expression. "I've always believed in your abilities, so... I wasn't really that worried. I just had a good sleep, woke up, made a meal, and then I got your message."
"Oh? Is that so?" Fumiya Jin was a bit surprised. "Nijika's mindset is better than I thought."
As he spoke, he finished taking off his shoes and walked into the entryway in his socks.
But as he walked past a certain spot…
He suddenly felt something strange.
This floor…
It's cool everywhere else.
Why is this spot still a little warm?
Fumiya Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, looked down at the floor, and seemed lost in thought.
When Nijika saw his action and looked at the floor beneath his feet, she suddenly realized that was the exact spot where she had been sitting and waiting for him…
She snapped back to reality, her cheeks instantly turning fiery hot.
What!
Why would I say something like that?
This isn't even my house, how could I say that?
Saying it like that... isn't it just like... a married couple?
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant…" Nijika quickly shook her head.
"What did you mean?" Fumiya Jin grinned mischievously, looking down at her.
"Th-that…" Nijika bit her lip. "I didn't mean anything, just... hurry up and eat dinner!"
After saying that, she quickly escaped from Fumiya Jin's arms and hurried into the living room.
Fumiya Jin chuckled and followed her.
Nijika's cooking skills were naturally not an issue, and the two of them enjoyed a comfortable meal.
During the meal, Fumiya Jin gave Nijika a rundown of the instance and also told her that Yuki Suou would be joining them next.
Although Nijika didn't know Yuki Suou well, she trusted Fumiya Jin's judgment and quickly agreed to them forming a three-person team. After all, the Samsara Game was a matter of life and death; having another strong teammate to significantly boost their survival rate was definitely a good thing.
…
After dinner, Fumiya Jin took the dishes to the kitchen, preparing to wash them.
But just as he picked up the sponge to squeeze out some dish soap…
"Stop!"
A scolding voice called out.
Fumiya Jin turned around to see Nijika looking at him with a serious expression.
"What's wrong?" Fumiya Jin asked.
"You just completed two instances in a row. You should go get some proper rest now," Nijika said earnestly as she walked over.
"Washing dishes is no big deal."
"No means no!" Nijika pouted, acting particularly firm and decisive this time. She ushered Fumiya Jin out of the kitchen, pushed him upstairs, into his bedroom, and down to sit on the edge of his bed. "Get some sleep."
"Alright, I'll listen to you," Fumiya Jin said with a smile.
"That's more like it," Nijika nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
But just as she turned…
Fumiya Jin suddenly grabbed her fair hand, pulling her to a stop.
Nijika looked back, confused. "Is there something else?"
Fumiya Jin let out a long sigh and said with feigned seriousness, "I just finished the second instance, and I am indeed a bit tired. But my heart is still racing, and I can't quite calm down. If I try to sleep like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to fall asleep."
______
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