When Daigo returned from the restroom, he discovered that everyone in the command room was staring at him with the same peculiar expression Shinjo had been wearing for days—a mixture of amusement, curiosity, and barely contained mischief.
"Everyone, what's wrong?" he asked awkwardly, self-consciously checking his uniform for stains or other embarrassing problems.
If it had been just Shinjo acting strangely, Daigo would have assumed the problem lay with his teammate's recent breakup. But when an entire group displayed the same knowing looks, the issue clearly centered on him.
"Daigo," Vice-Captain Kojiro approached with the measured steps of someone delivering important guidance, "I understand that rare opportunities arise during missions when you might want to handle personal business. TPC is a humane organization—we don't expect our people to sacrifice every aspect of their private lives for duty."
He placed a paternal hand on Daigo's shoulder, his tone carrying the weight of leadership and experience.
"However, when you're taking care of personal matters, don't go radio silent on us. At minimum, let us know you're safe and accounted for."
"Huh?" Daigo's confusion was written across his face in bold letters.
"Daigo, you're so sneaky!" Horii chimed in, adding his own shoulder pat to the growing pile of friendly accusations. "Hiding something this important for so long—we thought we knew you better than that!"
Confusion level: increased dramatically.
"Daigo, we all know the truth now," Rena added with obvious amusement. "So tell us—when exactly did you get a girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?" Daigo repeated the word as if it were in a foreign language. "When did I get a girlfriend? Did the Defense Team assign me one or something?"
"Stop playing dumb, Daigo," Horii pressed on with growing entertainment. "Shinjo saw everything that night. You didn't respond to PDI messages because you were busy walking your girlfriend home, weren't you?"
Understanding dawned like a lightning bolt. They were talking about Camearra—but they had the situation completely backwards! It wasn't that he'd ignored the messages; he genuinely hadn't seen them until it was too late. The injustice of their assumptions made him feel deeply wronged.
"You're all misunderstanding!" Daigo protested desperately. "Camearra and I aren't in the kind of relationship you're thinking of!"
"Oh, so your girlfriend's name is Camearra!" the entire Defense Team chorused with theatrical realization, as if they'd just solved a great mystery.
"Daigo, how can you claim Camearra isn't your girlfriend when I have photographic evidence of you kissing her face?" Shinjo interjected with prosecutorial triumph.
"What? You took pictures?!" Daigo's voice cracked with shock. He distinctly remembered checking their surroundings before that impulsive kiss, making absolutely certain no one was watching. How had Shinjo managed covert photography?
Note from Shinjo: I may not be the ace pilot around here, but when it comes to surveillance and tracking, I'm genuinely skilled.
"Look, I... I did kiss Camearra," Daigo stammered, his face cycling through various shades of red. "But that's all it was! We're really not boyfriend and girlfriend!"
The logic sounded weak even to his own ears.
"Daigo, as a man you need to take responsibility for your actions," Kojiro declared with stern authority. "Don't make me lose respect for you! You kissed a woman but won't acknowledge the relationship? That makes you sound like a complete scoundrel!"
As vice-captain, Kojiro felt obligated to correct what appeared to be irresponsible, womanizing behavior. Defense Team members needed to maintain not only superior combat skills but also exemplary moral character. The kind of man who would toy with a woman's affections without commitment had no place tarnishing TPC's reputation.
Hearing his actions framed that way, Daigo found himself speechless. When described like that, he did sound exactly like the worst kind of playboy—someone who would take advantage of a woman's feelings without accepting any responsibility for the consequences.
"That's right, Daigo," Kojiro continued in a more encouraging tone. "Now that you have a girlfriend, if you haven't made things official yet, this is the perfect time to do so!"
"I'll explain the situation to Captain Megumi and arrange for you to have half a day's leave. Go on, take that girl somewhere nice and have some fun together!"
Kojiro genuinely believed Daigo's reluctance stemmed from not having made a formal commitment yet. As vice-captain, he felt duty-bound to help his subordinate navigate this crucial relationship milestone.
"Okay... thank you, Vice Captain," Daigo replied weakly, realizing that further protest would only make him look worse.
Under the encouraging gazes and knowing smiles of his entire team, Daigo walked out of the command room with heavy steps. He returned to his quarters, changed into civilian clothes, and left TPC headquarters with the weight of expectations pressing down on his shoulders.
But instead of seeking out Camearra—a conversation he wasn't remotely prepared to handle—Daigo found a secluded area and made his way to Bamboo Staff. He needed time to think, and advice from people who understood complicated relationships.
On the third floor of Bamboo Staff, the Gate of All Worlds stood ready to welcome interdimensional travelers. Daigo emerged from the shimmering portal wearing an expression of profound dejection, only to hear the gate activating again behind him.
Turning around, he discovered another familiar face stepping through—Chu Zihang, looking equally thoughtful though considerably more composed.
The timing was almost supernatural. Both had been injured around the same time, had departed for their respective worlds simultaneously, and now returned within moments of each other. Perhaps they should consider becoming sworn brothers.
"Daigo?" Chu Zihang called out with mild surprise.
"Zihang, you're back too," Daigo replied, managing a strained smile.
"You look troubled," Chu Zihang observed with characteristic directness. "Is this about Camearra?"
During his time at home, Chu Zihang had taken the opportunity to watch every available episode of Ultraman Tiga—both the television series and theatrical releases. The experience had provided crucial context for understanding Camearra's complex emotional journey.
He now comprehended why she'd been consumed with fury upon first encountering Daigo, and equally understood her later transformation into devoted, almost obsessive love. Being sealed away for thirty million years by someone you cared about would certainly inspire rage. But maintaining that depth of feeling across such an impossible span of time spoke to an emotional intensity that was both admirable and concerning.
"Yes, it's because of Camearra," Daigo admitted with a heavy sigh.
"Then let's go downstairs and talk," Chu Zihang suggested practically. "There's an old saying: 'Those involved are confused, but bystanders see clearly.' Tell me about your relationship with her—maybe I can offer some perspective."
Compared to his experience at Cassel College, Chu Zihang found that Bamboo Staff encouraged more open communication and genuine concern for others. The environment seemed to bring out his more empathetic qualities.
The two made their way to the first floor, where they discovered that in addition to Bamboo Staff's regular inhabitants, two new visitors had arrived.
One of the newcomers possessed a head that comprised nearly a third of his total body size. He wore a blue suit jacket over shorts, red and white sneakers, a small red bow tie, and oversized black-framed glasses. His height barely reached Gustave's knees.
The other newcomer was a girl of similar stature, dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform with a small skirt. Her most distinctive feature was her short brown hair, which framed intelligent eyes that seemed to take in every detail of her surroundings.
These were none other than the infamous "Death God Elementary Student" Edogawa Conan and his partner Haibara Ai.
Conan and Ai had arrived at Bamboo Staff only recently, and their initial reaction had been predictably suspicious. Upon discovering this impossible interdimensional restaurant, Conan immediately assumed it was some elaborate Black Organization scheme. His paranoia proved contagious, convincing Ai that their enemies had developed technology beyond anything they'd previously encountered.
The two had descended to the first floor with extreme caution, whispering theories and preparing for the worst. When they spotted Gustave, Conan's detective instincts kicked into overdrive—he fired an anesthetic dart at the chef's neck without warning, assuming this was some kind of trap.
Gustave's electromagnetic abilities allowed him to sense and dodge the projectile with casual ease, transforming into living lightning before Conan's astonished eyes. Rather than retaliating against his small attacker, the chef had recognized the famous detective and patiently explained Bamboo Staff's true nature.
Though the explanation seemed impossible, the evidence was undeniable—Gustave's lightning transformation had occurred right before their eyes, defying every law of physics they understood.
While the Black Organization possessed considerable resources and technological capabilities, they definitely couldn't grant their agents supernatural powers or create interdimensional spaces.
Accepting Bamboo Staff as a genuine refuge, Conan and Ai now treated it as their ultimate safe house—a place where they could discuss the most sensitive aspects of their ongoing investigation without fear of surveillance or discovery.
So, Conan and Ai treated the Bamboo Staff as a top-secret safe place, and if there was anything inconvenient to say, they would run to the Bamboo Staff to talk about it.
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