"I guess a certain gentleman doesn't dare?"
She straightened her body, that pair of ample curves obvious and alluring, their valleys and contours enticing.
"You're not my type. I won't touch a woman I don't like."
Utaha's mischievous smile froze.
Haizaki used her own words to mock her.
Good. Very good.
But in her mind, Utaha pictured those two girls.
Perhaps Haizaki was serious! He still cared for those two girls, still liked them, and hadn't been able to forget them to this day.
"I'll grab some vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Sushi needs these…"
Haizaki grunted and headed to the kitchen.
Having already noticed the wasabi and salad, Utaha began her work. Haizaki had no idea what it meant to offend a woman and make her angry!
Haizaki returned without noticing her little actions, carefully placing the plate holding the three condiments on the dining table.
"To celebrate that we're still alive, let's drink a toast…"
Faced with Utaha's suggestion, Haizaki raised his glass.
It was just a drink; he didn't mind.
"Enjoy the heart-shaped sushi I personally drizzled with sauce. Taste it."
This… made any difference?
It was just that he had drizzled salad dressing on the sushi.
Under Utaha's expectant gaze, Haizaki picked up a piece with his chopsticks and took a bite.
After chewing twice, he finally felt something was off.
Her corner-of-the-mouth smile was inexplicably irritating!
This woman had spiced him up!
"Tastes good. Thanks."
Haizaki's normal reaction puzzled Utaha.
Was the wasabi the problem? She instinctively wondered.
Here in the Eastern Union, it was normal for wasabi to taste slightly different from Japan—not as spicy or pungent.
Curious, she picked up another piece of sushi from the plate she had given Haizaki.
She elegantly bit into it, and her expression froze, as if paused.
"Yusuke-san, you… cough cough cough… dare to trick me…"
The spiciness overwhelmed her, the pungent flavor filling her mouth.
Utaha then grabbed the nearby water cup and drank in big gulps. However, it was sake she had taken in one sip. The alcohol's burn added to the spiciness, and tears welled in her eyes.
"Waa, you… sss… water, I need water…"
Facing the woman suffering her own choices, Haizaki forcibly suppressed his laughter and poured her a glass of water.
Pointing at the remaining wasabi, Utaha finally recovered, her lips curling into a playful smile.
She was full of revenge.
"The rest of the wasabi is yours. Dip your sushi in it. See how gentle and kind I am, how good I am to you!"
At this moment, Utaha transformed into a female demon with horns and bat wings, holding a whip, waiting for Haizaki to fall into her trap.
"How about it? Don't want to? Yusuke-san, if you won't dip it, then just swallow the wasabi whole! Close your eyes and in no time, it'll all be gone."
"Are you a demon?"
"Thank you for the compliment. I think there's no kinder demon in this world than me."
"After all, there's only one woman left in the world."
Haizaki spoke as he squeezed wasabi onto the sushi.
"Good. I think the flavor should be…"
He reached for his drink.
But he had clearly underestimated Utaha's vengeful nature.
The girl rudely took his milk,
"You can only drink after you finish everything!"
Haizaki shoved the sushi into her mouth.
The girl immediately choked, coughing incessantly.
...
April 22nd. Haizaki set out again. Today's goal was to relocate equipment from the farm.
To ensure Villa Number Four could provide the right temperature and humidity for the chickens, ducks, and geese, Haizaki needed to use electrical equipment.
This led to a rapid increase in fuel demand.
Utaha, as she said, began studying how to raise the chicks and ducklings.
Given the Chinese version of the care guide Haizaki gave her, she didn't mind the language barrier. She mostly figured things out herself, and if she couldn't, she contacted Haizaki.
Haizaki, meanwhile, methodically executed his daily plan according to his checklist.
"Still early. I'll go check the Air Force base…"
Looking at the time, it was an hour ahead of his estimate. Haizaki decided to visit the Wuhua City Air Force base.
Days of driving had steadily improved his vehicle handling skills. The "Trans-Spatiotemporal Human Civilization Salvation System" upgraded his "Vehicle Driving Skill" from F to D.
A pleasant surprise—he could improve his skills through self-learning and training.
In the original world, he hardly had the chance to fly planes. In this unknown apocalypse, Haizaki felt he must learn to pilot aircraft.
During the last disaster apocalypse, the Air Force remained the main force against the disaster creatures.
They pressed forward, facing death without hesitation, but the Sky Knights persisted without regret.
In this world, he might not have the chance to fly combat jets on the front lines, but one more skill was always better.
"Soon, I'll have you return to the blue sky again…"
Haizaki decided to first fly the jets outside the Air Force base hangar. Once he was done, he'd use the jets inside the hangar.
"No wonder it's an Air Force base. Even though Wuhua City has lost power, the base's backup electricity is still working."
Haizaki was surprised to find the cafeteria's refrigeration still operational.
Inside were frozen pork and beef.
Beyond food, Haizaki naturally took rifles, pistols, sniper rifles, various ammo, combat uniforms, boots, and other usable items.
Military clothing and shoes—durable and dirt-resistant—perfect for his outdoor use.
Today was truly a bountiful harvest.
...
"How did you bring back so many guns?"
Utaha noticed the large amount of firearms Haizaki had brought back.
"I plan to start shooting practice tomorrow. The range will be far from the villa, so it won't disturb your rest. But…"
Haizaki wouldn't comment on her sleeping in late, but as someone sharing the same roof, he still hoped she maintained a normal schedule.
"But what?"
"I think it's better for you to keep a regular routine."
"I know."
Clearly, Utaha didn't intend to change. He had no further words.
"In any case, take care of yourself. If you get sick, a minor illness is okay, but a serious one—I'd be helpless."
"That won't happen."
If she kept a regular schedule, he'd be reassured. People with regular routines almost never die suddenly. But she wasn't keeping one now!
Haizaki realized forcing her to change her habits was pointless.
He thought of her eighteen-year-old prime—youthful, vibrant. In the previous world, two years later, Utaha was lively and healthy.
"Hmm, tonight the main ingredient is beef. What dish do you want?"
"Beef hotpot."
Haizaki was pleasantly surprised.
"I'll go next door to see if there's another hotpot."
Given a Japanese girl's habits, sharing one hotpot might be inappropriate.
Better for him to suggest it than for her to ask.
"No need, one hotpot is enough."
That counted as acceptance, right?
Their relationship was somewhat stabilized. They just needed to maintain it until a year later… probably.
...