Waking up to find himself tightly wrapped, like an octopus, by a tall, long-haired black-haired beauty with a great figure—what would a normal man's reaction be?
Haizaki didn't know about other men, but at least for him, it was…
Uncomfortable.
His right arm had already gone numb, yet he didn't dare move too much, simply because Utaha still had her eyes closed and was resting. Her breathing was steady and rhythmic, her body rising and falling slightly.
Haizaki could even clearly feel the strong beating of Utaha's heart.
However, Utaha's sleeping posture was truly terrible.
From the moment he fell asleep to the moment he woke up, his position had barely changed, but hers was, frankly, hard to look at. Since the girl hadn't woken up yet, Haizaki lay still. All he could do was think about today's plans.
It seemed the final confirmation work would have to be postponed.
Half an hour later—
"Mm…"
The girl beside him let out a soft murmur, and her body reacted along with the sound.
Utaha opened her hazy eyes, blinking a few times, clearly confused by the current situation.
"Haizaki-kun… why are you in my bed…"
"This is my bed."
"How did you pull me over to your side? So… you're that desperate? Having my underwear… still wasn't enough."
Utaha looked away, a shy blush surfacing on her face, fully displaying a girl's bashful demeanor.
"Alright. If you can joke around, then you're awake."
"Can't I sleep a little longer?"
Adjusting her position, Utaha moved closer while hugging Haizaki's arm, her wine-red eyes staring straight at him.
Once is unfamiliar, twice is familiar—today she was bolder than last time.
"Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health."
"I'm not a child."
"Even if you're not a child, you still need to sleep early and wake early. If you get sick, that wouldn't be good. You don't want to experience having a fever again, do you?"
At least Haizaki absolutely didn't want to relive the discomfort of being sick. That fever he had once in elementary school—his head spinning, his body heavy and weak—was still vivid in his memory. Most importantly, he had had to endure it all by himself.
"…"
Actually, Utaha felt that getting a fever wasn't entirely a bad thing. At least back then, Haizaki had stayed by her side the whole time, caring for her, with gentleness replacing his usual calm demeanor.
"Kiss me, and I'll get up."
"Isn't that something only kids would—"
A sharp pain shot through his waist. Haizaki's mouth twitched.
Twisting someone's waist was a woman's innate skill—and one with all skill points maxed out.
Haizaki quickly gave her a peck on the lips.
"Is that enough?"
Haizaki realized that Utaha's successive demands were lowering his resistance to intimate behavior with her.
Half a year ago, he wouldn't have kissed Utaha, nor would he have calmly accepted sleeping in the same bed with a girl without feeling uncomfortable.
He had gotten used to it.
Because there was a first time, a second and third time didn't seem like a big deal.
And after that? Haizaki didn't dare continue thinking.
"This kiss is way too insincere. It should be like this…"
A soft, moist touch, a sweet, heart-stirring scent.
"That's how it should be, Haizaki-kun."
She was slightly out of breath, her black hair loosely draped at her sides, strands revealing glimpses of fair skin.
"I understand."
"Just understanding isn't enough, but I'll tell you some good news…"
Utaha smiled slightly. With a bit of rummaging, her left hand lifted an item of underwear. "Yesterday, you passed. Barely. Keep it up in the future!"
He really couldn't directly deny it. If he did, he would surely face the girl's forceful counterattack.
Haizaki lifted a corner of the blanket, preparing to get up, but Utaha hugged him from behind.
"April 4th… that day, will you really… confess to me?"
The calm words carried the girl's tension and fear. She was worried that what Haizaki had given her was nothing more than an illusory dream.
She was afraid—afraid that when that day came, Haizaki would choose to run away again.
And what could she do then?
Be angry? Vent? Scold Haizaki for breaking his promise?
None of that would mean anything. It would only lower her image in Haizaki's heart.
"This is my promise to you. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would break it?"
"Mm, I believe you."
Breathing in Haizaki's familiar masculine scent, Utaha answered softly. She believed Haizaki, and she could only choose to believe.
"I'm more worried that Utaha will reject me."
Haizaki replied with a teasing tone, making Utaha pout in displeasure.
"No way. Absolutely not. I could never do something like that."
"Yes, yes, then I'll look forward to it. At that time, I'll have my first girlfriend in life."
Hearing that she would be Haizaki's first girlfriend, joy surged in Utaha's heart. Haizaki wouldn't lie to her about something like this.
"Only I can help Haizaki-kun escape being single. Otherwise, you'd never get out of the sea of suffering of being a single dog for your whole life."
Unfortunately, she wasn't Haizaki's first love. It was just bad luck that she and Haizaki didn't attend the same school.
She believed that if Haizaki had been at Toyogasaki, or if she had been at Sobu High, with her charm, she could definitely have made Haizaki fall for her at first sight.
"That's wrong."
What do you mean, wrong? Was he about to say it was her?
"Not a single dog. A… lone wolf," Haizaki said firmly.
"Pfft…"
Utaha burst out laughing.
She thought about it for a while before understanding the meaning.
"Isn't that the same thing!"
"A lone wolf can only rely on its own strength to survive alone. It may wander until death, with no chance of ever returning to the pack."
For some reason, Utaha felt a resonance of sadness.
It came from Haizaki. But why?
Was he referring to a world where there were only him and her?
That was true as well.
But Haizaki wouldn't be alone—she was by his side.
"Haizaki-kun, I'll always stay with you. You're not alone."
Utaha hugged Haizaki tightly, her slender arms holding him with strength, expressing her resolve and determination.
"Mm. Being able to meet Utaha is really wonderful."
"Me too. Being able to meet Haizaki-kun is the luckiest thing in my life."
Utaha held Haizaki's right hand, their fingers interlocked.
"So, I absolutely won't let Haizaki-kun become a lone wolf wandering by himself."
Haizaki hugged the girl close.
In the "Solitary Apocalypse" world, he could survive alone until the very end.
But without Utaha by his side, his year of life in that world would have been unbearably dull and monotonous, devoid of any color.
Day after day of training, nights spent studying, going out to search for supplies, and…
Could he really persist unchanged from start to finish, all alone? Probably not.
Haizaki believed he couldn't maintain a stable mindset for an entire year. Humans were, after all, social creatures.
A world of utter loneliness could push a person to the brink of madness at any moment.
Without Utaha's companionship, his mental state would have broken down long ago.
…