"There really is one here…"
After leaving Villa No. 4, Haizaki turned toward the side of the enclosure where the chickens were kept.
A rooster was crouched beneath the wall on that side, shivering.
Haizaki could even see a sense of relief from having narrowly escaped death in the rooster's eyes.
It was practically becoming sentient—yes, a chicken spirit.
"In the future, don't be so stupid and jump outside…"
In a storm like this, breaking through shattered glass and running out—trying to escape? That was practically suicide.
Holding the rooster against his chest with one hand and supporting himself against the wall with the other, Haizaki circled the villa to look for the remaining two.
If they weren't in the yard, then he would have to give up.
Telling Utaha that he would look for three chickens had only been based on the assumption that they were still in the yard.
"There's another one."
After struggling forward for three minutes, Haizaki found the second.
A hen—and an egg-laying one.
This was Haizaki's treasured prize.
In two more months, it would be laying eggs—a true treasure. Future meals would depend on it.
"Wait, I'll get you out right away…"
The hen didn't panic. It merely shivered, staring at Haizaki as it waited.
When Haizaki reached out, it didn't resist. Instead, it desperately curled up in his arms. These chickens had never been friendly toward Haizaki before, always treating him like some kind of prehistoric beast.
But now…
Sure enough, living creatures understood survival instinctively. It knew he was there to take it back.
Haizaki continued searching, circling once more, but found no sign of the third.
At this point, he had no choice but to give up.
...
Five minutes later, Haizaki fought against the gale and arrived at the villa entrance once more.
He twisted the lock, slipped inside quickly, and slammed the door shut with all his strength.
Outside, every step against the storm felt like it required his entire body's strength just to move forward.
Inside the villa, however, everything was calm. It felt like a completely different world.
"Whew…"
Haizaki let out a breath.
The two chickens in his arms sensed safety and immediately flapped their wings and jumped down, rushing toward where the others were, as if that was where they felt safest.
He was abandoned without hesitation, leaving Haizaki awkwardly standing there, already thinking that these heartless chickens should be stewed someday.
"I'm back—"
Before he could finish speaking, a soft body rushed forward and suddenly wrapped him in a tight embrace.
He froze.
The warmth from the chickens in his arms hadn't yet faded when the girl's body brought him a new warmth.
Haizaki had no idea why Utaha suddenly hugged him.
Even through the raincoat and training clothes, he could clearly feel the softness and elasticity of her body—especially her chest pressing firmly against him.
"What's wrong, Kasumigaoka-san…?"
"Let me… hold you for a bit."
Only like this—only by feeling Haizaki's presence—could she truly feel at ease.
When Haizaki went out to look for the chickens blown away by the storm, Utaha initially felt happy because of his actions. But as time passed, unease gradually filled her heart.
The wind and rain outside were fierce—would Haizaki encounter danger?
Would he go farther away, taking risks just to find the chickens?
It was all her fault. She should have firmly stopped him.
She regretted it. She wanted to go out and tell Haizaki to stop looking. Compared to those chickens, his safety mattered far more to her.
But knowing that going outside herself would only cause him unnecessary trouble, Utaha could only stay inside the villa—restless and anxious.
Three minutes.
Eight minutes.
The agreed ten minutes passed.
Her unease reached its peak.
Haizaki had never failed to keep a promise. And now… ten minutes had already passed, yet he still hadn't returned.
She panicked. She grew anxious. She worried.
And then, at that moment, the door opened.
Haizaki came back.
Unable to suppress the surge of joy and relief in her heart, she rushed forward and hugged him.
As long as he was here, she could finally feel at ease.
She didn't want Haizaki to do dangerous things anymore—even if it was for her sake.
"You're pressing into me. It hurts a little…"
Haizaki deliberately said it the wrong way around. The girl's anxiety was completely visible to him.
Utaha's attitude toward him had changed rapidly. Since the end of their cold war at the end of June, in just over a month, her behavior and attitude toward him had undergone a complete transformation.
The pace was too fast—so fast that it made Haizaki uneasy.
Hearing his words, Utaha hugged him even tighter, clearly thinking, If you say it hurts, then I'll make it hurt more.
But how could her assets possibly make him feel pain?
"Is that enough?"
"Just a little longer…"
She pleaded softly, almost coquettishly.
"Just a bit more!"
The correct thing to do would have been to push her away. But right now, Utaha was seeking reassurance from him. Whether he pushed her away or not, either choice felt wrong.
Bringing her into the Solitary Apocalypse world and making her endure a year of isolation—he bore an inescapable responsibility. In the previous apocalypse, he had also broken his promise, failing to return at the agreed time.
"Alright. Just a bit more."
Another five minutes passed.
Even the chickens in the distance, which had been clucking noisily, fell silent.
Only the sound of wind, rain, their breathing, and their heartbeats remained.
Their soaked clothes could not stop the warmth between them from spreading and mingling.
"Achoo…" Utaha let out a cute sneeze.
In an instant, her face turned red.
"I'll take you back so you can take a hot shower. Catching a cold would be bad. I'll take care of them later. There's still one that wasn't found."
Haizaki felt some regret. That had been a hen close to laying eggs—losing it was truly a shame.
Now there were only three egg-laying hens left. It seemed he would need to go out and search later—maybe he could even find wild ones.
"As long as I have you, that's enough."
Haizaki stiffened, his body trembling slightly, but in the end, he pretended not to have heard anything.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
She had already felt the cold creeping in.
She had simply been enduring it.
Back in the villa room, as her body sank into the warmth of the hot water, the chill was completely driven away, leaving only a comfortable sense of ease.
Every part of her body seemed to rejoice.
Utaha's cheeks were flushed—not only from the hot water, but also from the near-confession she had made to Haizaki at Villa No. 4.
Even she herself hadn't expected to act so impulsively.
This way… her feelings and intentions must have reached him, right?
Or was it still—
An unspoken, unanswered love.
...