Chapter 329: Friends |
Bzz—crackling electric sparks flickered around "Sasaki Ayane," signaling that Hoshino Gen had seized complete domination over the body.
He stood up, preparing to launch himself into the air, but before taking flight, he realized a distinct inconvenience this body would pose in combat—
Glancing at the strands of hair falling past his ears, he let the electric sparks around his body fade. He looked down at his hands, but there were no hair ties on those pale, slender wrists. Shifting his gaze, he looked over at Hoshino Rin, who was currently cradling his unconscious original body and observing him with sheer curiosity.
A small black rubber band rested on Hoshino Rin's wrist. Hoshino Gen simply reached over, slipped it off her arm, and used it to pull the beautiful raven hair back into a crisp, high ponytail.
Asaba Shinichi watched from the sidelines with a grin, asking at just the right moment, "Ready?"
His only answer was the sudden resurgence of electric sparks surging around Sasaki Ayane's body, now fully under the domination of Hoshino Gen's soul.
Hoshino Gen levitated into the air first. With a thunderous boom, he transformed into a blazing white meteor of arcing lightning, shooting straight toward the depths of the sea.
Asaba Shinichi tilted his head back, draining the last drops from his beer can. His figure then dissolved into a puddle of dark shadows on the sandy ground, vanishing completely and leaving behind nothing but the empty can, which landed on the beach with a soft clatter.
Swoosh— As the evening tide rolled out, a massive expanse of shallows was revealed, yet the ocean waves continuing to crash against the sandy ground never ceased.
That is, until a massive explosion erupted out on the distant sea surface, utterly shattering the tranquility of the night.
A thunder dragon composed of crackling electric sparks collided head-on with a deep purple pillar of light. The aftermath of their clashing energy easily whipped up towering waves nearly three hundred feet high—and this was merely the starting gun signaling the opening of their battle.
......
Although it was just an island, its sheer bustling prosperity rivaled even the most vibrant streets and night markets of Tokyo.
Stepping out of the black commercial van, they took the elevator up from the underground parking lot to the expansive shopping mall in the center of the island. Taking in the flashing neon lights and the surging crowd around them, this group of girls—who had just traveled from the most prosperous city in all of Japan—almost felt as though they had never left Tokyo in the first place.
"Isn't this level of prosperity a little overkill for a tiny island?" Suzuki Sawami muttered in disbelief, mirroring the exact thoughts of everyone else in the group.
"Isn't it great, though?" Oguri Aino beamed. "The more prosperous the area, the greater the variety of things we can buy!"
With a bright laugh, she grabbed the arms of the two companions beside her and dragged them toward the massive commercial complex situated just up ahead. "Come on, let's go! I can't wait!"
Takasugi Yusuke strolled leisurely at the end of the line, taking his time to admire the surrounding scenery without showing any signs of falling behind.
Amamiya Sashi paused for barely two seconds before Takasugi Yusuke caught up to her. "Why are you dawdling all the way back here by yourself? You're making it look like you're some poor outcast we're bullying."
Takasugi Yusuke's face seemed perpetually adorned with that gentle smile. In response to his childhood friend's teasing, he remained completely calm and composed. "I don't really have any common ground with the others, nor am I particularly familiar with them. I wouldn't mind forcing myself into the group, but I know I have a rather strong presence. If I did, everyone else would just end up feeling awkward and uncomfortable."
Seeing him speak so thoughtfully and rationally, Amamiya Sashi couldn't help but chuckle. "Always so considerate of everyone else's feelings, huh? You definitely weren't like this back when we were in junior high school together."
As she spoke, a sly glint flashed in her eyes. "Is it because you're playing the knight in shining armor for a bunch of beautiful girls? Tell me, has anyone caught your eye?"
"I might not have known them for very long, and we've hardly met before today, but the bonds between girls are truly magical. After hanging out for just this little while, we're already great friends. If there's anyone you like, I'll do you a favor as your childhood friend and play matchmaker for you."
Takasugi Yusuke merely smiled. Growing up, the girl beside him had pitched this exact same offer to him at least eighty, if not a hundred, times.
He still remembered one time when he had gotten so annoyed by her relentless pestering that he decided to tease her by blurting out a random name. Later, he heard from the girl's desk-mate that she had cried at school for an entire day, all because he claimed there was someone else he liked.
Because of that, he knew not to take her words too seriously.
Although he hadn't intended to dignify her teasing with a response anyway, a violent energy fluctuation suddenly rippling out from the distance gave him the perfect excuse to change the subject—
Noticing Takasugi Yusuke suddenly snap his head toward a specific direction, Amamiya Sashi asked out of curiosity, "What's wrong?"
"......" Takasugi Yusuke smiled and shook his head. "Shinichi and Hoshino seem to have already started. It's a shame, I really would have liked to watch that fight."
Takasugi Yusuke had no intention of hiding anything from his childhood friend. After all, she had figured out the truth about the mystic side a long time ago—
Because supernatural incidents had been growing increasingly frequent in recent years, for the youth of high society, the mystic side was little more than an open secret—provided their respective families hadn't taken extreme measures to completely sever them from it.
Anyone with enough dedication and the right channels could easily dig up a few truths.
However, Amamiya Sashi simply had zero interest in all that fighting and killing. "Shinichi and Hoshino......"
She echoed the names he used, tilting her head in curiosity. "Asaba makes sense, since I know you guys have been close for ages. But you haven't known Hoshino-kun for very long, have you? To think a complete honorifics-fanatic like you is already dropping the formalities with him. Have you two really gotten that close?"
"I don't really know how to define what makes two people close, nor do I know what Hoshino thinks about it," he mused gently. "But at the very least, he's someone I officially recognize as a friend."
"Officially recognize, huh?" Amamiya Sashi didn't look particularly surprised, though she let out a quiet, emotional sigh. "Earning your approval is seriously tough. It's been like this ever since primary school. Countless guys and girls practically lined up to be your friend, yet not a single one ever managed to earn your actual acknowledgment."
"Honestly, if our families hadn't been so close before we were even born, and if we hadn't grown up playing together since we were toddlers, I doubt I'd have ever made the cut either, right?"
"I always figured Asaba would be the only true friend you'd ever make in this lifetime. I definitely didn't expect you to add Hoshino-kun to that list."
"Heh......" Takasugi Yusuke chuckled softly. "When it comes to friends, having one or two in a single lifetime is more than enough."