Chapter 142: I don’t want you to leave

A few days ago, her aunt and uncle had come back, so Naoko had bought a lot of vegetables and other ingredients, as well as fruits.

But some of these were highly perishable, and after a few days, they were already looking not so fresh.

The newly lined trash bag was quickly half-full.

Yukina tied it up and carried it out the door.

Just as the door closed, Naoko’s phone rang, the sound slipping through the door to Yukina’s ears.

Yukina, holding the trash bag, froze.

“This is Ephnel.”

Naoko’s voice followed, muffled by the door.

Her gaze flickered, and Yukina unconsciously lightened her movements.

She turned around with the trash bag and went back to the door, carefully pressing her ear against it, listening to the sounds coming from the living room.

But she couldn’t make out what was being said.

The only thing she was sure of was that the call was probably from the organization, as this was Naoko’s dedicated work number.

Naoko’s work number was separate from her personal number.

Just like her identity.

Yukina recalled the “brother” she used to see, and suddenly realized that Naoko’s personal number seemed to have hardly ever been used.

The phone she was using now was a temporary one Naoko had given her, the one Naoko used to use personally.

So Yukina had also seen Naoko’s contact list—describing it as “completely empty” might be an exaggeration, but it was the most fitting description.

There were only a few call records, mostly from the school and some delivery companies.

‘Does Naoko usually not use her phone?’ Yukina couldn’t help but wonder.

But then Yukina suddenly remembered the girl she had seen in the taxi, Futaba Eri, and the longing in Naoko’s gaze as she looked at her.

Perhaps it was just a longing for her own unfulfilled original dreams and life?

Naoko rarely mentioned what happened when she dropped out of university, but today, she had uncharacteristically told Yukina a little about it.

Although Naoko was just explaining her relationship with Futaba Eri, Yukina could still get a glimpse of Naoko’s life in university from it.

At that time, Naoko was still the same person she remembered.

So, why had the current Naoko completely broken away from that time?

Yukina wasn’t stupid.

She vaguely guessed some things about Naoko’s feelings when she became an Agent, her wishes at that time, and her determination.

It was probably for her own sake that Naoko had completely severed all ties with her past, right?

When Yukina came back after taking out the trash, she saw that Ephnel had just hung up the phone and was resting her beautiful cheek on her left hand, contemplating something.

She keenly detected a hint of hesitation in Ephnel’s gaze.

Something must have happened.

“Naoko…”

Just as she was about to ask, Ephnel spoke up. “Yukina, Masaki Hinaki just called. These next few days… I might have to go to headquarters.”

Hearing that Ephnel was going back to her “Agent” work, Yukina’s heart tightened for no reason.

She came and sat down next to Ephnel, asking worriedly, “You just got out of the hospital… and you have to go back already? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s not that urgent. They just need me to be present… I’m planning to go tomorrow or the day after.”

Ephnel said with a smile, reassuring Yukina.

“Masaki Hinaki and Fushihara Ayaka have formed a special task force. It’s an experiment modeled after the special law enforcement agencies of the central province. If possible, I’d like to go and see.”

“Is that so…”

Yukina lowered her gaze.

She didn’t care about any task forces or law enforcement agencies.

She just wanted Naoko to stay by her side.

“But I don’t want Naoko to go.”

After she spoke, a brief silence followed.

Then, a pair of warm hands cupped her face.

“I promise you, I won’t go anywhere except by your side.”

“But I don’t want Naoko to go.”

After Yukina spoke, what followed was Ephnel’s brief silence.

‘To go’ or ‘to leave’—did such simple and cold words carry a deeper meaning here?

Ephnel couldn’t help but think so.

Clearly, Yukina wanted a simple answer from Ephnel.

Just a promise would suffice.

Ephnel knew this, yet she couldn’t say it.

Some promises become lies and deceptions the moment they are spoken.

Ephnel absolutely did not want to deceive Yukina again.

Then, the words “I can’t,” were almost about to escape her lips, but Ephnel swallowed them back.

“I still have a lot to do,” “This is for our sake,” “If I don’t go…” “This can’t be helped…”—Ephnel had said these words enough times, and heard them enough times.

From the moment she joined the Order and became an Agent, she had heard them countless times from her seniors.

Such excuses were both a pretext and a retreat, a way of comforting and deceiving oneself, but also an undeniable fact.

But in other words, this was also something Ephnel had always been used to, the feeling of habitually lying, deceiving Yukina with the lie of “Yanase Naoto.”

But that felt a little unfamiliar now.

Looking at Yukina’s lowered lashes, Ephnel slowly raised her hand and gently caressed Yukina’s face, feeling her warmth on her palm.

“I promise you, I won’t go anywhere except by your side.”

Ephnel said softly.

For the first time, she felt that lying was actually quite difficult, especially to the person who was most important to her.

Ephnel’s words made Yukina look up.

She saw the glimmer in Yukina’s eyes, and her deep, warm gaze.

“I… love Naoko the most, too… I always want to be by your side…”

Ephnel moved closer to Yukina and gently closed her eyes.

Their warmth gradually drew near, and she felt Yukina’s taste and touch on her lips.

At this distance, even with their eyes open, they couldn’t see each other clearly in their hazy vision.

Ephnel couldn’t help but think about some things.

After experiencing this long-overdue serious injury, Ephnel had come to understand that she couldn’t achieve a “legend” with her own strength.

The idea of “protecting forever” was a false proposition from the start.

People will always “go.”

In her nearly two years as an Agent, countless people had “gone” from Ephnel’s side.

Ephnel could only watch helplessly, unable to change anything no matter how hard she tried.

Perhaps one day in the future, the person standing here would be Yukina, and Ephnel would be the one to “go.”

The thought of being separated from Yukina made her heart ache as if it were being squeezed.

But Ephnel knew that such an ending was more common.

A long, long time ago, Ephnel had already prepared herself to die at any moment.

This resolve had accompanied her throughout her entire career as an Agent, something she had determined from the moment she decided to protect others, to protect Yukina.

When she was sad and in pain, she had also thought, “what if I just died,” wondering if it would all end if she just left… but in the end, she had aimlessly survived.

In the end, Ephnel was still unwilling to just abandon Yukina.

“Naoko…”

Their hot breaths intertwined.

A soft sensation came from beneath her, and Ephnel gently fell back onto the sofa.

The corner of her shirt was lifted, and a cool, soft touch lingered at her waist, then climbed up to her soft flesh.

Although it had only been a few short days, Ephnel was already starting to get used to Yukina’s touch.

Her thoughts were gradually replaced by another sensation.

But Yukina didn’t continue.

She just supported herself with her hands, in a position that wouldn’t touch Ephnel’s wounds, and leaned down to kiss her.

Ephnel’s body hadn’t fully healed yet, so besides kissing, there wasn’t much else Yukina could do.

The warm breath gradually subsided, and Yukina leaned down to gently hug Ephnel.

Her gaze fell on their intertwined fingers, on the ring finger of Ephnel’s right hand.

There, a silver ring glittered.