"I have a wide circle of friends, regardless of gender," Yugen said. "Actually, Honoka consulted me directly."
"Honoka did? Are you two that close?"
"We were classmates in the same school since the spring of our second year in middle school. Thanks to Shizuku, I think we've built a solid friendship."
Back on March 24th, after the Higan service, Yugen had returned to his hotel to find a video call request from Eimi Akechi.
"Oh, Yugen! Sorry for the sudden call."
"I just got back to the hotel. I have to head out again soon, but I've got about thirty minutes. Why are you calling from Honoka's terminal?"
"Well, the only boys close enough to Honoka to give her advice are you or Toya. Since Honoka couldn't bring herself to do it, I called instead."
Eimi wasn't alone. He could hear the voices of Subaru Satomi, Sana, Himeri, Yume, and even Celia in the background. It was a Veritable "Honoka Mitsui Siege Net."
"So, total hypothetical... if she were to 'seduce' Shiba-kun, what do you think about a swimsuit?"
"It's a classic move. Honoka certainly has the figure for it. Though Tatsuya might find himself on the receiving end of some murderous glares from the other guys. Why aren't you doing any seducing, Amy?"
"As long as my position is secure, I don't want to push it. I don't need any weird pressure from my mother's side of the family."
Since Amy's family issues had involved both Yugen and Tatsuya, she was clearly trying to avoid causing more trouble. The girls behind her were egging Honoka on. Honoka had weighed her embarrassment against her desire to appeal to Tatsuya... and the latter had clearly won.
"I told her to at least avoid anything so revealing she'd be too embarrassed to leave her room afterward. Some of the girls were pushing for a micro-bikini, but Shizuku arrived and managed to talk them down."
"Good old Shizuku... But really, does Tatsuya even like that kind of thing?" Lina asked.
"Are you trying to turn Tatsuya into a 'Berserker'?" Yugen retorted.
Even Tatsuya, who was devoid of most intense emotions, possessed a normal male libido. If Lina—the one person who could actually make him emotional—wore something like that, he'd likely "claim" her behind the nearest cover in an instant. Yugen left the specifics to Lina's imagination.
"In that sense, you have it rough too, Yugen. Dealing with multiple women must be exhausting."
"It is what it is," he sighed.
Across the water, the sound of the outboard motors faded. He'd told Miyuki and Shizuku he'd make it up to them, and he knew they understood the situation.
Truth be told, Miyuki had been troubled by Tatsuya's slow pace, and Maya had been frequently asking about Tatsuya's progress even in the middle of the night. Since they knew Tatsuya wouldn't give an honest answer if asked directly, the task fell to Miyuki, his closest relative. While the mission in Okinawa was vital, Maya had given Yugen another task: "Improve Tatsuya's social life"—essentially, making him aware of his role as a fiancé. This wasn't something Yugen could handle alone, so he had recruited Miyuki, Shizuku, Lina, and Minami into the plan.
A short while later, Shizuku was successfully capturing footage of Honoka's aggressive "appeal" on the sandbar.
Honoka's "appeal" continued even after the group returned to the glass-bottom boat. Lina remained quiet, respecting the difference in the depth of their respective relationships with Tatsuya. When the captain asked Yugen to prepare for departure, Yugen showed him the sonar data of the area around Kumejima on his terminal.
"Regarding our planned route to Kanegusuku Port—we should change it."
"Is this... information from your 'sources'?" the captain asked.
"You could say that. There are no records of large wreckage in this area, so this is undoubtedly a submarine—likely a foreign one."
The original plan was to return the way they came. However, the weather was clear, and even if the route was longer, a western detour wouldn't be a problem. The captain was a veteran of the National Defense Army and knew Yugen; he was also aware of Yugen's extraordinary nature through Kazama. There was no reason to reject a proposal that prioritized safety.
"Understood. I'll trust your judgment. But what if the submarine follows us?"
"If they attack... we'll identify them and then simply 'throw them away.' It's too risky to let them keep tailing us."
If the kidnappers understood what had happened five years ago, the chances of them making a move here were low. However, the soldiers of the Great Asian Alliance were prone to irrational competitiveness and obsessed with "saving face." Even when the peace treaty was signed, the opposition within the Alliance had been driven by an emotional refusal to bow to a "small nation" like Japan.
Stuck in a cycle of ideology and status that has lasted two thousand years... Yugen couldn't help but feel they were the definition of a "backwards nation."
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