"Yuhuuu!!! Wonderful! We really can fly!"
Under the moonlight, three figures cut across the sky, rushing at great speed toward Tokyo.
"Seriously, we could have just teleported back."
Hovering above the city, Nakano Yu looked at the excited expressions on the faces of Arima Kana and Ichika in front of him. Since the essence of the power of Storm Wind and Raging Waves was the control of powerful winds, rain clouds, thunder, and the atmosphere, Nakano Yu could not only make himself fly, but also allow others to float through the sky.
It was already night, and Nakano Yu had originally planned to use Moon Authority to teleport back with Ichika and Arima Kana, but Ichika pouted and wished to experience the feeling of flying on the wind, and Arima Kana also expressed the desire to try. Nakano Yu had no choice but to listen to the two girls.
Fortunately, the flying speed of Storm Wind and Raging Waves was very great. Although it could not compare to the terrifying movement speed, the ability to create clones, and turning the body into purple lightning like Electric Flash, for Nakano Yu it was more than sufficient for now.
At extreme flying speed, the three of them quickly arrived in Tokyo. After landing in front of the apartment that Arima Kana was renting, the girl, her face flushed and obviously still excited, did not forget to thank the young man:
"Thank you, Nakano Yu! This experience was truly, truly wonderful! Thank you so much!"
At that, Nakano Yu simply waved his hand. For him, it was a small thing:
"No need to thank me. It's already late, so we'll head home."
"See you, Kana! Bye~"
Ichika was also lightly floating beside Nakano Yu. Hearing the young man say they were going home, she said goodbye to Arima Kana.
Seeing the two of them ready to leave so quickly, Arima Kana grabbed the hem of her skirt and looked at Nakano Yu, cautiously asking:
"Won't you two come in for a while?"
"Hmm… alright, let's stop by briefly."
Exchanging a glance with Ichika and seeing that she was not yet ready to go home, Nakano Yu had to agree to stop by.
"Yay! Let's go! Next time we fly together again!"
After Nakano Yu agreed, Ichika immediately smiled, walked over and took Arima Kana by the arm. The two of them went upstairs laughing and chatting.
Following the two girls, Nakano Yu raised his head toward the materialized full moon above, smiled and shook his head without a word.
Arriving at Arima Kana's apartment, after opening the door, a small one-room apartment appeared before them. The space was not large, but it was completely sufficient for one person.
As for the furniture, at the very end of the room there was a bed. The floor was covered with tatami mats, so there were no chairs or a large table. However, there was a small table, where Arima Kana probably usually ate, and on it stood a half-eaten cup of instant noodles.
Aside from that table, the rest of the place was very tidy. It had to be said that Arima Kana, living alone in Tokyo, maintained excellent hygiene.
"Come in and sit. I haven't had dinner yet, I'll prepare that now."
Entering first, Arima Kana casually threw the cup of noodles from the table into the trash and invited them in to rest.
Seeing that, Nakano Yu pretended not to notice anything.
"Now that I think about it, Kana really lives alone. That's impressive."
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Ichika looked at Arima Kana, who was bringing tea, and said in a tone that carried a hint of envy.
Ichika had actually thought about moving out of the family home and living alone to prove her ability, that she could live well by herself. However, she gave up that idea when she realized she didn't know how to cook.
"It's alright. Mainly… my family doesn't really support it."
With a smile, Arima Kana handed a cup of tea to Nakano Yu and said that with a smile. However, that smile was unclear, whether it was bitter or whether she found her own decision amusing.
"Ah? This… Kana is already making progress! Director Kudo said she would prioritize Kana for future scripts."
Hearing that, Ichika immediately became agitated. In her view, it was incomprehensible that Arima Kana's family did not support her continuing in the entertainment industry, given that she debuted as a child star. But since Arima Kana said so, there was no reason to lie, and Ichika for a moment did not know how to comfort her.
"Yes, I'm already making progress."
Hearing Ichika's words, Arima Kana also smiled. Originally, she thought that to get a script, she would have to accept the dirty unspoken rules of the industry.
Those so-called unspoken rules disgusted her. Over the years she had rarely encountered such things. Precisely because of that, she often heard rumors that an amateur she had met several times had accepted those rules and would receive major roles.
Sometimes she wondered whether she had really been wrong to resist those things that came with the entertainment industry.
But every time she thought about it, the answer was the same, she was not wrong!
"I also have to thank Nakano Yu. If it weren't for Nakano Yu, I would probably have been sidelined for several more years, or even my whole life."
Arima Kana suddenly expressed her gratitude to Nakano Yu.
However, Nakano Yu felt that he did not deserve her thanks. He had not said anything to Director Kudo. Even if Arima Kana was chosen because of her abilities, that was partly her luck, and had no direct connection with him.
"That has little to do with me. Kana earned the opportunity from Director Kudo herself. She told me that your performance during the confession scene was excellent, that's why she gave you the villain role."
Taking a sip of tea, Nakano Yu raised his gaze toward the girl and gave her affirmation.
More than ten years of continuous training had laid a solid foundation for Arima Kana. Nakano Yu had felt that while acting with her. He himself was not a professional, but he could judge whether something was good or not.
Compared to Ichika, Arima Kana might have had less talent and fewer opportunities, but her diligence was her strength and advantage. If she seized the opportunity and presented her hard work, it would surely attract great attention.
Of course, that could only be done once Arima Kana gained a certain level of fame; now it would be counterproductive.
"Yu, Nakano Yu, what, what did you just say?"
As soon as Nakano Yu finished speaking, Arima Kana looked at him excitedly. Holding the cup and tray, her body trembled slightly, and her voice was filled with surprise.
"Kana was very good. Director Kudo said she chose you because of your ability, not because of me…"
Seeing her reaction, Nakano Yu had to repeat himself.
This time, before he finished, Arima Kana suddenly threw herself into his arms. Large tears fell from her eyes, and her voice was filled with joyful sobs:
"Thank you, thank you, Nakano Yu… Truly, thank you so much!"
"You… Ichika, won't you do anything?"
Looking at the girl who was constantly crying in his arms, Nakano Yu wanted to move her away, but found it difficult. He could only look at Ichika beside him.
"You provoked her, I'm not interfering."
Seeing that he remembered her now, Ichika cast a glance at Arima Kana, said that, and turned her head.
Since Ichika ignored the situation, Nakano Yu did not know how to comfort Arima Kana. He did not know all the details of her life, but he knew the general outline.
As a child she had been a sought-after child star, adored by everyone. And then she suddenly fell. Losing her value, even people, including her mother, abandoned her. In the end, through her own effort, she avoided being completely discarded by the industry.
Still, she had been forgotten, from the center of attention to having no roles. Nakano Yu could not fully understand that feeling of a sudden fall.
He let Arima Kana remain in his embrace, but after a short while, she composed herself, wiped her tearful eyes, and stood up.
"…Sorry, I remembered some unpleasant things and couldn't control myself. I made you two laugh. I'll prepare dinner now, please wait."
She adjusted her slightly wrinkled clothes, finished her sentence, and walked toward the small refrigerator.
Watching her leave, Nakano Yu finally looked at Ichika with mild reproach, but saw that she was already watching him.
"Yu, what do you think about Kana?"
Leaning closer to Nakano Yu, Ichika asked softly.
"She's a good girl, why are you asking?"
Nakano Yu nodded slightly. When she was younger, Arima Kana had been rude and arrogant because of fame, but more than ten years of experience had softened her sharp edges and made her more pleasant.
"Well, what do you think, Yu?"
Seeing that Nakano Yu was not repulsed by Arima Kana, Ichika smiled and lightly nudged him with her elbow.
"Ichika, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not that kind of person… Even if I were, Kana isn't that kind of girl, so let's not talk about it."
Seeing through her plan, Nakano Yu gently pushed her away and said somewhat irritably. He was open, but the question was whether Arima Kana would agree?
"Oh? Is that so? I understand."
Ichika was not hurt by his rejection. She was not doing this to "offer him up," but had her own plan.
Besides, Nakano Yu had not directly rejected her just now!
"Kana isn't that kind of girl"—isn't the meaning of that sentence clear? Nakano Yu would not take the initiative, she knew that. But couldn't she simply make Arima Kana take the initiative?
Thinking about that, Ichika merely smiled and looked at Nakano Yu, which gave him the feeling that she was plotting something. However, the Wing Contract did not allow Nakano Yu to know what a person under contract was thinking, so he had to give up.
Meanwhile, after checking the refrigerator, Arima Kana quietly closed the door.
It seemed there was no food in the house.
What should she do? She had just said she would prepare dinner for Yu and Ichika. What if there were no ingredients?
Thinking about it, Arima Kana could not serve them instant noodles, so she stood up and said:
"Ano, I, I'll step out for a moment, I'll be right back!"
Seeing the unnatural smile on her face, Ichika immediately understood what was happening. She leaned toward Nakano Yu and whispered something to him, then said:
"Wait! Kana, let Nakano Yu go. I have something to tell you, Kana."
"Eh?"
Hearing that, Arima Kana, who was already putting on her shoes at the entrance, stopped. She was just about to say something when the young man spoke:
"I'll go. I'll be back very quickly."
After that, Nakano Yu did not waste time. He immediately used Moon Authority, and his figure disappeared from the room.
Seeing that he had left, Ichika stood up and approached the still confused Kana, asking with a smile:
"Hey, Kana-chan, what do you think about… Yu?"