One-way traffic

"It's okay, and it's nothing compared to this."

Hatsune Miku spoke softly, becoming somewhat reserved.

"Um...excuse me, can I help you?"

"Oh? That would be perfect."

Yomi Kawa Aiho blinked, seemingly not expecting this, but still very happy about it.

She chuckled as she took the prepared hamburger patties out and placed them on a plate.

"Take these, I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"Ah... This is the first time someone has helped me like this. Honestly, someone like that would never do something like this. It must have been really tough."

That's true. Just imagining someone with Accelerator's personality serving food is enough to make the scene feel incongruous...

Hatsune Miku skillfully picked up the two plates of food.

"Oh, right."

Then, Yomikawa Aiho, who was behind him, continued to ask.

"Young lady, you wouldn't happen to be that guy's girlfriend, would you?"

"Eh."

then.

The girl, who was carrying two plates of food, almost smashed them to pieces.

"Ehhhhhhhh-?!"

"Hey! Don't get so excited—!"

Fortunately, Aiho Yomikawa's physical reaction was not bad, and she managed to grab the plate at the critical moment.

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hey, that was close! This is the first time I've encountered such a dangerous situation... Hey? Little girl, what's wrong?"

Aiho Yomikawa blinked, but Hatsune Miku was completely speechless at this point.

A flush, as red as boiling water, completely washed over the girl's cheeks.

"Oh dear... you actually fell for it so easily?"

"No, no, no, that's not it—!"

Hatsune Miku waved her hands, trying to explain, but it was clear that a girl in a certain state would inevitably lose most of her rationality and language abilities, a rule that was almost unchanging in every world.

This scene also made Aiho Yomikawa, who had been through it all, stand up for herself.

"Could it be that, young lady, you really have feelings for my man...?"

"I'll go get the food!"

Hatsune Miku hurriedly grabbed the plate and ran out of the kitchen.

Standing still, Yomi Kawa Aiho smiled gently, saying nothing more, and quietly prepared a warm vegetable soup.

Soon after, the group sat down together.

Yomikawa Aiho and Yoshikawa Kikyo sat together, while Hatsune Miku and Accelerator, without a doubt, could only sit together.

The four looked at each other, while the two older men sitting opposite them gave each other knowing smiles.

This scene... it seems like something I've seen in a novel before—

Although things appeared calm on the surface, Hatsune Miku was actually bursting with excitement inside, and all sorts of little thoughts began to form in her mind.

'This is just like a couple meeting each other's parents! !!!'

Even with her status as a world-class diva, she couldn't withstand all of this.

"What's wrong? Is it because Aiho's cooking is bad?"

"Huh? Of course not! I was just a little distracted!"

Realizing this, Hatsune Miku quickly picked up her chopsticks and began eating rapidly.

On the left, Accelerator, sitting next to her, casually curled his lip.

"So why is it still hamburger patty?"

"Oh, isn't hamburger patty good? Don't you like eating meat?"

"That's true, but you've made this way way too many times... and it's still that rice cooker?"

"Yes, yes, cooking with a rice cooker is a great method, isn't it? Look, a rice cooker isn't just for cooking rice; it can also be used to make soup, stew meat, steam fish, and stew vegetables—you name it!"

"Slacker."

"Hey, there's no need to say that to me the moment we meet. I'm one of your guardians, after all!"

"But I do agree with that, Aiho. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of rice cooker food too."

"One or two really... Oh well, this is all the cooking I can do anyway, please spare me."

Unbeknownst to her, Hatsune Miku found herself in a very strange realm.

—The people at the dining table, though seemingly arguing, actually created a very warm and cozy atmosphere.

It may not be as dazzling as the dawn's sunlight, but it is warmer than that light.

and.

'...This is the first time I've seen this.'

Gazing at the casual expression on the face of the person beside her, Hatsune Miku's heart couldn't help but waver.

'This is the first time I've seen someone with such a relaxed and natural expression on their face.'

Although he usually appears relaxed and at ease at home, well, as expected...

This is where he truly feels at home, where he can finally relax.

Only here is his final and true home.

'…I.'

A strange sense of loss welled up from the bottom of my heart.

The girl instinctively covered her chest with her hands, feeling a chilling loneliness.

"Hey, hey, don't just stand there."

Only then did the people around him wake him up.

Yoshikawa Kikyo tapped her porcelain bowl with her chopsticks.

"The food is getting cold, don't just stand there."

"Ah... yes."

She nodded and immediately buried her head in her food.

...Lunchtime quickly came to an end.

"Ah, this feels so good."

"How was it? My cooking was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"Of course, but I hope you can consider other ways to cook, Aiho."

"That's a rare situation, even for me."

"Ah ha ha…"

And so, the two of them began discussing it once again.

Accelerator sighed very decisively.

"So, that kid is still in the hospital, right?"

"You should know more about this than we do, shouldn't you?"

Kikyo Yoshikawa blinked and spoke simply.

"However, according to the description of that frog-faced doctor, she will be able to be discharged from the hospital in just a few days. I think she will be very happy at that time, right?"

"That's it."

Accelerator nodded casually, pretending to be indifferent.

But even so.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

Having just finished eating, Accelerator stood up and walked towards the door under the watchful eyes of Yomikawa Aiho and Yoshikawa Kikyo.

"Go and see that brat."

"Oh my? You actually... would say something like that yourself?"

"It's just a quick check to see how things are going, don't overthink it."

"That's really not being frank."

"Tsk..."

Accelerator clicked his tongue slightly and walked straight out the door.

"Well, that..."

Hatsune Miku, standing to the side, couldn't help but stand up.

However, although she wanted to say something, she couldn't say anything at all.

Accelerator didn't turn around, but glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye before leaving the room.

Click.

The sound of the door closing was very crisp.

The girl with the light blue twin ponytails stood there, stunned.

No way.

Absolutely not.

—In the end, we should have realized this a long time ago.

This is a world that belongs to him, to his family, and to his own life.

No matter how close she got to him or how much she stayed by his side, she could never stop him from returning to his family.

Ah...how silly.

I was so stupid.

Having realized this, Hatsune Miku's gaze wavered even more.

"...Excuse me for saying just a few words."

However, such a sound came from behind.

Kikyo Yoshikawa patted her on the shoulder and looked over with a smile.

"You don't really think he's only this cold, indifferent, do you?"

"Eh……?"

She couldn't help but blink.

"What... does this mean...?"

"Well, that's how it is. Don't be fooled by his decisive and efficient performance. He actually has a lot of ideas in his mind."

As she stacked the plates on the table, Aiho Yomikawa looked over with a light smile.

Her tone was very relaxed.

"That kid has always been like that."

"I was thinking of cutting off our connection with him through decisive actions and words, so that he could bear everything himself, and that it wouldn't affect us at all."