Chapter 10: Adults Have Their Own Understanding

Ibuki Megumi wobbled out of the emergency room.

"It really seems that way..."

Ikari Fumihiko remarked, clearly struck by the situation.

The doctor, evidently on friendly terms with Megumi, teased her, "Can't you be honest? Wearing a swimsuit with padded inserts, if you're so keen on making them bigger, you might as well go for implants. I can help you find a top-notch doctor."

Megumi blushed slightly. "Say less. No one would mistake you for being mute."

"What's up with you today? Blushing after just a couple of words?" The doctor gave Fumihiko a suspicious look. "Boyfriend? Seriously? You'd go for someone that young?"

"What are you talking about? This is Dr. Fumihiko."

"The Dr. Fumihiko who graduated at twenty-one and is the Director's cousin?"

"Yes."

The doctor coughed awkwardly and straightened her clothes. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Fumihiko. I'm Kanade Fuyutsuki, a friend of Megumi. Are you free tonight after work? How about dinner?"

"...You're being too forward!"

"Things are chaotic outside right now. It'll take a few years for things to stabilize. There aren't many quality men of a similar age within the base. If you don't take the initiative, you might miss out."

"You're eight years older than him... never mind, good luck."

Fuyutsuki Kanade had a slightly less attractive appearance than Megumi but had a better figure and was taller. She looked more like a model than a doctor. Faced with the situation, Fumihiko didn't quite know how to react and could only make small talk.

He remembered a character from the original work named Fuyutsuki Kouzou, who was Yui Ikari's mentor.

"Fuyutsuki? Are you Prof. Fuyutsuki's daughter?"

"Yes. My father mentioned that if it weren't for some incident back then, he would have been your mentor."

"That's a real pity; we would've met sooner."

"Indeed, it is."

Kanade was about to say more when her phone rang. After taking the call, she apologized to Fumihiko, "Sorry, I have a patient to attend to." She took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to him. "This is my contact info. Remember, dinner tonight."

Fumihiko took the card. "Sure, unless something unexpected happens, I'll let you know in advance."

Turning down a beautiful woman's invitation wasn't an option, especially since Kanade felt different from those around her—more energetic, more normal.

Kanade's eyes brightened. "Great." She winked at Megumi as if to say, "See, charm transcends age!" Then she turned and walked away.

Megumi shook her head. "You really plan on having dinner with Kanade?"

Fumihiko was surprised by her attitude. Could she have feelings for me?

"Yes, is there something wrong with her?"

Suppressing the jealousy rising in her heart, Megumi knew all too well that Kanade's current good fortune came from being an only child after her mother died in childbirth and other family members passed away before the Second Impact. She had no losses in the wake of the apocalyptic event, while Megumi lost everything.

She shook her head. "Other than being a bit chatty, she's fine. At the beginning of a relationship, she might seem very ladylike, making it hard to find any flaws. She's a good girl. Oh, and one more thing—she's a terrible cook. The kind who can turn the kitchen into a chemistry experiment."

Fumihiko breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, he was struggling with choosing between the two women, imagining a scene out of *School Days*.

"I thought you were going to spill some big secret! You wouldn't believe how nervous I was."

"What are you thinking? She's one of my last two friends."

"Are you feeling okay now?"

"Just a bit dizzy, nothing serious." After a pause, Megumi continued, "When we get back, let's suspend further experiments for now. Besides the neuron detection equipment, we need to add some other devices before restarting."

"Got it."

They returned to the lab. Megumi looked puzzled. "Why was the power cut?"

"When the emergency shutdown protocol failed, I had to use the emergency communication line to cut the main power."

"Either the algorithm's flawed, or there's a hardware issue. Contact the maintenance department to check it out. If we can upgrade, let's do it."

"Understood."

The team got back to work. Near dinnertime, Fumihiko took out his phone and called Akagi Eriko.

"I have a date tonight. Could you prepare a dinner for two? Flowers, if possible, or a piece of jewelry."

"Sure, what time would you like to dine?"

"Around six. Please book a private room."

"Any other requests?"

"Some romantic movie tapes, if possible."

"Understood."

After hanging up, he dialed Kanade's number.

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

???

Is she in surgery?

[I've arranged dinner at six. Is that okay?]

He sent the message and got back to work. After about half an hour, Kanade replied.

[No problem. Where should we meet?]

[How about I come to the medical department to pick you up?]

[Sounds good.]

At five, he snuck out of the lab. Despite being cautious, Megumi noticed but pretended not to. He first met with Eriko, familiarized himself with the setting, and changed his clothes. Finishing up close to six, he brought a gift and waited outside the medical department.

[I'm here.]

[I'll be out in a moment.]

Kanade had clearly dressed up, even carrying a faint floral scent. They arrived at the private room Eriko had reserved in the cafeteria. The setting was modest but had some privacy.

After Kanade sat down, Fumihiko took out a necklace. "May I put this on you, beautiful lady?"

"Sure."

Standing behind her, he placed the necklace around her neck.

"Thank you. It's lovely."

"No, you're more dazzling than it is."

With that, he gently held Kanade's soft, fair hand. Feeling no resistance, he knew the evening was essentially set.

Kanade initially thought tonight would be a formality but was surprised by Fumihiko's adeptness. This put her at ease. Despite her confident demeanor earlier, she would have hesitated if Fumihiko had been too inexperienced.

"Does a little wine hurt?"

Kanade, catching the implication, responded, "Not at all."

Adults often don't need many words; there's a mutual understanding. They only had a little wine, just enough to taste.

Ugh—

It tastes awful.

Fumihiko hadn't drunk much before, especially not wine, and found the taste strange. After dinner, he suggested, "I've prepared some tapes. Would you like to watch a movie at my place?"

"Sure."