She really spoke!

Natsuya fell silent.

Aoran didn't say anything else, either.

Time seemed to freeze over as neither of them said anything for a full minute.

"Thank you for telling me all this, Brother Aoran."

"No need for thanks… What do you intend to do, Natsuya?"

"…I need to think things over first."

"Then think things over well."

They ended their conversation there.

Natsuya slowly put down her cell phone.

Even though she had just finished a warm bath with such earlier sensations, she now felt like there was a chilly feeling enveloping her entire body…

The next morning, the weather was beautiful with clear skies and bright sunlight.

Seiji had an excellent and restful sleep. After getting out of bed and washing up, he went to get breakfast.

When he arrived at the dining hall, he instantly noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.